 It is therefore time for question period the leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition Thank you, and good morning speaker. My question is for the Premier Ontario has suffered another fiscal setback due solely to the actions of this Premier Moody's credit rating agency has Downgraded the province's credit outlook from stable to negative as a direct result of their election document budget Moody said quote spending pressure will challenge the province's ability to sustain balanced fiscal results across multiple years Moody also Assumes the budget will lead to quote an upward trend in the debt burden and a faster rate in interest Expense than previously anticipated Speaker why is this Premier in her shameless bid to cling to power putting? Ontario in an even more precarious financial position and harming Ontario's reputation And I know the Minister of Finance is going to want to comment in the supplementary. Let me just say and this is part of the part of the Message that the Member opposite neglected it, which is that Moody's has confirmed our double a credit rating. Mr. Speaker They they have adjusted their outlook. We know that This is not a credit rating downgrade Ontario's debt continues to be highly marketable and that reflects Mr. Speaker the confidence of investors in our Economy what while we value and we do value the the input of the rating agencies, Mr. Speaker Our responsibility is and it always will be to support the care and opportunity for people in this province That's the role of government to do the things that people cannot do by themselves I know that the Minister of Finance is working with the rating agencies and he will comment, Mr. Speaker, but our Credit rating has been a firm to Mr. Speaker And we will continue to work to make sure that people in this province has everything the type of problems have everything that they need I'm getting the signals Supplementary now back to the Premier. Well a speaker. This is not any kind of a forecast for Moody's This is an outright condemnation of this government's fiscal policies The Premier likes to say she is making quote Conscious choices that plunge Ontario into deficit But the fact is that this government used money from reserves and the sale of assets to try to artificially Balance the budget speaker. It's not a conscious choice. It's a consequence of one-time money running out They ran out of things to sell speaker This means we need more money to pay interest on our debt and less money is now available for needed services So speaker Moody sees right through this cling to power. Does the Premier really expect Ontario families won't? Mr. Speaker And the member on quotes Moody, so I'm going to quote Moody as well and here it is word-for-word The affirmation of the double a rating for the province of Ontario Reflects the province's ability to rely on a large diversified economic base with sound wealth generation that supports a strong provincial revenue base a greater degree of Flexibility relative to global peers to accommodate revenue and expenditure pressures and prudent debt management Mr. Speaker investors are investing in Ontario for a reason because we're making it happen and we are relying on an economic Engine of the economy to support all of Canada where the largest net contributing to the Federation as well. Thank you Back to the Premier what the minister failed to mention was how many downgrades we had and that's why we're only at AA Speaker the worst part of all this is the Premier has been warned time and time again about the Consequences of her spend at all costs approach the auditor General repeatedly told us that increasing debt interest payments Will crowd out the services families rely on that's why the Liberals have closed hospital beds and fired 1600 nurses and that's why 100 Frontline health care workers in Sudbury are worried about their jobs this very morning The government's lack of financial discipline is exactly why they received a condemnation from Moody's They can't be trusted speaker is this Premier proud that liberal self-interest and a desperate attempt to cling to power Is hurting Ontario's reputation Mrs. Speaker it's exactly because our fiscal discipline that we over and we beat our targets you over a year ninth year in a row Mrs. Speaker We balance the budget last year. We have a surplus of 600 million dollars furthermore We the leanest government all of Canada our Interest on debt is a function of our revenue mr. Speaker It was 15 cents for every dollar when they were in power today. It's under 8 cents Mr. Speaker we'll continue to take what steps are necessary to invest unlike with this minister suggesting in this budget We have tremendous investments to provide for health care public education Social programs infrastructure spending the very things that they say we should do they're voting against mr. Speaker the people of Ontario need a strong economy for diversifying that economy and Moody's has a firm that the province of Ontario is being Approved in our debt management. Thank you New question remember from Perth Wellington. Thank you speaker My question is for the Premier mr. Speaker does the Premier believe six million dollars is an acceptable salary for the CEO of Hydro one Once again, you know, I'm pleased to rise and talk to the same question You know, we we recognize that the executive salaries at Hydro one or high compared to the vast majority of Ontario salaries And that we remain committed to Hydro ones regulation and accountability and Transparency through our government's involvement as a majority shareholder You know mr. Speaker The gimmick that we're seeing from the other side especially from the leader of that party mr. Speaker is going to drive us down To the same mess that we're seeing south of the border mr. Speaker, you know This isn't going to do anything to actually take a single cent off of anyone's hydro bills mr. Speaker not one single cent, but you know what did mr. Speaker was our fair hydro plan Our fair hydro plan made sure that we reduced rates by 25% on average mr. Speaker and we'll continue to put forward policy and not bumper stickers like the gimmick that they're doing mr. Speaker supplementary the member from Helleburton quarter late spot back to the premier Mr. Speaker to the premier is six million dollars and acceptable salary for the CEO of Hydro one Thank you, thank you mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker is voting against 25% reductions for families right across this province something that you know everyone should do mr. Speaker yes, it should mr. Speaker and it's this party that did it on that side of the house We used to talk about them as being the party that had no plan mr. Speaker and then they had a weekend where they brought forward a plan and they were keeping the fair hydro plan mr. Speaker and that was something that we thought was great But they should have voted for it when they had a chance But now that plan has disappeared again mr. Speaker and they are once again the party that has no Plan the only thing that they can talk about mr. Speaker is hydro one CEO salary and yes mr. Speaker we recognize that executive salaries are high, but when it comes to actually making a difference and taking Costs off of bills. Absolutely. We reduce those bills Especially in hydro one areas by up to 50% because of our action Thank you very much mr. Speaker back to the premier it is shocking to see the Liberals defend their six million dollar man Mr. Speaker, how does the premier defend the salary of the of the hydro one CEO? Thank you one once again mr. Speaker, you know mr. Speaker It's our government that understands that affordability is critical for families and businesses And as I've said before mr. Speaker, that's why we launched Ontario's fair hydro plan reducing rates by 25% on average for all Residential consumers as well as many as a half a million small businesses and farms and our plan is working mr. Speaker You know a recent report by the environmental commissioner reconfirmed that Ontario's families and small businesses pay less on average than many other North American Jurisdictions families and cities like New York Boston and San Francisco pay more than double the average of Ontario and Consumers in charlotte town Regina Halifax and Moncton are paying more than the Ontario average mr. Speaker By bringing down prices for customers We're continuing to increase fairness and create more opportunity for Ontario families mr. Speaker We'll continue to find ways and bring forward policy that helps they can keep forward bringing forward bumper sticker policies mr. Speaker Thank you mr. Speaker. My question is is for the prime minister premier Hospitals and the premier refuses to admit it over the last 15 years It is that government that created this crisis and after 15 years they are still ignoring it and Denying it the CEO of Lake of the Woods Hospital said and I quote We did not receive the average 4.6 percent increase that was mentioned in the provincial budget We receive significantly less than that The premier needs to admit that there is a problem and she needs to explain to Ontarians from Kenora to King Street Why she isn't fixing this crisis? Why is it that the premier refuses to properly question our hospitals? Well, mr. Speaker, I had the privilege this morning of being at One of the campuses of Sunnybrook the orthopedic center at Holland Center and Reaffirmed our announcement mr. Speaker of the near billion dollar investment in Healthcare that's included in our budget mr. Speaker that will specifically go to hospitals to reduce wait times mr. Speaker and and I recognize that There's a there's variability across the province mr. Speaker, which is exactly why health quality Ontario has a northern Ontario Health equity strategy. It's very important that you know on just about every policy file mr. Speaker in Ontario at one point or another you will run up against geography because this is a massive province mr. Speaker and the population is Unevenly distributed so that's why having an equity policy is important mr. Speaker I'll talk more about it in the supplementary, but the the member opposite knows that Overall the increase in funding to hospital in Ontario is 4.6 percent And there was variation among hospitals in terms of the increases that they got. Thank you When the CEO of a hospital comes out publicly and says they are being underfunded we have a problem Here's what he said We have many unmet needs here There is a lot to be dealt with we are hoping that there will be some additional support Why for yet another year is the premier ignoring the needs of our hospital system? And you know we we recognize that there's a need for more investment in hospitals and I let me just talk about the The health equity strategy because I'd I'd love to as the premier have a conversation with the CEO of that hospital or any of the CEOs of hospitals around the province mr. Speaker because they are they are on the front line and We worked with them as we developed our budget mr. Speaker we listened to them and we made the increases that they and the OHA Deemed were necessary mr. Speaker, but the health equity policy Recognizes that there is a need for different Strategies in different parts of the province mr. Speaker and last year for example We announced 222 million over three years to support Ontario's first ever First Nations health action plan including an additional $145 million every year mr. Speaker recognizing that there are needs We also announced investing 19 million dollars in capital funding to support a facility at Health Sciences North For the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and a new wing in Thunder Bay to consolidate specialized Thank you The Liberals have had 15 long years to see the crisis in our hospitals coming They've had 15 long years to step up and address the aging of the population a change that we could see coming for Decades now with the countdown on to 50 days to go They're still pretending that the problem does not exist The good news for people is that hope is coming new Democrat are going to end all we medicine Why did the premier let this crisis happen in our hospitals? You know and as I said yesterday to the member opposite We invested an increased funding to Health Sciences North the the health system in the Jurisdiction that she represents in our terrific member from Sudbury We increased over two years that funding by ten million dollars mr. Speaker that is a substantial increase for for Health Sciences North and you know we we have Recognized that across the province there's a need for an increase in funding mr. Speaker But that that builds on the investments that every year we have made there has been Huge investment in home care mr. Speaker the reality is that more people want to stay in their homes We need to make sure that those supports are in place We need to make sure that acute care beds continue to be supported We increased the acute care in the province by 1200 as a result of the surge the flu surge this This winter mr. Speaker and we will move to make those beds permanent mr. Speaker We recognize that there's more that needs to be done Thank you speaker My question is to the premier when a person needs long-term care. They deserve to know that they'll be safe They deserve to be treated with dignity and with respect, but yesterday we learned there's a home in Thunder Bay That has forty four. Yes. I repeat forty four compliance non-compliance orders The Liberals have been in power for 15 long years. How did the premier let this happen? As I as I just said in my previous answer more people want to stay in their homes And what that has meant mr. Speaker is that there has been substantial investment in in home care, mr. Speaker We also have have Re renovated have upgraded thousands of long-term care beds across the province mr. Speaker We are building more. We have we are in the process of building 5,000 5,000 new long-term term care beds right now mr. Speaker, but we're also We're also looking at and funding models like what are called naturally occurring Retirement communities mr. Speaker so where there is a group of seniors who are already living in a in an apartment And there's an example in Kingston mr. Speaker oasis. I believe it's called mr. Speaker where these seniors are living together They want to if they have some medical support like the personal support worker They can stay an age in place mr. Speaker. There's a range of supports that we have put in place. Thank you Recognize there's more to be done Supplementary her what about staffing the existing long-term care beds? That the new nursing home many of your residents were given only a single bath during the month of January One bath in a month for residents seniors are wise They've lived through a lot and we should be treasuring their contributions. These are our parents These are the people who built Ontario to what it is today new Democrats will immediately fix that problem We'll find and fix with an inquiry in our long-term care Systems so that we can start to fix these problems which have developed over the last 15 years Why did the premier allow our long-term care system to get like this? Well, mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite rep Reference to a specific situation in Thunder Bay. I know that the the member for out of coconut is going to be meeting with Folks on the ground there tomorrow But mr. Speaker, you know the reality is that in terms of Long-term care in this province all long-term care homes are overseen by a rigorous inspection system a regulatory framework mr Speaker which includes an annual inspection to ensure compliance and we we have Reinforced and increased though that oversight mr. Speaker all the results from every inspection are posted online and in the homes themselves I recognize mr. Speaker that we have to be vigilant. These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society Which is why we have increased the Increased the oversight and mr. Speaker We will continue to work with long-term care providers to make sure that those are enforced Thank you final supplementary well speaker those 44 non-compliance issues didn't happen overnight Staff at Bethany nursing home are dedicated and caring they're doing their best and they're being worked off their feet They are understaffed Sometimes it takes more than an hour for a resident to have a call answered in their room and for the staff to respond The stories we've heard out of Bethany are heartbreaking. They're almost too hard to tell Everyone feels really bad. What is happening here at Bethany and when did the premier learn about those problems in our long-term care system? And why hasn't she fixed them? Mr. Speaker as I said we have been over some time been taking action to support our growing and aging population and to Reinforce and increase the vigilance in the long-term care system mr. Speaker. We recognize that as I said these are some of the most Vulnerable people in our society and they deserve to have they deserve to have every care possible So mr. Speaker we will continue to make sure that That homes are compliant our members work with local homes But there is a system of oversight in a system of inspection and mr. Speaker I think it's very legitimate that there would be questions asked in a situation like this those questions need answers And that's exactly what the system the framework of of oversight is in place to do is to answer those Questions and determine why such a situation would have arisen Speaker the premier held another campaign style event this morning this time at a Toronto hospital And she's heading downtown later today for another platform announcement This egregious abuse of taxpayers money must come to an end Speaker how much are these campaign style events costing the taxpayers today? Mr. Speaker again, I Understand why the member opposite would focus on that and not the substance of the Announcements that we are making relevant to our budget mr. Speaker because Making a nearly billion dollar investment in hospitals mr. Speaker to increase wait time when we are we are already Leading the country in terms of wait times mr. Speaker this afternoon. I'll be talking. I will give everyone credit We got this far without having to go to warnings. I'd like to see if we could do it all the way So let's do that right Do you know I'll be talking about Climate change mr. Speaker with Michael Bloomberg and climate change in the context of corporate responsibility I am quite sure that's a subject that the member opposite really doesn't want to touch Doesn't want to talk about climate change and doesn't want to talk about reigning in corporate pollution. Mr. Speaker Back to the premier even if the premier Wants to pretend otherwise. She's clearly campaigning on the taxpayers dime It's shady and it's unethical and it needs to stop Excuse me the member will withdraw Mr. Speaker Once again the Liberals had ministers out this morning using taxpayers money for campaign style photo ops shame on you premier Speaker with a liberal party do the right thing and pay back the taxpayers for these campaign style events You're out talking about your budget. You told us that was your platform These are campaign style events and they've got a stop Oh Thank you very much and thanks to the member opposite for highlighting the ministers are doing their jobs That is important to Ontarians we're proud to do our jobs and we'll continue to do our jobs but I think it's kind of really evident speaker that the party opposite and Duck Ford are panicked. They're panicked because they are worried That that they're going to people gonna find out that they're going to cut cut cut oh hit plus that they're going to cut Expansion to oh hit plus that they are going to cut in Significant investments to bring wait times down that they're going to cut Supports for students through OSI where 225,000 students are going to colleges and universities without paying any tuition fees They are worried about speaker that these important policies and sir making difference in people's lives That that they are going to cut those things and they don't want people to know about those things. Thank you New question remember from well in thank you. My question is to the premier 3000 York University faculty are still on strike taking a stand against insecure academic jobs and chronic Underfunding of the university post-secondary system even though the liberal government is not tens of thousands of York University students now face a real threat of not graduating as They have planned their lives careers and their futures which are now uncertain. I received a letter from a nursing student at York She's been told by the university They need to make up all their practical hours in order to graduate which is impossible as the strike drags on and they run The real risk of losing their placement Which is the premier have to say to the student about why their graduate graduation is now in jeopardy Minister of advanced education skills development mr. Advanced education skills development speaker You know this situation is is certainly very challenging and it's it's challenging particularly for the students York University since the beginning of the strike speaker I made it very very clear that our priority is on the students on getting both sides to Come together to reach a fair Resolution to both sides on this on this issue so that we can put our students at the forefront and And and bring them back to the learning that they're there to do, you know, mr. Speaker It's disappointing that an agreement has not yet been reached the Ministry of Labor has has Provided support all the way through this process and and this week appointed a commissioner to to talk to both sides a number of meetings have already been held mr. Speaker and And you know we need to get both sides talking and looking at a resolution Back to the premier another York student actually contacted me yesterday He's a political science major and he's concerned that for the second time in their four-year program A dispute has threatened their ability to actually graduate one side has been at the table And has been there for the last six weeks the publicly funded administration at York University has not been at the table The government appointed an industrial relations commission to examine the outstanding issues issues in dispute But having the lowest per student funding I think in Canada is part of the dispute in post-secondary education under this liberal government The premier can still apply pressure to the publicly funded administration of York University To tell them to get back to the table because it takes two sides at the table to actually reach an agreement Well mr. Speaker, you know our focus and our priority is on the students York University has Speaker York University has remained open and students are attending classes So, you know this this is a very challenging situation. I've connected with both sides Multiple times mr. Speaker. It's a very very tough situation We respect the collective bargaining process and and we are calling on both sides in this situation To think about a compromise put the needs of the students first Get back to the table and resolve this issue that is fair and equitable to both sides. Thank you new question Remember from Barry speaker. My question is for the minister of energy in 2014 Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding with Quebec regarding electricity trade in 2016 we announced an Expanded seven-year deal that will help make electricity in Ontario more affordable clean and reliable Speaker this deal was beneficial for both provinces because it helped ensure Electricity supply for when it was needed most in Quebec They need electricity during the coldest winter days due to their use of electric heat in Ontario We needed at the height of the summer this MOU helped to ensure both our provinces had the supply we needed at those times Just as importantly the imports of cheap hydro electricity from Quebec will offset reliance on natural gas power plants Reducing Ontario's greenhouse emissions by 1 million tons each year today the financial Accountability officer released a report on this deal minister. Can you please update us on the findings? Thank you. Thank you mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member for that question and of course her tireless work for her constituents And I also want to thank mr. Speaker the financial accountability officer for his report and the analysis of our electricity trade agreement with Quebec As the member noted electricity demand peaks at different times in our province That means there is the opportunity to coordinate our electricity systems in ways that are beneficial To both provinces and through the expanded electricity trade and in this deal Our province is set to import up to two terawatts of clean hydroelectric power from Quebec annually That's enough power to power the entire city of Kitchener for a year for example, mr. Speaker the report confirms that what we've always said about this trade agreement It strengthens system reliability and cost effectiveness for both provinces and the FAO report outlines That this deal will reduce system costs in our province by 38 million over the life and sir This our savings both to ratepayers Across the province and I look forward to talking more about this in the supplementary mr. Speaker thank you to the minister for their response an additional part of this deal is an agreement to Reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the past 15 years Ontario has become a leader in the global fight against climate change just last year our electricity systems was over 55% free of emissions that caused climate change This is due to the nearly 70 billion dollars that has been invested to modernize the system since 2003 which included the elimination of dirty coal fired electricity generation However, we must continue to work hard on reducing our carbon footprint just two days ago Governor Jerry Brown warned us What could happen if polluters are given a free pass something the official opposition wants to do Speaker through you to the minister. Could the minister of energy? Please explain how this electricity trade agreement reduces greenhouse gas emissions Thank You mr. Speaker the member is right in pointing out that Ontario has become a leader in the fight against climate change Just last week the province's environmental commissioner pointed that out mr. Speaker replacing coal fired electricity with renewable gas Nuclear conservation and natural gas has cleaned our air reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased electrical grid capacity and Resilience mr. Speaker she also said that taking coal out of the electricity system dramatically reduced Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions and has improved air quality and Public health and now the FAO's report confirms that the trade agreement will result in Quebec imports Continuing to replace 2.3 terawatt hours of natural gas generation each year and reduces GHG emissions by almost 1,000,000 tons per year and that's some real action on change climate change mr. Speaker our government is continuing to ensure that our Electricity is clean reliable and affordable mr. Speaker Thank you to the to the premier Speaker this premier likes to talk the talk about fairness, but when it comes to Actions she certainly doesn't walk the walk the latest example is this government arguing against Transparency in our tribunals the premier is using the public The chief government whip is warned we're now in warnings. Thank you Thank you The latest example is this government arguing against Transparency in our tribunals the premier is using the public purse to fight a court battle with the Toronto Star Who are challenging the secrecy of our tribunals that keep adjudicative decisions and records? Which are public property paid for the taxpayer from the public? This legal battle is the epitome of an old and tired government. They are using our money to fight against releasing our records Abusing the public purse in order to keep the tribunal say there's hidden and secret behind closed doors Breaks a fundamental tenant that justice must be seen to be done. Speaker. What is fair about that? Thank you very much speaker. I thank the member for the for the con the question I think the speakers you heard the member reference a court case that is ongoing. It will be highly inappropriate for me to discuss And debate the merits of this of that case In the in the house what I would say speaker broadly that of course we very much Value transparency and to make sure that that information is is available as readily as possible But speaker one has to be also mindful of Privacy and confidentiality as well So when when one is looking at records that may be before a course of tribunal There are considerations around privacy and confidentiality But as I said minister speaker this matter is before the courts and we will leave it up to the answer Make a determination. Thank you supplementary Again to the premier it is this government who is arguing in the court They're arguing that tribunals which adjudicate disputes that impose heavy fines and punishments and sanctions and Can revoke people's licenses and accreditation and take away their livelihoods? They're arguing that these are not really courts tribunals such as the human rights the OLRB the LAT and dozens more have both the form and function of our courts But none of the safeguards of impartiality openness and due process speaker the premier's Willingness to fight Canada's largest circulation newspaper in court to hide the records and decisions of these public matters Raised red flags speaker. It's time for this premier question to mandate Tribunals make their records open and accessible and why is this premier working to frustrate and Distort the basic principles of an open court, which are essential to our judicial system Speaker the member opposite very well knows that this is not a matter to be litigated in the house This is a matter that is before the course and that is the most appropriate place for it to be heard Speaker, I think as you have noted in the past and members know of the subjudicee rules that that requires all MPPs not to engage In making comments about matters that are before the course and as the attorney general It is my responsibility to ensure that administration of justice in our province is independent of any partisan concerns So for therefore speaker, I'm not going to comment on the specific of this case But to say that transparency and accountability is a very fundamental principle as a principle that the government holds very dear to us But what has to be mindful around confidentiality and privacy of information as well. Thank you. Thank you new question member from Niagara Falls Thank You mr. Speaker. My question is to the premier last night my riding in Niagara Falls I hope hosted a health care town hall with my colleague from nickel belt You can say there isn't a crisis in health care. Well, we had people talk about issues like long-term care mental health access Hallway medicine and so many other problems. I can assure you There is a crisis. I like the premier to respond to one story One speaker told us about a young girl who is struggling to get mental health supports The wait lists are so long that she finds herself going to the emergency department for help Only to be discharged backed on to the wait list Speaker 1,000 young people just like her on wait lists for mental health support With the resources we have in this province How has the premier and the Liberal government allowed this to happen to our young people? Well, mr. Speaker, I am very sympathetic to and I use the example of Families with children who are looking for mental health supports all the time mr. Speaker I recognize and I think we all can recognize in this house that as a society mr. Speaker We have had to and do have to up our game in terms of supports for mental health. There have been wonderful campaigns in the last decade mr. Speaker that have shone a light on mental health and have Raised awareness of mental health bell. Let's talk is one of the examples of that mr. Speaker And there are members in each one of our caucuses that have worked very very hard in their own communities and across the province to raise Awareness about mental health challenges. The reality is that 25 years ago as a society We didn't acknowledge mental health as as much of a challenge as it is so mr. Speaker answer while we have been building in Supports in school boards and in community services mr. Speaker There's more that has to be done and that's why we're putting billions of dollars into health care into mental health care as part of our budget Thank You mr. Speaker and back to the premier I can tell you last night The stories were shocking and there was tears everywhere including mine At our health care town hall last night. We heard from individuals whose grandmother was in hospital She was waiting for a bed in long-term care She needed to be in long-term care and when waiting in the hospital for long-term care bed She was being charged by the Niagara health system She received a bill for over three thousand dollars Speaker will the premier explain why seniors in our province are getting charged thousands of dollars for a stay in a publicly funded hospital simply because Her liberal government has created a shortage of long-term beds. Thank you Mr. Speaker, I Would have to have the details of that situation I don't know I don't know the details of that situation and mr. Speaker certainly certainly We recognize that if someone needs long-term care mr. Speaker Write it down Then they have every right to get that care mr. Speaker what we do know is that in Ontario right now There is a range of supports that's needed. We are building more long-term care beds mr. Speaker We're upgrading thousands. We're building 5,000 new and then 30,000 over the next 10 years mr. Speaker we recognize that there are more that needs to be done But there also our transition beds that are needed We need to make sure that people get the home care that they need There's a whole range of supports in which we are investing mr. Speaker as part of our budget new question members from Davenport Thank You mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of tourism culture and sport This past week and the ministry of tourism culture and sport held their sports symposium in Toronto The theme of this year symposium was from playground to podium The idea behind this theme was to explore ways in which the sports sector can engage children and youth and keep them Involved in sport throughout their lives as the soccer mom to Andre and David I know and we all know that children who participate in organized sport or experience positive benefits in all aspects of their lives not just physical health and Through conversations and feedback that our government received during this year's sports symposium We will continue to build on the strides made to encourage children and youth to get moving mr. Speaker through you to the minister Can you tell the members of this house? Well, we have already done to support participation in sport Thank You speaker, and I want to thank the member for Davenport for that question who was also a fabulous soccer mom The sports symposium was very special. We relaunched the Ontario sport awards Ontario's children and youth need to know that they're entering into a system. That's always going to support them now last year Speaker we released the advancing women and girls in sport action plan giving women and girls equal access to Opportunities in sport and through Rowan's law we passed groundbreaking concussion safety legislation to protect athletes We have also supported a number of high-profile sporting competitions such as the 2018 Ontario winter games in Aurelia and speaker I attended the opening ceremonies and let me tell you those kids were really pumped to be there the games had over 3,000 participants they competed in about 25 different sports So speaker our commitments to boosting the quality of life for people shows that the strides that we've made to continue Sir are going to make life better for people to come in the future. Thank you. Thank you Thank You mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for the response And I'm sure that my girls from girls government here today are happy that we did release the advancing women and girls in sport Action plan. It's amazing to see that over the last year alone your ministry has supported 24 events through the sport hosting program A program that provides funding to help applicants deliver national and international amateur sport events in Ontario These events promote tourism and boast and boost local economies by providing major sport events to local communities And I think it's safe to say that our hard work is paying off for ontario's athletes But there's always more to do and there's always room for improvement Mr. Speaker through you to the minister Can the minister speak to other programs in place to support an active lifestyle? Thank you minister Thank you and thanks to the member from david horton I've got good news for the young girls who are sitting up there in the visitors gallery today in the past year We invested 50 million dollars to promote participation in sport and to build capacity We've also committed to continual investment in ontario's after school programs, which provides 22 000 children and youth with opportunities to access sport recreation nutrition And personal wellness and just this past weekend speaker We presented the game on progress report our annual sport symposium Our sport plan offers athletes coaches and officials a chance to excel in sport And it supports 60 sport organizations all across the province We are committed to boosting active living speaker And that's why we're also investing over 90 million this year Encycling alone to build more bike lanes and trails right across the province And I want to highlight speaker that we've gone a step further in introducing the toughest road safety legislation in north america Keeping cyclists pedestrians and other vulnerable road users safe. Thank you very much. Thank you The member from loose screen. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker My questions to the premier Let me read you a passage from a recent trontal life article They discovered that her bed was in what sunnybrook staff called the orange zone Essentially a holding area for patients when no rooms are available Her bed was pushed up against a wall but the ivy pole and other paraphernalia wedged in beside her He had nowhere to sit so he stood awkwardly next to her until a nurse kindly brought him a chair There was a curtain but no switch to turn off the lights at night That location would be the patient's home for the next 19 hours Premier is that a healthcare system that you're proud of? Mr. Speaker, you know as I have said many times we have recognized and we have been investing in hospitals 500 million Dollars last year in our budget new money. Mr. Speaker this year $822 million we recognize as the The population ages. Mr. Speaker. There are more concerns people are Sicker there are more of them. Mr. Speaker who need care. So that's exactly why in our budget We have made such a significant investment We're investing more than an additional five billion dollars over the next three years to provide better access and more Services in Ontario. Mr. Speaker and what that includes is 2.1 billion dollars for better and faster access to mental health and addiction We're going to expand OHIP plus to make prescriptions completely free for Everyone 65 and over they already are free for everyone up to their 25th birthday, mr. Speaker And we're reducing wait times by investing an additional as I said 822 million dollars And that's the single largest investment in hospitals in almost Thank you speaker back to the premier people Let's not forget you wasted eight billion dollars on e-health and there's nothing to show for that This government your government has had 15 years to fix this and instead we get this you've made things worse Let me read you another paragraph 38 hours had elapsed since the patient had arrived So her husband was surprised to find that she hadn't been moved into a room But was instead in a hallway She had a dressing on her right arm that stretched from her bicep down to her fingers And on another on her left arm that went from the elbow to the fingers There she was lying in the hallway of one of the canna's premier hospitals still waiting for surgery 38 hours. Does the premier really think 38 hours is acceptable to wait in the hallway? Is this really the internal health care system the premier wants to leave behind discussing You know, I I I guess I understand why the member opposite would want to talk down a terrific institution like sunny brook But but mr. Speaker. I was at sunny brook A member from bruce grayo inside was warned Finish please it was at sunny brook this morning And of course mr. Speaker when there are specific instances like this and I don't know the details of this mr. Speaker But when there are situations like this, then they're unacceptable. Absolutely But mr. Speaker the reality is that there are Remarkable things happening in sunny brook and in hospitals around the province mr. Speaker And what we know is that the 822 million dollars that we are investing as as part of our budget mr. Speaker will provide 26,000 additional mri operating hours 14,000 more surgical medical procedures 3,000 more cardiac procedures mr. Speaker mr. Speaker we know that these investments are needed But mr. Speaker already The frontline workers across this province are doing remarkable work for the people of ontario Thank you, speaker. My question is to the premier earlier this week I was disappointed when the minister refused to commit to ending the unfair limits to auto workers leave days Again, I say this isn't right and it isn't fair Auto workers deserve the same employment standards and rights as every other worker in this province I have since learned that not only are cleaners in auto plants finding their job titles Redesignated as auto workers so that their leave days can be clawed back But there have also been employers across this province who have taken their cue from the government And have issued notices that they will now only allow seven personal emergency leave days These are employers who had previously been giving their workers 10 days Speaker ontarians deserve security in the workplace. We should not be competing in a race to the bottom And once again, I ask will you commit to immediately ending this unfair exemption for auto workers? question, thank you premier minister of labor That question uh speaker january the first of 2017 we went out we talked to the industry stakeholders We we talked to others that were engaged in auto organized labor Speaker business anybody that was involved in the auto sector in the province funterio Which is very healthy, which is very competitive speaker And has received tremendous support from this government and from time to time other members of the house What we put in place speaker was a pilot project We wanted to look at the auto sector and we wanted to examine if there was a different way of providing personal emergency leave That made sense and took into account the competitive nature and other Other unique parts of the auto sector speaker speaker We've been out there for about a year with the pilot sector with the pilot project We continue to talk to those that are involved in this issue speaker It is a pilot project and you have my commitment that when we examine it We're going to do a very thorough examination speaker Thank you Thank you speaker And calling something a pilot project isn't enough to smooth over the fact it's still discriminatory And again to the premier if you won't do the right thing then I will this afternoon I am going to be joined by members of uniform and I will table my private members bill the fairness for auto workers sector act My bill will do what both the liberals and conservatives voted against during committee for bill 148 It will ensure that every worker in ontario will have access to the same minimum number of leave days without exception Speaker my bill will close the loophole that the liberals have created Premier i've done the heavy lifting of drafting the bill and will you do the right thing and ensure that my bill Fairness for the auto sector act becomes law before the session ends Thank you minister Speaker thank you. Thank you for the supplementary speaker just last week the minister of transportation I met with jerry dioce from uniform speaker We met with a number of unionized members of the auto sector and we went with the non-unionized Auto workers on this issue speaker I believe we're all on the same page right now speaker that now is the time to evaluate the efficacy Of the pilot project. See if it works speaker to see if it needs to be changed The member from windsor west is warned Finish please Speaker i'm proud to announce today that we've appointed buzz hargrove former leader of the caw And stacey allerton the former vice president of human resources at ford motor company Former director of human resources for ford in the united states speaker, but to find your passing strains when bill 148 Thank you Minister knows when I stand he sits new question Remember from auto itself. Thank you very much speaker and my question is the ministry of children and youth services minister children children's treatment centers provide rehabilitation services for children and youth with special needs and their families There are 21 of these centers across the province providing services to more than 81 000 children and youth with special needs Last month i was very proud to join the premier at the children's hospital of eastern ontario To announce our commitment to the ottawa children's treatment center And I know last week the government announced in oakville the opening of a new erin oaks kids facility Minister, can you share with the house the details of this announcement? Well, thank you, mr. Speaker and uh, I want to take a moment just to recognize the advocacy and the work for the minister A member from ottawa south And has continued work to support children's hospital in ottawa Mr. Speaker I joined the minister the premier the minister of labor the treasurer the minister of education At erin oaks earlier this this week and and we We got to meet some incredible families and i'm very very happy that this government has Invested over 163 million dollars to Complete this project. Mr. Speaker This is an expansion of Doubling the space to over 300 000 square feet and the footprint will take place in mississauga brampton and oakville minister of labor The mpp for oakville has been advocating for this project for years and I want to take an opportunity to thank him For really building a a better facility in his community to serve many families across that region Thank you. Speaker and thanks to the minister for that response Speaker centers like erin oaks and the ottawa children's treatment center Allow children with cognitive and physical disabilities to get the sport they need in their home communities And I speaker i know that we will continue to support children's treatment centers and the children and youth with special needs And while it is incredibly important to invest in the centers themselves We also need to invest in high quality services So speakers for you to the minister could he tell us more about our government's investments in special needs services? Thank you. Thank you minister. Well, thank you. Mr. Speaker last week when I joined members of this government at erin oaks I got to witness firsthand the high quality coordinated integrated services That are developed through the ontario special needs strategy to help connect children to services that they need as early as possible Mr. Speaker my ministry is investing over 630 million dollars in services this year alone the investments include Almost 320 million to autism services a hundred almost 120 for children's treatment Rehabilitation services over a hundred million to complex special needs 85 million for for healthy child development programs and in our 2018 budget we're allocating more than 300 million in new funding over three years for additional 2000 new teachers specialized support staff and some educational workers. Mr. Speaker This is how we make a difference for ontarians by making sure that we add services not cuts Thank you very much speaker My question is to the minister of municipal affairs The recent ice storm had a devastating effect on cities and towns throughout southwestern ontario My writing of chatham kent Essex was especially hit hard Media reports describe strong winds and heavy rain which sent huge waves crashing in on the shore of lake area in the chatham kent and point pealy and limington areas Barbara has spoken to john paterson mayor of limington who has confirmed the devastation There was breakwall damage and shoreline erosion and roads were completely washed out Water levels were so high in the wheatley harbor that fishing boats ended up on top of the docks and the boat launch was Completely destroyed residents are saying that the ice storm and flooding Are the worst disaster they've seen in the past several decades Minister have any of your officials yet visited the area to assess the damage Thank you Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member for the question I I first want to acknowledge the work Of the first responders and I know the minister from of mcs scs has Has been involved in providing a coordinating function to ensure that any support that's needed from first responders Can be provided and helped to be coordinated also Natural resources and forestry. I know is providing a monitoring function when it comes to these sorts of flooding incidents A speaker what I would say directly to the member in response to his question That in the first instance this sounds like it is more about municipal infrastructure Not so much about flooding in people's homes, although that is yet to be determined with final certainty But because of that, we know that the municipal crews are on the ground doing their work They will ultimately at some point provide information back to us as a ministry and then we will determine if we will activate our program I would Add speaker to that answer that we have changed the program We have lowered the threshold for municipal Infrastructure to be eligible under the new program from 4 percent to 3 percent of own purpose tax revenue So there's a possibility based on their information that it may be active Thank you supplementary Thank you Back to the minister and I appreciate that response minister You know more than 35 000 hydro customers without power over the weekend and property has been destroyed Houses have been ruined hydro one crews worked around the clock to restore power And our first responders and I appreciate your comment regarding them Our first responders rescued many residents stranded due to flooding and road erosion They were responsible for saving lives and preventing serious injuries And I want to thank them personally as you did as well But as I mentioned the damage has been severe Ministry your ministry promised to help in the last bout of flooding in southwestern Ontario That was a few months ago as you may recall And I truly appreciated your visit to the writing of chatham ken Essex Minister you and I we need to work together It's not about us. It's about the constituents in the writing So Question my question is simply what specifically will you do to help us out this time? Thank you minister Speaker in addition to the municipal portion I know that there's been a phone line set up For residents to phone in and advise of any impacts on their own home So that information will come to us and we'll determine whether or not our d r a o team visits the city To determine if there's been any personal circumstances, but you know as the member state speaker. This is about people This is an emergency. This is an acute situation It's a very very serious issue, but I cannot help but make the comment that at some point There has to be some signal from the other side and you and your leader that you're going to get it And you're going to buy in that things have changed on the ground I'll give you some stats speaker from 05 to 2010 17 declared disasters requiring 18 million Of prevention or 8 million of provincial assistance 2010 to 15 43 disasters requiring 36 million and it's continues to increase in severity Your leader is taking a position on this file and sir to believe or imply that he's not taking it seriously at all This is about people. We're taking it seriously. We have programs to respond I would hope that you'd buy in on this Thank you very much, mr Speaker my question is to the premier speaker a report released today by the aod alliance contains some shameful facts Ontarians with disabilities still face too many barriers when they apply for jobs try and access public transit Go to school access hospitals or try and or go out to eat Activities that many of us take for granted Worse there was little or no enforcement of the laws that would would ensure this access In the five years since the law passed 57 percent of businesses have not even filed the required accessibility reports Only two fines have ever been levied for non-compliance What is the premier going to do to ensure that accessibility laws in ontario are followed? Thank you Finger if you're responsible for accessibility. Mr. Responsible for accessibility. Thank you speaker So we know that ontario is a global leader when it comes to accessibility Canada's first jurisdiction to adopt accessibility standards We may committed remain committed to our goal to have an accessible province by 2025 And although there's always been resources dedicated to compliance and enforcement Of to respond to my expanded mandate speaker. We reorganize accessibility directorate to reflect and create a Dedicated branch on compliance and enforcement And i'm pleased to say speaker that compliance reporting rates continue to increase Around 24 000 businesses completed their 2017 Accessibility compliance reports by this past december and speaker that represents a 20 percent increase Over the previous reporting deadline and more than 6 000 businesses filed the compliance reports for the very first time this year We've also experienced increased reporting rates amongst businesses not for profits and we'll continue to work with them to make ontario accessible Point of order the member from hullam and norfolk point of order speaker history teacher ron smith has brought his grade 12 history class here Simcoe high school my former high school and A school named after ontario's first lieutenant governor john gray simcoe Thank you speaker and i am happy to welcome to the legislature emil naboot from Uniform 195 in winsor and joel smith from oshawa uniform local 2 2 2 here this afternoon for my press conference Park Here earlier this morning i introduced all the girls from girls government But uh did not introduce daniel rubella who's all here as well to join the group of girls here for a visit at queen's park Welcome daniel. Thank you. There are no deferred votes. This out stands recessed until 3 p.m. This afternoon