 It is now time for Question Period, the member from WIMP, off the line. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier, it's budget day, and over the course of the next week or so, the NDP is going to have to decide whether to support your government or allow Ontarians to judge your ability to govern. Stop the party. Stop the party. Well, I was almost ready to admonish the other side, and I'm going to let everyone know that I will keep control today. The member from Glengary, Pruskat Russell, come to order. The Attorney General, come to order. The member from Oxford, come to order. And the member from Leeds, Grenville, come to order. Please put your question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that nothing has changed. Time and time again, your government has shown that you're more concerned about your own interests than the interests of the province of Ontario. You've continued a pattern of spending that's intended to help no one but the Liberal Party. Consider it. E-Health, a billion dollars. Orange, 300 million dollars. Cancel gas plants, 600 million dollars. Premier, do you think a government that's blown some 2 billion dollars has earned the ability to govern the province? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today is Budget Day, Mr. Speaker, and I really believe that the people of Ontario would expect that every member of this legislature would read the budget before they decide whether they're going to support it or not, Mr. Speaker, because this bug about creating jobs, Mr. Speaker, it will be about making changes to happen. If she is going to read the budget, if she is going to look at the details, then we're going to talk about youth employment, Mr. Speaker, about reducing auto insurance, investing in roads and bridges, Mr. Speaker. Those are the issues that affect people's everyday lives, and I hope that the member opposite will read it and then make her determination. Mr. Speaker, I certainly do intend to read the budget, but most of it's already been leaked anyway. And the pattern is clear. Again, when faced with a decision to spend money for Liberals or spend money for Ontarians, the Liberals give priority to, guess what? Just yesterday, while Amanda Telford and Ottawa Mother made the painful decision to leave her autistic son in a government building, the Liberal government was busy announcing, guess what? A $45 million subsidy for music producers. At every turn, Mr. Speaker, this government chooses what it thinks is best for them. Premier, do you think a government that prioritizes a $45 million subsidy over basic critical services to families desperately needing their help has earned the right to govern? Premier? What I, Mr. Speaker, I am very aware of the media reports in this case, and I... The member from Duffer and Caledon. Well, I had to locate you, please. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very aware of the media reports in this case, and I can't comment on a specific case, Mr. Speaker, but I recognize that caring for an adult family with a developmental disability can be challenging, Mr. Speaker, and we will actually speak to that in our budget. And if the member opposite reads the budget, she will see that. But from my perspective, Mr. Speaker, these are not mutually exclusive issues. We absolutely have to work to make the lives of the parents who are working, who are living with children with developmental disabilities. We have to work to make their lives better. But, Mr. Speaker, that doesn't mean that we can turn our back on investing in an economy that will create jobs, and the music industry is part of that economy, Mr. Speaker. This is a question about priorities. Mr. Verl, affairs come to order. A decision to spend some $600 million to save a few liberal seats. Yet there are thousands of Ontarians out there, like Amanda Telford, like Wilma Arthurs, who are unable to have even the basic supports they need in order to care for their disabled children. Minister of Energy, come to order. Do you think a government that prioritizes saving their own seats over serving the needs of Ontarians at a very basic level deserves the right to govern? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Second time member from Halton. I have said repeatedly, in answer to questions at committee in this legislature, that I regret that we have been in this situation around the relocation of the gas plants, Mr. Speaker. We implemented a decision that had been made by every member in this House. All parties had decided that this is what they wanted to do, Mr. Speaker, and because we all had listened to the members of the community and we determined that the gas plants needed to be relocated, Mr. Speaker. But to suggest that somehow, because that happened, because it was an implementation of a decision that we all had made, that somehow we can't then talk about the need to create jobs and make sure that we help people in their everyday lives, Mr. Speaker, is ludicrous. That is what the budget is about. That is what moving forward is about, Mr. Speaker. I regret that that happened. It shouldn't have happened. We have to make sure it doesn't happen again. But we also have to work together to improve people's lives and make sure that we create jobs in this... You see that, please? You see that, please? You see that, please? While the... while the clock is stopped, I believe there's a budget this afternoon. And I'm absolutely convinced each and every one of you want to be there. And if there's going to be a test of my will to bring to quorum, I'll pass the test. It's a new question to the member from Nepean-Carlton. My question is also to the Premier, but may I say this first and foremost, this side of the house is appalled that you did what you just did in applauding that Premier after what happened in Ottawa to that family and the disabled. To the Premier, during your testimony in Justice Committee Tuesday, did you refuse to admit you knew the true cost of the Oakville Power Plant cancellation exceeded $40 million from the outset because you were under oath? Here you go. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I answered my questions on the gas plant relocations committee, Mr. Speaker, and I just want to be clear. I am not going to, and our government is not going to concede the ground on compassion to the people across the floor, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health and long-term care come to order. A member from Lambton, Camp Middlesex come to order. The member from Lanark Frontenac, Lenox and Addington come to order. The Minister of Social Services come to order. Thank you, Premier. The leader of that party has said, Mr. Speaker, that what they want to do is cut revenue, cut taxes. That means cutting services. He's also said that he believed to this party, testified that your liberal government was aware of the true cost of the Oakville Power Plant was over $40 million from the outset. David Anderson said it was buckets of cost. In committee, you refused to admit what you knew campaign chair who made the decision and you were cabinet minister who met about it. So I want to know, why did she intentionally use the $40 million figure when she knew? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I've answered my questions on the gas plant relocation and committee, Mr. Speaker. Their position on fiscal responsibility, some things that they should be interested in, Mr. Speaker, and some reasons they should read the budget. Our deficit projection, Mr. Speaker, is now down to $9.8 billion to reduce our successes, Mr. Speaker. This budget is going to be about create... I'm going to pass phase one of the test. The member from Lantan Kent Middlesex is warned and anyone else that wants to wow will be warned, too. I'm going to show you my resolve. You want the test, I'll pass it. Carry on. It's going to be about creating jobs and working to improve people's everyday lives, Mr. Speaker. We're moving ahead on 60% of the Drummond Report recommendations, as of Florida, Mr. Speaker. We are making changes. We are transferring government. We are going to be creating jobs and making people's lives better. I think the party officer should read the budget and then decide how they're going to vote on it. That was cute. Speaker, we did read the budget. It's been 10 long years of liberal rule that has cost us jobs, that has cost us our health care system, that is costing us our prosperity, that cost us our health status but let's get back to the politically motivated decision to save liberal seats in the last election. The one where she knew it was going to cost well over $40 million from the outset that strikes at the very heart of our democratic principles in this province. But you know what else strikes at the heart of our democratic principles? By refusing to call a confidence motion that this party has tabled. It is clear how to allude to this later today that your government has lost confidence in the people and they have lost confidence in the people. My question for the Premier if she can listen for two seconds is this, will you call our confidence motion for debate? Will you call it for a vote? Or will you simply table your budget? Premier? Speaker, I have extreme faith in the people of Ontario and I've been in the last few years and that they're worried about whether they're going to get home care for their loved ones. Their children, their adult children are going to get a job, Mr. Speaker. They're worried about whether their small town is going to be able to flourish because the roads and bridges need to be maintained. And they talk to their town councillors and their town councillors say well we've talked to the government and we need a roads and bridges fund because we need this small town to have that support. We're providing that Mr. Speaker. That's what we're putting in our budget. And I really hope that the member opposite takes the time to look at the budget. Takes the time to see what's there and think about what her constituents are talking to her about in terms of their everyday lives and that she'll then consider whether she's going to support the budget or not. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. In today's tough economic times people are worried about falling further and further behind. They're worried about their kids finding a good job. About their loved ones accessing home care and about household bills like auto insurance rising higher and higher. And they're frustrated to see a government more concerned with their political fortunes than the challenges facing the province. Will the Premier listen to Ontarian's concerns and will the budget today finally put people's priorities ahead of liberal priorities. Premier. Mr. Speaker, I have said consistently that what this budget is about and really Mr. Speaker what our philosophy in this government is about is about listening to people in the province, listening to people in communities and responding to them in a way that demonstrates that we do understand their concerns and the issues that the member opposite has identified are ones that have been identified by his party and they are ones that we were already working on Mr. Speaker whether it's home care or whether it is finding jobs and finding opportunities for young people to get an experience that would lead to a job so making sure that they have a co-op placement or an internship so that they can get a foot in the door Mr. Speaker those are the kinds of issues that we need to focus on and that's what you will see in our budget. At the same time the Premier has been making all these grandiose things, she also claims that the government needs to be careful with the public's dollars and we know that's true but you haven't been yet she seems fine with suggesting people should pay more even though household budgets in many cases are strained. Does the Premier think it's fair that a government spending billions on higher CEO salaries corporate tax loopholes and cancelled tax plant deals is in reality asking people to pay more? Let me just take these issues one at a time because the member opposite is talking about making changes that would require that we make an investment Mr. Speaker and I think what he's not saying is that that that issue is investment in transit and making sure that we have the revenue streams that allow people to pick up their child and from child care in a timely way and get home, get to work in the morning in time, get to school with that with their child in the morning Mr. Speaker that's what building transit is about and making sure that we have a revenue stream to build transit is extremely important to us and I believe it's important to the constituents in the members riding in fact and across the GTHA Mr. Speaker in terms of the relocation of the gas plants I have said that we cannot let that situation happen again we all agree that the relocations needed to happen If the Premier thinks transit is so important then release the Metrolinx report you're sitting on let us all see it Ontarians want to see a balanced approach to balancing the books in today's budget New Democrats have been clear in these tough economic times we shouldn't be making it even tougher for families to ask them to pay more Ontarians want to see a government who understands their challenges but that's not what we've been seeing in Ontario today is the Premier ready to admit that her government needs to get her priorities in check actually listen to Ontarians and put forward a budget with real results to the challenge facing the province and the people who live here Mr. Speaker actually the Metrolinx report is I have not seen the Metrolinx report so I'm not sure what the member opposite is talking about Mr. Speaker our budget is going to be about creating jobs and making sure that we make improvements that will help people in their everyday lives that is what the Minister of Finance has been doing for the last number of weeks he's been travelling the province he's been listening to people's concerns that's what our jobs roundtables were about Mr. Speaker so whether it's providing home care making sure that people have home care in a timely way or whether it's about helping people young people to find their way into the workforce Mr. Speaker because there is a mismatch between the jobs that are available and the skills that young people have and we need to make that actually was an idea that has come out of conversations with people across the province Mr. Speaker so that's what you will see in our budget and I look forward to the debate Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question to the Premier when the government cancelled the Mississauga and Oakville gas plants they wrote blank checks to private power producers over and over the Liberals chose to keep the public in the dark keeping them in the dark rather than come clean about the costs which turned out to be 8 times higher than the Liberals were willing to admit you think the government would have learned that the public doesn't like secret power deals will the government commit to ending secret power deals that leave Ontarians paying more very much Mr. Speaker and again I've answered many of these questions in the committee and I have said clearly Mr. Speaker that the way this process unfolded was unacceptable we cannot let this happen again the reality is Mr. Speaker that everyone in this house agreed that these power plants should be relocated we implemented that that decision Mr. Speaker and we have to make sure that the process has changed for the next time around but Mr. Speaker that does not that discussion does not preclude the importance of bringing a budget forward that speaks to creating jobs and making sure that we make changes that help people in their everyday lives it is imperative that we do that Mr. Speaker that's what our budget is going to focus on and I look forward to the debate in the House Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker to the Premier the government doesn't have an estimate for the cost of refurbishing Darlington yet nearly a billion dollars worth of contracts have already been signed it's entirely possible that the cost of refurbishing Darlington will prove to be impractical or too expensive for Ontario will Ontarians be left on the hook again like they were with the Mississauga and Oakville for our deals Premier Mr. Speaker the member will know that we have a long-term energy plan in that long-term energy plan it requires 47% of our generation to come from nuclear generation we have announced that we're going to be I know that the member from Hamilton East Tony Creek would want to sit in his seat so I could tell him to stop Thank you Mr. Speaker that we're doing a review of the long-term energy plan that will include looking at refurbishment and looking at new nuclear and we will be listening to the opposition meeting with the opposition critics we will be consulting across the province Mr. Speaker we have been extremely successful in our long-term energy plan to date we've created over 11,000 megawatts of new generation at a time when we had blackouts on the previous government Premier you don't seem to want to answer the question when it comes to the government's plans for the refurbishment at Darlington it's like you're driving by looking in the rear view mirror Ontarians need to know the cost before you spend the money not when they get the bill not when they get the bill why doesn't the government care about spending public money wisely Mr. Speaker the issue of Darlington refurbishment and the possibility of new nuclear has been under discussion publicly the Ontario power generation has been doing all kinds of research on that issue Mr. Speaker we are dealing with it extremely responsibly the important issue here is we have to make a determination whether nuclear as our base load is going to continue as many people recommend Mr. Speaker or not we're going to have a review process Mr. Speaker and I would expect that the member will not get so worked up that he won't have any energy left to help us in our consultations thank you my question is for the Premier yesterday in the legislature you said and I quote we must have a better process going forward I hope the Justice Committee having heard all of the witnesses is going to be able to help and give some advice on how going forward we can avoid this situation ever happening again end of quote Premier we have 17 gas plants in Ontario and there have been no problems with those existing ones why would you suggest that this fiasco might happen again is it because you foresee your government needing to make a quick seat saver decision again in the next direction actually Mr. Speaker thank you for noting that 17 of the 19 gas plants that have been located when there is a reversal of a decision so for example Mr. Speaker when there was a whole dug on Eglinton Avenue for the subway and then the decision was made not to do that and $100 million was spent Mr. Speaker what I'm saying is that when decisions are made and I know that the member opposite was part of the party that made that decision Mr. Speaker when decisions like that are made I want to make sure that we have a process that is transparent that's open so that when we all determine as we did in the relocation of the gas plants that it needs to happen that the process is as open as possible Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker again to the Premier despite your denials you've been intimately involved in the gas plant scandal from day one here is what we know you were a Liberal Campaign Vice Chair you were a Senior Cabinet Minister you were Chair of Cabinet and now of course Liberal Party Leader and Premier Premier you have said publicly that the Oakville gas plant would be $40 million a low ball by 775% what we don't know is why you keep claiming ignorance and calling us under oath that everyone in the government knew the cost succeeded $40 million please take responsibility please tell the truth Premier when were you told the costs were higher and why did you continue to use the number that you knew was wrong this question many times I regret the situation I take responsibility for making sure we have as open a process as possible and we need to make sure this doesn't happen again Mr. Speaker however we need to stop us from bringing in a budget that is going to create jobs and that is going to work to improve people's everyday lives let me talk Mr. Speaker just about the announcements that we've made so far Mr. Speaker we have said that we want to invest in home care to reduce the time that it takes for people to get home care Mr. Speaker and we're going to invest $260 million for home and community care and what that means is that's an extension of the health care Mr. Speaker we are going to invest in $100 million fund Mr. Speaker so that small and rural municipalities will have access to infrastructure funding Mr. Speaker your question the member from Kitchener Waterloo thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of the Environment that's about it the OMB recently overruled the region of Waterloo's official plan and supported sprawl development on a thousand hectares of rural land this ruling hurts local agriculture businesses and jobs increases municipal infrastructure costs and undermines transit oriented development this is far from the first time an OMB decision has gone against progressive planning principles and good local economies when will the Minister finally admit that the unelected, outdated OMB is not serving the needs of Ontarians and take action to reform this unelected body Minister of municipal affairs and housing Minister of municipal affairs and housing Mr. Speaker I guess I'll speak to the first part of the question there were kind of two parts to that question and certainly when the Ontario municipal board issued its decision with regards to the region of Waterloo's official plan and regarding the development of the area regarding their growth plan certainly they had contacted my ministry and asked for our assistance and the city of Waterloo obviously sought appeal to this decision through the divisional court and certainly we were contacted and we went back discussed the decision and certainly we shared our intent we made it public that we will act as a party to the Waterloo's decision because certainly we think that that's important to do because the issues before the courts obviously it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further but I can comment the importance of a growth plan certainly I think everybody in this legislation understands that it's important to have a vision that guides all of the province and the Golden Posture over the next 25 years and we're working with municipalities to make that happen Minister I've heard repeatedly from constituents who feel the OMB does not speak for them and that community members and municipal leaders should have more input into planning decisions the OMB decision in Waterloo reveals systemic problems with the planning process ambiguities about density targets and the places to grow act lack of consideration of local and environmental impacts and a lack of municipal authority over official plans when will the government fix the planning process so that it serves families and communities rather than the interest of those who hold power at the OMB Minister so I understand that many of my colleagues have an interest in improving the OMB and certainly my colleagues from across the off board have made suggestions on how we can approve it both parties have made suggestions and we welcome their input on how to improve the process we listened to our municipal partners back in 2006 when we added the requirement that the OMB take into consideration the information that is provided by municipal councils and making their decision in addition we also made sure that municipalities had the ability to create their own local appeals body with regards to certain planning our government's respect for elected officials and their decision making our government is always open and receptive to hearing new and constructive ideas on how to improve this system certainly it's a conversation that I've been having with the AMO board at our AMOU table because we respect and want to consult with municipalities across Ontario how to make the system more constructive thank you thank you new question thank you speaker and my question is to the minister of infrastructure and transportation as you've probably noticed by now public transit is a passion of mine it's a very important file not just because of the reflection of my value systems but the reality of living in a fast growing suburb the reality speaker is that Mississauga as Ontario's third largest city not just deserves but needs more public transit and I'm really proud to be part of an administration that has invested so much in Mississauga whether it's more more parking spots whether it's more double decker trains or whether it's two more trains on the Milton line but we still need more and I know that the big move has big plans for Mississauga so minister I was interested to read that there was some talk about reconsidering some of the projects on the big move could you speak could you minister please set the record straight on this article thank you minister thank you very much mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member from Mississauga's Cokesville who has raised these issues consistently in the house the big move contains 15 projects that are described the first way projects right now mr. Speaker are under construction we're very excited to see boring machines on Eglinton and across the GTA we are now moving with the balance of second wave projects mr. Speaker which we are also very clearly committed to and to seeing we look forward to working with metro links and to our municipal partners and regional partners to fully realize and optimize those projects mr. Speaker our investment strategy that is now being developed by metro links will make sure that this is not just a dream but they are fully realized because mr. Speaker we have to make sure we have the financial capacity to solve the congestion problem get people home to their families on time and move these projects forward mr. Speaker thank you very much thank you minister for that answer it's really reassuring to know that we are still committed to the big move and I really want to thank you once again for many of some of the big investments that have been made in Mississauga especially on the go file whether it's two more trains on the go line more parking double-decker buses however minister the article specifically mentioned the BRT the bus rapid transit is one of those projects that might be reconsidered now the BRT is already under construction in mississauga and I know that my constituents are looking forward to its completion could you specifically speak to this project minister thank you very much mr. Speaker not not only mr. Speaker is the BRT project a critical priority we have already put 65 million dollars as a province into the project and the city of mississauga as you know is contributing another 48 million dollars mr. Speaker for an 18 kilometer two-way BRT system we are also moving forward mr. Speaker in the second phase with projects like the Ontario LRT the Eglinton crosstown line mr. Speaker these are municipal priorities and metro links and connecting to our places to grow plan and the big move looks at the regional perspective on this and how we connect these projects going forward mr. Speaker our plan for the big move is more than simply full of projects or a number of projects mr. Speaker it is a plan a meant to increase mobility and reduce congestion and we will optimize each project to that outcome mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier Mitchell's Bay a small town in my riding experienced flooding in January which resulted in the loss of power to 45 homes due to the shortage of cottages sadly they are still without power and may not have power restored until later this month nearly five months later ironically these 45 homes still continue to receive hydro bills which include charges for delivery debt retirement and global adjustment. Premier is your government so desperate to pay for your political decision to cancel the Mississauga and continue to bill my constituents when they are not even receiving the service that you premier are billing them for. Mr. Speaker what we are talking about here is the reliability of the electricity system across the province when we took over government we had blackouts we had brownouts we had dirty coal burning generation and it was totally unreliable we have since invested in over 11,000 megawatts of new generation of power we have almost totally eliminated dirty coal burning generation. We have while I am prepared to talk to some people on this side I am now going to have to talk to people on this side I wish I could figure this one out you can point to the clock all you want invested over nine billion dollars in new or expanded transmission services across the province on the particular issue that he has raised I will be more than happy to get the information and look into it and get back to you before the end of today Mr. Speaker back to the premier premier this is simply not right if your government cannot deliver an essential service such as heating a home in the middle of the winter time then the least you can do is stop sending the bill unacceptable that you are taking the people of Ontario to the cleaners to pay for the cost of your gas plant scandal. Premier no doubt I don't need to tell you that the people of Mitchells Bay have lost all confidence in your liberal government. Premier can you explain to this house while the people why the people of Mitchells Bay have to pay for the handful of liberal seats that you saved by moving the Mississauga and Oakville gas plants and how this house can have confidence in your liberal government whatsoever Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker our system of LDC's local distribution companies including Hydro One are among the best of North America we have invested as I mentioned in transmission services in order to provide better service 9 billion dollars over that period of time we invested in the system the member from Chatham has now worn phase 2 carry on we invested in the system that had deteriorated beyond acceptable levels the system was not reliable and any future of the former Mr. Speaker and as I mentioned to the member I'd be more than happy to receive the details and look into that issue for you and get back to you before the end of today Thank you Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker there's a proposal to build an ethanol plant in Oshawa harbour many people in Oshawa and across Ontario oppose this proposed plant because it's next to a a provincially significant second marsh wetland and it will cause significant air pollution and truck traffic and it's not consistent with the city's vision of a clean people friendly waterfront why has the minister been so silent on this issue of concern to so many Oshawa residents I can't recall being accused of being silent at any time in this house or elsewhere. The member says, shall I repeat that? You go ahead because I was going through myself. I want to say I have actually met with the Mayor of Oshawa on this very issue and have had communications with him. As you know, this is under federal jurisdiction and I know that there are a number of people who have made representations to the federal government on this and no doubt to the local federal members who are present in that location. But I do want to say that I have been in communication with and had a very good meeting with the Mayor of Oshawa and have conveyed to the federal government the concerns that Oshawa has had in this regard and I will continue to do so even though it's under federal jurisdiction. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The proposed ethanol plant may be on federal land but it has a clear provincial component. Communications from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that provincial laws apply to this project and that provincial permits are needed for water taking during construction and to control noise, air emissions and sewage and wastewater emissions during plant operation. Speaker, when will the minister finally stand up for Oshawa Harbor and make it clear that provincial approvals will not be granted and construction of the plant will not be allowed to proceed unless environmental concerns are addressed? I want to say that that's precisely what I have done in my discussions with the Mayor of Oshawa. I know that you have probably asked your federal leader, Mr. Mokair, to raise this issue in the House of Commons because it comes under federal jurisdiction. They may have been preoccupied with other issues there. I understand that fully. But I would certainly suggest that a matter under federal jurisdiction should be raised in fact in the House of Commons of Canada. Having said that, I have made no one to the federal government. The views of the Mayor of Oshawa and those who have concerns about the proposal is there and I think the people in that area who have met with me are fully aware of the stand that I have taken in this regard and we want to ensure that all necessary protections are available to the people in that area and I will ensure from a provincial point of view that is well known. Thank you. A new question from the member from Greenberg. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the ever energetic Minister of Training Colleges and Universities. This government is strongly committed to providing access to our world-renowned colleges and universities and our recent announcement of the reduced tuition framework has been well received by students and families right across the province of Ontario and in my writing of Glen Gary Prescott and Russell. Post-secondary education is crucial to our economic future and many students in high school are faced with tough decisions upon graduation. Students at the end of their high school careers must decide whether to attend college and or university. Some students worry that if they attend a college but later decide to attend a university transferring credits can be difficult. I've also heard Mr. Speaker that students face transfer credit challenges even when they move within the university system. Mr. Speaker, through you to the hardworking Minister, what are we doing to assist those students? Thank you Mr. Speaker. To the visionary member from Glen Gary Prescott and Russell, he does raise a very important issue while getting inside. Many students choose to move from one program to another during their academic career. And Mr. Speaker, we have to make sure that they can do just that. I've recently met with the university and college presidents and this important topic of credit transfer came up. I think it's really important to point out that a great deal of progress has already been made on credit transfer. The ministry announced a provincial credit transfer initiative worth $73.7 million in funding over five years. We launched a bilingual credit transfer website in 2011 to improve transparency and access to information. And we established the Ontario Council on articulation which is fostering these credit transfers. Mr. Speaker, there's more work to be done. I'm looking forward to working with all stakeholders to deliver even more progress when it comes to credit transfers. Not to be a killjoy but I want to be consistent when I'm in this chair. I am going to ask all members because I have admonished someone in the past on the opposition side for using any kind of adjective in front of the minister's portfolio or the writing. I'm going to ask that that stop as well. It is not balanced and it's not helpful. So I'm going to ask everyone to please simply make mention of their writing or the minister's title. That's it. It's not helpful. Please. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that very comprehensive answer. It is good to know that the steps taken to make movement within the post-secondary system easier. I urge the minister to push for more progress on credit transfer opportunities on behalf of students right across this province. The economy is changing fast, Mr. Speaker, and students sometimes need to change their path to adjust to those opportunities at the same time. Mr. Speaker, while university may be the best post-secondary route for some, the college route is becoming a first choice for many students as well. So I would ask the minister if he can confirm that Ontario students are wise to consider career colleges as an alternative for first choice for post-secondary education. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important question. And it's a very difficult decision for students to make as they graduate from high school. Do they go the college route or the university route? And I think the good news is here in Ontario that is a choice that students have to make. But either route, they're going to be getting a world-class education here in the province of Ontario, and that's good for all of our students. In fact, in a recent survey of college graduates in 2011-2012, over 83% were employed within six months of graduation. Mr. Speaker, that shows good progress. I think there's more work to be done. Our world-class college system is demonstrating that the significant investments that we've been making in our colleges, Mr. Speaker, are paying off. Evidence of that fact is that 93% of employers who hired a recent college grad were satisfied, very satisfied with their hire. That shows us, Mr. Speaker, the investments we're making in our college system are paying off. It's an excellent first choice for students across. New question? The member from Kitchener, Conestoga. My question is to the Minister of Consumer Services. Minister, as of May 1st, Ontarians who go to purchase a big-screen TV will be forced to pay 40% higher eco-tax thanks to your government. The environment minister signed off on this massive eco-tax increase without giving any forewarning to consumers. He knew full well that this decision would be extremely unpopular, so he hit it from the public and still, to this date, refuses to admit he rubber-stamped this massive increase, even though I have his approval letter right here. We know from the Premier's testimony at the gas plant committee, she currently doesn't read documents she signs that link her to scandals and mismanagement. So can you tell this house if the environment minister at least ran up by you? Minister of the Environment. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I've been discussing with a number of people the very inadequate Conservative bill, which was the Ontario Waste Diversion Act and all of the problems that it has created for this province. And each one of the groups I talked to is very concerned about hearing what the Conservatives are saying in this particular matter, because they mischaracterize on many occasions what these are all about. That's a withdrawal. I will withdraw. Boy, when I, I want to see, I've listened to many of the statements that have been made by members of the opposition. I'm going to tell you that come a lot closer to unparliamentary than when I just went through. I want to say that the information, the information that the member is trying to convey to this house, of course, is incorrect. He knows the Ontario government receives no money from this. He knows that as a result of the legislation that his government put into effect, legislation is going to change completely, revise completely and make sure that this kind of situation does not arise in the years to come. Thank you. Supplementary? For my record, for the record, my question was actually to the Minister of Consumer Services, you know, asking the Environment Minister about consumer protection would be like asking a bannet for a lesson in fair pricing. Minister, as the person charged with protecting consumers, I'm sure you can understand why Ontarians are shocked that you failed to address this issue. Instead of standing up for consumers, you sat on the sidelines while the Minister of the Environment and Ontario Electronic Stewardship quietly plotted a massive new eco-tax hike they both hope will just fly onto the radar. This behaviour couldn't be more unaccountable. Lack more transparency and be more anti-consumer. Minister, how can Ontario consumers have confidence in your government when you can't even protect them from your own Environment Minister? Minister of the Environment, I'm worried first of all that the very good veterans that are members of the Conservative Caucus never seem to get a chance to ask any questions anymore. We have introduced as a government bills that are designed to help consumers in this province. The Progressive Conservative Party and Caucus are stalling both of those bills but not let them go to committee. But speaking of consumer ministers, the person who had a chance back when you passed that ill-advised legislation in 2002, your leader of your party was the Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. He, in effect, is the Godfather of equal fees in this province. What does Bill Murdoch say about him? And I remember the quotation of one Bill Murdoch, a former member of this legislature on reserve that the leader was doing at that time. I hope that this member will support the legislation will be bringing forward to replace the ill-conceived inappropriate legislation that was brought home by your government. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Mr. Byte, your own admission our jail system is currently operating at 95% capacity and those numbers are only forecast to increase. Yet your ministry is closing down a perfectly functional jail in Sarnia without any consideration for the safety of inmates and corrections officers. As we've seen at the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre, crowded and unsafe conditions lead to fights and lockdowns over the lives of inmates and staff. Will the Liberal government create an actual plan to ensure the safety of inmates and correctional officers instead of closing down jails without the numbers to back up those closures? Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a very good question. Yes, we are having an issue with overcrowding in our jail and we are addressing it. So we will be opening jails pretty soon and we need to modernize our system. And that's why I asked my staff to prepare a plan for renewal of our infrastructure. We are presently occupying jails that were built prior to confederation. So we are closing them. We are modernizing our system and as you know, because of a bill that was passed by the federal government now we have more inmates coming into our system so we are getting ready for that and we will continue to modernize our system. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister makes a compelling case for continuing to keep the Sarnia jail open. Obviously, you've said that we have more inmates coming into the system due to the federal changes at the federal level. Minister, a tool to protect supervision model is space to properly house those who cannot cope appropriately within the jail. The Sarnia jail closure will mean less space for such inmates. No space, especially on weekends which will lead to transfers to Toronto of inmates serving their jail sentences. The closure will lead to increased costs hardship for correctional officers and inmates and is just an overall bad plan. Will the minister commit today to putting the safety measures and inmates first? Mr. Speaker, yes I am committed to that and that's why I asked my staff to give me a plan to modernize the system but I'll say to the member on the other side that you should ask your brother and sister at the federal level to address this situation and ask for the help of the federal government to give us more money so that we can help to put in place a new and very modernized jail system and I notice, Mr. Speaker that in the coming from the from the federal auditor general he's talking about 11 billion dollars of uncollected taxes so if we do then the federal government will be able to continue to transfer money to uncollected taxes to put forward their bell CTAM to ask the negative effect of having more inmates in our... Thank you. New question the member from Mississauga Streetsville. Thank you Speaker, this question is for the minister of Labor Minister with summer on the way young people in Lizgar, Meadowvale and Streetsville are busy filling out applications to places like local golf courses summer camps retailers and other employers while new and young workers bring a new energy to the workplace they may not always recognize workplace health and safety hazards on their first summer job or their current summer job in fact, new and young workers are four times more likely to be injured within the first month of their job than at any other time Minister, what role can youth parents and employers in Mississauga play to make sure our Ontario workplaces are as safe as possible Good question. Thank you Minister. Thank you very much Speaker and thank the member for a very important question. Speaker, ensuring health and safe workplaces is the most important part of my job we all have a role to play to ensure that our workplaces are healthy and are safe and especially as the youth of our province are starting to find jobs, summer jobs we need to make sure that they get those jobs and they are able to perform them at safe workplaces. As I said Speaker, it is a partnership we all have to work together so that we are keeping our workplaces safe for our youth. For example Speaker, for parents I ask them to please check that your daughter or son receives health and safety training for their loved ones at the job My message to the youth is to be sure to inform your parents and the employer if you get injured Speaker, 2012 was a 5th consecutive year in a row that we conducted health and safety blitz for new and young workers. We will continue with these blitz to ensure that our workplaces are safe for youth employees. Minister, safety doesn't just happen and new and young workers are often reluctant to seek help in staying safe on the job Your ministry needs to focus on educating both workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities under the Employment Standards Act Young workers are vulnerable they may be taken advantage of if they are unaware of their rights in regards to such things as hours of work required break times, minimum wage, overtime, termination and severance pay Recently the Ontario Court of Justice ruled on a case where the Ontario Ministry of Labour had charged an employer for failing to pay wages to its employees Minister, what was the outcome of this decision? Minister Labour Protecting vulnerable workers like seasonal businesses or young workers is a very important responsibility and priority for the Ministry of Labour In 2007 and 2008 the Minister received Employment Standards Claims from a substantial number of former employees who worked for a business known as All Pool Solutions and Aquatic Pool Solutions in Mississauga Most of those claimants were actually students The Ministry issued 3 orders to the company to pay totaling $63,000 and other charges were laid as well Most recently the director of the company to 90 days in jail imposed a fine of $15,000 and ordered the outstanding wages of about $55,000 to be paid I think it clearly shows that the Government and of course our core system is very serious in protecting vulnerable workers like our youth and I encourage them to report any incidents to the Ministry of Labour Thank you Thank you very much Mr Speaker My question is for the Minister of Health Just before Christmas we held the Minister's Office to inquire about the approval process for funding for Kaleidiko a new medication that shows great promise in the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients who have the G551D mutation When the House resumed sitting on February the 20th I spoke to the Minister personally informing her of the issue and asking for her help I spoke to her again on March 20th and I raised it in the Legislature during the debate on March 26 We learned in late March that the Minister recommended that Kaleidiko be placed on the formulary and be publicly funded for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients aged 6 and older who have this genetic mutation What is the Minister doing to ensure that cystic fibrosis patients in Ontario who could potentially recover their health have access to Kaleidiko Thank you Thank you to the member opposite for this question and I know many of us in this Legislature are looking for patients who are looking for access to drugs that are not currently covered I think it's important to acknowledge that our drug budget is now $4.4 billion That's a significant increase an increase of $1.4 billion since we took office We're covering more drugs and we're covering drugs for more conditions Speaker, I think the member opposite does understand that this is a process I've explained it to him before We have actually taken these decisions out of the hands of politicians and put these decisions into the hands of experts Speaker, that is the right thing to do and I look forward to updating the member on this particular drug Thank you I want to make it clear it was never my intention to politicize this issue I first raised the Minister I raised this with the Minister last December and it's now me The need for funding for Kaleidiko is brought to my attention by a constituent Shelly Phipps from Georgetown Her 17 year old daughter Madison has cystic fibrosis and in her young life she has spent more than 250 days in the hospital I have met with a representative of Kaleidiko's manufacturer, Vertex and I've communicated with CF Foundation I've even met a CF patient named Chris McLeod who is a lawyer in Toronto and has gotten his life back because of Kaleidiko I want to do everything I can to help so that she will undertake to do all that she can to expedite the process giving hope to CF patients across this province I can assure you that I will do everything I can to ensure that the process is being followed in this case We have a budget coming down this afternoon One of the things that we talk about in a budget is can we afford to spend more to care for more people Our government is very clear We are prepared to spend more to support more people with their health care needs It's disappointing when I hear from the member opposite who's going to vote against the budget Even though, Speaker, they haven't even read it Their plan is to cut spending Our plan is to continue on a steady path to balance Thank you, any questions? We're from Hamilton Mountain Thank you, Mr. Speaker Mr. Premier Speaker, this week, Ontarians learned The member from Halton The member from Halton is warned Ask your question, please Thank you Speaker, this week, Ontarians learned about the Telford family This family has been living with unimaginable stress and an endless battle to get appropriate care for their 19-year-old son who is developmentally disabled and has autism They finally reached the breaking point this week and had to relinquish care of their son My question is simple Does the Premier think that this is appropriate that the only way these families are able to secure the care and support for their children that they need? Thank you, Premier The Minister of Community and Social Services Well, Mr. Speaker I'm certainly aware of the media reports in this case And as you know, I'm prohibited legally and in professional practice from commenting on the specifics of any case But that said, I recognize as I think all members of this assembly do that an adult family member with a developmental disability can be challenging for parents, particularly aging parents And we understand the concerns that are being raised We've made some real strides over the last few years We've increased funding some 58% We don't stop looking, Mr. Speaker for solutions at any point Well, each situation is different Our staff in the ministry and throughout Ontario are committed to responding as best we can to the needs of parents and in this situation You know, Mr. Speaker Last fall, the Arthur's family in CERNIA was in a very similar situation For years, they worked tirelessly to provide the care their daughter needed But when this family reached their breaking point there was no services there for them Only after leaving their daughter at the local community living and launching a very public campaign did this government find a workable solution Speaker, it's shocking that in Ontario families only receive appropriate care after giving up their children and going to the media Does the Premier agree that no family should have to relinquish care in order to get appropriate services? Mr. Speaker I want to point out to the member opposite that created the passport program and is investing 1.7 billions of dollars I just want what Order, please I'm trying to give you a hand Order, please Thank you, Minister Mr. Speaker, I appreciate every break I can get in life We invest in residential sites of 1.08 billions of dollars and some 610 million dollars in supports I would just point out that the third party when they issued their list of demands for the upcoming budget regrettably didn't say a single thing about support for those requiring developmental services The Premier has said in an earlier response that you have every reason to look forward to the Just to show you I wasn't kidding the member from Prince Edward Hastings is warned the member from Nipissing Pembroke is warned and I hope our performance this afternoon doesn't challenge me to the next phase of my words to you The member for Essex Middlesex Algin Middlesex London has pointed something out to me that many of you have and I would like to introduce in the Speaker's Gallery today Mr. Steve Peters speaking in the 39th Parliament I have a feeling that they mocked us to switch spaces I'm not sure Oh, no thank you? There are no deferred votes this House stands recessed until 1pm this afternoon