 It is now time for all questions. The member for Nipissing. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. There is a disturbing scenario playing out right now, Speaker. Last October 6th, your government failed to deliver the long-range assessment of Ontario's finances as obligated under the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act. We were told they would be in the fall economic statement, but they weren't. In fact, there were no individual Ministry expense numbers listed, just the total program spending which magically falls in 2017 to balance the budget. And on February 15th, the Transparency Act also requires you to publish third quarter results. Again, nothing. Premier, you continue to keep any real numbers from this legislature. Is it because any one of those numbers would demonstrate you're not on track to balance the budget? Mr. Speaker, well, I invite the member opposite. Unlike last year, when this year's budget comes out, that he actually read the document because he obviously has a number of questions. I'm not sure whether he actually read the fall economic statement, but again, I would ask that he read the fall economic statement because, as I said, there is information in that document that makes it clear what our intentions are, what the numbers are, and I hope that he will take the opportunity to do that. But, Mr. Speaker, I will say this, that we will be bringing the budget forward. We will be making it clear that we are on track to eliminate the deficit by 2017-18, but we will also make it clear, Mr. Speaker, that we are intent in making the investments in people and in infrastructure and in a strong business climate to make sure that we have a prospering and growing economy, Mr. Speaker, investments that the member opposite will not be willing to make. Thank you, Speaker Premier. It's too bad that you didn't tell the bond rating agencies last May that you had a four and a half billion dollar gap in your budget. That's above and beyond your planned deficit of $11.7 this year, above your planned deficit of $10.4 billion next year, and above the $7.2 billion deficit the year after. Your annual deficits are larger than every other province plus the national deficit combined. It's clear you can't manage our money, so while other provinces are putting people back to work, your cabinet was told, quote, there are fewer jobs relative to our population and more unemployed, and, quote, per capita output of the economy remains below its pre-recession benchmark. Premier, you're failing Ontarians. You can't make the tough decisions, and the ones you do make turn into scandals. If you won't bring a plan to turn Ontario around, will you at least? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The plan that the member opposite and his leader are putting forward is to cut and slash across government, Mr. Speaker. It's to fire education workers, fire health care workers, Mr. Speaker, drive good jobs out of the province right now. So if the member opposite is asking, will we take that path, we absolutely will not, Mr. Speaker. That is not in the best interest of the people of this province. It is not in the best interest of the economy of this province. So we will bring our budget forward. We will make the investments that are necessary. We will partner with business, Mr. Speaker. We will work with key industries to make sure that they can expand, like the announcement I made yesterday at Fiera Foods, Mr. Speaker, where there will be more jobs created because of our partnering with that business. We will continue to do that work, Mr. Speaker. It would be wonderful if the member opposite joined with us because it is in the best interest of the people of this province that we make those investments and put that support in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Premier, it seems there's no limit to your planned revenue tools. You're going to tax hardworking families. You're going to tax business, maybe a tobacco tax, a transit increase. Your own finance ministry proposes another way to kill jobs while restocking your coffers. Here's what they had to say about your quote, partnering with business. This is a quote, development charges are a great idea. The developers of condos make a killing, presumably giving how many condos there are always being built. This is how you view the business community. Just another pocket to pick. They make a killing. Let's go after them. Never mind they actually put people to work. Why not kill that industry, too, just as long as you get a few bucks from them before they leave? Is that how you plan to budget, Premier? Kill the Golden Goose? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the member opposite has engaged in rhetoric and trash talk about the good work that Ontarians have been doing over the last number of years since the recession. He hasn't read the reports over the last year for that matter, Mr. Speaker. And don't take it from us. The CDL Institute, someone that they always respect, has come out and said very clearly Ontario leads all provinces right throughout Canada on transparency and on integrity of our numbers, right into the aid, because the work that we've done, they, however, did not. And we'll continue to do what's right for Ontarians. We'll continue to put on a very wholesome and strong plan to create jobs, and they have created jobs. You guys keep wanting to destroy the well-being of our economy by the reckless cuts that we're making. And, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the house, we're making invincible, and we're being positive to all of Ontario and for Canada. Your question, the member from the Pee and Carleton. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question, as well, is to the Premier, over the weekend you touted a line called what leadership is. Now, I can tell you what it is. It's two OPP investigations into your government. It's losing 330,000 manufacturing jobs. It is using a billion dollar of taxpayer money to save five liberal seats. It's breaking international law, and it's withholding information from the electorate on the 4.5 billion dollar hole in their budget. So they've demonstrated what leadership is not. I can tell you what leadership is. It is testing your policies and your record with the electorate. So we ask, on this side of the house, will you do that? Will you finally table a budget, and will you put it to a vote, not only in this assembly, but also with the electorate? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member opposite for the question. So I'm just going to talk a little bit about some of the things that have happened over the previous few years. We've got, when we came into office, 68% of students in this province are graduating from high school. Now, 83% of them are graduating from high school. When we came into office, the energy system was in disarray, Mr. Speaker. We have invested in transmission. We have a stable energy grid, Mr. Speaker. We have generation of clean, new and new industries. When we came into office, there was no measurement of lifetimes in health care. We led the way in measuring wait times, and those wait times that we have measured have come down, Mr. Speaker. From my perspective, those are all impacts on the lives of people in this province that will have a huge difference, and that's what leadership is, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? This is a Premier who's led the way on a few things, innovation, for example, in scandals, and the Premier knows full well that this recent scandal with her budget is actually the gas plants 2.0. I'm going to run down the formula. It's actually something we can now count on with this government. First, it's a desperation by a government that is about to lose everything. Second, you're going to find documents from bureaucrats, cautioning them against the Liberals' preferred course of action. Third, is that they develop spin lines and media diversions to manipulate the media and the government. Minister of Energy, come to order. Like accountability bills to throw us all off. Fourth, we go back to those documents put forward by the bureaucrats, and we find that they either redact them or they destroy them. And five, when all else fails, they try to shut down debate by either prorogation or trying to censor a member who has exposed them for what they are. So that's not leadership. The government has an opportunity. The Premier has an opportunity. Show some leadership. Devastrate with the budget. Table it here. Thank you. Premier? Very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, we actually will table the budget here. We will not go to Magna or anywhere else, Mr. Speaker. Let me just outline, Mr. Speaker, the kinds of things that we are going to be focusing on in order to grow the economy, because I really think that is critical at this juncture, Mr. Speaker. We are going to invest in infrastructure. And unlike the party opposite, we believe that having a plan to invest in roads and bridges and in transit, Mr. Speaker, that that's very important to the growth of the economy. We're going to be investing in skills and training, because we know that businesses come here and businesses tell us over and over again that the educated workforce is a huge benefit to business in this province, and it draws them here. We are going to continue to invest in a youth strategy. 30,000 young people getting placements already. More than 9,000 young people have an opportunity. Thank you. That's the kind of work we're going to be doing. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, sadly, 330,000 manufacturing jobs have left the province under your watch. We have the highest industrial, uh, high rates in North America. People are leaving to Quebec, to Manitoba, to New York to actually set up shop rather than stay here in the great province of Ontario. In fact, if you look at the confidence of that plan, she has lost seven MPPs as of today from her government speaker, I believe, for a new Premier that is actually unprecedented. So I just ask the Premier, she will have a day of reckoning whether she wants it or not. At some point in time there will be an ability for the opposition and the public to look at her books, either when she's out of power or before then. And on that day they will know, the Ontarians will know, the true cost of her premiership and we will know why so many MPPs in her own party do not have confidence in her and have decided either to leave now or leave later. She's desperately clinging to power. She has a choice. Table the budget now. Let Ontarians know what's in it and where that $4.5 billion is. Thank you. You stated please. Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I just want to say, I have the best team in the province. Mr. Speaker, we brought that legislation in because of what had happened under the previous government where there had been a $5.6 billion deficit hidden. We brought in legislation that requires government to open the books. We will do that and we have been doing that, Mr. Speaker. And I just want to say, I just want to say that the investments that we are going to make, the balance that we are going to strike between fiscal responsibility and investment is critical. Roger Martin said closing the prosperity gap cannot be done without making meaningful and targeted investments in productivity, enhancing resources and tools. We are going to take that advice, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. After spending months claiming that she's offering real change this weekend, the Premier declared that her new goal is defending the status quo of Dalton McGinty. Her family is worried about job loss. That's very concerning. They know that more of the same strategy of sky-high hydro rates and nose-to-head attached corporate tax loopholes is going to leave them looking for work. Just weeks ago, the Premier said people were looking for change. Why is it she is now so determined to offer more of the same? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think what I said on the weekend was that this is a very important time in the history of the economy in Ontario. And that what we need, Mr. Speaker, is we need to make sure that we make the right decisions. And from my perspective, Mr. Speaker, that means playing to our strengths. It means making the investments where they are most necessary and strategically, Mr. Speaker. So that's investing in the talent and skills of our people. It means investing in infrastructure. And I would say to the leader of the third party that includes transit, Mr. Speaker. It includes making investments in transit and in roads and bridges infrastructure across the province. It means, Mr. Speaker, working with business. It doesn't mean making business the enemy, whether that small business or large corporations. It means working with them so that they can expand and they can create jobs, Mr. Speaker. That's what I talked about this weekend. And that's the work that we have been doing and will continue doing. Well, Mr. Speaker, the Premier spent the weekend talking about liberal hands but for families across Ontario, the only thing steady about the McGuinty legacy is the steady flow of money out of their pockets and the steady flow of jobs out of Ontario. Those hands brought us the gas plant scandal and billions of dollars in waste. Those hands left Ontario with some of the highest hydro rates, the highest auto insurance rates and an unemployment rate stuck above the national average for years. Does the Premier really think offering more of the same is good enough? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I would suggest that what our hands have wrought is not the status quo, Mr. Speaker. We're on track to meet our goal of an average 8% reduction in auto insurance by August 2014. We've increased funding to home care and community services by $260 million in 2013. That's a 6% increase over last year, Mr. Speaker. And it's $185 million to provide it for CCACs to provide home care services alone. So that's a huge investment in the transformation of the health care system, Mr. Speaker. We've created $100 million small rural and northern municipal infrastructure fund. That means that those investments in roads and bridges in our northern and rural communities can go ahead, Mr. Speaker. And we know that those small economies, those local economies are dependent on that kind of infrastructure investment. Recently, more than four more companies in Southwestern Ontario will receive supports through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. That's not the status quo, Mr. Speaker. That's an investment in economic growth. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the Premier won her Liberal leadership talking about change and possibility, but it's more and more clear she's offering the same Dalton McGinty status quo that brought us sky-high hydro rates, a gas-plated scandal, and left Ontarians down over 300,000 manufacturing jobs. People want to see action to lower their hydro bills and make life more affordable. People want to see action that creates jobs. Why is the Premier insisting that the same old ideas are somehow working? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, let me just continue on the things that we have done that are actually new. And I know that the leader of the third party will know that there was a big discussion about the minimum wage, which she did not take part in, Mr. Speaker. But we are raising the minimum wage as of June 11. And then we're going to bring legislation. We brought legislation that I hope she will support to index the minimum wage to CPI. We've introduced legislation to strengthen the Employment Standards Act. And that'll provide more protection for vulnerable workers. I would hope that the leader opposite would support that new initiative. We passed the Local Food Act. And as part of that, Mr. Speaker, there's a $30 million local food fund, which is helping to make investments in the agri-food industry to help that industry grow. I hope that the leader of the third party understands that that's a very important thing. We've passed stronger protection for Ontario Consumers Act. And those initiatives protect consumers. And I hope that the leader of the third party understands how important that is. We passed the Supporting Small Businesses Act. It increases the exemption from the Employer Health Tax. Thank you. Exemption. So that, Mr. Speaker, is change. Thank you. And your question? The leader of the third party. My next question is also for the Premier. If we want to see where liberal hands have steered us into the ditch, we don't have to look much farther than our hydro system. The Premier insists that the system is working, but people like Grant from Renfrew, for example, disagree. He wrote, quote, I'm on a fixed income with an older home and hydro bills are affecting my life, unquote. He's upset that his family is paying costs that he calls way too high so that others can, quote, make money exporting what we pay for with no return for us, unquote. Why is the Premier so determined to defend a hydro system that leaves people like Grant paying more and more and lagging behind? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the Minister of Energy will want to speak to this in the supplementary. But I also know that the people of this province want an electricity system that they can rely on, Mr. Speaker. I understand that there are challenges, and the minister will speak to some of the initiatives that we've taken to make sure that we reduce those costs for people, particularly who are having trouble making ends meet, Mr. Speaker. But when we came into office, the electricity system was in disarray, Mr. Speaker. It was absolutely critical that the neglect that had been in place for years was tended to, Mr. Speaker. We have done that. We have made those investments, Mr. Speaker. And on top of that, we have moved to a much cleaner and more renewable energy supply, Mr. Speaker. We're very proud of that, and we are going to continue to do that work. And at the same time, recognizing that there need to be programs in place to help people to deal with their energy costs. And I know that the leader of the third party makes sure that her constituents know about all those programs, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Speaker John from Sudbury is working hard to minimize his bills, but he's clear when he says, and I quote, we should not be exporting power if we cannot afford to keep rates reasonably low at home. We should know by now that privatization does not save citizens money. High management costs usually ends up costing us more, unquote. In Manitoba in Quebec, businesses pay literally half of what we're charging Ontario businesses. And they're selling their exports for nearly twice as much. Is the Premier ready to take the waste out of the hydro system and take action to lower rates in Ontario instead of lowering them in the US? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Vanishing. Mr. Vanishing. Mr. Speaker, let's talk about Charlie from Hamilton. Well, let's talk about Ann from Toronto, who are having multiple, multiple smart days, Mr. Speaker, every single summer. Mr. Speaker, we had a dirty system. A dirty system, and we had a deficit of supply. We invested a new generation, Mr. Speaker. We took the opportunity to clean our air. That party, Mr. Speaker, doesn't care that we had to spend additional dollars for clean energy as opposed to dirty coal. Cheap dirty coal is what you sound like right now. We cleaned our air, and we have healthier people in our community right now. And I hope I have the opportunity, in a next question, to talk about electricity prices. Because your plan is a scam. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, it's sad to see a minister of energy joke about the real struggles of the people in his province. Hydro bills aren't just numbers he might need to know. People are wondering how they're going to be able to keep up. Helena from Hamilton wrote us to say, quote, we are a senior couple with limited income and no way to increase our income. The hydro bill is increasing. And while we are still able to pay it, my concern is what happens when one of us dies. And all these expenses of the House will have to come out of one income. Raising the cost of hydro affects all of us in the country. And we need sensible heads to see how things like funding the export of hydro is affecting those who can least afford it, unquote. Now, is the Premier ready to admit that her hydro plan isn't working and it's time to take the waste out of the hydro system so people like Helena aren't worried about her future and the future of her family? Thank you. Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, you know, we're talking about an election these days. And the opposition is asking for an election. There will be a day of reckoning when that party is going to have to stand before the people of Ontario and tell them what they will do. Mr. Speaker, they don't want new... Stop the clock, please. I... No, I would and I did. And I'm going to ask members to, again, not refer to anyone other than their title or their writing. And that's the kind of heckling that causes the escalation of the emotions and I want it to diminish. No, it's not funny. It's serious. Well, that's too bad. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, they talk about creating an energy system that will be beneficial to people in Ontario. Yet, Mr. Speaker, they will not build new nuclear. They will not refurbish the existing units, Mr. Speaker. There's 50% of our electricity generation that they would cut off at the knees, Mr. Speaker. So, what are they going to replace it with, Mr. Speaker? How long will it take? What will the cost be? And what will that do to increasing prices? Mr. Speaker, we have comparative prices on electricity price costs. Ottawa, 12.39 cents per kilowatt hour, Mr. Speaker. Edmond, 13.9. Thank you. New question? I'm going to remember from the new market award. The question is to the Premier. Speaker, at the root of the ORM scandal, according to the Auditor General's 2012 report, where the following findings. First and foremost, the Ministry of Health failed in its oversight responsibilities. It failed to get proper information relating to patient pickup and response. There was a lack of transparency surrounding the financial affairs of that organization. There were questionable procurement practices that are now under criminal investigation. Speaker, that was in 2012. We now have a recent audit report issued by the Ministry of Finance that made 48 findings of orange that included the very same issues that the Auditor General identified in 2012. Question. My question to the Premier is, is she aware of that report? And how is it that under new management, a new board, a new CEO, under a new amendment to the performance agreement, we have the same issues? I don't... Thank you. Premier, the long-term care. Speaker, and I'm very pleased to say that orange has already implemented 39 of the 48 recommendations outlined in the report and that progress is being made on the remaining nine, Speaker, and we will continue to work with orange as they implement the remaining recommendations. I can tell you that this work builds on other accountability measures that have been undertaken by... Member from Durham, from the Order. ...new leadership. They've released their strategic plan. They've submitted their first quality improvement plan. They're posting salaries of senior leadership online. They're activating the new whistleblower hotline, establishing a conflict of interest protocol. They've got their first patient advocate in place. They've got a travel and business expense policy that requires submitted expenses to be appropriate, Speaker. Orange is on the right track. And I look forward to the member opposite, supporting Bill Levin. Thank you. Clemente. I'll speak to you, Xi. We don't believe any of that because under that new board, under the new CEO, under the minister's new oversight branch, under the minister's new amended performance agreement, this audit report was conducted over an entire year under that new management, under that new board. And the same issues appear. Here they are. A lack of documentation of board decisions, a lack of board approval of significant policies, including procurement, travel and expenses, the compensation system, the performance pay. Speaker, under the new board, contracts valued at between $100,000 and $750,000 were not signed in accordance with Orange's signing authority. Reaction, response times are not being properly reported. I'd like to know from the premium. Question. Because the list goes on. The incompetency continues. I'd like to know how come the same minister continues to have the responsibility to open the orange and our air energy. Thank you. Minister of Health. Well, Speaker, I think any independent observer would recognize that Orange is well into an agenda. The member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order. And the member from Durham will come to order. They have put together a very strong team. The board is an entirely voluntary board, Speaker, and they have been dedicated to implementing all of the recommendations. So let me repeat, Orange has already, I've read it, Orange has already implemented 39 of the 48 recommendations, Speaker. The remaining nine are underway. What I can tell you, Speaker, is that there's also been an increased focus on patient safety. They've provided additional training for helicopter pilots, including control fight into terrain. They've revised operating procedures for night operations. They're installing solar lighting plants. There's a lot happening, and it's all good. Please pass Bill 11. Thank you. Question, the member from Hamilton East Stony Creek. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, for months this government has carried on about government transparency and accountability. But what Ontarians are getting is more of the same stonewalling. Now we hear about more firings at the pan-parapan games and more fat cat severances. First, it was Ian Troup being replaced by Saad Rafi. Now, as more execs are being shown the door, new liberal insiders are walking through that door. Speaker, will the Premier tell Ontarians how much they paid Neela Barton in severance when she left the former Premier's office? How much we're paying her now? Is severance included in her new contract and why? And how much are we paying in severance to those most recently fired executives? Wow, the Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport will want to speak through the details, but I just want the member officer to know that TO2015, the Pan Am group, is working in coordination with the provincial government and the federal government and 15 municipalities, Mr. Speaker, to deliver the Pan Am games. And part of their mandate, part of TO2015's mandate is to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of the games. And that means dealing with human resources issues, Mr. Speaker. So I have complete confidence in both the Chair and the CEO, Mr. Speaker. I know that they are making decisions. We have no control over the HR decisions, Mr. Speaker, in terms of who they may or may not hire and they will make those decisions. Those decisions are made by the CEO of TO2015. And the Organizing Committee is shifting from the planning stage into the operational stage, Mr. Speaker, into the lead-up of the game. So it makes sense that there would be HR changes. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. I think the Premier answered my question right off the bat. No control. Speaker, there's a pattern emerging here in the Pan Parapan games. A pattern that keeps costs going up, whether it's security costs that are ballooning, golden parachutes for well-connected executives, soft landings for Dalton McGinty insiders like Neela Barton. It's an arrogant way, Speaker, to treat Ontario's money, and it's time to show that hard-working, tax-paying families get some respect in this province. Speaker, will the Premier release these contracts and these severance agreements today? Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know that there's a pattern emerging, and the pattern is that members of the opposition in the third party, even though they have the information, they can take part in technical briefings, Mr. Speaker, they're getting the information. They know that the work is proceeding, Mr. Speaker, and that there is going to be a terrific legacy. They continue to talk down the Pan Parapan games. It makes absolutely no sense to me, and I just heard a member of the opposition say a waste of money, and I would ask him to talk to the young athletes in his riding, Mr. Speaker. I would ask him to say it, please. Can you say it, please? Question, the member from the Toronto North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Labour, Yasir Navi. It determines its prosperity. Our own... The member from Durham is warned. Finish, please. Our own investment, Speaker, includes full-day kindergarten, leading up to world-class schooling, and this, of course, is especially valued by people in my own riding of Etobicoke North. And for many young Ontarians, this is followed by remarkable opportunities at the college and university level. Speaker, as you may know, our Youth Employment Fund has helped over 8,200 young people find meaningful employment, which, of course, is commendable. I still hear how difficult it is for folks to enter the workforce and how internships are often the only way to get in the door. Youth in Etobicoke Speaker are concerned about internships, where they're not paid, and I'm concerned about this as well. My question is this, Speaker. What is the Ministry doing to make sure that when young people in my country start a new job, they'll be paid for that work? Thank you, Minister Labour. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for asking a very timely question. Speaker, we know that building a stronger workforce is about building a safe and fair workplaces. In Ontario, Speaker, the rules about internships are very clear. It does not matter what your job title or position is. If you perform for work for someone, you are covered by the Employment Standards Act. Speaker, you deserve to pay at least the minimum wage. There is a narrow exemption for co-op students from accredited university and college programs, trainees, and self-employed individuals. Speaker, the Ministry has been very active on this issue to get the word out. We updated our webpage on internships to provide clarity on this particular issue. We also have been proactively writing letters and reached out to post-secondary institutions, employers, job sites, to make sure there's no confusion around what the rules are in the legislation. Speaker, we are also active on Facebook, on Twitter, on YouTube, making sure that we can broadcast our strong rules to young people in Ontario. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Minister, or in Urdu, Shukria. I appreciate your outlining the strong rules that we have on internships in Ontario. My constituents in Etobicoke North in particular value the fact that the Ministry is reaching out to young people, businesses, and institutions to raise awareness of these rules. But, Speaker, I sometimes hear from Etobicoke North residents that even though they know the Ministry of Labor is out there to help them, they are reluctant sometimes to reach out. This was also raised in a press conference by the member from Davenport when he announced his private members' bill on internships. So, Speaker, my question is this. Are formal complaints and reactive inspections the only way the Ministry will investigate? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, thank you very much. I think this is a very, very important and serious question, and I welcome the participation of all members in getting the message across. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that our member, that our government is doing, are very best to ensure that our youth's rights are protected. Any concerns regarding working arrangements can be referred to the Ministry of Labor's hotline at 1-800-531-5551. Special Speaker, confidential help is available in 23 different languages, and this includes anonymous tips as well. The Ministry will investigate any and all complaints to enforce our rules. We are, Speaker, the first government to conduct proactive inspections, and while out in the field, our enforcement officers are specifically also asking about internships. Speaker, I also announced last December that we'll be doing a proactive employment enforcement bill dealing with internships, specifically starting in June. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. The question, the member from Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Minister, the amount of money the Liberal government wasted on cancelling two gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville could have paid for Highway 7 expansion in my community nearly four times over. Yet you pulled the plug on both plants with no forethought on the cost or the consequences. Now, the number of infrastructure projects in the region of Waterloo and Guelph area are starting to pile up, and specifically both Highway 85 and Highway 6 require infrastructure upgrades. So, Minister, after wasting billions of dollars on the gas plant scandals and debt interest payments, what plans do you have to upgrade these roads and how much money will you invest? Very good. Thank you, Minister. Thank you for your presentation. I want to thank the member for the friendly question. The irony is, Mr. Speaker, is we're spending $14 billion a year on infrastructure or 2% of our GDP? His federal party is spending $73 million or less than a fraction of 1% of GDP. What are the worst records ever? The gas plants, I guess they buy them at garage sales, Mr. Speaker, because they must get some discount because they were the ones who promised first to cancel them. And those gas plants have been relocated, not canceled, and actually are producing energy, Mr. Speaker, because the people in Oakville and Mississauga asked for that, Mr. Speaker. So that money is out there working. I know we had to fulfill his promise for them. But I guess maybe there's some gas plant discount sales at garage sales in Conestoga that I'm not aware of, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary? Yeah, again, to the minister, I'll ask him a second time. So last weekend, your premier said, or our premier said, that she will not negotiate with the NDP on the budget. Then today, we learned that the Liberal government will pack its budget full of reckless policies that will appease the anti-business stance of the NDP. So I guess the premier is right, in fact. There is no room for negotiation when the plan is to give everything to the NDP. It's sad that Ontario has a government that spends the majority of its time developing new ways to placate the NDP. While ignoring critical infrastructure needs, and municipalities like the region of Waterloo and the Guantanamo area, Minister, forget about the garage sales. Will you just admit that you will do anything to cling to power even if that means ignoring infrastructure investment and plunging the province into more debt just to appease the NDP? Coalition. Thank you. Minister, good things. Thank you. Without comment. Minister? Thanks. I have to encourage my friend opposite, Mr. Speaker, to read budgets. Readers are leaders, Mr. Speaker, and they would save a lot of time in here because he would know that there's already $50 million in the budget for Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, and that we have made numerous commitments to complete that. We're quite excited about that. And why can't we do that, Mr. Speaker? Because the last year that they were in power in this province, they spent $1.4 billion totally on schools and water. What does $1.4 billion buy you, Mr. Speaker? It certainly doesn't buy you Highway 7 or Highway 85. So we are now spending 10 times what you spent on infrastructure so that we can build Highway 7. Maybe he could talk to his federal friends because we just added four go trains to Kitchener Waterloo, and your federal cousins canceled four via trains. So 10% spending of what we do is the cancel rapid transit projects we add them. Thank you. It's the garage sale part. Thank you. New question, the member from Nickel Belt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Health Minister. This morning, the Ontario Health Coalition released a report entitled For Health or For Wealth. The report details dozens and dozens of example of extra billing, user fees, and sale of queue jumping for services. All of those in clear violation of the provincial and federal laws. OHC researchers found that the clinics were charging patients between $50 and $3,500 for OHIP-insured medical services. Is the minister concerned about those violations and is she prepared to do anything about them? Minister of Health, I'll take care of you. Well, Speaker, I will be absolutely clear on this. The Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act, which we passed in 2004, very clearly states that there may be no charges for insured services. Speaker, we hold true to that value, Speaker. And if there are examples of clinics charging patients, then that needs to be reported. And we act on that, Speaker, because the protection of our single-tier system is of paramount importance to us. So, Speaker, we are doing many things to transform our healthcare system. One of them is looking at establishing specialty clinics outside the walls of the hospital. And I know the member opposite is familiar with the birthing centres that we've already opened, one in Ottawa, one in Toronto, Speaker, to support people to have their babies outside the walls of the hospital, but in a safe environment. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the Ontario Health Coalition did a similar report in 2008. Some of the clinics that are now charging higher fees were named in that 2008, and the minister did nothing. Speaker, the user fees, extra billing and the upselling of medical unnecessary tests and procedures not only harms patients, they harm our healthcare system. When someone needs a cataract surgery or colonoscopy, they should not have to decipher the legalities of the fees or even worse, argue about them with the physician who is going to provide that care. This government has talked a good game when it comes to protecting our public healthcare system, but if they fail to prevent this violation, all their talk is for nothing. My question is simple. Why is the government moving more and more of the services to private clinic when it cannot assure Ontario that public healthcare will be protected? Thank you. Mr. Welles, Speaker, I'm afraid that the member opposite, well, she knows full well that the clinics that we're talking about opening are non-profit clinics, Speaker. She knows also that we enforce the commitment to the future of Medicare, and I would urge anyone who is being charged for medically-insured services report, and I'm even going to give you the phone number, 1-888-662-6613. If anyone is being charged for services that are OHIP covered, they should call that number and report it, and we will follow up. It's against the law. It is not tolerated. Thank you. Any questions? The members from Ottawa, our names. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, I know that MNR has a strong commitment to protecting the endangered species of our province, and that MNR has some great work to protect the habitats and help in the recovery of Ontario species at risk. I know that public stewardship efforts are integral to protecting endangered species in Ontario, and your ministry encourages this through programs such as the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund. I was happy to hear in the beginning of March that your ministry announced funding for a number of new projects to protect, preserve and restore our rich biodiversity and educate other speakers. Could the minister please tell the members of the legislature about how your ministry helps protect endangered species through public stewardship projects such as the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund? Thank you, Minister of Natural Resources. Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank the member from Ottawa, Alene's, for being such a strong advocate on this issue, and our party clearly stands in strong contrast with respect to our position on this with the opposition. The Stewardship Fund enables our partners to carry out a shared vision to protect species right across the province of Ontario. Since 2007, in fact, we've announced $35 million in funding for 660 projects across the province. These local stewardship grants have restored more than 24,000 hectares of habitat and have generated more than 2,100 jobs in doing so. Projects such as these, through our ministry, help to provide protection for more than 150 species at risk, Speaker, and help our ministry ensure Ontario's native species continue to contribute to our rich biodiversity. In fact, in the beginning of March, our ministry was honored to receive a recognition award for the Environmental Commission of Ontario for our efforts to reestablish a migratory bird, the piping plover at Wasaga Beach. This recovery process was an excellent example of these stewardship programs. You're here. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister. I'm glad that your ministry is working hard to protect threatened species, such as the piping plover, that these efforts are recognized by the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. I have a keen interest in preserving their environment and our province is rich biodiversity and the species that risk stewardship funds sounds like a great way for the people of Ontario to get involved and assist in that goal. To increase knowledge and awareness, we can play a role to protect Ontario's natural spaces and the plants and animals that live in them. Could you please elaborate for the members of this House, some of the projects that local groups have put into action to preserve our province's rich biodiversity? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker, and again, thanks to the member for the question. Earlier in March, our ministry announced that it will be supporting 103 different projects through our Species at Risk Stewardship Fund in the 2014-15 year. Up to $5 million in funding will be allocated to 75 new projects and 28 ongoing multi-year projects. The number of projects taken up by local community members in our province demonstrates the dedication that Ontarians have to protecting our natural resources. One of these important projects includes an initiative by the High Park Nature Centre. They'll lead an innovative urban bat project to learn about the brown bat and northern long-eared bat, which are both species at risk, Speaker, as well as the Canadian Wildlife Federation will work to better understand concerns with the American eel in the Ottawa River. These are just two of the many projects that we've taken on. And local community groups have supported that demonstrates our commitment to protecting biodiversity in Ontario. Thank you for your question. Remember, from first grade... My question is to the Minister of Health, Children and Youth Services. Children's mental health agencies are exasperated. One in five young people in Ontario need... Stop the clock, please. You've kind of put two ministries together. I need to know which one. Secret, Children and Youth. Children's mental health agencies are exasperated. One in five young people in Ontario needs mental health services. Demand is going up and so are wait times. Among the many expert groups that have expressed concern, there's a consensus that we're facing a tsunami. Although your government claims to be increasing services, kids' mental health services in Ontario have been, in fact, grappling with unprecedented cuts to their operational funding over the years, while residential services have not seen any investment at all. As the Minister responsible, what are you prepared to do to remedy the situation and help these kids and me? Thank you. Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question with respect to children and mental health. As we know, the first three years of our Ontario comprehensive mental health strategy was focusing on children. And we have made a big difference in our communities over that period of time. However, I believe the member opposite also recognizes that we recently released our Moving on Mental Health strategy, which directly will impact this sector and is in direct response to what we've been hearing from parents, because certainly we have been hearing from parents, from families, from youth and children. We've put together the strategy. I'll let you know a little bit more about the strategy and the supplementary, but certainly our commitment remains strong to children's mental health. Thank you. Thank you, guys. Thank you, Speaker. Kids need action, not more strategy and study. Mr. Speaker, I question this minister's commitment to the children who she's tasked with advocating for. I respectfully remind her that the agency she's responsible for have had their budgets decreased steadily in relation to the inflation rate. Since 1992, this sector has seen a meager 8% overall increase. As such, many could close doors and send kids to the hospital emergency department as their last resort, the most costly form of care. Having wasted a billion dollars on gas plants and sending millions overseas in debt interest charges, will the minister identify where she will find the money to fund community-based children's mental health programs and services? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. And again, with respect to children's mental health, we've in fact been increasing our investments in our communities. We've increased our mental health workers in schools and all our communities. We've added 770 new mental health workers in our communities. Our budget will go to 90 dollars for children's mental health. Our moving on mental health strategy will ensure that there's a lead agency that parents don't have to tell their stories over and over again. We'll bring communities together. We'll ensure that the system is easy for parents. I have certainly been listening to parents and our youth, and we will continue to do that. We have been acting. It's not just a strategy. It's not just words. We are absolutely committed to children's mental health. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Speaker, I have been working with a group of French language parents in my writing. The Coalition de Péran pour une école secondaire de Cartier is furiously working towards securing space for a French language secondary school in East Toronto. There are 1,000 French language students in desperate need of a high school that has the full facilities of a regular public or Catholic school. Currently in Toronto, College Français located downtown can only house 399 students. Monsieur le Président, est-ce que? Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us why the Francophone students in East and Toronto have to go on to downtown to be transferred to an English school for their secondary school? Thank you very much. I think the answer here is that when you look at the investment that we have made in new French language schools, so people understand we're talking here about French as a first language school boards, the French public and French Catholic school boards, that in fact we have spent about $1.3 billion investing in new schools for the two French language school boards over the past 10 years. There has been a significant investment in schools. The way the process works, Speaker, is that we ask the school boards each year to submit their capital plans and to identify their priorities and to present a business case for each school once they are requesting funding. And we look at those business cases. We've announced in this recent announcement we're making a number of new French Catholic schools in French public. Supplementary. Speaker, there are 1,000 French language students in the East end of Toronto, and that number is set to increase by 50% in the next three to four years. The minister needs to know that this is an urgent need, but it seems there is no plan in place to address it. In an effort to secure a high school in our neighborhood, both public and Catholic school parents are working together in order to secure school space that currently exists in underutilized schools. When is the minister going to commit herself to meet the parents and work with them to find a school in East Toronto to find a school in the same area? Well, I can only repeat, speaker, that the process is for the relevant school boards, the French public and the French Catholic school boards, to identify the schools and present those in their capital plan. They are responsible for making those business cases, but just to reassure the member, in fact, we have actually announced 12 new French language schools in this year's capital plan. But the boards, well, the boards need to put forward the business cases because for, in fact, we have actually provided capital for Viamonde, for example, the French public board that is responsible for Toronto. So I was very delighted to announce new schools for both of the boards that work in the Toronto area. So I just want to assure the member that we are going money to catch them. Thank you. New question, the member from Oakville. Thank you, Speaker. I've got a question this morning for the Minister of Consumer Services. Minister, in my writing of Goatville, we've got many businesses, both small and large, that sell and use propane on a daily basis. I've always understood the need for the careful use of propane and the safety requirements for propane handling in business. As a very volatile product that needs to be handled carefully to protect both workers and the public, it's important that there be comprehensive regulations and requirements around the storage and the handling of this product. And we need robust certification requirements for business and individuals who work with the product. So given the importance of safe propane handling, Minister, would you please share specifically how the government ensures that we have safe handling and storage of propane in Ontario? Thank you, Minister of Consumer Services. How do you do that? First, from Oakville for raising this very serious and important topic related to, excuse me, public safety. Proper handling and storage of propane is very important to maintaining and promoting safety in Ontario. That's why we continue to implement the recommendations from the Propane Safety Review Panel 2008. We've already implemented measures, such as annual inspections, propane transfer facilities, increased training requirements for employees and risk and safety management plans as part of the licensing process, Speaker. The implementation of these recommendations has gone a long way to enhance public safety in Ontario. And as a public sector regulator, the Technical Standards Safety Authority, known as the TSA, is charged with overseeing the requirements on and the business of handling propane. The minister works very closely, Speaker, with the TSA. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for informing the House today about the regulations and the requirements that the government already has in place to ensure the public safety in Ontario in regards to the storage and handling of propane is well handled. It's comforting to hear that we've taken action to ensure public safety when dealing with a product as volatile as propane. However, as a representative of a riding where there's a large number of small businesses and small business owners that use and sell propane, I've also heard concerns about the over-regulation of businesses that need to use propane on a daily basis. So it's important to me, Speaker, that sufficient public safety is maintained, but it's got to minimize the burden on business as well. Minister, I've heard that your ministry is looking at specific measures to achieve such a result. Would you please inform the House on what those new initiatives are that you currently have under consideration? Thank you, minister. Thank you. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to inform the House about the proposals to enhance the propane safety regime in Ontario and the ones that are currently under consideration. So the proposals aim to improve safety while minimizing the burden on business speaker by increasing efficiency and simplifying regulatory requirements. Proposals put forward for consideration range from a change in the inspection model to streamlining the approval process and simplifying training requirements. Some of these proposals, Speaker, rise from the recommendations received from the propane safety review panel that stated that TSA should inspect facilities annually until enough data has been gathered to develop alternative approaches to enforcement. Staff continue to accept and review public feedback on these proposals that look to relieve regulatory burden on business while, of course, maintaining and enhancing public safety. Thank you. New question, the member from Wellington, Halton Hills. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. As we know, Kaleidiko is a new drug which appears to be a miracle treatment for some cystic fibrosis patients and it gives hope to families with loved ones who are suffering from it. In recent weeks, we have listened to the government's lame excuses for the delays in the approval of funding for Kaleidiko for cystic fibrosis patients like Maddie Vanstone. But it's not just Maddie Vanstone. In my writing, I've been approached by three families who've been affected by cystic fibrosis and to whom Kaleidiko represents hope. Three families in my writing. Today I'm standing up for Maddie Phipps and Shannon and Matthew Bain, all of Georgetown and Lindsay Shaw of Fergus, all of whom have cystic fibrosis and all of whom need Kaleidiko. My question to the Minister is simple. Why are these families being forced to wait so long for her to announce funding for Kaleidiko? Thank you. Please. Thank you. Minister Feldman from Cure. Well, thank you, Speaker. And I want to be very clear that Kaleidiko is a drug that offers real hope for some people with cystic fibrosis. I know that, Speaker. And I think it's important, though, that we do negotiate for these drugs. We have worked in a pan-Canadian approach, Speaker, on this drug and 29 other drugs, and we have successfully reached agreement with drug companies at prices that make it able for us to afford more drugs for more people. For the opposition party to suggest that we simply pay whatever price the pharmaceutical company says they want to charge us is simply irresponsible. It was not their practice when they were in office, and I can assure you that it's important that we negotiate the prices. And, Speaker, I hate to say this, but some pharmaceutical companies are relying on this kind of public pressure so they can charge higher drugs than they're charging in other jurisdictions. Can you supplementary? Well, Mr. Speaker, the Minister knows we're standing up for our constituents, so she should understand that. It's now been more than a year since I first raised this issue with the Minister, and we're still waiting. I first raised the issue of Kaleidiko with the Minister in December 2012 in an email to her office. I spoke to her personally on February the 20th last year, and again on March 20th of last year, and I raised the need for Kaleidiko funding in the legislature in debate a year ago tomorrow. I followed up in question period on May the 2nd, last year, when I specifically asked the Minister to commit to doing everything she could to expedite the process to approve this drug. While the government appears to be hiding behind a broken process, families worry and wait for more than a year. When will the Minister announce approval for funding for Kaleidiko for Ontario Cystic Fibrosis patients? Thank you. Thank you. Do you see it, please? Minister? Speaker, I think it's important that the member opposite acknowledges that the company, the pharmaceutical company called Vertex, Speaker. Member from Suffering, Caledon, come to order second time. The pharmaceutical company was funded to the tune of 75 million, plus an additional 75 million promised for the development of this drug by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the United States. This research and development was funded by the public, Speaker. I think when people donated to that cause, they expected patients would benefit. So I think the company, Vertex, needs to be held to account. They need to negotiate. We ought not pay higher prices for this drug than in other jurisdictions. If you really care about this, I urge you to contact the pharmaceutical company and say, take your responsibility to the people with Cystic Fibrosis seriously and negotiate with us as Canadians, Canadian children. Thank you. We are on order for votes. This House stands recess until 3 p.m. this afternoon.