 It is now time for a question period. The member from the PNC is for the Premier after waiting two very long years to find out the true cost of the cancelled Oakville power plant. Ontarians will finally learn tomorrow what the true cost of that cancellation was by the auditor. These costs combined with the cancelled Mississauga power plant are being paid by rate payers, consumers, and ultimately taxpayers. Their hard-earned money went to save liberal seats in the last election without their consent. And as this convention we know that you or your officials have either seen the report or one of its drafts from the auditor. So Premier, with that in mind, and given you signed the cabinet document to cancel Oakville, the fact that you were the Liberal Campaign co-chair in the last election, the fact that you have been Premier now for eight months, why have you refused to tell Ontarians exactly how much those cancelled gas plants have cost individuals across this province? And will you do it? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well the member opposite knows that and she has said that the auditor general's report will be released tomorrow. I wrote to the auditor general of the day asking for a report on the cost of the relocation of the gas plant from Oakville, Mr. Speaker, that report will be released tomorrow. And I am not going to pre-empt the auditor general's release of that report. I actually can't do that, Mr. Speaker. I will be briefed on the report this afternoon and I look forward to the release of the report by the auditor general tomorrow. Thank you. Supplementary? Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. She knows the true cost of her election decisions. The Ontarians know that she has the auditors. Number herself told the media today what she's seen in the estimates was, quote, unacceptably large. Why should she make us wait another 24 hours? She knows it. Surely the Premier will admit that the canceled gas plants were on the government's books for as many as eight years before they pose an electoral threat to her liberal party. If the Premier won't divulge the details today, tomorrow we will find out what the true cost to save the Oakville member's seat was. When we add that to the Mississauga cancellation bill, we'll have a little more sense of how little regard she and her predecessor, Mr. McGinty, had for those who are footing their electoral bill. So Premier, why have you hidden the full cost impact of the canceled plants from the public for so long? And since you refused to do it today, after the auditor's report tomorrow, will you stand in your place, apologize to the people of Ontario, and tell them how I'm just waiting for all of them? Thank you. Beautiful. Thank you. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I've already apologized to the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. I have said repeatedly that there were decisions made on the relocation of the plant that should have been made differently, Mr. Speaker. We should have paid more attention to the community, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Energy is developing and has put in place new processes, Mr. Speaker, going forward. So let's remember how we got here. The government listened to the advice of experts. We cited two power plants, Mr. Speaker, over the objections of local residents, which should not have happened. Over time it became evident that the concerns of the residents were based in evidence and were legitimate, Mr. Speaker. The government listened to those concerns, cancelled those power plants for relocation elsewhere. The Conservatives and the NDP both agreed, Mr. Speaker, that that should have been done. There was a cost associated with that. An estimate of that cost have varied, Mr. Speaker. And that is right. I ask the Auditor General to report on the cost. That report will be released tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, as the member full knows. Final supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. If the minister, the Premier wants to talk about how we got here, I will tell her, let's remember how we got here. You and several of your cabinet colleagues stood in this house, said one thing on the true cost, said another thing to committee about the true cost. Your government obstructed the work of an officer of this assembly, the Information and Privacy Commissioner. After saying that there were emails and documents that were deleted and we couldn't have them tabled, you then found them after you were caught. You used public finances to win five seats in the last election. And Ontarians want to know how much that is personally going to cost them on their tax bills and on their energy bills. Now you have been caught. Why do you refuse to come clean in this assembly on what is arguably the largest electoral fraud in the province? Order, please. Before we continue, I would ask all members. And I was hearing some things that were, I would classify as borderline. So I'm not going to say anything specific. But I will say that some of the verbiage that was used caught me a little bit off guard. I would have normally have said not to use it. So I'm going to caution all members from here on in that I will be sharper and probably quicker in my responses to those kinds of questions, which does not require anyone to be speaking while I'm trying to explain something. Premier. Mr. Speaker, while the baseless allegations notwithstanding, I think that everyone in this house knows, Mr. Speaker, that we have provided 160,000 pages of documents, Mr. Speaker, in response to requests from the committee. We have heard, the committee has heard from 62 witnesses, Mr. Speaker, 93 hours of testimony, Mr. Speaker. We've responded to 32 motions. We've offered all of the documents, Mr. Speaker. And we have provided an opportunity for all of those questions to be asked and answered. The reason that I asked the Auditor General to make a report on the relocation of the Oakville gas plants, Mr. Speaker, is that there were numbers that were varying. And we wanted to have the Auditor General's report to bring some clarity to those numbers. That report will be released tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I would be prevented from releasing that information, even if I had it, Mr. Speaker, will be released tomorrow. Remember from Barry. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the minister responsible for the Pan Am games. At the last minute, last week, we received an internal Pan Am audit not from three weeks ago, but from a year ago. And guess what we found? More bad faith expenses not in compliance with your own policies, including common submissions without receipts and without details. We also found more petty expenses by top paid executives, including airport snacking, dry cleaning for $300, an internet for a vacation, a CA membership, and miscellaneous costing hundreds of dollars. Minister, when will you actually do something and have these expenses reviewed and repaid where appropriate? Here. Mr. Speaker, the minister of tourism heads responsible for the Pan Am. Yes, the member is right that the audit was done last year. And the audit was completed 2012, about October, November time. People at my ministry engaged to the board right after the audit and asked the board to address those recommendations. The board agrees to address all those recommendations. Order. Mr. Speaker, in May of 2013, the policy related to travel, meal, and expenses, that policy was strengthened. And that's what happened when the audit came out last year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, supplementary. This gave half a million to MSP. Your policy wasn't strengthened because the same thing is happening, minister. Speaker, the minister and the premier stood together, united in supposed ignorance of the Pan Am expense problem and told us they only found out three weeks ago last week. Well, you know what? You're both busted here. The audit was dated for October 2012. You both knew about these problems for a year and did nothing and denied knowing. But your deputy minister told us that your secretary had babysits to 2015, so you had to know. I know there's been some confusion for you. Presumably you're the minister responsible for the Pan Am games and senior title right there. Minister, the same expensing violations have been ongoing since last year's audit. You chose to do nothing until three weeks ago, or frankly, until now. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said before, the policy was strengthened in 2013 May. That addressed the audit that came out in 2012, October and November time. Speaker, I'd like to bring it to your attention three weeks ago after, three or four weeks ago after those expenses come to my attention. This is what I have done. Number one, I asked the board to strengthen the policy. Number two, I asked them to report to me as soon as possible the latest in their next meeting. Number three, I asked them to pull all future expenses online. Number four, I want them to once the policy strengthened to pull it online. Number five, I asked them make sure it won't happen again. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, we're happy. Minister, you knew about this a year ago. These actions should have been taken a year ago. Not last week, not the week before, a year ago. Nothing makes you pack-pital like the fax minister. We discovered three things in this audit. $7 million in obscene bonuses rewarding executives, 200% of their base salary just for showing up for work. TO 2015 executive and secretary of the salaries that eclipse the sunshine list. Unlimited, unchecked expense accounts where no charge is too small for the taxpayer to pick up. Instead of owning your portfolio minister and fixing this, you spent the better part of last week denying you're even responsible for it. Instead, pointing to the board. The thing is, minister, I agree with you. You aren't the minister responsible for the pay-and-am games. Will you step down today and fix this for once? Do you see any pleas? Thank you, minister. Sikha, thank you so much for the question again. Sikha, I'd like to let you know where we stand at the moment in terms of the accomplishment by the Pan Am, the 2015 board. Sikha, all the infrastructure, they are on time, on budget. The early bit coming in here is under budget. Sikha, it will be about $50 million under budget. Sikha, this is great work. Sikha, the ministry does not start salary for TO 2015 employee. They are not an agency of the government. I share the same concern over the structure and sought an explanation from the TO 2015 board. A third-party human resources firm was retained to provide recommendations and expertise to the salary and compensation structure. Sikha, this game must be able to attract and attain the best talent possible people. Thank you. No question. This is a third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. People dealing with tough times expect their government to focus on their priorities, like creating jobs and improving healthcare. But lately, they're wondering about the priorities of this government. Can the Premier explain why, in tough times, she thinks that Pan Am executives deserve bonuses of up to $780,000? Wow. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I just want to speak to the issue of the executive compensation. As I have said and as the minister have said many times, we competed with many jurisdictions to get these games, Mr. Speaker, and we competed within a context of a certain level of salary compensation for the executives in the game. So that's the reality. We decided, collectively, that we wanted to bring the games to Ontario, Mr. Speaker, and that is what has happened. And I understand the concerns around the expenses, there was an auditor's report, the minister responded and tightened up the expenses. Again, they were tightened up three weeks ago. The minister gave instructions to the board, Mr. Speaker. But we... A member from Renfrew will come to order. ...competed for the games and the... As the minister has said, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments establish the compensation package, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, it's pretty funny that the premier who thought 91 cents in parking was outrageous has no problem handing out a bonus of nearly a million dollars. Wow. Mrs. Speaker, just days after hearing that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had received a 500,000 government grant. Now, can the premier explain why, in tough times, she thinks a corporation with an estimated worth in the billions and billions needs a government handout? Wow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let me just talk about jobs, because the leader of the third party... Shouting people down is not the best response. The minister of rural affairs will come to order. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. 26,000 jobs be created as a result of the Pan Am Games, Mr. Speaker. Investment and tourism around the NBA All-Star Week, Mr. Speaker. $95 million in return can be expected from that investment, Mr. Speaker. So, to attract tourists as a world-class destination, Mr. Speaker, if we do... Mr. Speaker, the people who make this province work every day have been waiting for results on their priorities. And instead, they see a premier who seems to live on a totally different planet. The premier is defending executive bonuses and handouts to companies worth billions of dollars. Can the premier tell us how much, Speaker, in tough times the government's going to be spending cancelling the gas plants in Mississippi and Oakland? I'm defending. I'm defending investment in jobs in this province, creation of jobs. I'm in door track, a decent training facility in this province is not easy, Mr. Speaker. We, at the same time, we have a broad strategy across the province to invest in people and in infrastructure and create a business climate... New question? You see this, please? New question? Are you here for the third party? Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the premier. People in Ontario are watching as the bills go up and their paychecks stay the same if they're lucky. But they're seeing this government hand out all kinds of money to CEO bonuses that are more than most people earn in a decade, Speaker, and millions more spent scrapping private power deals in Oakville and Mississauga just to help the Liberals in an election campaign. Now, David from OMIME says he hasn't seen any help making his life more affordable or better. He writes, quote, Ontarians are consistently being asked to take wage freezes and cuts, but my auto insurance, regulated by the government, is allowed an 11% raise this year and a 7% last year. What does the premier have to say to people like David? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, what I would say to David and OMIME and people across the province, Mr. Speaker, is that we have a responsibility collectively to do everything in our power to invest in people in an infrastructure and in a business climate that will create jobs, Mr. Speaker, and that is exactly what we're doing. You know, I had the opportunity today to present awards at the Premier's Agri-Food Summit, Mr. Speaker. There is huge innovation happening in agriculture and food processing across this province, Mr. Speaker. There's innovation. There's investment in technology and there's an expansion in that sector that we are going to foster and we are going to advance and encourage, Mr. Speaker, because I know that the agri-food sector in this province has huge potential. So by 2020, Mr. Speaker, we're challenging the agri-food sector to increase by 120,000 jobs to double their output, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to be able to do that because there's so much potential in the agri-food sector, Mr. Speaker. Well, Speaker, to the average Ontario and this government seems completely out of touch. When they aren't handing out lavish bonuses and perks to executives, they're doing whatever they can to save their own political skin and every time it's families that are paying the bill. Linda in Ottawa is dealing with cutbacks and her husband's health care support. She says, and I quote, my husband is a dialysis patient three times per week. His nurses have been cut back. I'm so disgusted with our health care system, I quote. Can the Premier tell Linda why cancelling private power deals in Oakville to save some liberal seats was the government's priority over her husband's nursing care? Well, Mr. Speaker, the priorities of government are multifaceted and nursing care and support for people who are ill and who need support is a top priority of ours, Mr. Speaker, and I think the leader of the third party knows full well that our investments in health care and particularly our supports for community care, Mr. Speaker, and helping people to get the supports that they need are absolutely critical, Mr. Speaker. But at the same time, it is important for us to make investments to bring tourists to the province, to create infrastructure. I was in Simcoe, Mr. Speaker, last week. And in Simcoe, we talked about the investments in roads and bridges and water systems in small towns in rural Ontario. Those communities need those investments, Mr. Speaker, if they're going to be able to grow their economic plans. So government has to be able to do many things at the same time, Mr. Speaker, care for those who are ill and make investments that are going to create jobs. That's what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, new Democrats have been pretty clear about what our priorities are. And we've been delivering results, creating jobs, strengthening health care, making life more affordable and making Queen's Park more transparent and more accountable for the people of this province. But they look at the Liberal government and this is what people see, Speaker. Executives getting bonuses that are literally worth more than 20 times what a single mom would earn in a single year. What about a decent job for the single mom in the province of Nigeria's people? Just to save the political fortunes of the Liberal Party. What does the Premier have to say to the people who think her policies are backwards, Speaker? And her priorities. Speaker and I have already said many, many times that the decisions made on the relocation of the gas plants were not what they should have been. I've apologized for that, Mr. Speaker. The auditor general will report tomorrow because I asked the auditor general to report, Mr. Speaker. And so we will have that report tomorrow. What I would say to people who are looking for a job is I completely agree with the leader of the third party that it is important and quite frankly with the leader of the opposition that it is government's responsibility to do everything in our power to create the environment where business can flourish, Mr. Speaker. So investments in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, and the people who will be working as a result of the Pan Am Games, Mr. Speaker, because of the building that's happening and because of that attraction of tourists to the province, Mr. Speaker, all of that is our responsibility. All of that is creating jobs, Mr. Speaker. And we will continue to do that work for the very reason that the leader of the third party notes that there are people in this province who still need work. It's our responsibility to create the environment for those. Any questions? The member for my team can have a little sense. Thank you, Leather, and much, Speaker. My question this morning is to the Premier. Premier, Ellis Dawn is an employee-owned London-Ontario-based company that was recently named the number two best employer in Canada and one of Canada's best managed companies. Ellis Dawn is currently facing intense pressure from foreign competitors. However, my bill 74 takes a firm stand in support of Ontario workers and Ontario employers. Premier, shamefully last week you flip-flopped and said that my bill is no longer needed and that you would no longer be supporting it. Premier, we know that the sheet metal workers plan to appeal the divisional court ruling. When the decision is appealed, will you resume your support of my important bill, or will you continue to favour foreign corporations over Ontario workers? Thank you. The Minister for Rural Affairs will come to order, and he knows why I don't like what he's doing. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I welcome the folks into the gallery today from Ellis Dawn, and I think we've been very clear that we believe that a level playing field is what should be in place, which is why we express support for the bill in the first place, Mr. Speaker. But from my perspective, one of the aspects of a rational process is that if circumstances change, then it is perfectly reasonable that the approach would change. So the divisional court has made a ruling that quashed the decision of the Labor Relations Court. In other words, the company can continue to operate as it was prior to the Labor Relations Board. So the circumstances change. The Ministry of Labor Lawyers have advised us that this ruling achieves exactly what the outcome was that was being sought by Bill 74, Mr. Speaker. So our position is that the bill is no longer needed. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the Premier. Last week, your government bowed to union pressure and announced you would no longer support my bill, which will ensure fairness and competitiveness in the materials construction industry. As you have agreed in the past, Premier, it is unfair to expect Ellis Dawn to live by one set of rules while foreign competitors undercut them, putting at risk thousands of good-paying jobs in this province. Both the Carpenters Union representing 20,000 workers and Leuna representing 75,000 workers have agreed and support my bill, Premier. Bill 74 will maintain the status quo for Ellis Dawn and settle this issue once and for all, but your colleague Pat Dillon has asked you to oppose it and clearly, Premier, you have listened. Premier, if you say that Bill 74 is no longer necessary, why is a company in question represented here today with so many employees? Questions? Thank you. You see it, please? You see it, please? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Flavor. Thank you very much, Speaker, and I do want to welcome the hardworking woman and man from Ellis Dawn that are here in the house. Thank you very much for coming to your legislature. Speaker, the facts remain the same on this matter since we spoke last time in this house. I believe it was on Thursday. As everyone knows that the divisional court, the Ontario divisional court, rendered a decision on Friday, September the 27th, and in that decision, the court quashed a decision that was rendered before by the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which means, Speaker, in effect, that the status quo in the province of Ontario, which is the subject of the Bill 74, remains the same. There is status quo now. We've been advised by the Ministry of Labour that, in essence, there is no need anymore for the Bill 74. However, Speaker, there is a period to appeal and that deadline is October the 15th by October the 17th. We should wait for that timeline. Thank you. Questions and members from Windsor to come see. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Good morning, Minister. As the Minister knows, the province no longer requires independent rigorous testing or inspection with design, build, and performance-based contracts. We've seen the results of that with the Gerter controversy on the Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor, where lawyers are now speculating and saying that the government may be liable should a failure occur in the future. Minister, how many other infrastructure projects are currently underway with no independent testing being done on behalf of the owner, the government? Minister, this is such a transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to the Honorable Member, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite MPPs. Mr. Speaker, you often ask us, Mr. Speaker, to take a race to the top. And I want to commend the Honorable Member for leading that race to the top. Mr. Speaker, I want to be fair to the Honorable Member, so I'm going to review this with the ministry to get the exact details about the testing regime. There is a very rigorous testing regime that goes into place. They are not political decisions made of the minister's office, Mr. Speaker. They are decisions made by the ministry of infrastructure and the ministry of transportation. And I will be sure to get him the details on that and appreciate the question. Thank you, supplementary. Speaker, the executive director of the Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories says in a news release the way the government has been doing business in these infrastructure projects is, and I quote, a big mistake, a serious and potentially dangerous mistake. Without independent verification, there is no assurance that the materials and construction methods meet standards. Minister, will you commit today to changing the way the government has been overseeing these major construction projects and insist in the future independent testing is carried out on behalf of the ministry and the results are submitted directly to the ministry? Mr. Speaker, we have right now the safest roads and the safest bridges in North America, which is quite an accomplishment. When you think about Ontario's vast geography, its weather and how many of our highways are isolated in the north and our northern members will tell you how fickle the weather is and how challenging that situation could be. So I have a great deal of confidence in the existing regime. But to answer your questions, yes, we are right now because we've had, I think, about five years with our Alternative Financing Program. The Ministry of Infrastructure is actually reviewing things like bundling, oversight, project administration, and those recommendations would be coming forward. I will commit to meet with the member opposite, to the member from Windsor-Tucumsee, to review those with him and to ensure that he is satisfied with a level of review. And if you feel more is necessary, I would certainly give it active consideration and, again, appreciate his question. Thank you. Questions and members from our political north? Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and long-term care. The annual flu season will soon be upon us. And among the many recommendations that a physician might offer to people to avoid getting the flu, the best one is this, get a flu shot. Speaker, this is one of those cost-effective, broad-spectrum recommendations that we can make to essentially all Ontarians. Everyone can benefit from immunization against influenza viruses. And as parliamentarians, we should all be working hard in our collective spheres of influence to encourage Ontarians to get immunized. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health, would you please inform this chamber about what the government is doing to expand easy, timely, and efficient access to the annual flu shot? Thank you. Minister of Health. Well, thank you, Speaker, and good morning. And thanks to the member for Tobacco North for this very important question. A year ago, Speaker, I announced that we'd be expanding access to the flu shot by allowing pharmacists to immunize their patients. Pharmacists are not only key members of the health care team, they're key members of their communities. They're highly accessible to their patients, and they bring care closer to home. So starting last fall, Ontarians could go to a participating pharmacy where specially trained pharmacists gave them their flu shot. It's been a tremendous success. Last year, pharmacists administered a quarter of a million flu shots. And more and more pharmacists are being trained to administer injections. So this year, Speaker, we expect the number of pharmacies offering to shoot flu shots will go more than triple. I'm pleased to welcome the Ontario Pharmacists Association to the legislature today. We've worked closely to expand access to the flu shot for all Ontarians. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. As a physician, parliamentarian, I'm heartened to see my fellow health care practitioners, our Ontario pharmacists be a greater part of our flu shot delivery model. As an example, a number of pharmacies in Tobacco North have enabled Ontarians to get their flu shot in a convenient and timely manner. Speaker, pharmacists are among the most trusted of all professions. Ontarians can rely on their pharmacists to help them make decisions about health care and navigate the system. Speaker, could the Minister of Health inform this House about the expanding collaborative approach that the government is taking so that Ontarians can best benefit from the skills, experience, and training of Ontario pharmacists? Thank you, minister. Well, thank you, Speaker. We are working to expand pharmacists' scope of practice for shifting from a model where pharmacists just dispense medication to one on which they draw from their remarkable and extensive skills and knowledge to provide care. This means more people can get excellent, coordinated care closer to home. That's fundamental to the reforms we're making in health care. In 2007, we launched the meds checks program. This lets Ontarians sit down with their pharmacists to ensure they're safely and appropriately using their medications. Allowing pharmacists to administer the flu shot was another important way in which we've leveraged pharmacists' skill to benefit Ontarians. And we're working with the Ontario Pharmacists Association to find even more ways to best employ their extensive knowledge. I want to thank Ontario pharmacists for all of their great work. Thank you. Your question? A member from the U.S. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question this morning is for the Premier. Premier, today is the third anniversary of your Oakville Seatsaver program. And I want to give you one last chance to come clean with Ontarians. Liberal witness after liberal witness has tried to snow, first the Estimates Committee, then the Justice Committee. And here we are, more than a year in, and we still don't know how much it costs to cancel the Oakville power plant. You and your energy minister continue to insist it's $40 million when the evidence shows that's the farthest thing from the truth. You've now called that number unacceptably large, but the cabinet minute you signed got the whole ball rolling. Premier, will you tell us how much you spent to cancel the Oakville plant and how much our hydro rates are going to go up to pay for it? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tomorrow afternoon, an officer of this assembly will be announcing her findings in terms of the costing of Oakville. But, you know, Mr. Speaker, we're still waiting on the Progressive Conservative Party to come forward with the costing that they had before. They made very similar promises. You know, Oakville, the member mentions the Justice Committee. Let me share with him some quotes. We have Frank Clegg, Chairman for Citizens for Clean Air, who had this to say to the Justice Committee, we met with all parties and all the candidates and were given commitments by every candidate in the Oakville area that they would support cancelling the plant. Wellice, no, certainly Ted Chudley was the candidate MP for North Oakville. He was very active in his support of cancelling the plant during the plant battle. During that plant battle, I'll use that word. The PCs did not have a confirmed nominee, but we went with two or three potential candidates and each of them had said they would support that. So maybe the honourable member will share the costing that they had for the Oakville plant. Thank you, Speaker. Premier, the bottom line is that an honest, competent government would know the cost to cancel the Oakville plant and would tell the people of Ontario. An honest, competent government wouldn't wait three years until they're held at pinpoint by the Auditor General to come clean. Three years later and you're still saying one thing when you know the opposite to be true. You can run, but after tomorrow, you can no longer hide. By signing the cabinet document, you knew what was going to be unacceptably large. Here's another chance to save a shred of credibility. Premier, when did you know it was more than $40 million and how much is your seat-saber program going to cost Ontarians? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would suggest that an honest and competent opposition would have had costing before they made the exact same promise. Here's what the member from Halden had to say in this House in September 14th, 2010. Oakville residents have called on you to change the location of the proposed Oakville power plant. I have listened to the people of Oakville and I agree with them. The member from Halden, the press release September 14th, 2010. Minister, will you move the Oakville power plant? I'm asking the minister to consider moving this plant. What about the mayor of Oakville, Rob Burton? This is what he had to say to the Justice Committee. On March 19th, in Oakville, we certainly had those promises that we could rely on them from all three parties, so yes, we felt supported by all parties. March 19th, Oakville was very encouraged by the fact that all three parties were so responsive to our concern. Mr. Speaker, it was a promise they made and a promise that we kept. No question, the member from Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Premier, this question is for you. I am joined today by survivors of the Huronio Regional Center who are sitting in our galleries. Recently, their class action lawsuit was settled by your government. The most important part of the settlement was that they would finally receive an apology for the abuse and horrible neglect related to government action and inaction. Will the Premier commit today that the official apology will come from her personally and not from a minister? So, Mr. Speaker, the court is still determining, as I understand it, and I know the Attorney General is going to want to comment on that, but the court is still determining the nature of an appropriate apology, and so we need to hear from that process. And I know, as I say, the Attorney General is going to want to comment on that. I just want to acknowledge the people who are in the gallery today. I particularly want to acknowledge Marilyn Dolmage, and I don't know if people in this house know Marilyn while I've worked with Marilyn for years, and there is, I think there's probably not anyone in this province who has done more for people with disabilities, children with special needs in the school system to push governments of all stripes to do the right thing by young people and by people with disabilities. So I want to acknowledge and honour her and to thank her. Supplementary. I'm sure we all thank the Premier for acknowledging Marilyn Dolmage, and quite frankly, what Marilyn would like is you to commit to give an apology. That's what Marilyn would want. You know, Premier, the survivors don't want to be seen as clients of Ministry of Community and Social Services, and they also don't want to be seen just as part of a legal action against the Attorney General. What they do want, what they do require is to be seen as full citizens of the province of Ontario, which is what they would be if you, Premier, gave them an apology. I ask again, will the Premier commit today that the official apology will come from her? Attorney General? Attorney General. Well, thank you very much, Speaker, and first of all, they are full citizens of this province. Always have been, always should have been. That's number one. And secondly, I don't think any government in the past can be proud of the work that happened at Verona since the late 1870s and 1880s. Speaker, as the Premier has already indicated, the matter is before a judge right now. I understand that there will be a hearing on December the 3rd to fully lay out the entire aspect with respect to the settlement on an individual basis, on a collective basis. Right now, notices have gone out to about 4,500 individuals that may have a claim with respect to their residence at Heronia. I might also add, Speaker, and this may be no comfort to the residence at all, but the class action was settled in a very fast manner, less than three years, which is unusual for a class. What happened at Heronia is simply unacceptable, and that's why this government felt it was important for everyone to settle this action as quickly and as soon as possible. Thank you. Thank you. Your question, a member from Ajax Pickering. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I attended a half-day training session with our local firefighters, as did my colleague from Pickering East Scarborough. It's clear that a firefighter's job is not an easy one. The equipment is heavy, and it takes an enormous amount of courage to enter a situation that everyone else is running away from. It's very, very intense. The fire departments continue to aim providing the very best response in emergency times and prevention education programs to their residents. Yesterday marked the first day of fire prevention week. This year, Ajax and Pickering departments are focusing on kitchen fires. Mr. Speaker, through you, to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, can you please tell us why kitchen fires were chosen as this year's focus for fire prevention week? Thank you, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. I want to thank the member from Ajax Pickering for this question. We all know that cooking brings families together and sharing meals with loved ones is one of life's great joys. But there are also dangers in the kitchen. Kitchen fires are the number one cause of on fires in the province. This year, we aim to give Ontario families some best practices to help them enjoy their time with loved ones and avoid preventable tragedies. From 2011 to 2012, the number of fire deaths dropped from 86 to 70. The largest year-to-year drop in Ontario's history. But that number is still to eye. And there is more we can do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fire prevention education is important and it ensures that families are safe and take precautions to prevent a fire. I know that the Office of the Fire Marshal and all the fire departments across the province tell us to have working fire alarms and smoke detectors in their homes and fire emergency plans and anything else that will assist in these emergencies. All of these measures have greatly reduced the number of fire fatalities in this province. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Speaker, all I need is one more piece of paper. Mr. Speaker, my next question to my Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services is what are the best practices to prevent kitchen fires from occurring? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To make sure your family can continue to enjoy meals together without the threat of a fire, of a kitchen fire, we recommend staying in the kitchen, especially if you are frying something or using an high-temperature setting on a stove, keeping anything that can catch fire away from the stove top, turning pot handles inward so no one, especially children, cannot hot oil or food to the floor and wearing tight-fitting sleeves when cooking. Prevention is the most effective tool to fighting fires, so please keep all of these best practices in mind when you're in the kitchen. That's good. Happy early Thanksgiving Day for everyone, and keep safe. Thank you. Thank you. The question is for the Premier. Premier, we've heard that the auditor will table a report on the Oakville gaspan cancellation tomorrow. It will reveal the costs that have to be paid back by the taxpayer and the rate payer. As a quick reminder, the RFP for that project went out in 2004. Bids were considered, but it wasn't until September of 2009 that a contract was signed for a 900-megawatt plant. Within 13 months, the decision was made to not build that plant with the explanation that the power was no longer needed. According to your version of events, power demand remained constant from 2004 to 2009 and then miraculously dropped by two-thirds in a little over a year. It's been the windmills. You swore that the cancellation would cost at most $40 million. We know your mistake is going to cost at least $310 million. My question is, who got fired for that? Can you see it, please? Thank you, Premier. Government House Leader. You know, Mr. Speaker, it's interesting to hear the opposition finally talking about issues around siding plants. We, in fact, have asked the Justice Committee to take a look into it. But instead, Mr. Speaker, the Justice Committee wants to simply play gotcha politics. Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to be a witness at the Justice Committee. And let me tell you about my experience, particularly the first 10 minutes, Mr. Speaker. I am not making this up. The first 10 minutes, the member from North Bay asked me about a document I had never seen, a document I had never signed, and a briefing that I never attended. Mr. Speaker, he spent 10 minutes asking me what I might have hypothetically done. It was pathetic, Mr. Speaker. We have a committee which has been charged with very serious work to look at some of the errors that were made around Mississaug and Oakville and come up with some recommendations. Mr. Speaker, it's time that committee got to work and gave the government the information that they can use and future governments can use. Complementary. Back to the Premier. One thing is perfectly clear. If someone does the Premier's bidding, they will never face any bad consequences for their actions. Power demand just doesn't magically disappear overnight. The long-term energy plan reviews the long-term energy needs of the province, not the short term. Whose job is it to oversee Ontario's needs in between long-term energy plans if local demand can fall by two-thirds within a year and no one even notices? We know that your government's gross incompetence on this file will cost Ontarians at least $310 million. Will you give us an update today in advance of the auditor's report? What the final cost of you and your party's negligence on this file will be? Thank you. Helpfully. Mr. Speaker, it is amusing to hear the member try to be thoughtful and be analytical about this when he refuses to stand up and explain why his party made the exact same commitments, Mr. Speaker. Why did the Leader of the Opposition go on YouTube and say if he was Premier of this province, it would be done, done, done, the gas plant? Why did the member from Halton over and over again call for the cancellation of the plants? Why have we had dozens of witnesses in front of the committee talk about the outstanding support that they received from the Progressive Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party? Mr. Speaker, it's time that the Progressive Conservative Party started to explain to us their analysis and their costing. It's time that they allowed their candidates to come before the committee, Mr. Speaker, instead of blocking them. Mr. Speaker, it's time they came clean on a promise that they made to the people of Ontario. The Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The ponies aren't running like they used to at Sudbury Downs. The shortened season wraps up at the end of the week after only 20 races, leaving horse people in Sudbury and across the North worried about what happens next. They've seen uncertainty and layoffs across the board, Speaker. When will the Premier offer some good news for a change and provide long-term support for horse racing in Sudbury? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And the Leader of the Third Party asks a very important question about an issue that I have been working on very hard with the Minister for Rural Affairs as well. We know that the SWATs had race track program was unaccountable, Mr. Speaker. It was not sustainable. There was not transparency into that program, Mr. Speaker. That's why the panel has been asked to prepare a five-year strategy, Mr. Speaker, so that we can put the horse racing industry on a sustainable footing. That is exactly why my predecessor put the panel in place. Elmer Buchanan and John Snowblatt and John Wilkinson are working to make sure that the industry can be on that sustainable footing, Mr. Speaker. That's why we have a new chair at the OLG, Mr. Speaker, so that we can have an integrated gaming strategy that includes the horse racing industry, Mr. Speaker. That is the track that we're on, and we will have a sustainable horse racing industry in the province. Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, certainly I don't have to remind the Premier that it was, in fact, the governing liberals who destabilized the horse racing industry in the first place. You know, the Premier says she understands the needs of rural Ontario, but her government has nearly put an entire rural industry completely out of the running. Sudbury horse people are barely hanging on after such a short season. When will the Premier make a real long-term commitment to horse racing in Sudbury and end the endless talk and piecemeal promises? So, Mr. Speaker, I think putting $180 million in place for a transition period for three years, Mr. Speaker, it's a pretty concrete, it's a pretty concrete indication of where we want to go, Mr. Speaker. It was horse racing across the province at all of the tracks, Mr. Speaker, and the panel's plan will be based on principles, principles of accountability, transparency, a renewed focus on the customer, Mr. Speaker, and positive return on investment of the taxpayers of Ontario. That's what the plan will include, Mr. Speaker. So... That's over the top. Yeah, it is. Carry on, please. So, Mr. Speaker, all of the tracks that participated in the transition funding and will participate have to put forward a business plan, Mr. Speaker. So we'll work with all of the tracks that are able to do that as we go forward. I have said quite clearly to the panel I want a five-year strategy so that we can go through those five years, implement the recommendations, and then review at the end of the five years. We want this industry to be sustainable, Mr. Speaker. New question? Remember, from Mara Walereens. Well, thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food. Speaker, my writing is made up of both urban and rural areas from the farmer's market in Orleans-Centrum Plaza, a bustling shopping area to the Deloitte Farm, which had been in the family for over five generations. We know that farmers feed cities and are an integral part of the $34 billion agri-food industry, but if Ontario's industry is going to grow, flourish, and continue to compete internationally, more needs to be done by both government and industry. I attended the Premier's annual Food Summit with agri-food industry leaders this morning, and the Premier issued a challenge to them. Could the Premier please inform the House of the challenge she made? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the member for Ottawa or Orleans for his question. So many of the ridings in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, that are represented by people in this house, by members in this house, are both rural and urban and suburban, Mr. Speaker. They're not one or the other, and it really reinforces my perception of the province, that we're one Ontario, that we don't have these mythical divides between rural and urban, that that's not real, Mr. Speaker, so I was so pleased to be able to go to the ninth and to host the ninth Premier's Agri-food Summit, Mr. Speaker, with people from around the province. I believe that Ontario is filled with promise. I believe that the agri-food sector can grow, and Mr. Speaker, if we have some clarity of goals, we need to align our efforts, Mr. Speaker, and we need partnership and collaboration, and we will be able to grow that $34 billion industry, Mr. Speaker, into at least a leader in the country and in North America. Thank you, Speaker. And again, my question is to the Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food. Mr. Speaker, people in my writing will be excited to hear about the ambitious agenda. Our government is setting for the agri-food industry. The challenge of Premier Issue this morning will provide Apple opportunity for the sector to invest in the community, which will lead to jobs and economic growth. This government is committed to investing in people and businesses alike. Mr. Speaker, through you, could the Premier please elaborate on the challenge? What it will mean for agricultural business in Ontario? Thank you, Premier. So Mr. Speaker, what I said to the agri-food industry this morning was that I'm challenging that sector to double its growth rate and create more than 120,000 new jobs by 2020, Mr. Speaker. We've looked at the targets, the existing targets, and we believe that if we can push those targets, then we can create 120,000 new jobs by 2020. And the reason that I believe this is possible, Mr. Speaker, is as I travel the province and I visit individual industries, individual farms, I hear about those individual capacities to grow, Mr. Speaker, so we've got thousands of farms across the province, thousands of industries that can grow a little bit. We can aggregate that and we can create 120,000 new jobs by 2020. The targets are being discussed today by the people participating in the Agri-Food Summit and we're gonna get some feedback from them, but I believe that in collaboration with the sector, we can meet those targets, Mr. Speaker. And the question, the member from Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, my questions for the Premier. You may not know this Premier, but we share an anniversary. Two years ago yesterday, on the same day as I was elected the MPP for Cambridge, your Seed Saver program became a rousing success for the Liberal Party. Unfortunately, your calculated move left all Ontarians cynical after spending hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to win an election. And since I've arrived here, Mr. Speaker, the culture has not changed. After sitting in estimates last year, trying to get answers out of the then Minister of Energy, we now sit in estimates committee, trying to get answers out of the minister responsible for the Pan Am Games. In fact, under your government, nothing has changed. You stood by the Liberal scandals at eHealth and Orange and after a central role in the gas plant scandal and now the Pan Am scandal, the wind government has had more scandals than the McGinty government. Premier, what have you done to ensure that next year's estimates committee won't be another dog and pony show with you another minister evading questions on your next scandal? Good question. Someone has a leader. Again, you know, Mr. Speaker, I go back to my comments about the Justice Committee. In fairness, Mr. Speaker, the Justice Committee was asked to look at the matter that emanated from the prima facie finding a privilege, but Mr. Speaker was also asked to look at very, very important matters about the siting of gas plants in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker examined many of the Liberal witnesses that have been called, have been experts in the field, to give good advice to the committee so that they can write a report which will benefit our government and future governments. As has been said in this legislature, we got 17 right and we made two mistakes, but Mr. Speaker, the opposition, all they are doing is engaging in gotcha politics. Mr. Speaker, it's about, as I say, they brought me in front of the committee. I'm still not sure why they asked ridiculous questions about documents that I had not seen, and meetings that I had not attended, which they even admitted I had not seen or not attended, Mr. Speaker. If we could ask the legislative committees to do their work, Mr. Speaker, it would benefit all of us in this legislature. Thank you, supplementary. Premier, how is it that you haven't actually sat down, talked to your House Leader about accountability in your government to get on the same page? Your main spokesman for your spandle, Plaid Government, can't duck responsibility at every turn all while you pretend to be open and accountable for all. This good cop, bad cop routine is a little worn out at this point. Accountability is demonstrated through action, not conversation. So when the price tag on your seat saver scandal is revealed tomorrow in a report that you refuse to read, you're going to have to make some wholesale changes on that side of the aisle. Can we count on the Premier to show us what real accountability looks like tomorrow rather than just going through the motions while the cameras are on, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, we are going to see real accountability tomorrow because it was this Premier that asked for the Honourable General to undertake that report. It was this Premier, Mr. Speaker, who suggested a select committee to look into this matter, but the opposition, Mr. Speaker, refused because they wanted to go on a witch hunt on a respected member of this legislature who has since retired from politics. And Mr. Speaker, if the Honourable Member wants to talk about anniversaries, it was October 5th, Saturday, when his leader went on YouTube and said that if he was elected leader of this party, leader of this province, that the Mississauga plant would be done, done, done, Mr. Speaker, you want to talk about accountability, Mr. Speaker, they have a lot of answers. Thank you. I've asked for that stop and it's going to. New question. The member from Hamilton Mountain. My question is to the Minister of Education. Today, there are new reports that more Ontario children have been exposed to health and safety hazards and unlicensed home daycares, including rodent infestations, unsanitary conditions at daycares in Oakville in Burlington. Apparently, the Minister of Education was alerted to these risks by city officials, but it took no action, no visits, no inspections, no fines. Children from Ottawa, Vaughan, and Toronto have already died at unlicensed home daycares. Why is the Liberal government continuing to allow the health of children at home and unlicensed home daycares to be at risk? Thank you for that question. Yes, thank you, and I'm pleased to respond to the question. Speaker, I think we need to make it clear that since January of this year, that when the Ministry of Education has received a complaint, it has followed up on that complaint when there is a complaint about daycare. In fact, what sometimes happens is that there is some confusion around whether it's a public health complaint in which we would refer the complaint back to public health because, in fact, the Ministry of Education has no authority to deal with public health complaints. Where it is an education complaint, we have responded to every single one of those. And with one exception, it has nothing to do with this. But it is true that we need to refine the protocols between the two Ministers. Thank you, supplementary. The government has known about the lack of safety at unlicensed home daycares for years. Yet still today, parents can't get information about past complaints at these daycares. The Ministry of Education doesn't track results of public health reports on unlicensed home daycares or complaints to children's aid, animal control, or fire and police services. The Ministry doesn't inspect unlicensed daycares, and it does nothing to enforce health and safety violations. When will the government stop reviewing the situation and start taking action so that parents who drop their children at home-based daycares each day to know their kids are safe? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, it seems to me that if there is a complaint that falls under the authority of children's aid, that parents would want an experienced children's aids case worker looking into that. It seems to me that where there is a health and safety complaint, you would want to have a public health inspector looking into a health and safety complaint. Absolutely, we need to refine the protocols. In fact, in many cases, my ministry would be unaware of those complaints, because in fact, they don't come to the Ministry of Education where there is a ministry complaint. We are now following up on those sprupulously. Thank you. Thank you. Minister of Community Safety and Corrections on a point of order? Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my great pleasure to inform the House today that during a ceremony held last Friday, is Excellency the Right Honorable David Johnston, Governor-General of Canada, Elevated Ontario Police Provincial Commissioner Chris Lewis to the rank of Commander within the Order of Merit of the Police Force. The primary focus of the Order of Merit is on exceptional merit, contribution to policing and community development, recognized beyond three levels. As important as that is, as an announcement, it's not a point of order at this particular moment. And I would ask the minister to either just make her point, or else I'm going to ask her to make this as a ministerial statement. Well, I wanted to say that the commissioner of the OPP is the first Canadian police leader to have been elevated to all three levels of the order. Thank you. Thank you. A member from Kitchener, Conestoga on a point of order. So I'd like to wish my seatmate, the member from, I forget where he's from. Prince Edward Hastings, happy 43rd birthday today. That too was not a point of order, but was a lot shorter. The member from Leeds-Grenville, late Commissioner Lewis. Why don't you make it a member statement? And that too is not a point of order. Let's just stop. Let's just stop. I'm going to ask that a briefing be provided to all house leaders on the process of points of orders with regards to these kinds of things. So we need to make sure that we're, hang on, I'm trying to make a point here without the interruptions. This is important. It's part of the decorum of this place as well. And it doesn't require us to heckle when somebody's trying to make a point that should be somewhere else. So let's calm down. There are no further debates this house stands recess until 1 PM this afternoon.