 It is now time for question period and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you speaker. My first question is to the acting premier. The four government's classroom cuts are already impacting schools and students. Yesterday, Lauren Park Secondary School in Mississauga sent a notice home. The notice informed students that 30 courses had been canceled due to the government cuts and that students enrolled in those courses would be removed. Does the acting premier think the school is fear-mongering or is she willing to admit that her classroom cuts have real impacts? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Focus in on an education plan that works for you. It's going to be the plan that is going to bring education back on track in Ontario. And I actually think the people who are fear-mongering are not the school boards. It's the leader of the opposition and her party. It needs to quit once and for all because the fact of the matter is we can't forget that we inherited a fiscal mess. We all have to take responsibility and steps forward to make sure that we get the province back on track. Excuse me, that said though, that said, we're going to be working with our school boards and we're going to be working very diligently to make sure that our number one priority, student achievement and the learning environment in this classroom for teachers and students are second to none. And again, we're going to be working with our school boards to make sure that the attention is paid to student achievement and that learning environment in the classroom. And we're going to get it right once and for all. Thank you very much. Supplementary question. Well, perhaps the minister should have worked with Lauren Park secondary because it certainly doesn't work for students that 30 courses are being cancelled. Schools in rural Ontario are facing unique challenges. Speaker, as everybody in this chamber should already know, the near North School Board wrote the Minister of Education warning that the government's so-called attrition protection will not prevent layoffs. And that, and I quote, recruitment and retention of qualified and talented individuals can be difficult in Northern Ontario. As another Northern Board chair puts it, and I quote, if the automotive teacher retires and we aren't allowed to recruit new teachers, who's teaching auto? Who's qualified to do it? I think that's a really great question. And it's one that the premier needs to answer, the minister needs to answer, and the acting premier should answer. Question. Everybody on that side of the house should answer people in Northern Ontario about the loss of courses that they're going to see from these cuts. Minister reply. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I would suggest respectfully that perhaps the leader of the opposition should actually pay attention to what we're announcing. Because when it comes to making sure we have the right people in the classrooms teaching our students across this province, from one end to another, we have been very clear. When it comes to mathematics, when it comes to STEM subjects, when it comes to skilled trades and every aspect of skilled trades, we're going to make sure that if a teacher retires, the proper teacher will be hired and replace him. Well, Speaker, at risk of tit for tat, I would with all due respect suggest that the minister of education pay attention to the school boards across this province who are ringing the alarm bells about their thoughtless cuts to education. Patient, our parents and students don't want to be told that they're fear-mongering. School boards don't want to be told that they're fear-mongering. They know the fears are legitimate, Speaker. They're seeing them in schools right now. As we sit and breathe, they are seeing the cuts affecting schools. They deserve an education that allows young people the opportunity to succeed, not one that leaves them scrambling to deal with classroom cuts, as is what's happening right now. Will this board government stop plowing ahead with cuts that leave students with larger classes, fewer teachers, and puts their futures at risk? Minister to reply. Well, again, the only people that are fear-mongering playing politics is the party opposite, under the leadership of the leader, unfortunately, because the fact of the matter is, the GSN numbers just went out to our school board, as promised, on Friday. And they're just working through their numbers right now. And we're going to be working with our school boards to make sure we get it right. And again, we want the right teachers in the classrooms making sure that we have the best learning environments for our students. And again, we're going to be working with our school boards because, to be perfectly clear, no teacher will lose their job involuntarily because of our proposed changes. And the fact of the matter is, people are celebrating the fact that we're focusing on what is needed to get done to clean up the mess after 15 years of mismanagement. And the fact of the matter is, we are going to get it right. We stand by our teachers, and most importantly, we stand by our students and our parents. And again, we're going to prove this party wrong. Thank you. Thank you. Next question. Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is to the Acting Premier. Does the Acting Premier believe that immunization, student nutrition, and long-term care have a role to play in keeping Ontarians healthy and ending hallway medicine? And if she does, why is she making such dramatic cuts to public health? Questions to the Deputy Premier. Thank you very much for the question. Yes, I think those are all important public health issues, but I'm confident that if the City of Toronto, first of all, has its priorities in place and spends the government dollars wisely and taxpayers' money wisely, they will be able to provide those essential services. In fact, I think it should be noted that the City of Toronto's public health unit over the last 10 years has had a surplus of $52 million, so about $5 million per year. That would certainly help them with making up the difference with the small adjustments that we're making over three years. We also need to make sure that the government spends its money wisely on the things that are priorities. Is it a priority to have an entire department based on advocacy in public health? For what? Aren't we all in favour of public health? Why is that necessary? Remind the members, I had to stop the clock once the standing ovation started because I could not hear the member who had the floor. Start the clock. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, only a government that fears the voice of the people wants to get rid of all advocacy in the province of bacteria. Units perform vital services, Speaker, across the province to keep people healthy, and the four government's callous cuts are putting health at risk. The Acting Premier has tried to explain away these cuts as a difference of opinion, but the Mayor of Toronto, who the Acting Premier served with, Speaker, when he was leading her party, and what he said is crystal clear. These retroactive cuts to public health put everything from school, breakfast programs to immunization at risk. Why doesn't the Acting Premier believe the medical experts, concerned citizens, and her own former leader, and call for a reversal of this cut? There is a vast difference of opinion between the Ministry of Health's view of the situation, what's happening, and with the City of Toronto. There is a difference of opinion, which we are trying to work through with the City of Toronto, so that they will understand how we arrived at their calculations. We're trying to understand their calculations. I'm sure that we can resolve that, but it is a question of priorities. Priorities over having an audit department versus making sure children are vaccinated. I think the vaccinations are more important, and I'm sure the people of Toronto think so as well. But the City of Toronto also needs to take a look at its own internal affairs. There's one budget here, and to suggest that there aren't savings to be found is not true, that there is money to be found. If you take a look at the fact that recently their own auditor general found that a tree maintenance service was watering tree stumps, and wasn't even following the proper GPS service, they were doing other things, but they weren't watering trees. That's millions of dollars wasted. They also spent... Thank you very much. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, as I live and breathe a conservative that doesn't like audits, go figure. I have never seen anything like it in my life, Speaker. Look, all of the experts are on one side, and the general opinion is the government side. I'll go with all the experts, Speaker, because they're the ones that are being upfront with the people of Ontario on the impacts of these cuts. Here are some of the programs, Speaker, that these cuts are going to affect. Breakfast programs for at-risk kids. Dental clinics, which were supposed to be the cornerstone of the government's dental care plan for seniors. Immunisation programs. Immunisation programs, Speaker, which are at risk at exactly the same time that fears of a measles outbreak is at the highest that it's been in this province and has been very, very long time. This is not good for public health. This will make hallway medicine much, much worse. Will this for government? Will they reconsider this reckless cut to public health? Minister to reply. In fact, through you, Mr. Speaker, of course I support audits. I was a bank auditor myself for a number of years, so I respect what the auditor for the City of Toronto is saying with the millions of dollars wasted on watering tree stumps. I don't think that's in the public's best interest. In addition, they bought a fleet of vehicles for over $10 million that cost $314,000 a year. To maintain, that aren't even being properly used. In fact, the people who should be driving those vehicles are also being paid for their own personal mileage expenses. That is not good leadership. That is not good management of public money. I think if the City of Toronto looked a little harder, they would be able to find more money for services. From its side, gumball. I am confident that the essential services in public health vaccinations, making sure that restaurants are inspected, making sure that breakfast clubs continue to be run, they're actually funded through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. They will continue, and all of those essential services will be preserved. Start the call. Next question. Leader of the opposition once again. My next question is to the Minister of Health Speaker. But I have to tell you, I mean I knew the Premier wanted to be the Mayor of Toronto. Apparently the Minister of Health wants to be the Mayor of Toronto as well. Over the last week I met with families across Ontario who were worried about the government's cuts to health care. Whether it's billions of dollars of cuts to public health, the plan to slash ambulance service or the mega agency that will allow unprecedented levels of for-profit care into our health care system, people have seen health care getting less reliable and more expensive. Last week the government announced they intend to make even more dangerous cuts to Ontario's health care system by eliminating out-of-country coverage for emergency health services from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, OHIP. Why is the Minister facing or forcing patients to pay for health services with their credit card instead of their OHIP card, Speaker? Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. I would say to the leader of the official opposition is because it's not providing good value and it's also leading people to the erroneous impression that they would receive full coverage if they are injured while out of country. When in fact the total that they would receive is about $400. And if you're injured out of country and you have to go into intensive care, it could be thousands of dollars per day. We want to make sure that the people of Ontario understand that when they go out of country they need to make sure they have their own private insurance which can be purchased very inexpensively and making sure that they are going to be covered. Again, this wasn't even a program that was providing good coverage and it was very expensive to maintain. About a third of the entire cost of this project was covered, taken up by administration. That's not good value for taxpayers. That's not what we were elected to preserve. We were there to provide core services and make sure that taxpayers' money is being spent wisely. Self-relementary question. Well, Speaker, the four governments made it very, very clear to Ontarians that they are on their own when it comes to their health care if they happen to be traveling across the border. The Canadian Health Act set standards for health coverage across the country. One of the principles of the Canada Health Act is that provincial health plans must provide coverage for people when they are temporarily outside of the province. With this decision, the province is violating the Canada Health Act and asking patients to pay out-of-pocket for health services. The Ford government promised that Ontarians would never be asked to pay out-of-pocket for health services. I'm going to say that again. The Ford government promised that Ontarians would never be asked to pay out-of-pocket for health services. But now you've got to tell the families of Ontario that are crossing the border, for example, for a kids' ball tournament that they have to pay for private health insurance. Why is this government asking people to pay for health care in the province of Ontario when they promised they wouldn't? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would say through you that this is a huge stretch by the leader of the official opposition. There is no legislation of any kind that is being disrespected or denied here. What we are trying to do is to make sure that people's money is being spent wisely. I don't think any tax administration only is a good use of those dollars. And we also want to make sure that people are going to be covered properly when they leave the country to make sure that if they have an expensive health problem that it is going to be covered by insurance and that they're not going to have to sell their house and lose their personal assets. This is important. Public announcement to people to let them know that they need to find their own insurance which can be purchased very inexpensively to make sure that they will be thoroughly covered when they're out of country. That is our responsibility as a government to make sure that government funds are spent wisely and people are told the true cost and the true implications of some of these programs that are not providing value. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Cambridge. It's my understanding that the minister was in London this past week making an important announcement that will ensure the safety of our children during their commute to school. School buses are one of the safest ways for children to get to school. Statistics show that students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when traveling in a school bus than by car. There are over 830,000 children who travel to and from school every day by bus. In everything our government does, every program, policy or service change, we put people first. Can the minister of transportation share with the legislature the details of his recent announcement and how it will better protect and ensure the safety of Ontario's children? Question is to the minister of transportation. Thank you very much speaker and thanks to the member from Cambridge for that question and being a strong advocate for safety in our roads throughout the province. Our government is moving forward with regulations to allow evidence from stop-arm cameras on school buses to stand alone in court. That means there will be no requirement for additional witnesses. We wanted to help municipalities through Ontario improve school bus safety and this will allow the more efficient enforcement and prosecution. But Mr. Speaker, that's not all. If passed, our legislation will put in place an option for municipalities to target drivers who threaten to safety of children through monetary penalties without wasting time and money in court. We're making these changes in consultation with school bus providers and other road safety stakeholders because the safety of our most precious child is our top priority Mr. Speaker. We hope these changes will help to reduce the number of children harmed while going to school from school by bus and we know that these measures will hold irresponsible drivers responsible Mr. Speaker and I'd like to share more in the supplementary. Supplementary question. Thank you and through you Mr. Speaker thank you to the minister of transportation for that great answer. Last week I was pleased to see the parliamentary assistant to the minister of education, the member from Niagara West in London with the minister of transportation to announce this great initiative. It's so good to see the different ministries of our government working together to protect our students. Can the minister tell us more about this important legislation and what it can do to protect and ensure the safety of our children during their commute to school? Great question. Minister to reply. Minister of Education. Mr. Secretary of the Minister of Education. Thank you very much and it's my pleasure to continue to talk about the good things we're doing for education and our students across Ontario. Thank you to the member from Cambridge and thank you to my PA, the member from Niagara West for joining the ministry. This is something that our government, our party has long sought for and thank you to the great work from from the member from Toddham Kent. He got this ball started and yeah I thank you because we want to demonstrate that we are totally committed to the people who matter and those are our students. We're focused on student success but we're also focused on student safety and this starts from the moment their bus picks them up at the start of the day. Stats show that children are most likely to be injured when they are boarding or leaving their school bus or when they're crossing the road. My own neighbour had that very experience and that's why our government is proposing new legislations to use a school bus arm camera in court to target drivers that put kids at risk. Thank you. The next question, the member for Camiscomne Cochran. My questions to minister and municipal affairs. Disaster relief assistance will be vitally important to the families and businesses affected by flooding across Ontario. Last year when tornadoes devastated the Ottawa region the minister told the house that and I quote, past governments haven't activated the disaster relief assistance program early enough and claims took too long to process. End of quote. That was last year. As of last month, only seven of 111 applicants have received money through the Ontario disaster program. What confidence can people of Ontario have about their government's help in this disaster if they still haven't delivered on their promises from the last one? Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Thank you very much to the member for the question. First of all, I want to express on behalf of all members to all the regions that are struggling with the widespread flooding that is taking place in our province. Yesterday I activated the drill program in Renfrew County and in Pembroke and I know that many members of this house have local communities that are in some pretty challenging conditions. So our thoughts and our prayers are with all the first responders, all the community volunteers and everyone battling this situation. The question is very timely because there was a number of improvements that our government has made to the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program. Our ministry has been on the site in many regions both last year and in the days past given some of the challenges that people are facing. Response? We have to improve this program. There's no question. We have to do a better job in terms of fast tracking some of these opportunities to make sure that people present all the information as early as possible and I'll have more to say in the supplementary. Families that were promised disaster relief by the Ford government just last year are frustrated by the government's failure to keep promises. Cindy Berry's home was hit by the tornado in 2018. She told CBC News last month and I quote, why did the Premier come out and say that there was money and there really isn't any money? Or if there is money why is it so hard to get? That's a good question. Will the Ford government commit today that people affected by floods will have access to disaster relief funding as soon as possible? Minister to reply? Well thank you Speaker and again I want to thank the member for his carefully crafted question. As I've said many times in this house the program the disaster recovery assistance for Ontarians is not a replacement for insurance and again I want to stress that. Again I want to say that we have made a number of improvements to streamline the application process. We have ensured that that ministry personnel have been on the scene in many of these jurisdictions especially the ones that the member referenced last year. We spent many hours in many community halls helping residents understand what needs to be provided in this application process what isn't covered in the application process and as well had other officials from the insurance industry and other partners as involved in this process. Yes in some cases it is complex we are trying to work through all of the applications and all of the issues around them we will continue to improve this process I want the member and all members to realize this is something that we take very seriously on this side of the house and we will continue to improve this program. Thank you. Next question the member for Chatham Kent Leamington. Thank you very much Speaker my question to the minister of transportation Mr. Speaker as many in this legislature will recall I've been calling for concrete barriers along Highway 401 from London to Tilbury to assist in preventing crossover accidents as many in this legislature also know when my writing of Chatham Kent Leamington that stretch of 401 between London and Tilbury is called Carnage Alley because it's known to be a very dangerous stretch of highway that has unfortunately had many tragic accidents Mr. Speaker for years I called on the previous Liberal government to install concrete barriers to prevent the crossover accidents that occur on this stretch of highway every single year unfortunately the previous government did very little to address these very real safety concerns our government for the people is committed to making Ontario's roads and highways amongst the safest in North America therefore Mr. Speaker can the Minister of Transportation share with this legislature what our government is doing to ensure the safety of Highway 401 between London and Tilbury Minister of Transportation Thank you very much Speaker and thanks a member from Chatham Kent Leamington strong advocate across the board representing all these constituents but helping those across Ontario and I'm pleased to give a concrete answer to his question Mr. Speaker as the member of state there have been many accidents in Carnage Alley that have been tragic too tragic and I've heard and met with many families over the past few years who have lost loved ones due to crossover accidents on this stretch of highway and Mr. Speaker one loss of a life is one too many and this year's budget commits to the widening and improving of safety along 128 kilometers stretch from and before six lane the 401 from Tilbury to Highway 401 and Mr. Speaker we are committed to getting shelves on ground as soon as possible and we are committed to installing concrete barriers along the entire stretch I look forward to sharing the safety measures for our government has put forward in our supplementary supplementary question thank you very much Mr. Speaker and again thank you to the minister transportation for firming up and hardening that particular response in that dangerous situation that we have along 401 you know my community of Chatham Kent Leamington will be thankful to hear that our government's commitment to expand the highway through six lanes and finally install concrete barriers as the minister transportation stated one loss of life is one too many and I know the minister is aware of our concerns in our communities as a whole and I know our government is committed to making this highway safer so that motorists and their loved ones can travel with some peace of mind can the minister transportation share more about the safety measures our government has already implemented minister thanks again for that question with the member of Chatham Kent Leamington our government's number one priority is keeping the people of Ontario safe whether it be at home work or during their commute and that is why we're working to ensure the people of Ontario have a safe and efficient highway network I've directed officials to speed up the process to install concrete barriers along highway 401 between Tilbury to London and I can assure Ontarians that we are expediting planning work to get shovels into the ground as quickly as possible in addition the minister of transportation has taken measures to protect road users during this construction by implementing the following safety measures we will be installing snow fencing at strategic locations making enhancements of winter highway maintenance operations working with the OPP and other road safety enforcement partners who increase speed enforcement and installing additional portable roadside variable messaging signs to display road safety Mr. Speaker unlike the previous government I can assure Ontarians and the residents of Southwestern Ontario that our government is committed to build these concrete barriers along the highway 401 Next question the member for Nickel Belt Thank you, Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of health and long-term care Government's decision to cut public health funding will leave a $1 billion hole in Toronto public health budget one of the program that Toronto public health funds is the city school nutrition program which serves 200,000 children with breakfast lunch and snacks that's a lot of student that this bad decision is going to leave feeling hungry have you ever tried going to work hungry speaker it is pretty hard to concentrate by cutting public health the minister is making it harder for student to succeed in school and to break out of the cycle of poverty how can the minister possibly think that this is an acceptable decision Questions to the minister of health and long-term care In fact I would agree with a member that the breakfast programs and so on are very important but as I indicated in a previous question there is a significant difference of opinion with respect to the changes that are being made in the public health funding by the province this is happening over a period of three years the difference in funding amounts to one-third of one percent of the city of Toronto's overall budget and it is clear that if the city of Toronto concentrates on priorities and makes sure that they keep track of eliminating waste in other areas that there will be money for those essential programs in fact I think it should also be pointed out that the ministry of children community and social services contributes to those school breakfast programs a significant amount of money that's not even touched by the amount of money that the municipality receives funds the ministry of health and long-term care so I am confident that those programs will continue with the funding that the city of Toronto is going to receive both from the ministry of health and with the ministry of children community and social service thank you stop and that's your question thank you speaker well this is 65 million dollars that the city of Toronto has to make up because of the government's decision earlier the minister questioned Toronto public health's priority because they engage in health promotion and advocacy did you know speaker that if it was not for the advocacy of Toronto public health we would still smoke in restaurants and bars in Ontario this is what advocacy at the public health level does it makes us healthy evidence-based decision making tells us that investing in health promotion works it keeps us healthy it saves the healthcare system money it builds healthy community the city of Toronto and the 34 other public health unit affected shouldn't have to make the tough decision on what health program to cut because the province does not want to pay its fair share will the minister listen to her previous leader agree to pause this decision and go back to the drawing board minister to apply please take your seats Mr. Speaker through you I would say that it's important to base these decisions on facts not on some of the rhetoric that we've heard from the city of Toronto the city of Toronto has proposed a number that is far far in excess of the amendments that the the Ministry of Health is proposing to make in fact the actual number the actual difference is $33 million for the first year rising to $42 million after three years that is something that the municipality is able to accommodate with their vast with the population with the economies of scale that they can absorb but it's also important to note that they have run surpluses over the last 10 years amounting to over $52 million that being the case it's very clear that there is money that they can find for some of these services the legislation the health protection and promotion act indicates that it is the responsibility of the municipalities to fund public health yet the province is willing to pay its fair share and I am confident that when the city applies its concentration to the priorities like the breakfast programs like the vaccinations like helping thank you the member for Don Dolly Ease thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of government and consumer services minister I have a private members bill that proposes a sensible solution around consumers rights and digital issues put simply I believe that consumers should have the right to repair their own electronic products I believe it is unreasonable and uneconomical that manufacturers can disallow owners from repairing their devices by making parts parts and products product manuals overly expensive or insisting that the manufacturer can be the only one to repair that product the current approach is wasteful bad for the environment and expensive for consumers and it forces people too often to simply throw away a product rather than repairing that product and supporting a local business who does that minister will you support this bill on second reading this Thursday minister of government and consumer services thank you very much Speaker and through you even in opposition the Liberals continue to do what they did in government propose legislation that sounds good in theory or a soundbite but is completely unenforceable in practice and threatens consumer choice the ability to repair electronics more cheaply and easily is certainly a concept we support but the broader implications of this bill were clearly not thought through Mr. Speaker this bill would do the opposite of what is intended to do unintended consequences that we so often heard through 15 years it would limit consumer choice by making electronics harder to access as businesses could choose not to bring new products to market and tarot we want in terms to actually have access to state-of-the-art electronics it would worsen in terms business climate driving way innovation in jobs government shouldn't create roadblocks for consumer choice this bill would also affect the intellectual property of companies and I trust the member would realize this is this is actually federal government if this bill became law these jurisdictional issues would immediately immediately open up until those consumers and businesses to countless court challenges challenges would likely make it impossible to enforce the bill thank you supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker and uh thank you minister I get a feeling that that's a no but uh thank you for the response the right right to reprise a very simple concept but it has wide-ranging implications it's not just about mobile phones and iPads but it's also about other sectors like the agricultural sector these days farm equipment is often basically a computer on wheels and farmers often have to take those those products and send them away to get them repaired when they can have those products being repaired locally and these delays do cost do cost time and money so uh minister as we we see more automation and globalization it continues to change the way our economy operates I think it's important that local economies and local local ontarians or ontarians get to fix those devices locally I think it's a piece of legislation that's being proposed that you should support that protects the consumer but most of all prepares us for the digital age thank you Mr. Speaker minister to reply thank you Mr. Speaker and again through you I would ask the member if he really wants to protect consumers maybe you'd vote against the carbon tax that you're so so having to put in Mr. Speaker as I've already said this is a challenge in regard to intellectual property and jurisdiction of the federal government many other states in the U.S. have considered this right to repair and not one has advanced the policy it can also put into direct conflict with international treaties signed by the federal government that pertain to intellectual property law Mr. Speaker we want to go the other way we want to ensure that with enteros we're actually truly protecting them and giving them what they believe we don't want them to get into situations where there could be liability you repair your toaster and at the end of the day your house burns down who's protecting that have you thought through any of those type of implications or is that an unintended consequence that you haven't thought through yet again Mr. Speaker we're developing a provincial strategy that will actually help entero businesses and enteros and will benefit directly from our data economy while protecting the privacy thank you thank you thank you Mr. Speaker and my question is also to the minister of government and consumer services minister every member of our government recognizes the importance of respecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring we are getting real value for that money we do that by eliminating waste from government in december of this past year Mr. Speaker the minister announced the government's surplus property disposition plan which would remove unused buildings from the government's books and return them to productive use Mr. Speaker while the previous liberal government may have been content to see empty buildings cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in maintenance costs I know the minister recognizes that thousands become millions and millions become billions minister could you inform this house on how yesterday's sale of property at 26 Grenville street and 27 Grovener street will help build local communities and deal with the 15 billion dollar deficit that the previous liberal government saddled Ontario with minister government consumer services thank you Mr. Speaker through you I want to thank the honourable member from Oakville and my friend and colleague for all of his hard work for the members of Oakville this member is absolutely correct that the previous liberal government allowed unused government properties to stay in the provinces book for 15 years these properties didn't just provide no value to taxpayers they cost taxpayers over 9.6 million dollars per year we're doing government differently Mr. Speaker the successful sale of 26 Grenville street and 26 Grovener street will generate 36 million dollars for the people of Incherell money that can be invested reinvested into core programs and services that matter most for the people that were given the privilege to represent Mr. Speaker that property was costing taxpayers 260,000 dollars a year in operating and maintenance with no value coming back to Incherellons this land now because of our action will actually include more than 700 rental units over 200 dedicated to affordable housing as well as retail spaces in a new daycare Speaker our government's committed to respecting the taxpayers and protecting what matters most thank you supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for that answer and your work to respect the taxpayers of Ontario with common sense solutions I'm proud to be a part of a government that is investing in the people of Ontario and that investment is seen across our entire government including the ministry of municipal affairs and housing Mr. Speaker our government is making incredible investments into the housing sector here in Ontario and we are starting with the most vulnerable those who need it the most not only investing in housing but we are making investments near important services like transit school hospitals and daycare can the minister explain how surplus land such as this will help provide much needed housing especially affordable housing great question minister the minister of municipal affairs referred to the minister of municipal affairs and housing thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member for Oakville for that question I was pleased to join minister Walker yesterday to speak about what our government is doing to help people save not just taxpayer's money but also invest in government services and provide opportunities to have more housing when there's a incredibly bad shortage of affordable housing especially rentals in Ontario our government believes that everyone deserves to have a place to call home and it's imperative that we create the necessary environment to bring more housing to market faster and make housing more affordable the site that minister Walker and I announced yesterday will be redeveloped into a mixed use development that will have more than 700 rental units with over 200 units become affordable housing as well as retail space response and even a daycare center our government is protecting what matters most by creating more homes and more choices for the people of Ontario thank you speaker thank you the next question the member for Toronto St. Paul's thank you speaker my question is to the acting premier interlibrary loan service has been the backbone of small town libraries and communities across Ontario and that vital service has vanished thanks to yet another thoughtless cut in the forward government budget instead of reacting with concern one MPP the member for Niagara west told concerned ontarians to simply ask their local conservative member to fetch the books they need the southern ontario library service reports that 153 libraries across Ontario received four book deliveries a week from this service will the acting premier be relieving the PC caucus from other responsibilities so they can donate themselves to delivering library books that were provided by this service to the deputy premier to the minister of tourism culture and sport refer to the minister of tourism culture and sport thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker this process is about modernizing services across the province while we protect what matters most I don't understand the NDP's position as in having a staff member drive a van around the province of Ontario dropping off books it's odd that the NDP aren't considering their carbon footprint while this delivery program is being undertaken and as we rethink government services and modernizing programs if the Southern Library service used Canada Post like North does the delivery program could cost between 300 and 500 thousand dollars compared to 1.3 million dollars that's being spent by having staff deliver usually delivering vans around the province of Ontario it doesn't make any sense and it saves money it's better for the environment and probably it's even faster than taking back roads from one library to the other Mr. Speaker I am looking forward to working with the library thank you supplementary question Mr. Speaker modernizing libraries has nothing to do with taking books away from seniors for goodness sakes my question is too the acting premier the forward government likes to pretend that vital services can be replaced with phone calls and favours it'd be funny if there weren't real people across Ontario losing a vital service that they relied on in small towns across Ontario and 47 first nation communities across the north it takes away a vital link and as the chair of Owensounds Library Board put it this is an attack on libraries Speaker a library is democratic public service and space will the premier stop denying reality and restore these services now thank you Mr. Speaker once again I have to start with what the facts are we are spending 1.4 million dollars paying interest on a debt that the government has had to assume we are spending 40 million dollars a day order more than we are taking in in the province and there are efficient ways to be able to deliver services using Canada Post there are alternatives you know at the end of the day will the opposition side come to order when you look at the reality of the situation and where the government stands we are looking for transparent sustainable ways of continuing services and the north is utilizing the library utilizing delivery services and that is what the southern library should be doing as well there is a solution to the problem and we will be meeting and working with the library services to ensure that the services continue the decision with respect to the library services cutting the interlibrary program thank you thank you thank you minister next question next question this question the member for Kitchener Conestoga thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of environment conservation and parks and before we get started I just wanted to thank him for coming down to Waterloo Region with Parliamentary Assistant Andrea Canyon last week Speaker Ontario is home to more than 30,000 species of plants insects fish and wildlife while many of these species have sustainable populations 243 are listed on the species at risk in Ontario list due to threats such as habitat loss pollution invasive species and climate change and disease the Endangered Species Act came into effect in 2008 and has been criticized for being ineffective in its aim to protect and recover species at risk on April 18th the minister announced our government's proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act since the announcement the prime minister has criticized Ontario's approach to endangered species and made inaccurate statements about our intentions can the minister clarify for this house how these statements are fatally inaccurate minister the environment conservation and parks Mr through you to the member and I and it was great to visit the member from Kitchener Conestoga and is writing to see a state of the art recycling plant and I thank him for his hospitality Mr Speaker the member is correct over the weekend the prime minister was opining on the Endangered Species Act and Mr Speaker I suggest the prime minister read his own act because what he failed to recognize is that the proposed and modernized species act that we are talking about the reforms we're discussing will ensure that Ontario's Act remains stronger than the federal act Mr Speaker let me articulate a couple of reasons why Mr Speaker the federal act allows the minister of environment to make decisions to make decisions about timelines and to decide which species are endangered Mr Species Mr Speaker in in Ontario in Ontario science will remain the driving factor feature of which species are endangered and Mr Species we have also set timeline and Mr going to help the minister now supplementary thank you Speaker thank you Speaker it is clear that Ontario has and will continue to have stronger protection for speakers and species at risk Speaker I know that the people in my riding of Kitchener Gonastoga want to ensure the listing for species at risk remain based on science and we'll be happy to know that this remains the case the prime minister's remarks are clearly misleading and a misrepresentation of what our government is proposing there have been attempts to make our proposed changes look as though they were a weakening that we are weakening protections and that we are ignoring our commitments when in fact we are doing the opposite can the minister clarify for this house what our proposed changes will accomplish thank you thank you to the member and Mr Speaker Mr Speaker the modernized endangered species act that we are proposing the discussion paper that we have out will ensure that science remains the basis of our absence and will ensure Mr Speaker that unlike the federal act which I recommend the prime minister read unlike the federal act that specific timelines will be met to make sure that protections are put in place Mr Speaker we are modernizing this act to make sure that as I always talk about we can have the balance of a healthy economy we can protect endangered species in their habitat but we can also have a healthy economy and to make sure that job creators and others don't have to compete with important protections for endangered species the member for Brampton North thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of education Melissa Basta is a high school math teacher at Judith Ninman secondary school in Brampton for the last eight years she specialized in teaching at risk and special needs students at one of the few trade schools in Brampton recently Melissa along with several other teachers were issued surplus notices by their school board the premier and the minister have said repeatedly that no one will lose their job involuntarily because of the government's cuts to education and I believe the minister mentioned it at 10 42 a.m. so you can we can see that on on Hanson but Melissa wants to return to school in September to help her students achieve success why is the minister preventing her well thank you very much and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the insinuation if you will because the fact of the matter is we want our math teachers in class teaching math it's a number one one number one priority and the fact of the matter is we also and shop and trades and things like that and the fact of the matter is again we are specializing our our focus on the skills that students need for the work world of today and tomorrow and those specialized teachers that teach shop or math or stem subjects or arts if you will are very very important in terms of the overall balance that a student needs and in terms of their achievement and so we're going to be working with our school boards because again I'm very clear not one teacher will involuntarily lose their jobs because of our proposed changes and it's a 11 20 11 28 and you could mark that and the fact of the matter is a surplus notice if you thank you supplementary question job loss thank you Mr. Speaker so I assume Melissa Basta just doesn't exist she's a figment of her imagination after being handed a pink slip there are many things Melissa could be worrying about but her worries were all for her students she has first-hand experience of how one-on-one attention and exposure to new learning opportunities can help students find their place in the world she is worried about the special needs and at-risk students she has built relationships with she is worried that larger class sizes and mandatory online courses will leave those students behind Melissa wants to know why the minister thinks it is acceptable to rip away opportunities from her students minister again to reply sir it's modernizing education in Ontario and we're presenting so many opportunities to give students the opportunity to learn life skills and job skills for the world of work today and into tomorrow the fact of the matter is we are doing everything that has been asked of us we had the largest consultation last fall 72,000 people and the fact of the matter is we are addressing absolutely what the people have been asking for and it comes to position come to order ensure that the subjects that are in the class both going forward and into the future are reflecting the skills that students need whether it be trades the response whether it be science or whether it be math or life skills thank you very much I should remember for Flamborough Glendale Mr. Speaker I know that our government has been putting the needs of northern Ontario first after it was neglected by the previous government for 15 years we've made many important investments to stimulate economic growth and to create great jobs in the north tourism is a critical part of northern Ontario's economy and we have been supporting the sector since we were elected along the way we are creating good jobs that make a huge difference in smaller communities can the minister please tell the members of this house about yet another key investment our government has made in education based tourism to make a difference in northern Ontario questions to the minister of energy or the development my thanks thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member from Flamborough-Glanbrook for that question she knows in fact she remembers the importance of science north we used to call it science Sudbury Mr. Speaker because it was a magnificent it's a magnificent asset but frankly many northerners didn't get access to it that all changed about seven or eight years ago guy named Guy Levine who's now the president and CEO and my capacity as a minister of FedNor we develop programs and projects that would fan out across all of northern Ontario so people in Red Lake and people in Canora people in Dryden and all points in between could get access to some of the programs last week I announced that we are investing one million dollars in creating four new jobs Mr. Speaker in THINK it stands for Tinker Hack Innovate Network and No Projects these are permanent installations in Canora down at the Fort Francis Library and Technology Center it's going to give young students an opportunity to tweak their curiosity around STEM subjects Mr. Speaker and we couldn't be happier out North Western Ontario that it's going to be there supplementary questions Through you Mr. Speaker and back to the minister as a former resident of Northern Ontario I was born and raised in Caperell I am so so proud to see this government for the people investing in Northern Ontario and investing in its youth these new community hubs are critical for our youth and I have no doubt that they will bring families from across Ontario to these exhibits Speaker can the minister please inform the House of the important role that science North plays in science education and tourism in communities right across Northern Ontario Great question Minister Minister Oh sorry Wanted to chance to Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport Sir to the Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you once again to the member for Flamborough Blamborough for asking that question Since its opening by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1984 Science North has been a catalyst for science education in Sudbury, Thunder Bay and countless Northern and remote communities by taking a fun and friendly approach to science education As a one-of-a-kind attraction in Ontario's North it welcomes many tourists and local children alike each and every day With this investment we are creating and retaining good jobs educating our young people about STEM STEM fields and creating a unique new appeal to bring new visitors to these communities I say with great Response alacrity that this investment will help more than youth will help more youth across Ontario explore STEM education and help tourism grow across this great province Thank you Thank you The next question the member for Thunder Bay out of Coconut Thank you Speaker My question is for the Acting Premier I was surprised when the government decided to cut the 50 million trees program which aimed to plant 50 million trees across the province creating good jobs and helping to grow our forests I was surprised because the Conservative Party back when they were in opposition didn't think 50 million trees were enough They voted unanimously in favour of the Speaker's motion to plant three times as many trees Speaker when the Conservatives had the opportunity to put their words into actions they chose instead to backtrack and cut a program they once championed Why? Questions to the Deputy Premier Referred to the Minister of Infrastructure Well thank you very much Mr Speaker and I'm pleased to stand and answer this question Mr Speaker our government came to office in June of last year facing a 15 billion dollar deficit left by the previous government Mr Speaker we're working with our forestry industry to develop a strong forestry and sustainable industry in this province Mr Speaker every single year the forestry industry already plants an average of 68 million trees across the province Mr Speaker that creates jobs for foresters nurseries and tree planters and Mr Speaker we are happy to see and learn yesterday that forest Ontario is going to continue planting trees without the use of taxpayer dollars Mr Speaker this is excellent news for all tap arms for the forestry industry and for the government of Ontario I had to interrupt the minister I couldn't hear what he was saying start the clock supplementary Back to the acting premier that is not the same program we must do more to fight climate change as extreme weather events become more common in this province we need to be proactive and not simply react that's right the 50 million trees program is one of the easiest ways that Ontario can fight climate change will the acting premier admit cutting the 50 million trees program was wrong and reverse this bad decision right on questions been heard from the minister Mr Speaker Mr Speaker the simple answer is no and you know I'm amazed every single day Mr Speaker that when the NDP ask questions they're either defending the record of Justin Trudeau or they're defending the record of the former government and of course when you were the third party Mr Speaker the NDP continued to vote time and time again with the former Liberal government whether it was Dalton McIntosh he jumped on or Kathleen Wynn in fact 97% of the time the NDP ordered with the Liberals Mr Speaker this is great news the NDP should be happy that Forest Ontario is going to continue planting trees without the use of taxpayer dollars that is great news for all taxpayers in the province of Ontario and Mr Speaker it's fine every single year in the province of forestry industry is planting 68 million trees this is something to be celebrated so Mr Speaker uh we're gonna thank you remember for Barry Springwater Oral Medante Thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Magnanimous Minister of Energy Northern Development of Mines our government is working for Northern Ontario and I'd like to thank the minister for his strong support for municipalities and northerners in this legislature our government also values contributions of other strong voices in Northern Ontario including the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association known as ongoing work is crucial and critical to the future of Northern Ontario and to our province NOMA advocates for positive policy changes and community improvements in the north and it worked to improve the lives of all northerners Ontario's government for the people is proud to support NOMA and it's important work which aligns with our priorities can the minister please tell the members of this House more about how our government shares NOMA's commitment to Northern Ontario Minister of Energy Northern Development of Mines at average well thank you Mr Speaker as pleased to be in Thunder Bay last week beautiful city the gateway to Northwestern Ontario and five no less than five a record as I understand it minister showed up to the Northern Ontario Municipal Municipalities Association Mr Speaker we also met with business leaders who were quite outspoken about the carbon tax and the NDP's support for it but their enthusiasm for our investments and jobs in the economy in Northern and Northwestern Ontario Wendy Landry the president of NOMA said forestry plays a significant role for the economy in Northwestern Ontario it's encouraging that the government recognizes this and is looking to create a strategy to foster innovation while reducing red tape this paves the way to identify new methods to promote made in Ontario wood products Mr Speaker Wendy knows like we do that there's a tremendous opportunity in Northern Ontario response we're going to continue to build a strong economy because Northern Ontario a strong Northern Ontario is a strong Ontario Mr Speaker some more points of order but the member for Brandt for Brandt informed me he had one let him go first thank you Mr Speaker it's going to be a great place to welcome you welcome to this the people's house Christina Brooks and her son Robert from my riding she's a paramedic she's dedicated her life to taking care of the people of Ontario and arguably we served on the fire department together for years she taught me everything I need to know about helping people in those situations thank you Mr Speaker member for Waterloo thank you very much Mr Speaker it's a pleasure for me to welcome Dorothy McCabe to Queens Park today mother of page 08 Mr Speaker on a point of order I do want to correct the record for on behalf of the member for St. Paul the member for St. Paul's on a point of order thank you Mr Speaker I would like to welcome the CEO of Girl Guides of Canada Jill Zalmanovitz to Queens Park to the Legislative Assembly to her house and I'd also like to say a big welcome and congratulations to Helen her daughter who is a page from my fantastic colleague MPP for Parkdale High Park's writing thank you is it the same issue you can't correct another member's record it was referenced in the house it was a hoax slider that was clearly afford until 3 p.m. this afternoon the member for Niagara West will sit down