 just for anyone's sake. It is now time for a question period. The member from Nipissing. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier, tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of the standard and poor's downgrade. One of three such downgrades Ontario has suffered under this Liberal government. These downgrades impact not only the province's cost of borrowing, but that of other linked entities such as the University of Toronto, City of North Bay, OPG, among many others. In only 10 years, you've doubled our debt, and interest is now the third largest expenditure. And interest is set to rise another $4 billion by 2017-18 when you claim to balance the budget. Premier, what is the government's current projection for the amount of debt Ontario will accumulate between now and 2017-18? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. And I just want to take this opportunity to advise the House that on Thursday, November 7th, we will be providing our financial economic statement update. And at that point, our full economic statement will talk about the things that matter most to Ontarians. The member from Nipissing-Pingbrook will come to order. The member from Simcoe North will come to order. And the member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order. So, Mr. Speaker, as mentioned, we will be providing our fall economic... Nessex will come to order. Okay. I'll try again. We are going to be bringing our fall economic statement on Thursday, November 7th to talk about the things that matter most to Ontarians. Talking about investing in our people. We're going to talk about investing in infrastructure strategically as we've been doing. And we're talking about how we're going to support and continue to support an innovative business climate. And to the member opposite, the rating agencies have recognized the tremendous value of Ontario and the strong economic... Well, I'm saddened, Speaker, that he couldn't even answer the simple question. But sadder is the fact that debt they've run up is now threatening the very things we care about. We're adding another $20 billion to our debt this year alone. And that amount is set to rise next year. You have put Ontario on a very slippery slope. Your own budget tells us that even a one percentage point increase in interest rates would add $400 additional million to our borrowing costs. And their inability to make the tough decisions needed to reduce spending that leaves a specter of another credit downgrade hanging over Ontario's head. So tell us today, does the government fiscal... The member from Mrs. August Streetville will come to order. Thank you. Just throw somebody to order to give you a chance. Thank you, Speaker. Very much appreciated. I'll ask again, does the government's fiscal plan take into account a further... Answer? ...debt rating downgrade? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, member opposite hasn't read the budget apparently. And he is not concerned about the well-being of Ontario, by the way he's asking these questions, because the rating agencies have recognized all too well how strong Ontario's fundamentals are. And it is why, through the work that we've done, we have now been in the first government in over a decade and all of Canada to actually reduce spending year over year. We have a target in our plan for a net debt to deficit... net debt to debt ratio of 27 percent that was brought in our thrown speech and we're working towards that and we're exceeding those targets as well, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we are our government, the one only government in Ontario to have now brought in over 180 percent of those jobs, 477,000 net new jobs to the province and we're working towards doing even more, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary? Well, Speaker, to illustrate just how serious the crisis we're in is, in the four minutes that we've both been standing talking, our debt has increased $89,040 in these last four minutes, but they have shown that when it comes to making the tough decisions, they chose what's best for the Liberal Party instead of what's best for Ontario. When Ontario needed a wage freeze, you gave one out of every eight out of every 10 contracts you negotiated a raise. You're giving seven figure bonuses to Pan Am executives when you cut physio services for seniors. You waste $1.1 billion to save Liberal seats while residents in Vaughn and South Niagara wait for new hospitals. Why should anyone believe you can or have any desire to balance your budget by 2017 to 2018? Mr. Speaker, Ontarians believe in what we are doing because they're investing in Ontario. Ontarians believe what we are going because they are making efforts to invest and to provide more jobs in our great province. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, our deficit has gone down by $5.6 billion more than the last anticipated. The rating agencies have affirmed that. When I was down in New York, they bought up our paper and gladly so because they see Ontario as a good place to invest. And as mentioned, we're the first government since 1996 to actually reduce its spending. We are the lowest cost government in all of Canada and all orders of government for the work that we've done. We know that the member opposite and his party want to go through a fashion burn policy, put us at risk and reduce our economic growth even further. Now that is haphazard and reckless. And we won't go there, Mr. Speaker. Questions to the minister responsible for the Pan Am games. Minister, last week you excused yourself from planning and budgeting for security and transportation because you've decided it's too early, 1.5 years out. But the billion dollar Pan Am budget was set out four years ago. So did you just forget about security and transportation? The same way you forgot about the athlete's village and the diesel air rail link, the secretary app partying and paperwork budget or the Pan Am trail? Speaker, this minister thinks he's on a pay-as-you-go plan for the Pan Am games. Minister, what is the cost of security and transportation? I think the member opposite mentioned about a number on security and on transportation, which is 235 million. Speaker, that number is not correct. Speaker, that number is wrong and that is a fantasized number. Speaker, at the moment we are talking to municipalities in terms of transportation. We are talking to different municipalities in terms of security. At the moment, this is a big game. It's a big plan to be discussed. Right now, I don't have a final number. When that number comes out, certainly I will let the member know. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let's put an end to the fantasy once and for all. Why don't you try again on that one, minister? Tell Ontarians what Pan Am security and transportation will cost and how much both will impact our lives. Your platitudes are ludicrous and they prove that no open government can be had with the Liberals. There absolutely must be a budget minister because the Pan Am security officials have indicated this mystery budget is already overblown. There must be a plan, minister, because the plans to cut corners by granting security guards special police powers exist. Minister, I'm not asking you to get creative. I know you know. What is the budget for security and transportation? Please tell us once and for all. If you don't have a number, tell us that too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He has a number. He had an untrue number, which is 235 million on transportation, on security. Speaker, the minister of transportation and TO 2015 are leading the development of an integrated transportation plan for the game. Transportation planning for an event of this size is complex. Take time and involve many organizations, including the province, municipalities, transit system and security planners. We are working closely with the OPP and municipal police to ensure that transportation will be safe and secure. Thank you, Speaker. Minister, I suggest you sit down with the CEO of 2015 and ask him what the security budget is. He told me it's included in the $235 million essential services plan. If you don't know that by now, minister, you probably should be looking for a different job. Under your leadership, we discovered that $1.4 billion budget is just a talking point. Pan Am expenditures will be at least double what you say they will. We have no control of your bureaucrats. Your organizing committee is taking taxpayers for a ride, and you refuse to be open about the cost of security and transportation. Honestly, is this the behaviour of a minister who is actually responsible for the Pan Am games? Minister, prove you're not just a placeholder in a B team cabinet led by an unelected premier. Will you be honest today or step down from your job? Speaker, thank you very much. The safety of athlete culture's official visitor and the general public is critical element in the planning of the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. We are prepared to take any measures necessary to ensure the safety of citizens. We will not take risks with people's safety. Learn from large scale games like the Vancouver Olympics. We have made a concerted effort to incorporate security in the initial planning stages of the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Good question. Thank you. Excuse me. I stopped the clock. I tried to do it with a gentle order, please, and if I have to be specific, I will. Member from Toronto, Danford, do a question. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. People and businesses in Ontario are paying the highest electricity bills in the country. It's making it harder for families to make ends meet. It's making it tougher for businesses to grow and create jobs. People and businesses in Ontario are paying bills that are two times higher than they are across the border. Does the Premier realise that having the highest energy bills in Canada and letting those sky-high bills grow faster than the rate of inflation is a serious problem for business and for households? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I know the Minister of Energy is going to want to comment on our overall plan, but I want to just be clear, Mr Speaker, that when we came into office, we were facing an energy system that was in disarray. There was a huge need for investment in the transmission, Mr Speaker. There was a need for investment in generation. That is what we have done. We now have a stable energy system, Mr Speaker, in terms of green energy, the money that has been put into transmission, Mr Speaker, and that is what is paramount for the people in this province. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that having a stable, reliable energy system is exactly what we need. And the fact is, Mr Speaker, we have put in place rebates and supports for businesses and for seniors to make sure that they have an affordable supply, because stability and affordability are the cornerstones. But, Mr Speaker, we needed a stable system. The NDP has not supported the initiatives that we have taken, Mr Speaker. But nonetheless, we have got that stable system in place. Speaker, for over 10 years, the Liberal Party has treated government as a tool to help the political interests of the Liberal Party. Whether the government is ignoring warnings about gas plants and then later cancelling them and costing families over a billion dollars just to save a few seats or signing nuclear contracts worth almost a billion dollars before a project is even approved or anyone knows the final cost, does the Premier understand that people see this cynical politicking for what it is and for once they want to see their interests come first? Mr Speaker, when this government took office 10 years ago, there was a deficit in terms of infrastructure and energy and supply. We invested, Mr Speaker, $21 billion in new generation. We invested $10 billion in new transmission. Those investments, Mr Speaker, had put pressure on the rates. But what we did for the rates, Mr Speaker, which that NDP party voted against was the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, which gives a 10% discount off the bottom line in prices. We create an energy and property tax credit to help those who need it, Mr Speaker. We've created the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, Mr Speaker. Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program. They voted against all of this, Mr Speaker. We are mitigating the rate. The pressure on rates came from our tremendously huge investments, Mr Speaker, because that opposition party let the system decline. Speaker, back to the Premier. People are frustrated when they see that the Liberal government is focused on helping out well-connected insiders, not helping out the families that are working hard to pay the bills. Media reports that when the Premier went to Calgary, she met with the head of TransCanada Energy, the company behind the Oakville Gas Plant. The Premier didn't even bring up the fact that Ontarians are paying TransCanada more money now that the Oakville Gas Plant has cancelled than they would have before. Families got handed a bigger bill so that a private power company could get a bigger check. Why is the Premier's Energy Plan more focused on helping private power companies make more money than it is in helping families make ends meet? Mr Speaker, several days ago we announced that we were deferring new nuclear. Mr Speaker, one of the main reasons for doing that is, number one, we have a surplus of supply. And number two, Mr Speaker, we were not going to invest $15 billion and put more pressures on rates for building power we don't need. Now this Minister, this critic, Mr Speaker, said he agrees with that decision. So there's something we agree on. But Mr Speaker, they have no plan for the energy sector. They will stand up, they will criticize, they will malign, they will do everything. If they believe they have a right to govern, Mr Speaker, they have an obligation to put forward a plan. They've never done so, and I challenge them to do so. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Premier and Premier, I'm certain you'll want to acknowledge in our thoughts and our best wishes to the family of Jim Boulanger and his wife who were involved in an accident last night, returning from Ottawa to Sudbury, involving their horse trailer. They had to euthanize a horse and I just want to send our thoughts and best wishes to the family of Jim Boulanger. Premier, horse people and track workers in Fort Erie and Sudbury and across Ontario don't think they're getting a fair shake from this Premier. And I don't blame them. She insisted that the slots at race track program had to go because it allowed insiders at marquee tracks like Woodmine to pay themselves high sky salaries instead of putting money back into horses. But in its place they brought in a plan that cuts out not-for-profit tracks and rewards the same for-profit insiders that abused Sarp in the first place. Why won't the Ontario government play fair with rural Ontario? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and my thoughts are with the family and my heart goes out to them. But what the member opposite has said is the farthest thing from the truth, Mr Speaker. I, following on the footsteps of my predecessor who put in place the panel of Elmer Buchanan and John Snowblen and John Wilkinson to give us some advice on how we could make the horse racing industry in the province sustainable, Mr Speaker. We have got a plan in place. The party, the NDP has stated, the leader of the NDP has stated that she'd like to reinstate the slots at race track program. And that was an unaccountable program, Mr Speaker. And all the members of the panel said that that was not a program that could be sustainable. It was not going to make the horse racing industry sustainable. And it, Mr Speaker, it was not accountable to the people of Ontario. So we will not be reinstating that program, Mr Speaker. Instead, we will be investing $400 million in a five-year plan to keep the horse racing industry, all of the tracks have an opportunity to be sustainable. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the Premier talks about accountability, but the government, this government is about, as transparent as a brick wall. Horse people in places like Fort Erie, Sudbury, and all across the province are having a hard time making an impression on this government. Even as this government is putting not-for-profit tracks out of business, they're going all in on Woodbine, which, since the end of SARP, has conveniently gone for profit. Is this government's idea of making horse racing sustainable for rural Ontario? Well, Mr Speaker, our idea is that we want to make sure that all of the tracks in the province have a way to... Kind of interesting. I'm going to tell some members of the NDP and some members of the Tories to take it outside. Premier. Our proposal is that all of the tracks in the province have an opportunity to take part in a sustainable horse racing industry into the future, Mr Speaker. And in order to do that, we have put the onus on the OLG to make sure that there is an integration of horse racing with the overall gaming strategy. And Mr Speaker, the folks that I have spoken to and many of whom I've spoken to in the horse racing industry are pleased with that. That integration was missing. They wanted to feel that they were part of that overall strategy. That is what will make them sustainable, Mr Speaker. And that is our objective. Thank you. Final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The fact is that this government is betting the farm on the Woodbine race track. And horse people in Fort Erie and Sudbury are losing their shirts. This deal isn't about making horse racing sustainable. It's about handing more market share to a for-profit giant. Why is this government picking a big winner and putting smaller tracks out to pasture? Mr Speaker, what the member opposite is saying is just not true. Grand River and Western Fair are not for profit. They're non-profit tracks, Mr Speaker. And they are going to have a sustainable future. You know, what we want is that the success of the tracks are attached to the success of the industry, Mr Speaker, the success of the customers coming in. And so that's what the plan is putting in place, Mr Speaker. I think that the NDP is very intent on a political goal right here, Mr Speaker. What we're trying to do is put in place the right policy so that all of the tracks in the province have an opportunity to work with the ORC to have that future that will provide those jobs in rural Ontario, because that is our objective. And that's what the plan is designed to do, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. The member from with the off floor. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last week, Premier, you visited the Niagara region without ever really addressing the need for a new hospital in that area. When pushed about whether you would build a new hospital in South Niagara, all you stated was that your government would look at it. Premier, the existing hospitals in Niagara Falls, Welland, Port Colburn and Fort Erie are all in need of major renovations in order to provide care. A new hospital would actually save taxpayers money in terms of operations. Premier, will you stand here today and commit to building a new hospital in South Niagara, as recommended by your expert, Dr. Gordon Smith? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I know the Minister of Health will want to speak to the specifics of this question, but I just want to say that it is a bit rich coming from a member of this party to talking to us about closing hospitals, Mr Speaker, because that is the party that closed hospitals. And the point that I want to make, Mr. Speaker, is that the plan that the member from Dufferin Caledon will come to order. The reality of the plans that the documents that the party opposite has put forward is that their exact same result would happen, Mr. Speaker, that there would be services cut across the board in education, in healthcare. We're not going there. That is where they would like to be, because we've been there. We've seen that picture. We're not going back to that. You know, Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can keep repeating that old myth as much as they want, but it's never going to make it so. The reality is the people of Niagara deserve a new hospital and not costly temporary fixes on the old ones. Temporary fixes on existing hospitals will end up costing tax return. Member of Transportation and Infrastructure come to order. Robin Smith noted in his report. Mr. Energy, come to order. The hospital will save the health system $10 million annually in operating costs. You've already wasted billions of dollars on scandals and your cutting health services to Ontarians. We can't afford to keep doing this. We need a long-term investment in healthcare for all Ontarians, including those in Niagara. Will you commit today to doing the right thing and giving people in South Niagara at the hospital that they deserve? Mr. Speaker, there's been an astonishing change of attitude from the party opposite. It wasn't very long ago, May 2012, that the leader of the opposition said that hospital infrastructure would have to wait until after the books were balanced. We're hearing a new tone now, but Speaker, we have been very busy building hospitals. The member from Simcoe North, I'm sure would be happy to tell you about Waypoint. The member from Barrie would tell you about the Royal Victoria. The member from Cambridge would tell you about the Cambridge Hospital. The member from Burlington would talk about Joe Brandt. The member from Halton could talk about Milton. The member from Leeds-Greadville could talk about Brockford. The member could talk to you about the Renfrew Victoria Hospital. I'm sure the member from Wellington, Halton Hills would be more than happy to talk about Groves Memorial. Speaker, we have some more aggressive building hospital infrastructure than any government ever has because of the neglect. Thank you, Speaker. My question again to the Premier. This government has repeatedly said that it has environmental, community, and First Nations concerns regarding the proposed Line 9 reversal project. To quote the Premier, quote, these questions need to have answers. We need to understand exactly what the risks are. If the Premier is so concerned about getting answers to these serious questions, why is she rejecting a provincial environmental assessment of the Line 9 reversal project? Mr. Speaker, of course, the decision is a national government decision, the National Energy Board. We have intervened, Mr. Speaker. We've taken a strong position. Number one, firstly, that paramount interest should be given to public safety and environmental protection. Number two, there should be absolute consultation with the people directly involved with First Nations, MAFE communities moving forward. There should be protection for liability for whatever damage they might cause if something happens in the future. We made a strong case before the National Energy Board. We will continue to advocate those principles moving forward. Indeed, we demanded that there be stress testing of the whole system to ensure public safety. I'm not sure what the outcome of that is, but we've been very responsible to a government agency in another level of government, which makes the ultimate decision, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, I'm surprised to hear that this government has so much confidence in the Harper government's approach to environmental protection. Ontario's Environmental Commissioner, Gordon Miller, said he has concerns about the kind of oil called diluted bitumen, or dillbit, that will flow through the reverse pipeline. Commissioner says if there's a spill, dillbit doesn't float on water like regular light crude that can mostly be recovered from the surface. Speaker, many Ontarians have concerns about the Line 9 project. Why won't the Premier allow provincial environmental assessment to ensure that the pipeline project meets the highest environmental standards? Mr. Speaker, the National Energy Board has a very rigorous process to ensure safety and environmental standards are met. He talks about doing an environmental assessment and overriding the constitution of this country where the National Energy Board has the authority to look after this particular issue, Mr. Speaker. If the situation was reversed and we were doing something in the environmental area, or we were having a hearing and the federal government came down and told us what to do, you know what we would tell them and where they should go. We're dealing with this with respecting the constitutional areas of jurisdiction and we have the highest standard that we're advocating on behalf of the people of Ontario. Thank you. New question from Mr. Sarga Streetsville. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. Minister, Friday, October the 25th, was the date to highlight Small Business Month in Canada. Small businesses invest time and create good jobs in rural and urban communities in Ontario. It's important to recognize the contribution small businesses make across Ontario. To build on Ontario's investment in people, infrastructure and the creation of innovative and dynamic business environments, the province has introduced Bill 105, the Supporting Small Business Act, aimed at ensuring small businesses receive the support they need to succeed and grow. Would the Minister please provide the House an update on what the status of the bill is? Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for his question. We've recently introduced Bill 105 as the member has indicated the Supporting Small Business Act, which will be further debated this afternoon. And this important bill is one that I believe all members can get behind, and we need to work together in order to pass it quickly. Bill 105 will support small business in Ontario and will ensure that 60,000 small businesses pay less of the employer health tax. And Bill 105 will eliminate that tax altogether for 12,000 small businesses right across the province. The strength of our small businesses in Ontario was highlighted last week when two Ontario small business owners, Printables Me and Truth Beauty Company, were recipients of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, their annual Shop Small Business Awards. And Ontario, of course, has already permanently cut the small business corporate income tax from 5.5 to 4.5 percent. We've reduced the regulatory burden. We know we are going to do this important bill as part of that. Minister, it's important that Ontario encourage and support small businesses across the province. In 2012, there were 385,405 small and medium-sized firms in this province. This figure represents 99 percent of the total businesses in Ontario, and it provides a significant source of employment for the men and women across our province. Minister, expand on the kind of support small businesses need in this recovering economy and how the province can continue to play a strong role in helping small businesses increase employment and build solid careers across Ontario. Thank you, Minister. Well, again, I thank the member for this important question on employment and small business. Mr. Speaker, communities across this province, both rural and urban, benefit from the jobs that our small businesses create. And the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses Survey results indicate that small business confidence in Canada and here in Ontario continues to climb. This means that when we support our small businesses, we're creating the right business climate for job creation. And Ontario currently has 57 small business enterprise centres helping to support our small businesses and entrepreneurs right across the province. Supports like the Ontario network of entrepreneurs help to bring knowledge and experience supporting our entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our unprecedented $295 million youth job strategy, which is creating 30,000 new jobs for youth, our recently announced social enterprise strategy and new trade strategy, we also helped create thousands of new jobs. So by supporting small businesses in Ontario, we're creating jobs. And this is, again, why I'm urging everybody to support this bill, Bill 105. Question? The member from Burlington. Question is to the Minister of Finance. Tomorrow, Prime Minister Harper will table the agreement and principle on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the European Union. This gives Ontario tremendous opportunity to grow our economy and create good, well-paying, middle-class jobs. After CEDA's ratification, Canada will be the only G8 nation with preferential access to markets in both the EU and the US. Investors need certainty. Our debt, deficit, and energy rates are far higher than anywhere else in the country. How are you going to convince foreign investors that Ontario is where they want to be? CEDA, please. Thank you, Premier. Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mr. Speaker. Minister of Economic Development and Trade and Employment. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to have the opportunity. The member from Carleton come to order, and she also knows I don't like it when somebody is called by anything other than their title or their writing. Carry on, please. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with the European Union. And Ontario, of course, was pleased just over a week ago to lend its support to the fact that an agreement in principle has been reached in the Canada-EU trade negotiations. And I think all of us know that the EU is actually the largest economic trading block in the entire world and has a GDP of close to $17 trillion. So this agreement between Canada and the EU is going to be so important, leading to more stable commercial relations, forming a solid base for our economic and trade relations. Now, Ontario, of course, Ontario being an intensive trade jurisdiction, this is extremely important. We have significant trade already with the EU, but this gives us much upside potential to increase that trade. Thank you. Supplementary? Yes, we know. It's leadership and vision at its best. Mr. Speaker, it sounds like the Liberals still do not have a plan. While the Premier and our Minister continue to dither, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians continue to wait for the endless parade of consultation and conversation to finish. Ontarians have had enough talk. They want action. Our leader has a plan. We will provide a clear, predictable and measurable path to return to a balanced budget, restore the credit rating agencies' faith in Ontario and build an economic climate that makes Ontario the choice destination for foreign investors. One last time, Minister, does your government have a real plan to help Ontario businesses capitalise in the benefits from CEDA? Well, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't address part of the first question that came from the member opposite about encouraging foreign directives to come to order. She may not know that, in fact, Ontario is the leader in all of North America for foreign direct investment on a per capita basis, and even when you don't take population to account, after California and New York, we come third. So foreign investment is coming to this province and is having an impact, and so I think it's, and then maybe I'll refresh our, we're on this side of the House who are interested in creating jobs. We released a new trade strategy just a few weeks ago, and the PC job plan, as we know, is the opposite. It's firing education workers as many as 10,000, firing 2,000 health care workers, driving down wages with harmful right to work. We don't work that way. On this side of the House, we believe in encouraging trade investment. Thank you. New question, the member from Government, Manitou. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to you. My question is to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. On Friday, Northern Resources launched a lawsuit against the Ontario government over its failure to set real guidelines on the mining process in Ontario. NSR is the fourth mining company since 2009 to bring legal action against the government over the exact same issue. The failure to get consultations underway demonstrates the misguided priority of the Liberal government and is paving the path for further disputes. Will this province take an active role and develop a real plan for resource development and jobs in the North? Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. First of all, I mean, we take our duties to consult extremely seriously, and the success of that is reflected by the fact that there are well over 110 agreements in place between Aboriginal communities and industry, as many other partnerships as well. With respect to this particular matter, may I say, Speaker, we remain committed to working with both parties to help foster a positive relationship and certainly ensuring that Surgical Lake First Nation is appropriately consulted. Our ministry staff have made significant efforts to engage with both the company and the First Nation. We've offered to facilitate discussions between them. Certainly, we want the company as well to make use of our new regulatory process. We take this very seriously. We're very encouraged by the many agreements that are in place as a result of our duty to consult obligations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again to the minister, the Liberal government claims they're ready to develop good value-added mining jobs. But the reality is that they're only ready to issue press releases about jobs instead of putting in the work to creating them. Last week, another company, Cliff's Natural Resources, said that it may pull out of the Ring of Fire because the Liberal government hasn't really set any guidelines on development. If the government continues to mismanage mining development in the north, we will see the lawsuits pile up and we will lose the opportunities. Will the minister act now to actually develop a plan for good value-added job creation that treats First Nations as partners? This is an absolute priority for our government. And the member knows very, very well, in fact, he referenced in his remarks on Friday how important it was to develop good relations with First Nations in terms of the opportunities in the Ring of Fire. And that's the work that we're doing with the table that's been set up between Mr. Ray representing the Manawa First Nations and also Frank Yakubishi with the problem. And the investments that we've made in skills upgrading and training, another important part of that. But we also understand how important infrastructure is as well, Mr. Speaker, in terms of that project moving forward, which is why we're looking at various options that we're going to assess. What's the best benefit to the province? What's the best benefit to Northern Ontario? Best benefit to the companies that are involved in this project? And obviously, what's the best benefit to the First Nations that can benefit so much of this extraordinarily important project? Thank you. New question? Member from Ottawa, sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of transportation and infrastructure. Speaker, my constituents rely on public transit every day to get to work and to school on time. Public transit also helps to reduce congestion, keeping cars off the road, helping to keep our air clean. In communities across Ottawa South, residents are happy to know the construction of Ottawa LRT has begun. The project is one of many investments that our government has by this government to grow our transportation infrastructure across the province and to lead to more economic opportunities. Speaker, like several major projects, it is crucial that it comes in on time and on budget. This government has a strong track record on this. However, we all know that an occasion projects of this scale can face cost overruns and potentially be delayed by various factors. Can the minister please tell us of the measures that this government has taken to ensure that large-scale transit projects come in time and on budget? Good. Thank you, minister of transportation and infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. One of the things that has been one of the quiet successes of this government, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that all of our rapid transit projects across this province have been on time and on budget. And I want to thank my predecessor, the former minister of the MPP for Ottawa West, the PM for his leadership because he and the Premier set a very great foundation for good solid planning and project management. So, unlike other orders of government that have seen cost overruns, we haven't. Part of that, Mr. Speaker, is sharing and stabilizing our purchasing by grouping the Kitchener-Waterloo line with the projects in Toronto to get bigger contracts that allow us more flexibility to stage and acquire LRT vehicles, Mr. Speaker, which is why when the leader of the official opposition wants to cancel LRT, he endangers all of the projects across the province because there are many municipalities that are delivering great LRT projects that I think the people in Waterloo don't want to be trying to buy on their base, Mr. Speaker. That would really grab that project. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister for sharing that information. It's good to know that our government is being wise when making large investments and it's good to know that we're working closely with municipalities across Ontario to help bring them better transit options sooner. Residents across Ottawa are pleased to hear that we're working hard to turn investments into real transit that will help them in their everyday lives. Lake and Ottawa, there are many other cities that are interested in having LRT technology introduced to help their residents to get where they are going faster. For example, Mississaug and Hamilton. Mr. Speaker, I was troubled to hear this past weekend that the leader of the opposition proposed to cancel these planned transit investments, and as a member that represents a community that is anxious for its LRT project to be completed, I worry about the opposition's reckless plan to cancel LRT contracts and remove light rail track. Speaker, I would be interested to hear of light rail transit project in other cities like Mississaug and Hamilton because these projects are part of Metrolinx's big move next wave and are contingent upon our government's investment. Apparently, Mr. Speaker, the leader of the official opposition used to hate subways because when he was minister in the previous government, he had a passion for filling them in. The good news is, Mr. Speaker, that he now loves subways. As a matter of fact, he has a passion for them so much he only wants to build subways. Now he seems to hate GO and LRT and every other form of rapid transit because he wants to do to them what he did to subways last time he was in power. So what he announced yesterday, Mr. Speaker, is that Hamilton will never see an LRT project after decades of waiting. What he's announced, and I'm sure the MPPs from Durham and Oshawa would be, are really happy to see their bus rapid transit system and their LRT programs cast. I'm sure the member for Newmark and Aurora is really happy to see all future Viva and GO expansion and is happy with a single track all the way to Barrie. I'm sure the member for Barrie is going to have fun explaining why that single track is never going to be twin and why two-way all-day service, why Hamilton's, why Waterloo LRT is compromised, Mr. Speaker, why Finch-West Rail is compromised. Thank you. See you, please. Good question, the member from Hullman-Norfolk. Through the framing, people are concerned about serious threats to our great lakes and your government seems paralyzed as far as taking any action. I don't see any action. You talk about your strategy, your goals, your intentions, setting up panels, but no action for immediate action in conjunction with great lake states and the federal government is crucial and long overdue. You've tabled yet another environmental bill previously killed by prorogation, a bill setting up more panels at Guardian Council. Premier, this all does nothing to deal with the clear and present danger of an invasion of Asian carp. Grass carp, big-head carp are already in Lake Erie. The silver carp, these are the ones that jump 10 feet under the water and black carp are on their way. What have you done about this? Question. Thank you. Minister of the Environment. Minister of the Environment. In regard to the second part, I'll refer that to the Minister of Natural Resources, but this is quite rich coming from a political party and a caucus that voted against the Great Lakes Protection Act. Two of the parties widely hailed, widely hailed by a good cross-section of the people of the Province of Ontario, has yet another positive step in protecting the Great Lakes. Now two of the parties in this House, the Liberal Party, the Government and the New Democratic Party, voted in favour of the legislation, bringing it to committee for further consideration and representation. I find it passing strange that the member would ask a question about the Great Lakes when in fact his party is opposing a major initiative designed to protect the Great Lakes in the Province of Ontario. And it once again demonstrates how difficult it is to be part of a party that wants to... Thank you. Supplementary. Premier, I'll do respect. This is an MNR issue. This isn't an environmental issue. Two Asian carp, the grass carp have now been found in my riding at the mouth of Grand River down in Lake Erie. Three Asian bighead carp have been found in Western Lake Erie. These and the silver carp, the jumpers and the black carp, can access Lake Michigan through the Chicago Sanitarian Ship Canal. Asian carp can also get directly into Lake Erie from Eagle Marsh. This invasion of Asian carp will be devastating to our Great Lakes. They eat everything. Premier, billions and billions of tourism fishery dollars are at stake. We need action, not more environmental laws or more strategies or panels or dithering. This is an MNR issue, not environment. Why will you not marshal the resources, take action, work with the Great Lakes States, work with both levels of federal government in both sides of the border? Put your MNR guide. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I stand. Everyone sits. Minister. Minister of Natural Resources. Mr. Natural Resources. Thanks, Speaker. And I appreciate the question from the member opposite. This is something that we do take very seriously with respect to the protection of our natural resources, with respect to the Great Lakes. I should tell you that the Premier met with the Great Lakes governors. Probably the first time this meeting has taken place in nearly a decade on Mackinac Island and the Mackinac Straits just recently. I can tell you that our government is working closely with the federal government and with border enforcement officers as well. We've in fact intercepted 39,000 pounds of Asian carp destined for Ontario markets at the border. We've established an invasive species research center and we are deploying staff and resources necessary to help prevent the spread of Asian carp in our lakes. I answer. MNR has implemented as well an Asian carp response plan in partnership with DFO. We deployed field crews to the Grand River and the testing on this carp was that the carp was sterile and non-productive. We're going to continue to monitor. Thank you. Sierra, please. Your question? The member from Windsor to come see. Thank you, Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Good morning, Minister. On the 10th of October, my friend and colleague, the member from Essex, met with the senior engineer for Ontario. And other senior officials involved with the Herb Gray Parkway. We were told that within two weeks they were going to be completing testing, specialized testing on the interior rods and the durability of the concrete and those girders, those defective girders and decisions made and whether to haul them out of there. Minister, that was nearly three weeks ago. When will the results of those tasks be available? When will the people in my part of this province get the answers to the questions they've been asking for quite some time now? Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Thank you very much. And again, I want to thank the member for his diligence on this file and appreciate him continuing to raise this issue. We have been very concerned, Mr. Speaker. As you know, when I initiated the independent review in July, I also gave direction that the Ministry of Transportation must intercede and do independent testing of the work that was done by the Prodeco. That work, and I want to be very candid, it took us longer than we had hoped to get access to the girders. We've had access to the girders now for several weeks. Those tests are now in their final stages. Some of that work because of the specialized nature of it around ductibility was sent to the U.S. I expect it will be within a week or two, Mr. Speaker, if not days before we have the result. I made a very clear commitment that as soon as I had that report and the chief engineer had it, that we will arrange a brief answer that you do that. I continue to be very, very concerned about this project and about the safety. And as I've said, we will not allow a single girder in there that doesn't meet standard, Mr. Speaker. Complementary. Minister, the Mayor of the City of Windsor, City Councillors are writing a letter. They want answers. I've asked for a public meeting about the future safety for the motorists who'll be using that parkway and driving under those defective girders. I've asked for a public meeting. The contractor is going to hold the public meeting, but, Speaker, they're not going to talk about the girders. They're going to talk about the landscaping on top of the girders. So that doesn't satisfy the people in my part of this province. So, Speaker, why isn't the Minister demanding a public meeting so that the people in Windsor and Essitz County, most affected by these decisions, finally have an opportunity to get answers on this ongoing controversy on the biggest infrastructure project in the province's history? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I again want to emphasize there is nothing that I disagree with in what the member is saying. I think we are of one mind on that. I walk a balance between trying to ensure aggressive enforcements of our standards, which I think we've done. The independent review being called by the Minister was, I think, unprecedented in about a quarter century. We have been working with Mr. Cripps, who is the chief engineer. I've tried very hard not to politically interfere. I think we've done that successfully, and walking that balance between letting the engineers and the planners make the determinations and giving them the time, the space, and, quite frankly, the financial resources, which they've had considerable amounts of to make these determinations. Later this week, Mr. Cripps will come and brief me and brief you shortly after with his best determination of how we can do that. We've also offered him up to the City of Windsor to do a briefing for City Council and for the public. And I'm happy to work with a member to create an appropriate venue to ensure that information can be exchanged and share his concern that this must continue to be a public and transparent process. Good question. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. As our population ages, more and more families in my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood are faced with finding the right long-term care homes for their loved ones. Residents want to know that they can live comfortably in their new homes and their families need to know that they'll be properly cared for. Many families in my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood who are undergoing this transition are worried about their loved ones' care and safety. Through you, Speaker, could the Minister tell this House what she's doing to protect residents of long-term care homes and to ensure people get the best possible care? Barson, thank you. Minister of Health, long-term care. Well, thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Scarborough-Gildwood for this important question. Speaker, today we're joined by representatives of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association. I want to thank them for the very important work that they do. Speaker, our seniors worked long and hard to build this great province. They deserve comfort and care as they move into their later years. That's why, Speaker, that our government set a new standard in 2010 with strong legislation to ensure better care and safety in long-term care homes. To assist with this, Speaker, resident and family councils are now providing residents and loved ones a direct say in long-term care home operations and Health Quality Ontario publicly post performance indicators so we can measure our success, Speaker, and so we can focus on those areas that still need improvement. Answer. Going forward, I will continue to work with long-term care homes. The CCACs and LINDS to implement recommendations of the sector-led long-term care task force. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Minister. I know that will help to give some peace of mind to the families in Scarborough-Gildwood who have loved ones in long-term care homes. Speaker, we all know that when it comes down to it, quality of care really depends on the relationship between the caregiver and the resident. I know that there are thousands of front-line workers giving specialized, personalized care in long-term care facilities in my riding and across Ontario. Could the Minister please tell this House what she's doing to support workers in Ontario's long-term care facilities? Good. Good, Minister. Speaker, that is a very good question and I want to thank the member again for that question. Speaker, one of the great joys in my job is the ability to visit long-term care homes. I recently had the opportunity to visit Bloomington Cove with my parliamentary assistant, the member for Oak Ridge's Markham. And together we witnessed the passion for providing resident-centered care and the focus on quality of life that front-line workers bring with them each and every day. Speaker, people who work in long-term care homes are the angels of our healthcare system. I want to thank the thousands of dedicated Ontarians who work hard every single day to bring comfort and care to residents of long-term care homes. Speaker, we've funded more than 10,000 new full-time long-term care staff since 2003. Answer. Residents first is providing front-line staff the knowledge and skills they need to provide safer and better care. And behavioral supports Ontario is helping staff to better care for patients with dementia. Thank you. Thank you. New question from the members from Elgin, Middlesex, London. My questions to the Minister of Finance. Morning, Minister. Minister, there's been much talk about 15% auto insurance premium reduction. We, of course, have been on record as saying you will not achieve this reduction without a plan of action. However, I recently heard that a number of non-standard auto insurance companies have been brought in by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and directed to submit filings with rate reductions. Are you pleased with this program? Minister of Finance. Thank you for the question. And given the opportunity to again reinforce the commitment made by this government over these past many years to tackle fraud and go after the expensive cost of claims that affects high premiums in our province relative to other parts of Canada. As a result of those endeavors and those efforts and the work done by many of my colleagues, rates have now started to go down. And more importantly than that, we now have more regulatory oversight by FISCO enabling those insurance companies the opportunity to now file for lower rates. And I'm pleased to say, Mr. Speaker, that because of the competitive nature of the industry, a number of those companies have now advertised lower rates and I encourage everyone to shop around. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister, your plan of inaction is clearly showing. I find it industry that the government giving priority to non-standard insurance companies. Non-standard insurance companies in Ontario define according to one website of a company specializes in providing personal automobile insurance for private passenger vehicles used for non-commercial purposes to individuals who do not qualify for standard insurance market. To translate, it means non-standard companies ensure the worst drivers on the roads. The drunk drivers, the speeders, the drivers with multiple accidents, those that endanger our lives on the roads. And yet your government has decided to start your rate reductions with these drivers while leaving the good drivers, the ones that make our roads safer out in the cold. You acted without a plan to play bumper sticker politics with the third party in order to prop they prop you up in the budget. Minister, why do you think bad drivers deserve a better rate deduction than good drivers? Mr. Speaker, the point of our exercise and the work that's being done is to reduce rates on average for drivers in our province and to benefit those good drivers who deserve lower rates. The member opposite and his party have done nothing to support this cause and now they're asking questions about an issue that is taking hold and that we are acting upon and we will continue to work on behalf of the people of Ontario. We will continue to champion consumers who deserve lower rates with or without your support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. You have a good question. The member from Hamilton Mountain. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Children with autism in Ontario can wait years after being assessed as suitable to receive the IBI treatment that they need. When they finally get into a program, their parents often see their child make great strides forward in their development. Unfortunately, we have heard many stories for years of parents being left in the dark when their child gets cut off from these services with no explanation. Will the Minister come clean on autism treatment in Ontario and promise these parents full transparency regarding how decisions are made with respect to the treatment of their children? Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you and I thank the member for the question with respect to a very important topic with my ministry and that is services for children with autism. It's an area that we've been doing quite a bit of work on. We have an expert committee that's reviewing all our IBI and all our programming for autism. It's very difficult for families. I've met with many families that have children with these challenges, Speaker, and we are absolutely determined to assist the families in this province to get the services for their children. In fact, earlier this summer, we announced an additional five million dollars for autism intervention programs to get more children into service and to help more families. Certainly, we are certainly working towards autism and certainly have many programs in place. Thank you, Speaker. I'm going to go back to the minister. Doug Ward has watched his severely Oz's sticks on Mitchell go from pointing and gesturing to stringing together full sentences thanks to IBI therapy. But now, Canark Family Services have told the wards that Mitchell is being cut off of IBI with little explanation. Minister, your government finally created the independent review mechanism earlier this year after promising in 2010 that it would be in place in the fall of 2011. This was meant to be a process for families to appeal decisions like this. Mr. Ward reports that only now, months after hearing that they're going to be cut off, did Canark finally tell them about the independent review mechanism. Minister, can you please explain to me, to Mr. Ward and to the countless other families, just exactly how decisions are made with regard to their treatment of their children with autism? Minister. Thank you. And again to the to the member, I'm not familiar with this particular case and in terms of the in terms of this specific one, but when it comes to services to IBI services, in fact, we removed the previous age six cut off for IBI. We have been investing in autism services. We did introduce the independent review mechanism so that if there are issues with decisions that are made. Speaker, these are clinical decisions. These aren't decisions that we make independently. They're independent. They're by individual to individual in terms of what their needs are. And there's a spectrum of supports that are available. So in terms of what supports are available or at what times, what transitions are required from IBI to other autism behavioral type programs to transitioning into school. Answer. Into other types of transitions. These are clinical decisions that are made between the clinician and the family and the child and the service organization. So that's because we're right with them. Thank you. Well done. The question and then please try the age of court. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labor. Mr. Speaker, in my writing of Scarborough Agent Court is a large population of newcomers and many of them find work through the Temporate Help Agency. For most part, these agents are very helpful in helping my constituents find gainful employment. But at the same time, I hear concerns about their employment standards, health and safety issues they're facing in the workplace. I hear concerns about hours of work, vacation pay, worries about houses in the workplace. We all know the vulnerable workers at least likely to speak out about violations and the fear of losing their jobs. Our workers must be confident that the workplace must be held accountable for obeying the rules and that our governments are protecting them at work. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what are you doing to ensure the rights of all Ontarian workers, rights of being upheld? Mr. Labor. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I thank the member for a very important question. Absolutely, Speaker. All our constituents can be rest assured that the Ministry of Labor is out there in workplaces across the province in showing the workers know their rights and that employers are living up to their responsibilities. Speaker, I want to give a special recognition to the member from Brampton Springdale and from member from Brampton West, who have both of them have worked very hard on the issues of regulation of temp agencies. In fact, it was the member from Brampton West who brought in a private member's bill in 2006 that resulted in a law that was passed through this legislature in 2009, the first province speaker in Canada to in fact regulate temporary agencies across the province, which made sure that employees were not unfairly prevented from being hired directly by employers prohibiting agencies from charging fees to workers for such things as resume writing and interview preparation and making sure that workers know their rights under the Employment Standards Act. Very good. Sir, finance on a point of order. Point of order. Mr. Speaker, I ask for your indulgence and that of the House to please join me in welcoming our page Victoria Miola's parents who are in the public gallery here to support their daughter and Victoria's mother is here. Diana Miola and Luke Miola, welcome to Queensborough. Thank you. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.