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November 15, 2010

39th Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2010-Nov-15 (PDF)

L067 - Mon 15 Nov 2010 / Lun 15 nov 2010

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 15 November 2010 Lundi 15 novembre 2010

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO ECONOMY

ONTARIO ECONOMY

SMART METERS

SMART METERS

WASTE DIVERSION

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

DIABETES

SMALL BUSINESS

ADOPTION

AIR-RAIL LINK

ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES

HYDRO RATES

ABORIGINAL HOUSING

CRIME PREVENTION

VISITORS /

VISITEURS

NOTICE OF DISSATISFACTION

MEMBER’S BIRTHDAY

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

WALK FOR MEMORIES

NATIONAL ADDICTION

AWARENESS WEEK

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

COUNCIL ON AGING OF OTTAWA

CANADIAN FORCES

EVENTS IN TIMISKAMING–COCHRANE

REGIONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION ASSOCIATION

PROSTATE CANCER

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

OMBUDSMAN AMENDMENT ACT

(DESIGNATED PUBLIC BODIES), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT

LA

LOI SUR L’OMBUDSMAN

(ORGANISMES PUBLICS DÉSIGNÉ

S) UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY

AND NATIONAL CHILD DAY /

JOURNÉE MONDIALE DE L’ENFANCE

ET JOURNÉE NATIONALE DE L’ENFANT

PETITIONS

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

CHILD PROTECTION

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

VETERANS

REPLACEMENT WORKERS

BRITISH HOME CHILDREN

VETERANS

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

CEMETERIES

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATMENT

ONTARIO PHARMACISTS

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

ORDERS OF THE DAY

BROADER PUBLIC SECTOR

ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR

LA RESPONSABILISATION

DU SECTEUR PARAPUBLIC

TICKET SPECULATION

AMENDMENT ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LE TRAFIC DES BILLETS

DE SPECTACLE

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY

TAX CREDIT ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LE CRÉDIT D’IMPÔT

POUR LES ACTIVITÉS DES ENFANTS

The House met at 1030.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Good morning. Please remain standing for the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis: I’m very happy to welcome to the House our new page, Alexandra Oleiche, and her mom and dad, Fida and Zein Oleiche, who are here today.

M. Phil McNeely: C’est avec grand plaisir que je souhaite la bienvenue à des représentants et représentantes de l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens. Dans la tribune nous retrouvons Carol Jolin et Richard Leblanc de ma circonscription d’Ottawa–Orléans, et Julie Yelle et Joselin Accimé d’Ottawa.

Mr. Steve Clark: I’d like to introduce family members of my legislative intern Tom Maidwell, who are visiting Toronto from Northumberland, in north east England. I’d like to introduce his mum, Debbie Maidwell; dad, Andrew Maidwell; gran, Margaret Maidwell; and grandpa, Alan Maidwell. They attended Tom’s graduation at the University of Toronto last Friday. Congratulations to Tom, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

M. Gilles Bisson: J’aimerais introduire les membres de l’AEFO qui sont ici aujourd’hui du comté de Timmins–Baie James : de la ville de Hearst, Paul Barile, qui est enseignant à Hearst, avec Michelle Côté, qui est ici aussi; de la ville de New Liskeard, Julie Goulet; et de Timmins, Angèle Souckey avec Anne Vinet-Roy. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

Mr. Dave Levac: Today, in the Legislature, a delegation from an organization called Diabetes in Ontario Schools is here with us and will be in the House to hear question period: Ms. Shana Betz, Gabriella Simo, Yasmine Hooey, Preet Dhatt, Tim Kwiatkowski, Stephanie Winsor, Lauren Wallace, Kaitlyn Wallace, Robert Murakami, Jeanne McKane, Olivia Murakami, Ella Murakami, Lisa Winters-Murphy, Mary Anne St. Pierre, John Wallace, Michael St. Pierre, Michelle St. Pierre, Mandy Conlon, Ashley Conlon, Diana Mann, Robert Mann, Leanne Irwin, Samuel Irwin and Avery Irwin.

Of those, 15 are children with type 1 diabetes, and they’re here to visit us today.

M. Peter Shurman: Je suis heureux aujourd’hui de vous présenter trois enseignants et enseignantes dans la galerie ouest des membres : M me Frédérique de Launière, enseignante à l’École secondaire catholique Nouvelle-Alliance à Barrie; M. Théophile Rwigimba, enseignant à l’école Patricia-Picknell à Oakville; et M. Jean-Gardy Dumoulin, enseignant à l’école publique L’Équinoxe à Pembroke.

L’hon. Leona Dombrowsky: J’aimerais souhaiter la bienvenue ce matin aux représentants de l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens—l’AEFO—qui participent à leur journée de lobbying à Queen’s Park aujourd’hui.

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: Please welcome various officials from the Ministry of Education and educators from the Russian Federation, who are visiting Queen’s Park today. They’re accompanied by Ann Mollon, who lives in the great riding of Ottawa Centre.

Hon. John Gerretsen: Annually, Christina Blizzard, a renowned columnist for Sun Media, organizes a group that’s headed by the Queen’s alumni association to meet here at Queen’s Park. They’re all in the press gallery. They’re accompanied today by the Queen’s alumni staff officer, Ben Seewald.

I’ll just list their names; they’ll be meeting with all the various government officials today, and I’m sure that a good day will be had by one and all: Ayesha Shah, Kiefer Cheng, Taylor Huff, Lindsay Kline, Sacha Gudmundsson, Jenny Yang, Priyanka Desai, Ayra Reyla, Erin Morawetz, Maki Ikushima, Caroline Garrod, Karicia Quiroz and Brenna Crosby.

I know you’ll be hosting a reception for them later on, Speaker. I’d like to welcome them.

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: In the press area today, we have the co-anchor of CTV News, Tony Ryma from Sudbury, and his son Nicholas from Sudbury. Welcome.

Hon. John Milloy: I’d like to welcome Catherine Frei, a child and family advocate from my riding, as well as Shevaun and Steve Voisin, who are also from my riding and who are down to visit Queen’s Park today.

M me France Gélinas: J’ai de la visite aujourd’hui. J’aimerais vous présenter M. Conrad Mazerolle, qui vient de mon comté. Je suis bonne amie avec sa mère, Eva Mazerolle. Avec lui est M me Chantal Noël de Sudbury, également de l’AEFO. J’aimerais leur souhaiter la bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

I also want to welcome all of the parents, grandparents and children living with type 1 diabetes who have joined us at Queen’s Park today.

Mr. Tony Ruprecht: I have the great pleasure to introduce to the House a wonderful group from Vietnam. They are musicians and they’re on a Canada tour. I had the great pleasure of seeing them and listening to them on the weekend, and I’m delighted they’re here to visit us. They are: Linh Khanh, Ha Thu, Tho Quang, The Dan, Tu Anh, Anh Soang and Nhan Thahn.

Congratulations to them to visit Canada, and welcome to the Legislature.

Hon. Christopher Bentley: I would like to welcome teacher Adam McNiff and the grade 10 civics class from Oakridge Secondary School of London, who will be joining us at Queen’s Park today.

M. Jean-Marc Lalonde: J’ai le plaisir de vous présenter trois personnes de ma région de l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens : Marc Lepage de Casselman, François Boudrias de L’Orignal et Philippe St-Amant de Trenton. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome my brother Joe Peters to the Speaker’s gallery. Welcome back, Joe.

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO ECONOMY

Mr. Tim Hudak: My question is to the Premier. Premier, your economic experiments have gone badly off the rails, and now you appear to be scrambling. As you know, Premier, by law you are supposed to deliver the update on your economic plan by November 15, which is today. We’ve been given no notice that that is actually happening. So, Premier, did you miss the legislative deadline for your fall economic update because the news is that bad, because you have no plan whatsoever, or because your priority was handing out $30 million in scholarships to foreign students for which Ontario families cannot apply? What is your priority, Premier, and why did you forget about the Ontario economy?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Earlier this morning, I filed a letter with the table. The fall statement will be this Thursday, and I look forward to hearing from the opposition.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Premier—and I’m sorry the Premier didn’t respond to my question. It has been some time since I’ve had a chance to pose a question to the Premier, given his international travel. I hope he’ll answer this one.

The Santa Claus parades are already happening. The legislative deadline was actually today, Premier, to put forward your plan. You appear to be scrambling—and then you announced this morning, on the day it is due, that now it is going to be Thursday.

One of the things in your last economic plan was an HST tax grab that you said would create 600,000 jobs. The evidence is in since you brought in your greedy HST tax grab: Ontario families have seen 41,000 private sector jobs disappear since July 1. So, Premier, did today’s deadline simply creep up on you, or do you have no clue whatsoever on how you can give Ontario families a break instead of hitting them with the HST tax grab?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The requirement to have the statement today was the result of the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, which this government brought in because the Leader of the Opposition and the government he was part of had their last budget at Magna. I’ll also point out that that budget had a $5-billion hidden deficit, which this government eliminated in its first two years.

The statement will be Thursday. I look forward to debating the Leader of the Opposition on that issue—on a range of issues—but I don’t want to go back to a time when governments take statements and budgets out of the Legislature, and high hidden deficits.

It’s about integrity in government. That rests on this side of the House, not on that—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I just remind the member from Simcoe North that the Speaker would like to hear both the questions and the answers.

Final supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Quite frankly, Minister, some act. If the deadline was today and then you scramble to put out some release that it’s Thursday, teachers would give you a failing grade, if they’re allowed to put grades on report cards anymore in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario.

Let me ask the Premier this as well. Premier, since your last so-called economic plan, you’ve had six or seven arbitration decisions that have gone against your plan for a wage freeze in the public service. Obviously, your wage restraint plan has gone badly off the rails, and we’re likely billions of dollars behind with that plan. Even the president of the Ontario Hospital Association has lost faith in you, saying, “The process has failed. What’s the government’s plan now?”

Premier, do you have no idea whatsoever how you’re going to make good on your promise? Are you making it up on the fly, or will we actually see something in your update when it finally comes before the Legislature?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Just in response, let me say a few things. Since the bottom of the recession in May 2009, 180,000 new jobs for Ontarians. As a result of our tax plan for jobs and growth, nine out of 10 Ontarians are paying less income tax now than they were before that plan.

There’s no doubt that there are challenges in getting the budget back into balance, but I’ll remind the member opposite: We rejected their approach. We don’t want kids to lose 10 million days of school.

Let me talk to you about some of the positives. Almost half of the settlements that have been arrived at since the budget was tabled have arrived at zero and zero. The average settlement has come down; it’s below the private sector average.

It’s about moving forward in a positive direction for a better economy for all Ontarians, especially our—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. Order, member from Durham.

New question.

ONTARIO ECONOMY

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Premier—and the finance minister’s answers, quite frankly, resemble a government that is making this up on the fly. You have not brought forward your plan today and, with due respect to the finance minister and his so-called job figures, quite frankly, I don’t think creating jobs in Korea through your Samsung giveaway should count towards jobs. We want to see jobs here in the province of Ontario for Ontario families.

Let me get back to the Premier. While you were travelling, the Fraser Institute came back with a study that showed that you were the worst fiscal manager of all the Premiers in Confederation, dead last, because of your runaway spending, your tax increases and your lack of a plan to get the budget back into balance. So, Premier, I’ll ask you a question that the finance minister did not answer. You’ve had six arbitration settlements that have ruled against your so-called wage freeze. Will your economic statement have a new plan, or have you given up altogether?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I thought the Minister of Finance spoke to that at some length.

I always appreciate the observations and opinions offered by my colleague opposite, but I think that, from time to time, it’s important to introduce some objective assessments of the state of the economy.

Just recently, the Royal Bank of Canada had this to offer: “Ontario’s economy entered 2010 with renewed vigour, carrying its strongest momentum in almost six years.... This impressive start to 2010 implies greater strength overall this year than earlier believed ... which will be the fastest annual growth in 10 years in the province.”

There’s no doubt whatsoever that the global economy remains—the outlook remains uncertain. We have, to a very large extent, historically hitched our economic wagon to the wagon of the United States of America, but we’re doing more things to lay a stronger foundation for growth, including modernizing our tax system and investing in new electricity systems. It would be nice to have the support of the member opposite when it comes to doing that important work.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Clearly, the Premier’s speaking notes and the so-called facts he cites are way past their best before date.

Quite frankly, Premier, you should know this number: Families have now seen 41,000 private sector jobs leave the province of Ontario since you brought in your greedy HST tax grab. Ontario families are paying more through your so-called smart meters, which are nothing more than tax machines. Hydro bills are going through the roof. Ontario now has the highest tuition in all of Canada, and instead of providing relief to families of Ontario taxpayers, to their daughters and sons, you’re giving away generous scholarships to foreign students at $40,000 a year, to which Ontario students cannot apply. We would change that and put Ontario students first.

Premier, will there be some kind of relief for Ontario families in your economic statement?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: As I like to say, the facts are not unimportant, and here are a few facts. Since the depths of the recession, the American economy has recovered 10% of jobs lost. Here in Ontario so far, we’ve recovered 76% of jobs lost, and we have some specific plans in place to help create new jobs.

That includes our investments in clean, green, renewable energy: Solar Semiconductor, 200 jobs in Oakville; Canadian Solar, 500 high-tech jobs in Guelph; Silfab, 200 jobs in Mississauga; Solar Source, 200 jobs in Windsor; Siliken, 175 jobs in Windsor; JNE Consulting—I just announced this last week—300 jobs in Hamilton; Fronius, 100 jobs in Mississauga.

The fact is, we are moving forward to create more jobs. Again, it would be nice to have the support of the member opposite.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: We could probably begin listing all the jobs that have been lost under Premier McGuinty from his high taxes and runaway hydro rates but, quite frankly, we’d probably be here all day and then some.

The Premier seems to think things are shipshape, that we’re sailing along smoothly in our province. This shows how dramatically out of touch Premier McGuinty has become after seven years in office.

That’s why families want to see a plan to provide them with some relief to spend on their priorities, not the priorities of Premier McGuinty. They want to see a spending restraint plan that will make sure we don’t balance your spending today on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren in the future with the runaway deficits and debt under this government.

Premier, I don’t want to think you’re making this up on the fly. I want to think that you knew today was the deadline, so please tell me that Thursday’s plan will address the real needs of Ontario families.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I’ll just repeat the statement offered by the Minister of Finance: We look forward to introducing the fall economic statement. It’s an important document and bill which we will be introducing inside this Legislature. It will follow hard on the plans that we already have in place, which my honourable colleague not only refuses to support but refuses to even acknowledge. Let me just give you one specific example.

We inherited an electricity system that was in a desperate state of disrepair. We could barely meet electricity demand needs in 2003. We were not going to go ahead and put in place temporary diesel generators, so we’ve invested billions of dollars in new transmission, billions of dollars in new generation. We are in the process of shutting down coal-fired generation. We will not return to the day when our children had to suck in dirty coal-fired generation emissions. We’re going to move forward with clean air, clean jobs and a reliable electricity system that will be there for our hospitals and our schools—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

SMART METERS

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. With each passing day, it becomes clearer and clearer that this government’s smart meter program is running well over budget. The government insists that the project is going to cost ratepayers about a billion dollars, but Hydro One documents suggest that they’re spending that much for their portion alone, and they’re only installing one fifth of the meters.

Will this government reveal the cost of the smart meter scheme today?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I know that the Minister of Energy will have more to say on this momentarily, but I would ask my honourable colleague to accept a reality. It doesn’t matter where you look around the world today; in every progressive jurisdiction where they have their eye on the ball when it comes to the growing demand for electricity and the potential exponential increase in that demand when it comes to plugging in electric cars in the future, they have in place smart meters. They’re there for their businesses and they’re there for their homes. They help us better manage our electricity uses.

It’s just part and parcel of a definition of a progressive jurisdiction, and they’re embraced by our environmentalists, which surprises me all the more that my honourable colleague opposite is not standing with us when it comes to putting in place smart meters in Ontario homes.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This is money out of people’s pockets. The cost of installing a smart meter in northern Ontario and other rural areas is up to 10 times greater than in urban areas. Hydro One customers will soon be paying $4 a month just to cover the cost of installing a smart meter that’s going to drive their bills up.

The government insists that this project is on budget. Why won’t they reveal all of the costs that are related to the smart meter program today?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: I don’t know what the leader of the third party is talking about, but the rollout of smart meters is on time, it’s on budget, and it’s going smoothly. The time-of-use initiatives are working in homes right across this province. There’s still a lot more time-of-use to be rolled out, and that’s going to take place over the course of the next 24 months.

This is what Toronto Hydro said: They’ve indicated their rollout has gone very smoothly. It’s still early, but these are some of their observations: They’ve observed that 9,000 time-of-use customers have seen a diminishment in costs—that indeed, overall, on average, the costs to consumers have gone down.

The bluster of the NDP is absolutely incorrect. They stand in fear of modernizing our energy infrastructure. We need to modernize our energy infrastructure, full stop; we need to get the job done. It takes a little bit of courage to do that. It’s obvious the—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The government could clear this up right now. We’ve asked Ontario’s auditor to look into this deal. He says that it’s not up to him; he says that he has to be asked by the Premier.

Why won’t this government, why won’t this Premier, instruct the Auditor General to conduct a careful cost-benefit analysis of this very ill-conceived program?

Hon. Brad Duguid: My question is, why does the NDP insist on us falling so far behind other jurisdictions? Other jurisdictions around the world are also investing in smart meters: Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, Malta, California, Texas, Maine, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. Why do you want Ontario to be behind them?

We’re proud to have Ontarians out in front of the rest of the world. We are global leaders when it comes to modernizing our energy infrastructure. We are global leaders when it comes to attracting renewable energy investment, investment that the NDP no longer supports. We’re building a strong, clean energy economy here in this province, and we’ll do it with or without the support of the NDP.

SMART METERS

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is to the Premier.

Families across Ontario are worried about smart meters costing them more. That’s the reality here in Ontario. Shelly McCrae in Courtice writes, “I cannot believe how much our electricity bills have increased since we began using the so-called ‘smart meter.’ It is getting difficult to pay our $300 to $400 monthly bills.”

When will the Premier finally tell Ontario families, like the McCraes, the total cost of his smart meter experiment?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: You just have to look around the world and see what other jurisdictions are doing. They’re trying to catch up to us because they know Ontario is onto a good thing. They know Ontario is out in front of the rest of the world. They know that we’re global leaders in this area—that’s something the NDP don’t have: the courage. When you’re in government you need to lead, and we’re leading and the people of Ontario are leading the world in this area.

Let me just quote from the Tory government’s smart meter implementation plan, which says the rollout will play an important role in Great Britain’s transition to a low-carbon economy: “They will help us meet some of the long-term challenges we face in ensuring ... an affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply.”

The rest of the world gets it. Why do the NDP fail to understand the importance of modernizing our energy infrastructure? Ontarians deserve a modern energy system. That’s what we’re trying to deliver. We’re determined to do that with or without the support of the third party.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Instead of looking around the world, this government should look at the people of Ontario and start understanding their struggles for a change.

Joe Burns from Chatham writes this: “I had this new smart meter installed by Hydro One and just got our Hydro One bill. It went from $180 to $360.” People like Mr. Burns deserve to know just how much this experiment is costing. Why won’t the Premier give Ontario families the full story and release all smart meter cost details right now?

Hon. Brad Duguid: That’s exactly it: It’s about time the leader of the third party started to tell the full story, because I can guarantee that if she passed that bill over to us, we could find exactly what that issue is all about.

Smart meters—time of use—do not cause bills to go up by that amount. The preliminary work done from Toronto Hydro—because they’re still in the process of implementation—indicates that there is a modest decrease, on average, to the bills—not a huge decrease, a modest decrease; we’re very straightforward about that. But it’s going in the right direction. It’s helping Ontarians shift their use off of peak time to non-peak time and it’s bringing savings to the system.

The NDP don’t understand the importance of that, but we do. We’re going to continue to modernize our energy system. We’re going to continue to give Ontarians the ability to shift their use from peak to non-peak times.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Linda Gerrie writes: “As soon as my smart meter was installed last summer, my bills doubled … I am approaching 65 and will no longer be able to afford my hydro bills … so what will I do?”

Like all Ontarians, Ms. Gerrie has every right to know just—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. My apologies for interrupting. I’d just ask the government side to please come to order. I’m finding it difficult to hear the honourable member ask her question.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of Economic Development.

Please continue.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Like all Ontarians, Ms. Gerrie has every right to know just how much this government’s smart meter experiment is costing. Why is the Premier refusing to release the financial details of his not-so-smart-meter boondoggle?

Hon. Brad Duguid: It’s time for the NDP to start standing up for renewable energy. It’s time for the NDP to start standing up for conservation. I remember a time when members from the NDP used to believe in that. Let me quote the critic for the environment when he said this: “Don’t ignore the economic opportunities that are presented by conservation and renewable energy—not to mention the enormous costs if we do nothing.” Right now that’s the NDP policy—do nothing. We will not do nothing. We’re going to move forward with Ontarians.

We will modernize our energy infrastructure, we will modernize our meters, we will convert those old meters to smart meters, we will give Ontarians the opportunity to conserve, and we will build a stronger, more reliable and cleaner energy system as a result, even if it is over the opposition of the third party.

WASTE DIVERSION

Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Minister of the Environment: Ontario Electronic Stewardship has delayed the release of its report by seven months. Once they did release the report, Ontario families learned the bad news: They paid $45 million in eco taxes for televisions and computers that were neither diverted nor recycled. The target for collecting electronics was missed by 59%. You only had 2% of the target for recycling electronics—only 2%, Minister. Why was your response to this abysmal performance merely to send a sternly worded memo?

Hon. John Wilkinson: I always find it interesting when the party opposite, which created the Waste Diversion Act, gives us lectures about how it should be applied. On this side of the House, we are keeping hazardous material out of our landfills. That’s exactly why we have a plan to ensure that all Ontario residents, if you have waste electronics in your house, can take it back for free and are assured that it will not get into a landfill and that it will be safely reused or recycled. Reuse comes before recycling. I am happy we have a program that says if there are waste electronics and they can be reused by our community, that is better than recycling them.

I have said and have written Ontario Electronic Stewardship and told them—they have shared with me they’ve failed to meet their targets. We expect them to do so; and they have diverted in the first year some 17,000 tonnes of hazardous electronic waste and they’ve improved that by some 110% this year, but they need—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Toby Barrett: Minister, this is awkward—2%? I have a goat that could do a better job of recycling than that. Your program for electronics is similar to your eco tax scheme that you surprised Ontario families with the same day you brought out the HST. Just like that program, Ontario families pay, but you aren’t meeting your own environmental targets. In fact, you missed the environmental targets even after you lowered them. Admit it, Minister: This is just another greedy tax grab dressed up in green clothing. What’s your plan, Minister, when you miss your targets next year? Will you send yet another tersely-worded memo, perhaps all in caps?

Hon. John Wilkinson: I find it interesting that this industry-funded program that is run by industry misses their targets—an industry-funded program set up by your previous government—and somehow, it’s our fault.

Here’s what you need to know, because I know you’re the Progressive Conservative environmental critic. There are three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle—and reuse is better for the environment than recycle. So it is very important that waste electronics, if they can be reused by our community—it’s far better that we do that than recycle.

I have told Ontario Electronic Stewardship that if they fail to meet their targets, their job is to make sure that they meet those targets. That’s why I require them now to send me quarterly reports. I’ve also told them that they need to have a consumer on their board. That is something that your party, when you created the act, did not think was important.

On this side of the House—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

Mr. Michael Prue: My question is to the Minister of Labour. On July 16, 2009, Bruce Katkin wrote to the minister asking why his ministry allows bar and restaurant owners to steal the tips of servers. On July 30 last year, Mr. Katkin got a response from a constituency assistant, asking for his address so that the minister could provide a response. On September 24 last year, Mr. Katkin asked when a response would be coming. On October 9 last year, he was informed that the ministry staff would be providing a response shortly. On Friday, following the Toronto Sun editorial, Mr. Katkin was finally contacted by the ministry; they wanted to know his address again.

Some 16 months have passed. Why won’t this minister answer this constituent and the question?

Hon. Peter Fonseca: I want to thank the member for the question. All correspondence that the Ministry of Labour receives is taken very seriously. If the member and his constituent have not gotten a response, I will take it upon myself to ensure that that response is provided to that constituent.

That being said, when it comes to employment standards in the province of Ontario, we have increased the number of resources by over $10 million, we have added a significant number of employment standards officers and augmented the office in Sault Ste. Marie to be able to provide services to constituents, like the one who the member mentioned.

We take these issues very seriously. We want to ensure that all workers of Ontario get the information that—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Prue: This is all about the tip-outs. Bill 114 has received a groundswell of support from the public, the media, all Liberal MPPs and the many thousands of servers across this province. Every day, there is another radio show, newspaper column, editorial or TV show on this very topic. No one is opposed to this bill.

Mr. Katkin wanted to know what the minister would do about the extortion of money from restaurant servers. He has been patient, waiting 16 months for an answer. Will the minister commit to this House that he intends to call the bill in committee, give it third reading and ban this practice in the province of Ontario forever?

Hon. Peter Fonseca: I first want thank the member for having introduced his bill and the debate that has taken place around this very important matter.

As I’ve said before, our hospitality industry and our tourism industry in the province of Ontario is one of our greatest economic drivers. The success of that industry depends on those servers, those bartenders, those hostesses, these chefs and other staff who work within that industry.

We, as a government, also understand that many in that industry have a base as a benchmark: the minimum wage. That’s why our government since day one has increased the minimum wage year over year, to the point where, amongst all provinces, we have the highest minimum wage in Canada. We will continue to move forward with initiatives that help the hard-working men and women of Ontario.

I will ensure that the member gets—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: My question is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. During the past week, we have been hearing a lot about the new Ontario Trillium international scholarship program. I’ve been watching in dismay as the official opposition postures that this new scholarship will take opportunity and funding away from Ontario students. I’m also surprised at the suggestion that scholarships for international students are somehow akin to sending money overseas, when it would actually be spent at our universities and in their communities.

We know that students are concerned about tuition fees and how they will afford to pay for post-secondary education. You will recall that I asked you to address these concerns here less than two weeks ago. Minister, what is the McGuinty government doing to support Ontario students?

Hon. John Milloy: I appreciate the honourable member’s question, and I think it’s important that we point out that it is important that we attract the best and the brightest to Ontario’s universities, both from within Ontario and from around the world.

I’m very pleased that our government spends, every year, over half a billion dollars on grants and scholarships for Ontario students. At the same time, we are part of a global competition for the best and the brightest around the world, which is why the Trillium scholarships will help attract them here.

This is about jobs for Ontario. International students—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. The member from Nepean is interjecting so loudly that she doesn’t even hear the Speaker cautioning her.

Please continue.

Hon. John Milloy: International students inject about $1.5 billion into our economy, and studies show that about 80% of these best and brightest from around the world stay in Ontario and contribute to our economy.

The Trillium scholarship has been supported by every single student group—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: Our universities are known throughout the world for the high quality of their education programs and the calibre of their graduates. Ontario universities attract students from around the globe to study medicine, business, science and other academic disciplines.

When these international students complete their studies, some become ambassadors for Ontario as they return home to other parts of the world. But, as the minister said, many wish to stay in Ontario after they graduate. They wish to contribute their skills, talents and education to what might become their new home. At the same time, Ontario needs these highly educated graduates to contribute to our prosperity and to meet labour demands.

Could the minister tell these aspiring Ontarians what the government is doing to retain more highly educated international students after they graduate from universities in Ontario?

Hon. John Milloy: To the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Attracting the best and brightest talent in the world is a priority of the McGuinty government, and we recognize that in an open Ontario, a highly skilled workforce is essential to ensure that our province remains strong and prosperous. That’s why our government is taking action to ensure that when international students come to Ontario, they stay in this province when they graduate.

Our expanded provincial nominee program will make it even easier for international students to remain in Ontario after they have obtained an advanced degree from an Ontario university. International students, for example, who have earned a master’s or a Ph.D. degree in Ontario no longer need an offer of employment to apply to be fast-tracked for permanent status.

These changes are part of our Open Ontario plan to build a stronger economy by creating opportunities for international students to contribute to Ontario.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Mr. Steve Clark: My question is for the Premier. It might be time for the Premier to ban McGuinty Liberals from using Twitter until they can stop themselves from making false statements.

On November 9, your press secretary, Jane Almeida, posted a message saying that the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance supports your choosing foreign students over homegrown talent. The student alliance says it does not.

Is the McGuinty Liberal campaign to confuse Ontario families not just about hiding the real cost of your expensive energy experiments, but about your scholarship scheme too?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Hon. John Milloy: I’m quite happy to quote from a release here from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, which “firmly believes in the need to expand international enrolment, as these students add to the diversity of perspectives and experiences in the classroom, enhance the broader cultural diversity on campus, and contribute significantly to ... economic prosperity....

“‘With all that these students bring to our universities and to our province, the conversation should be about what we must do to provide the supportive learning experience’” they need.

I’m very proud to have the support of not only OUSA but the College Student Alliance and the Canadian Federation of Students, all of whom have expressed—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Steve Clark: Thank you, Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Order. The members will please come to order.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: He got out-twitted on that.

Mr. Robert Bailey: The only twits are over there.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Sarnia will withdraw the comment—no, stand and withdraw.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I withdraw.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Order. Minister of Community Safety.

Supplementary?

Mr. Steve Clark: I’m glad that standing up for Ontario students has got such a rise out of the government today.

Premier, last week you yourself posted a message on Twitter that said that your decision to hand $40,000-a-year scholarships to foreign students was not about international students versus homegrown talent. We stand for Ontario students and families who say that it is. As an example, one of my own kids, attending post-secondary education, was a Governor General’s medalist, the best of the best, and she received no provincial scholarship.

The fall economic statement, whenever it comes, will confirm that Ontario has limited resources, but you choose to hand it to foreign students when Ontario’s brightest and best receive nothing. How do you fall so far out of touch?

Hon. John Milloy: As I pointed out earlier, we invest over half a billion dollars in grants and scholarships for Ontario students. When that member was in power, when his party was in power, they cut student aid by 41%.

Let me share—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Leeds–Grenville knows the standing orders and that if he’s not satisfied with the answer, which he can’t hear as he is interjecting—I would encourage him to listen to the answer. If you’re not satisfied, you can file for a late show.

Minister?

Hon. John Milloy: I’d like to share another quote here: “I believe in my heart we have to do some of these things to invest in the province and to get the best and the brightest to come here.

“We need these big brains from all over the world to help fuel our economy, to come here to develop new ideas and do it here in Ontario. To help us launch the next RIM, BlackBerry-type idea here, to have those jobs here. They’ve been doing this for decades at Harvard.”

The member may recognize that quote. It is from John Tory.

DIABETES

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée.

This morning I had the great pleasure to meet with children who have type 1 diabetes, their parents and some of their grandparents as well. The proper management of diabetes is essential for ensuring the health of these children, but today, children in Ontario face a patchwork of services. There are no consistent policies for how diabetes is dealt with in our schools. Is the minister ready to adopt a health support services policy similar to what exists in New Brunswick, which would define the standards and the procedures required for the provision of health support services to students living with type 1 diabetes and attending our schools?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Kids who have been diagnosed with diabetes face real challenges, and I am so pleased that our government saw fit to actually fund insulin pumps for kids with diabetes. I have seen first-hand the difference that that innovation makes for our children. It means that they can participate like kids. It means that they can actually be kids when they are kids, and it’s making a real difference for kids right across this province today.

Is there more to do? Absolutely. I’m very, very encouraged by the progress that we’re making when it comes to treating diabetes and preventing diabetes, and engaging schools in that is part of the solution.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

M me France Gélinas: The pumps don’t mean too much to a four- or five-year-old who doesn’t know the difference between 3.5 and 35 blood sugar. Somebody has to be there to help them. Right now in Ontario schools, some schools do some work, some do nothing and some, frankly, put barriers to the health of those kids.

Over the last 12 years, diabetes rates have doubled in Ontario, with one in 10 Ontarians now living with the disease, and the numbers keep rising. Study after study tells us that the social determinants of health—poverty being number one—are the best indicators of diabetes, yet the minister has failed to invest in prevention like she fails to provide the kids with type 1 diabetes with the support they need to attend school safely. Why is the minister refusing to implement the well-known best practice and failing to provide Ontarians, including 7,000 children living with diabetes, with the tools they need—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Minister.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I want you to know that I’m working closely with the Minister of Education to look at this issue, because we do know that kids dealing with diabetes are pretty special kids and they deserve special care. Our work on prevention, our work on getting kids moving in school, daily physical activity, other initiatives around healthy eating in the schools—

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: After-school programs.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: —after-school activities: We are taking important steps to improve the health of kids to prevent diabetes. But those children who have been diagnosed with diabetes do need special care, and as I say, I’m working closely with the Minister of Education to ensure that schools are a healthy place for kids with diabetes.

SMALL BUSINESS

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’ve got a question this morning for the Minister of Economic Development and Trade and small business. Ontario’s 379,000 small and medium-sized businesses are the engine of Ontario’s economy. Ninety-nine percent of all businesses in Ontario are either small or medium-sized. They employ nearly 2.9 million Ontarians and they account for $250 billion in annual economic activity. That makes their success vital to the strength of Ontario’s economy.

I’ve heard from a number of small businesses in my riding that obviously are pleased with the upswing in the economy, but they could still use some help. I ask the minister: What is this government doing to help the small and medium-sized businesses in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I’m delighted to receive this question from the member from Oakville, who is a strong small business supporter, a long-time supporter for the initiatives that our government has taken to help small business.

In addition to the 57 offices that we have across Ontario for the express purpose of helping new businesses get launched and grow those that exist and the 12 regional offices that do more of that, there have also been significant initiatives on the tax policy side, which we know businesses appreciate. For the first time we have seen a significant decrease in the small business corporate income tax that they pay—a 20% decrease—and a total elimination of the small business surtax. We’re the first province in Canada to do this.

We see a number of initiatives coming along to help in the change of our tax system: for example, a $1,000 tax credit going out this week to thousands of businesses across Ontario. They will see that provincial business input cost reimbursed to them—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary.

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’d like to thank the minister for her response. Obviously small and medium-sized businesses are some of the hardest-working Ontarians around. They are the backbone of our economy.

She outlined a number of very exciting tools that will provide much of the help that small and medium-sized businesses in my constituency are looking for. However, one of the concerns I hear most from my constituents wasn’t addressed in the minister’s answer. While many of my constituents would prefer to spend their time growing their business and serving their customers, many have told me that their ability to do so is constrained by the time and money it takes to get through all the paperwork and the red tape that’s often associated with owning a business. Is this government doing something to reduce these burdens for our small and medium-sized businesses, and what exactly are they doing?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I know that the member from Oakville will be delighted to learn, as other members of the House are, that, as of last year, the Ministry of the Environment, for example, has totally eliminated their backlog for certificates of approval required by that ministry—a backlog which, frankly, existed previous to the last government. Those are significant inroads that we’re making to turn the tables, to make it easier for businesses to do business with government. When they interact with us, we want it to be easy.

The best indicator of this is the passage of the Open for Business bill, which passed in this House just this month. We are now speaking to businesses so they can understand how those 100 amendments in that one piece of legislation will help them do business better, smoother, more streamlined and less costly, with more time for them to do the business that they want to do, which is to hire more people, make more product and give more service. That is what we’re doing. The Open for Business bill is probably the best indicator of how we are moving forward to interact with businesses in Ontario and make it easier for them to do more business in this province.

ADOPTION

Ms. Sylvia Jones: My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Minister, do you support the creation of permanency plans so families looking to adopt and crown wards waiting to find their forever family can move forward with the adoption process?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I’m very proud to talk about the work that we are doing to find forever families for kids in Ontario. Since 2003, the number of adoptions under our government has grown by 62%. We know that there is a great deal more work to do, and we are working to find better outcomes and permanent homes for kids.

I had the opportunity to recently visit Kawartha-Haliburton CAS, and I’ll give you some insight as to the range of activities that are being pursued to find permanency options for kids and families. They’re looking at adoption, and they’re doing very well on that front.

They’re also looking at legal custody, which is a way to acknowledge kids who have relationships with their birth families but want that forever, permanent home. There, I met a mother who had adopted a number of kids, who had legal custody and who was fostering a number of kids, all of them finding a forever family in her home, but doing that—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I have another number for you: Only 8% of crown wards in Ontario have a permanency plan in place. That means 92% of Ontario child crown wards do not have the option of finding a forever family. These children do not have an opportunity to get adopted because they don’t have a permanency plan, and there’s no central agency in Ontario similar to the ones in place in British Columbia and in Alberta.

Minister, why are you allowing Ontario children to fall behind to the point where children have to depend on luck to get adopted?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: It is quite something to hear this come from the other side of the House. Children in this province languished in a lost decade when that government was in charge, and they did nothing to find forever families for kids.

But if we’re interested in numbers, let me give you some numbers: Last year alone, CASs worked to find permanent families for over 5,200 children in care; 3,800 were supported to live with kin, with their own families, with their extended family, and 170 with legal guardians; 1,000 aboriginal children were placed, as is their custom, with their relatives to care for them; and 1,000 kids were placed for adoption, an increase of 21% over the year before.

We take the expert panel’s recommendations very seriously. We’re working with the commission to promote sustainability, and this year in the funding formula—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

AIR-RAIL LINK

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. We’re learning today that Metrolinx is preparing to enter into a sole-sourced agreement to purchase Japanese diesel trains to run along Toronto’s Union-Pearson air-rail link.

Why is the McGuinty government allowing Metrolinx to proceed without any Canadian content requirements whatsoever for these trains and before the completion of a $4-million electrification study?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It’s a pleasure to confirm the reality that Metrolinx’s procurement process is not complete; they’re in the process of undergoing that negotiation. They are having a board meeting tomorrow, and they’ll be completing those negotiations and talking to their board members about it. I’m not going to speculate on what Metrolinx is or is not going to do.

The point I want to make is that we’re building an air-rail link. We’re going to have a premium train service from Pearson airport to Union Station. I would expect that the New Democratic Party would actually be supportive of that. I would expect that the NDP would be supportive of more public transit, that they would understand that in order for Toronto to be a world-class city, we need to have that air-rail link, but apparently they are not supportive.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: No matter how you look at it, this train purchase makes no sense whatsoever. Without Canadian content requirements, there will be no jobs created here in Ontario. Emissions from dirty diesel trains will be greater than those emissions that are currently coming from cars that they will take off the roads. The trains will require a costly overhaul, eventually, to become compatible with future electrification of the line.

The Metrolinx board does meet tomorrow, as the minister already has said, and they’re going to be receiving an update on that air-rail link. My question to the Premier and the minister is, will the McGuinty government immediately instruct the board to slam the brakes on this foolish, foolish train proposal?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: No, we’re not going to stop building the air-rail link from Pearson to Union. I think that would be a very, very bad idea. Where there are procurement and Canadian content rules, obviously, those will be followed.

The point is, we are talking about convertible cars; we are talking about cars that will run with the highest quality diesel and will be convertible to electric. That’s a reality that the member opposite consistently forgets to mention.

We are going to build this air-rail link; we are going to provide a service that will allow people to go quickly and efficiently from Pearson to Union Station. That is absolutely in the best interest of this city and the economic development of the GTHA.

ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES

Mr. Khalil Ramal: My question is for the Minister of Education. Minister, parents in my riding of London–Fanshawe are very interested in what their children are doing at school, but, just as important, they want to make sure that students are in a safe environment. Bullying is a problem that happens everywhere, and parents want to know what we as a government are doing to make sure that our schools are safe in the province of Ontario.

Minister, as this is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week, can you tell me what you’re doing, as the Minister of Education and also as a government, to make sure we have a positive environment in our schools?

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: I’m really happy that the honourable member has reminded the people in this assembly that it is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week. Certainly, we want to thank the member from Kitchener–Waterloo again for all of her efforts in bringing this forward.

With respect to bullying in schools, we do recognize that we have a very important responsibility to do all that we can to comfort parents and have them understand that when their kids go to school, they are safe. That is why we have put in place a safe schools strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to enable school communities to focus on prevention. We know that when they put that effort up front, when they talk about prevention strategies before the bullying occurs, that can be most effective.

I had the opportunity this morning to be in a school where the students are absolutely excited about this initiative. It’s sweeping across—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Khalil Ramal: Thank you, Minister, for sharing this information about the important steps that the government has taken towards keeping our schools safe. Bullying is indeed a very serious problem, and I’m pleased to hear that this government is acting swiftly on it.

Parents want to be involved with their children, whether inside the school or on the playground. Can you tell us, Minister, what kinds of steps you are taking to make sure to involve the parents in the safety environment in the schools?

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: Again, because this has been such an important issue and we have listened to parents, that is why we did introduce the Keeping Our Kids Safe at School Act, which came into effect in February of this year.

This act requires that for all school board employees—not just teachers, but any board employee—who would witness

an act of bullying or have

an act of bullying reported to them, that must be reported directly to the principal. It also requires the principal to follow through on that report, and that the victim’s parents be notified in the event that there has been this type of unfortunate situation occur at a school. We believe this is very, very important information. Parents deserve to have it.

We’ve also provided training for the staff, because we’re saying now that it goes beyond teachers; it goes to all staff in a school. We have provided training for all staff to make our schools safer places—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

HYDRO RATES

Mrs. Joyce Savoline: My question is to the Minister of Energy. Many of my constituents have been asking me questions about the government’s time-of-use energy billing. They are wondering why, while they will be working diligently to conserve energy, they will be paying more due to this government’s flawed smart meter time-of-use billing system.

Why is this government penalizing Ontario families and seniors for doing their part to conserve energy?

Hon. Brad Duguid: I think those very same constituents should be asking the member opposite why her leader wants to jack up the cost of time-of-use by imposing a duplicate system of billing that’s going to impose huge administration costs on local distribution companies. If they really cared about the cost of time-of-use, they wouldn’t be coming forward with the unthought-out ideas that the Leader of the Opposition has come forward with. We’ve looked at their ideas, and there’s no question: Their ideas would jack up the cost of time-of-use.

It’s time for that party and that leader to recognize the facts. The fact is, time-of-use, on average, is bringing bills down so far. It’s early in the implementation, but all data suggest that, on average, costs are coming down for consumers.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mrs. Joyce Savoline: It’s clear to me that on that side of the House, the left hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.

The reality is that Ontario families are doing their part; it’s this government that isn’t. This government is particularly penalizing those who are at home during the day, such as seniors and parents with small children. It’s ludicrous that this government believes that our seniors should be waiting until 9 p.m. to do their laundry or run their air conditioner.

Why doesn’t this government listen to Ontario families and seniors, who are expressing hardships, and stop using this one-size-fits-all practice?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Let’s cut through the political rhetoric and go to somebody who’s an expert on these issues; that would be our Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller. This is what he had to say about your proposal: “It has been proposed to let people choose whether to pay a flat rate for their electricity, or have time-of-use pricing. I believe this would be short-sighted.” Time-of-use “is about saving future costs for Ontarians.... By reducing peak demand (which should come about through customers’ response to time-of-use prices), we avoid having to build more” expensive “power plants and transmission lines.”

Listen to this; this is also what he says, and the member opposite should get this as well: “Going back to the same-old-same-old that did not work is not the answer.”

We need to modernize our energy system. We will modernize our energy system.

Hon. Margarett R. Best: Who said that?

Hon. Brad Duguid: That quote came from Gord Miller, the Environmental Commissioner of the province of Ontario.

ABORIGINAL HOUSING

Mr. Gilles Bisson: My question is to the Premier. Premier, earlier this year, families were evacuated from their homes in Attawapiskat due to a major sewer backup. As a temporary measure, the Department of Indian Affairs installed a temporary trailer complex, similar to what you would find at a construction site for workers at a remote site such as De Beers or any other site. These construction trailers are made up of about 90 rooms.

In these 90 rooms, we have 90 families, many of them with small children. What is really appalling is that, not only are the conditions not safe when it comes to the safety of the children, but we’re finding that there is not even a fire alarm system that works in those particular trailers. There are standards in this province, and that would not be allowed anywhere else—at a construction site or in a town somewhere—in Ontario.

What are you prepared to do to make sure that these kids are protected according to the rules here in Ontario?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

Hon. Christopher Bentley: It’s absolutely essential that wherever our children happen to be, they receive the protection that they need. I think the member has raised a very important issue.

He does correctly say and suggest that matters which pertain to First Nations are the constitutional and, I would say, other responsibility of the federal government. I think the first thing that we’re going to be doing is checking up and finding out what the federal government has done to investigate this particular issue.

I suspect my friend has already raised it with the federal government, a very important issue. I suspect he has, and I want to work with him to find out what the answer is; I want to find out what the answer is. Otherwise, it’s an important issue. We must make sure that children are protected wherever they happen to be.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I want to remind you, Minister, that Ontario signed Treaty 9. I also want to remind you that these are citizens of the province of Ontario. I want to remind you that the federal government is missing in action. One only needs to go onto a reserve anywhere in this province, specifically in the Far North, to find out the deplorable situation that First Nations find themselves in because of a federal government that doesn’t care, that has never been there and is not about to change anything.

So my question is to you: What is the province of Ontario prepared to do, as a signatory of Treaty 9, to ensure that these kids are safe and that we start making life better for them?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: We comply with our treaty obligations, but as my friend will know, as we work hard to make sure that First Nations, whether they’re on- or off-reserve, have economic opportunities, as we improve their health, as we improve the child welfare approach in this province, we cannot, as a people, make up for a federal government that does not fulfill its constitutional responsibility. If we assume all the responsibility—my friend will know this—all that we’re doing is keeping people at the same level they are today instead of building.

We need to make the improvements that we’re making and get the federal government to live up to its constitutional treaty and moral responsibility, consistent with the UN declaration that they said that they were adopting just this past week, finally.

CRIME PREVENTION

Mr. Reza Moridi: My question today is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. In my riding of Richmond Hill, the prevalence of violence is gaining more exposure in the media and is causing concern among my constituents. Gang violence has been negatively affecting Ontario for several decades. Both gangs and guns are a threat to the safety of our communities in Ontario.

I know that keeping Ontarians safe is a priority for this government. Can the minister tell my constituents how this government is working to fight crime in Ontario?

Hon. James J. Bradley: It’s an excellent question. You will know that during Crime Prevention Week, we announced our continued support for the safe and vital communities program, for instance. The program was launched by the government in 2004 to help community partners reduce crime in their own neighbourhoods. It is open to community-based, not-for-profit organizations, First Nations Chiefs and band councils, with the support of local police. This year, we are providing 44 crime prevention projects right across the province.

Since 2004, our government has helped community agencies and chiefs and band councils to carry out 195 projects across Ontario. We happen to believe that fighting crime should be a multi-faceted approach, and it’s essential to proactively work with our youth to demonstrate the positive and constructive ways to stop violence. We need to work with our teachers, our police, our parents and our constituents to create the kind of safer Ontario that the member seeks.

VISITORS /

VISITEURS

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: I would like to welcome to the assembly today the 385 Madoc army cadets from my riding in Prince Edward–Hastings. They just arrived. There are 50 here today with their leader, Tom Simpson.

Hon. Christopher Bentley: Is it a point of order to recognize that on Friday evening, there was a fundraiser in support of those who have undergone organ donation, and there was a race pulling a sulky and the Speaker of this Legislature was victorious in that race? Is that a point of order?

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): It’s not a point of order, but it was for a good cause. It was for a very good cause. Make sure, if you have not signed your organ donor card, to sign your organ donor card. It was a great night.

I think we should point out that the Attorney General came in last in that race, I think.

L’hon. Madeleine Meilleur: Monsieur le Président, avec votre permission, j’aimerais vous présenter Benoit Mercier, qui est le président de l’AEFO de l’Ontario. Merci d’être ici.

NOTICE OF DISSATISFACTION

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Beaches–East York has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Labour, concerning the practice of tip-outs. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.

MEMBER’S BIRTHDAY

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Happy birthday as well today to our good friend David Caplan, the member from Don Valley East.

There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1145 to 1300.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

Mr. Norm Miller: Across Ontario, many high school students are anxiously awaiting their mid-term reports. Similarly, Ontarians have been waiting to see the government’s mid-term report in the form of the fall economic outlook and fiscal review, as required by the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act. The outlook was to be released on or before November 15. That’s today.

I note that Mr. Duncan filed a letter with the Legislative Assembly indicating that the delay was to incorporate the latest StatsCan provincial economic accounts and labour force survey. Those reports were released November 4 and 5 respectively; that’s 10 days ago. I’m trying to envision the circumstances under which any information contained in those reports would have required an entire rewrite of the fall economic outlook.

The whole situation is a little like a teacher setting a deadline for an assignment and the student failing to produce the homework. Unfortunately, the McGuinty government must score an F for failing to produce the report.

This is not the first time that the McGuinty government has received a failing grade. They’ve repeatedly failed Ontarians with their tax-and-spend ways, the introduction of the harmonized sales tax, the eco tax and increases in hydro costs, to name only a few.

Most recently, Premier McGuinty received a failing grade as the worst Premier in the country. Clearly, it’s time for a change.

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d remind our guests that we certainly welcome your presence here in the Legislature. As much as you may want to participate, you have to be elected; and you’ll have that chance next October. You just have to sit back and, even if you don’t like something you hear, you have to sit on your hands.

WALK FOR MEMORIES

Ms. Helena Jaczek: Every five minutes that go by, one person is being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in Canada. Every decade that passes, the costs associated with Alzheimer’s disease double.

On Sunday, October 24, I had the honour of attending Bloomington Cove’s Walk for Memories, a fundraising event hosted by Bloomington Cove, which is a long-term-care facility in my riding of Oak Ridges–Markham. The walk also served as a kick-off event to Long-Term Care Week, which is sponsored by the Ontario Long Term Care Association. The proceeds of this event went towards programs and services that support individuals and families who are coping with Alzheimer’s disease.

The walk was a wonderful success. We were joined by families and friends of individuals with Alzheimer’s and strolled Main Street in Stouffville, a particularly historic and scenic route in my riding.

I would like to give my thanks and congratulations to everyone who donated their time and money to this worthy cause. I would like especially to recognize the efforts of Janet Iwaszczenko, administrator of the Bloomington Cove long-term-care facility, who has given so much of her time and effort to make this event a reality.

I’d also like to thank Lois Cormack, the president of the board of directors of the Ontario Long Term Care Association and of specialty care, who also attended, for her leadership in this important health care sector, who is such a strong advocate for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families.

NATIONAL ADDICTION

AWARENESS WEEK

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I rise today on behalf of Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative caucus to recognize National Addiction Awareness Week. This year’s theme is Celebrating Healthy Choices, as it promotes addiction-free lifestyles for individuals, families and communities.

As a member of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions, I had the opportunity to not only learn about addictions from front-line health care and support organizations, but to hear how addiction issues impact individuals and their families. We learned from parents who slept by their front door to prevent their son from slipping out to buy more drugs. We learned from First Nations communities who struggle to treat a large percentage of the population’s addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.

We learned from those with both mental health and addiction issues, also known as concurrent disorders, who are told they have to first deal with their addiction before they can get mental health treatment.

It was from listening and learning from these individual experiences with mental health and addictions within the system that the committee came to a consensus on 23 recommendations that would get Ontarians with mental health and addictions issues the help they need.

Many suffering from mental health and addictions issues suffer in silence. I stand here today as we recognize National Addiction Awareness Week and continue to advocate for the adoption of all 23 recommendations from the select committee’s report, so those suffering in silence can finally be heard.

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

Mr. Rosario Marchese: In a few minutes, I will be introducing a private member’s bill. This bill will expand the mandate of the Ombudsman to include organizations delivering crucial public service to our most vulnerable Ontarians: hospitals, long-term-care facilities, retirement homes, school boards and children’s aid societies.

Parents, children, patients and the elderly have nowhere to turn when the system fails them. They need help. This government needs to let the Ombudsman in.

I would like to take a few moments to thank everyone in the gallery who has come here today to support this bill. This is an important issue to many. We have guests here today from Courtland, London, Sudbury, Waterloo—from all over the province. We have representatives from ImPatient For Change; Protecting the Children; Voices of Innocent Families in Ontario; Canadian Maltese Charitable Service Trust; Canada Court Watch; Child and Families Advocating for Accountability; Fix CAS; After Foster Care, the Foster Care Council of Canada; Protecting Canadian Children; and Protecting the Innocent.

The individuals who are here I wanted to name and to thank: Gina Konjarski, Lillian Forkohoule, Andrew Skinner, Michelle Lafantasie, Neil Haskett, Brian Caldwell, Lori Meadows, Elliott Frankl, Cybele Sack, Chris Carter, Mickey O’Reilly and Heather Freeborn.

I hope I haven’t forgotten some, but I’m sure I have. I want to thank you for coming today.

COUNCIL ON AGING OF OTTAWA

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize a great organization in my community and offer a special recognition of their 35 years of service for our seniors.

The Council on Aging of Ottawa is a bilingual, non-profit voluntary organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all seniors in Ottawa by working directly with seniors, their extended families, public and private care providers, service agencies and the government. The council receives support from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the city of Ottawa and the United Way Centraide Ottawa for this important work.

This work can be summed up in five categories of action: to investigate through work groups, research consultations and partnerships; to communicate important information on issues and services to seniors and the broader community; to educate the community, agencies and policy-makers through workshops, publications and dialogue; to coordinate with other organizations and agencies for better outcomes for seniors; and to activate, by using all of these tools to advocate with policy and planning bodies, service agencies and community members, inspiring action for the well-being of seniors.

The council has addressed many important issues in this way, such as elder abuse, healthy lifestyles, seniors’ benefits, hospital discharge planning, daycare and community services, friendly visiting, self-advocacy, living at home, and peer counselling.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the president of the Council on Aging, Dr. Lise Chislett, and vice-presidents Kathy Yach and Dr. Hugh Armstrong. Congratulations on your service to the seniors in Ottawa.

CANADIAN FORCES

Mr. John O’Toole: November is a time of reflection and remembrance of those who have served our country in conflicts, past and present, around the world. Their sacrifices mean we can stand in this very chamber and speak freely of events.

As we remember those who have fallen, let us not forget those who continue to serve our country overseas in Afghanistan and beyond. They need our support, and that is why I’m pleased to honour the Rose of Durham volunteers who recently held their Coffee to Kandahar Tea, which raises money to purchase Tim Hortons gift cards for our troops serving overseas.

I’d like to commend Evelyn Murphy, the Rose team leader; Mary Taylor, a dedicated volunteer; and Lieutenant Colonel John Conrad, who accepted their gift on behalf of our soldiers overseas. These volunteers ensure that our troops receive the comfort and support from home that they deserve.

We must never forget, and we must remember to support, those who continue to stand on guard for us. All of us, I’m sure, thank the volunteers in our Legions and our auxiliaries. Especially, I’d like to thank the Rose volunteers.

EVENTS IN TIMISKAMING–COCHRANE

Mr. David Ramsay: I’d like to update members of the House on a couple of very exciting projects that are having a good impact on my riding. One that I’ve talked about before is the redevelopment of the old gold workings west of Matachewan, in the Kirkland Lake Gold break area. There are now 100 workers on site there. A raise borer machine is there now, starting the pilot holes of the new shaft, and that is very exciting. Of the 100 workers that are on site, 25 to 30 come from the Matachewan First Nation, so it’s a good example of a company like Northgate Minerals working very well with its neighbours.

Further north is a mine, north of my riding, in Detour Lake that is having an impact on the town of Cochrane. There are going to be several offices and related buildings that are going to be situated in Cochrane. That’s going to bring high-quality employment and highly educated people into the area, which is going to be very good for that community.

In both areas, I’m working with the Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, because the sweet headache there is, how are we going to accommodate all the workers in these towns? We’re going to have to find ways to assist these communities that have been struggling over the years—these single-industry towns—to redevelop themselves. It’s a nice challenge to have, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on making that happen.

REGIONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION ASSOCIATION

Mr. Bill Mauro: On October 29, I had the pleasure of announcing $237,000 of funding from the northern Ontario heritage fund toward a great cause. The Regional Food Distribution Association and their chair, Larry Brigham, have been working tirelessly for some time to achieve their goal of enhanced storage facilities to serve their clients in a region stretching from Marathon in the east to Kakabeka and Dryden in the west.

The newly named Paterson Family Food Centre will also accommodate a commercial kitchen and training facility for food handling and preparation, creating five to 10 jobs in the process. The renovation of a 15,000-square-foot building on Syndicate Avenue could not have been done without great partnerships and the strong support of community groups and organizations.

In addition to our government’s funding, other contributors include the Paterson Foundation, the Fort William Rotary Club, the city of Thunder Bay and the municipalities of Greenstone, Marathon, Dryden, Nipigon, Neebing and O’Connor. Donations from the public, from church groups and from corporations have also helped the RFDA’s efforts.

Additionally, I would like to thank the entire board of the RFDA: the chair, Larry Brigham; vice-chair, Kelly Hicks; treasurer, Eileen Pelletier; secretary, Cathy Oleschuck; Rolland Manning; Peter Doig; Keith Bunn; June Gaw; Yvonne Romas; Marcelle Paulin; Michael Gallagher; and Laren Beach.

I want to personally thank all volunteers, past and present, who have contributed so much time and energy to this project. Their effort has enhanced the ability of the RFDA to better serve those in need in our communities. Where would our communities be without the contributions of our volunteers?

PROSTATE CANCER

Mr. Ted McMeekin: I want to shed some light on a shocking statistic: One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Having been one of those surviving this cancer has not only made me far more proactive about my own health, but more involved in raising awareness and understanding of men’s health issues in general.

It was with this awakened sense of purpose that I decided to participate in Movember, a global health movement seeking to raise awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men, prostate cancer. The idea of Movember was sparked in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, and has since expanded to countries around the world. Participants start Movember clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month to symbolize a collective effort to change the face of men’s health. Some $7.8 million has been raised in Canada, and that money goes to research, screening, treatment options and support services.

After 37 years, I decided to come completely clean. It’s growing back, so I’m getting there. As I champion this cause by leading my own Movember team, McMeekin’s Moustaches, I challenge my honourable colleagues to lead their respective communities in this great fight and to join together in the Movember effort.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

OMBUDSMAN AMENDMENT ACT

(DESIGNATED PUBLIC BODIES), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT

LA

LOI SUR L’OMBUDSMAN

(ORGANISMES PUBLICS DÉSIGNÉ

S) Mr. Marchese moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 131,

An Act to amend the Ombudsman Act to give the Ombudsman power to investigate designated public bodies / Projet de loi 131, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur l’ombudsman pour donner à l’ombudsman le pouvoir d’enquêter sur les organismes publics désignés.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Mr. Rosario Marchese: The bill amends the Ombudsman Act to give power to the Ombudsman to do anything it may do under the act, in respect of a governmental organization, in respect of a hospital, long-term-care home, school board, children’s aid society or retirement home.

UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY

AND NATIONAL CHILD DAY /

JOURNÉE MONDIALE DE L’ENFANCE

ET JOURNÉE NATIONALE DE L’ENFANT

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I believe we have unanimous consent that up to five minutes be allotted to each party to speak on Universal Children’s Day and National Child Day.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Agreed? Agreed.

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: It’s a privilege to rise today to mark the United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day and Canada’s National Child Day, which is this Saturday, November 20.

C’est un privilège pour moi que de prendre la parole aujourd’hui afin de célébrer la Journée mondiale de l’enfance des Nations Unies et la Journée nationale de l’enfant au Canada, qui se dérouleront ce samedi 20 novembre.

For the past half-century, this day has been dedicated to celebrating childhood and promoting the welfare of kids around the world. In Canada, we’ve been celebrating National Child Day since the early 1990s. It is a reminder that it is our duty as citizens to protect the basic human rights of all kids in our country year-round. It is also an opportunity to recognize how children enrich our lives through their curiosity, their innocence, their thirst for knowledge and their resilience.

Earlier today, I had the pleasure to meet and talk with some very inspiring young people at a lunch hosted by the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. As always, in my meetings with young people across this province, I was struck by their enthusiasm and their desire to contribute to the social good.

Our children represent our strength of purpose and the promise of the future. It is our shared responsibility to respect their rights, whether it is to be heard, to be protected or to be provided with opportunities to reach their full potential. This government takes their rights and their needs seriously.

Les enfants sont le reflet de notre forte détermination en même temps que la promesse d’avenir.

Our young people are the leaders and architects of tomorrow. We need to hear from them and we need them to help us make a better Ontario. That is why we’re working with youth to develop a plan called the youth policy framework. This plan will help us better understand how young people grow and develop and what they need to succeed along the way.

I’m particularly excited that we are moving forward with this plan in this, the United Nations International Year of Youth, and its timely theme of generating much-needed dialogue and mutual understanding with youth. Around the globe, individuals and governments are reaching out to youth to help them tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities that will help to make our world a better place.

This government is working hard to provide the opportunities and supports needed to help all of our young people thrive and succeed, especially our most vulnerable. This year marks the second year of our poverty reduction strategy—our province’s plan to lift 90,000 kids and their families out of poverty in five years.

Our plan includes programs like the Ontario child benefit, which is helping low-income families provide for their kids; it includes our student nutrition program, which is helping more than half a million kids across the province start their school day with a healthy breakfast or snack; it includes Healthy Smiles Ontario, our new program that will allow 130,000 kids to get regular dental checkups in their communities free of charge; and it includes our summer jobs for youth program, which gives at-risk youth valuable work experience that will contribute to their communities and build a strong workforce for Ontario—and we funded 4,700 jobs for youth this summer.

Our accomplishments are many, but there is still much to do. Today is a day to celebrate kids who are succeeding but also to remember and recognize kids who are struggling. Today is a day to reaffirm our commitment to continue our good work for kids across Ontario to ensure that they are treated as equals, listened to, respected, protected and supported in all that they do.

I urge all members of this assembly to reflect on how we can better serve and help children and youth in Ontario together, because, in the words of former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

Please join me in celebrating National Child Day by recognizing our collective role in supporting and nurturing Ontario’s children and youth today to help ensure a better tomorrow for all Ontarians.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: On behalf of Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative caucus, I’m pleased to rise today to acknowledge National Child Day.

I’d first like to thank all the young people who joined us today at the luncheon hosted in the Speaker’s dining room and encourage them to continue to raise awareness for children’s rights. I was struck by one of the speakers, who said, “We look up to MPPs as leaders, and we hope that, with sharing our stories today, you will listen.” Rest assured that I heard the stories; I heard the challenges. Quite frankly, it brings it closer to home, as we review government policies and new legislation, that we have to keep in mind what actually happens on the ground.

I was fortunate to participate in a similar celebration last year on the 20th anniversary of the Universal Children’s Day. We can all talk about the enormous strides that have been made to protect children from exploitation and harm, but we also have to be very aware that there are still children in need, children reaching out for services.

We need to be aware of that as legislators as we review policies and procedures and as we look at children’s aid societies across Ontario that are struggling, that are reaching out to the Minister of Children and Youth Services, saying that they cannot provide the services that they are legislatively obliged to provide without additional funding. We need to be cognizant of that as we review our policies and our economic situation in Ontario.

It is reprehensible to me, quite frankly, that children are on waiting lists for mental health services. We would never allow it if they had diabetes or another illness, and yet with mental health and addictions issues somehow it has become acceptable to say, “Your child can wait. Your child needs to wait and that’s okay.” I don’t think that’s okay. I think we can do a much better job here in ensuring that the services are being provided on the ground, and we should be constantly vigilant that our most vulnerable people and people who, quite frankly don’t have the ability to have a voice in this chamber get to be heard.

It was a pleasure to join the youth ambassadors today at the lunch. I hope you continue speaking out and advocating, because it’s an important role that you play. We will continue to listen and try to react and respond.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s my pleasure to be here to speak on behalf of New Democrats, because we are very proud to speak in favour of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We know that today in the provincial Legislature, in your own space, Speaker—and I want to thank you for that—there was an opportunity to have a luncheon with the independent child advocate, staff from his office, as well as some of the young people themselves. It was a very lovely opportunity.

The provincial child advocate, their staff, and in fact all of the agencies and international groups that serve children and youth, and the young people themselves, need to be commended for focusing on a goal that we all share, which is meeting the needs of the children and always working in the best interests of the child.

Members will recall that last year was the 20th anniversary of the November 20, 1989, declaration. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. It was developed to ensure that the world recognized that children have human rights too.

The convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two optional protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the convention are non-discrimination, devotion to the best interests of the child, the right to survival and development, and respect for the views of the child.

Every right spelled out in the convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The convention protects children’s rights by setting standards in health care, education, and legal, civil and social services.

By ratifying the agreement, Canada and its provinces and territories have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community to develop and undertake all actions and policies in light of the best interests of the child. UNICEF, the well-respected children’s arm of the United Nations, is guided in its work by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the convention is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations.

They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability, and therefore apply to every human being, everywhere. These standards are both independent and indivisible. We cannot ensure some rights without or at the expense of other rights.

In Ontario, as privileged a jurisdiction as it is, there is much more work to be done. There continue to be children and youth in this province who do not have equal rights to an education—we heard about that in question period today—to health care, to good nutrition and to child care. I think in particular of the children with mental health challenges and other special needs such as autism, where waiting lists for treatment are far too great and families not adequately supported. I hear from these families virtually every day as the critic.

Unfortunately, hunger and poverty continue to hamper the quality of life and potential for children and their families as well. In the greater Toronto area alone, 1,187,000 people turned to food banks to eat in 2010; 34% were 18 years of age or younger; 15% of children go hungry at least once a week according to the most recent profile from the Daily Bread Food Bank on who’s hungry.

As legislators, we need to listen—really listen—to what we hear on the ground in our communities and work together to fill the gaps and improve services. Early intervention is the most cost-effective strategy for addressing many of these concerns. One in five children suffers from some form of mental illness, but of that one in five, only one in five will ever get help. The second-leading cause of death among children and youth after accidents is suicide.

In Ontario, two children commit suicide every single week, and young people suffering from eating disorders have a mortality rate of 10%—and some say that’s a conservative figure. Mental illness takes the life of more children than cancer does, yet services to deal with these children’s mental health issues remain far from adequate. Building a responsive system is incumbent upon all of us.

I very much enjoyed speaking to the young people today and hearing what their thoughtful words were to guide us in our decision-making. Their input informs us and inspires us to stay on track, supporting their best hopes for the future and ensuring that our decisions are made in the best interests of the child. We heard from a young woman who talked about the sense of not having her voice heard in her own family, the sense of feeling invisible. She told us at the luncheon that when you feel invisible, you tend to do things to hurt yourself or to hurt others, and that’s how she responded to her situation at home.

We heard another young man who had a learning disability. In fact, we heard from a young man who was on the autism spectrum, and he told us about his difficulty in getting a proper assessment, and then after he got proper assessment, getting the proper supports to be able to meet his potential in educational institutions in this province.

Of course, we also heard from another young man who said that even though he had been in the system, in care, all his life, he, in many ways, felt privileged because he knew that there were other children who didn’t have as much as he had, and that, in some ways, made him feel a little bit guilty.

Those young people who come here every year and who you have hosted on occasion have a lesson for all of us, which is: If we don’t pay attention to what they say, we really are not creating the kind of future that we can all be proud of.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like all members to join me in welcoming the youth who are visiting from across the province today, in the west gallery. This is as part, as we’ve heard, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and National Child Day. It’s a real pleasure to have you here. I hope you’ve enjoyed your opportunity to visit Queen’s Park today.

PETITIONS

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Ms. Sylvia Jones: This petition is from an individual from Guelph, actually.

“Whereas the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently and unilaterally announced that it would euthanize all animals in its care at its Newmarket shelter, citing a ringworm outbreak as justification;

“Whereas the euthanasia plan was stopped in the face of repeated calls for a stay in the Legislature and by the public, but not until 99 animals had been killed;

“Whereas the Premier and then-Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci refused to act, claiming the provincial government has no jurisdiction over the OSPCA;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Parliament of Ontario to immediately implement the resolution tabled at Queen’s Park by Newmarket–Aurora MPP Frank Klees on June 1, 2010, which reads as follows:

“‘That, in the opinion of this House, the Ontario Legislature call on the government of Ontario to review the powers and authority granted to the OSPCA under the OSPCA Act and to make the necessary legislative changes to bring those powers under the authority of the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to ensure that there is a clearly defined and effective provincial oversight of all animal shelter services in the province, and to separate the inspection and enforcement powers of the OSPCA from its functions as a charity providing animal shelter services.’”

I support this petition, and I’m pleased to affix my name to it and to give it to page Connor to take to the table.

CHILD PROTECTION

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I rise with pleasure to read this petition. It’s a petition to grant the Ombudsman oversight of children’s aid services. It reads as follows:

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

“Whereas Ontario is one of the few provinces that does not have independent oversight of child welfare administration; and

“Whereas eight provinces now have independent oversight of child welfare issues, including child protection; and

“Whereas all provincial Ombudsmen first identified child protection as a priority issue in 1986 and still Ontario does not allow the Ombudsman to investigate people’s complaints about children’s aid societies’ decisions; and

“Whereas people wronged by CAS decisions concerning placement, access, custody or care are not allowed to appeal those decisions to the Ontario Ombudsman’s office;

“Therefore we, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the members of the provincial Parliament of Ontario to enact legislation in support of the Ombudsman of Ontario to have the power to probe decisions and investigate complaints concerning the province’s children’s aid societies (CAS).”

This was gathered by Anna Tessier of Iroquois Falls, and I’ve signed the petition.

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: This petition was brought to me courtesy of members of OCAP, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. I had the privilege of meeting with about 25 protestors in my office on Friday. This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“We, the members of your community, are disgusted by the decision of your government on March 25 in the 2010 provincial budget to scrap the special diet allowance;

“Whereas the special diet is money that people on welfare (OW) and disability (ODSP) rely on in order to buy healthy food and make ends meet. For years, people have been forced to choose between two essential needs, housing and food, as a direct result of inadequate OW and ODSP rates;

“Whereas, on March 25, 2010, this government put forth the most anti-poor budget since Harris in 1995. In cutting the special diet, you have chosen to be only the third government in Ontario’s history to cut social assistance. This is a brutal move that will make hundreds of thousands of people hungry, sick, at risk of being evicted or homeless;

“Whereas, in 1995, the Tory government cut welfare by 22% and froze disability rates. Today, that cut in income is equivalent to approximately 55% with inflation and the cost-of-living increase for the last 15 years. The Liberal government campaigned against the Tories on a platform of poverty reduction and reversing the Harris cuts. But since 2003, little has been done to account for inflation, let alone reverse the Harris cuts, and in fact, people on social assistance today are worse off than they were in 1995. This is shameful.

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

“That Parliament bring back the special diet allowance immediately and that you finally reverse the 1995 Harris cuts by raising OW and ODSP rates to where people can live with health and dignity.”

I send this to you via page Joshua.

VETERANS

Mr. Robert Bailey: This petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, gathered primarily by Wilma McNeill from Sarnia–Lambton.

“Whereas with turmoil and fighting around the globe, what better time to remember the price our veterans paid for freedom than the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II; and

“Whereas we also remember and honour our present-day veterans and all who have paid the ultimate price fighting for the freedoms we enjoy in this great nation;

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

“That the Dalton McGuinty government declare November 11 a provincial holiday to honour our veterans of past and present; as well as all the soldiers of today who currently fight to defend our freedoms.”

I will send that down with William.

REPLACEMENT WORKERS

M me France Gélinas: I have this petition from the people of Nickel Belt.

“Whereas strikes and lockouts are rare: on average, 97% of collective agreements are negotiated without work disruption; and

“Whereas anti-temporary replacement workers laws have existed in Quebec since 1978; in British Columbia since 1993; and successive governments in those two provinces have never repealed those laws; and

“Whereas anti-temporary replacement workers legislation has reduced the length and divisiveness of labour disputes; and

“Whereas the use of temporary replacement workers during a strike or lockout is damaging to the social fabric of a community in the short and the long term as well as the well-being of its residents;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to enact legislation banning the use of temporary replacement workers during a strike or lockout.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Jake to take it to the Clerk.

BRITISH HOME CHILDREN

Mr. Jim Brownell: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas, between 1869 and 1939, more than 100,000 British home children arrived in Canada from group homes and orphanages in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland; and

“Whereas the story of the British home children is one of challenge, determination and perseverance; and

“Whereas due to their remarkable courage, strength and perseverance, Canada’s British home children endured and went on to lead healthy and productive lives and contributed immeasurably to the development of Ontario’s economy and prosperity; and

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

“Enact Bill 12, a private member’s bill introduced by MPP Jim Brownell on March 23, 2010,

an act to proclaim September 28 of each year as Ontario home child day.”

As I agree with this petition, I shall sign it and send it to the clerks’ table.

VETERANS

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

“It has often been said: ‘If we don’t remember the past, we are doomed to repeat it.’ With turmoil and fighting around the globe, what better time to remember the price our veterans paid for freedom than the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II?

“We must not forget our Canadian men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice in Afghanistan.

“I urge the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to declare November 11, Remembrance Day, a statutory holiday in Ontario; lest we forget.”

I’d just like to add that these accumulate over 4,500 signatures in this petition collected by Wilma McNeill.

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I have petitions here from Lynn Perrier from Thornhill, as well as Ray Boutin and Lise Labonté from Timmins, and they read as follows:

“Whereas the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) recently and unilaterally announced that it would euthanize all animals in its care at its Newmarket shelter, citing a ringworm outbreak as justification;

“Whereas the euthanasia plan was stopped in the face of repeated calls for a stay in the Legislature and by the public, but not until 99 animals had been killed;

“Whereas the Premier and Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci refused to act, claiming the provincial government has no jurisdiction over the OSPCA;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Parliament of Ontario to immediately implement the resolution tabled at Queen’s Park by Newmarket–Aurora MPP Frank Klees on June 1, 2010, which reads as follows:

“‘That, in the opinion of this House, the Ontario Legislature call on the government of Ontario to review the powers and authority granted to the OSPCA under the OSPCA Act and to make the necessary legislative changes to bring those powers under the authority of the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to ensure that there is a clearly defined and effective provincial oversight of all animal shelter services in the province, and to separate the inspection and enforcement powers of the OSPCA from its functions as a charity providing animal shelter services.’”

I give this petition to Jake, who will bring it down to the table.

CEMETERIES

Mr. Jim Brownell: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario Historical Society, founded in 1888, is a not-for-profit corporation, incorporated by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario April 1, 1899, with a mandate to identify, protect, preserve and promote Ontario’s history; and

“Whereas protecting and preserving Ontario’s cemeteries is a shared responsibility and the foundation of a civilized society; and

“Whereas the Legislature failed to enact Bill 149, the Inactive Cemeteries Protection Act, 2009, which would have prohibited the relocation of inactive cemeteries in the province of Ontario; and

“Whereas the Cooley-Hatt Cemetery (circa 1786) is located in the Niagara Escarpment plan within Ontario’s greenbelt plan in Ancaster, city of Hamilton; and

“Whereas this is one of the earliest surviving pioneer cemeteries in Ontario, with approximately 99 burials, including at least one veteran of the War of 1812;

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

“The government of Ontario must take whatever action is necessary to prevent the desecration of any part of this sacred burial ground for real estate development.”

As I agree with this petition, I shall sign it and send it to the clerks’ table.

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I have a petition to the provincial Parliament.

“Whereas the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) recently and unilaterally announced that it would euthanize all animals in its care at its Newmarket shelter, citing a ringworm outbreak as justification;

“Whereas the euthanasia plan was stopped in the face of repeated calls for a stay in the Legislature and by the public, but not until 99 animals had been killed;

“Whereas the Premier and Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci refused to act, claiming the provincial government has no jurisdiction over the OSPCA;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Parliament of Ontario to immediately implement the resolution tabled at Queen’s Park by Newmarket–Aurora MPP Frank Klees on June 1, 2010, which reads as follows:

“‘That, in the opinion of this House, the Ontario Legislature call on the government of Ontario to review the powers and authority granted to the OSPCA under the OSPCA Act and to make the necessary legislative changes to bring those powers under the authority of the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to ensure that there is a clearly defined and effective provincial oversight of all animal shelter services in the province, and to separate the inspection and enforcement powers of the OSPCA from its functions as a charity providing animal shelter services.’”

I support this petition and am pleased to affix my name to it and give it to page Kyle to give to the table.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

M me France Gélinas: I have this petition from the people of Sudbury:

“Whereas the Ontario government is making ... PET scanning a publicly insured health service available to cancer and cardiac patients; and

“Whereas,” since October 2009, “insured PET scans” have been performed “in Ottawa, London, Toronto, Hamilton and Thunder Bay; and

“Whereas the city of Greater Sudbury is a hub for health care in northeastern Ontario, with the Sudbury Regional Hospital, its regional cancer program and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine;

“We … petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to make PET scans available through the Sudbury Regional Hospital, thereby serving and providing equitable access to the citizens” of northeastern Ontario.

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and send it to the Clerk with page Joshua.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATMENT

Mr. Jim Brownell: I have a petition that reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas thousands of people suffer from multiple sclerosis;

“Whereas there is a treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, more commonly called CCSVI, which consists of a corrective angioplasty, a well-known, universally practised procedure that is low-risk and at relatively low expense;

“Whereas, while more research is needed, MS patients should not need to await such results;

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

“That the Legislative Assembly of Ontario allow people with multiple sclerosis to obtain the venoplasty that so impacts their quality of life and that of their family and caregivers.”

I shall sign this and send it to the clerks’ table.

ONTARIO PHARMACISTS

Mr. John O’Toole: Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased on your behalf to introduce a petition. Thank you for the opportunity. It reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government is cutting front-line health care at pharmacies, which would mean higher prices, less service and even store closures for us” in rural Ontario;

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

“Stop the cuts to front-line health care,” especially our pharmacies, now, Premier McGuinty.

I’m pleased to sign and support this and hand it to one of the new pages, William.

ONTARIO SOCIETY

FOR THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I have yet again a petition, this time from Gisele Baka and Clara Davidson of Timmins. It reads as follows:

“Whereas the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) recently and unilaterally announced that it would euthanize all animals in its care at its Newmarket shelter, citing a ringworm outbreak as justification;

“Whereas the euthanasia plan was stopped in the face of repeated calls for a stay in the Legislature and by the public, but not until 99 animals had been killed;

“Whereas the Premier and Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci refused to act, claiming the provincial government has no jurisdiction over the OSPCA;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Parliament of Ontario to immediately implement the resolution tabled at Queen’s Park by Newmarket–Aurora MPP Frank Klees on June 1, 2010, which reads as follows:

“‘That, in the opinion of this House, the Ontario Legislature call on the government of Ontario to review the powers and authority granted to the OSPCA under the OSPCA Act and to make the necessary legislative changes to bring those powers under the authority of the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to ensure that there is a clearly defined and effective provincial oversight of all animal shelter services in the province, and to separate the inspection and enforcement powers of the OSPCA from its functions as a charity providing animal shelter services.’”

I’ve signed that petition.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

BROADER PUBLIC SECTOR

ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR

LA RESPONSABILISATION

DU SECTEUR PARAPUBLIC

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 2, 2010, on the motion for second reading of Bill 122,

An Act to increase the financial accountability of organizations in the broader public sector / Projet de loi 122, Loi visant à accroître la responsabilisation financière des organismes du secteur parapublic.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Pursuant to the order of the House dated November 4, 2010, I am now required to put the question.

On October 26, 2010, Ms. Matthews moved second reading of Bill 122,

An Act to increase the financial accountability of organizations in the broader public sector. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

All those in favour will say “aye.”

All those opposed will say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

A recorded vote being required, I have received a note dated November 15 from the government House leader that this vote be deferred until deferred votes tomorrow.

Second reading vote deferred.

TICKET SPECULATION

AMENDMENT ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LE TRAFIC DES BILLETS

DE SPECTACLE

Resuming the debated adjourned on November 4, 2010, on the motion for second reading of Bill 172,

An Act to amend the Ticket Speculation Act / Projet de loi 172, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le trafic des billets de spectacle.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Further debate.

Mr. Wayne Arthurs: I’m pleased to enter into the debate on Bill 172,

An Act to amend the Ticket Speculation Act. I want to start by referencing that the last time this was in the Legislature—I’m not sure exactly what day that was—it was the fifth day of second reading and the member from Oxford had finished speaking to the bill at that point in time. The legislation was led off for second reading by the Attorney General; I believe that was either October 16 or 21. So it’s been before us now—I see it was October 21. This will be the fifth day, I understand, over the past month. There was a bit of a break between the time we recessed for the constituency week over the Remembrance Day period and today. We’re now back to it.

This particular piece of legislation is relatively simple, certainly in its intent. Obviously, the enforcement of these things becomes more challenging, I think, in part, but it’s relatively simple.

It’s to provide a level of fairness and to ensure Ontarians that when they are purchasing tickets, particularly online, they have an opportunity to purchase those tickets at a fair market price as advertised when they make those calls or when they make that entry online; an example being, without getting into any specific show or individual, you can go online when it says, “Tickets go on sale at noon hour.” There’s 16,000 tickets or 20,000 tickets or 25,000 tickets, depending on the venues. And adults and young people go online to get tickets and three minutes after noon hour the tickets are sold out.

One has to figure, how do you sell out 25,000 tickets in three minutes, even online? But at the time they make that online request they’re immediately redirected to a secondary seller—a secondary seller who wants two and three times the face value for that ticket. And that secondary seller is a directly affiliated company with the company that was selling the ticket at the base price. So that $100 ticket for the concert show that a young person wants to go see, or the $50 ticket, is now going to cost $150 or $300 if they buy from the reseller. But the reseller is in effect an affiliate company.

What really has happened is that the primary company has only released a small fraction of the number of available tickets at that 12 o’clock time frame and the balance of those tickets have already been shifted over to a secondary company. And you as a purchaser, unaware, are being directed to that other company, that reseller, and assuming that all those tickets that were available have been snapped up and that the reseller has a small quantity and they’re going to let you have them at this premium price.

And because you or a young person in your family or someone else wants to go see this particular show or concert, as the case might be, you think you may be getting a bargain, even though you’re paying the inflated price, because of the fact that you’re assuming all the tickets have been snapped up and you’ve got one last opportunity. Well, that’s not a fair practice; I would go as far as to say that that’s not even an honest practice. This legislation, Bill 172, is clearly intended to stop that practice from occurring.

When the Attorney General spoke to this, he spoke specifically to these types of matters, that legislation has been introduced in other jurisdictions because of complaints in those jurisdictions, and we’ve seen the complaints here in Ontario. This legislation is being introduced to ensure that Ontarians, when they are taking advantage of the culture, sports and entertainment available to us, get things done fairly and honestly in their ticket prices.

We only have to take a look here in this great city of Toronto. It just happens that although my riding spans between Toronto and Durham region in Pickering—it’s Pickering–Scarborough East—I’m actually a member of the Toronto caucus within our caucus, and thus I have a particular affinity to the city of Toronto.

Some of my constituents in Pickering may not like that idea much, but when you look at the entertainment forums we have here in the city of Toronto, when we look at the cultural and sports opportunities that exist, it’s particularly important, because of the amount of money that’s being put through the system and because of the fact that we’re trying to generate a tourism business around entertainment—and it’s strong already—that those who are purchasing tickets to see plays and shows and sports entertainment here in Ontario are treated fairly and honestly.

This particular legislation is going to be a big help in doing that.

We have the Open for Business approach that the government announced in its last budget. This is an element, although not a specific piece of legislation on that, of being open for business. If you want to do business in Ontario and if you want to come here, we want to ensure that you are being treated fairly, that you are getting your due, that you’re getting an honest approach to the business environment. If we’re not doing that, if we don’t do the things necessary under legislation to ensure that people have the opportunity for sports and cultural events—and that’s sometimes the disposable income.

It’s what draws people to this province and to this city, their disposable income. If they don’t think they are getting a fair shake, if they find out they’re not getting a fair shake, it certainly doesn’t encourage them to continue spending their money here—our money, if we’re local, or the tourists we have—and it certainly doesn’t encourage those who want to invest in this province to make investments here. It’s just one small example of what we can do to ensure that this province is and remains open for business.

We don’t need to have major ticket sellers—and I don’t think there’s a particular need, at least on my part, to reference names. I think those out there who use ticket sellers, the main ones, know the names. It’s like dialling for pizza: 967-1111. If you think about who you buy tickets from online, you know who the big players are. It’s those big players, frankly, who have caused this to occur. They have been party to this. They are not alone in that, but they’ve been party to it. We need to ensure that th