 is therefore an out-time for question period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. In 2014, taxpayer-funded research and polling leaked to the media had this to say, most on tarones would not support the provincial government sowing a controlling interest in any of the five Crown corporations tested. Three years later, most people don't support the liberal, short-sighted Hydro-1 fire sale. Mr. Speaker, it is not too late to do the right thing. Will the liberals finally commit to stopping the fire sale of Hydro-1? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I would just say to the member opposite that we made a very conscious decision not to do what that party had done with the 407, Mr. Speaker, because of Ontario by that fire sale, Mr. Speaker. And in fact, the decision that we made about building transit and transportation infrastructure in this province was premised on the understanding that Ontario's economic well-being is at least in part dependent on having the right infrastructure for people to be able to move around, for goods to be able to move, Mr. Speaker, and there had been decades of neglect in terms of building infrastructure in this province. We're catching up, Mr. Speaker. We're doing it in a responsible way, and we're seeing the fruits of those investments as Ontario leads economic growth in this country. Do you see it, please? Do you see it, please? Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The government asked the people of Ontario, do you support selling Hydro-1, and the answer was a resounding no. And so the question, Mr. Speaker, that the Premier needs to answer is why spend hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of dollars on liberal research firms if you're just going to ignore that advice? Do hundreds of thousands of dollars, do millions of dollars, taxpayers, precious funds, or nothing to this government? Why spend that money? Why help your friends in liberal research firms if you're just going to ignore it? It's not right. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, there are many issues that government has to make decisions on, Mr. Speaker, and it was fundamental to our understanding of the economic needs of this province that we invest in infrastructure. And by infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, that means transit. It means roads. It means bridges. It means hospitals. It means schools, Mr. Speaker. It means infrastructure across this province. $160 billion over 12 years is being invested in this province, Mr. Speaker. The fruits of those investments are being seen, Mr. Speaker. We have in Ontario created 702,000 new jobs for the recession. That job creation, Mr. Speaker, is connected to the investments that we have made and the economic growth that we have seen. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, I ask a serious question about liberal research being ignored, liberals patting the backs of their friends. Okay, both sides, that's enough. The member from Leeds Granville is not helpful. And also I'll make mention of the fact that while someone's putting a question, I'm hearing heckling on the same side. And when someone's putting the answer, I'm hearing the heckling on the same side. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, the fact that this liberal polling is being leaked to the media in itself is interesting. That means at least one liberal wants to do the right thing. At least one liberal recognizes the fire sale of Hydro One is short-sighted. Mr. Speaker, what I'd like to know, and hopefully the Premier can tell us, which liberal leadership candidate is the one that leaked this to the media? Because the official opposition, Mr. Speaker, would like to thank that liberal for doing the right thing. To the Premier, who leaked this to the media. Mr. Speaker, you know, there are huge challenges facing governments in 2017, Mr. Speaker. There are issues that have importance for the future economic well-being of this province, Mr. Speaker. And if the leader of the opposition is saying to me, Premier, why don't you just govern according to the polls? I think that gives us an insight into his... Member from Leeds Granville. ...the alternatives, Mr. Speaker. We take input, of course, from polling, but we take input from business. We take input from economists. We take input from people, Mr. Speaker. And then we make a decision that is going to be in the best interest of this province. That's what we've done. Consider, please. Before I move to the new question, the member from Leeds Granville, I indicated to you that I acknowledged you just to make sure that you heard it. And you were working on the second one when I stood up, but you didn't get it. And that goes for anybody else. If you want to elevate this, I will lower it. New question, the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. We know this liberal government has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, nearly a million dollars, advertising their hydro Hail Mary that is very partisan. Mr. Speaker, how much have they spent advertising the damaging effects of the fentanyl crisis in Ontario? Mr. Speaker, you know, the member opposite has raised a couple of issues, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the opioid crisis that we are seeing in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, and quite frankly across the country, we take it extremely seriously. We understand that there is much that needs to be done. We have in fact put in place an opioid strategy, Mr. Speaker. But as I said a number of weeks ago, we know we need to work with municipalities to make sure that municipalities have the tools that they need and that those supports are in place. So we will continue to work, Mr. Speaker, to enhance the strategy that we already have in place working with other jurisdictions and learning from the work that they have done. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. I have to confess, I already knew the answer. The answer is the government spending nearly a million on partisan hydrads and almost nothing when it comes to the crisis workings. We have spent barely anything to warn on taros about the dangers of fentanyl. Mr. Speaker, why are these vanity ads? Why are these partisan liberal hydrads more important than letting the people of Ontario know about the dangers of the fentanyl crisis? Thank you. Premier. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care wants to speak to the investments that we are making, but I really need to comment on the juxtaposition of these two issues. I understand that the leader of the opposition feels that this kind of political rhetoric is helpful in terms of, I don't know what, maybe his political future. But Mr. Speaker, the fentanyl crisis in this country, the fentanyl crisis, the opioid crisis in this country is extremely serious. And all of us should rise above the pettiness of this kind of juxtaposition of issues to focus on what is real. Now moving to warnings, final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. A 14-year-old just died because of this crisis. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the OPP, the Ottawa Public Health have all launched some form of an awareness campaign, but crickets from this government. Minister of Municipal Affairs is warned. A lethal dose of pure fentanyl is as little as two milligrams, the weight of 32 grains of table salt or even 37 poppy seeds. Preventable deaths are happening across this province tragically. Mr. Speaker, there is a limited advertising budget the government has. Right now it's being spent, according to the Auditor General, on self-congratulatory ads, the government, partisan liberal hydrads. My question is very direct and clear to the Premier. Will you stop the hydrads and put every cent into this fentanyl crisis? Premier? Health and long-term care. Excuse me. Excuse me. Mr. Speaker, the opioid crisis in this country is something that I think all of us here in the legislature appreciate the seriousness of and that we need to take those important steps to save lives and provide the supports that are particularly our community partners need to be able to address this crisis right across the country, Mr. Speaker. And that's why it's so important that in this province last October we addressed this in a multifaceted way. In fact, I had a meeting just a few days ago with the Chief Medical Officer of Health beginning in April 1st of this year, Mr. Speaker. On a weekly basis, all our hospitals or public health units, the Ministry of Health will have real-time data in terms of the scope of this problem of the deaths and the overhensures that take place. We're expanding the pain clinics in this province to 17. We made naloxone available free of charge through pharmacies and through public health units, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Some individuals are tiptoeing very close. New question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Since the Liberals got elected, hydro rates have gone up over 300 percent. And since this Premier took office, they've gone up by 50 percent alone, Speaker. It's a startling fact, but more startling is what this actually means to Ontario families. It means more people than ever are being forced to choose whether to pay their hydro bills or to put food on the table. When will the Premier do more than buy radio ads and issue press releases as her response to this crisis that her government has created? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, we recognize that electricity prices, that hydro prices have been a burden for people in all corners of the province, Mr. Speaker, which is exactly why on top of the 8 percent that we already have cut people's bills by another 17 percent, so a total of 25 percent people will see that reduction, Mr. Speaker, on their summer bills. But, Mr. Speaker, we started in 2013 recognizing that we needed to take costs out of the system. We've taken a number of actions, Mr. Speaker, but we realized that even with the accumulation of actions that we had taken in 2013 and 2014 and 2015, that more needed to be done. That's why our plan will take 25 percent off the bills of everyone who in their home pays their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. And on top of that, people who live in more remote and rural areas will see another reduction, Mr. Speaker, that could take them up to 40 or 50 percent reduction. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, does the Premier realize that time of use billing is a big problem for many Ontarians? For a parent who's raising kids, it means you can't cook dinner at dinner time. It means you have to stay up really late at night to do the laundry. And that's just not right, Speaker. Can the Premier tell us, since she refuses to release the details of her Band-Aid hydrofix, will it include ending punitive time of use pricing, Speaker? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very pleased to rise and talk about Ontario's Fair Hydro Plan, Mr. Speaker. Today I have in front of me the technical briefing that was provided to all of the critics of all of our opposition parties in the media, Mr. Speaker, and it talks specifically about many of the actions that we're taking as a government to reduce the bills of all families, small businesses and farms across the province, Mr. Speaker. Up to 25 percent for all families, Mr. Speaker. They're going to see that reduction come summer. Also, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to time of use, we're also having pilot projects that are being looked at right now, Mr. Speaker, by our system operator, by the OEB, that are talking about ways of ensuring that we can continue to find ways to help families and businesses, Mr. Speaker. Our plan is a substantial plan that is bringing relief to families, Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition party, Mr. Speaker, that has a bumper sticker plan that does absolutely nothing to help families and low-income individuals right away, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, people need information from this government, not a slide deck that's provided to media and opposition critics. Shame on me to know what this plan will actually do. Ontarians need to know that, Speaker, so that they have some certainty around the future. The Premier needs to release the details of her plan in this legislature so that it's available for open and transparent debate. Instead of playing a game of political smoke and mirrors and spending public money on partisan ads. Enough with the PR, Speaker. When will Ontarians see the Premier's actual plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it's been well said. The details of our plan, 25% reduction for all families in the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. And for those families, Mr. Speaker, for those families that are in Northern Ontario and rural parts of our province, Mr. Speaker, they're going to see more than just 25%, Mr. Speaker. We've actually reduced the distribution rate, Mr. Speaker, for Hydro One customers and seven other LDCs. They will see reductions, Mr. Speaker, between 40 and 50%, Mr. Speaker. And that's thanks to the action of this government, Mr. Speaker. We've made sure, we've made sure, Mr. Speaker, as well that we are looking after low-income individuals, our most vulnerable, Mr. Speaker, and our First Nations, something that they didn't even include in their plan, Mr. Speaker. We've made sure that we've enhanced the Ontario electricity support program. And for our First Nations on reserve, Mr. Speaker, they will see their delivery line reduced as well and eliminated. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Do you have a question? The leader of the third party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is for a Premier. Unfortunately, the people won't see a plan from the Liberals anytime soon by the looks of things. Look, the privatisation of our hydro system began under the progressive Conservatives and clearly the torch has been successfully passed to this Liberal government. But overwhelmingly, the people of this province and an overwhelming majority of Ontarians have made it clear that they want a public hydro system. When will the Premier finally listen and stop the sell-off of Hydro One? So, Mr. Speaker, again, I completely understand why the leader of the third party would want to talk about this because she actually has a plan that would increase or do nothing to reduce people's electricity bills. Her proposal would either keep electricity bills at the same cost or increase them, Mr. Speaker. And the issue that she raises today, the broadening of the ownership of Hydro One, would not take one cent of one person's electricity bill in this province. Remember from Hamilton, East Stony Creek is warned. So, we made a very difficult decision around the broadening of the ownership of Hydro One in order to build the infrastructure that this province needs, Mr. Speaker. In every corner of the province, infrastructure that will allow people to move themselves, their families, their goods more quickly, Mr. Speaker, and will allow this economy to thrive. That's the decision that we made and we're seeing the fruits of that, Mr. Speaker. Having said that, we know electricity bills have to come down and we've got the plan that's going to do that, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, for such a studious Premier, it's quite shocking and surprising that she has not obviously read the NDP plan that's apparent through her response. But I can tell you this, a quick shot in the arm for a political party... Please finish. But I can tell you this, a quick shot in the arm for a political party and a leader that's struggling with low popularity should not be the driving force behind the creation of public policy to make themselves regularly on their evidence-based approach to policymaking. Can the Premier tell us where is the evidence that continuing the wrong-handed sell-off of Hydro-1 will be good for families or businesses? Our fair hydro plan is based on reducing people's electricity costs, Mr. Speaker. That's what it's about. And as I said earlier, we began in 2013 to take costs out of the system, Mr. Speaker, to renegotiate contracts because we knew that there was a need to reduce those costs so that electricity bills would not go up as quickly and as high. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there needed to be more done and that's why we made the decisions that we've made. In fact, I have read the NDP proposal, Mr. Speaker. And I know that what the NDP proposal will do is make people wait for any change, will not reduce people's electricity bills and in some cases, Mr. Speaker, will actually increase their bills. That's not a proposal that we would adopt, Mr. Speaker. We're going to see electricity prices come down in this province, come the summer, all across the province. Well, Mr. Speaker, the reality is nobody trusts this Liberal government and you can see why. You just have to go to the NDP plan to lower hydro cost by up to 30% is being debated in this House this afternoon. Unlike this Premier and her party, we're not afraid to give Ontarians detailed plans or take bold action, like doing what people want and bringing Hydro One back into full public ownership. Will the Premier stop her wrong-headed sell-off of Hydro One, agree to start fixing the systemic problems in the system that started with them as in continuing with them and actually support our plan, which is the only plan that addresses systemic problems, gives people relief on their bills and is, in fact, the only plan on the table. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let me just say back to the Leader of the Third Party. I think it would be very helpful if she would explain to the people of Ontario how one cent would come off one electricity bill if we made the changes she suggested about Hydro One. I'd like the Leader of the Third... Leader of the Third Party is warned. Premier. Let me ask the Leader of the Third Party why in her proposal there is no mention of First Nations, whereas in our plan, Mr. Speaker, we're actually removing distribution costs, delivery charges, users of electricity in the province. Wait, Mr. Speaker, why she doesn't have a plan that would be immediate for low-income users, Mr. Speaker. The reality is that we did a lot of work to come up with proposals that actually would lower people's electricity prices, Mr. Speaker. That is not what the NDP has done. I understand why they want to talk about Hydro One and why they want to talk about their proposal, Mr. Speaker, but the fact is that what they're proposing will not reduce people's electricity bills. Ours will, Mr. Speaker. We're going to go... You have a question to the member from Kitchener Conestoga. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Speaker, yesterday we learned of the approval of a $100 million go-transitation in the Minister's riding of Vaughn. This, despite government's own expert analysis indicating that the station would mean longer travel times for current go-passengers back onto the road and result in a $143 million loss. Mr. Speaker, was the station approved because the Minister put his interest to see a Premier Del Ducca nameplate ahead of the interests of Ontario and go-riders in the province? Minister of Transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. I thank the member for the question. I'm always delighted to have the opportunity to stand in my place in this House and talk about the incredible plan that our Premier and our government have to invest in and expand public transit in every community, not only in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, but right across the province of Ontario. Speaker, I also want to take this opportunity to thank local individuals who've been working hard, including my Mayor, Maurizio Bevilakwa, John McKenzie, our Commissioner of Planning, City of Vaughn, Ward 1 Councillor Marilyn Iafredi, who have been working very hard for a number of months with the folks at Metrolinx to make sure it's clearly understood that over the next 10 years, approximately 35,000 people will be moving into the area immediately adjacent to where this proposed GO station will be built, Speaker. This is a clear indication that our government understands the importance of building public transit not only to meet the demands of today, but for the demands of tomorrow, Speaker, and we're going to continue with that job. Speaker, the station is right in the Minister's backyard. In fact, the government's own business case stated, quote, the benefits which could be realised by a Kirby Vaughn station are not large enough to outweigh the anticipated negative impacts to go transit and the economy. So I ask again, why does the Minister seem more interested in his backyard station to boost his own political fortunes than in the best interest of transit riders here in the province of Ontario? Yes, Speaker, look, I want to follow up by saying I'm extraordinarily proud to represent the community of Vaughn here and the Central Central Speaker. And I look forward to making it very clear to the people of Maple and to the people of Kleinberg and to the people of Southern King over the next 15 months that that leader and that party are opposed to building more transit infrastructure in that community, Speaker. But I will also note notwithstanding our ambitious plans to continue to build transit in every corner of this province which that party consistently opposes, I didn't actually hear that member from Kitchener Conestoga ever say a bad word about our decision to build a station at Bresla in his riding, Speaker. Thanks very much. No question. The member from Nicobelt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our hospitals are facing an overcrowding crisis that keeps getting worse. Last week, 94-year-old Margaret Otto was brought by ambulance to an overcrowded hospital. Margaret had to lie on a stretcher in the busy emergency room for many long hours. It was noisy. She couldn't rest. As her daughter Patricia says, it's pretty sad that a woman of her age in her condition cannot get a hospital room. When will the Premier stop forcing seniors like Margaret to be treated in hallways and do something to solve the overcrowding crisis that they have created? Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care? Ministry of Health, Long-Term Care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we have a strategy to address the occupancy rates that we see in our hospitals. And it includes increasing our investments in the operating budgets as well as making unprecedented capital investments across this province, Mr. Speaker. Over $10 billion over the next decade in the hospital investments. We've increased the operating budgets of hospitals last year alone or this fiscal year, Mr. Speaker, by nearly half a billion dollars. And it's important that Ontarians understand that the vast majority of the hospitals in this province routinely and regularly operate within the less than 100% occupancy rate, Mr. Speaker. But we know that there's work to be done. We're proud of the fact that year over year we're seeing from third parties, from Kaihai, from the Wait Times Alliance, from the Fraser Institute, have found year after year that Ontarians are receiving timely access to care. We are seeing improvements in ER wait times as well. We know there's more work to be done. Those are the reasons for the investments we're making. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, patient in Ottawa, like Margaret Otto, are being treated in hallways. Overcrowding has forced the Queensway Colton Hospital to cancel 36 plan surgery in recent months alone. And it is not just the people of Ottawa who are suffering from overcrowding created by this Liberal government. The Ontario Hospital Association says that emergency room wait time in Ontario are the longest on record. Speaker, this is our Premier's legacy. Overcrowded hospital, seniors on stretcher, cancel surgery, long wait time for our families across the province. As Margaret's daughter Patricia says, it is a sad state of affair. Nobody can deny it. And a quote. When will the Premier stop squeezing our hospitals and put an end to hallway medicine in this province? Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that we acknowledge that we have one of the best healthcare systems in this country, Mr. Speaker. And obviously in the world and in fact, Mr. Obviously, the member opposite hasn't read today's Kai Hyatt report, a third party report that offers independent third party proof that our government has made tremendous and it continues to make tremendous progress since 2003 in improving wait times. 85% of hip replacements in Ontario are completed within the medical benchmark. 6% higher, better than the national average. 81% of knee replacement within the medical benchmark. 12% better than the national average. 99% of radiation therapy beginning within the medical benchmark. We also beat the national average on this metric. It's consistent with the Fraser report in the last fall, Mr. Speaker, that showed that our wait times in ERs are improving despite more patients we're seeing reductions in wait times across the board, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Yeah. Good question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of health and long-term care. Yesterday in this house during debate on the Protecting Patients Act, a member from the official oppositions said something extremely concerning. The conservative member from Carleton, Mississippi, Mills made comments critical of a zero tolerance policy for the sexual abuse of patients. The member said zero tolerance, he finds that dangerous. The member went on to say that he believes and I quote consideration of leniency of understanding and of tolerance. I found these statements not only shot stop. Usually in purie ambles we set the tone for the policy question and the member has not done that yet. I'm waiting for that and it better be fast. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I found that statement shocking. Mr. Speaker, can the minister of health and long-term care please explain to this house what exactly a zero tolerance question is and how it will protect patients from sexual abuse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member for giving me the opportunity to respond to this very important question. Let me be as clear as possible. Our government has a zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse. That includes zero tolerance for criminal sexual behavior of any kind. Regardless of position, title or occupation, our government is committed to protecting the safety and well-being of all Ontarians. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Health, my priority is protecting patients. This is exactly why our government has introduced Bill 87, the Protecting Patients Act. Sexual assault, Mr. Speaker, and all other forms of sexual abuse by anyone, including health professionals, is absolutely and unequivocally unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, zero tolerance means just that. Zero tolerance for any form of sexual abuse of any kind by anyone. Seen it, please. Seen it, please. Order supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the Minister of Health and Long-term Care for the answer. I remember watching in awe of the Who Will You Help media campaign and understanding that if you're not speaking out, if you're not helping the victim, the survivor, then you're helping the perpetrator. I'm proud to be part of the government that is standing up for survivors. I'm proud that on this side of the house, we recognize the need for zero tolerance when it comes to sexual abuse and assault. Mr. Speaker, it's for you to the Minister. Can you please update the house on what we are doing to support survivors of sexual abuse? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of the Status of Women. Mr. Status of Women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you've heard, it's vital that we make it clear. We have a zero tolerance for sexual abuse and assault in our society. In fact, there's no room for leniency. Speaker, all Ontarians deserve to feel safe, safe from sexual violence and harassment in their communities, workplaces, homes, and schools. But the reality is one in three women will experience some form of violence in their lifetime. And that's unacceptable. That's why we launched. It's never okay an action plan to stop sexual violence and harassment. Our who will help and our it's never okay campaigns challenge existing attitudes and spark discussions in Ontario and around the world. But clearly, more conversations need to be had in this house. That's why we are investing $1.7 million in training for frontline workers in health education and the community. Speaker, we are supporting people who have experienced sexual assault through programs that build partnerships between community and send. Thank you. New posture. Member from the team, Carlton. Thank you very much, speaker. My question is to the Attorney General. The government has failed Ontario in suffering from mental health issues in recent months. I just want to point out to our own city of Ottawa three suicides within 10 months at the Ottawa Detention Centre. One man took his own life and he had been off suicide watch for less than a day when he took his own life. Mr. Speaker, is this Ontario the Ontario that those struggling with mental illness should expect to live in? Attorney General. Well, thank you very much speaker for the opportunity to answer this very important question. Speaker, I can I can tell the member opposite and all the members of this House that our government is very much focused on making sure that we've got the right kind of support for individuals with mental health and addiction services. I know the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services is very much focused in ensuring that we have appropriate training for our Correctional officers around mental health that we have specialized nurses in our Correctional facilities that have training around mental health so that those services can be provided. And the work that has been done speaker through Mr. Howard Sapers who's the former Correctional's investigator from the federal government is very much focused around ensuring that we when it comes to dealing with issues around segregation that there are appropriate services available. That work is ongoing in consultation with the Ministry of Health so that we have robust services for mental health in our Correctional facilities. Supplementary. What concerns me is that clearly the supports and the services aren't there. One individual and I quote was only in the detention centre because there was no bed available at the Ottawa Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre which is where he was supposed to be undergoing the assessment. The government cuts neglect of mental health is heartbreaking. I just want to ask the Minister how many more deaths will it take before the government shows real concrete action with clear supports and clear services for those suffering. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker our government continues to make investments in making sure that we've got appropriate supports available not only in our Correctional facilities when it comes to supports for mental health but also at the community level the work that my ministry is doing through our bail action plan is very much focused on ensuring that we've got appropriate mental health supports available in the community by working with organizations like in Ottawa with John Howard Society we are making sure speaker that we've got more mental health workers at a community level so those individuals who are low risk are vulnerable are now being remanded to the Ottawa Caught in Detention Center but in fact they've been released under supervision in the community so that they can get appropriate support. We have also speaker have launched a groundbreaking bail BADDS program and Ottawa is one of the sites with 20 BADDS both for men and women that will ensure that those accused with complex needs get the appropriate mental health care in the community. Thank you. Thanks. Question. Member from Waller. Thank you speaker my questions to the premier cafeteria staff at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus have been on strike for more than six weeks they want fairness they want better schedules they want better benefits and they want wages that they can actually live on. Cafeteria workers at York University were able to win a raise bringing them to fifteen dollars an hour. They achieved the speaker with no help from the government. Hardworking Ontarians and businesses have waited long enough for change. You've received the submissions for the changing workplaces review. The report's done. Where is it? Speaker what is this government prepared to do to transform the lives of these cafeteria workers and all hardworking Ontarians and when? Eric. Thank you. Minister of Labor. Minister of Labor. Thank you speaker and thank you to the member for that important question. Speaker when does it when does a labor dispute speaker the government focuses and the ministry of labor focuses on assisting both of that part those parties that want to reach an agreement speaker. They assist them with the process. It's assured responsibility speaker. We've got some of the best mediators. We've got some of the best conciliators speaker in the country right here with the ministry of labor and they've got a tremendous record speaker of drawing parties together bringing them in and eventually reaching agreement speaker. So we actively encourage the employer in this case and the union in this case speaker to make every effort they possibly can to resolve those issues where they should be resolved speaker. And that's to the bargaining table speaker. We're confident of those people bring their best to that table speaker that these parties can reach a settlement that's in the best interest of the institution and the people who work there speaker. Thank you. Well I would then say speaker to the Labor Minister why are these people who are making just over minimum wage still on strike. Speaker do Democrats believe that $15 an hour should be the minimum that Ontarians receive for the hard work that they do. And they shouldn't have to strike to get it. We believe that people should be able to plan their lives with better schedules with better wages and without being able to take time off for sick leave without breaking the bank. Speaker again what is the government prepared to do for these cafeteria workers and for all hard working Ontarians and when. Speaker thank you I don't think this government needs to take any lessons from the third party on how to resolve Labor to speak with people. We've got the changing workplaces underway. We've been doing it for two years Speaker. The report is almost ready. It's going to reach this House Speaker. The examination that's been done of these issues as simply as not being done in the province of Ontario before Speaker. Ninety eight percent of Labor disputes in this province Speaker are resolved without a strike without a lockout. When the NDP we're in power Speaker. When the NDP we're in power almost a million days a year lost Speaker. So does anybody is going to give anybody lessons on how the collective bargaining process should work Speaker. It would not be that party. I look forward to the to the input from the third party when the changing workplaces review is made public which will be in a very short time. They'll have an opportunity to speak out then like they should have when we had the minimum wage debate here. Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Minister Ontario depends on the good will of volunteers to deliver vital services and build strong inclusive communities. In my writing of Barry a number of constituents have received recognition through your ministry for the outstanding work that they do. Mr Speaker the function of the Honours and Awards Secretariat is integral to the recognizing Ontario across the province for contributing their time to local organizations such as the stroke recovery Association of Barry and assisting local community initiatives like season centre for grieving children which provides peer to peer support for children that are grieving the death of an immediate family member. Mr Speaker can the Minister please tell us more about how the Government of Ontario recognizes the outstanding accomplishments and achievements of our volunteers. Thank you Speaker I would like first of all to thank the member from Barry for championing volunteers in her community. Each year more than 12,500 volunteers are celebrated in Ontario through five honours and 12 recognition programs administered by the Honours and Awards Secretariat. One of the province's highest honour is the Order of Ontario. Last December 26 individuals were appointed to the Order of Ontario by the Honourable Elizabeth Doudswell the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Recipients include outstanding individuals such as Sprinter Donovan Bailey who won two gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics and Lisa LaFlamme as the Banker of Canada's CTV National News. Mr Speaker honours and awards are essential in reflecting the commitment in conviction of volunteers and what a vision for a stronger Ontario. Mr Speaker I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister each year Ontarians benefit from the efforts of approximately 4.9 million volunteers. In my writing of Barry a large number of my constituents rely on volunteers to deliver vital services such as providing support to patients recovering from a stroke. Mr Speaker I know that in the past Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Auxiliary of Barry with over 800 volunteers led by Janice Williams had accessed a program through the ministry to acknowledge volunteers for their enhancement of patient care. I'm sure the minister would agree that it is important to recognize and thank these organizations and individuals that represent the best of our province. That's a good idea. Mr Speaker can the minister inform this House about the programs that recognize the outstanding contributions of volunteers in our communities. Thank you Minister. Mr Speaker I again want to thank the member from Barry the member is correct through our volunteer service awards both adults and youth are recognized for the length of time that they volunteered for an organization. Last year 2,200 organizations including the Barry Art Club accessed our program. More than 11,000 volunteers were recognized at 54 different ceremonies across the province. Mr Speaker this year from March to June more than 50 ceremonies are being held throughout Ontario in communities that to celebrate the contributions of our volunteers. I have written to every member of this House with the detailed information about the local ceremonies here and I encourage them to get engaged. It is through these programs that we are able to recognize volunteers across our province for their contribution. Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you. Good question the member from Farnhill. Thank you very much to the minister of health and long-term care. Mr Speaker the area around Branson Hospital has a high concentration of elderly residents so it's clear that the Branson site should focus on senior care and include specialty clinics outpatient mental health services medical walk-in assessment services day programs for elderly people and multi-disciplinary health promotion and health maintenance programs for local communities. Shockingly and sadly the urgent care center of Branson is scheduled to close this June. Mr Speaker how can this government turn its back on these seniors? Well Mr Speaker I think it was a Branson it wasn't Brampton thank you I just required that clarification I'm not familiar with this specific situation Mr Speaker but on the one hand I'm happy to talk to the member opposite to get informed to have a closer understanding I'll be doing the same with my staff and the ministry over the course of the day clearly Mr Speaker we provide the opportunity for our local communities to and our local hospitals and those that govern them to make decisions based on the priorities and the needs of the local community it's critically important that as they make those decisions they are able to provide that confidence and those assurances to the community that those services that they rely on are going to be provided again I'm not familiar with this specific situation perhaps I'll get more information in supplementary even better Mr Speaker answer I'd suggest a conversation so perhaps we could work together to resolve this in a satisfactory way thank you supplementary thank you very much and I'm happy to discuss it further I understand that Councillor James Pasternak is going to be speaking to Toronto City Council about the issue so I thought the minister would be aware there are concerns that North York General Hospital does not have room to absorb all the services presently provided to the community at Branson Hospital even if the elderly could make the trip Mr Speaker the Ontario government actually promised medical services to be provided specifically to seniors in this area just south of my riding of Thornhill in addition to seniors the Branson neighbourhood has a high concentration of new Canadians who value the health care provided at the Branson site will the minister promise today to look into the matter and to ensure that the seniors new Canadians and the rest of the residents of the Branson area in northern Toronto will not be losing their cherished medical services thank you thank you Mr Speaker so as the member knows this is this is part of North York General Hospital my understanding from my staff is that the lease on this particular facility for Branson ambulatory is due to expire in 2019 but I'm also told by my staff just now Mr Speaker that there's a confidence that there will be no service loss expected as a result of these changes thank you your question member from the Obama mandatory thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier this Liberal government has claimed for years to be lobbying Ottawa to match its one billion dollar province promise to invest in a transportation corridor to the Ring of Fire Development yet Liberal Nickel Belt MP Mark Surrey is quoted this week as saying the feds can't do anything until the province has a road plan saying and I quote as of today I haven't seen a road plan it's hard to invest on a blank piece of paper we need a plan well Speaker who's right and where's the plan Minister of Municipal Affairs the Speaker thank you very much appreciate the question from the member the member is right when he recognizes that on this side of the house our government has consistently put a significant allocation on the table related to infrastructure build out in the Ring of Fire the number is one billion dollar Speaker it's a significant commitment to moving forward with development in the Ring of Fire area and I would mention to the member that I remember very well in the election of 2014 where the Ring of Fire was not even mentioned in the NDP platform that first came out when they were rushing forward to take us to the polls Speaker we continue to work on the file in a very significant way I understand the member may be trying to link this back to the federal budget that we had come out last week that in his mind I suppose that not directly reference investment in the Ring of Fire but absolutely Speaker we believe at some point there will be an opportunity here for the federal government to play a role in Ring of Fire development we're counting on it and we would expect that some way that they will come forward with support thank you supplementary thank you Speaker when you invest money to develop natural resources in the north the entire the province benefits from this investment this liberal government has been talking about the Ring of Fire for years but nothing nothing you have to show for it when this government when is this government going to stop announcing development in the Ring of Fire and actually start developing the Ring of Fire Speaker one of the pieces that has seen some progress I would reference is that there was a corridor study completed not that long ago and while there was not a definitive link or route established through that corridor study it's my understanding that that work did yield significant information that will position us well as we move forward on this particular file in terms of finally defining a particular route there is some action considered and progress further required where they want to see a secondary study completed it's my understanding that the first study was very informative in terms of what it yielded and as well speaker will help us as we move forward with providing community access roads to four or five of the First Nations communities that will ultimately be able to tie in to an east west corridor if that is ultimately the route that has chosen on the Ring of Fire work is ongoing speaker progress is being made and we look forward to the work to continue thank you new question the member from D2D2 well thank you speaker my question is to the minister of research research innovation and science now speaker members in this house know full well how important it is that we embrace manufacturing processes that are less harmful for the environment and I don't think it's any secret that many consumers in Ontario are switching to products products that are low carbon and we must support the companies that are investing and innovating these new products embracing clean tech has multiple benefits for our society it lessens the damage it's done to the environment by harmful manufacturing processes and a healthier habitat reduces health related issues as well as new technologies will increase the size of the sector create new companies and jobs adding to our already stellar GDP growth it's obvious that this sector is important to Ontario's future and all of our children's futures so speaker I ask will the minister question let the members of this house know about his plans to grow Ontario's clean tech sector minister research innovation and science thank you Mr Speaker I want to thank the member from beaches is here for that very good question Mr Speaker the member is right on all accounts clean tech is a sector in Ontario that is capable of enormous growth Mr Speaker to support that sector our 2016 budget announced a 55 million dollar investments to establish the clean tech equity fund which will be funded through our business growth initiative Mr Speaker this investment will help develop emerging clean tech companies by ensuring innovative firms have the access to capital they need to scale up hire talent and export globally I'm glad to see the federal government following provincial lead Mr Speaker announced a 380 million dollar clean tech equity fund in their 2017 budget thank you Mr Speaker thank you supplementary speaker I want to thank the minister the work that he is doing to advance innovation on Ontario is absolutely outstanding worthy of a doctor of physics now the news is fantastic speaker because it is more important than ever in Ontario to foster foster the right investment climate to turn local innovation into scaled up companies and high quality jobs and I know that clean tech north which is chaired by Brian Watson the beaches east shore constituent appreciates our vision and it's great to see that the government is investing in a business sector that can have a direct impact on all Ontarians day to day lives the growth of this sector will allow people to make more environmentally conscious decisions decisions that consumers can feel good about so will the minister please tell the house more about the clean tech sector in Ontario and more about what the government is doing to support the sector thank you minister thank you Mr Speaker again I want to thank the member from beaches york for that question once again Mr Speaker the member is correct Ontario is home to the largest and the fastest growing clean tech sector in our country Canada Ontario's clean tech sector Mr Speaker is responsible for eight billion dollars in revenue and employs over sixty four thousand people in three thousand companies across our province clean tech in Ontario is a sector of great strategic importance it has the capacity to generate revenue and the help mitigate environmental damages Mr Speaker Ontario's highly skilled workforce vibrant innovation and text clusters and geographic position gives us a great competitive age over our other jurisdictions Mr Speaker we will continue to invest in our clean tech sector as one of the leaders in our innovative economy thank you sir thank you new question the member from the agri-west member Mr Speaker my question is to the minister of education tonight the Niagara district school board will be voting on whether or not to close down Beansville district secondary school south Lincoln high school and Grimsby secondary school closing these schools will leave enormous holes in the communities of Lincoln Grimsby and west Lincoln but there's still time to do the right thing and listen to the parents teachers and children in Niagara my question to the minister of education is this will her ministry put a moratorium on the closure of small and rural schools across Ontario until the accommodation review is fixed and the funding formula is amended good question thank you speaker and I want to thank the member opposite for this question Mr Speaker as I've said in this house as recently as yesterday an arbitrary moratorium is not the approach Mr Speaker there is no one size fits all solution when it comes to our local schools and Mr Speaker we believe in our locally elected school boards because Mr Speaker they understand the needs in their local communities we put in place an accommodation review processes that requires school boards to consult with the school community Mr Speaker and that includes with their local municipalities with their coterminous boards with students with parents so that they get these locally made decisions right Mr Speaker this is about ensuring that locally elected school boards do what is in the best interest of their local schools supplementary Speaker my question is back to the minister of education perhaps the minister won't listen to the constituents in my writing but if she's not going to do the right thing in my writing perhaps she will listen to the students and parents from the rest of Ontario small and rural schools are the backbones of local communities and economies students and parents across the province are rightly anxious about the radical ongoing closures this liberal government seems to be doing everything it can to balance their books on the backs of rural schools and their students so my my question is back to the minister of education when will this government stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of rural students good question Mr Speaker we know that schools play a vital role in the social fabric that ties our great communities together and Mr Speaker I want to say to the member opposite that we are continuing to invest in our schools and our local schools are really the the center of our communities we have increased the funding to schools by 59% since 2003 Mr Speaker I want to also point out in the member's own writing we have invested in 12 new and improved schools since 2003 so let me bring to the member's attention that 8.9 million dollars was spent to build the new 20 valley public school 11.3 million dollars to build a new binbrook school and 1.5 million dollars for new child care spaces and Mr Speaker I can go on answer the list of 12 new schools in that member's own writing because we believe in investing in public education can you see it please can you see it please new question member from london west thank you speaker my question is to the premier last week in london I met with four families of adults living with severe physical disability who are in dire need of residential care after suffering stroke or traumatic brain injury two of these men are living in hospital one is living in a retirement home and one is living at home with his aging and unwell mother with long-term care his next and only option speaker these families are desperate and exhausted they have written to the minister of health they have written to the deputy premier they have met with the southwest linn and with the patient ombudsman but the wait list for assisted living are so long their loved ones are more likely to die and make it to the top of the list what does the premier want me to tell these families community and social services well thank you very much mr. Speaker and the types of cases that the member opposite is describing are some of the most challenging I think we can acknowledge this there are complex medical issues in a number of these cases occasionally there's mental health overlay dual diagnosis and so on and for the safety of all concerned on some occasions individuals do need the type of support that they will receive in a long-term care facility or other type of environment we know that sometimes there are aging parents involved in these situations and we know that they need the kind of support that is appropriate for their loved ones in terms of specify or talking about these specific cases obviously I cannot do that but we are certainly aware that we need more supports in appropriate settings thank you mr. Speaker thank you supplementary thank you speaker in the London area there are about 500 adults on the waiting list for Cheshire homes 50 on the Dale Brain Injury Services wait list for housing supports and as many as 90 on the housing wait list at participation house they are waiting for Lynn funded dollars to support their medical needs the lack of assisted living options is creating a crisis for families it is forcing the permanent hospitalization of people who want to live in their communities it is trapping people who are in the prime of their lives inappropriately in nursing homes will the premier commit today to increasing the number of assisted living placements in the southwest Lynn so that these adults and others like them with complex medical needs can live with dignity in the kind of housing they deserve thank you you see it please you see it please thank you minister health long-term care so these individual cases remind us of just how important it is that we harness all the resources possible to provide them with the respect and dignity and the supports that they require to live as full and independent and beneficial lives to themselves and being part of their communities so we know that there's more work to be done there has I think the member opposite would acknowledge and she referenced to organizations as well participation house and Cheshire homes that have made extraordinary impacts and in that process in association with other community organizations there is a role to be played by multiple partners when we talk about assisted living as well and the supportive housing that's required I'm certainly I will take this these examples and I know that there is a role in our lens as well to see how we might be able to make a difference in these particular instances but also more generally Mr. Speaker thank you new question the member from Kitchener Center thank you Speaker my question is for the minister of community and social services Speaker for many people who are living on low incomes learning financial literacy skills is a very important step in becoming more secure and independent organizations like the working center in my writing of Kitchener Center are playing a crucial role in teaching financial education and they're providing support services for some of Ontario's most vulnerable people I joined the minister recently in my writing as she announced a further four years of funding to organizations like the working center through the financial empowerment and problem-solving program Speaker could the minister please give us an update on how this investment is helping build financial literacy among low income Ontarians thank you Minister of Community and Social Services thank you Mr. Speaker and to the member from Kitchener Center for her question my ministry and this government know that for many people living on low incomes financial literacy is an important step in becoming more financially secure and that is why last year our government made an initial investment of 1.5 million dollars in Prosper Canada and why I recently announced an additional 8 million dollars over the next five years to continue providing programs that promote financial literacy investment will make it possible for agencies to continue the already successful financial empowerment and problem-solving program Speaker this program has already assisted almost 16,000 individuals in just two years individuals have benefited from services such as tax clinics that help people prepare and maximize their tax returns thereby increasing access to tax benefits for low-income individuals thank you Mr. Speaker the time for question period has ended therefore there are no deferred votes therefore the cell stands recess until 3 p.m. this afternoon