role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

February 22, 2017

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

< Previous sitting day

Next sitting day >

Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2017-Feb-22 (PDF)

L044 - Wed 22 Feb 2017 / Mer 22 fév 2017

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 22 February 2017 Mercredi 22 février 2017

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Orders of the Day

Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur le soutien à l’enfance, à la jeunesse et à la famille

Introduction of Visitors

Bob White

Legislative pages

Oral Questions

Executive compensation

Executive compensation

Energy policies

Hydro rates

Government spending

Hydro rates

Anti-racism activities

Energy policies

Labour dispute

Human trafficking

Child protection

Energy policies

Water extraction

Hydro rates

Health care funding

Anti-bullying initiatives

Notice of dissatisfaction

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Hydro rates

Bob White

Kindness Week

Canadian International AutoShow

Nancy Diamond

Consumer protection

Halton region

Covenant House Toronto

Soup Sisters

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Introduction of Bills

Anti-Human Trafficking Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 contre la traite de personnes

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Anti-bullying initiatives

Human trafficking

Anti-bullying initiatives

Human trafficking

Anti-bullying initiatives

Human trafficking

Petitions

Hydro rates

Energy conservation

Nanjing Massacre

Road safety

School closures

Ice machines

Hydro rates

Privatization of public assets

Home inspection industry

Access to justice

Orders of the Day

Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne l’aide médicale à mourir

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne l’aide médicale à mourir

Adjournment Debate

Energy policies

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Good morning. Please join me in prayer.

Prayers.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order from the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Mr. Speaker, to end unfair winter disconnections, I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 30(a), I be permitted to introduce a bill at this time.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Energy is seeking unanimous consent to put forth—

Mr. Gilles Bisson: A point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): On the same point of order?

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Timmins–James Bay.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Could you just send a copy of the bill here, please? We’re fine with the unanimous consent but we’d like to have a copy of the bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A copy has been made. I’ll wait.

Mr. Steve Clark: A point of order, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): On the same point of order?

Mr. Steve Clark: While we’re waiting, I just want to remind the minister that we could have done this yesterday.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order, please.

Now, before I proceed: I gave some leeway in terms of the delivery of the bill, but that’s not the issue right now. Right now it’s seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion. Now, do I have consent? Agreed? Agreed.

Minister.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to thank the House for their unanimous consent.

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Mr. Thibeault moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 95,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 / Projet de loi 95, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur la Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Is it the pleasure of the House the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The minister for a short statement.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Now that the bill has received first reading, I seek unanimous consent that the order for second reading of Bill 95,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, be called immediately and the question be put without debate or amendment; and

That in the event that Bill 95,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, receive second reading, the order for third reading shall immediately be called and the question put without debate or amendment; and

That the votes on second and third readings may not be deferred.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The minister seeks unanimous consent that the order for second reading of Bill 95—

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Dispense? Dispense. Agreed? Carried.

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Mr. Thibeault moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 95,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 / Projet de loi 95, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur la Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Does the motion carry? Agreed? Agreed. Carried.

Second reading agreed to.

Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 protégeant les consommateurs d’énergie vulnérables

Mr. Thibeault moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 95,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 / Projet de loi 95, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur la Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Do we agree? Carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now carry as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Point of order—the member from Timmins–James Bay on a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I just wonder why this didn’t happen yesterday. If we can have an explanation.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Actually, that’s not a point of order, but I’ll let you, as House leader, decide to talk to the House leader.

Orders of the Day

Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur le soutien à l’enfance, à la jeunesse et à la famille

Mr. Coteau moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 89,

An Act to enact the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, to amend and repeal the Child and Family Services Act and to make related amendments to other Acts / Projet de loi 89, Loi édictant la Loi de 2017 sur les services à l’enfance, à la jeunesse et à la famille, modifiant et abrogeant la

Loi sur les services à l’enfance et à la famille et apportant des modifications connexes à d’autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister?

Hon. Michael Coteau: It is an honour for me to stand today to speak on this proposed legislation. I would like to let you know at this time, Mr. Speaker, that I’ll be sharing my time with the member from Kingston and the Islands during this hour that I believe we have allocated.

I want to start off by acknowledging that we’re gathered on the traditional territory of several indigenous nations, and I’d like to pay special attention to the Mississaugas of the New Credit. I also want to recognize the history and the significant contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people here in this city, this region and this province.

I am pleased to speak on Bill 89, the proposed Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act of 2016 which, moving forward, I will refer to as the CYFSA. As was mentioned, I will be sharing my time with the PA who is responsible for this file.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today committed to helping young people in our province reach their full potential. As an MPP, as the minister responsible for children and youth services, as the minister responsible for anti-racism, but I think most importantly as a community member, as an uncle and as a father of two young girls, I believe that it is of utmost importance here in this Legislature as a government to do everything we possibly can to ensure that young people are at the heart of our decision-making.

Many children, youth and families in this province struggle with barriers that leave them struggling to thrive, and it’s our responsibility to break down those barriers to help ensure that our province’s youth can succeed.

Young people need to be included as part of the solution. Protecting and supporting children and youth is not just an obligation, it is our moral imperative, our duty and our privilege—each and every one of us in this Legislature, our privilege—in shaping the future of this province.

I am so amazed and inspired by the hard work of people within the sector, community agencies and front-line workers right across this province who work every single day, often weekends and evenings, to make sure that our young children are protected. I want to thank OPSEU, CUPE, Unifor and all of our provincial advocates, including the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, for the work that they do. Our progress in supporting children and youth would not be possible without their efforts.

I’m proud of the work that our community partners do as they provide direct services to build stronger neighbourhoods and give people a sense of belonging in their communities. We thank them for servicing young people and families through very, very difficult times, for counselling and guiding them when they need it most, and for championing young people to reach their full potential as they move forward on that pathway. We thank them for their advocacy and for reminding us that our work as MPPs, our work as government officials, our work as service providers is never done.

At the same time, many children and youth who receive services and support haven’t experienced the success or positive outcomes we wish for them. This tells us that the current system needs to be improved for the youngest members in our community.

While various government initiatives, programs and policies address specific issues, what is most needed now is system change. This is why I’m so excited to be here today to speak about Bill 89, the proposed Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2016.

If approved, this bill will initially amend and then repeal and replace the current Child and Family Services Act, which I will refer to as the CFSA, the existing bill in the legislative framework that governs many of our province’s programs and services for children and youth, including child welfare, youth justice services, secure treatment programs, child developmental services, licensed residential services for children and youth, community support services, indigenous child and family services, and adoption.

The legislation came into force back in 1985 to promote the best interests, protection and well-being of children and youth. However, we know now the legislation is outdated and it doesn’t reflect the realities of today. This is why we’re proposing a comprehensive legislative change to build on our work today and improve the outcomes to support children and youth.

I’d like to take a moment to speak about the progress that has been achieved and the work that is being done to get to this point. I want to take a moment just to thank the folks back at the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. I have been a minister for under a year now, but I know that the government officials—

Mr. John Yakabuski: It seems longer.

Hon. Michael Coteau: The minister for this file for under a year.

It has been an incredible experience to meet the men and women who work at the ministry, who have been working on this legislation for years.

In the past decade, we’ve taken action to strengthen the child welfare system and to make system changes more responsive to individual family needs and to be accountable back to the public. As a result of these transformations, fewer children are coming into care; more children are being adopted into permanent homes; youth have more supports to transition into adulthood; and more children’s aid societies are balancing their books and acting more efficiently.

In 2014 and 2015, we engaged with our communities and spoke with indigenous partners and hundreds of people across the province. We listened to children and youth, to families, to service providers and to advocates. We listened to them. They told us how legislation impacts them and how it could be strengthened to improve and support high-quality services and create more opportunities to support young people here in our province.

We heard from people right across the province: from Kingston to Timmins, Sudbury to Windsor, from London all the way to Thunder Bay. We also met with associations, advocates and experts, including the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario, the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth and, of course, the Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities. We were guided by the final recommendations from the Residential Services Review Panel’s report titled Because Young People Matter.

As minister responsible for the province’s Anti-Racism Directorate, I held community consultations across the province and spoke to people who shared their experiences in regard to discrimination. That also helped us craft this proposed legislation in a fair and inclusive way. Throughout the consultation process, the voices of youth were the strongest at the table.

We met with Our Voice Our Turn, a youth-led project initiated by the provincial advocate, as well as young people who experienced the in-care services here in Ontario. We engaged directly with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban indigenous partners to hear their recommendations on how we as a government can improve and support families. Service providers, youth and families were all clear in their message to government that the current legislation must be updated to reflect the social changes that have taken place in this province over the last 30 years.

What we heard from them was that children and youth feel that they’re not being heard, that they want a better understanding of their rights, to have more emphasis on their rights in legislation, and to have their perspective represented. Our youth want and deserve to have their voices listened to.

Last December, I had the opportunity to hear directly from a young woman who was fleeing an abusive home in southwestern Ontario. She ended up struggling for several years, went through homelessness and living in shelters, and she was then accepted to Covenant House five years ago. Because of that ability to get into that shelter and to work with front-line workers, she went off to Humber. Now she is studying at Ryerson University and her objective today is to become a social worker so she can go back and help young people who are in the exact same situation as her.

At the end of the day, I think there’s no doubt that every single person in this room wants us, as government officials, as members, as people who work for government, to ensure that young people are placed into the best possible situation so that they can reach their full potential and they can be active participants in society.

Front-line workers and youth put a spotlight on older youth needing access to protection services.

We listened when they told us the current legislation does not reflect the diversity in Ontario and services must be more inclusive and culturally appropriate for children and youth of all backgrounds. We know, certainly, that children and youth populations need specific attention and support. We heard that experiences by those impacted by the country’s legacy of historical, geographical and social discrimination should be reflected in the legislation.

We heard from indigenous communities, and they’ve been clear that they want to come up with their own solutions to support their own children. We know from them now that increased community control over child and youth services is essential to improve outcomes for indigenous youth and families.

We heard the call for more accountability and transparency across the system, for clear performance expectations for service agencies, and that we must hold entities and individuals accountable for their actions and commitment to deliver the best possible child and youth family services available.

We also heard about the challenges young families and young people face as they try to navigate this often complex system. They are often made to repeat their stories over and over and over again to get the right type of services that they need. We recognize that we need to improve information sharing between our agencies.

I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of individuals and organizations across the province who contributed their insights, experiences and expertise to improve this current proposed legislation. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the young people and the families who shared their experiences. Sometimes it’s very hard to share with other people because these are tough situations and they’re hard situations that people go through.

But we received the message loud and clear: People want to see change, and the time has come to improve our legislation that governs many of the province’s programs for children and youth and their families. So again, thank you to the children, to youth service providers and community organizations. The proposed CYFSA is now a positive and much-needed step towards modernizing and strengthening Ontario’s child and family services so that our young people can succeed.

There are several goals we want to achieve through the legislation:

—centering children and youth in decision-making and strengthening their rights so that they have a voice when it comes to the services they need;

—improving the quality of services and consistency of supports offered to children, youth and their families;

—increasing accountability and oversight to service providers; and

—supporting First Nations, Métis and Inuit children and youth and their families through services that respect their culture, heritage and tradition.

The legislation seeks to accomplish these goals by focusing on four priorities: prevention and protection, quality improvement, accountability and oversight, and relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

The legislation first places an emphasis on protection and prevention, so that families receive the services they need to thrive. In our consultations, we listened to children, youth and families across the province who told us that the current legislation doesn’t do enough to recognize and respect the diverse identities of children and youth. We also heard that it contains outdated, stigmatizing language.

The current legislation does not significantly identify the rights of children and youth, and it has become clear to us that we must enshrine their rights to have a say in the services and the care that they receive. That’s why we’re bringing this legislation into the modern world here today in Ontario: to affirm our commitments to children’s rights, diversity and inclusion.

To begin with, through the proposed legislation we will affirm and strengthen the rights of children and youth receiving services to enhance their participation in the decision-making that affects them. From the outset, the proposed legislation sets a new tone for how to approach child and youth services here in Ontario. The

preamble acknowledges that the aim of the CYFSA is to be consistent and to build upon the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The

preamble reaffirms Ontario’s commitment to children’s rights, and it supports a child- and youth-centred lens through which the rest of the proposed legislation should be viewed. It is time that we give children and youth a seat at the table in decision-making about the services that they receive.

The proposed act goes on to include a clear—and affirms the rights of all children and youth receiving services under the proposed CYFSA. These rights include the right to participate in the decisions that affect them, and that children and youth must be informed of their rights when receiving their services.

The legislation incorporates and aligns directly with the visions and goals of Katelynn’s Principle by clearly stating that every child is an individual whose rights must be respected and whose voice must be heard.

It recognizes that children and youth receiving services under the proposed CYSFA have the right to express their views freely and safely about matters that affect them; have their views given due weight in accordance with the age of maturity; be consulted on the nature of services they are receiving and advised on the decisions that are made; raise concerns or recommend changes without interference or fear of coercion, discrimination and reprisal; and be informed of these rights and the existence of services that protect those rights, like the services provided through the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.

This proposed legislation affirms Ontario’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and seeks to address—

Interjections.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Guys, come on. You should be listening to this. This is important stuff.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Are we all done? Thank you.

Continue.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that.

Again, it affirms Ontario’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and seeks to address the barriers of systemic racism. Advocates and the public have raised powerful concerns about the overrepresentation of black, indigenous and other racialized children and youth in our child welfare system.

We have heard the call to provide services in a manner that respects and helps preserve young people’s cultural identity, so the proposed CYFSA emphasizes that services should be provided in a manner that takes into account a young person’s cultural and linguistic needs as well as their race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, family diversity, disability, creed—which includes religion—sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

This means that services will be more inclusive and more culturally appropriate for children and youth. It also means that service providers will have clear expectations on how they work with children and youth so that people will have more culturally appropriate experiences when receiving these services. Ultimately, it means that the government, in both the letter and the spirit of the law, respects children and young people.

I’d like to take the next few minutes to talk about child protection. Under the current legislation, access to child protection services is limited to children and youth up to 16 years of age—or under 16 years of age, to be more specific—and up to 18 if a child has already been subject to a child protection court order. This means that children’s aid societies and indigenous child well-being societies are not currently allowed to deliver services to many vulnerable 16- and 17-year-olds who need help. This is probably one of the pieces in the legislation that I think is so needed in this province.

It currently means that 16- and 17-year-olds who need protection may be referred to other community services like shelters. But when it’s not safe for a 16- or 17-year-old to live in a home, we realize they may have fewer options left to them. Older youth who have been abused or neglected have higher risks of experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, substance abuse, violence and human trafficking. So 16- and 17-year-olds who need protection should be able to access services that keep them safe and provide them with the ability to reach their full potential.

I’m proud of this proposed legislation that will raise the age of protection to 18. It will ensure that 16- and 17-year-olds have access to the full range of child protection services they need.

Increasing the age of protection will mean that children’s aid societies and indigenous well-being societies can investigate reports of 16- and 17-year-olds who may be in need of protection and provide services to these young people to keep them safe, to help them successfully transition to adulthood and reduce their risk of experiencing homelessness and other poor outcomes.

These changes will bring our province in alignment with other provinces and territories here in Canada that have mandated child protection services to apply to all persons up to the age of 18. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may not be children anymore, but we could all agree that they’re not adults. This is still a vulnerable age and they may still need protection. Providing support to these young people is the right thing to do.

I cannot understate the significant, positive impact that these changes will have in some of our most vulnerable youth here in the province of Ontario. Within the first year of implementation alone, we know that the proposed legislation, if it’s adopted by this Legislature, will take in an additional 1,600 young people to access child protection. That is 1,600 young people who will have a safer path towards adulthood; 1,600 young people who will have a better chance of reaching their full potential.

Mr. Speaker, I want to draw your attention to the bill’s emphasis on prevention. We know that vulnerabilities and challenges can happen early in a child’s life and that many of these children and youth end up having the same repeated interactions with protection services. For example, close to 43% of homeless youth have had previous involvement in child protection services. The proposed CYFSA confirms Ontario’s commitment to prevention, early intervention, community support and strength-based services to avoid crisis situations from recurring, and to prevent involvement with child protection services.

It also guards the safety of vulnerable children from other provinces so that when a young person moves between provinces, there may be child protection orders that were made in accordance through child welfare legislation in the child’s province or territory of origin. Unlike current legislation, the proposed CYFSA provides Ontario societies with the power to enforce the extra-provincial child protection order. This would further support the safety and protection of children who cross provincial and territorial borders.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, on the topic of prevention and protection, I would like to speak about some of the important changes that are being proposed to youth justice.

It’s important to note that we’ve made some great progress in this province when it comes to our youth justice system. I think at this point I would hope that all members of the Legislature listen to this important piece because I think it’s something that we can all be proud of.

Since 2003, here in the province of Ontario, the youth crime rate has dropped 46%. Youth justice custody admission has declined by 83% and thousands of young people are accessing over 400 community-based programs that help them avoid reoffending in the future. This is happening right across Ontario in all of our ridings. I think we should all be proud of that.

The unique nature of the justice system setting means that custody or detention facilities require certain measures to keep youth and staff safe that are distinct from other models of residential care. These measures must be properly regulated. We have policies and practices in place in our youth justice system to guide the use of measures such as mechanical restraints and searches in youth justice facilities. But these policies and practices are not codified in the current legislation.

The proposed CYFSA sets out clear authority and limits on the use of mechanical restraints and the use of searches in youth justice facilities. The new legislation limits and codifies current practices in legislation, setting out requirements for the use of mechanical restraint equipment, including:

—that mechanical restraints must never be used as a means of punishment;

—the circumstances under which restraints can be used; and

—the authority to set out additional requirements in the regulations.

The new proposed legislation ensures that use of mechanical restraints is temporary and limited to protect the safety and well-being of young people and their caregivers.

The proposed CYFSA allows the authority to search a person’s property and vehicles at a youth justice or detention centre. It also provides regulation-making authority to set out criteria for conducting these searches. They will help ensure service providers are giving high-quality care and protecting the safety and well-being of young people.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, in regard to this particular point, I would like to discuss the misconceptions which arose from the term “secure isolation,” present in the current legislation. I want to emphasize that youth in secure isolation are not left alone without human contact or supervision for extended periods of time. This is why the new proposed CYFSA changes the term to “secure de-escalation.” This term more accurately reflects the nature and objective of this practice that continues to acknowledge that the practice is secure, while making it clear that staff involvement is focusing on de-escalating the current situation.

These approaches will continue to be used only as a last resort and with an objective of keeping youth in the facility safe. Staff currently are, and will continue to be, present and actively working to de-escalate the situation and return a young person to their previous setting as quickly as possible. If a youth is putting another youth or staff person at risk or potential harm—for example, aggressive or violent behaviour—it is our responsibility to make sure that all young people in that facility are safe.

Our system has many non-violent youth, and if another youth is being violent, it is our responsibility to remove them from the situation for the safety of everyone in the facility.

Between 2010 and 2016 there has been a 75% decrease in placement in secure de-escalation in Ontario’s youth and justice facilities. We have achieved this decline by supporting, training and supervising staff to use alternatives wherever possible. We want this to continue to decline within our facilities. That is exactly why we’re listening to stakeholders to figure out what we can do to make it even better for young people in these facilities. We have accepted many of the recommendations that have come from the provincial advocate and, in fact, we’re in the process currently of improving and implementing some of those pieces.

I have a couple of minutes left and I want to end by saying this: That here in the province of Ontario, as MPPs, as government officials, as people, as advocates, as fieldworkers—the people who are out there in the sector supporting our young people—as community members, as taxpayers, as grandparents, as uncles and parents, we all have a moral obligation to ensure that our young people are taken care of. Again, there is no doubt in my mind that every single member in this Legislature wants to continue to explore ways to ensure that young people in our province are set up for success.

The proposed legislation works with some of our young people—our children and youth—who are most vulnerable in the system. It is important that this proposed piece of legislation goes through a committee process that allows for people to comment to ensure that it is a piece of proposed legislation that is best positioned to do just that, to ensure that young people here in the province of Ontario have the opportunity to reach their full potential, to avoid those barriers that may exist out there and to ensure that they are set up for success.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet some young people who have gone through the child protection system. I met a group of them, several of them, and we sat down for probably half an hour to an hour and had a discussion around their experiences in the system. Make no mistake; there were challenges, there were complaints. But at the end of the day, the young people I was speaking to had the opportunity to go through the system, to sometimes land in foster care, where they felt that they were provided with opportunities to be adopted, and some stayed within the system without going through adoption or foster care.

We have to ensure, as responsible members of society, that young people like I met have the opportunity to go to post-secondary education, to finish high school, to be able to go out there and participate in the workforce, to be able to build a family, to be able to participate in our economy, to be able to grow old and retire in this province, and to really live a full life, despite where they start in life. I know that we’re committed as a government to ensure that we move forward in a direction that allows for this to happen.

I truly believe that this proposed legislation, if passed by this Legislature, is a step in the right direction, with some significant changes. I’m proud, as the member for Don Valley East but also as the minister responsible for children and youth, to be here to participate in this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Further debate?

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: It’s an honour to rise today to speak to this very important legislation, Bill 89, the proposed Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2016, which, if approved, will amend and then repeal and replace the current Child and Family Services Act with the Children, Youth and Family Services Act, 2016, which I will refer to as the proposed CYFSA. This is an historic moment in child protection. I will be discussing some of the technical details of this bill. I know that I have your undivided attention and I do thank you for that.

The proposed CYFSA reflects the commitment that we have made to help young people across the province reach their full potential by strengthening and modernizing child and youth services. As discussed by my colleague the Honourable Minister of Children and Youth Services, the proposed legislation, if passed, would put children at the centre of decision-making. It would put the focus on early intervention to prevent more children and families from reaching crises in the very first place.

It would help make services more culturally appropriate for all children in the child welfare system, including indigenous and black children and youth, so they receive the best possible support. It would also help improve the oversight of service providers, including children’s aid societies.

Before I elaborate on how we’re planning to improve the quality of services and oversight of providers, I want to thank all the members of the public, stakeholders and partners who have already provided their input on the proposed CYFSA. We value their commitment to protecting young people and we’ll work closely with them on the next steps to improve services for children, youth and their families.

As my colleague mentioned, the second key area of the proposed legislation is quality improvement. In addition to clarifying provisions and openness for adoption, the legislation also provides for the collection of personal information, including identity-based data and improved services through better data sharing.

We’ve heard concerns that certain populations are overrepresented in the child welfare system and that the system should be doing a better job of serving them. We’ve heard that systemic racism creates barriers that increase the risk of black, indigenous and other racialized families and communities having involvement with the child welfare system. I echo my colleague’s call that, as government, we have a moral duty—not just a professional one, a moral duty—to help break these barriers.

Currently, there is limited collection, analysis and reporting of identity-based data by service providers. This means that sometimes providers may not be aware of the realities and needs of the populations they serve. This is why the proposed legislation includes authority for the ministry to request ministry-funded or licensed service providers to collect certain personal information from clients, which includes race-based information, and to report that information to the ministry.

Collecting this data will support better service planning and the delivery of culturally appropriate services, and it will improve the outcomes for black and indigenous youth and children and other marginalized populations.

Mr. Speaker, better information sharing is also vital so that children and families do not have to keep telling their stories over and over again. The current legislation, the Child and Family Services Act, which I will refer to as the CFSA, does not include a legislative framework for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. For example, CFSA does not have clear rules to provide individuals a right to access their own personal information held by service providers.

It does not provide rules to guide service providers when sharing information with each other about the children, youth and families that they serve. It also does not provide clear authority to collect the high-quality data that is needed to effectively support planning and oversight of the child, youth and families sector.

This is why the proposed legislation sets out clear rules for the collection, use, disclosure of and access to personal information held by agencies and other service providers. It enshrines the right of individuals to access their personal information or request a correction, and the right to file a complaint or an appeal if they disagree with decisions made about their personal information or if they believe that their privacy was violated.

While I recognize that these changes seem to be administrative, good data is essential to support planning and to improve services that have a real impact on children, youth and their families.

I’d also like to talk about the sustainability of the child welfare sector. In 2009, we established the Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare, an independent body that provided expertise and an objective perspective on how to set the system on a path to long-term sustainability.

The commission noted that the system had many strengths. Ontario’s model of local, independently governed societies that build upon trusting relationships in the communities they serve is a strong one. It benefits from the expertise and experience of front-line workers, foster parents, volunteers and community partners. I know that in my community, I include in that realm Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. I include their workers and their board. These organizations are doing critical work in our communities.

The commission also noted that the system was changing. With the support of the commission, 13 societies amalgamated into six new societies, and this was a good thing. Amalgamation helped these societies to better respond to the needs of the children, youth and families they were serving. So the commission recommended further amalgamations of smaller children’s aid societies to develop the capacity, expertise and networks to improve services in their communities.

In 2015, the Auditor General recommended that the government consider opportunities to improve efficiencies of service delivery, including further society amalgamations. When it is in the public interest, we feel that the government should be able to respond effectively to improve efficiency and consistency of services. This is why the proposed legislation introduces the legal authority for the minister to compel amalgamations and dissolutions of societies when it is in the public interest to do so.

Let me be clear: There are no immediate plans to compel amalgamations. We will continue to partner with children’s aid societies through the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies to support voluntary and phased amalgamations. We hope that through consultation with societies and communities, there will be voluntary restructuring to improve services to children, youth and their families.

In keeping with the principle that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people should be able to provide their own child and family services, the government is not proposing to compel amalgamations of indigenous child well-being societies.

Next, I’d like to speak to the important work that we are doing to modernize licensed residential services for children and youth. Last year, the government released Because Young People Matter, as the minister referred to, a report on Ontario’s residential services for children and youth. The Residential Services Review Panel that put together the report met with parents, foster parents, service providers and independent experts across the province, as well as youth who shared their personal experiences.

Key input came from these youth, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth; those who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited; youth with special needs; racialized youth; and those involved in youth justice and child welfare services. We value the expert panel’s advice and each of their recommendations.

In addition, we value the recent reports by the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth and other stakeholders which will help inform the ministry’s next steps to improve licensed residential services for children and youth in Ontario.

In addition to changes proposed in the legislation, we are building a blueprint for the reform of residential services that incorporates the voices of youth and focuses on improving quality of care for children and youth. Working in partnership with the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, we have established a youth panel to ensure that young people are at the very centre of this process. The youth panel is providing input to the government on how to improve quality of care and better reflect youth voices in residential services.

We have also begun work with indigenous partners to co-develop a plan that will address the specific needs of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban indigenous children and youth.

While we have made progress, we recognize that there is more work to be done. For example, the legislative licensing requirements for children and youth residential services have been in place for over 30 years, with limited changes in requirements or processes. The current CFSA and its regulations do not set out a robust or modernized licensing and compliance scheme for licensed residential settings. For example, there are limited quality standards, and there is no requirement for licensing and compliance information to be shared publicly.

The current provisions are limited, and they do not reflect modern approaches to oversee residential services for children and youth. Mr. Speaker, this is why the proposed legislation seeks to improve the licensing framework for residential settings through proposed new and enhanced authorities. It will help provide oversight of licensed residential services to help improve the quality of care for children and youth.

Let me expand on that. In direct response to recommendations made by the Residential Services Review Panel, the proposed CYFSA includes new powers for an inspector to conduct inspections of licensed residential settings, with or without a warrant. It would help enhance the requirements to get and keep a licence. It also includes expanded grounds for the ministry to refuse to issue, renew or revoke a licence, and would expand the types of residential care requiring a licence in regulation.

The proposed legislation would also include new authority to publish certain licensing and compliance information to help inform decision-making about placement for children and youth. The proposed updates would include enhancing the criteria to obtain and retain a licence, and it would remove the provision about entitlement to a licence in the current CFSA.

Together with the residential services blueprint that is being developed, the proposed legislation would create room to improve the quality of care in residential settings by enhancing the standards and introducing new protective measures which will help build public confidence in the system.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss the third key area of legislation: accountability and oversight. Child and youth services include a wide range of service partners. They include children’s aid societies, transfer payment agencies and lead agencies for mental health. It’s through them that our policies and programs are put into practice to reach children and youth all across this province.

It is our responsibility to have in place appropriate checks and balances and accountability mechanisms all throughout the system. This is an essential part of protecting the children and youth who use these very services. Currently, under the existing CFSA, there are limited compliance, accountability, and performance improvement tools for children’s aid societies and for transfer payment recipients.

In 2015, the Auditor General called for improved society oversight and accountability. It echoed the concerns from the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, the Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare and recommendations from numerous coroners’ inquests. That is why the proposed legislation would help set clear expectations and put in place the very tools that will support modernized oversight. It would provide a suite of powers to address non-compliance and matters of public interest, such as quality of services or financial and operational management of societies.

First, the minister would be able to issue a compliance order to direct a children’s aid society to take specific actions to comply or prepare, submit and implement a plan for achieving compliance. For example, this would be when a society fails to comply with the act or its regulations.

Second, the minister may take a number of other actions where a society has failed to comply with the compliance order, where it is in the public interest to do so, or when there is a situation requiring immediate intervention, for example, threat to a person’s health, safety or well-being.

Such other actions include appointing or replacing a minority of board members, including designating or replacing the board chair. Such actions include appointing a supervisor to temporarily operate and manage a children’s aid society. The minister would be required to provide notice to a children’s aid society before taking these actions, and the society would have the right to make written submissions for the minister’s consideration.

Increased accountability and financial oversight helps build a stronger children and youth system. It helps ensure efficiency, effectiveness and compliance with legislative requirements, and it helps service providers by allowing more resources to go towards providing those services. Most importantly, it reassures Ontarians that we are doing our job and making sure that service providers are doing theirs also.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the role of lead agencies in delivering mental health services for children and youth. Lead agencies are being established across this province to be leaders in the implementation of Moving on Mental Health, and to work with partners like schools and hospitals that play a role in children’s lives so that children and youth receive the right services at the right time. These lead agencies will lead the planning work so that essential child and youth mental health services are available in their communities.

The proposed legislation supports this work by enabling the designation of lead agencies and the authority to prescribe their functions. These changes are part of the ongoing transformation of the child and youth mental health sector.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that improving the system is an effort that requires input and planning. This is why the proposed CYFSA provides the authority for the Minister of Children and Youth Services to appoint members to an advisory group to provide guidance on child well-being, including child welfare. This group will include partners across the child welfare and residential service sectors. With their help, we will be able to develop effective policy and programs and improve services and outcomes for children and youth.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience that we must strengthen accountability and oversight, and the proposed CYFSA will provide us with the tools to do just that. It is our responsibility to enhance governance to improve services for children and youth, and this is our chance to do so.

This brings me to the fourth area of the legislation: relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The government is committed to supporting First Nations, Métis and Inuit children, youth and families through an acknowledgement of our government’s unique relationships with indigenous peoples and through services that respect indigenous cultures, heritage and traditions.

I want to reflect for a moment on what we have heard from many indigenous children, youth, families and leaders. They have told us that indigenous children are sometimes sent far away from home to other parts of the province, to big cities and to unfamiliar places. They have told us that the current system leaves families and friends at home worried and heartbroken, compounding trauma in communities that have, more often than not, already experienced tremendous amounts of grief because of this country’s history of residential schools.

And the current legislation does not adequately reflect the unique relationship between the government and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples living in Ontario. Current

definitions in the CFSA are disrespectful and restrict access to existing provisions to status First Nations children and families.

The proposed legislation acknowledges the unique relationship between Ontario and indigenous peoples and references the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Jordan’s Principle. It acknowledges that First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples are constitutionally recognized peoples in Canada with their own laws and distinct cultural, political and historical ties to Ontario.

The proposed legislation expands and modernizes language that is out of date and stigmatizing by replacing it with a more inclusive term, as well as allowing for self-identification. It repeals terms like “Indian” and “native” and replaces them with “First Nations, Inuk or Métis child” and “First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families.” It also requires societies to make all reasonable efforts to pursue a plan for customary care for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth in need of protection.

As much and as often as possible, we will honour the traditions of indigenous communities, including customary care, by supporting efforts to keep children close to home and all that is familiar.

The proposed legislation also supports the implementation of the Ontario Indigenous Children and Youth Strategy. Through the strategy, indigenous communities and the government are building stronger bonds and transforming services and systems to meet the needs of indigenous children and youth. This will support First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to have a holistic, culturally based and community-driven approach to children and youth services.

The strategy will focus on transforming Ontario’s relationship with indigenous youth and children and their families; enhancing First Nations jurisdiction and indigenous control for indigenous children and youth services; prioritizing preventive services that are culturally appropriate for indigenous children and youth; building a high-quality, integrated services network that supports indigenous children and youth; and enabling government and indigenous service providers to track and evaluate their work in implementing the strategy.

We have listened to indigenous partners in all parts of the province and understand that while there are many common issues, there are also cultural needs, as well as geographic needs, that must be met and recognized. We are committed to continuing the conversation and working with them on how to keep children safe and cared for, and I am confident that this legislation will steer us down a positive path.

One thing that we have heard loud and clear is that change and improvement are required to our existing child welfare services. We know that for too long the system has focused on the problems that are facing children and youth and not enough on their voices, their opinions, their thoughts and their goals.

To conclude, I would like to summarize the purpose of Bill 89, the proposed Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2016. If passed, the legislation will put the focus where it belongs, on children and youth. It would replace the current Child and Family Services Act with a modern, child-centred act that at its very core would strengthen the rights of children and youth so that they have a voice in decisions that affect the services they receive. The legislation would recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion and it would build on the goals of Katelynn’s Principle by clearly stating that every child—every child—needs to be heard and respected.

The legislation would accomplish these goals by focusing on four priority areas. First, the legislation would place an emphasis on protection and prevention so that families receive the services that they need in order to thrive. This means a stronger commitment to prevention and early intervention to help families and children avoid reaching a crisis in the first place. It means better supporting the delivery of culturally appropriate services for all communities in Ontario, and it means raising the age of protection to provide all 16- and 17-year-olds in need of protection access to child protection services.

This change will help reduce the risk of homelessness, human trafficking and mental health issues.

Second, the legislation would emphasize quality improvement to support better coordinated, more efficient services with better information sharing, so that young people and their families do not have to tell their stories repeatedly.

Third, the legislation would improve accountability and oversight so that checks and balances within the system are strong and children and youth are better protected.

Finally, we will support First Nations, Métis and Inuit children, youth and families through an acknowledgment of our government’s unique relationships with indigenous peoples.

The legislation and the associated reforms are a huge step forward, but I want to emphasize that they are the first step. Reform will not happen overnight. Our goal is clear: to see happy, healthy young people and families enjoy the high quality of life and opportunities that our province offers. That goal is reinforced by a shared commitment to improving outcomes for Ontario’s most vulnerable, so that they can learn, grow, thrive and reach their full potential.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Questions and comments?

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m very pleased to rise and comment. We heard some great notes and comments about how we’re moving forward in the child welfare system. We’re discussing Bill 89, the Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act. I just want to say—to remind everybody—that the Auditor General has made many recommendations; that there are deficiencies. So it’s great that we’re moving forward and we’re all looking forward to seeing progress and improvements.

We have a system that we would like to see more child-centred. We want youth and children to be as engaged as they can be in an age-appropriate way and depending on their circumstances. We are hearing that the government is recognizing what we have been saying on this side of the House. I would remind everybody that my colleague from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry had a bill that passed second reading in 2015 asking for youth ages 16 and older to be able to enter the child welfare system for the first time, and that is part of this legislation.

Of course, we’re concerned about the cost of that and how much demand there is going to be for that. We are also concerned with the CPIN and how it is being rolled out and implemented and some of its limitations. Yes, it’s progress, but we can’t always be implementing technology that was at its peak a few years back. We have to move quicker with technology in the province of Ontario, even anticipate what the demands will be for new technology so that data can be transferred easily and get the best advice we can from people in the IT sector.

We should be speaking to the people who work: the foster parents, the kids—get them engaged. Let’s hear what they want to comment on and make suggestions.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Questions and comments?

Miss Monique Taylor: I’m pleased to have the opportunity to respond in two minutes’ time. I’m looking forward to the hour that I will be able to spend on this bill in the Legislature in the upcoming time.

I have to say that we welcome these changes that are being incorporated. We’re thrilled to see Katelynn’s Principle reflected. We’re thrilled to see Jordan’s Principle reflected. We are thrilled to see the work of youth, through the child advocate’s office, that is being incorporated into this bill here before us. But we do have concerns. I’m concerned about the amount going into regulation compared to what is in the legislation. There is a lot that’s going into regulation and what happens in regulation isn’t debated in this House. It doesn’t go for public consultation.

So there’s a lot of concerns as to what, quite frankly, the government won’t have to do if they don’t choose to put them into regulation.

I think we are moving in the right direction, but we need to make sure that it’s strong. We need to make sure that the principles are enacted, solid, and not just in the

preamble. Quite frankly, we should be enacting Katelynn’s Principle Act, Bill 57, and that’s not just from me, as it is my own bill, but it comes from UNICEF. They think that the two bills should go hand in hand, making sure that this legislation has teeth, that all of those important aspects of this bill actually have some legislation behind them to make sure that there are measurements that we can test to make sure that they are working.

I’m concerned about the lack of funding dollars that have been spoken about to this point. We can’t ask people to do more and not give them the funding to do just that.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Minister of Education.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I’m very pleased to rise today in support of Bill 89, the Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2016.

I know, personally, the importance of families to children in providing a loving and secure environment for them to grow up. Our government is committed to doing everything we possibly can so that children are given the best start in life. If passed, the proposed Child, Youth and Family Services Act would provide a modern child- and youth-centred legislative framework to strengthen services and better protect and care for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable young people.

I am particularly pleased to see what this piece of legislation does in providing child-centred, focused legislation. I know, in speaking with the provincial advocate for children, how important it is to listen to children, to listen to what they care about, their concerns and their needs, and to ensure that those needs are being heard and responded to. This legislation emphasizes the importance of a child’s own culture, heritage and traditions. It recognizes the need for diversity, for inclusion, and that systemic biases and racism must be addressed in the delivery of all services to children and to families.

This ensures that everyone understands that these rights and responsibilities will be part of this new legislation and will be enshrined. It upholds principles that are embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and also incorporates Katelynn’s Principle as well, clearly stating that every child needs to be heard and respected.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The member from Dufferin–Caledon.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I am happy to rise and add my two-minute comments to the minister’s and the parliamentary assistant’s speeches this morning. I trust the government members aren’t going to knock their backs out by congratulating themselves, because this legislation is 30 years old. We are actually the only jurisdiction left in Canada that does not protect children up to the age of 18. Bill 89 will do that. I think it’s a good step. I know we’ve been calling for it on this side for many years through private members’ bills.

The explanatory notes have some very positive words in them. My concern is that the judiciary and the justice system do not use the explanatory notes; they use the legislation. We have to get this right, because if we are only updating this every 30 years, then it is incumbent on us to make sure that we get it right this time, going forward. I am concerned that there are issues in Bill 89 that have a little too much—how shall I say?—wiggle room for the minister to act unilaterally.

I would like to see a lot more clarity in some of those issues, and I hope, moving forward, that we can have an open and transparent discussion about that—with some very positive amendments that will strengthen Bill 89—because it’s needed.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The member from Kingston and the Islands has two minutes.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: Thank you, everyone, for your comments today.

Thank you to the member from Thornhill. I’m pleased to hear that you’re pleased that this is a child- and youth-centred focus.

To the member for Hamilton Mountain: Yes, I think it’s extremely important that we incorporate the many principles, Jordan’s Principle and Katelynn’s Principle etc. It is a robust, comprehensive bill.

The Minister of Education has discussed the importance of a very good and solid start in life. One thing that I do want to say, and acknowledge, is the United Way in Kingston and the Islands, which has produced a youth homelessness strategy. They recognize that it’s extremely important to access youth within the first two weeks. I think it’s important to say that the very important step, to make sure that children who are 16 and 17 years old have care, is extremely critical. It will prevent many youth from becoming homeless and from getting involved in crime and drugs etc.

To the member from Dufferin–Caledon: Yes, we are proud of this piece of legislation. It is time, and we are making some very important decisions. It’s a very comprehensive piece of legislation. I have seen the minister engage with these communities across the province, with indigenous communities. I have seen his commitment first-hand, and I’ve been together with him in these communities when we have been having those very important conversations.

I have full faith that this piece of legislation will be comprehensive and will successfully protect and nurture children all across the province.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Thank you.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): It being 10:15, this House stands recessed until 10:30 this morning.

The House recessed from 1017 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure to welcome to the assembly this morning, from the great riding of Chatham–Kent–Essex, Jeremy Dean, who is part of the model Parliament. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Han Dong: I would like to introduce the Sanjin youth entrepreneur association president. Mr. Jun Li is with us in the members’ gallery. Welcome.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’d like to welcome to the Legislature this morning, participating in the model Parliament from my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, Kordell Walsh and Kathryn Nicol. Welcome.

Mr. James J. Bradley: I’d like to introduce Joe Salter of St. Catharines, a graduate student who is working in my office on a volunteer basis at this time.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I’d like to introduce from the model Parliament, from the riding of Nipissing, Mr. Garrett Ryan. I also would like to introduce my executive assistant from my North Bay constituency office, Andrea Stoppa.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I too want to introduce someone here for the model Parliament: David De Paiva from Pickering–Scarborough East. I think there are others here from my riding too, and the region of Durham. I just want to say welcome to all participants today.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m pleased to see that my friend Sam Eskenasi is here today to join us. He’s working with the naturopathic doctors.

And it’s so nice to see everybody wearing pink today. In case anybody is wondering, it’s Pink Shirt Day, for anti-bullying.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Nice to see you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great honour to have my daughter, Monica, ici aujourd’hui avec moi dans l’Assemblée. Je voulais la saluer en vos noms. Merci beaucoup.

Mr. Steve Clark: Speaker, I want to introduce to you and, through you, to members of the Legislative Assembly two constituents from my riding who are here for the model Parliament. I’d like to introduce to the members Callie MacIntyre and Sahaana Ranganathan.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I would like to introduce and welcome the cousin of page captain Annisa Emanuel, Christine Sountharanaygam. Welcome, and enjoy your time in the Legislature.

Mr. Ted McMeekin: I’d like to introduce the guests of page captain Ismael Alaichi: parents Laila and Ali Alaichi, and siblings Jacob, Phatima, Kamal and Raphael. They’re in the public gallery this morning. Welcome.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’d like to welcome to the Legislature today, for the model Parliament, Ana Stathakis from my riding of Sarnia–Lambton.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: It gives me great pleasure to welcome to the Legislature two bright young men from the great riding of Kitchener Centre who are participating in the model Parliament. They are Ethan McCready and William Stuart. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Please join me in welcoming Stephanie Milone, Marie and Tony Milone, and Elizabeth and Leo Lopes, family members of page captain Benjamin Milone.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I would also like to welcome, from my riding of Oshawa, Kevin Zheng, who is here for the model Parliament. Welcome to the Legislature.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: I’d like to welcome Julian Ward, who is here today with the model Parliament, from the city of Barrie. He is the son of Councillor Barry Ward.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: It is a great day today because we have two students from Nepean–Carleton joining us for the model Parliament. I would like to welcome Matthew O’Connor and Maxime Chouinard from the city of Ottawa, who are here today.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have three young students here for the model Parliament from Windsor–Tecumseh. I’d like to welcome Nicholas Harris, Hannah Ruuth and Anthony Lenarduzzi. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I, too, want to welcome three constituents from my riding here for the model Parliament: Josue Kurke, Alexander Cimino and Emily Ranta.

Mr. Jack MacLaren: I’d like to welcome today a student from my riding who is here for the Ontario model Parliament: Mallory Long.

M. Michael Mantha: J’aimerais souhaiter la bienvenue à Frederic Diebel de Espanola, qui est présentement ici pour le Parlement modèle. Bienvenue, mon ami.

Ms. Soo Wong: I want to welcome the two students from Dr. Norman Bethune who are here today for the model Parliament: Jacky Duong and David Ye. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Also participating in the model Parliament from Dufferin–Caledon, please welcome Lily Crump.

Miss Monique Taylor: I’m very thrilled to welcome Fred Hahn into the House today along with the workers from the Nipissing, Parry Sound and Muskoka children’s aid societies. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Michael Coteau: I would also like to join the member opposite in welcoming the members from Nipissing and Parry Sound, who work tirelessly to advocate for our children. Thank you very much for being at the Legislature today.

Mr. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: I’m very happy to welcome John Gobin for model Parliament from my riding, Scarborough–Rouge River.

Mr. Han Dong: I would like to welcome today in the gallery the Diversity Institute of Ryerson University. They have been gracious enough to participate in pre-budget consultations and later on will be hosted by me and the member from Etobicoke Centre. Please join me to welcome the Diversity Institute at Ryerson University in the members’ gallery.

Mr. Norm Miller: I’d like to welcome workers with the Nipissing and Parry Sound Children’s Aid Society, a number that I met with this morning: Beverley Patchell; Melissa Beck from Port Loring; Laura Brandt from Magnetawan; Stephen Kissoon from Sundridge; and I believe Debbie Hill, the local president, is also going to be arriving with a group of them today.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I see that we have in the gallery Chris Buckley, president of the OFL, president Fred Hahn of CUPE Ontario and secretary-treasurer Candace Rennick here. Welcome.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I, too, would like to welcome the many locked-out children’s aid workers from the North Bay and Parry Sound areas, led by CUPE Local 2049 president Debbie Hill, who I have met with in my office and will meet later today in my office, and accompanied by CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn and secretary-treasurer Candace Rennick.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Essex.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Speaker, I believe you’ll find that we have unanimous—oh.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Ninety-six students from across the province are participating in the fourth annual Legislative Assembly of Ontario Model Parliament. They’re here to watch us. Please join me in welcoming these wonderful young people and possible legislators to the Legislature. Welcome.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Bob White

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Essex on a point of order.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Thank you for your indulgence, Speaker. I believe you’ll find that we have unanimous consent for a moment of silence to recognize the recent passing of former national president of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, Bob White.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Essex is seeking unanimous consent for a moment of silence in tribute. Do we agree? Agreed.

Could I ask all people in the gallery to please stand and observe a moment of silence for Mr. White.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you for your kindness.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): At this time, I would like to introduce to you our pages in this session. Could they please assemble? This session is a little shorter, so they will work doubly hard for you.

From Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, Anellah Orosz; from Bramalea–Gore–Malton, Annissa Emanuel; from Scarborough Southwest, Azaria Inniss-Zdjelaric; from Dufferin–Caledon, Benjamin Milone; from Mississauga South, Connor Ludwig; from Vaughan, Elizabeth-Anne Campione; from Perth–Wellington, Grace Glosnek; from Algoma–Manitoulin, Hailey McLeod; from Ancaster–Dundas–Flamborough–Westdale, Ismael Alaichi; from Oshawa, Jack Ryan; from Mississauga East–Cooksville, Konstantina Tsotos; from Haldimand–Norfolk, Kyra Labonte; from Niagara West–Glanbrook, Luca DiPietro; from Newmarket–Aurora, Maria Francisca Sadono; from Guelph, McGowan Weddig; from Halton, Nicholaus Schalfhauser; from Simcoe–Grey, Nolan Campbell; from Etobicoke North, Prey Patel; from Toronto–Danforth, Quinn LeFort; from Don Valley West, Radin Vahid-Banasaz; from Timiskaming–Cochrane, Rowan Glover; from Kitchener–Waterloo, Sebastian Frayne; and from Elgin–Middlesex–London, Sophie Pellerine.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Executive compensation

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. The CEO of Hydro-Québec makes $400,000. The CEO of Hydro One makes $4 million. My question is straightforward and simple: Why?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Our government froze salaries for the broader public sector executives. Those salaries will remain frozen until people have made—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There’s an opportunity to freeze somebody else out.

Finish, Minister.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Yes, thank you. Those salaries will remain frozen until the organization has submitted a compliant framework. If they don’t submit a compliant framework, they will remain frozen. We will send them back to the drawing board.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will come to order. As yesterday, I’m prepared to move to warnings quite quickly.

Supplementary question.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The government’s defence for a $4-million paycheque is, “It’s frozen.” You’ve frozen it at $4 million? People are struggling with their hydro bills and that’s your defence?

Let me try this again—and I hope the Premier will actually defend her own decisions rather than pass the buck. In BC, the CEO of BC Hydro makes $400,000. In Ontario, you’ve decided that it’s appropriate to pay the CEO of Hydro One $4 million. So my question, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier is: Will she answer and be responsible for her own decisions? How is this appropriate in Ontario when people can’t even pay their hydro bills?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Minister?

Hon. Liz Sandals: In order to be compliant with the framework, organizations have to submit a list of realistic comparators, and if they don’t have a realistic list, then we’ll send them back to the drawing board. They have to only have modest salary increases. If they don’t do that, we’ll send them back to the drawing board.

Obviously, $4 million is a very—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Minister.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Obviously, there’s already a very generous compensation level there, and we would not be looking to have any further increases.

But I think it is important to remember, when we look at all our executives across the broader public sector, that they have been under—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Final supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier—and maybe, for the third time, I can have the Premier answer the question from the leader of the official opposition. That is the normal practice here.

This government has decided to give a $4-million salary to one of their hydro execs—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): All sides, come to order.

Please put your question.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, maybe the Premier does not want to defend the $4-million salary, so I’ll try a different angle. This government has decided to hide the salaries of hydro execs. This year they’re not going to be on the sunshine list. This, coming from a government that says they’re transparent? We’ve never seen this level of secrecy.

So my question to the Premier is: Will you make sure we have disclosure of these salaries? Will you promise the Legislature that you will not hide these salaries from the public? Transparency is a good thing.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Bring out the sunlight.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nepean–Carleton will come to order.

I think my next intervention might have to go to warnings.

Minister?

Hon. Liz Sandals: Let’s be a little bit clearer here. What the Leader of the Opposition is quoting is the maximum possible compensation. In fact, the base salary that the CEO of Hydro One earns is not $4 million. So let’s stick to the facts.

There are some incentive programs for—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): New question.

Executive compensation

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, the question is to the Premier. The government’s defence is that the base salary doesn’t start at $4 million. But they got paid $4 million when people can’t pay their hydro bills. And it’s not just Hydro One. What we have is, we’re seeing executive compensation across the board getting out of control. The Liberals were going to allow Ontario Power Generation to more than double the salary of their CEO before they got caught. The Premier backtracked and said, “Come forward with something more reasonable.”

Since you won’t answer about Hydro One, will you at least answer about OPG? What do you consider, Premier, to be reasonable?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The President of the Treasury Board has been very clear about the process that has been put in place. The only reason that we’re talking about caps on salaries, that we’re talking about ranges, is because we’ve put that policy in place, Mr. Speaker. We have initiated that process because under previous governments there has been no such process; there’s been no such transparency.

What we have said is that the increases must be reasonable. The salaries must be reasonable. If they’re not, if the comparators that the organization is using are not fair comparators, then, as the President of the Treasury Board said, they will have to go back to the drawing board. They will have to start again and come forward with a rationale that is—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, second time. You’re edging everyone to the warning stage.

Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again, to the Premier: The Premier said if they’re not fair comparators, they’ll be sent back to the drawing board. The CEO of Hydro One makes $4 million. In BC, it’s $400,000. In Quebec, it’s $400,000. This is completely out of whack with comparators.

So the question is—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Infrastructure, come to order.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: Will you have the hydro CEO come back to the drawing board so that we have compensation that’s appropriate when people can’t pay their hydro bills?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: First of all, let’s deal with the facts. As the President of the Treasury Board said, the $4-million number that the Leader of the Opposition is using is the outside amount. In fact, the CEO of BC Hydro took home $1 million last year, not $500,000. So as long as we’re dealing with facts, that’s a good thing.

Our focus is on reducing electricity prices for people across this province. It is very clear that we have made some changes. The 8% reduction is in place now, but there’s more we have to do. Our focus is on finding those ways to take costs out of the system to help people with their electricity bills every day. That’s what we’re focusing on.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Be seated, please.

Final supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: The Premier is applauding that’s it’s only four times the amount the hydro CEO gets paid in BC. The only thing this government is looking at is ways to avoid disclosure. The only thing this government is looking at is hiding these salaries.

I can’t get an answer on whether you think it’s appropriate or what’s reasonable. I can’t get an answer from this government on actually allowing these salaries to be disclosed on the sunshine list, so let me try something new. Maybe the Premier will answer this.

It’s not just OPG, it’s not just hydro, it’s Metrolinx. This government decided that it’s appropriate to give $100,000 pay bumps to a group that built a bridge upside down. You’re actually giving pay bumps to individuals who aren’t even doing their job competently.

My question to the Premier is, can we have a commitment that we’re actually going to rein in these executive salaries that are completely out of whack with the rest of the country, yes or no?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Be seated. Thank you. Start the clock.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know this is an issue that is of concern to people. I had a conversation with a gentleman yesterday. We were talking about electricity prices and he raised the issue of CEO salaries. I talked to him about the reality that we are putting caps on and that we are working with organizations to make sure that there are comparators that are reasonable.

But the reality is, as I said, the CEO of BC Hydro took home $1 million last year; that is my understanding. So there is a range of salary for highly qualified people, who we need. We need highly qualified people to run these organizations, whether it’s Metrolinx, which is overseeing the largest transit investment in more than a generation, or whether it’s our electricity system. We need those people in place. At the same time, we are focusing on helping people with their electricity bills.

Energy policies

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. The Premier told Ontarians that she was planning to get a deal with every local hydro utility so she wouldn’t need legislation to stop winter disconnections. This morning, she introduced legislation, which means she couldn’t get the deal. So which companies said no to the Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is that there will be—there’s a law that has been passed, a bill that’s been passed in this Legislature, which will mean that all distribution companies across the province will have to reconnect or cease disconnections. So that’s the reality. I actually don’t know which LDCs were not in a position, by midnight last night, to make that decision. But they will all now have to comply.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Yesterday the Premier told Ontarians that she would get a deal with local hydro utilities so she wouldn’t need legislation to stop people from having their power cut off. Today, her minister said that the Premier couldn’t get a deal because the utilities couldn’t stop cutting people off “in a timely manner.” It looks to me—it looks to people, it looks to everyone—like the Premier is passing a bill her minister says can’t be enforced. Is this more about good-news Liberal press releases than it is about stopping people from having their hydro cut off?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The Minister of Indigenous Relations will come to order.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I’m trying to follow the logic of the leader of the third party. But I think what she’s saying is that even though there is a bill that has been passed and our expectation is that we will have royal assent today—even though that will be in place, I think what she’s saying is that there are local distribution companies that won’t comply. That is a ridiculous assertion. I have every expectation that every distribution company in the province will comply with a law that is in place. If the leader of the third party has information to the contrary, I think she should share it with this House.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

Final supplementary, please?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Just ask her energy minister, Speaker. It was he that said that the companies said that they couldn’t make this happen in a timely manner. So she just needs to ask her own minister to get the answer to that question.

But look, here’s Liberal logic: Last year, 60,000 people had their power cut off. Last year, it didn’t matter to the Premier that kids went to bed cold or seniors were in the dark. The difference is that now the Premier seems to be in political trouble and there’s an election looming. Can the Premier explain to people why this wasn’t a problem until it became a political problem for the Liberal Party and this Premier of Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I just do not accept the premise of the question. The fact is that I and my government care deeply about what people are dealing with every day in their lives. I care deeply about families who are struggling with costs. We started to try to lower electricity costs more than a year ago. We understand that there are challenges that people are dealing with.

As far as the disconnections go, we have moved. We brought legislation in in June. We had hoped that it would be passed earlier. It has now been passed and all local distribution companies across the province will have to comply. That’s the bottom line. That’s what’s important to people across the province.

Hydro rates

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is for the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier said, “We’re confronting the reality that people have across the board seen unacceptable increases” on their hydro bills. If it’s unacceptable today, why has the Premier caused this unaffordable hydro crisis in Ontario’s hydro system?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I’m really happy to talk about what has happened over the last number of years to improve the electricity system in Ontario. When we came into office under the previous Premier in 2003, we inherited a system that was degraded—

Interjections.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: This, actually, is less of a partisan comment than the heckling from the opposition would suggest, because government after government, of different party stripes, had not made the necessary investments in our electricity system. They had kept dirty coal running, had not invested in transmission lines, and had not invested in new, clean, renewable energy.

As I said, that is not a partisan comment; that is something that was a reality. We inherited a system that was sorely in need of investment. We have made billions of dollars of investment, and we are now seeing the impact of that. People across the province have had a steep increase in electricity prices, and that’s why we’ve been working to take those costs out of the system.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: What this Premier and her government have done is to systematically break our electricity system in the province of Ontario. That’s what they have done.

Yesterday, the Premier said that hydro rates were unacceptable, but she accepted it when she signed off on the decision to cancel the gas plants—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Come to order.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: She accepted it when she signed off on the decision to cancel the gas plants, she accepted it when she decided to privatize Hydro One, and she accepted it when she watched as the cost of electricity has risen by 280% in the province of Ontario. This is a Premier who just doesn’t get it, and hasn’t been getting it for far, far too long.

If the Premier thinks hydro bills are too high, if they’re unacceptable, why has she been causing them to go up for 14 years?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let’s be perfectly clear that what the leader of the third party is saying, first of all, is that she would not have made the investments that we made in this province. She would not have jump-started a renewable industry in this province. She would not have shut down the coal-fired plants. She would not have invested in tens of thousands of kilometres of line. She would not have built new generation in this province.

She would not have made those investments, and today, what she would do is that she would cancel the broadening of the ownership of Hydro One, which would not take one cent off an electricity bill in this province. That is the solution that the leader of the third party is putting forward, a solution that would not take one cent off one electricity bill.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I don’t think it’s acceptable that in a province like Ontario, people have to choose between paying their rent or having their power cut off. It is not acceptable now; it wasn’t acceptable last year or the year before that.

Families are at a crisis point all across this province. For people who have to choose between child care or hydro, paying their rent or their hydro bill, filling a prescription or paying for hydro, what does this Premier expect people to do?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, on this we can agree: It is unacceptable, and that is exactly why we started last year making changes. The 8% reduction, I understand, is not enough. It is something, but it is not enough, and that is why we are working—the Minister of Energy is working day and night, literally, with his officials to find ways to reduce the costs.

But to suggest that those investments in the electricity system to make it clean, to make it renewable, to make it one of the leading clean grids in North America—to suggest that that was not a reasonable investment? To connect people in the north, to make sure that we had a reliable grid—to suggest that that was not a good investment? I think that’s irresponsible. That would have been an irresponsible path to take.

We need to lower people’s electricity prices. We are working to find more ways to do that. But we have a reliable, clean grid in Ontario, and that’s a good thing for the people of the province.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.

New question.

Government spending

Mr. Steve Clark: My question is for the Premier. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Premier on the award she received today: the lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for the government’s mishandling of energy policy. It’s called the CTF Teddy Government Waste Award.

Congrats on your Teddy, Premier. Would you like to offer an acceptance speech?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I would have thought the 8% reduction on electricity bills would be something that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation would have agreed with. I would have thought that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation would have thought that was a great idea. Free tuition for young people who are going to college or university or who are trying to get their way back into the system, I would have thought that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation would have thought that was a good idea.

The fact that—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Just inches away from warnings. The member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, come to order.

Please finish.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The fact that we have one of the most competitive tax regimes in North America, I would have thought the Canadian Taxpayers Federation would have thought that was a good idea. I look forward to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation having those conversations with me.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Supplementary?

Mr. Steve Clark: Again, back to the Premier: Another award. It’s a banner day for Ontario. Ten provinces; one winner: That was Ontario, which won the Teddy award for provincial waste.

This one is for Ontario’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Program that provides $14,000 cheques to those who buy vehicles that cost $100,000. Will the Premier take the stage, accept her award and acknowledge the waste?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the member opposite recognizing what’s happening in Ontario. He failed to talk about the fact that we’re coming to balance, our economy is growing and we’re outpacing the G7 countries. The Conference Board of Canada has cited that Ontario leads all of Canada in that growth and, as a result, our revenues are up. As a result of economic growth, jobs are up—700,000 net new jobs, as I said, since the recession, and our deficit is the lowest it has ever been since the recession at $1.9 billion as of third quarter.

Going forward, we’re doing everything possible to ensure that we balance the budget and ensure that we continue to invest and make everyday life easier for Ontarians by ensuring that we can afford even more support systems, including mitigating electricity rates.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Start the clock, please.

New question?

Hydro rates

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Premier. Families in my community are fed up with paying for this government’s mistakes on their hydro bills. Last week I heard from Matt, who got a $50 hydro bill for a yet-to-be-completed basement apartment.

Now, $50 might not sound so bad, but when you look at the bill and realize that the electricity used was 000.000 kilowatt hours and the $50 charge was for the delivery of literally nothing, I would ask: Does 50 bucks for nothing seem like a fair deal to the Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m very pleased to stand and answer this question because what we’re talking about is distribution. Actually, when you look at distribution, it comes from generating plants on the wires and then into the LDC and then to that home. We’re working hard right now on making sure that that’s equitable across the province.

As the Premier has often said, we need to ensure that we find ways to lower rates for everyone, and that’s one of the things that we’re doing. But we will make no apologies—we will make no apologies—for investing in a system that actually—

Ms. Catherine Fife: You should be apologizing.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Kitchener–Waterloo will come to order.

Finish, please.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: We’ll make no apologies for investing in a system that was actually a mess, that needed repair and that actually needed to be greened. Now we are saving $4.3 billion in our health care system because air pollution deaths are down 23% and 41% in hospitalizations. We invested in our system and we’re proud of that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I’m sure that Matt appreciates that wonderful explanation.

But again to the Premier: Matt paid $50 to have nothing delivered—nothing. That’s like giving the UPS guy 50 bucks to send an empty box. Fortunately, this bill won’t break the bank for Matt, but it might for others. The only relief that he saw with your paltry provincial rebate was two whole dollars and 41 cents.

Speaker, is the Premier so out of touch that she thinks this is okay?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: It sounds like the NDP wants us to go back to coal as well. They want cheap electricity. Rather than invest in a system that’s renewable and green, they want cheap electricity. That’s kind of appalling, knowing the investments that we’ve made.

We recognize that we need to ensure that we find ways to actually help people who are having a hard time with their bills, because we understand that the investments that we’ve made are costing others more.

Interjections: Bring Bob back.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): My request is to bring civility back.

Minister, wrap up, please.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: We’re going to continue to invest in finding ways to lower rates for all Ontarians. We’re going to continue to do that on top of the 8% and the $60 reduction we’ve seen through the RRRP.

Anti-racism activities

M. Shafiq Qaadri: Ma question est pour le ministre responsable de la Direction générale de l’action contre le racisme, the Honourable Michael Coteau.

I believe that Ontario is still a place that honours and celebrates diversity, pluralism and inclusivity, welcoming people from all walks of life. For decades, generation upon generation of families worldwide have been welcomed here and now call Ontario home.

However in this tide of growing xenophobia, which includes, unfortunately, rendering 17 children fatherless in Quebec City, there are fears that immigrants may not be welcomed into Ontario. Multiculturalism and open-heartedness are our strengths, and we must continue to be accepting and progressive.

Minister, what are we doing to uphold our commitment to openness, acceptance and inclusivity?

Hon. Michael Coteau: I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for his question. I think this is an important question, and I want to thank him for the advocacy he does in his community in regard to this issue.

Ontario is a welcoming province built on the principles of openness and fairness. I think now more than ever we need to ensure that the rights of people in this province are respected. Across government, we work to ensure that our policies live up to the ideals of openness and fairness.

A year ago, the Premier of this province established the Anti-Racism Directorate to continue to build on the inclusiveness within our province by addressing and preventing systemic racism.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit 10 communities across this province and meet with thousands of people. I heard first-hand about the painful realities that racism plays here in the province of Ontario. These public meetings provided input for us to build a strategic plan to stop systemic racism here in the province of Ontario. I’m quite proud to report that we’ll be able to release—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Supplementary.

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Thank you, Minister Coteau. Not only do I appreciate your personal commitment but also the personal stories that you and I have shared in our corridor consultations.

It’s been more than inspiring to see, under Premier Wynne’s leadership, Ontario continue to be a province that welcomes so many newcomers, immigrants and refugees. From a purely economic point of view, immigration into our province builds Ontario up. Immigrants have contributed greatly to our richness, tapestry, culture and prosperity of our communities.

Amongst the many diverse groups in Ontario, Speaker, you will know that there are over 600,000 Muslims. Our province has been a welcoming place for many Muslims, but we must admit, unfortunately, that Islamophobia is still a reality. Just last Friday, not too far from this Legislature, we saw a protest outside of a mosque with hateful, demeaning and regressive signs. It’s unbelievable to me to witness such things in Toronto in 2017.

Minister, how is our government responding to these acts of racism and intolerance?

Hon. Michael Coteau: Again, I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for the question. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the member from Ottawa–Vanier, because I know she’ll be bringing forward a motion this Thursday in regard to Islamophobia. Thank you for your leadership on this file.

I want to make it clear that, as the minister responsible for anti-racism here in the province of Ontario, we will not tolerate any form of racism here in the province of Ontario. I want the Muslim community in Ontario to know that we have their back and we believe that they should be able to live in a province where they feel free, where they feel respected and where racism should not exist.

We’re going to come forward with a plan here in Ontario to work on anti-racism policies and processes, and we’ll bring forward a plan in regard to Islamophobia. We want to make sure that we stop its devastating effect here in the province of Ontario.

Again, I just want the community to know that we’re here to support them, and I hope that all members in this Legislature are here to do just that.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

New question.

Energy policies

Mr. Todd Smith: My question is for the Premier this morning. Speaker, another mind-numbing example of Liberal mismanagement on the energy file: Yesterday, we learned that Windstream Energy would like the government to pay the $28 million the NAFTA court said that they were owed after the government cancelled their offshore wind project.

My question to the Premier is, has the federal government asked your government for the money to pay Windstream?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: We have been working with our federal counterparts to ensure that we rectify this payment. We’re continuing to work with our federal counterparts, and we hope to have that done in very short order.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Todd Smith: I think the thing that everybody wants to know is, how much more is this going to cost the ratepayers and the people of Ontario?

The Premier has two options on this file. The Premier is either going to pay Windstream or she’s hoping that the electricity crisis that her government has created will blow over—I don’t see that happening—and then she can announce that the government is actually going to go ahead and build this $5.2-billion project with Windstream. Either way, Ontario families are on the hook for millions or billions of dollars.

Is the Premier going to make them pay now for this project, or are they just going to make Ontarians pay for the next 20 or 30 years for this project?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, I think I answered that question earlier. We’re working with our federal counterparts on that. But based off of Windstream’s and the offshore wind turbines, we’re relying on the science coming from our colleagues in MOECC.

But the one thing that I find very interesting is, from a party that has no plan on how to deal with the energy crisis, the only thing that they can offer is ripping up contracts, which would actually cost us billions of dollars more in litigation. I find it a little ironic that they’re saying one thing from one side and then another thing.

Labour dispute

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. On December 23, two days before Christmas, the management at Nipissing and Parry Sound Children’s Aid Society locked out their workers. Those workers are still locked out. For the past eight weeks, vulnerable children and families have been at an increased risk in their absence.

This is becoming a pattern, Minister. The lack of funding for child protection, coupled with the CAS management digging in its heels, is putting children at risk. Will the minister act to get a resolution to this situation and ensure that children and families get the services they need?

Hon. Michael Coteau: I would like to thank the member for the question. I want to start off by saying that the safety of children, youth and families here in the province of Ontario is something we are always concerned with—in fact, all the members in this Legislature are concerned with. I had the opportunity to meet with the men and women from the Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS earlier today and to listen to some of their concerns. I just want to say thank you for the work you do, because you’re the men and women who are making a huge difference for families here in the province of Ontario.

This government has always been committed to making sure that young people in the province of Ontario are set up for success. In fact, earlier today, I spent almost 40 minutes speaking about our new piece of legislation for child protection here in the province of Ontario. I do believe that it’s something that we believe is necessary for change, and it’s something that I believe is going to help position the sector for more success in the future.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Miss Monique Taylor: The minister is right: When he spoke to Bill 89 this morning, he recognized the responsibility that he has to vulnerable children. But he can’t look the other way when those children are not getting the services that they need. There are reports that a ministry audit has shown mismanagement of funds at this society. If this is the case, children and families should not be paying the price for that, and neither should these workers.

What does the minister plan to do to ensure that these workers get back to the work that we need them to do and, more importantly, that vulnerable families and children need you to do?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Minister?

Hon. Michael Coteau: If you go back a few months ago, the member opposite probably asked the exact same question when it came to Peel Children’s Aid. The question was for me to do something and to intervene. We allowed a process to take place and they found a solution. The member opposite knows that there are processes in place, and every single time we have a labour disruption here in the province of Ontario you don’t want a minister or anyone from government intervening. I believe in the process. I’ve listened to the folks from Nipissing and Parry Sound and I have—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Finish, please.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll work with the Ministry of Labour and our ministry in the event that we believe there’s no runway left to actually have them come to their own solutions. But until that point, we have to let the process take place.

Human trafficking

Mr. Granville Anderson: My question is to the Minister of the Status of Women. Many Ontarians and members of this House recognize the traumatic and painful ordeal human trafficking inflicts upon many women and girls across this province. Human trafficking is a heinous and deplorable crime that robs the safety and livelihood and dignity of those who are being exploited and abused.

Last year, I was extremely pleased to hear our government was taking action to invest up to $72 million in an Ontario-made human trafficking strategy. Our government has also appointed Jennifer Richardson to be the director for the new provincial Anti-Human Trafficking Coordination Office. The director was recently in my riding of Durham to consult with front-line service providers. I understand that this was a productive meeting, and many of my constituents are eager to hear what work is on the way.

Can the minister please provide the House with an update on the strategy to end human trafficking?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I would like to thank the MPP from Durham for this very important question. I would also like to thank the member for his great work in his community.

Speaker, as you know, human trafficking is a deplorable and inhumane crime. Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable in our society and survivors often experience serious and long-term trauma. But, Speaker, I want you to know that work is under way across government to protect Ontarians from this brutal crime. As part of our strategy to end human trafficking, the director of the anti-trafficking office has consulted extensively with anti-trafficking coalitions to find solutions. The director is also working with survivors to develop a community-based supports fund.

In addition, we have increased funding by $6.6 million to 47 community-based service partners delivering supports to survivors. We have also expanded the Victim Quick Response Program by $1.9 million to allow victims of human trafficking to access benefits. These are just some of the key initiatives under way to get rid of this terrible crime.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Granville Anderson: I would like to thank the Minister of the Status of Women for her answer. I think many people in my riding, as well as across this province, would agree that if a survivor needs support, we deserve to be there for them as one community. I am pleased that our government’s strategy included the launch of a community-based supports fund and an indigenous-led initiatives fund to expand and improve access to services for survivors.

It is also great to hear that our strategy also includes more investments and partnership with our law enforcement partners. But our government heard that we need to do better. We need to make sure survivors can feel safe and protected. Can the minister tell us about our government’s proposed legislation to tackle human trafficking in this province?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Attorney General.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to thank the member from Durham for the question. I also want to thank our front-line support workers, our law enforcement partners, our partner ministries like the Ontario Women’s Directorate, the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. I would also like to commend the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for her advocacy on this very important issue.

Our government is working hard to create a province where all Ontarians can live in safety, free from the threat, fear or experience of exploitation and violence. That is why today our government will introduce legislation to combat this crime. If passed, this bill will allow survivors to apply for restraining orders against human traffickers, will make it easier for survivors of human trafficking to get compensation from those who trafficked them, and also proclaim February 22 of each year as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Speaker, I hope that all members will support this legislation because it will ensure that all victims of traffickers have a way to move forward and build a better life.

Child protection

Mr. Norm Miller: My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Today at Queen’s Park, we are joined by representatives from Nipissing and Parry Sound children’s aid societies, who provide essential local services. They’ve travelled all the way here to Queen’s Park to have their voices heard. There are 48 of them here today. They’ve been locked out since mid-December. I met with the workers this morning, and they have serious concerns that the mandate to protect children is not being fulfilled.

Would the minister explain to this House what the government is doing to support these workers and to get better outcomes for those who are in dire need of their services?

Hon. Michael Coteau: I’m happy to take this question. As the member mentioned, I realize that the CAS workers travelled quite early—left their homes at 4:30 in the morning to be here today. Again, I want to thank them for being here to talk to not only myself but other members in the Legislature.

The member opposite knows, and all of the members know on the Conservative side in the Legislature, that there’s a process for negotiation. You stand here today and you say, “Minister, what are you doing? Are you going to intervene?” On the other side, you say to respect the collective bargaining process. We know there’s a process in place that works in Ontario, and we know that, overall, when it comes to the process and having the bargaining units reach a potential solution, we have massive success here in the province of Ontario.

I said that I committed that we will work to ensure that, at the end of the day, the process is respected and that we work to put in the supports necessary to make that process move along.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nipissing, supplementary.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Thank you and good morning, Speaker. Back to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. For years, many organizations and stakeholders have pointed to the ongoing serious issues within the child welfare system. In fact, the Auditor General has detailed the problems with this ministry’s accountability in three separate audits over the last decade. She has expressed grave concerns over and over and over. For too long, there have been serious deficiencies in the system, which have let our most vulnerable slip through the cracks—and, in some cases, they have died.

Speaker, I ask the minister: Why does it always take the Auditor General, the Financial Accountability Officer or an OPP investigation to get to the facts in Ontario?

Hon. Michael Coteau: Mr. Speaker, if we look at the child protection sector here in the province of Ontario, we know we have fewer children in care today than we had several years ago. We have more young people being adopted here in the province of Ontario, and the member opposite knows that we have the most substantial, most progressive changes since 1985 coming forward through this Legislature.

In fact, I introduced second reading this morning—with some massive changes in child protection. The member opposite knows that we’re raising the age of protection here in the province to 18, which aligns with other provinces and ensures that 1,600 more young people are brought into protection.

We’re making sure, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about young people in care, that we’re putting in culturally sensitive programs to ensure that their culture and their identity are respected through the process. We’re working with indigenous communities throughout Ontario to ensure that customary care and other processes are put in place so they have more say in where their children end up—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question.

Energy policies

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. The spokesperson of the Sault Ste. Marie electricity utility—the public utility—doesn’t want to see families’ electricity cut off. He says the solution is to bring down the actual cost of electricity.

Is the Premier going to do what’s right for families in the Sault, as well as families across Ontario, and start to actually address the cost of electricity so people can start to afford their electricity bills?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m pleased to rise on this question. Of course, Mr. Speaker, we’ve already brought forward the 8% reduction that is actually helping every family in Sault Ste. Marie. For those who are in and outside of Sault Ste. Marie on Hydro One, as an R2 customer within those regions, they’re seeing a $60 reduction on their bill.

You know what else the folks from Sault Ste. Marie are seeing? A clean grid, and one that they can rely on—one that was in a mess back in 2003. We’ve invested billions and billions of dollars to make sure that families, like in Sault Ste. Marie, in Sudbury and northern Ontario, have access to an electricity grid that is reliable and clean. That’s something that we have done as this government: invested in the electricity system to make sure that it’s clean and reliable.

We’re going to take it to the next level now and make it as affordable as we can for all families and businesses right across the province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Giordan Zin, the spokesperson at the Sault PUC, was pretty clear: “If you want to solve this problem, the solution is in controlling the commodity price of electricity.” The Premier knows as well as I do that private contracts lock Ontarians into paying private profits for years, but we can actually direct public companies to charge less. It’s why power is a powerful tool that benefits families, businesses and the province as a whole.

When the spokesperson of Sault Ste. Marie PUC is telling the government it needs to reduce the cost of electricity, the question is, is the Premier actually listening?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: This Premier has been listening for years. We’ve actually renegotiated the Samsung agreement, saving $3.7 billion; reduced FIT prices by $1.9 billion; created a competitive LRP process, saving $1.5 billion; and suspended the LRP2 project, $3.8 billion. We’ve been investing in making sure that we find ways to have downward pressure on rates while building the system up for a decade.

One thing we should also talk about: When it comes to Sault Ste. Marie, this government has been listening. For example, ongoing provincial support for the city of Sault Ste. Marie will be more than $30 million in 2017. That’s in the neighbourhood of about $1,200 of provincial support per residential taxpayer. Timmins, for example: $18 million.

This government gets it, Mr. Speaker. We’re listening and we’re acting.

Water extraction

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. I know that ensuring Ontario’s water resources are protected and in good health is a priority for you. I know that, like myself, many of us in this Legislature heard from people in our communities with concerns over permits to take water. I know you acted to address some of these concerns in a two-year moratorium that places a freeze on new and expanded water-taking permits.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister please explain to the House what this moratorium will achieve?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I want to thank the Premier for her leadership on this. Her direction was that we look at a way to start protecting our water supplies. As you know, the area around Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo is one of the high-stress water areas in Ontario. We know that because we just completed, in the last year, all 22 source water protection plans developed and being managed by local communities for the first time in Ontario’s history. So that water is now protected.

The moratorium puts a stop on expansion of those water facilities and allows us to take the next steps within the international trade rules to protect water sources further and to secure and protect the jobs in the sector as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. John Fraser: Again, my question is for the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Engaging our communities and providing our communities with the opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns is an important part of protecting our water. As we move forward in our effort to protect vital resources, we will need to continue to engage the communities most impacted by groundwater taking.

Minister, I understand that the government is considering implementing a new fee on permits to take water. Speaker, through you, can the minister provide the House with details on the new measure and how it will further support our efforts in groundwater protection?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: We will be doing two things. One, we’re moving to raise the fee which was—to say “low” would be an understatement; it was $3.71 per 100 litres, Mr. Speaker. That’s raised now to $500, the highest water-taking fee in Canada, which we think is a strong step forward to promote conservation.

The House has also passed Bill 151, which deals with the issue of plastic waste and the microplastics that are in our lakes and rivers. Many people don’t realize that taking 500 millilitres of water from the tap is much more energy-efficient. It t