 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition Speaker before I start I just want to acknowledge that this is our last day in the legislature We all be heading off to our ridings and I want to wish all of our colleagues here in the legislature a very merry Christmas Happy holidays. Happy Hanukkah I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful time. It's all of Ontario. Enjoy the season with friends and family Last night the questions to the acting Premier. Nice try The questions to the acting Premier Last night the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission denied hydro one approval of their takeover of Avista Citing political interference from the provincial government as part of the merger agreement hydro one now has to pay Avista Avista a 103 million dollar penalty for failing to obtain regulatory approval Can the acting Premier tell us what impact this 103 million dollar penalty will have on our hydro bills Deputy Premier Mr. Vanity appreciate the thank you, Mr. Speaker Oppositions questioned as well. I'd like to wish everybody merry Christmas and safe travels back to your Riding yesterday's news from the US Doesn't change our focus on bringing down hydro rates and protecting the people of Ontario We will always put the concerns of Ontario families small businesses and seniors first And we remain committed to reducing hydro rates and establishing Ontario's energy advantage This included mr. Speaker a firm commitment to renew The senior leadership at hydro one one that had lost the confidence of the energy customers The people of Ontario Well speaker people are having a hard enough time paying the bills in this province now It looks like they're gonna have to pay the price for the Premier and his chief of staff's Bumbling attempts to install their allies in the on the board of hydro one the Washington state regulators were pretty clear This is a government that does whatever they want whenever they want and they can't do business with people like that The Premier said he would clean up the mess at hydro one What's his plan to deal with the 103 million dollar mess that he's created? I'm not entirely sure that that was what the decision said mr. Speaker, but we can disagree on its contents Upon assuming off assuming office. We acted decisively to keep our promise to the people of Ontario on June 7th 2008 that is exactly what the people of Ontario Decisively asked us to do years of liberal mismanagement led to skyrocketing hydro rates and force seniors across the province to choose Between heating their homes and putting food on their table. This is unacceptable Mr. Speaker the people of Ontario have an expectation that we will live up to our commitment to reduce their Hydro rates and make life affordable for families and small businesses mr. Speaker We are reducing hydro rates and after years of neglect our government is finally putting the people who pay their hydro bills each and every month first Well speaker we agree that things were bad when the Liberals were in power But now we have a Ford government that's ripping up contracts raking up penalties and severance payments at hydro one Trying to install the premier's allies from City Hall into key executive positions and leaving families to pay the bill What does the acting premier have to say to families now stuck with a 103 million dollar penalty that will be added to their hydro First of all I would remind the Honourable Member that that was one of three regulatory bodies decisions and that is not an expected outcome in hydro one And a vista are reviewing that decision and considering their options mr. Speaker But as I said earlier yesterday's news will not change our focus on remaining committed to bringing hydro rates down For the people of Ontario for families for small businesses for large job creators who lost an Energy advantage in this province mr. Speaker due to the considerable Mismanagement of the previous government and how they dealt with hydro one we've inherited this We've made a commitment to ensure that hydro rates come down for the people of Ontario mr. Speaker, and that's exactly what we're delivering Thank You speaker my my next question is to the leading rather the leader of the The acting premier speaker sorry My contacts are getting a bit blurry As we all know when it comes to putting his own interest ahead of the public interest the premier doesn't limit himself to hydro one unfortunately We've just received a story from the Toronto Star Indicating that Ron taverner the premier's pick for the OPP commissioner purchased a Toronto home privately last year from one of Premier Doug Ford's closest advisors yesterday I asked the premier whether he agrees that we need to have the integrity commissioner look into the appointment process of the OPP commissioner, I didn't get an answer yesterday's order the acting premier provide one today Ministry of community safety and correctional services. Thank you speaker Pp opposition that the hiring committee was independent of government and They made a unanimous choice with Ron taverner and I want to say I want to quote the co-chair of the 23rd division community policing liaison committee as the co-chair of the 23rd division community peace police liaison committee I personally watched superintendent taverner bring the community together work towards common goals of community mobilization safety and crime reduction He is our champion. He embodled He embodies great empathy for all and is steadfast in ensuring that all efforts are made to keep our community safe I hope when Ron taverner becomes the OPP commissioner on the 717 the NDP will finally do what everyone else in this province understands who knows him and congratulate him and thank you supplementary Well speaker the Globe and Mail reports today that the premier was actively promoting the advancement of Ron taverners career since he was a city Councillor not surprising since they were very close friends Did the premier mention this close friendship when he was leading the cabinet discussion on Mr Taverners new job, and if so did anyone any single cabinet minister around that cabinet table note the conflict of interest So again, I will remind the NDP it was an independent hiring process They unanimously chose Ron taverner then it came to cabinet on Thursday station come to order We supported the unanimous decision of the hiring committee But don't take our word for it from the executive director of the Albion neighborhoods Services it is with the utmost confidence that Ron taverner will serve the province in his capacity as the commissioner of the OPP With as much commitment Integrity and the highest level of worth ethic as he has done serving our city We have an excellent candidate response OPP commissioner, and I only wish the NDP would understand the level and quality that we have been able to secure with mr. Taverner supplementary Well, I can assure the minister what the NDP does very much understand is people Wanted and expected so much better than this Government in this party would fail to see the problem here The premier personally awarded a family friend the job of OPP commissioner And instead of clearing the air the premier has attacked the OPP Claiming that they have low morale and attacked the integrity of Chris Lewis of the decorated former commissioner of the OPP because he was Principled enough to speak out on this very bad process order acting premier do what the premier refuses to do Apologize to the former commissioner and clear the air with a transparent investigation into this very odious process You know while Chris Lewis has every Right to his opinion at the very least He wished Ron Taverner well and hope that he served the OPP with his well as much integrity as he has served For the last 50 years in the city of Toronto I think it is offensive that you refuse to talk about all of the things that he has done in a very positive way With the city of Toronto I am honored and I am thankful that he is willing to continue Start the clock next question Again leader the opposition Speaker my next question is to the leader to rather to the acting premier after the session the government has had I'm not surprised that they want to escape early But families are going to be dealing with the fallout from the premier's decisions Whether it's the GM We were told that the premier wouldn't fight for their jobs Students who have lost the hope of accessing university Education Milton and Markham or patients stuck waiting in hallway hospitals the premier took care of his friends and Families were left paying the bill does the acting premier think that's fair speaker Well, I can only say that after 15 years of neglect on a number of fronts by the previous liberal government I am very proud of the work that our government Couldn't hear the deputy premier for the volume of the applause supplementary Well, please speaker what people saw this session was two very very different visions for Ontario We said the government should fight to keep GM jobs in Oshawa The government side come to order sailed we said cancer patients getting treatment Natural resources to order forced to pay for life-saving drugs the fort by government If natural resources for us to come to children demanding ice never for King bond To raise the minimum wage and ensure working people could take a sick day without losing a day's pay Lucrative jobs for his friends. How could this government after just six months in power have taken us from bad to so-so so much worse That is what we are doing. We are raising things up We are making life affordable Just to make to make Between That is what we got elected to do we got elected to end hallway health care That is what we're working on we got elected to make a difference in the lives of families and that is what we're working on That is what we're going to continue to do and we welcome your assistance to do that because this is something that we should all Be working towards to make sure that all of the people that we all represent Their lives become better and more affordable and that we can create jobs for all of our young people They're graduating from high school colleges and universities That is what we're elected to do and that is what we are And then I'll be able to recognize the next member who has a question start the clock member for Burlington My question is to the Honorable Minister of Children Community and Social Services The auditor general released her annual report yesterday and amid all the scandals waste of mince management There were a few statistics that stood out from your ministry The auditor says and I quote we identified 36% of Ontario works recipients as having barriers that affect their ability to prepare for work or find employment Service managers across Ontario told us that these barriers include mental health conditions Addictions and homelessness end of quote speaker. Mr. Speaker This sounds like a disjointed patchwork system that isn't helping society's most vulnerable the way it should Questions certainly doesn't sound like it's focused on the recipient Can the minister tell us what the government for the people is doing different to ensure a path to employment? Appreciate the question from the member of Burlington and it's a very important question I'd also like to say thank you to Ontario's auditor general for confirming what I've been saying in this house For five long months that the system I inherited from the previous Liberal administration Was not working to get the people in Ontario who can get back to work back on track And that's why I am proud to be part of a government for the first time in 15 years That's working across government through multi ministerial approaches to get people back on track Where they're able to get back to work And that's why I was proud to work with the minister of finance so we can announce the fall economic statement lift So people can keep more money in their pockets I'm working with the minister of training colleges and university So we can have that skills appointed as early in there in the casework as possible working with the minister of Response health on mental health and addictions and the minister of housing so we can make sure people have supportive housing I look forward to speaking more about this Restart the clock supplementary Thank you minister for your thoughtful and passionate response The auditor had so much more to say about the dysfunction at Ontario works It says and I quote since our last audit in 2009 the average monthly number of Ontario works cases increased by almost 25% 202,000 to 250,000 in 2017 18 although Ontario works is intended to be a Temporary assistance program speaker. We found that since 2008 2009 the average length of time people depend on this program has Nearly doubled increasing from an average of 19 months to three years end of quote It's an indictment on the previous government, but more importantly It's disheartening for those who just want to work Can the minister elaborate and how her plan to give those able to work a hand up and get those ignored by the Liberals back into the workforce. Thank you speaker minister The advice from the auditor general over the past five months as we redeveloped our plan because we understood that the system was broken And it was patchwork yesterday. I had the opportunity to meet with umsa the municipal service providers that are delivering social assistance at the local level This is what they asked us for a mo better local delivery More wraparound services and supports for those who can work and those who can to make sure that they live life with greater dignity We understand that Ontario works should be temporary and the aspiration should be a job in Ontario Not going into a program that they'll trap them into Poverty, we know that right now we spend over 10 million dollars on social assistance Almost 1 million people are on the programs yet still one in seven people are trapped in poverty That's unacceptable. We believe the best social program for those who can work is a job The house will come to order Member for york center will come to order The member for hamilton west and castor dundas Thank you, mr. Speaker. Uh, my question this morning is to the acting premier Before the last election progressive conservatives said that they would restore the ban on advertising Partisan advertising that's paid for by the people of ontario Yet yesterday not one of the ministers that were responding to the audits report seemed willing to answer this basic question So i'll ask it again. When will the ban on paid partisan advertising happen? The deputy premier President of the treasury board Appreciate that and uh through you. Thank you to the member for that question, mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker under the liberals there was a large jump in government advertising in an election year I'll let you draw your own conclusion why that may have been What I will say to the member opposite is that we are exploring all elements of government advertising including that So, uh, we will make that a priority as we will in all expenditure items Make it a priority for this government Now we welcome the ideas from the uh, the auditor general It's unfortunate that the previous little book government gave them so much material to work with But we will however endeavor endeavor to get going immediately On all the recommendations in the auditor general report and I'll have more to say in the supplementary We start the talk supplementary Well, here we go again Once again, we see the fourth government government sides important Everything from bad to worse. I mean we've seen that the premier's meddling in hydro one Will make the liberal gas plant scandal look like a bargain And now instead of cracking down on partisan advertising Why is this government so determined to spend public money on partisan promotion? President of the treasury board Through you mr. Speaker. Thank you again for that question from the member opposite Uh, you know what keeps me up at night. Mr. Speaker is the deficit You know what gets me up in the morning is fixing it along with all of my Colleague just reminded me asked me how I slept. I said I sleep like a baby. I wake up every two hours and I cry Yes, thank you minister finance. We do cry over the books that the liberals left us. Thank you for that I would remember response. I would remind the member opposite that this was the previous liberal government's advertising spending You are going to take every action to clean up the books of this problem So we can continue question period The next question The member for barry mr. Speaker my question is for the very prudent president of the treasury board The board was shocking to see how the liberals engaged in a pattern of mismanagement Which has had real and lasting impact on the services we as taxpayers and barry springwater or medante a threat Ontario rely on Not only did this mismanagement result in loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers money It was wasted. It was also put the safety of ontarians at risk ineffective leadership reckless overspending it crept through the whole of the previous administration After 15 years of the liberals squandering taxpayers dollars on the watch with the n dp Ontario elected our government on the promise of restoring trust and accountability to this province Can the president of the treasury board? Please update this house on the findings of the auditor general and what actions this government is going to take Thank you, mr. Speaker through you to the great member from barry springwater or a mondante for that question I would be remiss first off to not thank Not forget to thank the auditor general and her team for the great work that she did in this report But frankly mr. Speaker the report released yesterday shows just how badly the liberals let the people of ontario down Here are some examples ontario works over payments of totaling 730 million dollars Metro links incurred over 400 million in sunk and additional costs between 2009 2018 400 million it's shameful that these two examples alone add up to 1.1 Billion dollars mr. Speaker You know that's about the same amount that the province spends annually on ontario child benefits. This is waste mr. Speaker that we need To speak her back to the terrific treasury board president Not the report did indeed reveal levels of mismanagement that were shameful for some time now This house has grown accustomed to hearing of how taxpayers hard earned money was squandered by the previous liberal government Whether we're talking about trying to undermine the auditor general in order to apply jointly sponsored pension plans to the province's revenues Or talking about extraordinary lengths. They went to to Get off the books some of the unfair hydro scheme the previous government left the credibility of this province's financial Reputation and tatters can the president of the treasury board? Please inform this house what actions our government is taking to repair the other damage caused by the liberals The president the treasury board Thankfully i'm prepared for that question Over the past several months. We have worked closely with the auditor general in pursuit of our mutually shared goal of improving Not just the financial situation of the province, but also the governance and accountability situation as well Perhaps most disturbingly The auditor general discovered that under the liberals the toronto at sorry the technical standards and safety authority Also known as t ssa. Thank you. Colleague did not ensure public safety Nor fulfilled its obligation legal obligations to protect the public That is why yesterday Minister walker directed the t ssa to immediately address the concerns raised by the auditor general immediate action Let me be good work abundantly clear We are putting an end to waste in mismanagement Of a liberals only concerned would concern themselves about protecting their seats We're concerned about protecting ontario's future Next question the member for toronto University rose down university Thank you, speaker. This is a question for the minister of transportation The auditor general's report proves how badly the liberal government let ontario down by privatizing transit delivery Giving companies a premium price to build the eglinton lrt on time and on budget And then making taxpayers pay hundreds of millions of dollars for cost overruts Now this government is accelerating ontario's course course down the same path Cooking up a secret plan to privatize parts of toronto subway minister In one year from now, what do you think the auditor general is going to say about this government's transit plans? The minister of transportation Merry christmas paul miller mr. Speaker and thank you very much for that question Listen, I think in a year from now the other general's going to stand up and say good job government. You've done well Our government was elected to do the right thing to get ontario back on track Metrolinx has a new ceo Has a new chair the government ontario has a new premier a new transportation minister. We're turning the corners We're going to build transit in this province. We're going to get ontario moving bring the economy going and ontario is open for business This report confirmed the liberal government secretly meddled in transit planning for their own political gain Approving a ghost station in the former transportation minister's own writing even though metrolinx had rejected that station location But this government is taking secrecy and political interference to a whole new level By eliminating any requirement to talk to the public or local municipalities And by giving the premier permission to change or overwrite any of metrolinx's plans Minister can you confirm and commit to a firm and fair transparent public consultation process for all transit planning decisions I wish paul miller a happy new year as well Reviewed and accepted the auditor general's recommendations on the ghost station selection and are reviewing all the expenditures and the the ministry is going to work with uh Metrolinx determined which investments will proceed including the curbie and laurence ghost stations and The ministry is also proposing changes to the metrolinx So we can clarify the roles and responsibilities respect the planning and decision making and mr. Speaker. I can Fully tell the minister member opposite that My writing will not be getting a ghost station or subway stop. Thank you very much mr. Speaker Thank you the member for our wassauce. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. My question is for the deputy premier Uh, first two all of my colleagues here in our legislative family. Merry christmas. Happy hanukkah. Happy gawali. Happy guanza And I want you to know that i'm going to miss the love that I feel every day from all of you when we're in here And in the spirit of christmas This question is not about how the premier gave his ex-party president 350 000 job Or a 350 000 year job to his juror director Or the fiasco that's the appointment of the new old pp commissioner My question is simply this Can the deputy premier Please explain to us Why the ontario controller signature Is not on this year's public accounts The deputy premier President of the treasury board The treasury board Thank you, mr. Speaker. I think this is my colleagues way of saying this is my christmas present from them You know, I can't comment on The controller and the lack of signature we the auditor general delivered her opinion It was the clean opinion for the first time in three years Three years, but I will talk about how we went about getting a clean opinion first off We listened to the auditor general who for years did not agree with the accounting of the previous liberal government's books Number two the financial accountability officer did not agree with the The government's books neither did the debt credit rating agencies neither did multiple the markets who Who didn't agree with that? But finally we asked an independent commission of inquiry Respected individuals independent of government to opine on the books of the government And I can tell you that they all disagreed with the uh previous liberal government and we should uh Thank you And I want to thank the minister for that lump of coal in my stocking So so here is why the controller signature is not on this year's public accounts She was forced to leave in september because she did not agree with the accounting decision made by the government She said she could not put her professional attestation on the public accounts government side Was the first out of 62 000 candidates in the cpa exam in in america She is an expert in pension accounting And here's what she had to say I believe that the consolidated financial statements of the province of ontario as issued materially overstate the deficit of the province this year Speaker the government is overstating the the uh the deficit as a context for cuts And we've already seen those cuts inside health care to education to social services to the things that Depends on so my question speaker To the minister is why are you overstating the province's deficit? President of the treasury board Mr. Speaker Thank you to the member for that question, but I have to respectfully ask you to why You are not supporting this auditor general Take the people of ontario rendered their verdict, mr. Speaker But let me take an opportunity to quote from the uh the erstwhile nvp finance critic in april of 2018 ontario's families and businesses nor their independent members come to order They feel it every month when they open their hydro bill and today the auditor general reported that the liberal hydro plan will drive up bills yet again As a result of bogus accounting scheme Today the ag reported that the wind government's pre-election report is not a reasonable presentation on terry's finances What the ag has confirmed is that the liberal hydro scheme is designed to conceal billions of dollars in hydro debt from the public Can I ask the erstwhile nvp finance cricket? Why don't you support the auditor general? Next question the member for willow dale I think my colleagues might like my cardigan. Thank you Speaker my question is for the minister of economic development job creation and trade Speaker, I know that the minister has a long history in this house of fighting to reduce red tape And regulations that are holding back ontario businesses across a number of sectors The fall economic statement very clearly laid out our government's commitment for the people to cutting red tape 25 percent by 2022 and that's a challenge. I know the minister takes seriously after all in toad. We trust Can the minister give more detail to the house about the next steps that our government is taking to reduce red tape for businesses And services in ontario Speaker I want to thank the member from willow dale and just comment on that beautiful cardigan that he's wearing today and All he needs is a pipe and a rocking chair. Mr. Speaker Yesterday actually later today later today. I'm going to be introducing the restoring ontario's competitiveness Another step in our government's commitment to opening ontario opening up for business and cutting red tape speaker a lot of people Think red tape is just about business, but it isn't it's about service as well And that's why the restoring ontario's competitive Competitiveness act is going to cut red tape that's standing in the way of opening more child care spaces in ontario And it's going to create good jobs for the people of ontario red tape is hurting customer services for businesses But it's also hurting customer services And that's why we're going to make sure that ontario is competitive again with this bill, mr. Speaker Start the clock supplementary Thank you, mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the minister for his response And I know that the minister and his parliamentary assistant brave art parsa have talked to small businesses in my writing And their input has gone into our government's approach to red tape Speaker on november 29th one of the members opposite said that the idea of cutting red tape by 25 Made him shudder Well in my writing of willow dale, mr. Speaker small business owners are shuttering with joy that our government is committed to getting red tape out of their way Remember mr. Speaker under the liberals One particular business owner said that moving his production facility from ontario to ohio was like moving and I quote from a torture chamber To a candy store Speaker can the minister tell the house more about how Restoring ontario's competitiveness act will help all businesses in the great province of ontario I can say we're going to get some candy canes out later today when we introduce The bill restoring ontario's competitiveness act in the legislature mr. Speaker I thank stan the man for the question this morning a great advocate for small businesses in willow dale In fact, speaker You know just one of the changes in this bill which by the way contains a 32 concrete actions across 12 different ministries of government It's going to reduce the cost by five million dollars per year The total package of reforms is going to reduce the cost of doing business play almost 25 million dollars So this is going to play a major major role in making businesses more competitive in ontario And we're also Rethinking the province's approach to red tape mr. Speaker where we can We're harmonizing our regulatory standards with existing federal standards So that there's one set of paperwork and the burden on small business owners will go down Mr. Speaker, this is great news for businesses across Start the clock next question member for windsor west. Thank you speaker My question is to the acting premier yesterday's auditor general report Uncovered that legal aid ontario is spending 21 million dollars a year on odsp application and appeal cases That's 44 of the total caseload and the more incredible news is in three quarters of these odsp appeal cases People initially denied support are getting their decisions reversed Speaker this pc government is making a bad situation worse by changing the definition of disability To one that is more narrow and rigidly defined Practically guaranteeing there will be more appeal cases Does the acting premier understand that legal aid ontario will receive more cases from people denied odsp Once the new exclusionary disability definition is in place Deputy premier thank you mr. Speaker Thank you Bless you mr. Speaker First of all mr. Speaker to the member opposite She's making presumptions on what the definition of the disability will be We are working we are working on that. My ministry is working with the ministry of children and community safety Children services minister of many things to do to come to the right definition To help lift people out of of poverty and to make sure they get the services they need with respect to legal aid ontario We thank the auditor general for the work that she's done identifying Things that our government is going to need to do to fix a system That is not helping people get the access to justice that they need We've invested the government has invested billion millions of dollars hundreds of millions of dollars in response legal aid ontario And I thank the auditor general for pointing out some very important things that we can look at To ensure that more and more ontarians who need access to justice can in fact get access to justice Speaker there are no assumptions here the minister of community and social services Actually said that the definition will align with the federal definition Which is an exclusionary definition and thousands of other people with disabilities will be cut off of services and support Speaker there are so many other things that legal aid Could be doing if they weren't so busy doing the work the minister should be doing and fighting to get people the support They need and deserve according to the auditor's report community clinics indicated that due to the high volume of odsp cases They were less able to take on cases Related to employment law human rights and issues that impact seniors But with the government's new disability definition that is designed to exclude more people This will make matters worse Speaker with the acting premier rather legal aid spend all of their time on odsp appeals That they likely will win or will she ensure the definition of disability is inclusive of those that experience acute Long-term and intermittent disabilities Our government wants to ensure that people who need access to legal services are able to do that Through legal aid Ontario and we will be working very hard in conjunction with the recommendations made by the auditor general To strengthen those that access to justice for people in need Mr. Speaker the auditor general also said that the legal aid has been in a deficit situation for two years Ontario continues to face Unprecedented demand for refugee and immigration legal aid services And the federal government is not stepping up to provide its fair share of funding to support its own refugee and immigration policies Opposition come to order. Mr. Speaker LAO continues to refine more robust processes for analyzing the use of its funding and implementing changes over time And my ministry will continue to work with legal aid on taro to ensure that we continue to develop those processes So the people who need access to justice are able to get Question the member for richmond hill Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of transportation Our government for all the people is committed to getting the people of ontario moving So that they can spend more time with the family friends and loved ones here here My constituent in richmond hill has been coming to me to complain that they do not want to sit in the traffic congestion Or wait in the crowded platform for transit Unfortunately, ontarians have had 15 years of a liberal government Supported by the mtp who were Irresponsible Yesterday the auditor general Record that clearly indicate just how Things were under the previous level for grant come to order And she called for a swift action by this government Can the minister of transportation share with the member of this house? Just how fiscally irresponsible the previous government was with our transportation system And how much taxpayer are on the hook for this mismanagement I'd like to thank the member from richmond hill for the excellent question and and for advocating consistently and constantly For her constituents in richmond hill Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the auditor general's report yesterday And and our government for the people was elected in june to get ontario back on track And we do have a lot to fix mr. Speaker The auditor general's report highlights the problems that existed under the previous liberal government The report has served as a reminder of the previous liberal government's mismanagement particularly On the transportation file However, mr. Speaker ontarians elected a pc government on june 7th with a clear and transparent mandate Metrolinx now as a new ceo And a new chair and this marks the beginning of a new metrolinx And our government is excited and already working with them to get the people of ontario moving response Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to accomplish our our many tasks ahead of us And I look forward to further sharing information in the supplementary Of transportation for that response It is no surprise that the auditor general's report Criticizes the interference of metrolinx under the previous liberal government Which the ntp continuously propped up However, premier fort campaigned on a commitment to build a better transit for ontarians By the overwhelmingly electing a pc majority government taxpayer We're investing on the people of ontario We will provide transit service that makes sense Our government is partnering with the private sector to seize opportunities to build transit that best serves the people in ontario Come minister share with the members more on the government's plan to get ontarians moving Thank you Mr. Speaker our government for the people has a transit plan that will get ontarians moving While saving money as the member stated we're working in conjunction with the private sector to seize an opportunities like transit oriented development Mr. Speaker the mimico go station is a prime example of this already at work It's a brand new station with parkway and greenway and it's paid for all by the developer This also promotes and creates mixed-use communities around stations Which means people get to and from their homes easily and allows more times with friends family and loved ones This saves taxpayers money and gets new stations built Going forward these are the kinds of great partnerships our government for the people will be looking for as we do each transit project The days of liberal cabinet ministers politically interfering and mismanaging transit files are over. Mr. Speaker As far as turn the corner the days of building transit the days of being transparent are back at ontario The member for Parkdale high park Thank you, speaker My question is to the minister of health and long-term care The audited general's report showed that 36 percent of ontarius work recipients are experiencing mental health issues Addiction and homelessness that act as barriers to employment Our mental health care system addiction services and housing are failing to provide people with the support they need To get their lives back on track With this government cutting 330 million dollars from mental health and addiction services Can the minister explain how that will help o w recipients rebuild their lives Stephanie premier Well, I thank the member for question. This is a serious concern, but I disagree with the premise What we are doing is adding significantly To the mental health and addiction system within a commitment of 3.8 billion dollars Over 10 years, which is going to address across the spectrum the care needs of people with mental health and addictions issues in ontario This is a significant increase that is going to deal with issues like housing with timely access to treatment With making sure that we can deal with addictions issues across the province That is what I disagree with with your question, but I do agree that we do need to make this a priority That is what we did make a priority during our election promise to the people of ontario And that is what we're going to follow up on. We are going to develop and implement a coordinated and comprehensive mental health and addiction system Thank you speaker back to the minister people on o w who are living with mental health and addiction issues Need the support from this government to rebuild their lives What they don't need is a government paying lip service to tackling the problem While making the problem worse by restricting the definition of disability for odsp recipients Virtually ensuring people with mental health and addiction issues will have a harder time getting the support they need Or cutting the 330 million much needed mental health services How can the minister justify taking actions that will make life harder for people with mental health and addiction issues While claiming to help them minister Through you I must say that I disagree with the entire premise of that question because what we are doing Is trying to help people with mental health and addiction problems. We want to make sure that they can get out of poverty We want to make sure they have housing. We want to make sure they can find employment These are significant challenges that people are facing and we are going to deal with them by engaging in a series of consultations I would be happy to speak with you about it to get your ideas We need ideas from all of the people of ontario, but we are going to make sure that we speak with People in this legislature. We're going to speak with health care stakeholders We are going to speak to the people of ontario and directly speak to people with lived experience Because they are going to tell us what they need and we are going to make sure they get the services They need to deal with their mental health issues to deal with addiction issues That is going to be my priority for the next number of months until we make sure we get it right and we can implement It as quickly as possible Restart the clock next question the member for aurora oak ridges richland Mr. Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of government and consumer services Yesterday the auditor general released her 2018 value for money money audit of the technical standards and safety authority the tsa The auditor revealed a number of shocking and concerning issues with the tsa operation that the previous liberal government ignored for 15 years The report revealed that the tsa had oversight processes That were ineffective in ensuring public safety for ontarians nor had the tsa fulfilled their legal responsibilities Mr. Speaker In fact the auditor said that the tsa portion of the herd report was the most The part that concerned her the most from roller coasters to elevators to pipelines We must ensure that the public safety is our top priority Can the minister inform the legislature on how we can correct the Numerous problems caused by the lack of government oversight over the last 15 years of liberal reign Thank you, mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank my honorable colleague from aurora oak ridges richmond hill for the question Speaker my colleague is correct. The auditor general's findings are disturbing and unacceptable What the damning report revealed is 15 years of the previous liberal government abdicating Its oversight responsibility leaving issues with the tsa on address and most importantly the safety of enteros at risk Unlike the liberals mr. Speaker who dis the ag for holding them to account and doing her job We welcome her report. We welcome the feedback and recommendations and strengthening operations at the tsa We are taking decisive action to address these issues within an hour of the release of the report I requested the tsa board to come back with me with a report and recommendations by january 1st 2019 We'll work very closely with the tsa on implementing the auditor general's recommendations We're currently examining options improving elevator safety and availability and oversight especially in the tsa And mr. Speaker. I want to ensure the people that journal their safety is our thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the minister for his response and for the work that he and his ministry colleagues are doing to get The tsa back on track Mr. Speaker these findings are disturbing It shows the liberals were asleep at the switch throughout their 15 years in power And failed in ensuring that tsa was doing its job Mr. Speaker the auditor general has found a long list of areas where the tsa was not fulfilling its role And where the liberal government was not fulfilling its oversight role these range From numerous safety concerns around elevators Lack of record keeping for propane storage to issues with upholstered and stuffed article program My question for the minister is how can we correct the numerous failures of the previous liberal government And put the safety and security of ontarians back at the center of tsa's mandate Thank you speaker again Thank you as well to my colleague for a very important and pertinent question Unlike the previous liberal government we view independent oversight as a cornerstone of ensuring accountability and transparency in government The auditor's findings are very very concerning to our government The people of intro need to feel very comfortable and safe when they walk into an elevator Want to roll or coaster or work with boilers and pressure vessels like mitch of course 15 years that these issues not get addressed by the liberals. Why did they abdicate the responsibility speaker? This is simply unacceptable Action is the difference. We're going to take action. We're going to get right to business. Mr. Speaker And that is exactly what we're going to do as I said earlier I have asked for a report by january 31st 2019 and an implementation plan to take action And i'm also seeking more rigor in the chief safety officer's performance Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the people of entero who have given us the privilege to serve them that their safety is our absolute Order order Start the clock next question member from london fan shop. Thank you speaker My questions for the minister of education This week i received a letter from the minister of education regarding funding for the tems valley district school board The minister said in one breath that all the money remains in place and those projects will move forward And then in the next breath she said the boards now must submit appropriate designs that fit within the ministry's benchmarks Would the ministry inform the house what the new benchmarks the tems valley district school board has to now meet In order to move forward with long planned upgrades and repairs Thank you very much speaker and so i'm pleased to respond to the member opposite And uh, I have to share with you as well that the minister in transportation has done a wonderful job tracking this issue as well for the community in terms of Where we need to go in these repairs and the upgrades that are required in the schools We actually are working with the school board and our capital branch Has been very explicit with regards to what the school board needs to be doing in terms of not only sharpening their pencil But also making sure they're making decisions that best equip a safe and secure supportive learning environment Thank you very much Speaker although the ministry indicates there's no hold up in the funding The money has not flowed and the letter says that the board needs to submit several new plans Minister tems valley district school board has yet to receive funding They were promised that is literally the definition of a delay when the minister When will the minister be clear with the school boards and tell them what the new hoops they need to jump Are through in order to get funding that they were promised Thank you very much and again i referenced the minister of transportation earlier because I think he would concur with me when i say that when the new board and the trustees are in place That's where we're going to see a lot of movement take place because the fact of the matter is Our capital branch has been very explicit They've been very explicit with what tems valley needs to be doing In terms to access the a lot of money that is waiting for them to move forward with their schools. Thank you very much Start the clock next question the member for milton Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs This week we celebrate national christmas tree day The canadian christmas tree growers have declared first saturday in december As the christmas tree day buying ontario trees generate 11.3 million dollars in sales for Ontario farmers and related businesses every year mr. Speaker almost everywhere in north america and certainly in ontario Christmas trees are grown as crops on tree farms Families in my great riding of milton and across this province Look forward to getting together and traveling to their local christmas tree farm Throughout this month to pick a perfect tree for their home Can the minister, please tell us why shopping locally for real christmas tree during this christmas season is important Minister agriculture food rural affairs Each year nearly 625 ontario christmas tree farms produce more than 1 million christmas trees As a member mentioned buying ontario trees puts 11.3 million dollars in the provincial economy every year The christmas tree industry employs thousands of canadians to not only on farms, but also in transportation and retail I had the opportunity to visit the toronto christmas market with our minister of natural resources and forestry And my parliamentary assistant last week where we got to see the giant christmas tree at the market And celebrate the occasion with some of our christmas tree carols I encourage everyone to buy a real local christmas tree This holiday season and support ontario farmers who work so hard to bring the very first response for pine and spruce christmas trees To your family each year. Thank you Thank you, mr. Speaker And i want to thank the minister for encouraging everyone to shop local and support their local christmas tree farmers this holiday season For every christmas tree harvest harvested for the holidays Two new ones are planted to regenerate ontario tree farms Christmas trees are among the most environmentally friendly crop because tree is harvest only after 10 years To ensure future harvest 90 percent of the farms must remain in trees all the time Can the minister please tell this house how else our government for the people is supporting Families farmers during this christmas tree industry I could mr. Speaker, but I think the minister of natural resources could do it much better I remember first question as well I'd like to take this opportunity to commend the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs For his hard work in promoting ontario's homegrown christmas tree industry Many of us have cherished memories of yuletide spend around the christmas tree and the smell of a fresh cut balsam or pine Is often enough to remind us of that special time of year when we gather with family and friends The ministry of natural resources and forestry is pleased to support our christmas tree industry through ontario wood A partnership with the broader forest sector forestry sector that promotes their product Whether they'd be building materials furniture finishing pieces artisan products or response beloved christmas tree I'd like to encourage everyone to get a natural tree and wish everyone a happy National christmas tree day a very very christmas and a happy and healthy new year. Thank you This question the member foul goma manatouille. Thank you speaker My question is to the minister of energy northern development mines and indigenous affairs minister Let me frame this for you. We've spoken about this quite a few for over the last couple of weeks There is a mill a stagnant mill that has been idle in chaplot for quite some time There has been an indigenous component to it of interest There has been an industry component of interest to it and the hsc has released their interest to it causing a bid The bid went out. There are two competing Entities that are looking for it right now at this point time A salvage is what is going to be done with this mill a salvage You know and I know what that means for the community loss of opportunities loss of jobs loss of development Loss of up and and just growth for this community in chaplot northern ontario is very strong in forest industry We need your help with this one. What is this government going to do instead of letting this mill go into a salvage Minister of energy northern development of mines and indigenous areas Thank you, mr. Speaker. I appreciate the honorable members question This was brought to my attention last week and our officials are following up on this We're focused on a strategy for northern ontario that will open us up for business Stagnant stagnant for more than 15 years the decade and a half of darkness left many mills left many resource operations Shut down for extended periods of times high energy costs We now have Clearly, mr. Speaker a skill set skilled tradespeople to go in and work in many of these Many of these places so I can assure the member opposite that the northern ontario heritage fund and our commitment to being open for business Will take a serious look at any Opportunity in northern ontario particularly as they pertain to opportunities with indigenous communities partnering with the private sector To create good jobs for all communities across northern ontario. Thank you Minister look no more the opportunity is knocking at your door There is an industry here who is looking at getting this going They're waiting for you to come to the table. Don't let this opportunity pass you by Come to chap lo come meet with the industry meet with the local people that are there that are willing to make this work I know the member from timmins have come has crossed the floor many times talking to you I've walked across the floor and mentioned it to you. This is an opportunity that we cannot miss I don't care how we get it done. I don't care who comes there to cut the ribbon Let's get this meal done. Don't pass out this opportunity Minister it's it's true. They walk across the floor so many times it makes me think they want to stay And I'll tell you I'll tell you I'll tell you I'll tell you Who's knocking at my door People in the forestry sector in the mining sector who are tired of red tape We're tired of high taxes Who can't afford a job killing carbon tax, mr. Speaker We drive larger trucks longer farther distances, mr. Speaker and the opposition's calling for a carbon tax to be the highest In the world, mr. Speaker I can guarantee I can guarantee the member opposite and all of his colleagues that we're committed to opening northern Ontario for business and as I close mr. Speaker in particular I would like to wish all of my northern Ontario colleagues not just a merry christmas But safe travels across our vast and beautiful ridings. Thank you, mr. Speaker That may have been the final question period of 2018 And the member for nigger falls has a point of order. Yes on a point of order I my my colleague jenny stevens and myself have just found out that jim bradley who was our colleague here And sat in this house for over 40 years has just been elected the new regional chair of nagra I just want to say congratulations. We look forward to working with them The member for ottawa south would like to speak to the same point of order Referred for this house that jim bradley was indeed a liberal. I know he crossed party lines And I know that the government is looking forward To him taking his position as regional chair in nagra Merry christmas here here Point of order the member for Toronto st. Paul's Thank you, mr. Speaker Today on december 6th national day of remembrance and action on violence against women I'd like to say the name of a beloved member of the black queer community my community in this house Her name was samaya dalmar a black samali Muslim transgender woman who experienced anti black racism islamophobia and transphobia I wish all of you got a chance to meet her her beauty and brilliance would have filled any room she was in She died suspiciously on february 22nd 2015 in toronto her death remains unsolved Samaya dalmar's life mattered mattered Thank you The member for nagra west. Thank you speaker. I wish to add my voices I can assure you that mr. Bradley did not sit with our caucus But I had the opportunity to serve with him in opposition. I look forward to serving with him for the good of nagra I'd like to warmly welcome to the legislature my very best friend in the entire world Who goes back to high school with me t americalio. Thank you for joining us today It is now time to say a word of thanks to our legislative pages and I would ask them to assemble Is that all that everybody our pages are smart trustworthy and hard-working They are indispensable to the effective functioning of the chamber They cheerfully and efficiently deliver notes run errands transport important documents throughout the precinct and make sure that our water glasses are always full We are indeed fortunate to have them here Our pages depart having made many new friends and with a greater understanding of parliamentary democracy and memories that will last a lifetime Each of them will go home and carry on continue their studies And will no doubt contribute to their communities their province and their country in important ways We expect great things from all of you Maybe some some of you someday will take your seats in this house as members or work here as staff We wish you all the best and thank you again for serving as pages Now before we recess the house I have something that I want to say to all of you before I extend my christmas greetings. And it's a good thing. You're sitting down Today is in effect the last day of the first sitting of the 42nd provincial parliament of the province of ontario To paraphrase the greatest parliamentarian Winston Churchill We are a long way from the beginning of the end of the 42nd parliament But at least we have come to the end of the beginning 2018 has been a very challenging year for all of us members and staff alike The frantic months leading up to the june 7th election The early resumption of the house after the election was over The special summer sitting which quickly blended into the fall sitting With members and staff learning their new duties and responsibilities having had little time to prepare For all of us in this legislature the demands of our roles can seem relentless The day is long and hard and their challenges insurmountable Yet each working day all of us on both sides of the house seek to make progress towards the goal That motivated us to run for office in the first place That being the desire to build a better province in our time and for the generations to come Well, we may differ on how to best achieve that goal broadly speaking. We all share it We are not enemies across the aisle We are colleagues. We are parliamentarians And that is the basis upon which we should debate the issues before us The people of your writings have entrusted each of you to come here to represent them and speak on their behalf And in turn your work here is only possible because of your respect for the people of your writings who sent you here Your passion for public service and your deep desire to make a positive difference for your communities for ontario and for canada You are their voice You are all leaders and your commitment your caring and your candor can validate the trust that your constituents have placed in you I am privileged to serve as your speaker Thanks again for conferring that responsibility upon me Helping me to perform this role. I want to especially thank the deputy speaker the other presiding officers of the house Our clerk and table staff Our sergeant at arms The staff in the speaker's office rachel nada and monica weaver indeed all the staff of the legislative assembly Who served the people with dedication and professionalism? Just as members seek to do We now had the chance to go home to our families and reconnect with our friends and the people of our writings We can also reflect upon the kind of leaders we aspire to be and the kind of province we seek to build I want to wish all of you seasons greetings. Merry christmas. Happy hanukkah and all the best in the new year You