 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. My question is for the Acting Premier. Acting Premier, the Chief Electoral Officer's report into the Sudbury by-election states, and I quote, Summons were issued requiring attendance at a designated time and place, and I quote, So Acting Premier, did the Premier receive a summons from the Chief Electoral Officer or his investigators, and is that how she came to be interviewed? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker, and the Member Officer knows that the Premier has repeatedly answered questions in this House about this issue. We know that she takes it very seriously and that she is cooperating fully with the investigation. You know, Speaker, I must say that I don't think I'm the only one in this province who finds it very, very strange that the opposition has asked nothing but questions on the Sudbury by-election for the past several weeks to the exclusion of all others. But I do know that the opposition party carries deeply about the economy of Ontario, and I know that they would want to share, they would want to know about some very important information about our economy that was released just this morning. Speaker, this is from our economics, and I look forward to the supplementary because I know they care about the economy. I know they want a healthy economic future. Well, Mr. Speaker, back to the acting Premier, acting Premier, and you know that two-thirds of Ontarians think this is a very serious issue, and two-thirds of Ontarians want Pat Sabara to step aside and doesn't believe she should continue with her duties, her paid duties in the Premier's office. Pretty well all Ontarians by now that pay attention to this place know that the Premier is not answering questions about the bribery scandal. She's not cooperating with the police. It's been nine weeks since the investigation was reopened in Sudbury by the OPP, and she's yet to set a date, as far as we know, to meet with the OPP. I'm going to ask you, is the only reason she met with the chief electoral officers, investigators in a timely manner, because they had the power to summons her and throw her in jail, frankly, if she didn't show up? Is that the only reason? Because you know the OPP don't have that power. They have to wait for her to say yes to a meeting. So, you know, is the only reason she showed up is the threat of her sentence? Thank you. I find the innuendo under that underline that question beneath the dignity of the interim leader of the opposition party. The member knows that the Premier takes this very seriously. He knows that she's cooperating fully with the investigation, but I do think it's important to think about a bigger issue, and that is the economy of this province. RBC reported today that Ontario is expected to top provincial economic growth rankings in 2015, something that has not happened since the year 2000, according to the RBC Economic Provincial Outlook. Listen to this. I know people want to hear this. RBC forecasts real GDP growth for the province to accelerate from an estimated 2.4... Please wrap up. ...to a five-year best rate of 3.3% in 2015. That is great news for the people of this province, the people that we all represent. This is great news. We should be applauding you. The final supplementary. We're back to the acting Premier, Mr. Speaker. Acting Premier, it took six weeks for the Premier to meet with the chief electoral officers' investigators into the bribery allegations. The member from Newmark and Laura. It's now been over nine weeks since the OPP reopened their investigation into the allegations. We know now that the only reason the Premier met in a somewhat timely manner with the chief electoral officers' investigators is because she was subpoenaed. And we all know that the OPP don't have those powers. They can request an interview, and you have to voluntarily go for an interview. Acting Premier, can you tell me what other citizen in the province of Ontario can just put the OPP off for over nine weeks? Thumb their nose at the investigators and then come into this place and pretend that they're cooperating with the investigation. That doesn't hold water acting Premier. The people of Ontario see right through it. So tell us, what's the real reason why the Premier is stalling her meeting with the OPP? Acting Premier. Mr. Speaker, I completely reject the innuendo and the suggestion in that question. The Premier is cooperating fully. As she has said in this House several times, she's setting up that meeting with the OPP Speaker. But let's talk about the economic growth in this province. RBC notes that economic development over the past several months have been overwhelmingly favourable for Ontario's economy. The plunge in oil prices, the sliding value of the Canadian dollar, surprise interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada, mounting evidence of U.S. economy is hitting its stride. These factors should all boost growth in Ontario. That's great news not for the government but for all of the people of this province. Craig Wright, Senior Vice President, Chief Economist at RBC. The positive effects from the drop in oil prices and related developments will coalesce at a time when the provincial economy is already displaying rising momentum. They're not asking any other questions because there are no questions that are priorities for them. Thank you. We're asking questions because we're trying to get to the bottom of a scandal. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Today I wrote to the Information and Privacy Commissioner to ask that he begin an immediate investigation to ensure that appropriate documentation, retention, procedures have been followed by the Premier's office in relation to the Sudbury by-election. It's pretty clear that your Premier intends to stand by Pat Sobera while she is under active investigation. So please explain what steps have been taken to ensure emails, memos and all documentation regarding to the Sudbury by-election have been preserved for the police investigation. Good, Deputy Premier. Well, as the Premier has said, the investigation is happening outside this house by people who are competent and trained to conduct such investigations. We're seeing a lot of amateur detection work here, Speaker. The member from the team, Carlton, come to order with the appropriate officials when it comes to this investigation, Speaker. So let's talk about the economy. What RBC said today is that in 2014 there was clear evidence that activity picked up particularly in the trade sector where merchandise exports grew by 8% in nominal terms. Congratulations, Mr. Responsible for Trade. Also encouraging nearly all major export categories recorded gains, including consumer goods, up 14.4% motor vehicles in parts, up 8.5%. This is fantastic news for Ontario. Thank you. It demonstrates we're focused on the import. Thank you. Before I move to the supplementary, I'm going to remind the member and anyone else answering that you related to the question. Supplementary. The only reason you don't want us to ask any of these questions is because there is a stench surrounding the Sudbury by-election. And we are meeting itself right now because the Premier has refused to ask for Deputy Chief of Staff to step down while the OPP investigations are ongoing. It's beyond belief to think that absolutely no records exist. Memos like a list of the pros and cons of what the problems would be if you took on an NDP MP. Double the lead. This is the process of how you are going to eliminate your former candidate. Where are those records and are they being protected? Why should the people of Ontario believe that documentation hasn't already been deleted? Thank you. Deputy Chief. Speaker, we take our obligations very seriously when it comes to document retention. We are committed to being open, accountable and transparent. They can throw all the mud they want, Speaker, but we are committed to being open and transparent. We promised to open up government completely. We've done so to an unprecedented degree, certainly far more than when your party was in office. In fact, it's not just me saying this. The Information Privacy Commissioner credited our government with improving record keeping across government. Directive was sent to all political staff. Mandatory programs are being implemented. Mandatory training programs. Chiefs of staff are accountable for record keeping. We're improving archiving requirements. The Premier's office worked with the Integrity Commissioner and the Information Privacy Commissioner. And, Speaker, the Accountability Act prohibits the willful deletion of records and creates a penalty. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, if this is their idea of open and accountability, I'd hate to see their definition of transparency. Two OPP investigations have been launched into the actions of Pat Sobera and Jerry Lawheed Jr. While these investigations continue, both Pat Sobera and Jerry Lawheed remain in their jobs. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Liberals have a history of deleting emails and changing their story when it came to the gas plant cancellation. Is that what we can expect with the Sudbury by-election debacle? Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, you don't have to take my word for it. Let's listen to what the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Information and Privacy Commissioner had to say. Member from Oxford come to order. The Member from Stormont come to order. Prime Minister of Government Services. The Premier issued a directive in accordance with the recommendations made in the report and committed the Government to greater transparency and accountability. In addition, political staff received in-depth training on record retention responsibilities. I applaud these developments. Let me repeat. The Information and Privacy Commissioner said I applaud these developments. Opposite. Thank you. New question. The Leader of the Third Party. Thanks very much, Speaker. My question is for the Deputy Premier. On February 17th, the first day of this session, the Premier said, and I quote, my responsibility is to answer honestly. Ontarians deserve to understand exactly what happened. Four weeks later, instead of answering questions and explaining anything, the Premier has been hiding behind a police investigation and she's too busy holding photo ops beside oversized birth certificates and giant porcupines to meet with OPP officials. Yesterday, we suggested that the Premier take question period off in the morning. I just want to know if the Deputy Premier can confirm that the Premier is being interviewed by the OPP on her knowledge and role in the subreddit by election scandal at this very moment. Thank you, Deputy Premier. Speaker, the Leader of the NDP knows full well and firsthand that it's not appropriate to comment on a police investigation. On December 11th last year, the Leader of the NDP held a press conference at the Queen's Park Media Studio. She was questioned on criminal allegations against an NDP candidate. Here's what the Leader of the Third Party had to say. Right now, this is a matter in front of the police. She said, I can't talk about details at this point because police are investigating. She was asked over and over again and kept with the same answer. So I don't know why the Leader of the Third Party thinks there are two standards, one for her and one for the Premier. When the police are investigating, we'll leave the investigation to the police. Speaker, perhaps I can move the issue at hand along a little bit. I'm pretty sure that the Premier and the Deputy Premier have staff that watch questions in every single day. Perhaps even Pat Cerbera is watching question periods. And they can write this down, Speaker, 705-329-6111. You can call that number and you can ask for the Corruption Branch of the Anti-Racket Squad. You can tell them your name and the name of the Premier. They'll know who you are, however. After four investigations, trust me, they'll know who you are. I'll give you the number again. Look, that number is 705-329-6111. Will the Deputy Premier call the OPP? Does she have her Premier call the OPP at that number and schedule that interview? The Third Party wants to hear some numbers. I've got some great numbers. So let me read again the RBC Economic Growth Rankings, their provincial outlook that was released just this morning, Speaker. RBC Forecast Real GDP Growth. You can make all the gestures you want. I'll make the decision. You may or don't need to. And if you say one more word, you're out. The answer is to come towards the question, please. Carry on. So let me thank the leader of the Third Party for that phone number. Thank you for that number. Let's talk about numbers that really matter, Speaker. RBC Forecast Real GDP Growth for the province to accelerate from a nested point of 2.5% in 2014. New question. This is the third. This is the final stop, Speaker. Yesterday the Premier said she would answer substantially when the question is appropriate to the place. Is the Premier so arrogant that she thinks just because a question is inconvenient, it's also inappropriate? I disagree with that, Speaker. And it shouldn't take the armed detectives in the corruption unit to get simple answers to simple questions. Can the Deputy Premier explain why the Premier can employ... Minister of Economic Development, come to order. Six weeks. Well, the average interior... Sorry. While I'm asking him to come to order, he continues. The member from the Minister of Economic Development. Please finish. Can the Deputy Premier explain why the Premier can avoid investigators for six weeks when the average interior involved in a criminal investigation is expected to cooperate fully and quickly with police investigation? Thank you, Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, let me repeat. The Premier is cooperating fully with the police investigation. It doesn't matter how many... Member from the PN Carlton, come to order. He suggests that she is not. The truth is she is, Speaker. That investigation is happening. It is happening outside this House by people who are qualified to conduct such investigations. The Premier is cooperating fully. Meanwhile, both opposition parties have neglected all of the issues that are important to their constituents by focusing on throwing mud, muck raking, skull-duggery, and, Speaker, I think it's time to talk about issues that are really important to the people of this party. Thank you. Given my particular moment right now, I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. Withdraw? New question? The Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also to the Deputy Premier. Look, it's clearly not in the interest of the Liberal Party, the Premier, or her government for the Premier to answer questions about the Sudbury bribery scandal. On the other hand, it is in the interest of the people of Ontario to get some answers about who offered bribes to answer the debate. Will the Deputy Premier stop putting the Liberal Party ahead of Ontarians and start giving honest answers to honest questions like who was pulling the strings in the bribery scandal that happened in Sudbury? Well, Speaker, I think anybody watching at home would like to know what this is all about. So let's just review a little bit of history, Speaker. In the last general election, the NDP won the seat of Sudbury. The member took his place. A few months later, resigned, creating a by-election, Speaker. The NDP, Federal MP, made a very difficult, but I think very wise decision, and that was to leave the New Democrat Party, to join the Liberal Party, to leave the House of Commons, to join the Ontario election. The people of Sudbury made a very clear and wise decision to send Glen Tebow to this House to be the representative. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of the Environment said, quote, it is a great day in his life when Premier Wynn told us who our candidate in Sudbury was going to be. Minister after minister went on the record yesterday, arrogantly endorsing what OPP and Elections Ontario have described as criminal activity. Who in the Cabinet and the caucus did the Premier share her plans with to offer Andrew Olivier jobs or appointments in exchange for stepping aside in order that Glen Tebow could run without any opposition? Well, Speaker, I simply reject the allegations within that question. In the Ontario Liberal Party, Speaker, in our Constitution, which has been debated and passed by the membership of this party, the leader of the party has the right to appoint candidates. Speaker, that does not happen in the New Democratic Party, but it does happen in the Liberal Party. When the Premier met Mr. Tebow, when he indicated to her that he was prepared to change parties and change the level of government, she was very pleased and she decided that he would be the candidate. Speaker, there is nothing untoward about that. That is a decision that is the right of the leader. She made that decision, she exercised her right and now we have Glen Tebow as a member of this. Speaker, since election day in Sudbury, Ontarians have learned that the corruption unit of the anti-rackets branch is investigating the Premier and her inner circle for bribery, that Ontario's chief electoral officer believes Pat Cerbera and Jerry Loughy were offering bribes to get Andrew Olivier out of the way of Glen Tebow, something that is punishable with a jail term, that while evidence has come to light that shows bribery, the Premier cannot show a single piece of evidence that backs her version of the story. The Premier insisted that the bad old days were behind us and yet here we are again, Speaker, why do Liberals never ever seem to change? Well, Speaker, we just get stronger and I'm very pleased that the Liberal Party is getting stronger. If we're going to talk about how nomination races are running in this House, Speaker, I think we do have to revisit what happened in Scarborough-Gildwood during the by-election, Speaker, in the 2013. There was a long-standing party member named Amarjeet Karshabra, an extraordinary woman who was hoping to run as the candidate there, Speaker. The party brought in Adam Gianbroni to make sure that the process was fair and then as a surprise to everyone, I can't imagine anyone was more surprised than Amarjeet Karshabra. Presto, Adam Gianbroni, became the candidate. This is a conversation that the leader of the third party had with Amarjeet. Thank you. Thank you. New question. Member from Leeds, Greenville. Thanks, Speaker Maya. My question to the acting Premier. Last night, your party's official Twitter account retweeted Pat Cerbera. Her tweet said, red, happy to introduce at Glen Tebow to folks at the Ontario Liberal Heritage in her 2015, hanging with friends, raising money. And attached was a photo of the two of them, who obviously paraded Mr. Tebow around. Deputy Premier Pat Cerbera was found to be an apparent contravention of the Elections Act. She is under investigation by two OPP open investigations. Acting Premier, does the arrogance of the office of the Premier know no bounds? Speaker, I am happy to say that we had a wonderful event last night. I heard many people say it was the best political speech they had ever heard. She talked about what it is we're doing to build Ontario up. It was an excellent evening and I would be happy to get you a copy of the speech because I think you'd like to know what she was talking about. Speaker, we're focused on growing the economy. Delighted to see that RBC today said our economy is growing faster than they had anticipated. That's great news, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the acting Premier. You know that answer and Pat Cerbera's tweet is a pure display of arrogance and utter disdain for the chief electoral officer and the interior provincial police open investigations. As the Premier's office remains with computers unsecured and information vulnerable, we wait as the Premier continues to duck the OPP. We've waited over nine weeks since I asked for this investigation to bring me reopened. That's a lot of time to make sure people's stories are aligned. My question, acting Premier, after the photo and the tweet went out, did Pat Cerbera and Plantebo get their story straight? No, I'm loath to say this, but as soon as I get quiet it's not the time for you to take that advantage of it. Deputy Premier. Speaker, we had a great event last night. It was a very rousing speech and if the member opposite wants to spend his time analyzing Twitter accounts then that's fine with me I guess, but our focus is on a growing and stronger economy. We were very pleased to see this morning that RBC Economics is projecting continuing and accelerated growth for our economy. Speaker, they're not the only ones. The latest forecast by TD Economics calls for Ontario to post the strongest growth in the country, Speaker. Let's look at what the conference for Ontario's economy is projected to grow by 2.9% this year, bolstered by strong exports and consumer spending. This is great news. I hope that the opposition does not consider this to be bad news because this is fantastic news for your constituents and for our constituents. New question? Member from Timmons James Bay? The continuing bad news is the arrogance of this government. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, for five weeks now the Ontario Provincial Police has been trying to get an appointment with your Premier in order to continue their investigation in the five resources in Sudbury. We thought maybe today when we didn't see the Premier show up that she was in fact meeting with them today. That not being... The member knows full well that you're not to mention anyone's attendance in this place and I would remind him if he does it again he'll lose his question. I withdraw, Speaker, and you're completely right. The Premier has an opportunity next week during Constituence Week. There's a whole week for her to be able to meet with the OPP. Is the Premier prepared to set up a meeting with the OPP next week in order to be investigated by the OPP? Deputy Premier. Speaker, the Premier has said repeatedly that that meeting is being set up. So I don't know why the opposition continues to squander their questions and question period on questions that have already been answered. There are many issues facing the people of this province and we are not hearing those issues raised by the members of the opposition. We are not hearing issues about homelessness. We are not hearing issues about poverty. We are not hearing issues about the environment or climate change. We haven't had one question on rail safety or GOGAMA. These are important issues in the writings represented by these members and they are choosing to spend their time in question period as is their right on trying to destroy the reputation of the Premier. They are off base speaker and focus on issues that matter to their constituents. Thank you. Again to the Deputy Premier, what is really galling in this entire thing is that the Premier's office staff, Mrs. Batsabara and Mr. Lahee, have been found in contravention of an apparent breach of the Election Act. They are being investigated by the OPP for breaking the criminal code when it comes to their action in this bribery scandal and you're not taking it seriously. You come into this house over and over again. We ask the questions you never answer because you're trying to stonewall what has to happen in this case. So I ask you again, is the Premier prepared to meet with the Terror Provincial Police next week during constituency week to answer questions about the Sudbury bribery scandal? Well, if the member opposite wants to apply to be the scheduling assistant to the Premier, I'm sure we can get the phone number where you can make that application, Speaker. The Premier has said over and over again that she's cooperating fully, that she is setting up a meeting with the OPP. As I say, I don't think there's a vacancy there, but if the member from Tim and James May wants to apply for that job, they can deliver that application. New question. Thank you very much. It's great to see my former colleague MPP Phil McNeely up in the audience. He was a great champion of climate change awareness. Welcome. Climate change is real, Speaker. It's one of the greatest challenges of our time and poses a threat to our infrastructure, our food supply, our drinking water and our economic competitiveness. I'd like to thank the Minister for joining me this morning as we talked about my motion at a press conference on climate change. My motion will be debated this afternoon and I'm calling upon all members of this House to recognize that climate change affects all of us and requires immediate action. Speaker, through you, could the Minister please inform this House on the importance of raising the issue of climate change above partisan politics and if he intends to support it? Good. Minister of the Environment, Mr. Speaker, it will be a great honor to support the members' motion. I also want to acknowledge the former member who continues, Mr. Speaker, to be an active voice in policy development and thank you very much, Phil and thank you, Grant. We're very concerned about this, Mr. Speaker. We've seen around the world now in the United Kingdom all three parties in open votes in the British Parliament endorsing this, Mr. Speaker. We saw this in New Zealand and more recently in Norway where they have had open votes asking all members of their legislature to put forward it as a unanimous legislative position so that governments can act on solutions and not fight this. Mr. Speaker, it is our hope that this opportunity this afternoon will see all 107 members in the House today. I think it would be a very powerful statement of unity if we could do that. I think, you know, when you look at the results of what happened in Norway, what happened in the UK and what happened in New Zealand, it triggered a level of momentum behind them and gave confidence to industry to act. Thank you. Thank you very much. And thank you, Minister, for that response. It's great to hear that you'll be supporting my motion this afternoon. Speaker, it's unfortunate the opposition aren't focused on the priorities of what matters to Ontarians. Climate change is a great challenge, the greatest challenge of our time, Speaker. As I mentioned in my previous question, it's going to be affecting our food supply, our infrastructure, our drinking water, our agricultural community, Speaker. Our economic competitiveness. So I'd like to ask the Minister of Environment and Climate Change about our government's actions to combat climate change here in Ontario, because I know in Glen Gary Prescott Russell Minister we have a lot of agricultural producers that have concerns about the changing temperatures and the impacts that they have on their crops, their livestock and their ability to continue their stable production. So, Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you inform the House about what action the government is taking to combat climate change? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to again thank the member. The last five years have seen globally the highest level of GHG admissions and later this year in Paris as the world gathers to try and yet again hammer out another agreement. After 20 years of agreement, Mr. Speaker, we will probably see the next five years being at very high levels of admission because it would take five years to implement the Paris Agreement if we're successful in getting it why this government is working with Quebec and British Columbia, California and some national governments around the world to broker meaningful reductions. Why is this important on Terence, Mr. Speaker? Part of it is in 2012 we lost 80% of our apple crop. In the years since we lost 60%. When you think of something as basic to Ontario's food security and food supply and our economy as an apple, when it's hard to grow those, you know this is a problem. I wasn't going to go down there, but I'm being heckled. The member for Nippee and Carleton, Mr. Speaker, should read the Pentagon's analysis of ISIS. That wasn't me. The member from Carleton, Mississippi Mills, famous, sorry. That's it. Next question to the Premier. So, she must be at the OPP meeting. I guess to the acting Premier. That doesn't make me happy at all. And if it happens again, you'll lose your question. Sorry, Speaker. Questions to the acting Premier. Acting Premier, last night at your heritage dinner, the Premier quoted as saying when people ask me, are you going to slow down? The simple answer is I am not acting Premier. Why does this not apply to scheduling interviews with the police? So, Speaker, the Premier did say last night that she's not slowing down. I tell you, we are all amazed at the energy of our Premier and she gave a tip. She's not slowing down. Is she scheduling a meeting with the OPP? I think you've heard repeatedly that that is underway, Speaker. And again, if you want to apply for the job as scheduling assistance to the Premier, I will hand deliver your resume as well, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. If I gave her my resume, she'd probably delete it with her staff. Mr. Speaker, it's been nine weeks since the investigation was reopened. It's been over five weeks since we learned of the OPP requested an interview. Acting Premier has the interview with the OPP been scheduled. Good question. Good question. It's been over and over again. That meeting has been scheduled, Speaker. I don't think the OPP are complaining. Maybe you know they are. I don't think they are, Speaker. What I can tell you, though, is that in this by-election, I understand why the PCs are unhappy with the OPP. The member from the PN Carlton. It doesn't happen very often that the opposition party loses its deposit. In fact, I believe they ran forth in the by-election. If you're going to be focusing on Sudbury, there might be other things you could be focusing on, Speaker. Let's actually think about what happened. The Premier became aware that Glenn Tebow, the sitting member, the sitting federal member, was interested in crossing to the Liberal Party and running. We were delighted and thrilled that a man of this caliber wanted to make that change in his constituents here. That's exactly what happened. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, criminal defence lawyers often caution their clients about making statements to the police. That's because anything said can be used in a future prosecution. In fact, if arrested, Legal Council often advises clients to exercise their right to remain silent. Has the Attorney General advised the Premier to caution her about making statements to the police? Attorney General. They're looking for that 2.5 million. Let me talk about the good news that happened in Sudbury, you know, after the election. They're sore losers. Yes, yes. Because, you know, like, the Premier did an excellent job in exercising her right to choose this wonderful candidate. And, you know, last week I had quite a few on Monday night. I had quite a few francophone who came to me and said us in Sudbury were very happy to have Glenn to go as our representative. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps the Attorney General can advise whether or not she's given that advice, but perhaps the Attorney General can advise if the Premier sought independent counsel. And if that independent counsel has provided advice to the Premier whether or not she should exercise her right to remain silent or whether or not this independent counsel perhaps has advised the Premier to caution her about making a statement to the police. Thank you, Attorney General. When are you running federally? First of all, Mr. Speaker, like I said yesterday, you know, I am I am not involved in the investigation. I'm not involved in anything related to the Sudbury election. It's not the clock, please. The Deputy House Leader is using somebody else's mic. And he will come to order. And, Mr. Speaker, it was made very clear by the Chief Electoral Officer in a letter that was sent to their House Leader, Gilles Bisson, a copy of the letter that I have here about the process. And I hope that he has informed all his caucus about the process. If not, I will say that it's about time that he informed his caucus about the process and how the Attorney General is left out of this exercise. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is unfortunate that the opposition are neglecting to ask questions about government policies these days. My question is to the Minister of Labour. Speaker, through you to the Minister, workers that live in my writing have been on strike from their jobs at Crown Metal packaging for 18 months. It has been very hard for their families since they have been on the picket line for all these months. We all know how cold it has been this winter. And despite this, Crown Metal workers continue to walk the picket line. And Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure everyone is aware, but a group of these workers went out and looked and found the little Elijah Marsh, the three-year-old boy who tragically died in Toronto 10 days ago. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what can you tell the people of York Southwestern and neighbouring writings about this situation? Minister of Labour? Thank you. I really do want to thank the member from York Southwestern for that very important question. Crown Metal operates a beverage and food manufacturing plant in Weston. The steel workers represent 133 employees at that plant, Speaker. They've had a strike at that facility since September the 6th. Under Section 42 of the Labour Relations Act, my ministry conducted what's called the last offer vote on March 24th of last year. The employees voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer. We've had a Labour mediator and Speaker to assist both parties. He remains in touch. But as a member noted in a question, our Government and all Ontarians are increasingly concerned that this dispute still is not being resolved. It's a responsibility of the employer and the union to reach an agreement. But I want to be very clear, Speaker, I'm in the strongest possible terms urging both parties to get back to that table and to reach a resolution. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Minister of Labour, who I would like to thank for the reply and for addressing this important issue before the House. Just this week, Speaker, we've heard of the extreme lengths that Crown... Order, please. Come to order, please. I would like that the debates back and forth not take place during question and answer period unless you're putting the question or giving the answer. Please finish. Thank you. Just this week I was saying, Mr. Speaker, we've heard of the extreme lengths that Crown metal employees are taking to be heard. The United Steelworkers issued the news release noting that they have been leafleting the homes and businesses of the Crown's Board of Directors over C Speaker. Can the Minister provide further details on how the Ontario Labour's Relations Act governs disputes like this? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker. I thank the member again for raising this important issue and we should thank the constituents in this regard. The length of a strike or lockout is far from business as usual in this province, Speaker. Last year over 98% of contract negotiations were resolved without any... Minister of Transportation, come to order and the member from Essex come to order. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. In this case, however, the workers have been off the job for 18 months. It's not good for business. It's not good for anybody in this province. The Labour Relations Act contains provisions and processes that assist the parties to reach a collective agreement. In the rare occasions where they don't work, special action may be required, Speaker. That includes the section 42, final off of vote we already undertook. It includes other powers, Speaker, which are used under only extraordinary circumstances. It's essential to understand that the best deals are made available, but as strong as I can be, Speaker, I'm urging those parties back. Thank you. Deputy Premier, just last week the new member from Sudbury was promoted and became parliamentary assistant to the Minister of the Environment. Thank you. Please put your question. I can't help but note that this means he will receive a 13% pay increase after a mere four weeks on the job. We know Patsivera offered Mr Olivier an appointment to step down as the candidate for Sudbury, but my question to you is this. Was the PA Perth offered by Patsivera to the member from Sudbury to cross the floor and step up as candidate? Deputy Premier. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's the first question from my critic, almost on an environment issue, almost. Mr Speaker, the position of the Conservatives has been lost. They'll take positions after they have a new leader, apparently. I guess we'll wait until then to find out when they ask a question. But, you know, we have some real problems in your part of Ontario where we lost 80% of our apple crop in 2012. We have 60% lost. Now, the member says it's north of her. I guess she doesn't care. Mr Speaker, if it's not in your part, she wants to bring inappropriately a police investigation into this house. She doesn't care about apple farmers because she doesn't represent apple farmers, apparently. She doesn't care about rural Ontario. Apparently that's a really a problem, Mr Speaker. They don't care about climate change, Mr Speaker, because the member for Mississippi Mills says CO2 is a positive gas, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. No one can tell you how close Mr Chivo and Pat Zaberre were. According to Twitter, she was responsible for parading him around your fundraiser like a show horse. She wasn't letting him too far off from harness. Just today, Mr Chivo has confirmed in an exchange with one of my colleagues that he has been asked to meet with the OPP. So my question is this. When is the Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, I'm sure the new parliamentary assistant, Mr. Speaker, I am sure that Mr. Tebow will meet with whoever wants to meet with Mr. Tebow. As a matter of fact, he doesn't wait. Mr. Tebow went up to Go Gama to be on the ground, taking pictures, sharing information. We're working together right now because we just got the results of the water studies and surface water studies and water supply studies for Tim and for Go Gama. We would like to talk about that in the House, but they're not asking questions about basic things like the safety of water supply, but then when the Tories have a long history on the safety of water supply, we thought that they learned that water supplies and protecting water supply was important. Surely the member from here on Bruce would know better than any other member in the House how important it is for the government, for the opposition to hold the government to account for safe water. We just had one of the most worst spills ever, Mr. Speaker, and we haven't had a question from the member from here on Bruce, from Walker Tech. Thank you. New question from Hamilton Mountain. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Pat Sobera is facing a criminal investigation for her role in Glenn Tebow's nomination, but instead of showing any contrition, last night Ms. Sobera tweeted a photo of herself with Glenn Tebow at a liberal fundraiser. I would appreciate very much not elevating this debate in the way it has just done, and particularly those people that are trying to tell me that the other side needs reprimanding any more than the other side does. Please put your question. Thank you, Speaker. Does the Deputy Premier think it's appropriate for Ms. Sobera to be that arrogant when she's facing two police investigations connected to Mr. Tebow's nomination? Thank you. Deputy Premier. Speaker, I have a question on this, I think reveals, I don't know quite how to say it in any word I use, you'll ask me to withdraw. So what I am saying is that the NDP knows full well and firsthand that it is inappropriate to comment on police investigations. Let me remind you, on December 11th, last year, the leader of the NDP held a press conference in the media studio. She was questioned on criminal allegations against an NDP candidate and allowed me to read to you what the leader of the third party said during the press conference. She said, right now this is a matter that's in front of the police. She said, I can't talk about the details at this point because the police are not responding. The member was asked time and time again. Fourteen times she said, I'm not going to talk about this anymore. Back to the Deputy Premier. The OPP and elections Ontario say Pat Sobera offered bribes to Andrew Olivier to get out of the Premier's way so she wouldn't have to appoint Glen Tebow. The Minister of Government Services. Pat Sobera is throwing it in the face of Ontarians. She's saying she doesn't care about two police investigations. She doesn't care about the integrity of the Premier's office because she's a liberal. She thinks she knows better than the police, better than elections Ontario and better than Ontarians for the people of this province. Do we think that this is appropriate? You know, Speaker, I recall fondly the days when the member opposite asked questions about children. As the critic of Children Youth Services, she asked questions about children and I know that the Minister of Children Youth Services was always prepared to answer those questions. But for four solid weeks, we have had no questions except the days when we actually got questions. I would have expected questions on Hydro One. I would have expected questions on conversion therapy today but we didn't get them. So let's review again what happened on the seat of Sudbury Speaker. Fewer than five months later, the NDP's brand new MPP resigned. Thank you. And that forced. Thank you. New question? The member from Scarborough, Rouge River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have an important question to the Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructure on Government Business that is of high concern to my constituents, unlike the questions from the opposition, which aren't even focused on Government Business that matter to Ontarians. I would like to thank the Minister for recently updating this House. If this persists, I will continue to allow the clock to finish. Our Government's position on Federal Bill C40, an act respecting the Rouge National Park, which is part of my riding. The Minister clearly stated that the Federal Bill, as it stood, failed to provide the necessary protection for the Rouge environmental integrity. As a result of the Federal Government's inability to put forward legislation with strong ecological requirements, our Government in good faith could not transfer provincially-owned lands. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister please update this House on the developments? Thank you. Mr. Economic Development. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for the question. I want to thank him for his passion for ensuring that we do what we need to do to protect the Rouge Valley lands. Mr. Speaker, I've had the opportunity to collaborate very closely with our environmental stakeholders and to consult very intimately with our farming community in the Rouge Valley. We were able to draft up proposed amendments and submit them to the clerk of the Senate Committee that's looking into the proposed Rouge Park. Those amendments, Mr. Speaker, struck a fair balance between protecting the ecological future of the park while promoting its vibrant farming community. I'm extremely disappointed, Mr. Speaker, at this point in time, that the Federal Government seems bent on ignoring these very constructive opportunities, I think, for us to work together. Mr. Speaker, this was a constructive attempt to provide an opportunity for the Federal Government to strengthen their legislation up to the level of the provincial legislation. Thus far, Mr. Speaker, that attempt has been rejected by the Federal Government. It's a sad day for the United Nations. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for that update and also his tile has worked to protect these lands. Embodied in these proposed legislative amendments were key improvements that would have truly enhanced the park while bringing all partners to the table. It was short-sighted for the Federal Conservatives not to adopt these proposed amendments that would significantly strengthen the peace of legislation. I understand that this morning, in fact, the Senate Committee examining this bill started its clause-by-clause review. Senator Eggleton, a strong advocate for the Rouge, brought forward the Minister's proposed amendments. Would the Minister please update the House on the Committee's response to his proposed amendments brought forward by Senator Eggleton? Thank you. Minister. Well, thank you very much. I thank the Member again for the supplementary. And I want to thank Senator Eggleton for putting forward these very constructive amendments. Unfortunately, again, Mr. Speaker, the Federal Conservatives have rejected a fair compromise in rejecting these amendments this morning. The Federal Government's mixed agenda on the environment and their obstinate behaviour in working with our government and the stakeholder community has blown an opportunity for the Rouge. This Government and I will not turn our backs, Mr. Speaker, on those that have dedicated their lives to protect these lands. We will not let the Federal Government weaken these important protections because they are important protections, not just for us today but for future generations. We will not sell out our commitment to the ecological future of these lands. We have the support of the opposition parties. So, Mr. Speaker, that makes me confident that there will be a Rouge National Park. It may not be this Government that delivers it, but, Mr. Speaker, we will get what we want, but we'll make sure it's done in the right way to protect farming and to protect the coast. Thank you. New Parson, the Member from Austin. My question is to Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, everyone knows the history of record retention in the Liberal Premier's office. The old tradition was to designate a staff member to double-delete and wipe the hard drives. But this Premier said she is different. Acting Premier has the Premier designated a staff member to preserve all documents, records and emails that would assist the OPP in their bribery investigation. Maybe it was the OPP. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Thank you, Mr. Government and Consumer Services. Appreciate the question. I think the Member knows full well the steps that have been taken by our government with respect to record retention, the training that has gone on with staff and the comments that have been made by the Information and Privacy Commissioner. I want to congratulate Brian Beamish on being the new Privacy Commissioner from the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, it was going to be fantastic at this particular position and has conducted himself quite well with respect to his acting role. Our government has taken a number of steps, including expanding disclosure around freedom of information requests and also record retention. We've made it an offence to be deleting or not providing information, Speaker, up to $5,000. And I think the members know quite well because they, as government members in the past, have conducted themselves with respect to the freedom of information request in a similar manner to all governments over the years, Speaker. And that information is required. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, back to the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, I'm truly hoping that you have all of the emails and documents regarding the Sudbury by-election, safe and secure. Deputy House Leader is warned. Please finish. Since the Premier keeps telling everyone here that she is cooperating with authorities, I ask you this, Madam Deputy Premier. Will it require a warrant, or will the Premier's office voluntarily turn any records relating to the Sudbury scandal over to the OPP? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, I'm pleased to talk about the government's record with respect to record retention and here's what the Information Privacy Commissioner said. I'm pleased to report that the Premier and the government have made significant progress in this area. I appreciate the cooperation I've received from Premier Kathleen Nguyen in regard to this matter. You know, Speaker, say to the opposition it's been said the Premier has indicated this. They'll have the full cooperation of the government with respect to all investigation matters. The opposition continues to insist that we try this matter in the legislature. It's an OPP investigation. Let the OPP do their job. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you. My question is to the Deputy Premier. I just don't understand. It's been four weeks of questions. Zero answers. Why is the Premier or why can't the Premier answer just a simple question? Those are questions that people across my writing, Northern Ontario and this province are asking. Instead, the Premier dips, dodges, dives, and then pitches the ball and pulls the... Stop the call. You will come to order. Please finish. The Premier dips, dodges, and dives, and then pitches the ball and pulls the adult in and hides behind her house leader. Will the Deputy Premier tell Ontarians who are the other people that the Premier has called to be and where or were they offered bribes well? Thank you, Speaker. I know the member opposite who is the critic for Northern Fairs and Mines, Northern Valued Mines. I know he wants to ask about Gogama. I know he desperately wants to ask that question about his hometown by the party leadership speaker, but I do think that the minister of climate change and energy has done it in the short time that he has been in this house. He was there on site in Gogama. I'm sure that he would have information that this house would like to hear about, Speaker. He was there in his capacity as PA to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. He met with first responders. He met with residents. He met with community leaders who have the impacts of this disaster in this community and to the environment, Speaker. The member opposite is asking a political question that really doesn't have anything to do with his true interest in his heart. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm extremely proud of our work that are calling from Nickel Belt and our federal member from Nickel Belt who actually were on the ground in Gogama before, not in the air. The problem with the liberal story is that there isn't any evidence for the Premier's story. But according to the OPB and Elections Ontario there is evidence of a bribery. Let me repeat that. There is evidence of a bribery. Can the Deputy Premier provide any evidence that the Premier's version of her story is actually factual? Well, it certainly seems obvious that this member actually does care about Gogama. But he actually does want to have a discussion in this house about the response to Gogama. I just wish the questions in question periods were about those issues. I take to inform the House that pursuant to Standing Order 98c a change has been made in the order of precedence of the ballot list for the private member's public business such that Ms. DeNovo assumes ballot item number 40 and Mr. Singh assumes ballot item number 74. Point of order from the member from Bramblee Garmul. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'd ask the House to join me in welcoming Paige Daria Butt's mother, Mamda Butt, who's in the public gallery this month. We have a deferred vote on the motion for closure on the motion of second reading of Bill 49. Calling the members. This will be a five-minute bell. Sorry. Will all members please take their seats? On December 14, 2014, Mr. Chan moved second reading of Bill 49, an act with respect to immigration in Ontario and related amendment to the Regulated Health Professionals Act 1991. Mr. Nakhvee has moved that the question be now put. All those in favor of Mr. Nakhvee's motion, please rise one at a time to be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Nakhvee. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Bradley. Madam Mayor. Madam Mayor. Mr. Sousa. Mr. Sousa. Ms. Matthews. Ms. Matthews. Mr. McCharles. Mr. McCharles. Mr. Kohl. Mr. Kohl. Mr. Cahar. Mr. Taccara. Mr. Brardinetti. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Quadri. Mr. Orazeti. Mr. Gravel. Mr. Gravel. Mr. McMeek. Mr. Murray. Mr. Chan. Mr. Meridi. Mr. Kuto. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Delaney. Mr. Delaney. Mr. Balcony. Mr. Balcony. Mr. Dixon. Mr. Crack. Mr. Crack. Ms. Wong. Ms. Mr. Tabins. Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stony Creek. Ms. Sattler. Ms. Taylor. Mr. Natascha. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong. Mr. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Mr. Singh. Ms. Forrester. Ms. Forrester. Mr. Manta. Mr. Manta. Mr. Hatfield. Mr. Hatfield. Mr. Gates. Mr. Gates. Ms. Gretzky. Ms. Gretzky. Ms. French. Ms. French. All those opposed please rise one at a time and be recognized by the floor. Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. McLeod. Mr. McLeod. Ms. McLeod. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Miller Paris On Masc irrig좋. Mr. Miller Paris On Masc irrigicides. Ms. Jones. Ms. Thomas. Ms. Thompson. Ms. Scots. Ms. Scots.oit. Mr. Hillier. Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker. Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith. Ms. Martau. Mr. Mortau. Mr. Chan has moved second reading of Bill 49. Is it the pleasure of the House of Motion? Carry. All those in favor please say aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes have it. All in the members this will be... Oh, I declare the motion carried. Reading of the bill does seem like you're approaching the law. Shall we move second reading? I'm sorry. Oh yes, okay. Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? No! Minister? Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask that the bill be referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. So ordered. Before we dismiss, I would like to offer to all of you a healthy break, a chance to meet with family and to recoup at your constituency and be safe. And thank you for the work that you're doing. There are no defer votes. This House stands already dead.