 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize for Brampton Center. Good morning. My question is to the Premier. Quite rightly, yesterday the Premier sang the praises of the Auditor General for her due diligence and persistence in reviewing the province's books. Yet the Ministry of Finance says they're only adopting the auditor's findings on a, quote, provisional basis. Which is it, Premier? Is the auditor right or is she wrong? Premier. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Brampton Center for such a law ball question. That was very nice. What we're focused on, we're focused on the $15 billion, the $15 billion deficit that the Liberals created in the NDP propped them up, supported them 97% of the time. We're going to have tough decisions, Mr. Speaker, over the next couple of years to get our province back on track, to make sure that every single person is prosperous and has an opportunity for growth. That's what we're going to focus on for the next few years and we look forward to the NDP's support. As they supported the Liberals building up the $15 billion deficit, we'd love their ideas and their support and we're willing to work with them to reduce that $15 billion. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier said, I believe what the auditor general was saying. But when we look at the fine print in Gordon Campbell's report, we see the Premier may believe it or he may believe the opposite. It's provisional. As the Premier noted yesterday, the auditor general's views are not new and there has been endless analysis and expert study. What is it that the Premier doesn't understand about the positions taken in the analysis and the positions that they're getting now from the Department of Finance? Through you, Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberals, we respect the auditor general. We respect working with the auditor general. For the first time in recent memory, everyone's numbers line up, the commission's numbers line up, the auditor general's numbers line up, the finance minister's numbers line up, the Treasury Board numbers line up. And again, I'm asking for the support of the NDP to start being responsible. We are willing to work with the NDP to find efficiencies to put money back into the taxpayer's pocket to make sure we create good-paying jobs and make Ontario the engine of Canada once again. Mr. Speaker, it looks like we're seeing a pattern here. The Premier is surprised by a deficit that no one else finds surprising. Then he agrees wholeheartedly with the auditor, but only provisionally. And then he reserves the right to lower the deficit with the same methods that the Liberals used. When will we know whether the government will actually agree with the auditor before the new select committee, before the fall update, or before the budget, perhaps before the end of their term? I know. Mr. Speaker, I just find it so ironic and so rich coming from the NDP that stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, propped up the Liberals, and similar to the leader of the NDP yesterday saying, this is not a surprise. My question to the NDP is, what were you doing for the last four years to speak out against this reckless spending? Next question. The member for Tamiskaming Cochrane. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier was asked if he would stand up in this House and denounce the extreme views of Faith Goldie. Candidate for Mayor of Toronto and Neo-Nazi sympathizer, who the Premier posed for photos with over the weekend. The Premier refused two opportunities to condemn Ms. Goldie's views yesterday, so I'll ask again, will the Premier unequivocally denounce Faith Goldie and apologize for appearing in a photo that is now being used as a de facto endorsement of her campaign by the Premier of our province? Premier. Premier, Mr. Speaker, what a shame. I totally denounce. I repeat, denounce, denounce, denounce. Anyone who wants to talk hate speech, and you know what I find ironic? I didn't hear the leader of the opposition during the election denounce her members, but you know something? We denounce it. We have zero tolerance for any hate speech. We won't put up with it. The opposition wants to play politics. They want to change the channel. They want to change the channel about the $15 billion deficit. How they propped up the NDP, wasted billions of dollars, voted with them 97% of the time. They don't want to be held accountable. But guess what? You aren't walking away scot-free. I'll tell you that. Thank you. Supplementary. This shouldn't be that hard. This is the woman who appeared on a white supremacist podcast and said she saluted the neo-Nazi hosts for showing up in hordes to a rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina. That would be the same Unite the Right rally where white supremacists drove his car into the crowd, murdering one woman and injuring 19 others. I will ask again, Speaker, will the Premier unequivocally denounce Faith Goldie and apologize? Through you, Mr. Speaker. Again, again. I don't know how much clearer I can be here. I denounce every single comment from anyone, including your party during the election, which was disgusting. And I find it pretty rich they're throwing stones in the glass house, boulders in the glass house, that some of the members are over there. It's actually disgusting comments. I denounce all hate speech. It's zero tolerance. I think it's disgusting anyone who wants to talk that way. I know you have three questions. Just keep them coming. No supplementary. People are looking to you for leadership. I know things get heated in this place and we like to score points. The people need to hear from your mouth that you do not endorse Faith Goldie. You need to say her name, Premier, that you do not endorse her. Premier, can you do that? Well, after saying it five times, Mr. Speaker, they want to play politics. They want to change the channel. They want to keep this going, but I'll tell you what's not going to change the channel is a $15 billion deficit. The $15 billion that they squandered, they turned their back as the Liberals were out of control. The worst political corruption I've ever seen in my life and the NDP stood by them. Stood by them while they were making backroom deals. Stood by them while they were wasting the taxpayers' money without any concern whatsoever. That is terrible. That is disrespectful to the taxpayers and we won't tolerate that whatsoever. Next question. Member for Hamilton West and Custer Dundas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Families are hearing a lot of talk about doing things differently at Queen's Park, but they're seeing a lot of questions. Oh, pardon me. To the Premier. Question period. Thank you. Looking for an answer. Looking for an answer, I guess. But first the Premier claimed to be shocked by a deficit that wasn't surprising to anyone. Then he said he agreed with the auditor for now, but reserved the right to disagree with her later. Now they're striking a committee to look into the province's financial decision making, but if only it involves the last government. If the government is truly interested in transparency, will the new select committee be able to look into decisions since the election, since this government has been elected, as well as before them? Mr. Speaker, Treasury Board. President of the Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. You know, we've worked really hard to restore trust and accountability to government's finances and put an end to more than a decade of liberal mismanagement. You know, we've first started to hear how sobering the situation is through the Commission of Inquire, through our public accounts and through our now released line-by-line audit. But what we have heard, and it's from the auditor general and from the financial accountability officer, that there were things done that this government has to hold people accountable for. And not my words, Mr. Speaker, but the auditors and the other third parties have said that we need to get answers. And we are going to move forward to get those answers through the select committee that the Premier has launched in with the full support of this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Premier again, so here's what families are afraid of. The Premier is setting the stage for deep and painful cuts to our schools, to our hospitals and the service that we all rely on. And he's going to complain that the deficit made him do it. If the Premier is really interested in transparency, he'd be interested in getting all of the facts, not just the facts that help his party. Why should families believe the Premier when he refuses to do that? Mr. Speaker, again, we promise to restore accountability and transparency to government finances and put an end to more than a decade of liberal mismanagement propped up by the opposition. And I'm pleased to announce that the line-by-line audit today was completed on time and on budget. The truth is, Mr. Speaker, the Liberals left the people of Ontario with a legacy of debt that has put at risk the prosperity of future generations. The line-by-line revealed that total expenditures have grown over 50% since 2003. Growth in expenditures has outstripped the growth in population. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to tell this House that fiscal mismanagement and obfuscation are things of the past and that today is a new day for Ontario. Next question, the Member for Carleton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. According to an Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences report, suicide rates in Northern Ontario were six times higher than the provincial average, whereas Southern Ontario was comparable to the provincial average. Furthermore, suicide rates in Canada are five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Indigenous youth. Today, the Chief Coroner of Ontario's expert panel report on residential housing deaths was released. The safety and security of children is of the utmost important to us all. Could the Minister tell this House what steps are being taken to ensure incidents like this are never repeated? Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Member for Carleton for her advocacy on suicide prevention and for her compassion here today. I'd like to thank the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario and the expert panel for putting up this report and the recommendations. The experience of the children outlined in this report are heartbreaking. The death of a child, particularly in care, is unacceptable. My heart goes out to the families, the loved ones and communities affected by these tragedies. The deaths are unacceptable and I'm going to take immediate action. We need to do more to make sure children are safe and cared for. If a child dies, someone is responsible. We must improve coordination among service providers as well as throughout our ministries. I'm currently engaging with the Ontario Child Advocate, the Coroner, Indigenous community leaders as well as the LGBTQ leaders. From the CASs to group homes to my ministry, we all bear some responsibility. And I want to ensure the House that as the new Minister, the buck stops with me and I will take action. Thank you. Through you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. I understand that mental health services available to children in care are often limited or ineffective. Through you, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please clarify what steps are being taken to give our most vulnerable more support when they need it the most? Minister. Thank you. Thank you very much. The experiences of the young people described in this report were very difficult for me to read and it was a very difficult briefing from the Coroner last week. Our government will take action to bring systemic changes to the residential services system. Together with partners from the child welfare sector, Indigenous communities, LGBTQ2S partners and the Ministers of Health, Education and Indigenous Affairs, we will take a collective approach to help residential placements and coordination between government agencies. So let me be perfectly clear. I'm going to take immediate action to put in place better screening protocols for youth who are at risk and who need help. I'll issue a directive to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, CAS and group homes to put the child first. It's not about checklists. It's about taking responsibilities for a child's well-being. And we're going to continue to improve inspections to lay out clear lines of responsibility and ensure supports are in place. And finally, we'll support youth and their workers to access mental health services and resources when and where they are needed. But let me be perfectly clear. This government for the people will put children in care first. Thank you. Next question, the member for Nickel Belt. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-term Care. Mr. Finance, all Ontarians, that we will have to make sacrifices. But we have seniors living in long-term care homes whose safety may be at risk because of chronic underfunding. Does the Minister believe that the frail elderly people living in our long-term care homes should be making sacrifices? Mr. Health and Long-term Care. I thank the member opposite to the question. Of course, we value the contributions that have been made by our seniors. And we know that they deserve to live out their lives in peace and comfort and with the best possible care. Now, we know that there is an inquiry ongoing with respect to what has happened in some long-term care home with Ms. Wettlaufer. And we are awaiting the final report. I know that the families gave some testimony in the last few days, which was heart-wrenching and tragic. And we know that there are going to be recommendations forthcoming. We await those recommendations and we'll take them very seriously when they come forward. Supplementary. The Conservative Party seems to have coffee some of the NDP commitment, promising to end hallway medicine, promising to add thousands of long-term care beds. But to date, all we've seen is a wait and see. That means sweeping the problems that we have in our long-term care homes under the rug. The tragedy being uncovered by the Wettlaufer Inquiry shows that we cannot continue to ignore what's going on. We need to expand the Wettlaufer Inquiry to examine the systemic issues in our long-term care homes. Will the government commit today to expanding the Wettlaufer Inquiry so that everybody understand the challenges in our long-term care system before taking any more services that our frail elderly long-term care residents need? The Wettlaufer Inquiry is well underway and, in fact, is nearing the end of its hearings. There is more work that they are going to have to do to come forward with their recommendations. But that doesn't mean that we aren't doing anything in the Ministry of Health. Of course we are. We're looking at the situation. First of all, it was one of our campaign promises that we were going to increase the number of long-term care beds because we know there are over 30,000 people right now waiting for spaces. So we are actively working on creating 15,000 beds in the first five years. That is something that I deal with almost on a daily basis in the Ministry of Health. But there are other issues that we have to consider too, which is the staffing in those long-term care homes. We know that there's a shortage of personal support workers right now. There's a lot of personal support workers that are being asked to do jobs that they weren't initially trained for. So we're looking at what the issues are there, trying to fix them to make sure that when those beds are opened, there will be people that are able to work there as well. Thank you. Next question, the member from Mrs. Auguste Center. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Attorney General and Minister of Francophone Affairs. This day we celebrate the day of Franco-Otteria men and women. There was a lunch this morning and with the raising of the flag at Queensborough with Francophones and students representing two Francophone school boards. I ask the Minister what the government will do to have better access to French services. The Minister is responsible for the Francophone Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank my colleague of Mrs. Saga Center. For our question in French, we celebrate the Francophone history today. We will do all the efforts possible to target our measures to increase services in Ontario. I work with my colleagues within the Ministry to increase services in French, in health, education, and also in immigration to support all the people in this province, big French, services to elders, also a priority. And following the pilot project in Ottawa who provides services in French, we will try to reproduce this project throughout the court system in Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Speaker, Francophonie is vibrant in Ontario and the number of Francophones increases. I was very proud to welcome members of the Francophonie Association and their presentation. While we celebrate Francophonie in Ontario, the Minister informed the Chamber to support Francophonie in Ontario. Minister, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government will reduce and increase French services in Ontario. We will consult with entrepreneurs and businesses who do business in France together and will identify the obstacles to businesses and doesn't help in creating jobs for Francophones. We will develop a strategy on our bilingual workforce. It is clear that the past policies didn't work. We will find solutions. We will study how we can modernize the law on French services to make sure it is the reality of today. We will review EGAL, also the designation process to make it more. There is a new dawn in Ontario for the Francophone community in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. Ontario's parents and students are already struggling with the consequences of decades of cuts and underfunding to our education system under both liberal and conservative governments. With the government setting the stage for even deeper cuts, they are right to be concerned. Will the Minister of Education tell us exactly what sacrifices, using the government's own words, parents, students and educators will be asked to make next? Thank you very much, Speaker. I think it is really rich the narrative that this party across the way is trying to create, because we campaigned on a mandate that we have been successful in pursuing, and that is doing everything we can to support our front lines. That includes our teachers in the classroom. That includes our education assistants, and that includes our students and parents. We are absolutely committed to respecting parents and delivering on our promise to ensure that our students are on the best course to success. And the narrative that this party opposite is trying to create just needs to stop. People through the weeks have been defining the acronym NDP in many different ways. Well, today I would like to suggest, Speaker, that it is the new democratic propaganda. It just needs to stop. Start the clock. Next question. Mr. Speaker, we will not stop. We will not stop. I can guarantee you that. Because you are, Mr. Speaker, while children wear winter coats in class because the heat doesn't work and wait months and years for special education and mental health support, this government can only offer one solution, and we know what's coming, more cuts. Will the Minister of Education be upfront with parents and let them know exactly what cuts they can expect? Will it be school closures? Will it be firing teachers? Educational assistance? Cuts to support for special needs students? We will not stop asking these questions. People deserve to know. Educators deserve to know. Parents deserve to know. Students deserve to know. Thank you. Minister, she's angry than angry. Thank you very much, Speaker. You know, what I suggested was the propaganda stop, not the questions because the reality is the new Democratic Party, the opposition party here is trying to scare people into believing the sky is falling. For instance, the GGGRF funds, the funds that were earmarked to replace light bulbs and to renew schools. The fact of the matter is that money was already out. Out of the $100 million through the GGGRF fund, $95.4 million was already subscribed to, and they were trying to describe the sky as well. They are a propaganda party. This obligation to provide the best learning environment possible for teachers, students, and respecting our parents every step of the way. Order. Start the clock. Next question, the member for Orléans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Francophone Affairs Minister. We said earlier this is the day of Francophone Italian men and women and in many cities or communities like Orléans, Francophone organizations celebrate their Francophonie. And I wish to thank ACFO and all other organizations who were present at the raising of the flag and at the breakfast as well. Often they are organizations who don't have inadequate budgets and recognizing that these organizations are very important. And will the Minister commit to maintain support programs through Francophone Italians for activities and events with all Francophones throughout the province? Minister of Francophone Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I wish to thank the deputy, the member for his question on a very important day and very proud that our government will support Franco-Ontarians men and women. It's very important, first of all, that Francophones and Francophon have access to services in French. It's a priority. I will work with all ministers in education and health and immigration, all my colleagues to make sure to improve access to Francophone and Francophone services in Ontario complementary. The question was not really answered, but I'm very proud that the government will support Francophonie. We recognize the importance and the strength of Francophone Italians, men and women, throughout the province. And it's not always, it doesn't stop here. The support and representation have increased over the year. That's why I want to know what is the position of the Minister of all membership of the Ontario to International Francophonie Association. Will she maintain this? The province membership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The priority of this government is to support Franco-Ontarian men and women in Ontario. The membership to international organization, we are an observer member. We want results. Taking into account the fiscal situation of Ontario, we will first of all support services to Francophone and Francophones in Ontario. Our government is represented by the federal government and we will ask the federal government to present us in Armenia. We have a lot of work to do to support Franco-Ontarian men and women. This is what I'm committing to do. Mr. Speaker, our government promised that the people of Ontario that we would restore trust and accountability to government. Under the previous Liberal government, spending spiral out of control as they mismanaged the public finances, made up their own accounting rules and created non-transparent accounting schemes. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it was because of the hard work and decisive action of this government that a clean audit opinion to the public accounts for the first time in three years. That was one part of the promise kept. Promises made. And another promise that this government made was to conduct a line-by-line audit of public sector spending. Mr. Speaker, can the President of the Treasury Board please update this House as to the status of the line-by-line audit? Thank you. The President of the Treasury Board. Thank you for the question. Mr. Speaker, we promise to restore trust and accountability and transparency to government finances and put an end to more than a decade of Liberal mismanagement. As I said earlier, I'm pleased to announce today that the high quality line-by-line audit was completed on budget and on time, and is now public. Promise made. The truth is, Mr. Speaker, the Liberals left the people of Ontario with a legacy of debt that has put at risk the prosperity of current and future generations. This is the sobering truth. We need to restore trust and accountability, which includes transparency. That's why we made the documents public. And we are moving forward with the line-by-line plan where we are going to modernise and transform government. Mr. Speaker, I stand here to tell you that this House is going to move forward and that the things of the past are out, and help is on its way. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the President of the Treasury Board for this answer as my question was directed to him earlier. Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals, Ontario accumulated the highest sub-national debt of any jurisdiction in the world at $338 billion. On the current path, our shared prosperity is not assured. Action must be taken. Mr. Speaker, can the President of the Treasury Board please inform this House how the line-by-line audit will help us transform government into a modern institution that serves the people and by so doing, create a more sustainable Ontario for this and future generations? President of the Treasury Board. I thank the member from Mississaugas, Cooksville, for that very moving question. Mr. Speaker, and I'm glad to hear the member opposite from the opposition agree that we can agree on one thing, which is that the debt at $338 billion is unsustainable, so thank you for supporting us on that. Mr. Speaker, the intent of the audit was to provide advice that Ontario needs to end the culture of waste and mismanagement and provide the government with a way forward. The line-by-line review will help us change government for the better and change it for the people. Who, by the way, submitted more than 26,000 ideas. 26,000 ideas. And I'm still sure that a couple came in from the other side. We're going to modernize this government through four ways, through modernizing services. Two, secondly, through finding more cost-efficient ways of administering government. Three, by ensuring government funding is directed to those who need it most. And finally, by maximizing the value of government assets. Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked Toronto's 80th homicide which now mirrors 2005's Year of the Gun. What this underscores is the urgent need for this government to address gun violence in Toronto. This government needs to invest in the root causes of violence so that we can all enjoy freedom from the fear of crime and violence. So my question, Mr. Speaker, will this government commit to making community safety a priority? For Community Safety and Correctional Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you for that question. Our government is taking action to help combat guns and gang violence and restore public confidence and ensure our streets and communities are safe. Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign we promised to restore the $12 million in funding that the previous government cut from the fight against guns and gangs. Additionally, we committed $25 million a promise that was made, a promise that was kept. In fact, our government doubled its commitment. This investment is vital as a first step in combating violence. Disrupting gag activity and cracking down on the trafficking of illegal guns in this province. Unlike the members from the official opposition, we have continually who have continually insulted our police services. We are standing behind them and going to provide the tools to them to be able to do their jobs effectively in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, just to let you know, our government, we stand behind the police and we definitely will not insult the police. Mr. Speaker, in light of the line by line audit, police are looming with this government, especially as we still don't know how the $47 million promise to support Black Youth Action Plan has gone. Cuts to much needed community services and programs in communities will only make matters worse. Report after report reveal that the key to addressing gun violence is better community supports. Mr. Speaker, will the government not eliminate these essential programs to counter gun violence? Mr. Speaker, once again our commitment is to ensure that the police have the tools to be able to do their jobs. In addition to that and in fact the Minister of Community Services has invested half a million dollars in Ottawa to assist with racialized communities. In addition to that we are working on a government approach, a total government approach to look into the issues that underlie the issues of gangs and gun violence. We've discussed this before in the House and we are working together with the Ministry of Health with the Attorney General with the Minister of Housing with the Minister of Youth and Community Services to provide a solution that reaches out into all aspects of the community because we all know on this side that the right to do is to invest in all the ministries and unlike the other government that blew 15 billion dollars and left Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker to the Minister of Finance from an intergenerational perspective the last 15 budgets in this province have been the most unfair in our history. Unfair to rack up the largest in the world. Unfair to spend a billion dollars per month on servicing the debt rather than investing in jobs training and post-secondary education. Mr. Speaker it is unfair that every single child born in this province today automatically carries with them a debt load of $24,000. Mr. Speaker my nieces deserve better and so does every child in this province. On this side of the House we believe saddling the next generation with billions and billions is not compassionate nor is it morally defensible. It is wrong and under the leadership of this Premier it will end. Mr. Speaker can the Minister of Finance reaffirm that he will restore accountability for our young people and end the intergenerational theft once and for all. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from King Vaughn under the cover of empty promises the previous Liberal government mortgaged the future of our children our grandchildren and their children and the worst part the previous government is taking no responsibility for the accounting schemes they created this is more than about the numbers this is about accountability and trust the Auditor General was very clear in talking about the Liberal Government she said and I quote it is clear that the Government's intention creating the accounting financing scheme design was to avoid affecting it's a fiscal plan Speaker the Liberals knew what they were doing and the select committee will make sure we all knew what they were doing we're doing so with the full trust and confidence of the public and it's about time this happened Mr. Speaker we start the call supplementary Through you Speaker back to the Minister of Finance committed to ensuring that every child can achieve their full God-given potential thank you Minister under the former Liberal government our young people paid the price while taxes rose income stagnated while the size of government expanded youth employment contracted while household debt grew provincial debt skyrocketed Mr. Speaker the Liberal legacy in a word can be summarized as unfair unfair to those who long for income and social mobility to our young people who aspire to succeed in this country Mr. Speaker let us be clear the intergenerational unfairness by the former Liberal government undermines the prosperity future generations and our children all of our children and grandchildren deserve better Mr. Speaker can the Minister align how our government is changing the trajectory for the better and bringing back a spirit of hope into our young people Thank you Speaker I'll tell you exactly what we're doing to make this right with our intention to form a select committee of financial transparency this morning the disastrous record of failed policy decisions of the previous Liberal government was laid bare for all to hear not only did the Liberal government avoid showing us the true numbers Speaker they knew their accounting scheme would cost the taxpayers a further $4 billion in interest just to keep their numbers secret $4 billion in more money and the Liberals knew about it now the select committee will ensure that everyone knows about it Speaker that's the first step in restoring accountability and trust in this government for today and for generations to come only then Speaker can we move on Member for Don Valley East come to order Mr. Transportation come to order Start the clock Member for St. Catharines Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Environment Port Weller is a wonderful community in St. Catharines I want to speak about the concerns about the people of Port Weller they are having regarding a substance called clinker dust there are documents of health risk when exposed to this dust it has been piled in Port Weller Marina Terminal for well over a year now while this toxic dust is piled up the winds carried across the neighborhoods coding people's homes and green spaces will the Minister commit to ensuring the safety of the Port Weller residents by ordering the dust to be contained while being transported removed and being removed from the site immediately for the environment conservation parks Mr. Speaker thank you for the question the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks takes all of these concerns very seriously part of our commitment is to clean air, clean water and clean land and that's a challenge we face every day I'm familiar with the situation I'd be happy to speak to the members specifically about it and to make sure that I'm apprised of all the details but I can assure you the Ministry is aware of the situation and we'll be taking the appropriate actions Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker it goes without saying that the most essential issue at hand is ensuring the health of the people this clinker dust is certainly a health and safety issue it is also a matter of citizens of the Port Weller area losing their quality of life property values are decreasing and the people can't sell their homes in this area residents have expressed that because the clinker dust they can no longer enjoy the community within St. Catherine's will the Minister commit to engaging with the residents local government of St. Catherine's and the relevant authorities to put a stop to the clinker dust plaguing the Port Weller community within St. Catherine's Minister Mr. Speaker and through to the member and I appreciate her advocacy on behalf of our community the Ministry is engaged will stay engaged again I'd be happy to get from you directly the ways that you think that we can be helpful and that I can be helpful but this is true you're right about the health and safety concerns obviously we on this side as well are very concerned about anything that affects the health and safety of Ontario residents but thank you Thank you next question Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and the Minister of Energy last week 15 years of bad energy decisions came to an end as our government repealed the Green Energy Act Mr. Speaker I know that the mismanagement of the former government created this mess and I am happy that we are taking steps to clean it up the Green Energy Act is one of those bad decisions and I know repealing is the right decision for the people Can the Minister of Energy please explain to the members of this House why it is so important to repeal the Green Energy Act Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker he sure can and I want to thank the member for Chatham Kent Leamington for his important question Mr. Speaker the government has made it clear that we take our duty to consult very seriously what has occurred with the Green Energy Act that allowed the previous Liberal government to ram wasteful green energy projects into communities who didn't want them for a province that didn't need them Mr. Speaker sadly Mr. Speaker we've learned a few more things in the past couple of days about this act and actions that we've taken in the past to deal with a $15 billion sinkhole sadly colleagues through you Mr. Speaker this is in large part due to poor policy decision making of the previous Liberal government when it came to energy we're going to take action Mr. Speaker that reduces the energy bills of families, small businesses and large employers in this province on our plan to prosperity thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank Minister Rickford for championing the important bill and standing up for the people of Ontario Mr. Speaker I am pleased to know that municipalities especially in my writing won't be forced to house green energy contracts for energy our system simply does not need giving power back to the people is one of our government's most important promises Mr. Speaker I am delighted to know that our government is making good on that promise could the minister please tell the members again of this house how repealing the green energy act is going to help rural communities thank you Mr. Speaker and it's clear that the official opposition party are madder than a bunch of stomped on pole cats because in the race to June 7 the people of Ontario weren't buying into the invitation to jump into the spendy p-mobile Mr. Speaker I am delighted to know that we have a lot of people who are struggling with tackling big issues it had no plan it couldn't see a clear path to the finish line the plan for prosperity Mr. Speaker big governments big spending expensive fuel the largest carbon tax in the world and a track record Mr. Speaker of propping up the liberals 97% of the time they choose they chose team Ford Mr. Speaker the previous liberal party included now $15 billion worth of debt is no ordinary speed bump Mr. Speaker but they have the confidence in our team to take it across the finish line and put Ontario back on the podium Mr. Speaker as Canada's as Ontario is getting to the panel restart the clock next question the member for us thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of transport transportation Mr. Speaker made a promise to my community and that of the member of Chatham Ken Leamington that he would begin the twinning of highway 3 the third and final phase he said that he would do this quote not a year down the road but immediately accidents and road closures are continuing and help is not coming meanwhile the premier has found the time to immediately meddle in the elections at Toronto City Hall he's immediately cut school repair funding and he's immediately appointed friends and insiders to patronage positions Mr. Speaker can the minister tell the people of Essex County why he's broken his promise to immediately begin the construction of the third and final phase of the widening of highway 3 the minister of transportation Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member for his question and I recognize that he has been an advocate for this forlaning for some time and the premier made it clear that this is a project that our government considers to be a priority there are highway projects all across this province highway safety is always and will always be the number one priority in my ministry of transportation so I would ask the member to be patient this government has been just a few short months ago and we are currently in the process of determining our next ten-year highway capital projects highway capital plan and I would ask the member to look forward to talking to him more about this but we have projects all across this province that we are committed to and we are absolutely highway 3 is one of those projects that my premier and I consider to be a priority project and the safety of people who drive on that highway every day that is not something we have forgotten about and it is still very much on top of mind thank you supplementary Speaker the minister of transportation asks my community and that of Chatham Kent Leamington to be patient we have waited for 16 years people are dying on this roadway there is no more time for patients we need this project done and completed now speaker the premier and the minister of transportation we have a unique understanding of the word immediately speaker promises made promises broken obviously speaker my community wants to know exactly when exactly when we can expect this government to begin the twinning of highway 3 give us a date right now we have run out of patients Minister take your seats the minister well for the benefit of the member of am I good to go speaker for the benefit well it wasn't for the benefit of the member from Windsor to come see let me make this crystal clear the widening of the highway 3 is a priority for our government unlike the previous government that has saddled us with a $340 billion debt and a hidden $50 billion deficit the widening of highway 3 for this government is a priority I recognize you waited 16 years under the previous government you won't be waiting 16 years under this government let me repeat myself the safety of every resident and every member of the motoring public in this province is our highest priority widening highway 3 remains as one of those priorities and I look forward to chatting with the member on a personal basis on this matter next question the member for Northumberland Peterborough south thank you Mr. Speaker my question today is for the minister of community safety and correctional services yesterday the London free press reported that Terry Lynn the woman convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murder of 8 year old Tory Stafford a young girl from Woodstock to a healing lodge in Saskatchewan as a member of this government I am shocked and outraged that such a decision could come under the federal government to release this dangerous individual from prison it is simply wrong and morally reprehensible to the minister what actions will you take to ensure that the decision can be corrected minister of community safety I would like to thank the member from Northumberland Peterborough south this matter came to my attention this morning Mr. Speaker and as a member of this government we take community safety and correctional systems seriously I am also shocked and disappointed that such a decision could be made by our federal government our government has remained committed to improving our community safety and correctional services decisions like this made by our federal government can seriously impact the public's confidence in our correctional systems rest assured Mr. Speaker that I will make sure that we remain in contact with our federal government and also discuss this issue with our Attorney General to ensure that closure can be brought to the family of Tory Stafford and to ensure that justice can be delivered my ministry will continue to monitor this matter as it unfolds to see what we can do in this unfortunate situation that was created by the federal government and try to correct what has been done thank you supplementary thank you to the minister for that answer after such a tragic shocking event that shook those in the community of Woodstock Ontario the family of Tory Stafford deserves closure on how justice will now be served for the horrendous crime committed after originally serving in a multi-level security prison Terry Lynn McClintock is now being transferred to a minimum medium security healing lodge with more relaxed and independent quarters what is the minister going to do Mr. Speaker to ensure that sentencing for heinous criminals is carried out in full as is intended Minister Mr. Speaker I refer this to the minister of agriculture thank you I'd like to thank the member for the question to the minister for the correctional services I'm shocked and saddened to hear about the unfortunate news and the change of direction by the federal government I would like to express my thoughts first and foremost rest with the family of Tory Stafford and the community of Woodstock in my riding as the member from Oxford I want to let the member know that I will be writing a letter to the federal government immediately asking why such a decision could possibly be made that the minister of community and safety and correctional services will do everything in his power to encourage the federal government to reverse this decision and bring justice to the family of Tory Stafford thank you next question the member for Algoma Manitoulas thank you speaker my question is to the premier premier here on Central Railway is in need of funding before the end of December to ensure its survival during the campaign the premier passed his support for here on Central Railway and said the money could come from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund New Democrats and progressive concerted were on the board to save the railway so if the issue is a priority for this government and not a partisan issue why is it so difficult for the member of Suisse Marie to arrange a meeting between the ministers and representatives of here on Central Railway Task Force premier minister of energy minister of energy and I thank the member for his question and I thank the member from Suisse Marie for his hard work on behalf not just of Suisse Marie but across Northern Ontario he's doing a great job he like myself and all of our colleagues here understand the priorities for Northern Ontario moving forward we need a dynamic transportation network we have training matters on the table we have train opportunities and challenges frankly on the horizon we're going to make good decisions that benefit all of Northern Ontario in its vastness and I can assure the member opposite that not too distant future we'll be rolling out a series of decisions and announcements with respect to how Northern Ontario can contribute to an economy for Ontario that will help break down this $15 billion deficit this same response created by the Liberal Party of Ontario in their previous status as a government thank you Clemente again to the premier he and his team recognize that during the campaign that ensuring the survival of the railroad was crucial to the economy and well-being of Northern will the Conservative government follow through with their promise will they accept or will they let thousands thousands of jobs to be lost in Northern Ontario Minister well thank you Mr. Speaker I find it rich for somebody from the NDP to talk about the loss of jobs just think of what would have happened if the NDP had won the last election how many people from the nuclear sector would have been cut loose I'll make no apologies in this place Minister to stand up for mining jobs to stand up for forestry jobs to stand up for agriculture to ensure that we have the right transportation networks that meets the needs of our communities and that contributes to an economy in Northern Ontario that will help break down this $15 billion sinkhole of debt that was created by the previous Liberal government and propped up by the new democratic proppers Mr. Speaker Member for Bruce Greyhill and Sound thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'd like to direct my question to the government house leader it's my understanding that the Liberal government is actually putting in some reason amendments and I'd like the minister to ask why they're actually delaying the natural gas expansion that the province has been waiting for for 15 years under their leadership that's a very good question that's a really good question to the member from Bruce Greyhill and Sound you know I can't understand why the current Liberal independent members would try and hold up something that they promised before the 2014 election that would be to expand natural gas into rural Ontario now for four years they got nothing done on that promise Mr. Speaker and I'd like to give full credit to the minister of infrastructure the minister of energy the minister of agriculture and of course our premier and entire team here things done thank you Mr. Speaker from their communities which would bring down the cost of energy for them and their businesses their agribusinesses the agriculture sector which is driving our economy here and on this question period to an end I beg to inform the house that pursuant to standing order 98c a change has been made to the order of precedence on the ballot list for private members public business such that Mr. Sakaria assumes ballot item number 99 I understand the minister of training colleges and universities has a point of order thank you I am thank you Mr. Speaker I am rising in the chamber today on a turn from Canada Carlton where we had a devastating tornado and multiple tornadoes now on Friday and I want to give thanks to everyone who's been helping our communities repair and deal with those people affected and I want to first thank the first responders who've done an amazing job being on site and continuing to help us and support our communities I want to acknowledge the volunteers the people who have donated the people who have supported our community in their time of need and to help get us back on our feet and I want to thank minister Clark and the premier for being so swift in their response with the disaster recovery activation program thank you thank you and I hope that all of you will keep the people of my community in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward with courage and resiliency thank you thank you very much there being no deferred votes this house stands in recess until 3pm this afternoon