 It is now time for question period. The member from left and can't get it. Thank you very much. My question this morning is to the Premier and Premier. This is regarding the Chief Corporate Services Officer for the WSIB. According to Ministry of Finance Public Sector Salary Disclosure for 2013, your Premier or your Chief of Staff is being paid $344,230. Premier, this salary is substantially more than your own and more than anyone in your oversize cabinet. In fact, it is more than double the salary of President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff who earns about $170,000. More than the outrageous salary itself, Premier. My question has to do with the sneaky way in which your office has tried to hide this salary from Ontario taxpayers. That's not acceptable with draw, please. Draw. I liked it. Why is the WSIB paying the salary for your political staff? Answer the question. And why can't I find the name of Tom Tien on the sunshine list for your office? Thank you. Do you see him, please? Thank you. Warning number one. I couldn't resist. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the member opposite knows that the number of employees in my office who are on the sunshine list is 10. That's down from 15 in the former Premier's office. My Chief of Staff, Tom Tien, earns an annual salary in the Premier's office of $304,000, Mr. Speaker. His compensation for working in the Premier's office from mid-February to the end of last year was $271,282. The remaining amount consists of compensation earned while he worked at the WSIB before moving to the Premier's office. And Mr. Speaker, his salary is in line with other Chiefs of Staff from former Premier's. And I know that the member opposite actually knows that. Thank you. Premier, I can't find the name Tom Tien on the sunshine list, but it is there plain as day on the list of the top donors to the Ontario Liberal Party. The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act makes Ontario's public sector more open to taxpayers and requires organizations that receive public funding, such as the Premier's office, to disclose annually the names, positions and salaries of employees paid $100,000 or more. Premier, your office has gone to great lengths to ensure that the bloated salary that you are paying your friend, your Chief of Staff and your Liberal Party donor, Mr. Tien, did not become public. Not only is his name excluded from the sunshine list, Premier, but his name is excluded from the list titled, Individuals Seconded to Ministries from Public Sector Organizations. Premier, why are you trying to hide the fact that your Chief of Staff has paid more than any other provincial Chief of Staff in Canada? Thank you. Thank you. Let's start the clock, please. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So the Premier's office reimbursed the WSIB for the salary that the member opposite is talking about, Mr. Speaker. That's the normal process for secondments, and Mr. Tien, my Chief of Staff, is on a secondment from the WSIB, so he is on the sunshine list, so that's just not accurate, Mr. Speaker. And if we look at the salary that he's been paid, it pretty much is in line, Mr. Speaker, with former Chiefs of Staff. If you just guide Giorno's salary, Mr. Speaker, who, 2002, he was paid, if we just look at his dollars, $291,180, Mr. Speaker. Ernie Eves, former Chief of Staff, Stephen Pangelli, earned $277,801 in 2000, Mr. Speaker. So, in fact, what I am paying, what we are paying to the staff in my office, is in line with other Chiefs of Staff, Mr. Speaker. Final second message. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. In 2007, Mr. Tien was earning less than $100,000 a year as a ministry staffer. In 2009, he made $144,000 as the Chief of Staff at Education. In 2010, he switched to the WSIB and pulled in $191,000. In 2011, that went up to $253,000. And in 2013, another raise all the way up to $344,000 per year. Premier, we know you are in the midst of a month-long spending spree that will increase government spending by nearly $6 billion. And we know you've given Mr. Tien over $200,000 and salary increases over four years. Premier, is there a salary price for ministry Chiefs of Staff? And can you confirm if Mr. Tien's salary levels fit within this guideline, or is that why you are skirting the rules and keeping him on the books at the WSIB? I find this a little odd, the member from Chatham Kent Essex, in case you didn't hear me. I find this a little odd that I'm actually asking the members of the person putting the question to tone it down, because I was having a hard time hearing the question. I don't need editorials. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, as I have said, my Chief of Staff is on secondment from the WSIB. His salary is in line with former Chiefs of Staff, including former concern. He is on the sunshine list. He's on the sunshine list, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, he has taken on increased responsibilities since he came into this job. And, Mr. Speaker, as I said before, there are five fewer people in my office who are on the sunshine list than under the previous Premier's office, Mr. Speaker. I'm not exactly sure where the music is coming from, but it's going to stop. And I'm going to tell the Minister responsible for seniors, as I do often, I will be the judge. So, let's bring it down. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, I would just say that, you know, I understand that this question is in line with the opposition's desire to drag people who are working very, very hard, to drag their names through the mud, Mr. Speaker. I take full responsibility for answering questions for my actions and for the government's actions. But I think that this is beneath the member opposite, Mr. Speaker. New question. The member from WIPI, Oshawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question is to the Minister of Health. Minister, our review of your budget-leaking team documents shows no evidence that you are addressing the growing problems in our healthcare system. Last year, you cut $60 million out of physiotherapy services as well as cuts to cataract services. Many hospitals have had to close beds in operating rooms. You've also cut more than 1,000 registered nurse positions in our hospitals. Between 2009 and 2012, 13 of Ontario's 14 CCACs gave their CEOs salary increases of more than 30%. This was the direct violation of the broader public sector salary freeze. Minister, will you tell us today if the budget will include any solutions to fix the growing problems in our healthcare system? I think I can do that. Well, if you can speak random, I will leave the finance minister to speak about what is in the budget, Speaker. What I can tell you is that we are undergoing a transformation in our healthcare system that is showing before the people of this province. We have far more people, thousands more people getting access to the home care that they need, Speaker. Our last budget was not an easy budget for hospitals. It was not an easy budget for parts of our healthcare sector. But we did that so we could invest more in order and more in community care. The Ontario Hospital Association supports our transformation initiative, even though it means difficult decisions for hospitals. And when it comes to nurses, Speaker, I will happily contrast our success with yours, 20,500 more nurses working in Ontario today than there were 10 years ago. Thank you. How much? Mr. Speaker, I would say to the minister through you that this transformation, so-called transformation, is certainly not going in the right direction. The top 15 executives at CCACs in Ontario were paid nearly $4 million last year. What would $4 million get us? Well, for starters, $4 million would fund over 320,000 hours of frontline care. It would fund over 42,000 one-on-one physiotherapies sessions for seniors. It would also pay for 70 full-time new nurses. It would also fund- Minister of the Environment, second time. Minister, will you commit to funding- Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. And funding CEOs. Thank you, minister. Well, it is maybe time to look at what the PC plan for healthcare is in this province. And I can tell you that they can- The member from Burlington, the member from Cambridge, the member from Prince Edward Hastings, the member from Northumberland. I just don't think shouting people down is the right thing to do. Carry on, please. Speaker, the PC plan for healthcare is risky. It is- Member from Halton, come to order. It is the wrong plan. It is clearly the wrong plan. Let's take a little walk down memory lane. When you were in office, you fired healthcare. Member from Stormont, come to order. We had the worst wait times in the country. Cambridge, come to order. And now you're playing the same old game of slash and burn. You want to fire 4,000 frontline workers by eliminating our CCACs. Those are the people who make sure our seniors get the care they need in their own homes. Thank you. Final supplementary. I would certainly be happy to put our healthcare plan up again. The member from Glengarry Prescott Russell is close enough for me to see him as well as hear him. The member from North Thunkworth, the member from Simcoe North is not helpful either. Please ask. Let's look at what's actually happening under your system. We've got 19,000 seniors in hospitals waiting because they have nowhere to go. They have no long-term care to go to. They have no home care services. We have thousands of people who can't get access to needed cancer drugs because you will fund IV cancer drugs, but you won't fund oral cancer drugs. We have seniors in home care that aren't getting more than a bath a week. We have people in long-term care. I'm going to get you to listen. The minister for infrastructure and transportation come to order. The member from Sutbury come to order. The member... Next time. Please. You're actually making cuts across the board without even coming to grips with the bigger problems in our healthcare system. Question? Will you deal with this in the budget or not? No, I don't think so. Minister? We budget. Speaker, we will continue to invest in the community when it comes to our healthcare system because that's how we're getting people out of hospital and into the home. It's a lot better now than it was, but we are not finished this journey because we acknowledge there are still too many people in long-term care who don't need to be. There are still too many people in hospital and they don't need to be. That's why we're investing in our home care. That's what we are all about. We went from the longest wait times in the country to the shortest wait times in the country. We went to a healthcare system where it was impossible to find a primary care doctor to one where in many communities doctors are now advertising for patients. We have come a long, long way. I will happily, happily put our record against their record. We'll hear the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday the Minister of Government Services insisted that he knew nothing about an internal investigation conducted by the Ministry of Government Services. Was the Premier briefed on the investigation, Speaker? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, again, we've made it clear when we learned about investigations. We made it clear when we learned about the allegations. And we have done everything in our power to work with and cooperate with the people who have been asking questions about the relocation of the gas plants. We have changed the rules around the retention of documents, Mr. Speaker. We have opened up the process. And as the member knows, we've been very clear about when we learned about the allegations and we learned about them when they came into the public realm, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Can the Premier perhaps tell us who was briefed on that internal investigation? Premier? My House. Government Services. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition can ask whatever questions she wants. But considering the fact we went over this yesterday, I would have thought we might have heard some policy questions. But to tell her again, Mr. Speaker, the fact that the Ministry of Government Services cooperated with the Ontario Provincial Police is something that is outlined in the document that was there in the Court. As I indicated yesterday, I had a discussion with my Deputy Minister of the Day, a very brief discussion, where he spoke about the fact that, as a matter of public record, there was an OPP investigation and that they were in contact with the OPP. Did I want to be briefed in any way? And I said, absolutely not. I did not want to have any discussions with myself or my staff and the Ministry, respect to that, Mr. Speaker. And the work that's been done by MGS is outlined to an extent in the document before the Court, which is now a public document. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Was anyone in the Premier's office briefed on the internal investigation in any way? Mr. Speaker, again, if my reference, the Court document which talks about some of the assistance that the OPP received from the Ministry of Government Services, and it was made clear to my Deputy that this was to be done independent of the political, myself or my political staff, and Mr. Speaker, again, I think we have to stress that this investigation is entirely independent. I think it is now a matter of public record that OPP investigators have been working with a federal crown attorney from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to ensure its independence. Mr. Speaker, we have heard from the OPP in front of the committee and they have reminded us that the best way to deal with an OPP investigation if you're a politician is to get out of the way, allow the OPP to do their work, and respect their independence and also their privacy as they undertake this work. My next question is for the Premier, Speaker. Last November, the Premier's office scheduled a visit from the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch. When most people hear the police want to search their offices, they ask, why, Speaker? Did the Premier or her staff ask any questions about what was being investigated? Mr. Speaker, I will just say again what the Minister of Government Services and the House Leader has said, that this is an independent investigation, Mr. Speaker, and it seems that the member opposite is trying to, the lead of the third party, is trying to suggest that I should have inserted myself at some point into the investigation. That would have been inappropriate, Mr. Speaker. That is not what a Premier should do. It is not what I should have done. It is not what I did, Mr. Speaker. I have not inserted myself. It is an independent investigation, and we need to let the OPP do their work. Mr. Speaker, the OPP alleged that three staff in the Premier's office had their computer hard drives wiped. They also alleged that the House Leader's Chief of Staff had her computer wiped. Is the Premier asserting that for well over a year, not one of these people, who she works with daily, ever raised this issue with her? Mr. Speaker, again, let's go back to first principles. The OPP made an application to the court, which was made public. We determined that there is an OPP investigation well underway that is focused on one individual, unproven allegations, the former Chief of Staff to the Premier. I think the advice that we've gotten from the OPP is that we allow them to undertake their work. But, Mr. Speaker, what the Leader of the NDP seems to be confusing is that the fact that the OPP was looking into this matter in general has been on the public record. I quoted yesterday from an article from last June. Commissioner Lewis appeared in front of the Justice Committee. It has been common knowledge, Mr. Speaker, that the OPP was looking in general into this, and it was approximately two weeks ago that we were given more information through this court document. But again, Mr. Speaker, the advice we've had is this. Final supplementary. Government conducted an internal investigation, but we're told the Premier doesn't know what it found. The OPP searched the Premier's office, but supposedly the Premier didn't even ask what they were looking for. People stuck playing the bills for this mess haven't forgotten the Liberal record, Speaker, when it comes to this scandal. Liberals initially claimed it was going to cost $40 million. Now we know it's $1.1 billion. The Premier claims she wasn't involved in the decision, but then it turns out she's the one that signed the Cabinet document approving the deal. Does the Premier think that people will believe she knew absolutely nothing about any of this investigation? That's awesome. Mr. Speaker, I listen very, very carefully to what the Leader of the New Democratic Party said, and quite frankly, I find it shocking. She seems to be suggesting that the government should be directing the Ontario Provincial Police, that the government should somehow be involving itself in an OPP investigation. Well, I'm not sure how she plans to run her party. But over on this side of the House, we respect the independence of the Ontario Provincial Police. When there is an OPP investigation going on, we first of all cooperate fully, but second of all, Mr. Speaker, we get out of the way and I'll allow them to undertake their work as the investigator reminded us of committee the other day, interference by politicians. The type of interference that we're seeing today through a question period could in fact jeopardize that investigation, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, sir. Before Mr. Speaker is to allow the Ontario Provincial Police to undertake their work. New question, a member from... Stop the clock. I'm hearing some heckling that I'm not impressed with and it'll stop. New question to the member from New Market Aurora. The question is to the Minister of Health. Speaker, I received an email yesterday afternoon and I want to put it on the record. On behalf of the pilots flying for our air ambulance service out of the Moussini base, it reads as follows. This email is being forwarded to you on behalf of the pilots... The bottom line is that the helicopter that Orange is planning to send to Moussini for the operational helicopter is basically the oldest Sikorsky-76 in the world with the least amount of automation. This after the only helicopter fatality in 35 years occurred in Moussini and Orange promised to do everything to make our lives safer. Yet the bottom line is they're sending this machine because it is the cheapest to operate, help us make the Ministry wake up that Orange can't operate aviation. Speaker, this appeal is coming from the frontline pilots of our air ambulance service, whose lives are once again being put at risk by the decision-making at Orange. On behalf of those pilots, I want to ask the Minister, will she stand with these pilots and stop this wrong-headed decision by Orange that will put our pilots in harm's way? Thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you. I welcome the question from the member and I think if he turned to his left and spoke to a pilot he will learn that no planes can be flown unless they are air-worthy and unless they are properly accredited and approved by Transport Canada. So, Speaker, you know, I think it might be helpful if we just took a look at some of the remarkable claims the member opposite has made. He once claimed that tail-rotors of helicopters like the ones Orange operates sometimes fall off. He was wrong. He read a directive that did not apply to Orange helicopters. He said an Orange-contracted Pilatus aircraft crash-landed at the Timmins Airport. That was wrong. And Orange's front-line staff wrote a letter affirming that the statement was completely misrepresenting our operation and especially the level of safety we work. So, I'll maintain. The member said there was no reference in the performance agreement to either critical care or advanced care paramedics. Thank you. The responses. Thank you. The Minister without portfolio will come to order and the member from Hulken will come to order and I think it's both your second time supplementary. Speaker, the pilots that the Minister is putting at risk are not impressed with her response today. I am reading her an email from pilots at the Moussine Base who are concerned about the antiquated equipment that Orange is asking them to fly. And I'm asking this Minister the next time one of those aircraft crashes she has heard the warning from the pilots and what they don't want to hear is more sympathy from this Minister because she has had an opportunity to step in stop a wrong-headed decision and make sure that our pilots and our paramedics have safe equipment to fly in to deliver the kind of air ambulance service that they should be delivering to the people of this province. Will she stand with those pilots? Will she stand with those paramedics? I don't know what's right and stop that wrong-headed decision. Minister? Speaker, the member opposite knows that we have strong safety standards in Canada and at Orange. But let's go on, Speaker. The member claimed that Orange hit the salaries of 79 employees. In fact, they were posted publicly online. He questioned the competence of hard-working public servants and claimed nobody in the Ministry with oversight of Orange has experience but he's wrong. In fact, there are 10 people in management or senior management roles with that kind of experience. Speaker, he claimed that the front lines are saying things are going from bad to worse. In fact, we had Brandon Danhoff at Scopa. He said that things at Orange are under the new leadership are definitely better. He claimed that two Transport Canada inspection reports suggested that Orange should not be in the aviation business. The truth is Transport Canada would have withdrawn Orange's operating certificate if they thought that was the case. They didn't. On the contrary, they approved Orange's corrective action plan in May 2013, Speaker. Thank you. The member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Minister of Government Services. The Gas Plant Committee hearings had to be cancelled this morning because witnesses aren't coming forward. David Livingston, Peter Feist and Laura Miller's assistant were not responsive or not available. Does the Liberal Government think that senior Liberals should be avoiding the committee? Very helpful. Mr. Speaker. No policy questions. I've stated here in the House before. The Minister of the Environment is warned. The Minister responsible for seniors is warned. Anyone else? Carry on. Mr. Speaker, as I've stated in the House before, the government has cooperated fully with the Justice Committee. The Premier has been there several times. The Minister of Energy, myself, even I appeared in front of it. I would encourage everyone to cooperate with the committee. Committees have the power and the responsibility to call witnesses. There's a process they go through and as you and members of this House are aware, there are steps they can take if they are trying to access a witness who, for one reason or another, wants to appear. That is up to the work of the committee, Mr. Speaker. There is a process and there are steps that are taken by committees, and I think we should respect that. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Well, it is my hope indeed that the government does support the work of the committee. New Democrats are taking steps to get a Speaker's warrant, if needed, to ensure that key Liberal witnesses show up at committee. We hope it doesn't come to that. We have all tools available to ensure that senior Liberals come before committee. Mr. Speaker, again, the committee right now is putting together, is dealing with witness lists, and there are steps that it takes. Every member of this House is aware of it, but Mr. Speaker, we have been very, very cooperative on this side of the House. The Premier has gone several times, the Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you about my appearance in front of the committee. It was one of the most special experiences of my life. I was questioned, I believe, for an hour about a document that I had never seen before in a meeting that I had never went to, and I'm not making it up, Mr. Speaker. It was a little bit like the Twilight Zone, Mr. Speaker, but I was very happy to go in front of it and answer questions about things that I was not involved with. Thank you. New question. Thank you, Mr. President. My question is for the Minister responsible for the launch TEO 2015's call for 20,000 volunteers. Yesterday, we had a great launch function in my own riding of Etobicoke North, and the hundreds of kids were delighted and diverted to have you in my riding. As Minister Koto has stated before, it's National Volunteer Week here in Canada, and you couldn't be more proud of Ontarians who dedicate so much of their time to volunteerism. Speaker, I know that my own residents in Etobicoke North are excited to have these opportunities to volunteer in the largest multi-sport event in Canadian history. Speaker, my question is this. Will the Minister please elaborate on the many opportunities for Canadians to volunteer to give back and to pay it forward? Thank you. Thank you. I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for asking the question. Speaker, yes, we had a great time yesterday at the school in this riding. That was the launch of the National Volunteer Week. Speaker, the 2015 game will foster volunteerism in Ontario, especially among young people aged 16 and up. It will leave a legacy of skilled leaders from a variety of backgrounds and age groups who are so solely involved and committed to their communities. Speaker, opportunities will be available throughout southern Ontario, stretching from Walling to Minton Hill, Hamilton, Arshawa where competition will take place. Speaker, all volunteers will receive wearable skill training, work experience and token of appreciation to recognize their role in the Toronto 2015 game. In fact, as of 9 p.m. this morning, Speaker, over 6,100 people have already signed up. Thank you. Thank you, Minister, for the detailed update. It strikes me that this is like the Volunteer Measures Act, the largest call for volunteers in Canadian peacetime history. I can see, Speaker, in my own community of Etobicoke North, the interest to volunteer for the games, despite a member from Bruce Graham, the member from the North Party's opposite, maybe overlooking the announcements that you've made earlier this year, Minister Chan along with Minister Dugud, that helped those out-recipients and trade apprentices take advantage of opportunities that the games begin to bring. Speaker, would the Minister please elaborate on the many benefits of hosting an event of this magnitude? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, all Ontarians stand to benefit from the opportunities our game will bring next year. Amongst them are people like Tyron Solomon from North York who is helping to build a pan and aquatic centre. He says, when I tell my family where I am working, they are so proud of me. Janet Lawrence from Hamilton who will be volunteering in her third world-class athletic event. She says, it is an experience you can put a dollar among on. Even Olympic hockey gold medalist Letali Spooner has signed a speech. The member from Bruce Graham in Sound is Warren. Finish, please. Letali said, by volunteering myself for TO 2015, I am saying I believe what these games can do for all of us. Speaker, I encourage all members in this House to sign out. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Gas Plant scandal documents prove that you signed the go-ahead for Project A. This started a process that wrote a blank check in order to reach a deal. This moved it from the public court system into private arbitration where the proceedings and the results would be kept secret. In order to reach an agreement, the Liberals waived all of their defences and gave up any limits on damages. Then you put most of the cost in the bill while only talking publicly about the much smaller taxpayer portion. Premier, how can you continue to pretend you knew nothing of the Gas Plant cancellations when it was you and you alone who started the entire process? Can you see them, please? Thank you. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think that's the biggest stretch we've heard in this discussion so far, Mr. Speaker. The member from Lampton, Kent Middlesex, will come to order and he's now warned. No, three times. Carry on, please. Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows that I was part of a cabinet that made a decision based on a commitment that we had made to relocate the Gas Plans. A commitment that had been made by all parties, Mr. Speaker. We acted on that commitment, Mr. Speaker. We went ahead and we relocated those Gas Plans. And I have said immediately that there were processes that should have been better. We have worked to change those processes, Mr. Speaker. We've put in place new rules in terms of citing this kind of infrastructure. We've got new rules in terms of document retention. That is the work that we've been engaged in for the last year, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Premier. I'm quite surprised that you're questioning the results of the Auditor General, which I just read in my last question. That's exactly why David Livingston is alleged to have had the hard drives in the Premier's office white. The Liberals stayed in power because of the manipulation of the Gas Plans. You're the Premier today because the last one quit in disgrace over the manipulation of the Gas Plans. Many of your cabinet ministers stood in this house and said one thing about the Gas Plans, knowing the complete opposite to be true, and seven of them have since bailed. But you think of your own self-interest so much that you can no longer see right from wrong. Premier, how about this? Why don't you name the members of your transition team who had interaction with David Livingston between January 26th and February 20th? Thank you. I just want to be clear because we've been going through this for a number of days now. And the member opposite is perpetrating false allegations and false, he's perpetuating false allegations and false accusations against me because he thinks it's good politics, Mr. Speaker. So that is what is going on. And I believe, Mr. Speaker, that he knows that we opened up the process. He knows that I have said what I know. He knows that I appeared before the committee. He knows that we have cooperated with an independent investigation, Mr. Speaker. I believe that this kind of questioning actually insults the office that he holds, Mr. Speaker, and I would ask him to stop. The Minister of the Aboriginal Affairs will come to order and no other comment need be made. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, any member from London Fanshawe? Questions to the Premier. Families in London have had enough bad news. Over the past year, London has lost 7,200 jobs. Our unemployment rate has climbed above 8% and the usage of the food bank continues to rise. The London Food Bank announced today that a new approach is needed. They serve almost 3,600 families every month and simply stated it's clear to everyone that the status quo approach the Liberals have taken just doesn't work. Speaker, when will the Premier admit that she's failing families in London because her government has no clue how to create jobs in southwestern Ontario? Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I'm sorry but I have to disagree fundamentally with the member from London and I think what the food bank has actually said is considerably different than how you've characterised it but what I want to say about the unemployment rate and jobs in London in fact the reality is considerably different than what you've represented it has. About a year ago the unemployment rate was unacceptably high it was over 9% and it has since come down actually by more than 1% since that period of time we've had very important announcements incredible companies like NATRA which is a European chocolate maker that has decided to make London it's North American headquarters the single largest export deal in the history of this country has come out of London recently with the thousands of jobs that are going to be protected and new jobs created as a result so in fact the news is quite good for London Mr. Speaker and I don't know why the member opposite continues to denigrate the hard work that is going on to help that important part of the province. Thank you Speaker everyone in London except this government seems to know how bad it's gotten our unemployment rate has climbed 4 months in a row 12,000 people have simply lost hope and dropped out of the workforce altogether since the Premier took office that's the Liberal government's record the Premier refuses to admit that her policies aren't working and it's forcing families to fall further and further behind. Speaker how many more jobs need to be lost before the Premier gets the message and provides real help for small businesses to create jobs in London Member for Prince Edward Hastings come to order Minister So the list is long in terms of businesses including importantly food processing facilities that are opening in London and the London area and it's partly due to the hard work that is being done by those local communities their local economic development corporations in fact I had the opportunity to honour just in the last couple of weeks to speak and outline the province's job plan to the economic development corporation and about 150 other business leaders and community leaders and municipal leaders in London just to talk to them and engage them in the progress that they're making important and growing high-tech and digital sector which exists in London as well BROSA an important facility as well just announced in the last few weeks and I'll just say March of 2013 the unemployment rate in London was 9.6% well today in fact it's 8.2% it's still higher than it needs to be but it shows the progress that's being made just over the past 12 months and it's moving in the right direction and I wish that member would stop talking down London and the hard work that are being done Thank you speaker my questions for the minister of children in youth services minister in my writing of Scarborough age in court I often hear from concerned parents they want to ensure that children are getting the best possible education and have the greatest opportunity to succeed research has shown that an important part of a child's ability to learn is having access to a nutritious diet children who eat regular healthy meals and have better participants in the classroom and I know that in Ontario we're committed to providing our students the best learning possible environment Speaker through you to the minister what is our government doing providing students with access to nutritious meals Thank you Mr Children in Youth Services Thank you Mr Speaker and thank you to the member from Scarborough for the many discussions that we've had with respect to the importance of health and education for our children that our government is committed to ensuring that every child across this province has the opportunity to succeed we know that nutrition plays a role for success in school and keeping children healthy that's why earlier this week I was proud to announce that we are expanding our student nutrition program we're investing an additional 32 million dollars over the next three years to provide students across the province with nutritious snacks or breakfast this is expected to create 340 new breakfast and morning meal programs and benefit an additional 56,000 students I've spoken with teachers, principals and students about the progress they all report positive outcomes including better concentration in school this investment is just one more way our government is Thank you supplementary Minister for that answer Parents in my community will be pleased to hear that our government is expanding the student nutrition program I know that in my writing the Toronto foundation for student success operates a number of nutrition programs I also know they do a terrific job of providing student nutrition across the city of Toronto I'm happy to hear that we're providing additional funding to organization like them to expand the service they currently provide the student nutrition program is a great way to ensure the students from across the province can maintain a nutritious diet Minister can she please inform the house how this new investment will provide the program to become more responsive to the needs of our communities Thank you Absolutely and again thanks for the continuation so there are currently 4200 student nutrition programs across the province these programs provide nutritious breakfast snacks and lunches to over 695,000 students across the province we recognize that the cost of food continues to grow so this enhancement and funding will help our communities with those food costs as well we'll also be expanding the program for First Nations schools on reserve expanding this program is part of our plan to support our children and our future because we know that students who eat a nutritious breakfast are more likely to attend school and achieve better academic results we'll continue to invest in our children and our success opportunities and healthy life Thank you to the Minister of Finance Ministers you are no doubt aware cider sales are experiencing huge growth in Ontario having grown by an astonishing 60% in the last two years very similar to the growth that we've seen in the Ontario craft brewers Ontario craft cider association members use 100% Ontario grown apples and pears to ensure both quality product and more economic Ontario opportunities for our growers Minister will you level the playing field to ensure that Ontario cider can be sold to restaurants and bars with no LCBO surcharge on direct deliveries as is the case for Ontario craft beer Mr. Speaker I am very proud of the tremendous work done by our local growers and local craft brewers including our cider I know that one of our colleagues the Minister then of Agriculture in where are you now Minister Ted Mcmeek and I know we're not close to name names but a big advocate for cider sales and I really appreciate the tremendous work being done by the community locally grown as is our VQA as is our barley as is so much of the industry throughout Ontario to support growing in Ontario processing in Ontario and selling in Ontario and certainly through the LCBO much of that is being promoted and protected especially for our craft brewers Thank you Mr. Speaker Minister I'm proud of our Ontario ciders too but you need to actually show some leadership and do something that they need to level the playing field it's an issue of fairness and where you could show some real leadership Ontario cider is an industry that is thriving in many parts of Ontario Dufferin Caledon Bruce Grey own sound Haldeman Norfolk Hamilton East Stoney Creek Lampton Kent Middle Sex Huron Bruce Niagara Falls Oak Ridge is Markham Prince Edward County Toronto Centre Simcoe Grey not to mention the many regions across Ontario where apples and pears are grown people are looking to you for action when cider producers sell and deliver products directly to restaurants the LCBO take a 40% cut Will you take action and remove it? Thank you Mr. Finance Mr. Speaker on this side of the house we certainly value and promote the locally grown opportunities it is why we have increased access to our express doors most recently it is why we're doing more to promote our VQAs, our craft breweries and our cider sales Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question I really do because I think it's essential that we do everything we can to promote our industry and we want to make certain that our local growers are getting the maximum benefit afforded to them which they wouldn't have had Mr. Speaker had it not been for the proactive nature that the LCBO has been doing to promote the industry we'll continue to work with them and I appreciate the question and I'll look into it certainly thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker my question this morning is for the premier good morning premier the race tracks at Leamington Sarnia and Dresden will receive fewer race dates than they requested for the 2014 season as you know the Lakeshore Group has been working to keep racing alive in Essex County since the demise of Windsor Raceway in the loss of 2000 jobs the cut in dates from 60 to 45 is yet another indication that this government has no intention of supporting the horse racing industry in rural Ontario will the Liberal government actually come up with a long term plan for our harness racing industry instead of issuing self-congratulatory press releases as more race dates are being cut Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question but again I think that the member opposite knows that we make sure that we have a sustainable horse racing industry in the province we've been working with all of the tracks we're putting in $500 million over the next five years Mr. Speaker and quite apart from not having an interest in the industry we're also making sure that there's extra money for the breeders Mr. Speaker because we know that breeders breeders were very concerned about the sustainability of their industry as well so we will continue to work with the tracks and the tracks all over the province not just the tracks in particular urban areas but all of the tracks we want them to have a season Mr. Speaker but most of all we want the horse racing industry to be sustainable we want it not to be under a plan that was not transparent and I think that the member opposite knows that the SARP program was not transparent it was not accountable we've changed that we've got a sustainable horse racing industry and that has been our plan Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I'm sure other governments would have made it transparent instead of cancelling it this government keeps chipping away at the horse racing industry businesses need stability and they need to start planning now for the upcoming race season the misguided cancellation of the slots of race rate program has had a huge negative impact in the horse racing industry for the past two years and instead of reversing its decision this government is choosing to go ahead by cutting more race dates will this government ensure that all race tracks across Ontario get the support they need in time for the upcoming racing season Mr. Speaker if the member opposite is asking whether we will bring back a program that really was not transparent was not accountable in any way then no we will not do that Mr. Speaker I know that the three tracks the Hiawatha, Leamington and Dresden tracks they're working together to come up with a plan this is good news that's what we want to have happen Mr. Speaker we want those collaborations to happen so that there can be a sustainable path forward that's what we're encouraging that negotiation is ongoing Mr. Speaker and I think that the member opposite knows that and I don't really think he thinks that we should go back to a system that was not accountable for the tax dollars Mr. Speaker I don't think he believes that's the case Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is for the Attorney General Mr. Speaker as the minister knows assisting victims of crime when they need it the most has always been a priority for our government and I know it is an important issue for the people of Scarborough Guildwood each year our government invests over 100 million in victim services and programs through the Victims Justice Fund and the Consolidated Revenue Fund I also understand that the people of Ontario have access to a broad range of services to address their needs as victims of crime Mr. Speaker Could the Attorney General please elaborate on these important services our government offers to the people of Ontario Attorney General Thank you very much Mr. Speaker for Guildwood I know that she's a great supporter I was with her we open a French speaking shelter for French speaking people in her writing and she is great Our government has been a leader in upholding victims right and providing improved access to number of services across the province Victims of crime in Ontario have access to important programs such as the victim crisis assistance and referral services program victim witness assistance program and the victim support line all of which provides immediate onsite support services to victim of crime to information and assistance during the criminal thought process So Mr. Speaker these are just a few examples of exceptional services our government has made available to victim of crime to assist them in their time of need Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Attorney General for your answer and for your support of the Francophone community in my writing of Scarborough Guildwood Mr. Speaker the people of Scarborough Guildwood would be relieved to hear of the important services our government is providing to victims of crime I also understand that this morning we recognized a group of outstanding individuals involved in frontline care of victims The Victim Services Award of Distinction is an annual ceremony in which the Attorney General presents awards to individuals organizations and contributions to the provision of victim services in Ontario Mr. Speaker could the Attorney General please tell us more about these leaders in victim services Thank you Attorney General Mr. Speaker I was very impressed this morning with these people that work days in and days out to help those to use their own experience to help those who are in a particular situation I am pleased to hear of the important services our government is providing for victims of crime and I this morning we have all these wonderful 19 recipient and they have been nominated for this award because they raise the profile of victims issues in Ontario Volunteering of their time and delivered exceptional services in innovative ways to better serve victim of crime I want to thank all of them and their own family who have them to be able to work as volunteer in their own community they gave great commitment tireless work and commitment and it is because of their work that Ontario is a leader in victim service delivery Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care Minister I have raised this issue with you before about the ongoing funding challenges facing the calling with General Marine Hospital I explained that as per a key outcome of their 2012 sustainability review they were promised GAP funding for three consecutive years while the new health based allocation model is rolled out well Minister it is now April fiscal year has come to an end the funding model hasn't been fully implemented the hospital hasn't received this funding and without it they face a $1.8 million deficit and will be forced to drop a core service last year there were 476 expected mothers that gave birth at this hospital 1071 ski accidents that got treated in the emergency room 1193 hip and knee orthopedic surgeries so Minister my question is quite simple which of these without this funding which of these core services should the hospital no longer provide Thank you Mr. Speaker as I said earlier today we are in the middle of a transformation of healthcare spending as I acknowledge earlier today it is a difficult time for hospitals as they accommodate as they rethink their services as we make sense hospitals are funded as you as a former health minister would well know before we introduced our new funding reform for hospitals it was impossible to explain why the budget for one hospital was what it was relative to another so we're bringing some some sanity actually to how we fund hospitals for some hospitals that means an increase in budget for others it means a lower budget we are implementing this over time hospitals are well aware of what their allocations will be funding model and we're working with all the hospitals to do this in a way that protects patient care Minister certainly for you Mr. Speaker I think we've indicated many times on this side for the most part we agree with the new HBAM funding model but the point here is calling with General Marine Hospital was given a letter from your ministry indicating that it would get three years of gap funding and so it budgeted accordingly it didn't get its funding and I got a letter from you suddenly in December of last year after I perpetually raised this thing saying that the Lynn has asked for you to make a decision on this gap funding second year of gap funding and that you're reviewing it we hear from the Lynn recently that you're going to re-nag on that promise and they've already gone to the four mayors in the calling wood area and they want to come down and see you because of a broken promise it's a relatively small amount of money the hospital budgeted based on your commitment, your government's commitment and they are going to cut patching people up on the ski hill berths or hips and knees that's what they're telling the community and it would be on your head so what is it, what are they supposed to cut in order to you not fulfilling your promise well speaker I would be happy to meet with them if that's what they'd like to do and we will go over what's happening at that particular hospital I do think though that as I look at what hospitals are doing I find it a little bit hard to believe that they would no longer care for people with broken legs I think our hospitals are far more responsible than that in fact they have an obligation to provide service speaker so I would be happy to look into it happy to meet with the community and I can assure you that we will do what we can everything we can do to make sure that services are maintained in the appropriate way thank you new question, the member from beaches east door thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of labor the new minister of labor has said that he supports fair wages for all workers are we to assume that this includes servers and restaurants after a long winter it's already patio season it's the busiest time of the year for servers I am sure they look forward to earning a little bit more money but due to the liberal foot dragging on the bill their bosses are still entitled to steal the tips speaker bill 49 will stop this practice will the new minister of labor who says he is a friend to workers insist this bill be called for third reading Mr. Labor thank you speaker and I do want to thank my own old colleague for the important question when ontarians tip I think one of us in this chamber they want 100% of that tip to go to staff in the summer of 2012 the ministry held an employment standard splits and it protected vulnerable workers that inspected workplaces in a variety of sectors and that included the restaurant sector anybody who does have a question about their rights is encouraged to contact the employment standards information center but speaker as you know bill 49 has been to committee it's been referred back to the legislature for third reading with all party support my understanding is my predecessor has worked with the gentleman and will continue to work with him here here here thank you it is up to the liberal government to call the bills including this one that they say they support the ministry supports this bill the former minister supports this bill the premier has said she supports the bill the whole caucus over there says they support the bill bill 49 will protect thousands of Ontario workers who rely on tips to live them out of poverty order that will be enough I didn't get quiet for you to start to and anyone else to respond please finish your question don't let another patio season go by without extending protection to the people who need it will this new minister commit today to join Quebec Newfoundland Prince Edward island and new Brunswick to make it illegal for business to steal their employees tips do something thank you speaker I do want to thank the member from beaches East York for reintroducing this private members bill I think it's been an example of cooperation in the house I've had the opportunity already to speak with some numerous stakeholders in the service sector it's allowed me to learn a lot better what this industry is like where the unfair practices actually are taking place it was determined during the process that certain improvements needed to be made to this bill and they were a speaker we also needed to take into account unionized workplaces obviously where collective agreements exist I want to thank both opposition parties for this for their support it's my hope sincerely speaker that this bill moves forward thank you the member from Ajax thank you speaker thanks to the minister of natural resources with the arrival of spring and a noticeable rise in temperature we can all spend more time outdoors enjoying the good weather however speaker, at this time of the year we must be aware of the possibility of spring flooding in Durham region I've had the good fortune to be elected to both the board and the executive of quokka the central lake Ontario conservation authority this organization works to monitor and an ongoing basis for conditions at locations across the watershed these measurements, weather forecasts and radar information on temperature and rainfall predictions along with historical data are all compiled to develop a flood forecast speaker, the work at Durham region's quokka is meant to reduce to life and damage to property by providing the public with advance notice, information and advice so it can respond to potential flooding questions the ministry of natural resources is moving on to ensure that all communities in Ontario are prepared for potential flooding minister thank you speaker and I want to thank the member from Ajax for raising this important issue as the member mentioned our province experienced a severe flood last spring in fact it was the worst flood on record since April 1928 so very significant event to the monitoring our government is responsible and our ministry is responsible for flood warning and forecasting we have a surface water monitoring centre that is engaged in this activity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week daily assessments for flood hazard potential are performed at this site it includes a river watch program that collects and analyzes stream flow and water level data a weather watch system that collects and analyzes weather data as well as watershed conditions that include measuring a snowpack and running models with respect to this risk our ministry will continue to ensure that we're advising Ontarians appropriately and timely fashion thank you thank you speaker I rise to correct my record earlier I posed a question to the minister of government services I said David Lipington, Peter Feist and Laura Miller's assistant available for the committee I should have added Laura Miller to that list thank you speaker well that's actually not correcting the record that just simply means you've added somebody and that's not appropriate so we have a point of order from the member from Cambridge thank you Mr. Speaker I noticed in the public gallery just behind me Professor Robert O'Brien who was the chair of the department of political science when I received my PhD and his daughter is a page here in this legislature so welcome to the legislature in fact that's going to invite an awful lot of comments but we'll not be making them the minister of training college university in a point of order visitors gallery today is Emily Hedges she's my director of communications and after many years of loyal service she's moving on today it's her last day on the job we're going to miss her speaker I wanted to acknowledge that today we were joined by a member from my riding of Scarborough Gildwood Mr. Bagat and his guest from England Ravi Bakari who is a city councillor who joined us today I beg to inform the house that pursuant to standing order 98c a change has been made to the order of precedence on the ballot list for the members public business such that Mr. Walker assumes ballot item number 55 and Mr. Smith assumes ballot item number 12 there are no deferred votes this house stands recess until 1pm this afternoon