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March 31, 2010

39th Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2010-Mar-31 (PDF)

L011 - Wed 31 Mar 2010 / Mer 31 mar 2010

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 31 March 2010 Mercredi 31 mars 2010

VISITOR

ORDERS OF THE DAY

CONCURRENCE IN SUPPLY

SUPPLY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE CRÉDITS DE 2010

SUPPLY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE CRÉDITS DE 2010

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

HEALTH CARE FUNDING

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

FIRE SAFETY

NORTHERN ONTARIO

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

MINISTRY GRANTS

USE OF TASERS

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

PUBLIC TRANSIT

FIRST NATIONS

RED TAPE REDUCTION

SEVERANCE PAYMENTS

AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY

VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA

RACE RELATIONS

FASHION INDUSTRY

LOCAL HEALTH INTEGRATION NETWORKS

GOVERNMENT MAILINGS

ZACHARY WINKLER

NORTHERN ECONOMY

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

BUCHENWALD

REPORTS BY COMMITTEES

SELECT COMMITTEE ON

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

ENHANCING THE ABILITY

OF INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENTS

TO BE FINANCIALLY

INDEPENDENT ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 REHAUSSANT

L’AUTONOMIE FINANCIÈRE

DES BÉNÉFICIAIRES

DU SOUTIEN DU REVENU

FRANCO-ONTARIAN DAY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LE JOUR

DES FRANCO-ONTARIENS

ET DES FRANCO-ONTARIENNES

TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC

MATTERS ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LA TRANSPARENCE

DES QUESTIONS D’INTÉRÊT PUBLIC

MOTIONS

STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

JOUR DES FRANCO-ONTARIENS

ET DES FRANCO-ONTARIENNES /

FRANCO-ONTARIAN DAY

PETITIONS

TAXATION

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

ARTS AND CULTURAL FUNDING

TAXATION

WATER QUALITY

HEALTH CARE

FOREST INDUSTRY

ABORIGINAL PROGRAMS

AND SERVICES

HOSPITAL FUNDING

WATER QUALITY

TAXATION

HOSPITAL FUNDING

TAXATION

MINING INDUSTRY

FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

ORDERS OF THE DAY

2010 ONTARIO BUDGET

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Good morning. Please remain standing for the Lord’s Prayer, followed by the aboriginal prayer.

Prayers.

VISITOR

Hon. Monique M. Smith: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, which you may rule out of order: This morning we will have joining us in the members’ gallery President Barb Taylor, who’s the president of Canadore College and is retiring in eight days after 32 years of service to our college communities, 18 at George Brown and 12 and a half at Canadore College in North Bay. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank her for her great service to the province and to northern Ontario. That’s my point of order.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

CONCURRENCE IN SUPPLY

SUPPLY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE CRÉDITS DE 2010

Resuming the debate adjourned on March 30, 2010, on the motion for concurrence in supply for the Ministry of Finance; resuming the debate adjourned on March 30, 2010, on the motion for second reading of Bill 17,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 / Projet de loi 17, Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2010.

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

Mr. John O’Toole: I’m very satisfied that I have the opportunity to speak this morning. I was worried that perhaps there would be others trying to get to the microphone before me. However, I gather we’re speaking on the supply motion, which gives me rather free rein on a cross-section of issues.

First of all, I think after the budget we have to realize, too, that the government hasn’t said much that is exciting or revealing. In fact, they have a large, large deficit and there’s not much in here about jobs, technically. I think the important part of the supply motion is that we all agree on that kind of motion. We have to pay our bills. We have responsibilities to the staff, both in the Legislature and other partners, who make the province of Ontario the great place it is.

Our leader, Tim Hudak, has made it very clear that we would be supportive of the theory of completing our obligations to the public civil servants who make this place function, as well as, you might say, make the province function. If there’s any credit to be taken in the statement around the economy, or by the Premier, for its successes, it should also take credit for its failures.

I think that substantially the point I’m making is that the direction, the policy, the plan—or lack of it—come from the government. Premier McGuinty has the privilege of representing the people of Ontario in this august chamber, and he sets the agenda, he sets the table, he sets the goals and he sets the plan and the priorities. I think you have to leave the evaluation of his success, or lack of it, to the people of Ontario.

I want to repeat this, because it’s very important: If you’re going to take credit for the successes of green energy, the Oak Ridges moraine, the greenbelt and the improvements in education and health care, you should also take the other side of that if there’s a failure in the system.

You could, to some extent, blame the other partners—the municipal leadership. I guess right now he’s telling them to cut the pay for employees—firemen, police and ambulance—and stuff like that. It’s a rather peculiar dilemma. He could blame Stephen Harper for much of it, which I think he has some room to do. But if you look at Ontario in relation to other provinces, we’re in worse shape.

I’d like to be optimistic here, and I want Ontario to be better. But I think there are rules, regulations and red tape that are making it more and more difficult. Yesterday, we had two or three groups that were here; one, the professors of our universities, were here. Their association was asking for smaller class sizes. Yet in the last two days Minister Milloy has made two statements, one on student support and the other, basically, on trying to put some more money into the system.

The Premier takes full credit for putting $300-million-plus into post-secondary under Second Career and the college and university system. I talked to both Don Lovisa and Ronald Bordessa just recently, actually at the tour of ACE, the Automotive Centre of Excellence, the largest wind turbine and weather simulator, etc., in North America, and they were complimentary of that thing.

What I heard from the professors yesterday was that the highest tuition in Canada is right here in Ontario. The young pages here, who will be going to university some day, will be paying the highest tuition in Canada.

Interjections.

Mr. John O’Toole: Already, the members are blaming previous governments. Well, they’ve been here seven years, going on eight—it seems like a century, but time seems bad when things aren’t going well. Here’s the point: If they say they’re going to change, they haven’t changed a thing.

The second thing the professors were saying was that we have the highest student debt, but also the largest class sizes in the country. You can’t have it both ways. If you are the leader—it’s like the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were knocked out of the playoffs yesterday by losing a game near the end. I think that’s what has happened here: They’ve kind of lost track of the goal, the vision.

The best place in the world to live, raise your family and do business used to be here in Ontario, and I think that even for the first couple of years it went fairly well for them. In the first couple of years, it went quite well for them. In fact, at that time they blamed then-Premier Ernie Eves, who lost the election, for pretty well everything.

But here’s the issue: There probably was a small deficit at the time, but now we have a huge deficit. In fact, the deficit is a huger debt, and the most troubling part of it is that we’re spending about $120 billion annually, spending has increased by about 63%, and you have to ask, is it any better in health care? We’re hearing about hospital emergencies closing and the lack of long-term care for our aging population. We’re hearing about large class sizes.

Here’s the real issue: The deficit right now is $21-billion-plus. That represents about 20% of all spending, and the debt is future taxes. The young pages here and the other young people—I think it’s unconscionable to leave the debt to your children and grandchildren. That isn’t meant in a malicious way; it’s a statement of fact. We can blame Stephen Harper. We could blame David Miller. David Miller—one of his great left-wing allies has been screaming about one of the tragic cuts in public transit. The former Minister of Transportation is here. He probably wanted that to go ahead.

Interjection.

Mr. John O’Toole: No, the Premier, who’s in charge, who has the keys to the vault, who gives out the money and the perks and the other loose change to various individuals and groups and organizations, cut $4 billion from that transit, so now we’ve got gridlock. We know that’s a drag on the economy. I don’t see any consistent plan. I think the time is coming when people will see through all the rhetoric.

All of us here want a better future. All of us—that would include the NDP and the Conservatives as well as the Liberal Party—want Ontario to be the best place to live, to work and to raise your children. We want the best environment. We want the best schools. We want the best day care. Let’s check out the priorities. How are we doing? The biggest item that we all know is health care. It’s the largest in my area, the riding of Durham, which includes Uxbridge, Scugog and Clarington. We’re hearing from the LHINs. In fact, we know they don’t have enough money.

We’re blaming the LHINs, but the money comes from that person over there, the leader. All the hospitals are going to be in complete withdrawal because their budgets are basically payroll, and their allowance—I think it’s 1.2% of the overall allocation to health care—is to the hospital side. That means that, like in Northumberland hospital in Lou Rinaldi’s riding, I think they’re cutting 23 beds, which means that elderly people will be pushed into the community. And there’s no community support. We know the CCACs have been told and directed to cut the spending by 20%.

Here’s the real issue when you get down to it—we’re only dealing with the issues, the priorities. How are they doing? What is the report card? Health care? I’d say a problem. I don’t want to wish anyone’s untimely death, but I see problems. Yanking $1 billion out of the pharmaceutical portion of the health care budget, which is about 46 cents of every dollar—if they can’t manage the biggest one, what’s happening to the smallest ones?

Then I look at the other end. Children’s aid societies across this province are starving. There was a good

article in York about how overall, across the province—and these are organizations sanctioned legislatively to take care of vulnerable children, often children who are wards of the court and other circumstances that the children had no part or no say in. These are vulnerable children. I am working with the Durham Children’s Aid Society, and I think they do a marvellous job. I want to thank the director and the board. The board is volunteers. They really give up their heart and soul for our children.

At the other end, they threw out a pot full of money around by-election time after the children’s aid societies provincially were screaming in the north. They were actually prepared to close. When you cut those organizations, you cut services directly to children, services that are mandated by the minister. I know now that they have a structural deficit. This is the last day of the fiscal year; it’s March 31. It’s the end of the 2009 fiscal year. I think they’re short around $3 million to $4 million. That means services for children. We’ve got the health care dilemma.

The smoke is there but we can’t see the fire yet. It’s huge challenges, big-time challenges. At the other end we have children’s aid.

We also know that the school boards are in a bit of a bind. They’ve been given this full-day kindergarten to implement. I’m hearing now that it’s being implemented in a completely ham-fisted manner. I think they’ve set up Leona Dombrowsky, the Minister of Education, now, and are protecting Kathleen Wynne, who has been moved on to transportation. She’s a popular person and has a passion for education—no doubt of that. I would say I do, myself, as I was a trustee for a couple of terms.

As well, I would say that with five children and my wife and one of my daughters as educators—don’t ever think that anyone doesn’t realize the importance of education, primary, elementary, secondary and post-secondary. It is the key to the future. It’s a knowledge-based economy; we get that.

What are they doing with full-day kindergarten? They’re making class sizes larger in the elementary grades, period. They will all be over 20. We know that in grade 8 now, it’s almost 30. They’re really supposed to be preparing for post-secondary and more complex study and a more rigorous curriculum, and they’re saying there are more graduates coming? They hope that the $300 million they’re pumping into the post-secondary portion is going to cover it, but I’m looking at the priorities here. We’ve got the two biggest items, health care and education.

I’d say education—it’s sort of like the old saying, “Peace at any price.” We have declining enrolment, increased spending; forcing down their throat this full-day kindergarten. There are partners in the early learning centres, and others, who have been doing fantastic work. We all understand the importance of early intervention with children, especially children at risk, and I think we would all find that there have to be more choices for parents there—supported choices, choices that are regulated by quality.

We don’t need lower standards; we don’t just need babysitting; we need caring and compassionate instructional care.

I’m looking at the top three or four items, and I see clouds on the horizon. Let’s leave it at that. No one wants to be a downer first thing in the morning on this thing, but on this supply motion, we’ve got to pay the bills. We’re in support of that.

If I look at Bill 17, where the detail of this whole thing is, where you see the schedules, I see energy prices going through the roof. No question. They’re going up—not down, up. Yet OPG, Ontario Power Generation, has applied to the energy board for a 9.6% increase. Not only that; there’s this new environmental charge. You’re going to be charged for your smart meter, and then they’re going to add 8% HST. If you’re paying $200 a month now, open up your eyes; it’s going to be $400 before long under Premier McGuinty’s plan.

What about energy? Let’s look at energy. Energy is an essential consumption. It’s not like cable TV—you can cut off the movie channel. Energy is an essential commodity, an essential consumption. You have to heat your home or cool it, you have to cook your food, you have to keep yourself and your clothing clean. There’s very little discretionary consumption of energy. Yes, we should shut our computers off. Yes, we should shut off the high-fidelity equipment and we shouldn’t have unnecessary lights on. I believe very strongly, as a parent of five children, in shutting off the lights and the electricity, but there’s very little consumption used.

What is the ministry doing there? The utilities that distribute the electrons to your home are screaming that they get paid on how much electricity they sell. Now we’re conserving—which is good; I support that conservation—but they’re saying their revenue is declining because they aren’t selling as much electricity, so now they have to up the rates. You’re going to pay more and use less.

People on fixed incomes are getting squeezed right out of the equation. This is the most discouraging circumstance to have to talk about here, in a province that used to be number one and now is the recipient of $1 billion in transfer payments from the federal government.

We are the largest province. We’re a little in excess of 30% of the country’s population. We used to be 50% of the economy; now we’re about 38%. Danny Williams is beating us, and Newfoundland and Labrador has fewer people than the region of Durham. Prince Edward Island has fewer people than my riding.

Ms. M. Aileen Carroll: But it’s a nice place.

Mr. John O’Toole: Oh, it’s a beautiful place, absolutely. In fact, Canada is a wonderful country, and that’s not the debate. My debate is, how are we doing? I think we should be generous, sharing and caring. I completely support that. But when you have other provinces supporting you in the transfer payments—that’s how it works—I think it’s unconscionable.

I’ve looked at three priorities. I’ve looked at the big ones, education and health care. How are we doing? Let’s get the report card out. I’ve looked at the other end. I’ve looked at the energy file as well as the children’s aid societies and I’ll even look at social assistance, welfare. They cut the special meal allowance for people who are on support payments who may have diabetes or other kinds of ailments. You know why? Because those vulnerable people have no voice. They’ve attacked—and I think it’s tragic that people, seniors, are going to be paying more in HST on July 1.

Imagine it: If they’re spending $100 a month, each month, on, say, TV cable service, Internet and maybe heating for their home, basically essential consumption—we’re not talking the theatre or the opera here—if that’s $100 a month it’s now going to be $108 a month. That’s another $100 right there without them changing one thing they’re doing. It is a tax increase.

As I said, in Bill 17—I was looking through there—it’s not just the energy. On property registrations, the land registry office, the surveyors: When they do land surveying and block this all out and register it, you’re going to pay a fee for it. Now they’ve got a private company. I look around and I watch the scandal at the Ontario lottery and gaming commission. I watch the scandal at eHealth—$1 billion. I’ve listened to the auditor and the Ombudsman, whom they’re trying to fire because he’s looking into some of the wasteful spending in some areas.

With all due respect, I think the Premier has lost his way under the heavy slugging in this tough economy. We saw it in the budget. He didn’t have the courage even—I’ll give you one example. There was a small expenditure, in terms of government spending, of $25 million. What it was is, the employees who currently collect the provincial sales tax and gas tax are being transferred to another department where they’re going to collect the HST, which is the harmonized federal and provincial tax.

They’re going to be going in the same car with the same business card to the same office, and get to go to the same businesses to audit their books, to give them advice on how to remit their tax or make up deficits that they might have. And we’re giving them severance pay of $45,000 each when they did not lose their jobs. I want this very clear: Having worked in personnel, there are responsibilities by employers, and if there is a severance, they should be entitled to severance. Usually it’s one month pay for each year of service, up to a maximum, I think. There’s one example of an expenditure.

Another example were these untendered contracts to, some say, those friendly to the Liberal Party, connected, often even worked for McGuinty—

Interjection.

Mr. John O’Toole: But we’re talking about a specific case here. Offsetting it with another wrongdoing is not productive, I say to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. It’s not productive to show another error to address a current error that I’m discussing. Staff that are related—there are provisions under the conflict of interest standards where they’re not supposed to gainfully employed in these kinds of things.

We had a person who is well respected, a long-serving expert in health care who was sort of let go and then hired back in a contract for $350,000. These are expenditures in a time when we should be very seriously guarding the dollars that the hard-working people of Ontario pay.

I want to conclude by saying that the opposition, under the leadership of Tim Hudak, is supportive of the supply motion, which is the motion to pay the civil servants who have contributed so much to this province. That’s our obligation, and Conservatives believe in following your principles and obligations.

I am concerned, and remain concerned—and I want this left on the record—that the government has lost its way. We have a deficit, and the economy of Ontario is not growing as robustly as in other provinces. There is a lot of work to be done. I want to see a vision with some action attached to it. It saddens me, after my roughly 15 years here, to see the province go from a leader to a laggard. It’s quite disturbing.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Further debate?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I want to take about half the time that is available to the NDP to talk about a number of issues that concern us in the budget that was recently presented.

Certainly for us, the deferral of spending on transit—on Transit City in Toronto—is symptomatic of the fundamental mistakes that have been made in this budget. If you look at the reality in the GTA, congestion costs us $5 billion to $6 billion a year in negative economic impact—far beyond the cost of putting in this new transit. The new transit alone won’t solve all that congestion, but if we don’t make ongoing investments to reduce congestion and allow traffic and people to flow freely, then we undermine the economic base of the GTA, which is a big chunk of Ontario’s economy itself.

The Toronto Star, which is generally very supportive of this government and its budget, has been pointing out that this deferral of funds is a mistake and will have negative impacts on the GTA and Ontario’s economy. They also point out in an

article today that the withdrawal of funds for bus replacement will mean a reduction in service. If this government persists with its attack on transit in this budget, then the kinds of numbers we’ve seen showing the GTA as number one in terms of long commute times—that negative result will be strengthened.

I had an opportunity the other day to ask the minister about the lack of transit investment, and what I got back was a recitation of all the investments that had been made and all the good works claimed by this government. It was interesting that even the Toronto Star today said in its editorial that clearly that answer is an embarrassment; the reality is that the investment is inadequate to the needs of the GTA, inadequate to the needs of this very large urban area—and frankly, probably to the other large urban areas in Ontario—and that that lack of investment will undermine us economically.

It will also drive up health care costs, Mr. Speaker, because as you well know, the more cars and congestion on the road, the more air pollution we have to deal with. That’s more people in hospital with asthma and more people clogging emergency rooms because air pollution is making them sick.

So this decision to push back investment in Transit City and in new buses means higher costs for our economy, undermining our competitiveness and higher costs for health care—my colleague from Nickel Belt will talk about health care in greater detail when we get to that item.

We have to have a change of heart on this item. This government needs to rethink its failure to invest properly in transit. Just before Christmas, we had the report from the climate secretariat, from the minister, about the simple reality that this government was not going to meet its climate change targets in Ontario; it was not going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the amount it committed to. That’s of significant consequence.

Whenever I ask the Minister of the Environment what he’s going to do to make up that difference, what he’s going to do to actually close the gap to meet the targets, as inadequate as they are, I get nothing, again, but a reciting of the virtues and wonders of this government.

In fact, in this budget, the deferral of investment in transit is a rolling back of action on climate change. Transportation is responsible for 32% of greenhouse gas emissions in this province. Two thirds of that is personal transportation. If in fact you can’t even invest in transit, how are you going to meet the targets that were set out? How are you even going to start making up the shortfall? I don’t think you are. I don’t think this government sees action on climate change as a priority.

It sees it as something that it has to deal with in public relations, in a spin sort of way, but in terms of concrete action, an investment in this province signals in this budget that that isn’t where we’re going.

I want to talk as well about the full-day learning plan, because I think that what Dr. Charles Pascal brought forward made a lot of sense and was of consequence to this province, of consequence to families and of consequence to children. What he brought forward was an integrated plan for expanding child care in this province, but what we got was not what he set out. If you’ll remember, in his plan he said that you have to take the integrated program as a whole to actually ensure that things make sense.

What we’re seeing now, and what I’m getting in emails from constituents and from people outside of my riding, is the plain fact that for daycare centres that have been economically viable because they’ve had older children, their economics have changed radically. It’s a good thing that there’s full-day learning. The flaw, the fault, is that there is not the funding there to help the other parts of the daycare system survive and in fact expand, to fulfill the promise that was set out in Dr. Pascal’s report. That’s a huge problem.

That is a very huge problem for parents, for families, for children and for the long-term good of this society. That is something that has to be corrected when this budget is debated, when this budget is voted on.

The failure to provide high-quality, universally affordable daycare and the failure to put in place a transition plan undermines the earning potential of Ontario families, frankly, because it reduces—I say “reduces” because there’s the potential for loss of a lot of daycare spaces—the investment we make in our children. That is not good for the long-term health and viability of this society.

In the short time remaining to me, I want to say that the elimination of the special diet allowance is also part of that short-sighted approach to the well-being of people in this province. People who are on welfare, who have a medical condition, who are going to lose their medical allowance or have it cut back dramatically are going to find it very difficult to live. These people will wind up in hospitals, they’ll wind up in doctor’s offices, and they will be trying to deal with medical conditions that flow from a lack of an adequate diet.

Not only is it morally wrong to do that, but in practical dollars and cents it’s wrong to do that. In fact, you can have a very expensive medical intervention or you can have a far less expensive and humane allocation of funds so that people can eat properly. That’s a substantial problem in this budget, a substantial problem in this approach, and it reflects that short-sightedness. We are failing to make the investments that will cut our costs in the long run and provide us with a better quality of life in the long run, and imposing substantial burdens on individuals and on society right now.

This budget is profoundly flawed.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Further debate?

Mrs. Julia Munro: I’m pleased to be able to take the time to have a little discussion here on this particular motion. What we’re looking at is a supply bill, which obviously is something that means the business of government, in terms of payments to be made—is the issue of this particular motion. But it means that it’s an opportunity to look at the way in which the government is spending its money. I’m going to take the time here to look at three different areas that I think merit particular emphasis.

The first one is simply understanding that one of the fundamental responsibilities of government is the management of taxpayers’ money. That’s where all the money comes from, and obviously the trust that people put in their elected representatives is to demonstrate that they have that trust in the management of their own money. But there have been a couple of examples that I think demonstrate why people are cynical and certainly suspicious about the way in which their own money is used.

We’ve seen in the last few months the question of untendered contracts, the fact that people have been awarded business opportunities, and in fact quite lucrative ones, particularly in the eHealth scandal, and now we’re looking at ones with the local health integration networks, which are commonly referred to as the LHINs. Here again, we see untendered contracts. Now, in question period the government has referred to the fact that they changed the rules, that this is not the opportunity it once was.

Aside from that, I think it’s important to understand that the government is in the business, and has been in the business forever, on the issue of procurement; that is, making opportunity available to the private sector to undertake some responsibility, whether it’s building something or maintaining something, providing advice as consultants—there’s an entire range of activities that fall under that.

So it seems to me, given the fact that this process is a historic, well-honoured process, that the notion that the reason the government fell into this trap of untendered contracts has something to do with the rules and the need to change them is very unfortunate, because obviously there were always rules on tendering, and this seems to diminish the importance this government has on the importance of those rules.

Another area that people expect, of course, is the delivery of services. What we are witnessing in the immediate past is that too often the government is cutting corners. They are looking at the delivery of certain services, and I would suggest that this ends up being a false economy. In my riding, it’s well known amongst the people who are receiving services from the CCAC that there has been a decrease in those services. What happens as a result? People are forced to use a more expensive process from the taxpayer point of view, and that is, of course, through the door of the hospital, with the inefficiencies, then, that that creates within the hospital.

Another example is the plight of the children’s aid societies representing two areas: Simcoe and York. I was involved in the discussions that the respective children’s aid services were finding in meeting what is their legally mandated responsibility; that is, to look after the most frail and vulnerable children in the community. They found themselves in the position of having to lay off workers, and then at literally the 11th hour, the ministry came in with some funding to take them to today, March 31, the end of the fiscal year. That kind of instability creates more problems.

It would seem, again, to demonstrate that by cutting these corners, by leaving these organizations desperate for money and having to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities—that meant they had to lay off people and give notices back in December. That’s not good management. That’s not the way to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

Finally, I would like to just give a couple of figures on another area: the deficit, which is the gap between what monies are anticipated and what monies are going to be spent. That deficit is at the point of $21 billion, the largest in Ontario’s history and a greater amount than the entire deficit of every other province put together. We also have a debt; a debt that has gone, since this government took office, from $148 billion to $289 billion. This is the legacy of this government to the children and grandchildren of the province. It has meant that we have dropped into have-not status, which again is for the first and only time in Ontario’s history.

All of this, then, naturally creates a concern about what the future holds. Well, our leader, Tim Hudak, has come up with 10for2010.ca as a vehicle to outline practical, affordable and convenient opportunities that we believe this government should be taking. We believe that they should be doing things that create jobs and stimulate the economy and encourage consumer and investor confidence. When we look at the kind of spending that this government has taken—the corners cut, the false economies—these are all things that take away from consumer and private sector confidence.

I want to just finish on the fact that there are alternatives. There are things that we could be doing that this government is not doing.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Further debate?

M me France Gélinas: It is my pleasure to rise in the House this morning and talk a little bit about this bill. The first thing I would like to talk about is the 1.5% increase that was included in the budget for hospitals.

I had the pleasure to tour rural and northern Ontario with the Ontario Health Quality Council. I was on a panel, and I will name my colleagues because it will become pertinent pretty soon. The first one is Dr. Claudette Chase. Dr. Chase is a physician serving remote First Nations communities. Another panellist was the Honourable Roger Gallaway. Roger was a Liberal member of Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton from 1993-2004. I also had Dr. Tim Macdonald. Dr. Macdonald is a surgeon. He was with the Armed Forces in Canada but was also the former chief of staff of Englehart hospital. I was also on the panel with Mrs.

Barb Proctor. Barb is a retired registered nurse, and she is from Prince Edward county. We also had Kay Tod. Kay is also a nurse. She was an executive member of the RNAO, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, as well as a past president of the Ontario Nurses’ Association, local 32.

Together we went to 12 different rural and northern communities. Those included Wallaceburg, Shelburne, Kincardine, Welland, Cobourg, Port Perry, Haliburton, Burk’s Falls, Winchester, Picton, St. Joseph Island and New Liskeard. What we saw and what we heard from the hundreds of people who came to those hearings was that they feel that the shortfalls in funding to hospitals are being compensated on the back of small rural and northern hospitals.

In each and every one of those communities, people came and told us about service cuts. The first one, which was almost in all of their comments, is that they would divest themselves of the physiotherapy department, of their outpatient physios, and they would divest themselves of their diabetes education. In some of them, if you look at Fort Erie or Port Colborne, it was the emergency departments that were closed, to the point where those people would come and explain to us the effect that this is having on the community.

Once the hospital does not have a critical mass of services anymore, they start to lose staff—all of them. I remember in Picton, a delegation of dietitians came to tell us that they were all being laid off. Their layoff notices, actually, will be executed today—six nutritionists, highly trained people, helping people manage diabetes. We know that type 2 diabetes is going to reach epidemic proportions in Ontario. We’re expecting a million more Ontarians to have type 2 diabetes, yet we’re laying off trained nutritionists who have specialty training in helping people deal with diabetes and prevent it. That we heard all over the place.

Once those professionals are gone—in some of the areas, like Burk’s Falls, they lost their professionals long ago—it makes it really hard for them to recruit and keep the other services viable. It then makes it hard for them to recruit physicians, and people start to have difficulty with access to primary care, because there is nothing in their community that they can offer a physician but solo practice. Very few physicians want to go to a community where they are the only show in town.

That means if your patient presents with musculoskeletal problems, you don’t have a physiotherapist to refer to; you have to handle them yourself. When a person comes to you with grief, there’s no bereavement, there are no social workers to refer to. When a patient comes to you with diabetes, there is no dietitian; you are on your own. This is not conducive to providing good-quality care. We all know that for primary care to be good-quality care, primary care has to be offered by a team.

So as we gut services out of remote, rural northern Ontario, it becomes impossible for those communities to have access to good-quality primary care, and it goes downhill from there.

We heard this in every community we went to—people, having just had hip surgery, being discharged and being unable to access physiotherapy. I remember one person who had a total knee replacement who could not extend her knee fully. She needs physio or she will lose range of motion for the rest of her life. And although the most expensive part of the care, the surgery, was there for her, she could not access physio to make that surgery a success—success being regaining full use of her leg without pain. So the health care system was ready to pay for the expensive care but was not ready to pay for the physiotherapy that would make her mobile.

I remember a very nice-looking younger woman who was in a motor vehicle accident and who came to present—the same thing happened to her. She lived in a rural area. The physiotherapy had been closed. There was private, for-profit physio close by, but she did not have the money to pay, which means that services were not available to her. This is happening throughout rural and northern Ontario, and we don’t see anything in the budget to change this.

Other things we don’t see in the budget: There is no investment in health promotion and disease prevention in keeping people well—what we in the NDP call the second stage of medicare. If we want to curb the escalating costs of our health care system that is there to treat people when they are sick, you have to invest upstream. You have to keep people well. There is nothing being said or done in Ontario to try to keep people well. All we do is say that we cannot afford the escalating costs of our health care system.

Je voulais également parler du programme de la maternelle et du jardin à temps plein. La maternelle et le jardin à temps plein est une bonne idée. Il n’y a personne qui va vous dire que ce n’est pas une bonne idée. Un investissement dans la petite enfance est quelque chose de bien.

Du côté francophone, dans les écoles séparées comme dans les écoles publiques, on offre la maternelle et le jardin à temps plein depuis longtemps. Malheureusement, le projet de loi qui a été présenté n’a pas été présenté d’une façon qui est respectueuse de ce qui se passe dans la communauté francophone déjà. Ce projet de loi-là n’a pas été fait pour les francophones et n’a pas écouté les francophones non plus.

Les communautés francophones sont encore fragiles et ont besoin de protection, mais le projet de loi, comme il est en ce moment, est tellement rigide que les structures qui ont été développées et mises en place par les écoles francophones ne seront pas capables de continuer.

Certaines écoles sont capables de s’adapter, mais pour bien d’autres, ça va vouloir dire une diminution de services à la population francophone dans son ensemble parce que les garderies, les services à la petite enfance, et cetera, qui s’étaient développés pour appuyer le programme en place, n’auront plus de masse critique pour pouvoir continuer.

Du côté francophone, on dit que le projet de loi, dans sa forme actuelle, aura pour impact d’augmenter l’assimilation des étudiants francophones. Pourquoi est-ce que le gouvernement n’écouterait pas les francophones quand on leur dit que leur projet de loi va assimiler les petits Franco-Ontariens et les petites Franco-Ontariennes? Je ne peux pas croire que notre gouvernement veut faire ça. Ils doivent nous écouter. Ils doivent écouter les francophones et mettre de la flexibilité dans le projet de loi pour protéger contre l’assimilation et également pour aider avec la pénurie d’éducatrices et d’éducateurs à la petite enfance.

Dans un dernier temps—I see that I’m running out of time.

I wanted to talk about the energy credit in the bill. The energy credit of between $130 for a single person and $200 for a family will not cover the increase that the HST will bring to the people of the north. We’re looking at an average of $270 for the people of the north. If the government is serious that they want to help the north, don’t put the HST on energy.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Ms. Smith has moved concurrence in supply for the Ministry of Finance, supplementaries only. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Ms. Smith has moved second reading of Bill 17,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Second reading agreed to.

SUPPLY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE CRÉDITS DE 2010

Ms. Smith, on behalf of Mr. Duncan, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 17,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 / Projet de loi 17, Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2010.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Orders of the day?

Hon. Monique M. Smith: We have no further business at this time.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): There being no further business at this time, this House is in recess until 10:30 of the clock.

The House recessed from 0954 to 1030.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Peter Kormos: I’ve got some folks here from down Niagara region, people who have been fighting the McGuinty health care cuts and hospital closures: Marelyn Athoe, Dori Emerson, Fiona McMurren, June Robinson, Joy Russell and Pat Schoefield.

Mrs. Joyce Savoline: I’m happy today that we have visitors from Burlington. Bert and Mae Radford are residents of Burlington who are billeting a Rotary exchange student from Denmark. I welcome Bert and Mae, and also Mille Stockfisch, from Vojens, Denmark.

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome—they’re going to be here shortly—the grade 7 and 8 class from St. Peter’s school in Quinte West. They have a bunch of friends, exchange students from Yukon, and they’ll be here shortly.

Also, I’d like to introduce my good friend Bob Dodds, from my riding of Northumberland–Quinte West, in the west gallery.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I’m not sure if my guests are here, but I’d like to welcome to the Legislature Dennise Taylor-Gilhen, Lynda McKenzie and John Parkhurst, who are all here today with the Parkinson Society Canada.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I want to introduce some of my staff—Paul, Susan, Heather and Susan’s daughter Emma—to Queen’s Park.

Also today, Fashion Design Council of Canada has been in the building. It’s Fashion Week.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: I would like to take this opportunity to wish happy birthday to our colleague from Hamilton Mountain. Since she has been here, she has been getting younger and younger.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’d like to introduce to the House today friends of Ontario in the members’ gallery east, and my colleague from Peterborough will have a further statement later in the day. In the gallery are Mr. Ed Carter-Edwards, an Allied airman shot down in World War II, and my friend from Peterborough will elaborate on that later today; his wife, Lois Carter-Edwards; their son Dennis Carter-Edwards; Karen Carter-Edwards, daughter-in-law; Craig Carter-Edwards, a grandson; and Sean Carter-Edwards, their great-grandson. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: While they’re not quite in the gallery yet, I’m going to acknowledge the visit to Queen’s Park today by Mr. David Pranger and the grade 5 class of Holbrook public school, which is located in my riding of Hamilton Centre. I welcome them.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m very pleased to introduce today several friends and family members of page Mathilda Murray. We have Mathilda’s mom, Lisa; her brother Jack Murray; her uncle Kevin Schildroth; her aunt Beth Malloy; Tony Weldon; Suzanne Malloy, Mathilda’s grandmother; and last and certainly not least, her grandfather Tony Malloy. Welcome to all.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): On behalf of the member from Vaughan and page Catia Marceau, I’d like to welcome her mother, Giulia Marceau, and family friend Rob Castellarin to the members’ gallery east. Welcome.

On behalf of the member from Brampton West and page Colin Boyle, I’d like to welcome his mother, Joe-Anne Boyle; his father, Bill Boyle; his grandmother Anne Armeni; and his sister Caitlin Boyle to the members’ gallery today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

There being no further introductions, it is time for oral questions.

ORAL QUESTIONS

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

Mrs. Christine Elliott: My question is for the Premier. Everything you said about a wage freeze last week was qualified when you admitted this week that there are exemptions for years of service, performance, learning and who knows what else. Everything you said about not raising taxes was qualified when you raised the health tax, four taxes on energy bills and the HST. Everything you said about putting an end to untendered contracts was qualified by your untendered deals for Casino Niagara, the Windsor Energy Centre, and with local health integration consultants.

Premier, does everything you say come with fine print?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: There’s a lot in there, but on the other hand, there’s nothing in there. Let me just say that as my friends scramble about in search of a positive policy that, at some point in time, hopefully, they will place before the people of Ontario, I want to remind my colleagues that we have a plan for Ontarians—it’s called Open Ontario. It’s about committing ourselves to a province that is enthusiastic about our future. We’re not shrinking from a world that the Conservatives see that threatens us; we see a world that welcomes us.

We want to find ways to continue to invest in the quality of our health care and the quality of the education that we deliver to all our children. We’re going to find ways, for example, to make Toronto an elite financial centre that attracts still more investment from around the world. We’re moving forward; they’re mired in the past.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mrs. Christine Elliott: It’s difficult to get to the meaning of what the Premier is trying to say when everything is in the fine print, and then the fine print is buried. The June 17 press announcement, in which he said, “From now on, the government and all its agencies will no longer allow sole-sourced contracts,” does not have an asterisk.

Up until this week, Premier McGuinty said he put an end to all sole-sourced contracts, but unfortunately, the Liberals are trying to cancel the public review of the LHINs, where we could hold the Premier to account for his on-again, off-again ban.

Can Premier McGuinty explain the difference between an untendered contract and an untendered contract extension?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: My honourable colleague the Minister of Health has, at some considerable length now, had the opportunity to speak to those very issues, but let me tell you about the big picture here from the Conservative perspective.

If you want to shut down hospitals, you’ve got to get rid of the community champions, so you’re going to have to get rid of the LHINs. If you want to fire nurses, you’re going to have to get rid of community champions, so you’re going to have to get rid of the LHINs. If you want to reduce hospital beds, you’ve got to get rid of community champions.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The members from Renfrew and Welland.

Members will please come to order. I think most members would want to have a question period and not have the Speaker stand.

Premier?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: If your real agenda is to make cuts to health care and to compromise the quality of health care services for Ontario families, then you want to get rid of the LHINs. That’s why we can expect from this party, for a protracted period of time now, an ongoing assault on community members who decide to participate in their LHINs in their communities to stand up for their community health care. That’s what this is really all about.

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

Mrs. Christine Elliott: Any suggestion that the Progressive Conservatives want to make deep cuts in health care is complete nonsense, but back to the question.

Up until this week, Premier McGuinty said he put an end to all untendered contracts, but now the McGuinty Liberals are defending the untendered contracts they handed out to communications and administrative consultants.

The Waterloo Wellington LHIN didn’t put contracts out for competitive bids if the consultant was “highly regarded,” the LHIN was “short-staffed,” or it was a contract extension. How do we know? They told us.

Did Premier McGuinty scrap the public review of the LHINs to keep us from finding out these flimsy excuses, or did he have something else to hide?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Just to refresh my honourable colleague’s memory about the construct that was in place that we have changed, governments used to have regional health offices in the communities. Those were sub-offices of the Toronto-based ministry in Ontario communities. We’ve changed that. We’ve put representatives of the community at play, exercising a role of influence for good in a community.

So again, if you wanted to put in place a plan to make dramatic cuts to health care, you’ve got to get rid of the LHINs, because they’re going to stand in the way of those health cuts. They’ll be opposed to reducing hospital beds; they’ll be opposed to nurse-firings; they’ll be opposed to hospital closures.

We have LHINs in place. We support Ontarians, we support their LHINs because they’re standing up for local community health care, and we’ll continue to find ways to work with them.

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

Mrs. Christine Elliott: Again, my question is to the Premier: Our freedom-of-information records show that bureaucrats at unelected, unaccountable, anonymous local health integration networks like to keep untendered contracts in the family.

Take Barry Monaghan: The former CEO of the Toronto Central LHIN walked away from what the 2008 sunshine list reported to be a $351,000 salary to become a health care consultant and was handed an untendered contract from the Mississauga LHIN. Actually, it was two untendered contracts: On the very same day, the Mississauga LHIN handed him a second sweetheart deal covering the same time period.

If getting caught allowing this double-dipping to happen isn’t why you scrapped the public review of the LHINs, then what are you hiding?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, this is part of an ongoing effort to malign the LHINs and the people in their communities who choose to serve in those.

My honourable colleague made reference to these anonymous people. There are 105 current Ontarians who have been appointed to serve on their local health integration network. All of those appointments are referred to the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. Of the 105 current appointees, the Conservative Party only called seven to the standing committee, and they were in favour of each and every one of those.

So you can’t have it both ways: You can’t say that you support community-based health care, you can’t say you support Ontarians who come to the aid of their community health care and at the same time malign them. Either you are in favour of local health integration networks, local influence on health care or you’re not. They believe LHINs stand in the way of quality health care.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mrs. Christine Elliott: To the point of this question, which is that the Premier promised that there would be no more untendered contracts, and clearly they’re continuing to happen. Just like with eHealth, work is being built on contracts before they’re even being signed, and they’re untendered. Our freedom-of-information records show that you let it happen again in 2009, when the Mississauga LHIN did two untendered contract extensions on the same day: one paying $42,000 for three months’ work and one paying $42,000 for two months’ work. No wonder Monaghan left the Toronto Central LHIN and his measly $351,000 salary.

Did you scrap the public review of the LHINs to protect Barry Monaghan or to protect yourself?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, just to repeat what the Minister of Health has already said, we believe that it is only sensible and realistic to have a review conducted once the LHINs have fully assumed all of their responsibilities, and they have yet to do that. We’ve already put a review in place. KPMG took at look at this. They’ve come up with some 47 separate recommendations. We’ve adopted all of them. They’re all either implemented or under way.

Again, fundamentally, what this is all about is, if your agenda is truly to find savings in health care, if you want to make cuts to health care—if you want to close hospitals, if you want to fire nurses and if you want to reduce hospital beds—you’ve got to get rid of the LHINs. So we can expect an extended strategy and series of tactics now deployed by the Conservative Party to undermine public confidence in the LHINs, because they stand in the way of this party’s agenda to make cuts to our health care. That’s exactly why we will continue to support our LHINs.

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

Mrs. Christine Elliott: I’d suggest that the Premier is imputing motive here on our side, which is clearly not true. We are not in favour of cutting public health care. We are not in favour of making cuts in that area.

But again, back to the question: Our—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. Member from Simcoe North.

Start the clock.

Please continue.

Mrs. Christine Elliott: Our FOI records also show that Premier McGuinty was paying Monaghan for a super-LHIN he called the LHIN collaborative. Others assigned to work on the super-LHIN are a who’s who of the untendered-contract feeding frenzy at eHealth. Matt Anderson is on the eHealth board and related to Michael Guerriere, who got sweetheart deals from eHealth and the LHINs. Ken Deane approved untendered contracts at eHealth. John McKinley blocked the auditor’s eHealth investigation. Did the Premier scrap the public review of the LHINs because McKinley blocked the Ombudsman?

Or was it to bury proof of this year’s sunshine list executives turned consultants? Or does he have something else to hide?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Speaker, I—

Mr. John Yakabuski: Would you like to super-size that LHIN—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final warning for the member from Renfrew.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Durham.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Somebody else want to be on borrowed time?

Premier.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Those Ontarians who take responsibility for LHIN activities are appointees. There are 105 of them, and we’re lucky to have them rise to the occasion and assume those responsibilities.

I want to come back to the theme here, which I think is very important. They’re going to be selective in terms of trying to malign or demean certain individuals, but the people who are taking responsibility for the decisions are 105 Ontarians who have agreed to serve on their local health integration network. They believe in what we believe, which is that the community itself should be lending shape to health care policy so that it best serves the interests of the community. They want to go back to a system where you put regional offices of the Ministry of Health in communities so you can dictate from on high.

We have a different approach. We believe in local integration. We believe in local quality—

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

HEALTH CARE FUNDING

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The question is to the Premier. Last week’s budget will leave families scrambling to deal with more closed emergency rooms, more closed clinics and more delayed surgeries. We’re joined today by patients from across Ontario who are here in the west members’ gallery who are feeling the crunch.

My question is this: Is the Premier prepared to look these patients in the eye and yet again deny that he’s making cuts to front-line health care services that people rely on every single day?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I appreciate the question from my honourable colleague and I want to remind her—and perhaps she would use this information to remind Ontarians as well—about our accurate record when it comes to health care. No government has ever escalated investment in health care more quickly than ours in the history of our province. We’ve increased funding for hospitals by over 40% since 2003. We’ve hired thousands more nurses. We have invested heavily in building new hospitals and expanding existing hospitals. We’ve got wait times down for MRIs, CTs, knee operations, hip operations, cardiac operations, cataract procedures and cancer surgeries as well. That is our record when it—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier forgets that real people have to live with the consequences of his cutbacks. Marelyn, who’s here today, had to watch as a family member who suffered a stroke languished in the Niagara Falls ER for seven days. That hospital has been overwhelmed since the closure of emergency rooms at Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Will the Premier look at Marelyn and tell her that her front-line health care services aren’t actually being hurt?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: There’s no doubt about it: There is always more work to do. One of the exercises that we’re going to have to participate in together has to do with how we can find a way to continue to ensure that we can continue to fund the growth in our health care system.

Twenty years ago, when I got here, it was 32 cents on the dollar that went into health care; now it’s 46 cents. They tell us that shortly it’s going to be 70 cents. That will compromise our ability to fund our kids’ schools. It will compromise our ability to invest in our roads and our bridges, in supports for our vulnerable and investments in economic growth. So that’s an important conversation we’re all going to have to participate in very shortly.

But I can say that along the way we will continue to find more ways to invest more dollars in the health care system, to find efficiencies where that makes sense, and to find ways to improve the quality of care we deliver.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier talks about money that’s being thrown into the health care system, but it’s not being wisely invested, and that’s the problem we have in this province.

Marelyn’s story, unfortunately, is just one of many, many stories. Mr. Richer suffered a heart attack and had to be transferred three times to get the care he needed. He and countless other Ontarians live in constant fear that the ambulance or emergency care when they need it is not going to be there for them. How dare this Premier try to justify cuts that are leaving families all over Ontario coping with closures, coping with cutbacks and coping with lost services?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Speaker, $113 million more I don’t call a cut, and I don’t think my honourable colleague, were she to consider it carefully, would either.

Hospital funding is up by 50% over the last seven years. It’s going up by another 4.9% this year. That includes a 1.5% increase in the overall base funding formula to meet the service requirements of hospitals. We’ve added more hospital beds, and about 2,000 more are now in the works. We’ve opened 8,000 new long-term-care-home beds, and there are almost 2,000 more in the works.

Now we’re going to turn our mind towards innovating, to ensuring that we can provide quality. We’ve done a lot to increase access. For example, 900,000 more Ontarians now have access to a family doctor. But we want to do a lot more to ensure that the care they are getting is in fact high-quality.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: That’s cool comfort for the patients who are here today.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My second question is to the Premier as well. While concerned citizens have watched their ERs close and their loved ones spend weeks in emergency rooms, some people have actually seen salary windfalls in the province of Ontario in the health care sector. Between 2003, when the Premier came to office, and 2008, the average salary of hospital executives increased by 36%. Does the Premier think it’s fair to be closing ERs while health dollars are spent on seven-figure salaries?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I think everyone who enjoys the privilege of working in public service and is paid for by the provincial taxpayer has a responsibility to be accountable and to ensure that the salary they are receiving, the compensation, can always be qualified as fair.

The approach that we are bringing through this budget, as you are well aware, is to lead by example. Everybody in this House is having their pay frozen for three years. What we’re asking of everybody else in the public sector is that we freeze their wages for two years. We think that’s fair.

The commitment we are also making is that all those savings will be reinvested in our schools, in our hospitals and in our other public services. We think that’s a responsibility that we share and one that I would invite all Ontarians in public service to assume.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Clifford Nordal, the CEO at St. Joseph’s hospital and London Health Sciences Centre, made more than $700,000 last year. He’s retiring at the end of this year, and Londoners have been told that two CEOs are going to be hired to replace him. Does the Premier think it’s right that cancer patients in London lose their nurses while $1.5 million goes to paying two new CEOs?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: As my honourable colleague will understand, we don’t set those salaries. Those are determined locally by the hospital boards. I know that she would want to join me in encouraging all those people who work on our hospital boards to be very careful when it comes to making determinations about those salary levels, what is appropriate and what is inappropriate, not only being mindful of our economic circumstances, but also being mindful all the time of how hard families work to contribute their tax dollars to their precious public services.

So I know my colleague would want to join me in sending that important message to those people who are making those decisions about those salaries.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier talks a good game about restraint, yet only patients see it, while hospital CEOs continue to cash in.

I have a very simple request of the Premier: If he is serious, will he cancel all bonuses for hospital CEOs this year?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, my honourable colleague, I’m sure, will want to understand that this is a matter between hospital boards and their employees. I’m wondering if there are any other agreements she would call upon us to interfere with. It’s only one small step from private contractual arrangements to those involving collective agreements, and I’m wondering if my colleague is going to take the next step, perhaps in another question, and ask me to now interfere with collective agreements.

There is some sanctity associated with these kinds of contracts, and as a matter of principle we think we have to honour contracts that are already in place.

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is to the Premier. The McGuinty Liberals have diverted $176 million from front-line health care to salaries and administration at his unelected and unaccountable health bureaucracies known as the LHINs. In fact, in just three years the number of executives at the LHINs who earn more than $100,000 a year has more than doubled. The sunshine list for 2008 reports that Barry Monaghan made $351,000 from a LHIN he didn’t even work at.

My question is a simple one: Did the Premier cancel the public review of the LHINs because his LHINs are the new all-stars in today’s sunshine list?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Health.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Once again, the members opposite continue to attack the local health integration networks. Those networks are in place to provide better care for patients. The work they do is all about improving care for patients as they transition from one part of our health care system to another part of the health care system.

The work they’re doing is very important for the future of our health care system and it’s important for the people today who, as they go through a period of health care, would have a time when they need the intensive support available in a hospital; then there would be a time when they could use home care and other community supports. The whole goal of the LHINs is to ease that transition. It’s important work, and it’s important that it be done in the community.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: The $351,000 that Barry Monaghan scooped from the Toronto Central LHIN is the kind of severance package that an HST collector could only dream about. Over that same time frame where the 2006-07 sunshine list grew by 150%, total salaries and compensation at the LHINs grew by 213%. That doesn’t even include the millions being handed out in untendered contracts and what we have now found out to be untendered contract extensions with consultants.

So my question to the Premier: How many more millions of dollars will be diverted from front-line care to pay the rich executive salaries of unelected and—

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

Hon. Deborah Matthews: As I said, the party opposite has a very different vision of the future of health care in this province than the people on this side. Their agenda is crystal clear: They will deny that they want to cut health care in this province, but their stated position is to freeze spending. Anyone who works in health care understands that a freeze is a cut.

Make no mistake about it: We are committed to continue to improve health care in this province, to continue to improve access, to continue to bring down wait times, to get better value for the money we spend in health care and to focus on quality. Our health care record speaks for itself, and, sadly, so does theirs.

FIRE SAFETY

Mr. Paul Miller: My question is to the Premier. We’re all concerned about the safety of seniors in retirement homes. There have been three horrific retirement home fires in the past few years, causing death and permanent injury. Much of this could have been alleviated if the government had required mandatory sprinkler systems in all retirement homes across our province. Yesterday, the government introduced a bill that falls drastically short.

Will the government take this bill back to the drawing board and implement mandatory fire sprinkler systems in all retirement homes in our province?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Community Safety.

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: It’s a very important question and it requires an answer that will instill some confidence in our fire safety system. I have that confidence.

When we look at the record of investments that we’ve made in fire safety in the province of Ontario, I think our government can be very proud. When we look at the changes to the Ontario building code and the Ontario fire code, I think we can be very proud of those changes.

Certainly, there is no question: Sprinklers are an important tool. They are one tool in fire safety. We have to ensure that we provide a fire safety plan—

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

Mr. Paul Miller: That was an interesting reply. The Ontario firefighters, whom you were just talking about, and fire chiefs across this province are strongly urging that sprinkler systems in all retirement homes be mandatory immediately. Lives are at risk, loved ones are concerned, yet the government seems to be passing the buck between ministries.

How many more lives have to be sacrificed before this government does the right thing, steps up to the plate and legislates mandatory sprinkler systems in all retirement homes immediately?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: The member referenced the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, so I want to read from a letter that Fred LeBlanc, the president, sent to me. He said, “We are concerned that there will be too much emphasis on and faith placed in technology, resulting in a false sense of security.” They are not a magic bullet. They are only one of the many tools required to adequately protect the residents in the event of a structural fire.

We agree with the professional firefighters that they’re an important tool, but they are only one tool in the arsenal to fight fires.

NORTHERN ONTARIO

Mr. David Orazietti: My question is to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Recently in our budget, I was very pleased to learn that your ministry will be providing $15 million for infrastructure upgrades to the 288-kilometre Huron Central Railway line from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury. As you know, the economy of northern Ontario is also struggling, and this investment is essential to businesses in the region.

In yesterday’s Sault Star, Brenda Stenta, spokesperson for Essar Steel Algoma, said, “The government has demonstrated their commitment to a vital piece of infrastructure, and without the rail system to transport product, Essar Steel would be putting an additional 350 to 400 trucks on the road per week, something that has negative environmental and social costs.”

This investment secures 45 direct jobs, 100 indirect jobs and supports thousands of workers and businesses along the rail line in northeastern Ontario.

Minister, can you elaborate on other infrastructure investments that we are making—

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

Hon. Brad Duguid: I want to begin by thanking the member from Sault Ste. Marie, who has done a great job on this project. He’s been a relentless advocate for the Huron Central rail project; he really has. I know his community is really excited about this, as are we.

This government recognizes the importance of this project to Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and all communities in between. It’s a critical link for northeastern Ontario that will help expand business and project jobs. Without this funding, the Huron Central rail line was in danger of being shut down. The closure of this vital link would have had detrimental effects on local communities. That’s why, in our 2010 budget, we committed $15 million toward capital repairs for this very important line.

Again, I thank the honourable member—

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

Mr. David Orazietti: This is great news for our region. I want to thank you and our Minister of Finance for helping to address in a very real way the needs of northern Ontario. I certainly hope that my NDP colleagues from northern Ontario, who have been calling for these types of investments, will support these investments in our budget.

The northern industrial electricity rate program, averaging $150 million annually, will help make large industrial power users more competitive and will help to protect jobs. The mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, John Rowswell, said, “This is absolutely great for Essar Steel and I’m hoping it will make a difference for St. Marys Paper.”

Minister, can you comment on how this energy program and others contained in the budget will assist industry and our residents?

Hon. Brad Duguid: We’re introducing the northern—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. I’m trying to understand how your question and the supplementary are related. They’re not.

New question.

LOCAL HEALTH

INTEGRATION NETWORKS

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is to the Premier.

Yesterday, the Premier ducked accountability for untendered contracts that he allowed the LHINs to hand out after his on-again, off-again ban. Seven consecutive questions were pawned off to the Minister of Health. In fact, the Minister of Health may want to take a look at the Hansard from September 23, 2009, and then have a chat with the member for Don Valley East to find out what happened to him the last time Dalton McGuinty forced a minister to carry the can.

So, to the Premier, a very simple question: Who made the call to scrap the public review of the LHINs? Was it the Minister of Health or was it you?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Health.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: As we’ve talked about much, today and throughout the week, the LHINs are a very important part of our vision for the future of health care in this province. It’s very important that we give them the time they need to get established, to do the work, so that when we do review the LHINs with an all-party committee of the House, we will have a full understanding of what they are doing well and what we need to change in the act to ensure that they do it even better. The appropriate thing to do is to make sure that they have the full range of their mandate in place before we start that review. That will take place in two years’ time.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: So I guess the Minister of Health cancelled the review, according to the Premier. But what Ontarians need to know is if they can bring out a magnifying glass to read the fine print in what the Premier and his ministers say is accountability.

The Ministry of Health accounts for more than half the provincial budget, and these LHINs are your babies, but just like with eHealth, as soon as the tough questions get asked about patient dollars being wasted, Premier McGuinty beats a hasty retreat to his thinking place and leaves it to others to explain the unexplainable. No wonder caucus morale over there is lower than a garter snake on a backcountry road.

André Marin is on to you, so you want him out the door; and we are on to you, so you’re blocking the public review of the LHINs.

So I’ve got another question: What are you trying to hide, Premier?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I must say that I’m having difficulty pulling the question out from that little rant. Anyway, let me try again.

The LHINs are a very important piece of our health care system. They knit together the health care services that patients in this province need. The LHINs are there to improve the course of care of patients.

We, in this province, have too many people, for example, who are in hospital beds and would be better served in the community with home care, in long-term care or in one of the range of options available to them. The LHINs are the organizations that are really responsible for driving the improvements in health care that will help those people move into the most appropriate and best level of care. The work of the LHINs is critically important.

MINISTRY GRANTS

Mr. Michael Prue: My question is for Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. In April 2007, the Bengali Cultural Society, a group with absolutely impeccable Liberal ties, received $250,000 of taxpayers’ money granted to provide community services for the growing Bangladeshi community. The cheque was turned over to the Bengali Cultural Society’s partner agency and a building was purchased in 2008. It has now been three full years since the money was doled out. Can the minister explain why there are still no programs serving the Bangladeshi community?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I was pleased to speak with the member from Beaches–East York about this issue several days ago. As he of course is aware, the Bengali Cultural Society indeed was one of the organizations that in 2006-07 received funding for multi-year projects. The society received funding that was used to purchase a new facility, in partnership with COSTI Immigrant Services. The Bengali society reported that the funds have been successfully spent for the intended purpose, and the ministry has closed the file on this grant. We hope that both organizations continue to meet the needs of our newcomers.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Prue: Over the past six months, I have spoken personally to two ministers and the staff of two ministers’ offices, and they’ve told me the same thing you said today: The file is closed.

There was no follow-up, even after I brought this situation to the government’s attention in January, and no follow-up today. Our worst predictions have been realized: $250,000 of taxpayers’ money have been handed out and aren’t being used for the purposes for which they were intended.

How much more Liberal slush fund money has been mishandled, and why is this government washing its hands of the blatant squandering of millions of taxpayers’ dollars?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Again, I was pleased to speak with the member opposite about this issue several days ago. He knows that the Auditor General conducted a review of the 2006-07 year-end reinvestment process and provided a thorough report that stated there was no evidence that any organization received a grant because it had political ties.

We have also improved the process for organizations wanting to apply for this type of funding in the future, in accordance with the auditor’s recommendations.

The society in question, the Bengali Cultural Society, issued their final report early last year, indicating that the funds had been expended according to the intended purposes of the grant. The ministry has closed the file.

USE OF TASERS

Mr. Glen R. Murray: My question is for Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the member for the great city of Sudbury. Minister, I am aware that officers who have access to conducted energy weapons find them to be useful in apprehending those suspected of misconduct. However, in discussion with my constituents, I’m also aware of the concerns they have about how and when police should be using them.

Minister, you have said publicly that your ministry initiated a review to look in detail at CEW training requirements, reporting procedures and precautionary measures. Yesterday you announced a new guideline on the use of conducted energy weapons in Ontario and that the province will continue to take a measured approach to the use of CEWs.

Is this new guideline based on the recommendations from that report, and how will the guidelines ensure Ontario families in my community stay safe?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: I want to thank the member from Toronto Centre, Glen Murray, for the question. It’s an important question, and he’s an important partner in community safety.

Ontario is a national leader in the training and use of conducted energy weapons. Our new guidelines are, without question, the most comprehensive in Canada.

These changes are based on the recommendations from our government’s review, a review that consulted stakeholders and partners from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the chiefs of police, police associations and advocacy groups, and pulled information from national and international studies.

Our new guidelines will also mandate that all CEW users and instructors at the police college get the consistent training they require—

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

Mr. Glen R. Murray: I am pleased to hear that Ontario continues to be a national leader in this area and that our province-wide guideline and new training practices will go a long way towards protecting both Ontarian families and our police officers.

I understand the review also concluded that CEWs are a less lethal use-of-force option. Currently in Ontario, the use of CEWs is authorized only to front-line supervisors and various specialized first response teams, such as tactical units and hostage rescue teams.

Even with Ontario’s measured approach, I see from media reports that there are mixed views on the use of CEWs. Some people are calling for an all-out moratorium on their use, while others are calling on the government to expand them to all front-line officers.

Minister, can you elaborate on this issue for us?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: The member has touched on a very, very important issue. Police officers face any number of challenging and unique situations every day. They use their judgment, experience and training to determine how to deal with these situations. We want to make sure that our new guidelines work for those who use them. Therefore, we think that the next logical step is to evaluate how this consistent and new training standard and guideline is working for police.

At present, there are no plans to expand CEW use. My ministry will continue to monitor their use in Ontario, continue to collaborate with our policing partners and continue to provide input into the national research study.

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

Mr. Bill Murdoch: My question is to the Minister of Agriculture. Minister, a couple of weeks ago we were at a meeting with the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture, and their number one priority was the risk management program.

Since then, we’ve had a budget, and I know you have really been in the media, telling how wonderful the budget was. In this budget, you did pick up the daycare that the feds dumped on you. Also, on the radio, you mentioned that your ministry received a lot more money.

I know in your heart of hearts you want to help agriculture; I know that. Madam Minister, today, will you announce the risk management program without the feds—screw the feds. Don’t worry about them. You don’t need them. You have the extra money now. Will you announce this program immediately today?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: Thank you very much for the question. I want to begin with: It was a wonderful budget. I say to you that that support that we have shown the agricultural community has been always there and continues to be in this budget. We saw an increase of $150 million in the ag budget.

I can tell you that that did not happen throughout Canada, but we stand with our farmers. We know that the suite of programs that is available today, quite frankly, isn’t working. We know that what they’re looking for is bankability, predictability and stability. We will work with our farmers, and we are working with the coalition.

I look to add even more information in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary? The member from Oxford.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: My question is also, of course, to the Minister of Agriculture. Minister, you know that the federal government believes that the proposed risk management program would have trade implications if it was implemented nationally. This is an Ontario problem that needs an Ontario solution. Our farmers are competing against people from across Canada who have the support of their provincial government.

Minister, you aren’t a lobbyist; you are a level of government. When are you going to start acting like it and help our farmers?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: I’ll tell you that I’ll stand with my farmers. We recognize in Ontario that regional diversity is the way of the future—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): That’s not helpful, the member from Thornhill. Order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of the Environment.

Minister of Agriculture?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: This is really a critical piece. When I hear that question coming from that side of the House, I have to assume that they stand by Minister Ritz’s comments. Minister Ritz’s comments were that 80% of our farmers are not being affected by the agricultural programs that are available today. It is not providing assistance; 80% of the people are doing just fine.

We say on this side of the House that the programs aren’t working. The suite of programs needs work. We are going to continue the work with the coalition on all of the commodities, sitting at the table. We are going to come forward. The consultation begins with the federal government. I’m encouraging all farmers—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The clock will stop.

Minister of the Environment. I remind the honourable minister that when I’m standing, she’s not to be standing.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Hon. James J. Bradley: Well, you asked.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I didn’t ask.

Mr. Peter Kormos: It has been a while since he’s been thrown out.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): How about yourself, member from Welland?

New question.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. This government’s decision to delay transit projects threatens hundreds of jobs at Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant. More than 400 streetcars were to be assembled in Thunder Bay to operate on Toronto transit lines that are now in budgetary limbo. With the hopes of so many riding on these transit projects, will the Premier admit that he has made a very serious mistake and immediately restore the $4 billion in transit project funding that was cut—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. The member from Thunder Bay will withdraw the comment.

Mr. Bill Mauro: I withdraw, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): And this is a final warning for the member from Thunder Bay as well.

Please continue.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: So the question was, will the Premier admit that he has made a serious mistake and immediately restore the $4 billion of transit project funding that was cut in last week’s budget?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, just to correct my honourable colleague, and she may want to take advantage of the supplementary to admit to this, we’re not talking about a cut here; we’re talking about stretching out an investment in a way that’s more affordable for us. We wanted to do full-day learning all at once. We couldn’t, so we’ve stretched that investment out over a number of years. We’d love to be able to make this dramatic multi-billion dollar-investment in TTC all at once, but we can’t. It’s affordable for us to do it over a number of years. That’s all we’re doing here. We haven’t cut a single program.

In fact, we’re proud to have invested $9.3 billion in public transit as a government. We look forward to investing in those projects, and I’m sure there will be more along the way.

Again, we had to make a choice as to whether we could find savings by stretching out this kind of program or making cuts to our hospitals and schools. We said no to those kinds of cuts and yes to stretching out this investment.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’ve talked to people who work at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay, and they say that delaying the streetcars for the new lines will cause serious harm to their employment prospects. They say that keeping to the present

schedule will allow the company to invest in crucial plant upgrades which will enable Bombardier to secure orders worldwide.

The Premier needs to realize that the long-term future of the plant and hundreds of jobs for families in Thunder Bay are at stake here. Will he restore the transit funding he cut in last week’s budget, or will he stubbornly stick to a wrong-headed decision that could kill hundreds of good-paying jobs in Thunder Bay?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, we think, we believe, we know that the decision we have made is prudent, it’s realistic, it’s responsible and it’s fair, given the circumstances. We’ve merely decided to stretch out these investments over an extended period of time.

But I do want to remind my honourable colleague that she does lead a party which voted against our investment in a TTC subway expansion to York region. I recall visiting that very same Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay. I recall meeting with the workers there. I recall them voicing their great displeasure at the NDP for opposing that investment. So I find it passing strange that today the member would say she’s against our plan—our reasonable, responsible plan—to stretch out this investment over time, which will in fact result eventually in those new jobs.

FIRST NATIONS

Mr. Michael A. Brown: My question is for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. I understand that today, March 31, we have the occasion to celebrate National Aboriginal Languages Day.

The day was established by the Assembly of First Nations in 1989 to create awareness across Canada of the languages of First Nation peoples and to build support for their preservation. We must support this effort. Through supporting language preservation, we are assisting aboriginal peoples and strengthening the cultures and traditions that are part of the very foundation of Canada and Ontario.

What is the purpose of National Aboriginal Day, and why is it important that we celebrate it, Minister?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: Meegwetch. Nyawah. Thank you very much for the question. I am honoured to stand here and celebrate with all of us National Aboriginal Languages Day. I join the First Nations and the Chiefs of Ontario. I join the Anishinabek Mushkegowuk Onkwehonwe Language Commission of Ontario in celebrating this.

Language and culture are essential to our identity—every people’s identity. It is extremely important that we not only preserve but celebrate who we are, and by preserving, protecting and enhancing language and cultural identity, we actually preserve, protect and enhance our own identity and make for a stronger future.

It is extremely important that we all recognize the importance of this day, not only to First Nations but to ourselves.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael A. Brown: I understand that Cree and Ojibway are the first languages spoken by many children in First Nations families across Ontario. Cree is a language spoken in many First Nations in Ontario’s mid- and Far North, and Ojibway is the language of many First Nation communities in the near north, northwestern and southwestern Ontario, but I was surprised to learn that 11 other First Nation languages are in danger of extinction in the province today. How is the province of Ontario supporting the revival and preservation of the aboriginal language?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: Again, thank you very much. There is a history, which unfortunately was not supported either in Ontario or throughout Canada, of the preservation of aboriginal language, First Nation language and culture. The residential schools, for example, were a very sorry and sad blot on our history. We are individually and collectively overcoming the effects of that.

I think the first way we stand to protect and preserve is to support initiatives such as today’s. But it’s not simply an initiative of a day; it’s an initiative of every day. There is a new website launched by the organization to enable people to understand what the languages are and the interrelation between the language of First Nations and Canada. The very word “Canada” derives from a Huron word.

We have a bright future as a country. First Nations have a bright future. Our future—

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

RED TAPE REDUCTION

Mrs. Julia Munro: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. One year ago, your government announced its so-called Open for Business plan to cut red tape for small businesses. You promised a 25% cut in regulations over 24 months, yet in 12 months you have nothing to show for this promise—no plans, no action, no cuts in regulations.

Minister, when are you going to start working on this promise?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I’m delighted to find a critic on the other side of the House. If I may say, our Open for Business strategy has been an aggressive, very innovative way for our government to link up with industry directly, bring industry to the table, actually do that by sector, so that we can talk about their priority areas of concern and actually solve the problems. I’m delighted to say that we’ve made some very good progress, and in your supplementary, I’d be happy to share some of that with you.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mrs. Julia Munro: Time is running out on your promise to help small businesses. It’s already been a full year with no action, yet you even recycled your promise to cut red tape in your Open Ontario plan, or what sounds to me more and more like “oops.” You haven’t cut red tape since you announced the Open for Business plan, so why should anyone believe you now with your “oops” plan?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I’m actually very pleased to suggest to you that the number of business organizations that we have been dealing with for the last several months is growing—a number of associations across a number of sectors, which are in our office on a regular basis.

I have to tell you that I remember the Red Tape Commission of the past, when you were the government. It amounted to three guys in trench coats taking a photo op. The difference here is that we actually bring industry to the table and move forward with the elimination of regulations, all the while strengthening the government’s role in assisting to improve business conditions and the business environment.

I am delighted to sit down with this member in particular, and we can share with her not only the plans for the future but what we have been able to accomplish in dialoguing—

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

SEVERANCE PAYMENTS

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le ministre du Travail. Recently, National Grocers, part of Loblaw Companies Ltd., announced that it would shut its doors at its Sudbury warehouse, putting 100 workers out of work. They will join the 6,000 workers who lost their jobs in Sudbury last year. Most of these workers who are being terminated have over 20 years’ experience, yet they will only get the very minimum severance, as dictated by the Ontario Employment Standards Act.

Why is the Minister of Labour allowing those workers to be treated so unfairly?

Hon. Peter Fonseca: I have to say: Whenever a worker loses their job, we are all hurt. It hurts the individual, their family, the community and this province. But I can also say to the member that our labour relations record here in this province, in terms of working with labour groups, employers and employees, is the strongest it has ever been, the best it has ever been in over 30 years.

That’s because, through the Ministry of Labour, we do all that we can to assist the parties when they’re negotiating agreements, but also, through our employment standards office, to ensure that workers get what they are owed, to ensure that workers get the rights and pay they are owed through the Ministry of Labour.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: If this is Ontario’s best, we’re in trouble. On the same day the company offered Sudbury workers the bare minimum severance as dictated by law, they offered their Quebec employees faced with the same scenario “well in excess of statutory minimums, as well as relocation assistance.”

As part of the Open Ontario plan, the McGuinty government is telling corporations that they have carte blanche to treat workers unfairly, to give them the bare minimum. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the provincial government sets a different, more progressive tone toward the treatment of labour. Companies in Quebec wouldn’t dare give their workers the minimum severance, but in Ontario it is tolerated and, I would even say that it is encouraged.

My question is simple: When will the McGuinty government stand up for workers and ensure they get a fair and decent severance when large corporations decide to restructure?

Hon. Peter Fonseca: To the member, the McGuinty government stands up for workers every single day. Our Employment Standards Act is the most progressive employment standards legislation in all of Canada. Ontario—

Interjection.

Hon. Peter Fonseca: The member may want to hear this. Ontario is the only province or territory that actually legislates severance pay, I say to the member opposite. It’s absolutely unacceptable when companies are not adhering to their responsibilities. We want to ensure, and we do ensure, that the rights of workers are upheld in this province.

AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY

Mr. Pat Hoy: My question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. I know that the minister is working hard to bring the importance of the Buy Local initiatives to Ontario consumers. Farmers in my riding appreciate the Pick Ontario Freshness strategy, as it aims to open up the local market for them and helps them get a better return on their hard work and the resources they put into the high-quality foods they produce.

The recently announced budget moves the Open Ontario plan forward, a plan that includes looking to create new opportunities to encourage Ontarians to buy local. We know that everyone has a role to play—government, industries, stakeholders, producers and retailers.

Minister, could you please tell the members of this House more about our Buy Local strategy and about some of the results we are seeing across this province?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: Thank you for the question. Our strategy to increase awareness of and demand for fresh, delicious Ontario food products is working. Local food benefits the local economy and our personal health.

I want to talk about the results. Sobeys Ontario works closely with Foodland Ontario to promote Ontario producers and products through the Ontario Fresh Pick program at Foodland and IGA; and Grown in Ontario for Sobeys, a program at Sobeys, Longo’s and Highland Farms. Both prominently feature Ontario fresh produce and home-grown Ontario meats. Market research on the Foodland Ontario program: 90% recognition for Foodland Ontario’s symbol, and 51% of principal grocery shoppers report that they are actually buying more fresh Ontario foods than previously purchased. If we—

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

Mr. Pat Hoy: Members of this House know that goods produced by Ontario farmers are among the freshest, safest and best-quality in the world. As we have moved forward with our Buy Local strategy, my constituents are more and more aware of the benefits of buying food that is produced in Ontario.

We also know that promoting Ontario foods in new markets will help support our agri-food sector and all the benefits that go along with that, including a stronger farming and food production industry as well as healthier rural communities. Farmers in my riding appreciate the direction that our government is taking in partnering and working closely with them to help address the challenges that the sector has faced.

Could the minister please provide this House with more information about how we will work with our agri-food sector to seek new markets for Ontario-grown produce?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: The Open Ontario plan aims to ensure that rural Ontario benefits; that rural Ontario is ready to seize on the opportunities emerging from the global recession.

The activities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs directly impact export sales and job creation. We continue to support growth and expansion in our agri-food sector to open up new markets outside this province. In total, Ontario agri-food exports for 2009 totalled $8.9 billion. Value-added, consumer-oriented products represent the strength of Ontario’s food processing industry. Based on third party research undertaken with Ontario’s exporters, for each dollar spent on the ministry’s export program, more than $20 is generated in new export sales.

We’ll continue to work with our processors and producers. Our product is ready to be available throughout the world—

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

Hon. Monique M. Smith: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: During question period today, the member for Sault Ste. Marie asked a question of the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and referenced our most recent budget. I recognize that your rulings are not appealable, but I am asking you to review Hansard, as you have the prerogative to do, to look at whether or not his supplementary question was appropriate. I do believe it was, given that he referenced—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I thank the honourable member for her point of order, and I’m certain that the honourable member is not intending to challenge the Chair in the Chair’s decision. I stand by my decision.

VISITORS

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome to the House today Dr. Mohammad Ashraf. He’s the secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America. He is accompanied by Muhammed Haroon and Humaira Hamayun. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1139 to 1500.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA

Mr. Toby Barrett: I rise today to speak with respect to 240 Canadian General Motors dealers who received notice in May 2009 that their dealer sales and service agreement would not be renewed beyond October 31, 2010. Many of these dealers invested millions at the request of the company and were never paid a personal visit or consulted in any manner prior to receiving the termination news.

Here’s a quote: “We were simply energetic, profitable franchises that were discarded as a quick solution, and I am questioning how this measure can be ‘cost saving’ for the corporation.” This came from a former GM dealer in my riding of Haldimand–Norfolk. He goes on to say, “We operated as independent businesses purchasing parts, vehicles, and tools from General Motors on a daily basis. How can that be a financial burden to the parent company?”

Dealers were afforded only five to six days to accept a wind-down agreement that did not cover employee severance, investments in the dealership or compensation for future earnings. Seeking proper legal advice in a matter of days was impossible.

General Motors US has recently announced that they made an error and will be reinstating 661 dealers. Will this government assist GM Canada to work out arrangements with the 240 Canadian dealerships that will satisfy all parties? For the sake of Ontario’s economy, is it not in this government’s best interests to give the Canadian GM network some attention?

RACE RELATIONS

Mr. Wayne Arthurs: I am pleased to rise in the Legislature today to speak of the winning students from across Durham region who showcased their creativity at the 2010 Race Relations Forum in Pickering on Wednesday, March 24.

In September, the Pickering Advisory Committee on Race Relations and Equity partnered with the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board to present a creative arts contest called In Your Words and Expressions. Students from grades 2 through 12 throughout Durham were invited to submit a written or creative arts piece based on the statement, “My perfect world is ....”

A panel of judges representing the written word, music and art reviewed more than 150 entries and selected winners for each age category. The winning students shared their entries at the forum on March 24 in the Pickering Civic Complex.

The event commemorated March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and included the Honourable Jean Augustine, Fairness Commissioner of Ontario, as the guest speaker.

The race relations committee is made up of municipal leaders, school board representatives, community cultural associations, community appointees and the students. They have worked closely over the years with many different groups and organizations, particularly youth, to promote racial and ethnic harmony in Pickering.

I warmly congratulate the winners and all of the participants.

FASHION INDUSTRY

Mrs. Christine Elliott: I am pleased to rise today to speak about the fashion event I co-hosted this morning with the member from Parkdale–High Park and the Fashion Design Council of Canada.

In a time when our province is struggling to hold on to the jobs that we have, it’s time for us to think outside the box. We have heard from the McGuinty government about the need to build a knowledge-based economy and to cultivate our cultural community, and to build on their potential. This is an opportunity to do just that.

We’re currently in the middle of LG Fashion Week in Toronto, showcasing the amazing fashion talent here at home. If you have a chance to attend any one of their fashion events, you will quickly see the potential for this industry. It’s enormous in economic terms, from the fashion designers to hair and makeup artists, photographers, marketers and everything else in between.

Quebec has already recognized this and, in so doing, saw the employment rate in the fashion industry double in less than a year.

Fashion has already come so far in Ontario on its own. Imagine the contribution this industry could be making to our economy if we were to make this one small change. We’re calling on the McGuinty government to recognize this and make this change now.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’m sure the member from Welland was at the breakfast this morning.

Mr. Peter Kormos: Listen, I’m a fan of fashion. What can I say? The problem is, one could become a victim of fashion.

LOCAL HEALTH INTEGRATION NETWORKS

Mr. Peter Kormos: I stand here to tell you that while Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario, wants to scrap the review process of LHINs, I say, let’s just cut to the chase and scrap the LHINs. They do no one any good other than create a firewall for this government from the anger in community after community where emergency rooms are being shut down, where core hospital services are being devastated and where hospitals are disappearing.

We had some of the Yellow Shirt Brigade here at Queen’s Park this morning, the brigadistas, people like Fiona McMurren and Marelyn Athoe.

While they’re joining the Yellow Shirt Brigade from Niagara that’s been fighting tooth and nail to keep hospitals open, like the emergency rooms of Fort Erie and Port Colborne, they’re going to be here on April 7, along with the Ontario Health Coalition, making sure that Minister Deb Matthews—when she’s speaking down at the posh Royal York hotel to the Canadian Club, of all places, about health care, they’re going to be out there demonstrating and picketing and letting the Minister of Health know that there are folks across this province who don’t believe this government for a minute—not for a second—when this government says that it’s doing anything to sustain health care, never mind improve it.

I’m encouraging folks down in Niagara to be at the Fort Erie Leisureplex at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 7, to get a bus to Toronto; be at the Welland market at 8:30 a.m. and get on a bus and come on up to Toronto; be at the St. Catharines Pen Centre at 9 a.m. and get on a bus and come up to Toronto, and let them know what you really mean.

GOVERNMENT MAILINGS

Mr. David Ramsay: I’d like to ask members for support of a private member’s resolution I’m going to introduce tomorrow. It’s going to ask the federal Minister of Transport to issue a directive to Canada Post to amend the Consumer Choice Program of Canada Post that allows, and rightfully so, people receiving their mail to refuse unaddressed mail.

What I discovered in doing a referendum question in my riding was that MPPs’ and MLAs’ mail right across the country and municipal councillors’ mail gets blocked with this policy, but lo and behold, MPs’ unaddressed mail gets through. So there’s an issue of inequity here.

I would ask the federal government to direct Canada Post to make it equal so that all of us elected officials of all three levels of government in this country have the democratic freedom to have our unaddressed mail received by our constituents.

To me, the policy should be consistent, and I certainly respect people’s ability to block unaddressed mail. Obviously there’s a lot of junk mail out there that people don’t want, but many times the literature that municipal councillors, provincial members of Parliament and our MPs deliver is of great value, and I think all three levels should be treated the same.

ZACHARY WINKLER

Mr. Peter Shurman: I rise today to recognize a young man from my riding who is one of the recipients of this year’s Junior Citizen of the Year Award. Eight-year-old Zachary Winkler was recognized for the phenomenal fundraising work he does for the Hospital for Sick Children.

For the last three years, Zachary has held his Do Something Sweet fundraising event on the first Sunday of November on the driveway of his family home, where he hands out candy floss and asks folks to donate what they can.

He advertises his fundraiser by handing out flyers in his neighbourhood, at his school and synagogue, and runs ads in his local paper.

This year he convinced local merchants to cover the cost of T-shirts that he handed out to those who donated over $20 as a thank you.

Did I mention that Zachary is only eight years old?

To date, Zachary has raised almost $6,000 for Sick Kids hospital, bringing in over $3,300 last year alone.

On top of being an enthusiastic student and big brother to his sister, Maya, Zachary also delivers the local paper and participates in many other fundraising activities.

I had the privilege of meeting Zachary and his family at the awards luncheon on Monday. On behalf of all residents of Thornhill, I want to congratulate him on receiving the Junior Citizen of the Year Award, and thank this extraordinary young man for his efforts. He is a hero to his family, his community and to all those who benefit every day from the great work done at the Hospital for Sick Children.

NORTHERN ECONOMY

Mr. David Orazietti: I’m pleased to comment today on the positive investments made by our government in last week’s budget for northern Ontario and for my riding of Sault Ste. Marie.

We recognize the unique circumstances of northern communities, and we announced new initiatives to strengthen the northern economy and help create long-term prosperity.

Significant energy and infrastructure investments include:

—$15 million to help upgrade the Huron Central rail line from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury;

—a northern industrial electricity rate program worth $150 million annually for qualifying large industrial facilities, to reduce their electricity prices by an average of 25%, which will assist Essar Steel in our community and St. Marys Paper;

—a new permanent northern Ontario energy credit of up to $130 for individuals and up to $200 for families. This credit is worth an estimated $35 million and will help low- and middle-income northern Ontario residents with their energy costs;

—a $10-million increase to the northern Ontario heritage fund. This moves the fund from $80 million to $90 million, which will help to create new jobs and support economic development; and

—a $45-million investment over three years to support project-based skills-training programs for aboriginal peoples so that they can more fully participate in the emerging economies in northern Ontario.

We’re making significant investments, nearly $1.2 billion, in infrastructure, and we are creating more job opportunities to help stimulate growth.

Our budget has received very positive reviews from all individuals in our community. I want to urge all members in this Legislature to support our budget.

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Mr. Tony Ruprecht: In 1986, as minister of multiculturalism under the Peterson government, I stood in this place to declare Hispanic Heritage Day.

Today I am proud, along with the member from Eglinton–Lawrence, to declare, upon unanimous consent of this Legislature—in fact, all of you—April as Hispanic Heritage Month.

Why are we doing this? We’re doing this because we want to recognize the great contributions that Hispanics of all 23 countries have made in terms of art, music, commerce, industry, films, economics, science and medicine.

It is only fitting, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month tomorrow, that there is an invitation that goes to all members to attend, and to ensure that everyone who arrives there who has Hispanic background in their bones and in their blood will recognize that they have made a contribution, and that they are recognized as making one not just today but in the future.

Why are we doing this? Because we have many countries—Bolivia, Belize, Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela—all these countries have Ontarians here, who are Canadians, who are proud Hispanics. Congratulations to all of us, because tomorrow will be the day when we congratulate them.

BUCHENWALD

Mr. Jeff Leal: April 9 marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald, one of the infamous concentration camps operated by the Nazis during World War II.

At this camp, the Gestapo enforced an “extermination through labour” policy, literally working inmates to death. Through labour, illness and

summary executions, up to 56,545 souls were lost at Buchenwald.

Among those commemorating this anniversary is Ed Carter-Edwards, a decorated Canadian veteran and one of 168 Allied airmen who, through tragic circumstances, were incarcerated in Buchenwald from August to November of 1944.

Ed and his fellow airmen experienced first-hand the horrors and inhumanity of Buchenwald. Their story supports those who suffered the Holocaust, and refutes all those who would deny it ever happened.

Sadly, there are fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors alive today. There is a great danger that, with their passing, the immediacy and urgency of their experiences will be lost. It is essential that successive generations carry that torch and ensure that the important lessons of the Holocaust endure.

Ed will be joined at the Buchenwald memorial by his wife, Lois; his son and daughter-in-law, Dennis and Karen, constituents of mine in Peterborough; his grandson, Craig, and his wife, Suzanna; and his two-year-old great-grandson, Sean.

The joining of four generations to commemorate the liberation of Buchenwald sends a strong signal that the legacy of those who experienced the Holocaust will never be forgotten. We must, each of us, join this effort, be ever-vigilant and ensure that we never allow this terrible

chapter of history to repeat itself.

We have the Carter-Edwards family in the members’ east gallery today. We want to salute one of the outstanding Canadian heroes, a veteran of World War II who was at Buchenwald.

REPORTS BY COMMITTEES

SELECT COMMITTEE ON

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I beg leave to present a report from the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions.

Report presented.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Very briefly, the all-party select committee was asked to report its observations and recommendations concerning a comprehensive provincial mental health and addictions strategy. Over the last year, operating in a very non-partisan fashion, we’ve had overwhelming response from individuals and organizations around Ontario. Their contributions will be found in the interim report that was tabled today and will be used to develop recommendations for the final report, which is due toward the end of this summer.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

ENHANCING THE ABILITY

OF INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENTS

TO BE FINANCIALLY

INDEPENDENT ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 REHAUSSANT

L’AUTONOMIE FINANCIÈRE

DES BÉNÉFICIAIRES

DU SOUTIEN DU REVENU

Mr. Barrett moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 23,

An Act to amend the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997 and the Taxation Act, 2007 / Projet de loi 23, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1997 sur le Programme ontarien de soutien aux personnes handicapées et la Loi de 2007 sur les impôts.

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. Toby Barrett: The other title is Enhancing the Ability of Income Support Recipients to be Financially Independent Act, 2010. The explanatory note: The bill amends the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997, and the Taxation Act, 2007.

Under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997, the bill raises the asset limits that apply in determining whether a person is eligible for income support, so the person can have $12,000 individually or $20,000 if there is a spouse included in the benefit unit. In addition, child support payments that a person receives are not included in income for the purpose of determining the amount of income support for which that person is eligible.

At present, the amount of income support that a person is eligible to receive is reduced by 50% of the person’s other monthly income. The bill lowers the reduction so that a person can retain a maximum of $700 of other income monthly or a maximum of $1,000 of other monthly income if there is a spouse included in the individual’s benefit unit.

Under the Taxation Act, 2007, an employer that employs a person who receives income support during a taxation year is entitled to a non-refundable tax credit based on the maximum of $10,000 that the employer pays to the person in salary arrangements for that year. The tax credit is available for a maximum of five employees.

I apologize for the length of that explanatory note.

FRANCO-ONTARIAN DAY ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LE JOUR

DES FRANCO-ONTARIENS

ET DES FRANCO-ONTARIENNES

Mrs. Meilleur moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 24,

An Act to proclaim Franco-Ontarian Day / Projet de loi 24, Loi proclamant le Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of