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March 21, 2016

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2016-Mar-21 (PDF)

L150 - Mon 21 Mar 2016 / Lun 21 mar 2016

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 21 March 2016 Lundi 21 mars 2016

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Air ambulance service

Air ambulance service

Tuition

Government’s record

Public transit

Hospital services

Farm safety

Tuition

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Government anti-racism programs

Mental health services

Aboriginal health care

Climate change

Hospital funding

Public transit

Reception

Decorum in chamber

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Colorectal cancer

Northern Ontario Hockey Association tournament

Patrick Rocca

George Leslie Mackay

Maya Mikhael

Weston Lions Club

World Down Syndrome Day

Conflict in Ukraine

Sandvine Inc.

Introduction of Bills

Tomato Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la culture de la tomate

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Petitions

Privatization of public assets

Hospital funding

Caregivers

Hydro rates

Long-term care

Lung health

Special-needs students

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Public transit

Health care funding

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Sexual violence and harassment

Green power generation

Orders of the Day

2016 Ontario Budget / Budget de l’Ontario de 2016

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Good morning, Speaker. I’d like to recognize David Pickles, who is in the gallery here today. He’s retiring after 32 years in the Ontario public service, and he actually wanted to spend his last day of work witnessing democracy in action here. Welcome, David.

By virtue of years of service, that means he met a very young Jim Bradley in his first day as Minister of the Environment in 1985 under the Peterson government. David also serves as a Pickering councillor and Durham regional councillor, and has been elected now for six terms.

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to share with you today that a wonderful person from the riding of Huron–Bruce is page captain Khushali Shah, and joining us today in the House are her mother, Sejal Shah; her father, Devang Shah; and her sister Pankti Shah. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I also want to not welcome, but welcome back our member Monte Kwinter. He’s actually going to be 85 tomorrow; he won’t be able to join us, but it’s his birthday tomorrow—85 years old.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure to welcome John Nunziata, former member of Parliament for York South–Weston, as well as Clare Forndran. They’re here today on behalf of Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary. Welcome.

Hon. Reza Moridi: Please join me in welcoming Mr. Saadettin Ozcan, president of the Anatolian Heritage Foundation, and Mr. Mehmet Durmus, CEO of the Turkish Canadian Chamber of Commerce, to the House. They are having their annual event today in room 228. I invite all colleagues to drop in and say hello to our Turkish Canadian friends.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Joining us today is the mother of page captain Lauren Creasy, Shelly Sharp, and Tim Creasy. They’re in the public gallery, joining us here today.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’d like to introduce Sue Hotte, Kevin Gruhl, Fleurette Gruhl, Doug Hart, Henry Miron, Tess Sotirakos, Roscoe Reilley, Wendy Brown, William Barnes, Anthony Gallico, Larry Rosnik, Ron Walker and Natalie Mehra, who are here today to stop the closure of the Welland hospital.

Mr. Granville Anderson: I’m thrilled to welcome page Cooper Stone from Newcastle to Queen’s Park here today. He’s here on his first day as part of the page program. I know his mom and dad very well, and I’m sure they’re very proud of him. My whole office wishes him the best of luck. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

M me France Gélinas: They are just making their way in. They are from the Welland Ontario Health Coalition, Save Our Hospital. I can hear them coming; they will be there shortly.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): With us today in the Speaker’s gallery we have the interns from the Manitoba Legislative Internship Program. They’re here for a few days to observe Ontario’s process. Welcome to our interns from Manitoba.

Oral Questions

Air ambulance service

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. Why is the Premier allowing Ornge Air to lease a helicopter from AgustaWestland, the very same company involved in the original Ornge Air scandal currently being investigated by the OPP?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As the member opposite knows, there have been massive changes made at Ornge. There was a whole investigation. The governance has changed. The individuals involved have changed. There’s a new board.

I don’t know the details of that specific decision, but what I do know is that Ornge is a different and revitalized organization. I know that the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will want to speak to the specifics.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: The name on the Premier’s door may have changed, but what goes on behind it, sadly, remains the same.

On March 7, Ornge Air issued a notice of its intention to negotiate the lease of an AW139 helicopter from Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland. There was no public tender. Ornge says this is sole-sourced because this company is the only source that can deliver by June 30.

Why is the Premier allowing Ornge Air to crawl back into bed with their partners in this scandal?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, let me just say—and I actually had the opportunity to meet a couple of Ornge pilots in a small northern airport recently. What’s really critical to me and to our government, and I would think to all members of this place, is that Ornge is able to provide the very, very best service to the people of Ontario when they need it. That is of the greatest concern.

As I say, the organization has been completely changed. There are new personnel, new governance. Those changes were made as a result of an investigation, obviously, into challenges and problems at that organization. Those changes have been made.

As I say, in terms of the specific decision, we can certainly look into that in greater depth, but what’s important to me is that people across this province get the service that they need from Ornge.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: The Premier is allowing the fox back into the henhouse.

It was four years ago today that the auditor issued his report on Ornge Air’s shady dealings with AgustaWestland. The auditor found that Ornge Air paid Agusta US$148 million for 12 helicopters when they only needed nine helicopters. Agusta then kicked back US$2.9 million into Ornge’s foundation, and then they kicked back another $4.8 million for future marketing. All of these shady deals are currently being investigated by the OPP.

Mr. Speaker, why is the Premier allowing this deal to go on?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: We are very proud of the work that Ornge is doing in this province. In fact, they travel, through their helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, more than six million miles across the province, transporting more than 18,000 ill and often critically ill patients.

Ornge is well into a new chapter, with a culture that puts patients first. Surveys that have been done with patients in terms of measuring their satisfaction—they’re exemplary.

I’m so proud of our new CEO. I’ll be meeting him in the coming days. We have a new board of directors, as the Leader of the Opposition clearly knows, and a new senior management team. This is a new era for Ornge. I’m proud of the work that they do, and I’m proud of the work that the front-line health care workers working for Ornge do every day.

Air ambulance service

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. The health minister may be proud, as he says, of a sole-sourced deal being investigated by the OPP, but let’s get into the facts. There’s only one word to describe Ornge Air’s new deal with Agusta, and that’s “shady.” In February of last year, Ornge Air said it was looking to sell the helicopters they bought from Agusta. At that time, Ornge CEO Andrew McCallum said they were too expensive to maintain. He also said that few other agencies would even think of using these helicopters as an air ambulance. So can this Premier explain why on earth Ornge would now be looking at purchasing or leasing these helicopters?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that there were huge challenges at this organization, which is why there have been huge changes and which is why the governance has changed and the individuals have changed. The fact is, as the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has said, it really is a new culture at Ornge, including new structures and new people involved.

I think it should be of prime concern to all of us that those 18,000 patients get the service they require, that they get to the hospitals they need, that they get to the health care professionals they need, and that that is done in the most expeditious way possible. That’s what’s happening—six million kilometres a year, 18,000 patients. It’s extremely important that we recognize it’s an important job these front-line health care workers do, and we support them in that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: Nothing about this deal makes sense. Last December, just four months ago, Ornge cancelled its plan to sell the Agusta helicopters. At that time, Dr. McCallum questioned the original decision to buy the helicopters. Why, then, is Ornge looking to lease the very same helicopter that the CEO said was too expensive to maintain and not suited for the job?

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Who is going to benefit from this deal? It’s not the Ontario taxpayers. I need an explanation for this.

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, I know the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will want to comment in the final supplementary, but the only answer to “Who is going to benefit from a decision that is made at Ornge?” is the patients. That is who will benefit. That’s why we made the changes that we made. All of the changes that we made were in aid of making sure that patients were at the centre of those decisions. That’s who will benefit: those 18,000 patients a year who need the service of Ornge, who need those highly trained professionals to be at their best. That’s who will benefit from decisions that are made at Ornge.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: The Auditor General didn’t say the Ornge scandal was benefiting patients. He said taxpayers and the people of Ontario were being ripped off. The reality is, the auditor said millions of dollars were wasted because the government let the Ornge executives run wild. Well, the same thing is happening today.

The Premier said she would be different. When she was health minister, the Deputy Premier said that she would keep a close eye on Ornge. But what we have is the Ornge scandal 2.0.

If the Premier knew about this deal, shame on her. If the Premier didn’t know about this deal, shame on her again. Is it any wonder that the people of Ontario don’t trust this government?

Will the Premier pick up the phone and cancel this shady lease, yes or no? Don’t pass the buck. Yes or no: Will you cancel the shady lease?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Start the clock.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: This is a very serious matter. It was a very serious matter that there needed to be changes made at Ornge, and those changes were made. There is new governance at Ornge. There is a new culture. There is a culture that focuses on the best interests of patients.

The allegations that the Leader of the Opposition is making, I have no idea what they are based in. I do not know the nature of this particular decision. But what I do know is that the governance at Ornge has changed; the personnel have changed. We have highly trained professionals who, every single day, are working in the best interests of those 18,000 patients. We support those people; we support the work that they do. We made the changes at Ornge so that they would be able to do that work unfettered.

If there is more information that is required on this particular decision, we will get that for the Leader of the Opposition, but I would think that he would be most concerned about those patients who need the support—

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

Tuition

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. The Liberal government is paying for an advertising campaign promoting free tuition, but the Premier said herself that it’s not really free, and she was uncomfortable calling it free. Can the Premier explain, then, why her government is advertising something to Ontarians that she says isn’t true?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, the fact is, 150,000 students in this province will receive grants that will be the same as or exceed their tuition each year. That’s free tuition. What I said to the students—because I was involved in a chat online—is, yes, it needs some explanation, as student assistance has always needed some explanation, because families earn different amounts of money, kids have different circumstances. So all of that has—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Of course, all of that has to be taken into account, Mr. Speaker. But the bottom line is, 150,000 students in this province will have free tuition who wouldn’t have had it before.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I’m astounded that this Premier is still using the word “free.” The fact is, the Premier herself just said that she’s not comfortable using the term “free” because there are costs.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. I guess I have to give some evidence that I’m not happy with people interjecting.

Finish, please.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Yet we see the Premier standing in front of young people with a huge sign that says “Free tuition” and we hear the President of the Treasury Board and Liberal cabinet ministers telling low-income families that they’ll get free tuition, when the Premier has said publicly herself that that is not true.

It’s about integrity, plain and simple. Will this Premier directly communicate to her cabinet and staff her lack of comfort at misleading Ontarians and—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The leader will withdraw.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Withdraw, Speaker.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: How on earth can the NDP oppose a proposal that is going to allow 150,000 students to have free tuition? How can they oppose that?

The Canadian Federation of Students’ Gabrielle Ross-Marquette said students “have a lot to celebrate today with this commitment to fairness, equity and justice for students,” particularly those from low-income families.

This is a policy that changes the face of student assistance in this province. It allows more students from low- and middle-income families to go to post-secondary, whether to college or university, without having to pay tuition, without having to accumulate debt. I would have thought—

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

Interjections.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, what we oppose is a two-faced Premier. The Premier’s—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. Stop the clock. Order.

The member will withdraw.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Withdraw, Speaker.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Excuse me.

That’s the second time in your round that I’ve had to ask you to withdraw. Relax. Please finish.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Premier says her budget doesn’t really promise free tuition. But her office, presumably on her behalf, issued a statement saying that they’re using those words “deliberately ... because we need to fundamentally change the behaviour of kids and parents from low-income backgrounds.”

Not only is her office saying they’re deliberately using a language that is not accurate, but it’s completely patronizing and insulting to hard-working, struggling Ontarians.

Will this Premier apologize for these arrogant and condescending comments made on her behalf and tell her staff that all Ontarians, including low-income families, are smart enough to understand—

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, again, I think it’s astounding that the NDP would take a position against free tuition for 150,000 students.

The fact is, the point of this policy is to make it clear to people, to students and their families in lower- and middle-income families, that they will have access to post-secondary education that they didn’t have access to before.

The reality is that young people from higher-income families are accessing post-secondary at higher rates than low- and middle-income families, and that’s not acceptable to us, nor should it be acceptable to the NDP, nor should it be acceptable to the PCs.

It shouldn’t be acceptable to anyone in this province that a student would feel that they can’t go to post-secondary because of finances. We’re changing that. Students will have access; 150,000 students will have free tuition. That’s something to be celebrated, not opposed.

Interjections.

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

New question.

Government’s record

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is for the Premier. The Premier is advertising free tuition, even though she says it doesn’t exist. She promised drivers she would reduce auto insurance rates by 15%, but then she said she had no intention of keeping that promise because it was a stretch goal. She promised a five-day wait time for home care. People are waiting 200 days, and she shrugs it off.

No wonder people are disappointed in this Premier and cynical about this Liberal government. People are much smarter than the Premier gives them credit for.

Will this Premier please stop with the communication hype, rein in her arrogance and start treating Ontarians with the respect that they deserve?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let me just say that I think one of the things that feeds cynicism is an NDP that is supposed to stand up for people who are marginalized, that is supposed to understand that young people who don’t have access to post-secondary education need the support of government, and that should understand that the 150,000 students in this province who will have free tuition need the support of government. That, I think, is something that the NDP needs to address.

The College Student Alliance says that it is “thrilled to see the 2016 budget reflect current realities. By implementing the OSG, the government has committed to a more accessible sector for all students seeking a college education....”

The leader of the third party might want to talk to the students who are actually going to benefit from this change, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, people hear promises from the Liberals; they read the splashy headlines. But when you take a look, it’s obvious that the government is more interested in getting a headline than keeping the promises that they make to the people who are counting on them. The Premier knows it. She said as much last week on Periscope.

Why should Ontarians trust this government when it’s announcing programs that don’t exist, and making promises the Premier knows won’t be kept?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear with this House and with the people of Ontario. What I said last week was that there needed to be some explanation when students apply for student assistance. That is always the way it has been, and it will continue to be.

The fact is that the changes we have made, which will change the landscape of student assistance in this province, mean that of the 600,000 total in this province who are in post-secondary, 150,000 of those students will have free tuition, or better than free tuition, depending on their circumstances.

That is free tuition. It changes the way student assistance works in this province. I’m going to stand with the student organizations who have been asking for this change. We’ve made the change and it will benefit students across the province.

Interjections.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, clarity is exactly what New Democrats think the people of this province deserve. You either keep your promises or you don’t. Students either get free tuition or they don’t. Seniors either get home care in five days or they don’t. Auto insurance rates either come down or they don’t. It’s no wonder that people are frustrated when this government seems more interested in hyping itself than providing the services and supports that people deserve.

When will this Premier start showing a little more integrity—or shall I call it “clarity”?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Reza Moridi: Mr. Speaker, this Premier broke the barrier for our students to continue their education in the post-secondary system.

When it comes to student aid, we are not here to learn a lesson from that party. That is the party that, when they were in office, wanted to eliminate tuition fees for our students, and they ended up doubling them. We are not going to listen to anything from them.

Mr. Speaker, 150,000 students are going to receive free education from our post-secondary universities and colleges: 95% of full-time OSAP-eligible students will receive non-repayable Ontario student grants; 90% of dependent college students, whose parents make less than $50,000, will receive OSAP grants that are greater than the average college tuition; and 70% of dependent university students—

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

Public transit

Mr. Michael Harris: Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, the people of Ontario are learning more about what they’re paying for: a culture of luxury and excess this government has allowed over at Metrolinx. Not only have we paid millions for nine months of near-empty UP ghost express trains, we now learn they wasted thousands more to show off upscale uniforms during Toronto Fashion Week. These guys just don’t know when to stop, and the Premier seems unwilling to rein them in.

After learning that Metrolinx spent more than $8,000 to cancel the ill-advised fashion fiasco on top of the $40,000 original design cost, will the Premier do her job and ensure that our transit dollars are not wasted any further on valueless vanity projects?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to begin by thanking the member for his question. I understand this issue is of importance to him and also, of course, to me.

I’ve had the opportunity to convey my concerns to the chair of the Metrolinx board. I have conveyed to him that it’s important for all of us to make sure that we continue to focus on our core mandate of planning, building, operating and supporting more transit here in the GTHA and beyond, including communities like Kitchener-Waterloo. In fact, that is the work that the team at Metrolinx is focused on.

I’ve also informed the chair of the board that Metrolinx folks will be required to work more closely with the Ministry of Transportation to ensure that, going forward, we continue to be completely in alignment with respect to making sure we deliver on that mandate. I’d be happy to deliver more information in the follow-up questions.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Harris: The minister’s stated disappointment last week does nothing to restore the taxpayers’ money that they continue to waste. What a fashion faux pas. I mean, I’m sure we’re all disappointed that the minister didn’t get his chance to do Zoolander’s blue steel on the runway in retro-chic train couture, but the fact is that Metrolinx is charged with transit planning. This needs to be project transit, not Project Runway. This Premier is charged with overseeing billions in future transit planning through Metrolinx, and yet we continue to see her allow our precious transit dollars to be wasted again and again.

Will the Premier tell us how she expects anyone to trust her to oversee billions in transit investments when we see that money being thrown down the runway?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: As I said in my first answer to the member opposite, I’ve already had that conversation with the chair of the board to make sure that we are completely focused on the mandate that I’ve been given and that Metrolinx has.

I will say that for close to two years now, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with board chair Rob Prichard, with president and CEO Bruce McCuaig and with all of the board members and senior executive members at Metrolinx. Here’s what I’ve learned: They are an extraordinarily committed group of people who understand their mandate and who are delivering on that mandate.

In fact, over the last couple of years, what we’ve seen—since 2003—is that Metrolinx and GO Transit have, for example, among many other things, built 14 new GO stations, rebuilt four existing GO stations, extended our crucial rail network by nearly 90 kilometres, added 31,000 parking spots, added over 200 new railcars, over 150 new single-level buses and will add more buses in the years to come. We will also—

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

New question.

Hospital services

Ms. Cindy Forster: The Welland hospital site of the Niagara Health System serves tens of thousands of families in my riding of Welland, some of whom are with us in the gallery here today. The Liberal government has decided to go ahead with plans to close yet another hospital in south Niagara, based on a limited and short-sighted report issued in 2012.

This was a decision that the Liberal government made without any consultation with families in my community. This so-called restructuring of the Niagara Health System will be one of the largest in Ontario’s history, forcing the closure of five hospitals in my community and forcing the most vulnerable to travel almost an hour—in some cases, more than an hour—to access emergency care.

Will the minister explain to this House and to my friends who have joined me today why the Liberal government refuses to reverse this ill-informed and short-sighted decision?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: This decision, of course, and the plans that the Niagara Health System is following—they accepted the recommendations of Dr. Kevin Smith, who spent a great deal of time consulting not only with health care professionals, but with literally thousands of members of the Niagara community to come up with a set of recommendations as well as to ensure that the sustainability of the health care system is there for Niagara, and that it’s also the highest quality of services that the people deserve.

The Niagara Health System, with a planning grant that we’ve provided of $26.2 million already, is proceeding. The board has accepted those recommendations. They have struck a large committee, which has significant community representation, not only representation from municipal leadership and municipal councils, including Welland, Wainfleet, Port Colborne—all of those areas that deserve to have those quality health services. They’re working through a plan, which they will at one point be submitting to us. We’ll consider it. We’ll consider it with the local LHIN. We’ll make a decision on the basis of that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Cindy Forster: We know that Niagara has one of the highest populations of seniors in the province. The government’s decision to close another hospital would mean that a family facing an emergency in my community would have to drive as long as over an hour to reach an emergency department, and even longer if you have to rely on public transportation.

Worse, occupancy rates currently across the Niagara Health System are at an alarming rate, and the closing of the Welland hospital will have devastating impacts on capacity levels for the remaining hospitals, putting my community’s health at risk.

Will the minister put an immediate stop to the short-sighted decision to close the Welland hospital?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, what I won’t put a stop to is the community-led process that is guided by the best experts in that region and across the province to determine how to provide the best health services for the people of the Niagara region.

In fact, I know that NHS did reveal what their plans are for the Welland location. I know the reaction from the local community. There was a lot of positive reaction to the proposals, including on issues like long-term care, increasing the number of beds and two new buildings, which will provide significant numbers of services.

But, really—and I know the member from Welland knows this, because she was part of a meeting that I had several weeks ago with the mayors from the regions to discuss specifically this issue—this is a long process that is being undertaken in an appropriate fashion through the leadership of the NHS but in close co-operation and consultation with everybody concerned.

Farm safety

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. My riding of Cambridge and North Dumfries is partly rural and home to many family farms, including my neighbours’.

I know the farmers in my riding are very concerned about safe farming practices and workplace safety, so I was pleased to hear that the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association was once again celebrating Canadian agricultural safety week.

Although it’s always good to see events that illustrate the importance of farm safety, we also need to be sure that our farmers are aware of potential safety risks and what they can do to mitigate them.

In Ontario, we have close to 50,000 farms and 86,000 primary agricultural workers. We need to ensure that we are setting up our farmers to be safe. This is especially significant when we think of children, who may be helping out with work on the family farm.

Speaker, can the minister please tell this House how Canadian agricultural safety week benefits our farmers?

Hon. Jeff Leal: I want to thank the member from Cambridge this morning for her question. I know she spends a lot of time in the North Dumfries part of her riding, which is a great agricultural base for the riding of Cambridge.

Last week was Canadian agriculture safety week, an annual public education campaign which aims to reduce the risk of accidents and hazards on our farms throughout Ontario. Our ministry is proud to work with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, recognizing the importance of on-farm safety programming. Additionally, we’re pleased to support Workplace Safety and Prevention Services of Ontario in their delivery of farm safety education programs across the province.

This year’s theme is how to be an ag-safe family and more specifically, on keeping kids safe, and focused on encouraging children and young adults to remember and stay safe while helping out with the chores and responsibilities on a farm each and every day.

As the member mentioned, it’s always a tragic event when someone gets injured while working on a farm, and it’s only made worse when that individual is indeed a child.

By focusing on young farmers, we’re encouraging them to develop safe farming practices. Mr. Speaker, one of the great supporters of agriculture in Ontario, the member from St. Catharines, had a meeting last week with regard to farm safety in the Niagara Peninsula.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: Thank you to the minister. As we all know, agricultural work is often hazardous and can lead to serious workplace injuries. People in my riding of Cambridge and throughout the Waterloo region work in the agricultural sector and face these inherent risks each and every day.

Tragically, when my son was 14 years old, he lost a friend to a farming accident. The teenager had climbed his family’s silo to check on the level of corn in the silo, when he was overcome by fumes and fell in.

Our government understands that the risks involved in the agricultural sector are very real. I understand that in 2006, our government extended the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include farming operations for the first time ever.

Speaker, through you to the minister, can you tell my constituents what else our government is doing to protect the health and safety of Ontarians and families who work in our agricultural sector?

Hon. Jeff Leal: To the Minister of Labour.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’d really like to thank the member for that excellent question because we all value the hard work that farmers do every single day.

At the Ministry of Labour, we know that prevention is the key and that awareness training really helps prevent those workplace accidents. This holds true for farms, as well. It’s not just industry; it’s farms, as well.

Knowing the risks involved in the work and knowing the rights and the responsibilities you have as a worker in Ontario makes all the difference for people who actually work on those farms. I think it’s always important that we should remind people to train properly, to be aware of the dangers, and that will help keep everybody safe on the farms.

We conduct, at the Ministry of Labour, both proactive and reactive visits to ensure that we have the best practices in place, and we will charge those people who aren’t living up to their responsibilities.

We all need to be in this together to make sure that Ontario’s farm operations are as safe and as productive as they can be.

Tuition

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is to the Premier. The Premier says she’s worried about the free tuition plan. In fact, the Premier now claims that “it’s free with some explanation required.” Allison Jones from the Canadian Press had a headline that read “Wynne Says She Worried About Pitching Tuition as Free....”

However, the Premier didn’t have a problem calling it free tuition on March 1. In fact, the Premier actually responded to four questions that day by shouting to the mountains about free tuition. It’s only when students looked at the fine print that the Premier added her asterisk. The Premier knows that the government’s original claims of free tuition are simply wrong.

Mr. Speaker, this government can’t even get free tuition right. Can they get anything right?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I have said, 150,000 students in this province will have free tuition. That is the case. Young people who live in families of modest means will have access to post-secondary education in a way they have not had before.

Now, I actually understand, coming from the PCs, that this might not be a policy that they would support, but from the NDP—I was very surprised that they wouldn’t support young people having more access to post-secondary and the government playing a role in that.

I just want to quote from Spencer Nestico-Semianiw from OUSA, who said, “These are sweeping improvements that will dramatically improve financial aid for our students. Students will receive more grants, and for many of them, tuition will be free.”

The fact is the Ontario university student association has been advocating for these changes. The student groups have been asking us to make these changes. We have, and those 150,000 students will have free tuition.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Lorne Coe: Again to the Premier: When is free not free? When this Liberal government gets their hands on a plan, we see it time and time again. Just look at the spin: “some explanation required,” “there are caveats,” the program will “evolve.” Those are more aspirational stretch goals. That’s all we ever get from this government.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Liberals are taking away $165 million worth of tax credits from students.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier come clean? Will the Premier admit this isn’t about helping students; this is about distracting from the government’s scandal, waste and mismanagement?

Interjections.

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

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Reza Moridi: I want to thank the member for that question. I also want to remind the member that his party voted against the 30% Off Ontario Tuition Grant in the past, and his party actually wanted to abolish OSAP. They wanted to give student aid based on merit, not on the needs of the students.

Mr. Speaker, 250,000 students—80% of OSAP-eligible students—will have less debt than they would have under the current OSAP. Mr. Speaker, 95% of OSAP-eligible students will receive non-repayable Ontario student grants, and 150,000 students are going to receive grants from the government which will be equal to or even maybe more than their tuition fees.

As I said earlier, this Premier broke the barrier for low-income students to continue their education in our colleges and universities.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings: second time.

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Mr. Percy Hatfield: My question this morning is for the Minister of Health. Good morning, Minister.

Seniors in Windsor and Tecumseh are worried about the Liberal plan to nearly double the cost of their prescription drugs. Under the Liberal budget, the cost of the deductible for the vast majority of seniors will increase by 70% this summer. Seniors living on fixed incomes simply can’t afford this. People are already struggling to pay the rent and to put food on the table.

My question to the minister is simple and straightforward: Exactly how many of Ontario’s two million seniors will be forced to pay more for their prescription drugs because of this Liberal government?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I know some erroneous information has been out there which doesn’t accurately reflect the number of seniors who will benefit from this program. The truth is that roughly 25% of Ontario’s two million seniors will benefit from paying no annual deductible at all. There’s a significant number—173,000—who are currently paying a $100 annual deductible, who will join roughly 300,000—

Mr. Paul Miller: How about the 75%?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, come to order.

Finish, please.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —who will join more than a quarter of a million of the lowest-income seniors who will pay no annual deductible, roughly 25% of the total seniors in this province. It’s pretty remarkable that that number will translate into that positive space.

There are also other important changes that we’ve made, which reflect that we are the most generous province by far in the entire country with regard to—

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

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Well, obviously by the mathematical gobbledygook you’re refusing to tell us how many seniors are going to be paying more for their prescription drugs.

Our seniors aren’t rich. They watch every penny, and the Premier wants to nearly double the cost of their prescriptions. This is the wrong thing to do. We should be expanding access to universal prescription drugs, not forcing seniors to pay more.

When will the minister stop making excuses, actually stand up for the seniors in this province and put a stop to the Premier’s plan?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I implore—in fact, I’m begging the NDP to just one time in this Legislature mention that 170,000 more seniors, the lowest-income seniors, those who that party would purport to support—I don’t understand why it’s impossible for them to actually reference that positive development.

The out-of-pocket expense for seniors in this province is $277 per year. The next closest province in Canada is more than twice that. In fact, in some provinces the out-of-pocket expenditures are as high as $1,000 a year.

This is a very progressive policy. It means that those that can afford it will be asked to pay a little bit more. But a quarter of the seniors, those low-income seniors who I would have hoped the NDP would support in this process—but that was the old NDP; they can’t mention that number.

Government anti-racism programs

Mr. Granville Anderson: My question is to the minister responsible for the Anti-Racism Directorate.

In 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations first proclaimed March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This day commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre, a day where police opened fire and killed 69 peaceful protestors who were demonstrating against South Africa’s apartheid “pass law.” While this was overt racism, we know that in Ontario there still exist a number of individual, cultural and systemic barriers that prevent racial minorities from realizing full equality.

Could the minister inform the members of this House about what Ontario has done to address racism?

Hon. Michael Coteau: I’d like to thank the MPP for Durham for the question.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a day that annually—

Applause.

Hon. Michael Coteau: Yes, it’s an important day.

This day reminds us to fight racism and related forms of intolerance and discrimination worldwide.

Ontario has long been a champion of equality and an international beacon for cultural pluralism. Ontario was the first jurisdiction in Canada to prohibit discrimination based on race when it passed the Ontario Human Rights Code. Ontario was the birthplace of the Human Rights Commission in Canada. By 1977, other jurisdictions, including the federal government, would follow Ontario’s leadership and create their own commissions.

Recently, I joined the Premier to demonstrate Ontario’s continued leadership on this file through our Anti-Racism Directorate. I look forward to keeping the members of this House up to date on an ongoing basis on this incredible initiative.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Granville Anderson: Thank you, Minister. When the Premier announced the Anti-Racism Directorate, she highlighted dynamics that have refocused modern issues: movements like Black Lives Matter, the ongoing history of police street checks and the debates around the Syrian refugee crisis. It is clear that we need to take greater and more coordinated action against racism.

It has only been one month since the directorate was announced and I understand that there is still a lot more work to be done. But could the minister inform the members of this House on how our government is laying the foundation for the new Anti-Racism Directorate?

Hon. Michael Coteau: Again, I want to thank the member for Durham.

Ontario’s new Anti-Racism Directorate was formed to remove social and economic barriers that prevent our province from achieving true equality and to apply a wide anti-racism lens to government policy.

Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of people at the ministry. We’ve hired a new associate deputy minister to take the lead with the directorate. I’ve also had a few meetings with important stakeholders, community-based organizations and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. I’ve met with partners, like the Colour of Poverty and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians.

The Anti-Racism Directorate is determining how we can help fight racism to ensure that everyone here in Ontario has equal opportunity to succeed. In the coming months, I’m committed to continuing engaging and collaborating with stakeholders and partners to achieve true equality here in the province of Ontario.

Mental health services

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

This government has failed Shania Paige. Ms. Paige is a young woman suffering from a mental illness. As Christina Blizzard of the Toronto Sun noted, this “isn’t just a human tragedy of immense proportion.” She wrote, “It’s an infuriating, terrifying and pathetic indictment of the hypocrisy we spout about mental illness in this”—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Sorry. The member will withdraw. You cannot quote something from the outside that you can’t say here. So please withdraw.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I withdraw.

This was a case of someone who was in desperate need of mental health services and couldn’t get the help she needed. Is the minister embarrassed he tells people to seek help while the very help they need isn’t there because this government has cut it?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The member opposite is correct that this is a very, very serious issue. It’s one that I personally take very seriously. It’s also a complex issue. But there’s no question that we need to ensure that, when an individual is facing a mental health crisis, they’re provided, at that moment in time, with the right supports that they need in order that the correct pathway is followed.

We don’t want to see those individuals moving where there could potentially be a violent episode against themselves or other persons or whether it could head down that path of the criminal justice system, because that’s the wrong path for these individuals. We need to make sure, and we need to invest money that will go to provide those supports at that moment of time so that the person gets the right supports, they get connected with the emergency services that they require, the community resources that they require and the primary care resources that they need to be stabilized and get better.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Back to the minister: Minister, you’re a lot of talk with zero action. It has been over a decade and you keep saying the same things over and over and more people are dying or ending up in our corrections services with zero support. You would have thought that this government would have learned something from the death of Ashley Smith in 2007. Her death in solitary confinement in a Kitchener institution was tragic, but just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, this government continues to cut much-needed mental health services.

This government loves to talk and tweet about Bell Let’s Talk Day but failed to actually offer any real help to those in need.

Mr. Speaker, what will it take? How many more people will have to die before this government takes the funding of mental health services seriously?

Interjections.

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

Minister.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I can’t believe that the member opposite would take an individual’s crisis and use it for such political partisan reasons.

We’re investing over $3 billion in our health care system specifically for mental health and addictions. That continues to go up each and every year: 137 million new dollars over the next three years as we engage in a new phase of mental health supports—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member who asked the question, come to order, please, and the member behind you, the member from Prince Edward–Hastings, is warned.

Finish, please.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: There was $810 million last year alone for our community mental health supports across this province.

I know there’s more work to be done, of course. We’ll never reach that point of providing those supports that individuals need unless we work together; implement the best advice that we’re getting from, for example, the leadership advisory council that we have which is advising me; making those important investments; and making sure that individuals who are facing these crises and these challenges get the support they need.

Aboriginal health care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier.

Last week, I travelled to northwestern Ontario along with the member for Kenora–Rainy River and met with Grand Chief Fiddler, Deputy Grand Chief Fox and other leaders from the NAN communities.

We heard from Chief Cutfeet about how few in his community have regular access to doctors, nurses or specialists for diseases such as diabetes, which is rampant throughout the NAN territories.

Sioux Lookout has the highest rate of rheumatic fever in the world—a treatable, preventable yet deadly illness if not acted upon. In fact, two four-year-old children have died from this preventable illness in the last two years.

This is 2016, Speaker. The Premier has been the critic for aboriginal affairs. She knows these problems exist. Why is she doing nothing to change such an intolerable situation?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

Hon. David Zimmer: We in this government take this issue very seriously. I have been in contact with Chief Fiddler on a number of occasions. When this most recent situation developed, I was in contact with him. We are working on ways to deal with this issue. This situation is not going to continue. We are making every effort at the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, working in collaboration with other ministries—the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Environment and, indeed, other ministries across the government. We are taking a whole-government approach to this.

Last week, I was in northwestern Ontario and I had several discussions about this issue, as it involved climate change and as it involved safe drinking water. It’s all a part of the whole. We have to tackle these issues as an entity. We are doing that as a government.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I would say that not much is going on when it comes to what this government claims their relationship is with First Nations communities.

Three weeks ago, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation declared a health care state of emergency in this province. They’re reeling from endemic suicides; living in poor, crowded housing conditions; and their communities have undrinkable water. They have for decades, Speaker. None of these problems are new. They have existed for decades.

Will this Premier act today to address the dire health crisis in Sioux Lookout, in the region and across the NAN territories, and stop the suicides that are occurring there?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister?

Hon. David Zimmer: The Minister of Health.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: We are taking this very seriously and, frankly, I agree with Chief Fiddler when he declared the state of emergency for the population represented by NAN. I have talked with Chief Fiddler and I have talked with Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day. In fact, next week, I’m going to be sitting down with those chiefs and others, and federal health minister Jane Philpott, to specifically and emphatically discuss this state of emergency and what we need to do, collectively, at all levels of government to be able to address this.

The party opposite knows this is not something that can be solved overnight. The prudent thing is to have these conversations, to actually work with First Nations rather than without, which seems to be what they would suggest doing; to actually work on a collaborative action plan that will, in a significant, tangible, realistic way, begin to address these issues.

I’m looking forward as well to the federal Liberal budget tomorrow. I’ve got confidence that it’s going to speak to some of these issues with regard to First Nations.

Climate change

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: My question today is for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. Last Thursday, the minister was in Thunder Bay to announce that the Ontario government would be making a significant investment through the Green Investment Fund to provide First Nation communities with the training, tools and infrastructure they need to address climate change.

Climate change is a matter of concern for all Ontarians, which is why our government has taken small and large steps over many years to help reduce Ontario’s impact. Climate change will also dramatically affect indigenous communities, jeopardizing the First Nations and Métis ways of life, health, territories and resources. Can the minister tell us more about these investments?

Hon. David Zimmer: Speaker, it was a pleasure to be joined last week by my colleagues the members for Thunder Bay–Superior North and Thunder Bay–Atikokan at the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corp. last week to announce this important new initiative.

First Nation communities, Laurentian University’s Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources—we will be working with First Nations and the university to develop adaptation plans to help First Nation communities prepare for the effects of climate change; to build the technical capacity in order for First Nation communities to take advantage of cap-and-trade; and to develop a northern Ontario climate change impact study using the data from these adaptation plans.

Speaker, ensuring First Nations have the tools they need to fight and adapt to climate change is important. First Nations and our universities will work together. They will combine their unique skills and special knowledge. This is the best way to do it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: It’s great to hear that our government recognizes the importance of engaging indigenous communities on climate change. It’s clear that our government is committed to working with indigenous people in Ontario to address the impacts of climate change felt by their communities.

I understand that our government is also taking steps to help remote First Nations communities reduce their dependency on diesel fuel. This will help them develop the capacity to become more self-sufficient through the use of renewable energy and open up economic opportunities.

Can the minister please tell us more about how this government is supporting indigenous communities towards this goal?

Hon. David Zimmer: Mr. Speaker, I also announced last week that Ontario will invest $8 million to develop advanced micro-grid solutions to remote First Nation communities.

Continuous diesel-fired electricity generation in our remote First Nation communities emits an estimated 65 metric kilotonnes of greenhouse gases annually. This is equivalent to about 15,000 cars on the road. This is not healthy for those northern communities. It is not healthy for our province.

A shift to micro-grids from diesel fuel is vital in our fight against climate change. It is imperative that we begin preparing First Nation communities to adapt to climate change now. I look forward to working with our partner First Nations to see that real progress is made on this issue.

Hospital funding

Mr. Monte McNaughton: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Health.

Earlier this year, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance was told they would be getting $2.5 million less than they were expecting from the province’s Minister of Health. We have seen cuts to nursing positions and physician services across the province, and now my constituents are worried the services they depend on may be next on the chopping block.

Does the minister have any plans to cut more services at the Sydenham District Hospital in Wallaceburg over the next fiscal year?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: From that question, the sense I’m getting from that member opposite is that there might be an inkling that he would support our budget this year, because we have a 1% increase in the base for every single hospital across the province—in fact, we’re even providing additional funds for hospitals that are designated rural or small—plus $350 million which is going to our hospitals across the province, which actually works out to about a 2.1% increase in the budget, in the line—

Hon. Deborah Matthews: On average.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —on average, for our hospitals across the province.

These are important investments. I’m happy to talk to him about the specific concern that he has. But the truth is, Mr. Speaker, we’re increasing our hospital funding, and it will make a significant difference, right across the board, to the level of services that people deserve in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Monte McNaughton: Back to the Minister of Health: Over the last week, people in Wallaceburg, Walpole Island First Nation and throughout Chatham-Kent told me that they are very worried about the future of the emergency department at the Sydenham District Hospital. The facts are that 13 years of Liberal scandals, waste and mismanagement are responsible for taking away funding for essential services like health care.

The people of Wallaceburg, Walpole Island and Chatham-Kent depend on Sydenham hospital’s emergency department. My question this morning is very simple: Is the emergency department at the Sydenham hospital going to remain open as a fully functioning, 24-hour emergency department?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: There’s nothing that I’m aware of that would change the level and quality of health care provided to the patients in Chatham-Kent—to the hospital reference.

But I do want to mention—because you’ve mentioned Chatham-Kent as well, if we can talk about that area for a minute—that there was a very important development that took place just in the past few days with regard to the hospital in Leamington.

I think this Legislature knows that we provided over $1 million to try to attract obstetricians and gynecologists to that hospital, to keep the birthing centre, to keep that obstetrics ward open. Well, the first obstetrician confirmed that he is coming to Leamington. I’m very proud to announce that the obstetrics unit, that birthing centre, will remain open and it has a new obstetrician.

Public transit

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Last week, we learned that Metrolinx spent tens of thousands of public dollars to design special fashionable uniforms for the Union Pearson Express, and spent thousands more to get the uniforms featured during fashion week in Toronto, only to later drop out of the event.

We know Metrolinx does nothing without the approval of the Minister of Transportation. It was the current Premier who committed to the UP Express’s flawed business model six years ago, when she was transportation minister. But instead of taking responsibility for UP Express, the minister has scapegoated public servants who were only doing what they were told to do.

Will the minister stop pretending that Metrolinx is independent of his ministry and finally accept responsibility for the UP Express blunders?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I thank the member from Parkdale–High Park for her question.

As I said earlier today, I have had the chance to speak with or communicate with the chair of the Metrolinx board. There’s a very clear understanding that the Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx will continue to work closely together as we fulfill the mandate that the people of Ontario have given this government for Metrolinx and the ministry to design, build, operate, support and sustain additional transit.

Earlier today, I had the chance, at length, to mention a number of the initiatives that we’ve moved forward with, that we’ve had tremendous success with, that we’ve made more progress on. There is, as we all know, a significant requirement to make sure that we continue to invest in transit here in the 416 and the 905 and beyond, across the greater Toronto and Hamilton area. I have no doubt that the team at Metrolinx, with whom I’ve worked closely now for close to two years, will continue to work with us to fulfil that mandate.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Back to the minister: Whenever Metrolinx has appeared in the newspaper recently, it hasn’t been exactly good news: Union Pearson Express trains with expensive uniforms but few passengers; a mile-long bridge carving through the Davenport community without public agreement; and a gas plant suddenly appearing in plans for the Eglinton Crosstown, again without public consultation.

How can the public trust Metrolinx to serve the public interest, and spend billions in public dollars, when the ministry is making the real decisions behind closed doors, without any public support?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I have to say I categorically reject the premise of that member’s question on the follow-up.

Just a few days ago, the Premier of Ontario, thanks in large part to her leadership, stood alongside the team at Metrolinx and other members from this caucus at the Keelesdale station for the Eglinton Crosstown. Let’s remember that the Eglinton Crosstown, at $5.3 billion, is the single-largest public transit project in Ontario history, and it’s taking place because this Premier and this government have made the commitment and made the hard decisions to build transit. We’re building that transit, working closely, of course, with Metrolinx.

What would be most helpful in this Legislature, occasionally, is if members of the NDP would support the budgets that we put forward, which will help us fund the transit that they allege they think we need in this region.

Reception

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member for Etobicoke North on a point of order.

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: I respectfully invite all members of the Legislature to a reception held by the Turkish Canadian community, the Anatolian Heritage Federation, taking place immediately after question period in rooms 228 and 230.

Decorum in chamber

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I am going to take a moment just to offer some advice and a request. The advice is that I believe that every member in this House knows, or should know, the type of language that is not parliamentary. I would also include staff who may help you with questions—putting that into the questions, they should know, or do know, that it’s unparliamentary. I’ve heard too many things over the last little while that imply that you’re saying it for the theatre effect, and I’m going to have to start clamping down even tighter than I am. So I’m asking all members to co-operate. You know what you cannot say, and I think it has to stop. Thank you.

There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1141 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise to introduce a number of special guests who are here today to celebrate what would have been George Leslie Mackay’s 172nd birthday.

In the gallery today, I’m honoured to have Director General Hsu from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, as well as representatives from the Canadian Mackay Committee, Taiwanese Canadian Association of Toronto, Taiwan Entrepreneurs Society Taipei/Toronto, Taiwan Merchants Association of Toronto, Taiwanese Canadian Community Service Association, Formosa Evergreen Senior Citizens Centre, Taiwanese United Church in Toronto, Global Asian Business Federation of Canada, Young Taiwanese Merchants Association of Toronto, Taiwan Macroview Television, and many others.

I want to welcome them all to Queen’s Park and thank them for being here today to recognize the former life of George Leslie Mackay.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I’d like to welcome a friend of mine originally from St. Clair Beach: Jordan Vukanovich, who’s the national account executive with CareerBuilder Canada. He’s here to talk about how we can match employees with employers and skill sets as well.

Ms. Cindy Forster: I’d like to introduce Sue Hotte from the Niagara Health Coalition. Natalie Mehra is here today as well from the Ontario Health Coalition, and a couple of my constituents, Don Huneault and Henry Miron.

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Not trying to bring attention to the issue, but just a reminder that all vibrating devices are picked up by the microphones and do impact our wonderful sound people. So please make sure they’re in your holsters.

Members’ Statements

Colorectal cancer

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’m pleased to rise today in awareness of National Colorectal Cancer Month. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer to date and the second most common cancer cause of death of men and women throughout Canada.

Colorectal cancer is preventable, yet thousands of Canadians are diagnosed and die of this disease each year. The majority of cases begin as benign growths in the lining of the large bowel and then move onward to other organs. Therefore, identification and removal of these polyps is critical in preventing the development of colorectal cancer.

Age, heredity, diet, weight, alcohol consumption and smoking are all factors in the development of this disease. More than 90% of cases occur in people aged 50 and over. Sometimes symptoms are not always obvious, but they could include blood in the stool, stomach pains and unexpected weight loss. The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is through preventive measures like screening tests. There are a number of screening tests available to Ontarians who may be concerned about developing this form of cancer.

Mr. Speaker, 800,000 Ontarians do not have access to a family doctor. Those between ages 50 and 74 can access a fecal occult blood test from their pharmacy, a nurse practitioner or Telehealth Ontario. Cancer Care Ontario continues to coordinate this service.

In Ontario, there is a 67% relative survival ratio, although in 2015 we saw 9,200 new colorectal cancer cases that caused 3,350 deaths.

Colorectal cancer is an increasing concern, and I’m pleased to note that March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Northern Ontario Hockey Association tournament

Mr. Michael Mantha: It’s that time of year when, for a lot of kids, hockey season is coming to an end. A lot of playoffs are going on. The Little Current Howland Minor Hockey Association hosted the NOHA Midget House League Tournament of Champions in Little Current on Manitoulin Island—such teams as the East Nipissing Clarion Resort Vipers, Hornepayne Bears, Kirkland Lake Gold Blue Devils, Valley East Urban Windows and Doors, Little Current Flyers, Massey Predators, Powassan Hawks, and Temiskaming Shores Roosters Bar and Grill. These kids played like giants over the course of the weekend and had everybody on the edge of their seats.

I was watching some in my riding of Algoma–Manitoulin, particularly the Predators out of Massey. They had tenacity and never gave up in any of their games and continued to plug on.

We had the group from the Flyers from Little Current. They played an immense, powerful game. They had to win to get in. They were down 6-3. With about four minutes left, they came back to tie. They were this close to going in.

But at the end of the day, it was the Hornepayne Bears from Algoma–Manitoulin who got to the finals: kids like Eric Bayford, Silas Hoffman, Jaedyn Orr, Jarid Trudel, Cameron Boere, Mekenzie Kistemaker, Logan Latoski, Sawyer Stewart, Nathan Swereda, Nicholas Swereda, Curtis Swereda, Brandyn Bell and Tommy Prud’homme. You guys played like giants. You guys played with boys and girls. There was no contact, and it was great hockey, Mr. Speaker.

It doesn’t matter who won. At the end of the day, these kids all showed end-to-end action, and they showed they had a heart of gold.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I didn’t know the NHL was looking for a new play-by-play guy.

Patrick Rocca

Mr. Arthur Potts: It’s my pleasure to rise today to speak about this year’s winner of the Agnes Macphail Award.

Agnes Macphail, as you know, was once described as “the most important woman in public life that Canada has produced in the 20th century.” She received this distinction as she was the first woman to sit in Parliament from Owen Sound and in the Ontario Legislature from a riding that encompassed my area of Beaches–East York. In her honour, I’ve asked Canada Post to put her image on a Canadian postage stamp.

The Agnes Macphail Award is given to an outstanding volunteer and contributor to community life who embodies Agnes’s motto of “Think globally; act locally.” This year, Patrick Rocca won the award for his outstanding commitment to the East York community.

Patrick contributes meaningfully to the spirit of the East York community through fundraising, volunteering and sponsorships. The community is pleased with his commitment because it is further exemplified by the many initiatives that Patrick supports and promotes, such as the Thorncliffe children’s breakfast program, the annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, Flemingdon’s New Circles and Maurice Cody’s Dirt to Turf project.

Not only is he involved in various fundraising and community activities that support growth and development, Patrick also was the first real estate broker to become an ambassador for and a proponent of the inaugural wear Plaid for Dad event that was raising funds and awareness for Prostate Cancer Canada.

I stand in the House and formally recognize this outstanding citizen and member of the Beaches–East York community. I invite all interested members to show up at East York Civic Centre on Thursday, March 24 to see the Agnes Macphail Award ceremony where Mr. Rocca will be receiving his award.

George Leslie Mackay

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: On behalf of the people of Oxford and the Ontario PC caucus, I’m pleased to rise to recognize the contribution of Oxford’s George Leslie Mackay on what would have been his 172nd birthday.

Mackay was born and raised in Zorra, part of Oxford county, but most people agree that the island of Formosa, now Taiwan, was his home. It was where he married and raised a family. It was where he made a significant contribution to health care and education that lives on to this day.

Mackay travelled to Taiwan as a missionary 1871. He quickly fell in love with the island and embraced the culture, spending 16 hours a day studying the language. Mackay had an unusual method of outreach: practising dentistry. Over 30 years, he claimed, he pulled as many as 40,000 teeth. He returned to visit Oxford, and while in Canada raised money to help in Taiwan. When he returned, he built a hospital, a boarding school for girls, a middle school and Oxford College. The college is now a museum dedicated to Mackay, “the black-bearded barbarian.”

His legacy lives on to this day. In 2001, Taiwan issued a commemorative postage stamp that marked the centenary of his death, and there is now a modern Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, a long way from the clinic he started 150 years ago.

As MPP for Oxford, I am also proud of another legacy he created: a strong relationship between Oxford and Taiwan, a legacy we honour by continuing and growing our friendship.

Thank you very much for allowing me to present this today.

Maya Mikhael

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: It is always a pleasure to rise in the House to talk about special events and the incredible people of Windsor West and the greater Windsor area.

Today, I have the distinct pleasure of announcing that 10-year-old Maya Mikhael, an exceptional young lady from Windsor, is the recipient of the provincial honour of the 2016 Leading Girls Building Communities recognition certificate for exceptional leadership in working to improve the lives of others in Windsor.

This recognition is only given to young girls 18 years or younger at the time of nomination, and the nominee cannot have been nominated in the past. Nominations for this recognition must be made by a member of provincial Parliament, and community members are needed to provide supporting references. Without hesitation, I was pleased to nominate Maya Mikhael for this recognition, and there was no shortage of supporters from our community.

Through her various fundraising efforts such as Maya’s Friends lemonade stand, Maya has raised thousands of dollars and collected vast quantities of food that have benefited the Windsor area through organizations like the food bank, Street Help and the Windsor Youth Centre.

I am thrilled to announce that Maya has been chosen as the recipient for this honour and I am so proud to have an outstanding, dedicated community supporter like Maya in Windsor.

Weston Lions Club

Mrs. Laura Albanese: I am proud to stand in the House today to recognize the 75th charter anniversary of the Weston Lions Club. The Lions Club of Weston was charted in the town of Weston, Ontario in 1941. This group of dedicated volunteers has not only built the recreation arena and swimming pool located at the Weston Lions Park but also continues to operate the arena, staff the snack bar inside and manage the recreation hall facilities. The Weston Lions arena is run as a non-profit operation to serve the community and raises money through the snack bar, a pancake breakfast at the annual opening of the farmers’ market, and through a partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club.

The club’s members are extremely dedicated and work tirelessly for their community. The Weston Lions Club has generously chosen to assist a number of local community and international organizations with their programs and projects, including Weston Area Emergency Support, which is a local food bank; Frontlines, a local organization that assists youth; TDSB’s Toronto Foundation for Student Success; Lions Foundation of Canada; Youth Without Shelter; York West Active Living Centre, which has many programs for seniors; and many other groups that have been designated by the Lions Club to receive gifts totalling over $60,000.

Congratulations to the Weston Lions on your 75th charter anniversary. Thank you for all that you do for the Weston community and beyond. Your dedication to volunteerism and giving back to the community is truly inspirational.

World Down Syndrome Day

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I am pleased to rise today in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day. Today marks the 11th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day. This year’s theme is “My Friends, My Community.” The goal is to get the world talking about how inclusive environments benefit everyone. Down Syndrome International wants to show the world how persons with Down syndrome live and participate in the community alongside family, friends, peers and the public.

To get people talking, they are encouraging everyone to wear lots of socks, perhaps even three socks, for three copies of chromosome 21. The goal is to wear something that people will ask you about so that you can start a conversation about World Down Syndrome Day.

I would like to take a moment to recognize Amy Boudrias, who has done an outstanding job of raising awareness of World Down Syndrome Day in the Kincardine area. Amy has challenged local businesses to create fun and unique window displays filled with lots of socks. She had a tremendous success, and I know that many people will be having important conversations today because of Amy’s hard work.

We all know the power of an inclusive environment and of equal opportunities to participate. Today, let’s take a moment to think about what more we can do to make sure everyone has a safe and inclusive community to thrive in.

Conflict in Ukraine

Mr. Yvan Baker: Last fall, I was in Ukraine with constituents of Etobicoke Centre, where we met with soldiers who were wounded during the Russian-backed invasion of Ukraine. These young people said that they were fighting for freedom and democracy, values that we as Canadians hold dear.

Today, Ukraine is at war and the situation is dire. Russia has annexed Crimea, and Russian-backed forces have invaded and occupied part of eastern Ukraine. This war touches all of us, Speaker. Thousands are dead and one million civilians have been displaced. The soldiers I met with have shown incredible courage. They are fighting state-of-the-art equipment, in many cases with outdated weapons. Many have refused medical treatment so that they can stay at the front and continue to fight.

One of those soldiers is Nadiya Savchenko. She’s a Ukrainian pilot who was captured and then transferred to Russia illegally almost two years ago. Ms. Savchenko is now being sentenced on fabricated charges in Russia and has undergone a trial that even the US administration has referred to as “farcical.” She has endured repeated interrogations and solitary confinement. Recently, in protest of her treatment, she undertook a hunger strike, even refusing water.

Canadians from across the country have been protesting Ms. Savchenko’s treatment, and I’d like to applaud the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Dion, who recently issued a statement calling on Russia to release Ms. Savchenko.

I urge the global community, including Canada, to continue to press for her release and to continue to support the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom. This is important, not only because Ms. Savchenko’s human rights have been violated and she needs our help, and not only because the war is a humanitarian crisis and the Ukrainian people need our help, but because the war in Ukraine is a threat to freedom and democracy—values that, as Canadians, we hold dear.

Sandvine Inc.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: Mr. Speaker, I’d like to share with you and members of this House news of a very important announcement that took place in my region last week.

Fifteen years ago, the high-tech company Sandvine was just starting out, at around the same time that our local economy was in transition. We were losing low-skilled jobs. But today there’s a much different picture in my region. Thanks to investments in innovative technology, we are seeing the growth of high-paying, highly skilled jobs. That growth has resulted in over 2,000 new tech companies being created in Waterloo region, generating over $20 billion in revenue each year. That’s an awful lot of jobs in a short amount of time.

One such investment is at Sandvine. I was happy to welcome the Premier to Kitchener-Waterloo last week to announce a $15-million investment into Sandvine to support further research and innovation. This grant is going to allow them to create 75 new jobs, added to the 267 they already have. These are high-paying, highly skilled jobs.

Mr. Speaker, Sandvine operates in a fiercely competitive global market and is now performing leading-edge work in cloud computing.

You see this around the world—in Silicon Valley, in Israel, in Germany: governments that are investing in the tech sector.

By our investing in our tech leaders in my community—this is precisely why we’ve been able to prosper in Kitchener-Waterloo. We call these the fast runners. I am proud of them and proud of the investments that we are making.

Introduction of Bills

Tomato Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la culture de la tomate

Mr. Colle moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 179,

An Act to proclaim Tomato Day and to make tomatoes the official vegetable of Ontario / Projet de loi 179, Loi proclamant le Jour de la tomate et adoptant la tomate comme légume officiel de l’Ontario.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Heckling during introduction of bills?

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

All those in favour, say “aye.”

All those opposed, say “nay.”

I thought so. Carried.

First reading agreed to.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I do my job properly.

The member for a short statement.

Mr. Mike Colle: I never knew it would be so controversial.

If passed, this bill would proclaim July 15 of every year as Tomato Day in Ontario and would also proclaim the tomato as the official vegetable of the province of Ontario.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Hon. Michael Coteau: I rise to remind my colleagues that today, March 21, is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

I have spoken on this issue in the past, and this year is especially significant for a number of reasons. Mr. Speaker, 2016 marks 50 years since the United Nations General Assembly first proclaimed the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to commemorate the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, a terrible day when 69 people were killed in South Africa after police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. It marks 15 years since the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, a comprehensive framework representing the firm commitment of the international community to fighting racism and related forms of intolerance and discrimination worldwide.

In Ontario, we are shaped by diversity and distinct cultures. Ontarians embrace the wonderful diversity of race, culture and religion we have here today. Since 1962, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the first in Canada, has prohibited discrimination on several grounds, including race. These are strengths that we have built on in our province to continue to build a fair society.

My own parents arrived here when I was just a child, and they were drawn, like countless others from all over the world, by Ontario’s promise of opportunity and cultural pluralism. But we know there is much more work to be done to fight racism, not just internationally but here in Ontario and across this country.

Many people in Ontario continue to face racism: people who are indigenous to this land, people of all races, ethnicities, creeds and cultures who are newcomers to this country or who have called Ontario home for their entire lives and who, every day, come up against economic and social barriers, including in education, the justice system, and the workplace. Over the years, there have been many advances towards a more equitable society, but we all know there is more work to be done.

We are committed to building Ontario up. We are committed to building infrastructure and creating jobs and growth. We are committed to investing in education, social services and poverty reduction. And we are committed to enabling more people to contribute to their economy and to helping every person in Ontario reach their full potential.

But we will not succeed on any of those fronts unless we bring down the barriers that create unfair outcomes, because strengthening our province includes a commitment to achieving real social justice and equity. It includes making Ontario a place where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and prosper.

We won’t be able to achieve those goals without taking real, proactive action to address racial discrimination and inequity. It starts by acknowledging that racism does create barriers, and by understanding the experience of racialized people. From acknowledgement and real understanding, we can move to action.

Last month, I joined the Premier as we announced the establishment of the new Anti-Racism Directorate. The directorate will take an evidence-based approach to solving problems. In the coming months, I’m committed to engagement and collaboration with experts, key partners and those who have experienced racism to better inform our work.

As part of this directorate, I’ve already had the opportunity to meet with many community partners, including Colour of Poverty and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, to talk about issues related to race and how together we can make progress towards eliminating these issues. Every aspect of the directorate’s work will reflect what the community sees as important. I think the people of Ontario and the people of this Legislature believe that this work is important. At every stage of the directorate, we will work to make sure our partnerships are transparent and accountable and that we build those principles necessary for continued change.

Our government is committed to addressing racism in all forms, including individual and cultural racism. We know that it’s at the systemic level that government can be most effective by playing a lead role to eliminate racism. That real change will depend on partnerships with those who have the experience and expertise to get results.

We have a lot of work in front of us, but I know we can continue to build this great province. I know that our government and the people of Ontario are up to the challenge.

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

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m very pleased to rise on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. I just ran back from Elm Street. The YWCA is hosting an anti-poverty forum today, on the international day for the elimination of discrimination, about how it all ties in.

All these community groups that were there were networking. It was a very positive vibe. I think everybody understands that hate is now illegal, that discrimination is illegal, but that there are challenges that we have to address.

I’m reminded of how kids went to school and were taught the dangers of smoking. They went back home, Mr. Speaker, and they said to their parents, “You shouldn’t smoke.” I think that that’s what we need to do. We need to reach out to the communities and focus on the children, but not just the children. We need to get the children to come home and feel confident enough and empowered enough to say to their families, “This is not right. The way you are behaving is not right,” and to change that way of thinking, to focus on a better and more positive and a more inclusive community. It starts with one child and it grows from there.

We need to look at it as a puzzle. Having an anti-racism secretariat is just one piece of the puzzle. We need to do a lot more. We need to network so that all those puzzle pieces can come together so that it can work.

I want to mention today something that I’m a very big fan of, and that’s the Tour for Humanity. I think many of you have heard of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. They really put their heads together and they created this incredible mobile classroom. With more than 10,000 students visiting their Koffler centre, they said, “We have challenges because not everybody can come to us.

How are we going to get to the communities?” It’s easier said than done, but they were able to create a 30-seat, wheelchair-accessible, state-of-the-art, technically advanced classroom that presents information on the effects and consequences of hate and intolerance. They travel throughout the province, educating people from different personal and professional backgrounds and experiences, and provide education on historic events, focusing on how the events are relevant to both Canadian and global perspectives.

The purpose is to inspire all of us, of all ages and backgrounds, and empower us to raise our voices and to take action against hate and intolerance. This all began just in 2009, which wasn’t very long ago.

I think that we need to have more innovative means of addressing how our different communities interact with each other and how we are going to make Ontario be a world leader in anti-poverty and anti-discrimination. I think that with all the technology out there, which we often hear about here in the Legislature—with all the technology out there, there can be far more that we can do. I know that everybody’s talking now about how the Amber Alerts aren’t using proper technology. We need to address racism and poverty and community groups and health care. We have all this technology at our fingertips and we’re just not utilizing it to the best of our ability.

I saw something just yesterday that was posted online. That was the report by the Toronto police department on hate/bias occurrences by victimized group. The numbers look quite small, and I think that in some major cities in the US they wouldn’t think that it was necessarily possible to have low numbers. But there’s still too much hate crime being committed and probably not very much being reported.

In order of the groups most targeted for hate, the Jewish community, unfortunately, was first, LGBTQ, followed by the Muslim community and—they were really quite close—the black community as well, and then different communities where it’s a multi-bias, and they can’t really necessarily say that it’s targeting one community or the other.

I really hope that the anti-racism panel is going to bring in all the community groups I mentioned previously, that are meeting right now at the anti-poverty forum, to consult with them and have them on the panel so that much more can be done and so that it doesn’t just turn out to be more photo ops; and that we actually accomplish something and don’t have to keep having these discussions year after year, and we can stop having the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and focus on tomatoes, as the member just promoted.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Speaker, we know we need to fight racism everywhere, every day, but every year on March 21 we mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and all eyes should be on the issue.

Today, I am participating in the Racism Free Ontario forum here in Toronto, which that brings together individuals and organizations from across the province with the singular goal of eliminating racism. I want to give thanks to and recognize organizations like Colour of Poverty–Colour of Change and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, who are leading the efforts to ensure that Ontario achieves the goal of becoming a racist-free province.

Today, four key elements will be focused on, including employment, education, justice and health care, along with the newly announced Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate. When we look at these key areas, it becomes easy to see why they need our attention.

Take employment, for example: On Thursday of last week, the Toronto Star published an

article by Nicholas Keung, their immigration reporter, titled “Jobseekers Resort to ‘Resumé Whitening’ to Get a Foot in the Door, Study Shows.” Keung reported, “According to a two-year study led by University of Toronto researchers, as many as 40% of minority jobseekers ‘whiten’ their resumés by adopting anglicized names and downplaying experience with racial groups to bypass biased screeners and just get their foot in the door....

“In the study, only 10% of black job applicants—created by researchers based on real candidate profiles—received callbacks for job interviews if they stuck to their African names and experience with black organizations. However, the callback rate went up to 25.5% if their names were ‘whitened’ and their black experience was removed from their resumés.”

Education research shows that there is an obvious gap for people of colour. Unequal Access, a report prepared for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, noted that the high school non-completion rate is highest among aboriginal youth, compared to visible minority and non-racialized youth. Among Canadian-born youth aged 15 to 19 in 1996, about three in 10 aboriginal youth did not finish high school and were not attending school in the past year, compared to less than one in 10 among visible minorities.

Further, it was proven that when racial minorities have attained a university-level education, they are still less likely than non-racialized groups to be in the top income quintile. About 38% of the Canadian-born non-racialized group with a university education were in the top income quintile, compared to 29% of Canadian-born visible minorities and 21% of foreign-born visible minorities.

In health care, racial inequality is most often indirect and systemic. From the under-representation of racialized groups in the medical profession to the delivery of culturally sensitive care, the challenges experienced by racialized groups are disheartening. We must also factor in the impacts of socio-economic status in health care. A statistic generated by the advisory committee on population health showed that when questioned about their health, only 47% of Canadians in the lowest income bracket rated their health as very good or excellent, compared to 73% of Canadians in the highest income group.

The stats from the justice community are even less hopeful. Right here in Ontario, the question of carding is still unanswered, despite the practice being banned as it disproportionately affects black and brown men. To those who have not experienced racial profiling or do not know someone who has, it may seem to be nothing more than a mere inconvenience. However, racial profiling is much more than that. It is much more than a hassle or an annoyance. It is real. It is having real, direct consequences. Those who experience profiling pay the price emotionally, psychologically, mentally and, in some cases, even financially and physically.

We know that we still have much work ahead of us in Ontario to combat racism, and the newly announced Anti-Racism Directorate is most welcome. However, more important than the existence of the directorate will be funding it appropriately and giving it a mandate that will actually accomplish our common goal of creating a province free from racism so that every Ontarian can live with respect and dignity.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their statements.

Petitions

Privatization of public assets

Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the current government under Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling for the sale of up to 60% of Hydro One shares into private ownership; and

“Whereas the decision to sell the public utility was made without any public input and the deal will continue to be done in complete secrecy; and

“Whereas the loss of majority ownership in Hydro One will force ratepayers to accept whatever changes the new owners decide, such as higher rates; and

“Whereas electricity rates are already sky-high and hurting family budgets as well as businesses; and

“Whereas ratepayers will never again have independent investigations of consumer complaints, such as the Ontario Ombudsman’s damning report on failed billing; and

“Whereas the people of Ontario are the true owners of Hydro One and they do not believe the fire sale of Hydro One is in their best interest;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To protect Ontario ratepayers by stopping the sale of Hydro One.”

I fully support it, will sign my name and send it with page Sabrina.

Hospital funding

Ms. Cindy Forster: Speaker, if you would indulge me for one minute, I’d like to introduce my guests from Welland who are here for the reading of the petition. They were stuck in an elevator with me before question period and I was unable to introduce them.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You now are standing on a point of order, correct?

Ms. Cindy Forster: I am.

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

Ms. Cindy Forster: Thank you. Roscoe Reilly, Ron Walker, Wendy Brown, William Barnes, Kevin and Fleurette Gruhl, Tess Sotirakos, Sue Hotte, Don Huneault, Henry Miron and Larry Rosnick: Welcome to Queen’s Park. Thank you for being here today.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s not a point of order, but I’m glad you introduced your guests.

Now it’s time for petitions.

Ms. Cindy Forster: Thank you, Speaker. These guests actually brought these petitions today.

A petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the decision to close the Welland general hospital was made without consultation with the residents of south Niagara, and without regard for potential social and economic impacts of this closure; and

“Whereas the Smith report and recommendations to the government contained no evidence to support the closure of the Welland general hospital; no needs assessment for the residents of south Niagara; no costing of the entire restructuring plan; and no due diligence to mitigate the impact of poorer access to hospital care and services; and

“Whereas the catchment area of the Welland general hospital includes four municipalities, with a population of over 90,000, including a high percentage (+25%) of seniors and people living in poverty;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“

(1) Stop the planned closure of the Welland general hospital;

“

(2) Conduct a proper third-party evidence-based study to assess the present and projected health care and hospital services requirements of residents in the catchment area of the Welland general hospital;

“

(3) Hold public consultations, not only during the assessment process, but also on the draft recommendations.”

I support these 20,000 signatures, I affix mine, and I will send it with page Ariel.

Caregivers

Ms. Soo Wong: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas there are over 2.6 million caregivers to a family member, a friend or a neighbour in Ontario;

“Whereas these caregivers work hard to provide care to those that are most in need even though their efforts are often overlooked;

“Whereas one third of informal caregivers are distressed, which is twice as many as four years ago;

“Whereas without these caregivers, the health care system and patients would greatly suffer in Ontario;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support MPP Gélinas’s bill to proclaim the first Tuesday of every April as Family Caregiver Day to increase recognition and awareness of family caregivers in Ontario.”

I support the petition. I will give my petition to page Terry.

Hydro rates

Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition as well to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and it reads as follows:

“Whereas the price of electricity has skyrocketed under the Ontario Liberal government;

“Whereas ever-higher hydro bills are a huge concern for everyone in the province, especially seniors and others on fixed incomes, who can’t afford to pay more;

“Whereas Ontario’s businesses say high electricity costs are making them uncompetitive, and have contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs;

“Whereas the recent Auditor General’s report found Ontarians overpaid for electricity by $37 billion over the past eight years and estimates that we will overpay by an additional $133 billion over the next 18 years if nothing changes;

“Whereas the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants costing $1.1 billion, feed-in tariff (FIT) contracts with wind and solar companies, the sale of surplus energy to neighbouring jurisdictions at a loss, the debt retirement charge, the global adjustment and smart meters that haven’t met their conservation targets have all put upward pressure on hydro bills;

“Whereas the sale of 60% of Hydro One is opposed by a majority of Ontarians and will likely only lead to even higher hydro bills;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To listen to Ontarians, reverse course on the Liberal government’s current hydro policies and take immediate steps to stabilize hydro bills.”

I support this petition and have also affixed my signature to it.

Long-term care

M me France Gélinas: I want to thank Mrs. Nancy Shank from Val Caron and Mary-Catherine Tremblay from Hanmer, both from the Catholic Women’s League, who collected the petition. It reads as follows:

“Whereas quality care for the 77,000 residents of long-term-care (LTC) homes is a priority for many Ontario families;

“Whereas over the last 10 years 50% of Ontario’s hospital-based complex continuing care beds have been closed by the” province and the province “does not provide adequate funding to ensure care and staffing levels in long-term-care homes....;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“

(1) An amendment must be made to the Long-Term Care Homes Act (2007) for a legislated care standard of a minimum four hours per resident each day....;”

“

(2) The province must increase funding in order for long-term-care homes to achieve a staffing and care standard and tie public funding for homes to the provision of quality care....;”

They want “

(3) To ensure accountability the province must make public reporting of staffing levels at each Ontario long-term-care home mandatory;

“

(4) The province must immediately provide funding for specialized facilities for persons with cognitive impairment....;” and

“

(5) The province must stop closing complex continuing care beds and alternative-level-of-care beds to end the downloading of hospital patients with complex medical conditions to long-term-care homes.”

I want to thank them. I’ll affix my name to it and ask Jack to bring it to the Clerk.

Lung health

Mr. Arthur Potts: I have a petition here to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas lung disease affects more than 2.4 million people in the province of Ontario, more than 570,000 of whom are children;

“Of the four chronic diseases responsible for 79% of deaths (cancers, cardiovascular diseases, lung disease and diabetes) lung disease is the only one without a dedicated province-wide strategy;

“In the Ontario Lung Association report, Your Lungs, Your Life, it is estimated that lung disease currently costs the Ontario taxpayers more than $4 billion a year in direct and indirect health care costs, and that this figure is estimated to rise to more than $80 billion seven short years from now;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To allow for deputations on MPP Kathryn McGarry’s private member’s bill, Bill 41, Lung Health Act, 2014, which establishes a Lung Health Advisory Council to make recommendations to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on lung health issues and requires the minister to develop and implement an Ontario Lung Health Action Plan with respect to research, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease; and

“Once debated at committee, to expedite Bill 41, Lung Health Act, 2014, through the committee stage and back to the Legislature for third and final reading; and to immediately call for a vote on Bill 41 and to seek royal assent immediately upon its passage.”

Speaker, I agree with this petition. I affix my name to it and leave it with page Khushali.

Special-needs students

Mr. Robert Bailey: This petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas demonstration schools in Ontario provide incredible necessary support for children with special ... needs;

“Whereas the current review by the government of Ontario of demonstration schools and other special education programs has placed a freeze on student intake and the hiring of teaching staff;

“Whereas children in need of specialized education and their parents require access to demonstration schools and other essential support services;

“Whereas freezing student intake is unacceptable as it leaves the most vulnerable students behind; and

“Whereas the situation could result in the closure of many specialized education programs, depriving children with special needs of their best opportunity to learn;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To immediately reinstate funding streams for demonstration schools and other specialized education services for the duration of the review and to commit to ensuring every student in need is allowed the chance to receive an education and achieve their potential.”

I agree with this petition, Mr. Speaker. I’ll affix my signature and send it down with Jerry to the table.

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government of Ontario will require most seniors to pay significantly more for prescription drugs, starting on August 1, 2016, under changes to the Ontario Drug Benefit;

“Whereas most seniors will be required to pay a higher annual deductible of $170 and higher copayments each and every time they fill a prescription at their pharmacy;

“Whereas the average Ontario senior requires at least eight different types of drugs each year to stay healthy and maintain their independence; and

“Whereas many seniors on fixed incomes simply cannot afford to pay more for prescription drugs and should not be forced to skip medications that they can no longer afford and to put their health in jeopardy;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Stop the government’s plans to make most Ontario seniors pay more for necessary prescription drugs and instead work to expand prescription drug coverage for all Ontarians.”

I sign this petition on behalf of all Ontario seniors who are going to pay costly for this decision.

Public transit

Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there are critical transportation infrastructure needs for the province;

“Whereas giving people multiple avenues for their transportation needs takes cars off the road;

“Whereas public transit increases the quality of life for Ontarians and helps the environment;

“Whereas the constituents of Orléans and east Ottawa are in need of greater transportation infrastructure;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Support the Moving Ontario Forward plan and the Ottawa LRT phase II construction, which will help address the critical transportation infrastructure needs of Orléans, east Ottawa and the province of Ontario.”

It gives me great pleasure—and I agree with the petition—to sign my name and give it to page Diluk, please.

Health care funding

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I have a petition for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas Ontario’s growing and aging population is putting an increasing strain on our publicly funded health care system; and

“Whereas since February 2015, the Ontario government has made an almost 7% unilateral cut to physician services expenditures which cover all the care doctors provide to patients; and

“Whereas the decisions Ontario makes today will impact patients’ access to quality care in the years to come and these cuts will threaten access to the quality, patient-focused care Ontarians need and expect;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care return to the table with Ontario’s doctors and work together through mediation-arbitration to reach a fair deal that protects the quality, patient-focused care Ontario’s families deserve.”

I agree with this petition and I will hand it to page Samantha.

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario entitled “Stop the Plan to Increase Senior Drug Costs.

“Whereas the government of Ontario will require most seniors to pay significantly more for prescription drugs, starting on August 1, 2016, under changes to the Ontario Drug Benefit;

“Whereas most seniors will be required to pay a higher annual deductible of $170 and higher copayments each and every time they fill a prescription at their pharmacy;

“Whereas the average Ontario senior requires at least eight different types of drugs each year to stay healthy and maintain their independence; and

“Whereas many seniors on fixed incomes simply cannot afford to pay more for prescription drugs and should not be forced to skip medications that they can no longer afford and to put their health in jeopardy;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Stop the government’s plans to make most Ontario seniors pay more for necessary prescription drugs and instead work to expand prescription drug coverage for all Ontarians.”

I couldn’t agree more with this petition. I affix my name to it and give it to page Terry to take to the table.

Sexual violence and harassment

Ms. Daiene Vernile: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas one in three women will experience some form of sexual assault in her lifetime. When public education about sexual violence and harassment is not prioritized, myths and attitudes informed by misogyny become prevalent. This promotes rape culture.... Sexual violence and harassment survivors too often feel revictimized by the systems set in place to support them. The voices of survivors, in all their diversity, need to be amplified. Survivors too often face wait times for counselling services as our population grows and operating costs rise for sexual assault support services.

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Support the findings and recommendations of the Select Committee on Sexual Violence and Harassment’s final report, highlighting the need for inclusive and open dialogue to address misogyny and rape culture; educate about sexual violence and harassment to promote social change; fund sexual assault support services adequately to meet the demand for their counselling and public education programs; address systemic assumptions within the current ... aid structure to ensure survivors are supported and not revictimized; and address attrition rates within our justice system, including examining ‘unfounded’ cases, developing enhanced prosecution models and providing free legal advice to survivors.”

I agree with this petition, will put my name to it and give it to Lauren.

Green power generation

Mr. Jim McDonell: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas Ontario already overpays for wind and solar power supplied by the FIT and microFIT programs compared to other provinces, including Quebec; and

“Whereas many townships have declared themselves unwilling hosts for industrial wind turbine developments;

“Whereas the IESO has ignored municipalities’ wishes and approved projects in unwilling host municipalities;

“Whereas the Auditor General identified that the global adjustment—the cost of overpaying for electricity under the Green Energy Act—has cost Ontarians $37 billion to date and will cost us another $133 billion by 2032;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To immediately impose a complete moratorium on all wind and solar project developments in unwilling host communities.”

I agree with this and will be signing it off to Jack.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have for petitions.

Orders of the Day

2016 Ontario Budget / Budget de l’Ontario de 2016

Resuming the debate adjourned on March 9, 2016, on the motion that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Mr. Toby Barrett: I always welcome the opportunity to say a few words about Ontario’s fiscal situation, the state of our economy and, more specifically, budgetary measures that are before this Legislature.

There is concern out there, I would say, across the province. I can certainly speak for my riding. We’ve just come back from constituency week, so I had an opportunity to do some mainstreeting—quite a bit of mainstreeting, actually—and a lot of visiting in various towns in my riding. People are worried. A lot of it seemed to revolve around money. Now, granted, I was going in and out of businesses. There was a lot of concern. I think of a real estate broker who had been sitting in his office all day—not much business that day. But he still had to pay for his electricity.

Talking with steel fabricating—I was in and out of a couple of welding and fabricating businesses. They have a very good reputation. The stuff they do is amazing. The one shop had laid off a large percentage of their staff. The other shop—very small, family-run; both of them are family-run—would bring young people in, but they didn’t have the skills. They had the schooling, they had the training, but they didn’t seem to be up to speed and didn’t seem to have the interest. In fact, he indicated that some of them were a safety concern. Again, that was hindering that particular shop from expanding right now.

I did have a great time door-knocking. I started in Port Dover and then up to Waterford, over to Caledonia, Simcoe several times—a larger town in my riding—and down to Dunnville, doing a lot of visiting. There is concern out there. There’s anger. The anger is directed towards this government, by and large. I will say—and this is no surprise to many people; perhaps this is the nature when you have a party that has been in government for a large number of years, like the present government—that much of the anger was very specifically directed towards the Premier.

I raised issues of what’s going on here and raised issues of the budget that was presented a number of weeks ago. People didn’t really have a lot of information about that, but they had a lot of information about their family, their neighbourhood, their town, and about the small businesses.

I did explain to people that, for whatever reason, this budget was brought down two months earlier. Maybe I’m not plugged in. I’m still not sure why it was brought down two months earlier. I really have no idea. Maybe during the two-minute responses we will hear the reason. But it was brought down two months earlier than normal, for whatever reason. The federal budget is coming down tomorrow.

I find it unusual that a provincial, let alone a municipal, which you would never see, would bring down a budget before they knew what they were getting or the partnerships that were being negotiated at the provincial or the federal level. It’s very, very unusual, and maybe we’ll find out the reason why.

The result of bringing it down two months earlier: a lot of the numbers are missing. A lot of the answers are not there, the program details. Even though we’ve got a budget book—I don’t have one at hand—with hundreds of pages, details are missing.

I personally feel that, at minimum, this budget should have waited at least until after the recommendations and the feedback from the pre-budget hearings had come in. Why do we have pre-budget hearings? This really flies in the face of any concept of citizen participation or public involvement in the affairs of the treasury. Why was this budget brought down before the report came in, the feedback came in?

I do sit on the finance committee, Speaker. We heard from hundreds of deputations in Hamilton, Windsor, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Ottawa and Toronto. People came into those cities from so many areas across the province at their expense, presented written briefs as well, and put a lot of work into their presentations, but before our committee could report on what they had said, the budget came down. The cart was before the horse.

My constituency office down in Simcoe in the Haldimand–Norfolk riding, after the budget, and even before the budget, received a fair number of calls. People who are interested in the programs want to know when they start. We would contact the various ministries—as you would know, an MPP would have access to liaison people—but we couldn’t get answers from the ministries. We were told, “Well, there’s no details yet,” or certainly no timelines yet. Whether that relates to bringing down a budget at least two months before you should have, I don’t know.

I represent a farm riding, an agricultural riding. Half my residents don’t live in town; they don’t live in a village. For farmers and small businesses, I think the reality is sinking in that there’s a $28-million cut to the budget for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. To me, this does not bode well for rural Ontario, small-town Ontario, and parts of our economy, including much of the city of Toronto, that have an economy dependent on agri-business and food.

There’s no doubt that we’re going to see further details on these program cuts. Very recently, we came to realize that the Rural Economic Development Fund—the RED fund—is on the chopping block. I forget the terminology that’s being used; it’s being transferred. It’s being yanked out of agriculture, anyway.

I do recall, a number of years ago, as a former government member, that I sat on the Premier’s Task Force on Rural Economic Renewal. We travelled the province; we conducted our own hearings for months and months. We travelled elsewhere—Saskatchewan and the states of Iowa and Illinois—taking a look at some of the best practices. We got out to Sydney, Nova Scotia, an area that, at that time, was just losing its coal and steel industry—a devastating effect. It was explained to us that in Sydney, Nova Scotia, everybody pulled together to try and deal with this devastating hit to a rural economy.

As far as the OMAFRA budget: Again, questions are being asked by farmers: “What is getting the knife specifically?”

I’d like to quote the CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario, Norm Beal:

“The lower Canadian dollar has had an impact on our ability to generate jobs over the last few years, and we’re expecting that to accelerate. We are launching a major campaign called Taste Your Future because there aren’t enough people trained in our industry to take these jobs. We need young people and new Canadians interested in our sector for jobs ranging from millwrights to food scientists and marketing people.”

Last week, I did hear this: the concern of wanting to hire young people, wanting to expand a bit but not being able to find the skills or the kind of training that would be suitable for their place of employment, whether it was a very small steel fabricating shop or a very large steel industry.

Going back to Beal’s numbers: He indicated that the food and beverage sector has 132,000 direct jobs and another 172,000 indirect, full-time positions. He puts it out as the largest manufacturing sector in Ontario—larger than auto—a sector that generates $40.7 billion in revenue.

A ministry like the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is a very important ministry, not only for farming but for the food and beverage sector. I’ve just explained the significance of that sector in our economy. The concern is with the cuts to the ag budget, a ministry that is one of the smallest ministries in the province of Ontario. So there is concern on that front.

The recession in 2008: Ontario was hit, partly because of our dependence on auto. But at that time, the food and beverage sector continued to grow, and it grew 11% from 2007 to 2012. During these continued dismal times in the province of Ontario, and in spite of that, the ag sector—the food sector—continues to essentially operate in not only a steady state but to grow, and this is positive. I would think that that is something we could capitalize on. To get into that debate of winners and losers, I know that this government does pick and choose, company by company, which is a bad idea, rather than sector by sector. Sometimes