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February 29, 2016

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2016-Feb-29 (PDF)

L142 - Mon 29 Feb 2016 / Lun 29 fév 2016

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 29 February 2016 Lundi 29 février 2016

Introduction of Visitors

Wearing of scarves

Oral Questions

Provincial deficit

Ontario budget

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Education funding

Ontario budget

Ontario budget

Ontario budget

Seniors

Hospital funding

Student assistance

Climate change

Climate change

Climate change / Changement climatique

Hydro rates

Assistance to farmers

Visitor

Correction of record

Visitor

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Rare Disease Day

Emma Donoghue

Winter Stations

Vic Hayter

Protection of privacy

Beverley Gordon

Oxford businesses

Madeline Edwards

Grandview Children’s Centre

Introduction of Bills

Rare Disease Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour des maladies rares

Petitions

Air quality

Health care funding

Lung health

Renewable energy

Health care

Water fluoridation

Beer sales

Gasoline prices

Public transit

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Financement des soins de santé

Lung health

Health care funding

Orders of the Day

Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016 / Loi de 2016 favorisant la création d’emplois pour aujourd’hui et demain (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I’m really excited to have, from my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, Darryl Boersma and Tim Arends in the House today. Welcome.

Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to welcome the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance here today. Their members are Lyndon Stewart, Helene St. Jacques, Joanne Hickey-Evans, Quinton Woods, Mary Fragedakis, Steve Crawford, Bill Hodgson, Dana McCauley, Kevin Turbell, Colin Best, Stacey Jebb and Janet Horner. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Please help me recognize Councillor Avia Eek from ward 6, township of King, a farmer in the Holland Marsh and part of the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance here today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Toby Barrett: As you know, the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance are here today: Kathy Macpherson, Peter Lambrick, Lia Lappano, Nancy Rutherford, Sue Todd, Ken Lamb, Jamie Cox, Sonia Dhir, Rosemary MacLellan, Olga Pawluczyk, Doug Van Luyk and Jamie Draves. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I’d like to introduce a few members from Waterloo region this morning who are representing the Council of Ontario Construction Associations: Martha George, Jeff Kienapple, Wes Quickfall and Ted Dreyer. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I want to welcome, from COCA today, Jeff Koller, Dan Lancia, Jodi Travers and Ian Cunningham. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I want to welcome many students who are here today from the Canadian Black Caucus. The Canadian Black Caucus is a non-partisan organization that seeks to promote civic engagement by inspiring youth to engage in the political process. Welcome to them, each and every one.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’m not sure if they’re here today or not, but just a shout-out to the Krista McCarville rink from Thunder Bay, which came within one point of winning the Scotties national championship last night, losing to Alberta in the 10th end, as I understand it. So, a shout-out to Krista McCarville and her rink from Thunder Bay.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I would like to welcome Jim Lyons and Matthew Todd from the Windsor Construction Association. They’re here, and I’ll be meeting with them later on. Welcome.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: I want to introduce representatives from the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance: Robert Pasuta, who is my councillor from Hamilton; Joanna Downey; Eric Acs; Nancy Gaffney; John Hambly; Allan Thompson; Avia Eek; Ben Roberts; Nancy Rutherford; Gerald Kellington; Tom Wilson; Michael Wolfson; Michael Barrett; and Suzanne van Bommel. They’ll be here for a gathering later today. Welcome, all.

Mr. Todd Smith: I’d like to welcome a few people for the COCA reception this afternoon, as well, who have joined us for question period: Martin Benson, Suzanne Fitch and Ian Cunningham from the Council of Ontario Construction Associations.

Hon. Reza Moridi: It’s my pleasure to introduce members of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations, who are having a lunch meeting today in room 230, as well as their evening reception in the dining room at 5 p.m.

Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde: On behalf of my colleague the Honourable Jim Bradley, MPP for St. Catharines, it gives me great pleasure to introduce page captain Sarah Mateus-Jimenez and her mother, Lilianna Maria Jimenez-Delgado, who is here in our gallery today. Welcome.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders—or CORD, as they’re known—to Queen’s Park. CORD will be hosting a reception in the Side Bar Room downstairs, beside the legislative dining room, after question period today. I invite all members of this House to join their reception.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: It’s my pleasure today to introduce my husband, Joseph Varner, and my daughter, Victoria Ann MacLeod-Varner. They are not actually in the gallery; they’re in my office, and she probably has her headset on, but I just wanted to introduce them today anyway.

M. Michael Mantha: Ça me fait grand plaisir d’introduire un ami de jeunesse, M. Denis Shank, le président de l’Association de la construction de Sudbury. Bienvenue, mon ami.

Ms. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I’d like to welcome Peter Lambrick, who is here this morning as part of the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance. Peter is also a director of the Ontario farming association.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: There are three constituents here today. I’m not sure if they’re in the House yet. Lisa Jibson is here, Suzanne van Bommel was announced earlier, and—I think it’s free for me to say, because he’s not in the House—former MPP Steve Peters is in the House today.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Well, he’s not in the House, so I get to bypass that one.

The member from Durham?

Mr. Granville Anderson: Speaker, I would like to welcome Nancy Rutherford, manager of agriculture and rural affairs at the region of Durham.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Mr. Speaker, I’ll beg your indulgence for a quick moment. This isn’t technically the introduction of a visitor who’s here in the building, but I did want to introduce my newest nephew, the newest addition to our family, who was born to my brother Michael and my sister-in-law Amanda at 1:50 a.m., very early this morning, just down the street, at Mount Sinai. He’s seven pounds, eight ounces, and his name is Alexander Henry Del Duca. Welcome to the world.

Mr. John Yakabuski: On behalf of my colleague from Sarnia–Lambton, I’d like to welcome the family of Tristan Bhola, page captain this morning: mother, Patricia Bhikam Bhola; father, Rudy Bhola; sister Davinia Bhola; and brothers Nicholas and Harry Bhola. They will be in the public gallery this morning. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Wearing of scarves

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Speaker, I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent that all members be permitted to wear scarves in recognition of Rare Disease Day.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Labour is seeking unanimous consent to wear scarves in recognition of Rare Disease Day. Do we agree? Agreed.

For clarification purposes: Have they been distributed to each gallery?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Speaker, they will be distributed. I think the member from North Bay will really like these scarves.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. They just arrived.

Oral Questions

Provincial deficit

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier.

The Liberals continue to claim they will eventually balance the budget, but their numbers simply don’t add up. The budget projects $4 billion more in revenue than the Financial Accountability Officer said is possible. The Liberals project $4 billion more in revenue than the FAO’s best-case scenario.

Mr. Speaker, a simple question: Whose numbers are correct—the Premier’s or the Financial Accountability Officer’s?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the Minister of Finance is going to want to comment on the deficit reduction.

The fact is that we are on track to eliminate our deficit by 2017-18. We’ve beaten our deficit targets for the seventh year in a row, and we’ll be balancing the budget next year, in 2017-18, which is the target that we’ve put in place. We are meeting that target.

Mr. Speaker, the budget is about the investments in this province. It’s about the investments in students who are going to have more access to post-secondary education because of the changes we’re making on tuition. Our budget is about putting in place a cap-and-trade system that is going to fight greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. That’s about economic growth, innovation and the future.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: It’s all smoke and mirrors. The Liberals accuse the Financial Accountability Officer of being wrong, but their shell game has already started. The Liberals are moving money around to lower their deficit this year. How? The Liberals raided the contingency fund. They took $850 million of money that was meant for Ontario’s rainy day. Mr. Speaker, that money is supposed to protect Ontario if we have another recession.

Why is the Premier using Ontario’s rainy day fund to temporarily fudge the bottom line?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let’s talk about the investments that we’re making in this budget.

As I said, we are on track to eliminate the deficit by 2017-18. We’ve overachieved on our targets every year for seven years, and the deficit will be eliminated next year—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): This is just the subtle start. If I have to go further, I will.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let’s talk about what we’ve done, Mr. Speaker, in terms of investment in infrastructure. We’re in our third year of a $160-billion investment, which is creating 110,000 jobs a year.

We’re increasing health care funding—that’s one of the things that the Leader of the Opposition was talking about before the budget; I assume he supports it now—including $345 million a year for hospital funding. That’s something, again, that he was looking for.

We’re lowering hospital parking fees.

We’re improving services for children and youth with autism, a $330-million investment over five years. That’s something that we heard about during the budget consultations, and that will help children all over the province.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: The numbers don’t lie. The Liberal shell game to reduce the deficit is just that.

For the last two years, the Liberals have said that the Hydro One fire sale is going to pay for infrastructure. How many times have we heard that? This budget proves otherwise. The Liberals have reduced the deficit by applying a $2.6-billion one-time departure tax from the sale of Hydro One and using another $1.1 billion of revenue from the Hydro One fire sale. Mr. Speaker, it is a shell game.

Will the Premier finally come clean? Is the Hydro One fire sale going for infrastructure or is it paying for your years of mismanagement, waste and scandal? Yes or no?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m standing.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, there’s one thing that the member opposite did get right: The numbers do matter. And what matters here is that we are achieving our results, we’re exceeding our targets, we’re growing the economy and we’re balancing the books. When he made reference to the fact that numbers don’t lie—that’s exactly what’s in this budget.

The Conference Board of Canada and others have made very clear that the budget is one of the most transparent with the highest integrity. We’ve laid out very clearly in this budget where it’s going, how it’s being affected and how we’re coming to balance while investing in the things that matter to the people of Ontario. I’m very proud of this budget, very proud of the people of Ontario who make it happen.

Ontario budget

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. No one believes this government. This government has no credibility. This government’s idea of an affordable energy plan is offering $2 a month in energy rebates—$2 a month—the same day they announced $387 in increased costs. Premier, are you kidding me? How do you possibly think this makes sense?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Through the Chair, please. To the Chair, please.

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let’s just talk about what people are saying about the budget. Gabrielle Ross-Marquette of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario said students “have a lot to celebrate today with this commitment to fairness, equity and justice for students,” particularly those from low-income families.

Let’s see what Spencer Nestico-Semianiw, president of OUSA, the Ontario university students’ association, said: “These are sweeping improvements that will dramatically improve financial aid for our students. Students will receive more grants, and for many of them, tuition will be free.”

Interjections.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I hear the heckling from the other side that it’s a percentage of students. Yes, Mr. Speaker, it’s low-income students. It’s students who don’t have access to post-secondary. Those are the students who will most benefit from the changes that we’re making.

The Ontario Pharmacists Association: “Ontario’s pharmacists have long advocated for equitable access to needed”—

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: No one believes this government. I can’t say that more clearly. We know the health tax did not go to health care. Hospitals are at their brink, nurses are being cut, and doctors are closing their practices. Smart meters were supposed to lower energy costs. They certainly didn’t save a cent.

Mr. Speaker, given this government’s record, why should anyone believe their cap-and-trade will actually fight emissions and won’t simply become another ugly Liberal slush fund?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, come to order. The member from Prince Edward–Hastings, come to order.

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite obviously looks at the budget and looks at the changes we’re making, particularly on cap-and-trade—

Interjection.

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —which is, remember, a strategy to deal with climate change, to deal with the fact that we are living in an environment that has been changed by humankind. It is being altered in ways that are going to degrade the economy or are already degrading the economy.

There’s an

article this morning about the effects on the north. You only have to sit with colleagues from across the country, particularly from the north, to understand that the way of life in terms of ice roads and the ability to get supplies into the north has been completely changed because of climate change.

It is our responsibility to take action. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what cap-and-trade is. We will make it a transparent system—

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier: Ontario families and seniors will not be fooled; they will not be tricked. Nothing in this budget gives without taking away from something else. Hospitals get a 1% increase, but this government took away $107 million in gaming revenue that was previously targeted to hospitals. Some seniors get a free vaccine, but then the Liberals nearly double the cost of all other medications. You offer students a tuition grant, but you take away their tax credit.

Mr. Speaker, why is this Premier robbing Peter to pay Paul?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let’s talk about the supports we’re putting in place for seniors, just to take that part of the question: an additional $250 million to expand capacity to deliver high-quality home and community care; and $75 million over three years in community-based residential hospice and palliative care.

In fact, the member’s colleague from Nipissing, PC MPP Vic Fedeli, actually said, “I was really pleased to see the hospice money come through. We have a hospice in North Bay and it’s such a huge need. When I saw that, I thought that was excellent.”

So, in fact, there are supports being put in place for people across this province, every corner of this province and every age group. I think the Leader of the Opposition needs to look at the budget as a totality.

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

New question. The leader of the third party.

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Does the Premier really believe, as has been reported, that a senior earning $19,500 a year is affluent?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just say to the leader of the third party that the objective of the change in the budget was to ensure that fewer Ontario seniors have to pay any annual deductible on their prescription drugs. That was the intention.

We want to make sure that we got it right for other seniors as well, though, and I understand that. We’re going to look carefully at this regulation that is out for consultation, and if we didn’t get it right, then we will make a change in terms of that threshold.

I would say to the leader of the third party that I would ask her to work with us. The objective was to make sure that more seniors had free access to prescription medication. If we didn’t get that threshold right, we will correct that in the process of the consultation on the regulation.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: A single senior living on $19,500 a year in a city like Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kingston or London isn’t rich, but they will see their drug costs nearly double. Can this Premier explain why she’s nearly doubling drug costs for seniors across Ontario, including seniors living on less than $19,500 a year?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the leader of the third party had the second question written before I answered, but I hope that she understands that in answer to her first question I said that there were 170,000 more seniors who will have access to free prescription medication. That was the intention: to make sure that more seniors had that access.

If, in the consultation on the regulation, we determine that we didn’t get that threshold right—and I think what the leader of the third party is saying is that she doesn’t think we did. If we can find some consensus on that, and we need to change that threshold, we will change it. I hope the leader of the third party understands that is our intention as the consultation is ongoing.

Interjection.

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

Member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, come to order.

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This Premier put out a budget threatening seniors with nearly doubling their drug costs, and now she’s trying to back away from that. This Premier did not consult with seniors at all prior to putting that piece of information out there in the budget. New Democrats do listen to seniors across this province, and do you know what they’re telling us? They can’t pay the bills. They can’t pay their hydro bill. They can’t keep the lights on. They can’t keep their homes heated and their apartments heated. This callous Premier is about to double their drug costs. She is out of touch. She needs to dial this back and do the right thing by the seniors of this province.

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I assume, because as I have listened to seniors as well across the province, as has the leader of the third party, that she would understand that 170,000 more seniors having access to free prescription medication would be a good thing. That’s in our budget. I don’t know if she missed that part, but that is in our budget. That was the intention of the change that we made.

We are also increasing funding to palliative care. We are increasing funding in terms of the shingles vaccine so that it will no longer cost any senior—and I don’t know what the Leader of the Opposition was talking about when he was talking about some seniors, but any senior—it will not cost them $170 to get that vaccine now. We have made those changes: the 170,000 more seniors who will have access to free medication. I heard that too. That’s why it’s in there. If we didn’t get the threshold right on the other part of the change, then we will change that.

Education funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Communities are seeing their neighbourhood schools closed. Kids who need special supports are seeing those supports cut. Students are having to wear winter jackets in their classrooms because there isn’t money to fix the heaters.

Can this Premier explain to students, their parents and their educators why it is that she’s cutting another $430 million from education this year and over a billion dollars since 2014?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, in fact, in the budget, the leader of the third party will notice that we are increasing funding to education by $350 million.

One of the very important things that we are doing is, we are putting $333 million more into autism funding. Children with autism are some of the most vulnerable in society, in our province. Making sure that we increase funding and that we do it in a way that allows those kids to get access to the treatment that they need early, when it makes a difference to them—that’s why that $333 million is extremely important.

On top of that, we continue with the investments in capital: $11 billion in the education system over the next 10 years.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the budget cuts $430 million out of education, but that’s not all. The Premier is cutting $1.2 billion out of other programs, but there are no details about what those other programs might be, what services people might be losing. Is it road safety? Is it food inspections? Is it water safety? Exactly what is that $1.2 billion coming from, and how many people are going to lose their jobs?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Education.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I’m delighted that you asked about this because, in fact, we spent $325 million more on renewal last year than the previous year, but what happened as a result of that was that school boards spent more money on more big projects. Do you know what happens, Speaker? What happens is, if you spend on a project over $10,000, it’s counted as capital and it’s counted over 25 years. So yes, it looks like the spending went down, but in fact there were more big projects—$325 million more worth of big projects.

Of course, the other reason that the spending went down is that we don’t pay people who go on strike. We didn’t project a strike. We didn’t pay the people who went on strike.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, on page 256 of the budget, Ontarians will see, when they look—because they can go online and look at the budget—regardless of what these ministers and this Premier says, $1.5 billion in cuts: $430 million cut from education, $50 million cut from colleges and universities, and $1.2 billion slashed out of just about everything else.

Cuts like this hurt people. They hurt young people. They hurt seniors. They hurt parents. They hurt people in cities, in rural Ontario, in the north, in the south.

What the Premier doesn’t seem to get is that people are counting on public services, and the Premier is failing—failing—at providing Ontarians with their most basic needs.

Will this Premier start listening to Ontarians and take the cuts out of her budget?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I would ask, please, that the leader of the third party go and look at the actual projections in the budget, because what the budget quite clearly says is that the spending on child care, elementary and secondary education is increasing on an average of 1.2% per year. It isn’t being cut; it’s going up every year. We are managing our costs, but it is going up every year, Speaker, just like the spending for health care, just like the spending in all the other areas of our budget.

It’s moderate growth—not dramatic growth, but moderate growth—and that’s how we’re going to come to balance: by careful, moderate growth that does a better job of educating our students so more students are graduating than ever before in Ontario.

Ontario budget

Mr. Victor Fedeli: My question is for the Premier.

In 2014, the Auditor General warned that Liberal mismanagement of our finances is “crowding out” the services we need in Ontario. Because they did absolutely nothing about it, the auditor repeated herself almost word for word in the 2015 report.

And now we see from the 2016 budget that life in Ontario has gotten even more expensive. This is because of the cancellation of the children’s tax credit, the cancellation of the Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit and almost doubling the cost of drugs for most seniors—all because of 13 years of Liberal waste, mismanagement and scandal.

Speaker, my question to the Premier is: Why are the Liberals balancing the books on the backs of children, families and seniors?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question from the opposition critic. I hope he takes—in the supplementary, recognizing what we have done to increase support for seniors, to increase support for our children, to increase support for tuition so that more of those most vulnerable have an opportunity to go to post-secondary, to increase support for hospitals and health care by $1 billion year over year, all of which is enabling everybody to be at their best, including social programs.

At the same time, we’re investing heavily in infrastructure, investing heavily to stimulate economic growth. With our measures that we are taking, we are also balancing the books. In the end, Ontarians expect us to manage prudently while still ensuring that we support the services that are so valuable to all Ontarians.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Premier: We believe that this budget was a real opportunity for the government to show the people of Ontario that they were listening. All parties travelled throughout Ontario, all read the hundreds of letters and all heard about the pain people are feeling under this government. Families warned that they can no longer make their hydro payments.

Steve and Sheryl Ciglen from Trout Creek said that their hydro bill was $904.23 last month, even though they were away for a whole week and their furnace was off for five days because of a power outage. They’re small business folks, ready to hire another person, but now they can’t, because not only did this budget not help them with their hydro bill; it brought more costs to their business.

I ask the Premier: What do you say to the Ciglens, who see only higher costs for their family?

Hon. Charles Sousa: The member opposite made reference to consultations. Of course, it was the first time the Minister of Finance actually invited members of the finance committee to appear and have a discussion on these matters.

We all did consultations across the province over 20 cities, and I was very proud of the work that everyone did. They said, “No, why don’t you come to meet with us?” I did, and I thank the member opposite for sending his email memorandum to that committee to advise us of, “Don’t make any cuts. Oh, furthermore, spend more.” And then he goes on to say, “You know what? Don’t increase revenues. Oh, yeah, and balance the books.”

I don’t have the luxury, as finance minister, to live in their fiscal fantasyland. I live in the hard currency of reality, to balance the books and to ensure that we do what’s necessary for the people of Ontario. That’s what we are doing.

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to ask for a little bit of civility—and a reminder that we in this House mention only the person’s riding or their title. Let’s raise respect.

Ontario budget

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Minister of Finance. It’s interesting that the 2016 budget is called Jobs For Today and Tomorrow. What this government fails to realize is that people are actually seeing fewer jobs today and, according to this government’s budget, fewer jobs tomorrow, across Ontario.

For the second year in a row, this government has failed to meet its job creation goals by more than 60,000 jobs. If the government had listened to the people of this province during the pre-budget consultations instead of undermining the process, they would have heard that Ontarians are struggling. And no, I’m not referring to the Premier’s well-connected friends; I’m talking about the rest of Ontario, who are having a harder time making ends meet and finding good-paying, permanent jobs.

Minister, what do you say to the Ontarians who feel that this Liberal government has left them behind once again?

Hon. Charles Sousa: Let me clarify some things for the finance critic from the NDP. Ontario and Ontarians have produced 608,000 net new jobs since the depths of the recession. Ontarians are continuing to work hard, and 320,000 additional jobs are being achieved over the next 36 months, all of which are primarily full-time, high-paying and in the private sector. I compliment the tremendous amount of work that’s being done by the people of Ontario.

We did listen, Mr. Speaker. We went across the province as well. In fact, I compliment the member opposite who actually provided some tangible ideas as to what we should do in this budget, which we included. In fact, one of the direct fundings we need, that attendant at SCOFEA said, is $3 billion more for bio-industrial innovation, and we put that on page 10.

There was an additional request for pregnancy and infant loss supports, and we put that in the budget as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Just before I commence, I’ve already noticed that some members have been advised that hanging the scarves over their desks is not conducive to our place. If you just fold them and put them on your desk or put them on, that would be appreciated. Thank you.

Supplementary.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Minister, it’s almost like you’re talking about a different budget, and perhaps it’s because Mr. Clark probably wrote this budget. Everyone in Ontario knows that this is a stretch-goal budget.

During the pre-budget consultations—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Order, please. I’m standing, first of all. Second of all, let’s just stop.

Please finish.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Speaker, everyone in Ontario knows that this is a stretch-goal budget. During the pre-budget consultations, it became crystal clear to New Democrats that this government doesn’t understand the priorities of Ontarians. Why else would a government fail to provide Ontarians with better health care, better jobs and a stronger education system? Why else would a government sell off a revenue-generating asset like Hydro One and leave Ontarians stuck footing the bill? It just doesn’t add up.

Minister, when will this government stand up for Ontarians and get the fundamentals right?

Hon. Charles Sousa: The numbers speak for themselves, Mr. Speaker. We do aspire to do more and to do better for the people of Ontario. That, I agree. In fact, we agree to be fair in the determinations of the work we do. We continue to support tuition and our education by increasing funding. We’re supporting our seniors and our health care by increasing funding there as well.

Mr. Speaker, we all went through the province. I reflected very seriously on the submissions made to SCOFEA. Their priorities and their values are very much reflected in this budget, and I am very proud of that.

One of their requests was, “Ensure that you continue to invest in our future. Ensure that you don’t leave anybody behind.” We’re investing $160 billion over the next 12 years to support infrastructure and the needs of all communities across Ontario, some of it with permanent funding so that those municipalities can plan as well.

Ontario budget

Mr. Han Dong: My question is also to the Minister of Finance. Minister, last Thursday our government tabled the 2016 Ontario budget, Jobs for Today and Tomorrow. The reviews are in. Stakeholders from each corner of the province and from every sector are applauding our government’s plan.

The constituents in my riding of Trinity–Spadina have already told me about their excitement in our government’s solid approach to growing the economy and creating jobs, especially the students of the University of Toronto and OCAD University.

It is now clear to all that we will be balancing our budget by the year 2017-18. Can the Minister of Finance please tell us more about this historic budget?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I’d like to thank the member from Trinity–Spadina for his question and for participating today in a major announcement about supporting more jobs.

Mr. Speaker, our government’s number one priority is growing the economy and creating jobs. Our economic plan supports good jobs today in communities across Ontario by investing in infrastructure and in a low-carbon economy by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses.

The plan also helps all Ontarians achieve more security. Ontarians are worried about the state of the economy. We understand that, and that’s why we’ve taken measures in this budget to ensure how it might affect them and their families. That’s why we have tabled a budget that invests in jobs for today and tomorrow. That’s because our biggest advantage is our people.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Han Dong: I want to thank the minister for his answer. What a great job on the budget.

Minister, you’re quite right that Ontario’s best attribute is its people, and they know that our plan will make their everyday lives easier. Minister, there are a number of key investments that we are making in this budget, and I know that this House would like to hear more about what we are doing. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Finance please inform this House about our plan to continue to create jobs for today and tomorrow?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I thank the member for the awesome question and great reflection on the value of this budget. I know that my colleagues will want to speak about specifics, but I’m happy to outline the things I am most proud of in this budget. Over the weekend, a major newspaper’s headline said that this budget says and reflects that there’s “room for everyone.”

It’s so true, Mr. Speaker: by transforming student assistance to make average college and university tuition free for students with financial need from families of incomes of less than $50,000; by taking action on climate change and investing all proceeds from cap-and-trade into green projects; by making the biggest investment in infrastructure in Ontario’s history—$160 billion over 12 years starting in 2014-15; and by making everyday life easier for people across the province by lowering costs and enhancing convenience and choice, we’re in this together for the benefit of the people of Ontario.

Seniors

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: My question is for the minister responsible for seniors. For decades, Ontario’s seniors have worked hard to make our province great. But now, thanks to the Liberal budget, their retirement years are becoming completely unaffordable.

Will the minister please explain what the Liberals have against the seniors of this province?

Hon. Mario Sergio: I want to thank the member for that question; I knew it would be coming, but I didn’t know when. I’m really delighted to answer the question with respect to our seniors. We have done so much, not only in this budget, Speaker, but previous to this budget. Whatever we had been doing for the seniors prior to this will continue after the benefits our seniors are receiving in this new budget.

As never before, no one has done more than the previous and existing governments when it comes to benefits for our seniors, Speaker. And I will add more, with respect to individual benefits that our seniors are receiving now and will continue to receive afterwards.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Mr. Speaker, I received a letter from a retired couple. They had to sell their home because they could no longer afford the Liberal cost of living. The cost of hydro is going up, food is going up and now the government is piling on higher gas taxes at home and at the pumps. What are seniors getting out of it? Nothing new for long-term-care beds. Nothing new for seniors’ physiotherapy. At the same time, they’re making it more expensive for seniors to buy their medication.

My question is this: When the Minister of Finance said he was increasing seniors’ drug benefit deductibles by 70%, where was the minister for seniors? Why didn’t he speak up when he had the chance?

Hon. Mario Sergio: This is what our seniors’ benefits are now. I’m going to give them individually so the member will know, and for the benefit of every member of this House:

—$500 savings for the Ontario property tax grant;

—up to $1,100.31 for the Ontario energy tax credit;

—$287 for the Ontario Sales Tax Credit;

—$1,500 for their home renovation tax;

—over 65, $3,800 in free drugs;

—10% savings on hydro bills; and

—173,000 people are not paying $100 co-payments after this new budget.

What else can we do for the seniors, Speaker? We can do even more: 173,000 don’t pay over $100, but we have also increased the age bracket where the seniors are getting drug benefits.

Hospital funding

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée. Years of frozen hospital budgets have had severe consequences for health care in Ontario. Today, patients face long wait times in ERs and cancelled surgeries, or they get admitted into hallways. Beds have been closed, hospital services moved to private clinics and 1,200 registered nurses have been cut in just over a year.

Now, for the seventh straight year in a row, hospital funding falls way below inflation. A 1% increase won’t cover the cost of population growth or aging. It won’t fix the damage that the Liberals have done to our hospitals and it won’t stop even more cuts to front-line care.

How can the minister defend another year of cuts to our hospital care that families rely on?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’m not even sure how to begin to answer that question, because to suggest that an extra $1 billion into our health care system, $345 million new for our hospitals—which is a 2.1% increase, actually. It’s more than the rate of inflation.

I was just at an announcement with the finance minister this morning at University Health Network. We were surrounded by patients, advocates, health care workers, Anthony Dale from the Ontario Hospital Association, and Peter Pisters, the head of University Health Network, as well, to celebrate this significant investment in our front-line health care workers in the hospital system.

So how she somehow manages to twist that good news announcement into something else—I just am flabbergasted.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: The 1% increase to the budget of our hospitals will do nothing to cut wait times, and he knows it. It will do nothing to improve access. It will do nothing to open any new beds or re-hire the full-time nurses who lost their jobs. Nothing to stop the layoffs at hospitals in Windsor, Hamilton, North Bay—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Please finish.

M me France Gélinas: The damage that has been done by the layoffs in hospitals like Windsor, Hamilton, North Bay and so many other communities—and it’s not just us saying this. Nurses and physicians know that a 1% increase to our hospitals will mean more cuts coming this year. St. Joe’s Healthcare in Hamilton says the Liberals’ budget changes nothing. There is still a need to cut $26 million and they still need to lay off 136 workers.

People want to know: Why is this Liberal government doing so little to fix the years of damage that they have done to Ontario hospitals?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario is thrilled with Premier Wynne’s and Minister Hoskins’ commitment to nurse practitioners. The RPNAO, as well, the registered practical nurses, were encouraged to note some of the much-needed health care investments outlined in the 2016 provincial budget.

It’s not just the $1 billion of new money in health care overall. It’s the $12 billion over the next decade for new and improved hospitals, $50 million more in annual funding to assist hospitals in maintaining their facilities in good repair and, of course, $85 million for our community health centres and for our family health teams to invest in our nurse practitioners and other allied health professionals, and $75 million over the next three years on top of the existing funding for a total of $155 million over three years for hospices, which is something I’m sure she’s heard a lot from her constituents about in terms of the importance of all of these investments.

Student assistance

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: My question is to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Minister, post-secondary education is a big investment for Ontario families. Many students in Scarborough–Rouge River heavily rely on the Ontario student aid program to cover the costs of their post-secondary tuition. I understand that more than 380,000—more than half of all full-time students—received financial aid last year alone.

Many of my constituents were very happy about the many changes our government made to OSAP in last year’s budget. I was particularly pleased to see that, as part of this year’s budget, we are once again making monumental changes to the way student financial aid is delivered in Ontario.

Minister, can you please inform the members of the House how our government is making post-secondary education more affordable and accessible for students across Ontario in the 2016 budget?

Hon. Reza Moridi: I want to thank the member from Scarborough–Rouge River for that very timely question.

Our government strongly believes that all students, regardless of background or circumstances, should be able to afford to go to college or university in Ontario. That’s why, as part of our 2016 budget, Ontario is moving forward with the single largest modernization of OSAP ever.

We listened to student leaders and we are responding by combining existing assistance programs into a single, upfront grant that is more generous and more straightforward.

The new Ontario Student Grant is transformative. I am pleased to say that the new grant will make tuition free for low-income students in the province of Ontario. It will also ensure that mature students, married students and students who have been out of high school for more than four years will have access to this grant.

The Ontario Student Grant—

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

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: Thank you to the minister for that answer. It is reassuring to hear that our government continues to keep the best interests of Ontario students in mind at all times.

Minister, despite the significant improvements the province has made to student aid since 2003, there remains a direct correlation between family income levels and post-secondary education participation rates. I understand that the rates of participation in full-time post-secondary education increase with family income. Furthermore, because of the complexity of how OSAP is structured and delivered, many students and families do not have a clear understanding of how much financial aid is available to them. This has led to the perception that Ontario has the highest tuition in Canada.

Minister, can you please tell us more about how the new Ontario Student Grant will help more students access post-secondary education and understand how much financial aid they can receive?

Hon. Reza Moridi: Again, I want to thank the member for that question.

Our government is working hard to break down the barriers that are preventing Ontarians from getting a post-secondary education. That’s why, by September 2017, all college, university and career college students who come from families with incomes of less than $50,000 will have no provincial tuition debt. Not only that, the majority of students whose parents earn $83,000 or less will also receive grants more than the cost of tuition.

Mr. Speaker, under the new Ontario Student Grant, more than 125,000 students will have more non-repayable aid, and approximately 250,000, or 80% of OSAP-eligible students, will have less debt than they would have under the current OSAP system. Not only is this a smart policy that will support economic growth; it is the right thing to do.

Climate change

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: My question is to the environment minister.

No one believes the government’s projections on cap-and-trade. We all know that the Liberals’ cap-and-tax scheme will force Ontarians to pay much higher prices, much more than the Premier is willing to admit. In fact, long-term projections show that Ontario families can expect to pay nearly $900 more every year just for gasoline and home heating alone. This Liberal scheme is just another example of how this government is making life more unaffordable for all Ontarians.

The minister had the chance to come clean with Ontarians last Thursday, but he chose not to. Why won’t this minister tell the truth and finally reveal the true costs of the Liberals’—

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

Hon. Glen R. Murray: It’s pretty fascinating watching the opposition on this. They have no position on climate change. They won’t acknowledge that over half of the global GDP, half of the world’s economy right now, has a carbon price. They won’t acknowledge that right now in British Columbia and Quebec the cost of living is going up at a slower rate than any other province and the Canadian average since they were the first to introduce a carbon tax. They won’t acknowledge those simple facts.

I’m trying to figure out what their position is. It’s a mixture of climate deniers and climate ditherers. They sort of tell you they care about climate change, but when it comes to actually telling us what they’re going to do—we’re about to put $1.9 billion a year into people’s heating systems, their cooling systems, their cars and their public transit to lower their cost of living.

What is the opposition going to do, other than dither?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: I could tell you what the opposition is going to do, Speaker: We’re going to put these guys to the door in 2018 and we’re going to tell the truth.

Again, back to the minister: By next year alone, the government’s own numbers show that each household in the province can, at least, pay nearly $400 more every year—again, that’s just for gas and home heating—and that still doesn’t account for the long-term cost impact on families, which could more than double that number.

The truth is that the government’s cap-and-tax scheme will increase the costs on everything, and what is it going to do? It will leave families, who are already struggling to make ends meet, with much higher prices for everyday essentials like groceries.

Speaker, why won’t this minister finally admit that this government’s real motive for cap-and-trade is to pay for years of Liberal scandal and mismanagement and not to protect the environment?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: Mr. Speaker, I just want to ask the member from Huron–Bruce one more time: Why, if that is true, if her fundamental assumption is true, do Quebec and BC, which have had carbon price—BC’s is at twice the rate of Ontario’s, approximately, and they’ve had the lowest cost of living. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because they’re only looking at one side of the balance sheet. They don’t realize all of the efficiency that this drives in the economy and that it overall lowers and slows the rate of growth in the cost of living.

They don’t look at the fact that we are about to make massive investments in people’s vehicles, in their home heating/cooling systems, in insulation, and in public transit and that people will not have to use carbon-based fuels because we’re going to switch. We’re going to renovate and retrofit every building in Ontario.

The reason that we will not be thrown out in 2018—

Interjections.

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

Climate change

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Last week, I asked the minister whether revenues from the cap-and-trade system would flow into a special purpose account and not into general government revenue.

Last Wednesday night, we got our answer. The money will flow into general revenues, and the rules for spending this money are so lax and flexible, it could be spent on pretty much anything.

Will the government tighten up the rules for spending the cap-and-trade revenues and place this money into a separate account that pays for verifiable greenhouse gas reductions?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I look forward to working with the member from Toronto–Danforth because I know he cares about these issues very much.

All of this money, Mr. Speaker—

Mr. Gilles Bisson: But do you? That’s the question?

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

Hon. Glen R. Murray: All of this money, Mr. Speaker, goes into a single account—reported in, reported out. We know that the Auditor General, as well as the Minister of the Environment and the entire Legislature, will pay very close attention as we publicly report. The Environmental Commissioner will also be reviewing that.

The legislation—if you compare our legislation to Quebec’s or BC’s or California’s—is about the most stringent that you can.

We also have to report, Mr. Speaker, on four other things:

(1) The relative impact of every measure we take: how much greenhouse gas is being—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I’ll wait for the supplementary, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure that there will be a similar question.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: In the fine print of the government’s cap-and-trade bill, we learned that the so-called Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account is not actually a special purpose account. It is an accounting fiction, Speaker, that gives the government total flexibility in how it spends the cap-and-trade revenues. Programs only have to be indirectly related in some way to greenhouse gas reduction. The money can be used for expenditures that have already been made. It can even be used on programs that have already been funded.

The NDP supports cap-and-trade, so we want the system to be fair, transparent and effective. Will the government stop playing accounting games and make sure the cap-and-trade system revenue flows into a special purpose account?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: It’s very clear to me that the official opposition singularly doesn’t believe you need a price on carbon to reduce emissions, which is a fantasy that only they hold. I’m still waiting for the third party to explain: What is your position on cap-and-trade? Do you support it? Do you not support it? Because, Mr. Speaker—

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

Hon. Glen R. Murray: —on page 278 of the budget, the exact expenditure program is laid out.

I’d just like to add five things that we have to do in this process that I think should give some comfort from this. The estimated amount of funding for each action if it is funded under the greenhouse gas reduction account—a specific account—has to be explained, allocated and demonstrated. There also has to be a timetable for implementation. There has to be an estimate of the potential greenhouse gas reductions achieved and the cost per tonne of potential reductions, a public progress report on all actions and a five-year action plan.

If the member can find a higher standard anywhere in the world for accountability and transparency—

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

Climate change / Changement climatique

Mr. Grant Crack: My question is also to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, who is very busy this morning.

Speaker, last year I brought forward a motion before this House to acknowledge that climate change is real, and the need to address it. I was proud to see that our government is once again leading in the fight against climate change.

Climate change is humanity’s greatest challenge, and the debate on that is over. The impacts of climate change are expected to increase costs significantly in our lives, including human health, health care costs, tourism, infrastructure as a result of flooding and agriculture as a result of drought.

As part of our 2016 budget, we announced the details of the proposed cap-and-trade system, the cap-and-trade program, as well as introducing comprehensive legislation and posting a draft regulation for public input. Can the minister please speak to the strict rules and regulations that we’ve put forward on the reinvestment process?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I want to thank the Legislature today for such great interest in this topic. It’s reassuring to me that I sit in a Legislature where we may have different views but people do care about this.

Mr. Speaker, I just do want to take a second to talk about what the cost of inaction may be and what we’re facing in Ontario. Southern Ontario, where the member for Huron–Bruce is, your constituency will be four degrees Celsius warmer than it is today. The entire southern half of the province—and every one degree Celsius means 7% more water is absorbed into the atmosphere. What that means to our capacity for farms and for the farm and agri sector is terrible. In northern Ontario, where much of our forestry industry is, it will be eight degrees Celsius warmer, and the impacts on forestry are devastating. The impacts on eight metres of our GO Transit line cost us $600 million.

These costs will drive costs. A carbon price actually not only allows us to fund—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Grant Crack: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I know myself it’s clear that the reinvestment of the proceeds will be done in a public and transparent manner and will only be used to deliver on combating climate change.

Personally, I’m concerned and I think I’m baffled on the position of the official opposition and the third party on climate change. Neither party and neither leader has offered a credible plan on climate change, as the minister has alluded to. It’s our Premier, our minister and our government that are once again taking the lead on climate change and on policy issues in this province of Ontario. I understand that as part of our plan, we will be introducing a climate change action plan that will further detail how we will plan to reinvest proceeds and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Can the minister inform the House on what we can expect from that action plan?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear about this: We have had a climate strategy. We have a climate bill now in the House. We have climate regulations that were released last Thursday. We had a budget that outlined it. We will soon have an action plan which will detail the next five years of how we will spend and what our objectives are to meet our 2020 target—which, because the “cap” part of cap-and-trade guarantees, we will get there. We also have more public reporting mechanisms on how each project and overall expenditures are measured.

Ma chère collègue la procureure générale l’a expliqué. C’est très, très facile. Elle a utilisé un mot en anglais : « polluter-pay ». This is basically a polluter-pay system, which means that if you don’t pollute—and we’ll help you do the things so you don’t pollute—her position is the same one that Mr. DiCaprio expressed yesterday, which is: Within the next 30 years, we have to solve this problem or we won’t be able to solve any others.

Hydro rates

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is for the Minister of Energy. This month we in the official opposition have asked the reasonable request for this government to finally address in their 2016 budget unsustainable hydro rate increases. They have completely failed to do so.

To add salt to the ratepayers’ wounds, government ministers were crowing about $2 a month off ratepayers’ hydro bills, despite the fact that they have increased more than $1,000 under their tenure.

Speaker, will this government finally admit to the people of Ontario that their budget last week was nothing more than a token—a cup of coffee, shall we say—and that hydro rates will continue to become more unaffordable under the Liberal plan?

Hon. Bob Chiarelli: Mr. Speaker, they left us a $20-billion loan to deal with, and we’re dealing with that.

We recognize that the price of electricity can be difficult for those who pay a higher share of their income towards the bill, particularly low-income families and seniors on a fixed income. That’s why we launched the Ontario Electricity Support Program and we moved the debt retirement charge on January 1 of this year, saving many families $430 annually.

We also know that bills can be even harder for families and seniors in rural and remote areas who heat with electricity or use medically assistive devices. That’s why we doubled the monthly benefit these families can access, up to $100.

It’s important to remember that the average Ontario household is paying around $5 per day, which represents incredible value for money, particularly given the 90% emissions-free system this pays for, a system which is no longer prone to the blackouts and—

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

Mr. John Yakabuski: More shell game gobbledygook from the minister.

Back to the minister: The minister knows that this insulting stipend won’t even begin to come close to covering the cost of the latest increases that went into effect on January 1. Ironically, with the toonie they receive they can treat themselves to a small cup of coffee, once a month—how fitting.

Ontarians need to hear about substantial relief in their electricity bills, yet the minister seems unwilling to acknowledge the harm he has caused families.

It is interesting that the minister has finally found out what a cup of coffee is worth, after increasing hydro bills by hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Will he stand up and acknowledge that their budget will do nothing for families’ hydro bills, or does he simply not care?

Hon. Bob Chiarelli: As I was saying before, the government knows that there are families in Ontario that need assistance with their bill. That’s why we provide the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the saveONenergy Home Assistance Program and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, which can save families more than $1,000 annually.

But as I was also saying, the average family in Ontario is paying about $5 each day for clean, reliable electricity. For this price, Ontarians know they can light their homes, they can power their computers, they can charge their cellphones and they can run their dishwashers. This is very good value for money, especially when you consider that our system is no longer powered by the dirty coal-fired generation that used to make our kids sick—which they expanded—and now saves us $4.4 billion annually in health care costs.

For $5.26 per day, every Ontarian enjoys—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. I stand, you sit.

New question?

Assistance to farmers

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Early in your mandate you challenged the agri-food sector to create 120,000 new jobs in Ontario. That’s on top of the 750,000 jobs that already exist. Farmers are the foundation of the agri-food sector. They grow the crops and raise the livestock on which the sector depends. Farmers have repeatedly told you that the cap on risk management needs to be lifted so they can continue to drive the agricultural sector. But once again, in this budget, you have chosen not to do so.

Premier, how can you set targets for farmers and jobs while refusing to give them the tools to do so?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the member opposite recognizes that we are the government that brought in the Risk Management Program and that we worked closely with farmers. The farmers have helped us design the risk management programs—because there are a number of them, as the member opposite knows.

We will continue to work with farmers. I know that the Minister of Agriculture and Food has a very close connection and, whether it’s with the corn-fed beef farmers or the grain and oilseed farmers, where there are slightly different risk management programs, we’ll continue to work with them.

In the meantime, we are investing in food processing. In the Jobs and Prosperity Fund, there’s a particular carve-out for food processing in the agri-food industry. We know how important it is. We continue to invest and support growth in that sector, including, for example, craft brewers and fruit wines, who are going to be able to grow their businesses.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. John Vanthof: Once again to the Premier, it was farmers and the government that designed the Risk Management Program. They designed it to be bankable and predictable. May I also remind you that it was your government that capped it, making sure that it was no longer bankable and predictable? The Risk Management Program is one of the best programs this province has ever had, but it doesn’t work when you go to the bank and you can’t guarantee that your risk is covered.

The farmers have repeatedly told you that this is the way to make sure that we can continue, that they can continue to create the jobs on which this province depends. Agriculture is either number one or number two in this province, and this government refuses to acknowledge the farmers with the Risk Management Program. They need that cap lifted. Premier, why have you chosen, again, not to do so?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We continue to make investments in rural Ontario. It’s why we increased the budget for agriculture, food and rural affairs by $138 million last year. As I said, we continue to work with the farm sector to make sure that we design those risk management programs, which we put in place in consultation with the sector, in response to the sector, in direct response to the need for farmers to have that predictability. We will continue to work with them.

We will also invest in their communities. We will also invest in the infrastructure that benefits businesses across the province. We are putting more money in the Small Communities Fund, more money in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund. We’re tripling the money in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund. You know that rural communities, farm communities, need those infrastructure investments as much as our urban communities do.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Finance on a point of order.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, I beg your indulgence and recognize a tremendous individual: a captain of industry, a major philanthropist in our community, a founder of a museum celebrating cultural roots in Ontario. He launched the Portuguese Canadian Walk of Fame, recognizing the likes of singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado; a major financier in our community, Michael Nobrega; and a pioneer, a businessman, as well as a community volunteer, my old man, Antonio Sousa. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Manuel DaCosta to this Legislature. Thank you.

Correction of record

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order, Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I just want to clarify and correct my record when I was talking about the shingles vaccine: All seniors between 65 and 70 years of age will be able to access the shingles vaccine free.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): As indicated earlier, when he wasn’t in the House, I would like to bring attention to a visitor: the former Speaker of the Ontario Legislature, Steve Peters. He and I are going to write a book.

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

The House recessed from 1143 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Arthur Potts: I’m delighted to introduce to the House my new legislative assistant, Kimberly Aherne, who is in the gallery on our side—and my head of staff for the constituency office, Tom McGee; welcome—for the member’s statement that she drafted today.

Mr. Harinder S. Takhar: I would like to introduce Madeline Edwards, a resident of my riding, and also my constituency assistant, Bal.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome. Glad you’re here.

Members’ Statements

Rare Disease Day

Mr. Michael Harris: Today, I stand—and ask those in the House and those across the province—in recognition and support of Rare Disease Day.

Internationally, Rare Disease Day is celebrated the last day of February—this year, today, February 29, a rare date in itself. Today, participants from over 85 countries and regions are taking

part in over 650 events, from symposiums and debates to marches, exhibitions and concerts. While we see today some acknowledgment from this government on the need to address the challenges faced by our rare-disease patients, it’s my hope that through recognition of Rare Disease Day in Ontario, we can help move that acknowledgment to action and the answers sufferers deserve.

The truth is that while there are one in 12 Canadians affected by rare diseases, many in the public, the media and the government are unaware of the challenges patients face across the province to diagnosis and treatment.

There are actually over 7,000 recognized rare diseases and yet, despite those growing numbers, rare-disease patients are most often forced suffer in isolation, without the support, awareness and resources available to those with more commonly diagnosed diseases.

The recognition of Rare Disease Day is one way we can continue to work to build the support and awareness.

Emma Donoghue

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize Emma Donoghue, author, screenwriter and London West constituent. Londoners, and indeed all Canadians, are incredibly proud of Donoghue’s Academy Award nomination for the screen version of her critically acclaimed novel Room.

This international bestseller, published in 2010, is a harrowing but uplifting exploration of a mother’s love for her son. Room went on to be shortlisted for just about every literary prize there is, including the Man Booker. As a film, Room earned more accolades, including the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, four Academy Award nominations and, last night, the Oscar for best actress.

Donoghue’s extraordinary achievement is notable on several fronts. First, her literary and commercial success shows the importance of public investments to encourage the writing, publishing, distribution and promotion of books by Canadian authors and poets.

Second, TIFF provided a catalyst for Room to draw film audiences worldwide, reinforcing the value of the festival in profiling Canadian talent on an international stage and the economic impact of financial support for Ontario’s film and cultural sector.

Third, with females making up only about 10% of movie screenwriters, and very few leading roles written for women, Donoghue’s insistence on adapting Room for the screen herself makes her a powerful role model for women in the film industry.

Speaker, I know I speak for all MPPs in saying to Emma that we celebrate your incredible talent, we congratulate you on your many achievements, and we can’t wait for your next book, The Wonder, to be released on September 27.

Winter Stations

Mr. Arthur Potts: These are sunny days in my riding of Beaches–East York. All along the Beach on Family Day weekend past, I had the pleasure of joining local councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon for the grand opening of our Winter Stations right across the boardwalks of Beaches–East York.

The event, in its second year, turns the Beach into a magical and inviting place in the winter by transforming the Beach’s lifeguard stations into unique art exhibits. The art exhibits are selected by a jury with representation from architectural firms, the city of Toronto and consultants in the GTA. The competition this year almost doubled its participation, with 372 submissions from 49 different countries. Of those submissions, eight were chosen, the installations were built, and they will continue to be exhibited until March 20.

The Winter Stations have brought the boardwalk alive for a second year in a row with participating projects from across the province, including OCAD University, Ryerson and Laurentian University, and from other people around the world. These exhibits attract visitors to the Beaches–East York area and they give a great boost to local restaurants and other businesses. Mayor Tory visited this weekend, as did my sister and constituent Roberta Tevlin, who gave the permanent pilot project for a fire pit a two-thumbs-up.

Speaker, I would encourage all members of this House to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to come down to my riding and experience these unique and wonderful artistic installations.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): She nailed her word count; that’s for sure.

Further members’ statements?

Vic Hayter

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Today I rise to remember and pay tribute to Vic Hayter. Vic passed away on February 23 at the age of 77. Vic was an incredibly successful businessman and community leader. He purchased his first hotel 43 years ago and went on to own a number of very successful businesses. In Stratford, he owned the Arden Park Hotel and the Festival Inn.

Vic will be remembered for his humble and hard-working spirit. He supported the Stratford Rotary Complex, the Stratford General Hospital, the Stratford-Perth Humane Society, Stratford Summer Music, church groups and many other community organizations. Vic’s love for animals was clear to anyone who saw him with his cocker spaniels. I will remember Vic as a well-respected member of the racehorse community.

I would like to extend my condolences to Vic’s wife, Jo Ann; his children, Edward, Stephanie and Gregory, and their partners; his grandchildren; and all of his family and friends.

Today in Stratford, they honoured Vic at a funeral service at the Stratford Festival. I have no doubt that many are mourning his loss and sharing the special memories he has left behind. Vic will be remembered for all he did to make Stratford such a wonderful community.

Protection of privacy

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: I rise today to discuss the issue of privacy and security when it comes to our personal data. A recent case in the States has raised issues around how important this issue is when it comes to our personal data with regard to our phones. In the US, there is a court case right now which is ordering Apple to unlock an encrypted phone. It raises questions around how important our personal information is. We acknowledge the importance of our personal information when it comes to our health information, but what about all of our digital communications?

We know, in a similar analogy, that tampering with mail is a serious federal offence. If you are to steal mail, it is an offence that can be tried by indictment, with up to 10 years in jail as a punishment. In fact, stopping mail with the intent to search it or to rob it is another indictable offence with up to life imprisonment, so it shows that as a society we acknowledge the importance of our communication being secure and private. In fact, I would make the argument that secure and private information in terms of our communication is linked to our freedom of thought and expression.

As a default, in our province, we don’t have laws that clearly regulate and ensure protection for the public with respect to our communication, whether it is digital, through email or through texting or through other forms of communication. We need to look at this issue as a human rights issue, as a freedom of thought issue, and make it a default that our communications are encrypted and are secure so that we ensure the privacy of our information in much the same way we protect our information through the mail. Let’s move forward in a new technological and digital era and address this issue.

Beverley Gordon

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I am very proud to rise in the House today to recognize a fantastic individual from my great riding of Davenport, Beverley Gordon. Beverley’s contribution to my riding and to our province can best be measured by the hundreds of Ontario families whose lives have been positively impacted through contact with her and with the Safehaven Project for Community Living, located in Davenport, which she founded 25 years ago and of which she was CEO.

For those who have not had the privilege of visiting Safehaven, it is an invaluable organization that provides residential and respite services to families with children with multiple disabilities and complex medical needs. Beverley wholeheartedly believes that every child is special and can flourish with the support of their families and the community. Under her direction, Safehaven has enriched the quality of life and significantly extended the lifespans of medically challenged children in the province. Today, her vision has taken on a broader scope as other communities have set up services using the innovative Safehaven model.

Beverley has lived her life with remarkable selflessness, dedicated to making life better for some of our most vulnerable citizens. I truly mean it when I say that I could not have been more proud to have been present as she received the Order of Ontario just a short few weeks ago. On behalf of the families whose lives you’ve changed for the better and those whom Safeheaven will continue to help, thank you for all that you do, Beverley.

Oxford businesses

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to report the results of my annual survey of Oxford businesses, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond.

Again this year, the cost of doing business in Ontario is a major concern. Some 92% of businesses said they would be negatively impacted by the mandatory pension plan, and 67% said the impact would be significant. All of the respondents said they had been impacted by increasing hydro costs, and 72% said the impact was significant. Businesses reported their biggest challenges were “rising government costs,” “hydro rates” and “increasing costs.” Last week, the government had an opportunity to address these concerns but instead presented a budget that will make it more expensive for both people and businesses in Ontario.

This year, I launched my business survey during the CFIB Red Tape Awareness Week, and it seems appropriate, given that 75% of respondents said that red tape has been increasing. Businesses reported that the cost of red tape is significant. One said it cost them tens of thousands of dollars; another said $50,000 a year. One small business said that red tape has reduced their revenue by 25%. These businesses are facing real challenges and the government’s red-tape-reduction photo ops haven’t solved the problem.

I want to thank all the business operators who took the time to tell me about their company and to share the challenges that they are facing. We know how hard they work, and I hope that the government will listen to their concerns so that we can create a climate where our businesses can succeed.

Madeline Edwards

Mr. Harinder S. Takhar: We all know that Ontario’s highest official honour, the Order of Ontario, is awarded to exceptional individuals who have benefited other individuals by excelling in any field. It is an honour and a privilege to talk about Madeline Edwards, who has been awarded the Order of Ontario for 2015 and who is an outstanding constituent of my riding of Mississauga–Erindale.

Madeline Edwards is known for her staunch advocacy for social justice. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important for us to celebrate the contributions and extraordinary work that people like Madeline Edwards perform day in, day out.

Madeline has been a long-time leader and a voice for the community. She was a founding member of the Mississauga and area

chapter of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of black women and their families. She created a program called Suffering in Silence to support women who remain in abusive relationships due to poverty and unemployment. This program formed the basis of a non-profit housing complex where the victims of abuse could find a secure and safe place to live.

I am very proud of Madeline’s work and contributions to our city and our province. On a personal note, I want to thank her for her continued support, advice and advocacy on behalf of my constituents. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Madeline Edwards—she is sitting right there in the east gallery—for receiving the province’s highest honour, the Order of Ontario. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Congratulations.

Grandview Children’s Centre

Mr. Joe Dickson: I’m in the House today to acknowledge Grandview Children’s Centre. It’s the only children’s centre, treatment-wise, in Durham region, providing expert paediatric treatment and rehabilitation services to well over 5,000 children and youth with special needs.

Grandview has been operating in the region of Durham for some 63 years, and its headquarters are in Oshawa. On November 20, 2015, Minister of Children and Youth Services Tracy MacCharles, Durham MPP Granville Anderson and myself joined Ajax’s mayor, Steve Parish, and all members of Ajax council when they announced that the town was giving Grandview Children’s Centre a five-acre parcel of land on Harwood Avenue North to build a new $44-million, multistory, 68,000-square-foot facility. Well done, Ajax.

This is great news, as I have been working with Grandview as an MPP and an Ajax councillor since approximately 2005. I was honoured to be the presenter of the very first half-million-dollar capital grant cheque to them for redevelopment and programs in 2007.

This past July, our Ontario government, through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, agreed to provide $850,000 for critical building-renewal projects at Grandview, again from our provincial government.

I am very pleased that our newly tabled budget includes an investment strategy for children in the province, as well as an investment of $333 million over five years in autism services.

The executive director of Grandview, Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, has spoken very highly of the investments the province is making.

Introduction of Bills

Rare Disease Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour des maladies rares

Mr. Harris moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 174,

An Act to proclaim Rare Disease Day / Projet de loi 174, Loi proclamant le Jour des maladies rares.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Mr. Michael Harris: Today I introduced

An Act to proclaim Rare Disease Day to recognize the last day of February in each year as Rare Disease Day here in Ontario. A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. According to the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, one in 12 Canadians are affected by a rare disease.

While a Rare Disease Day is officially recognized throughout Europe and the United States at the end of February, this bill calls for the government to recognize the last day of February in each year as Rare Disease Day here in Ontario.

Petitions

Air quality

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas Ontario’s Drive Clean Program was implemented only as a temporary measure to reduce high levels of vehicle emissions and smog; and

“Whereas vehicle emissions have declined so significantly from 1998 to 2010 that they are no longer among the major domestic contributors of smog in Ontario; and

“Whereas the overwhelming majority of reductions in vehicle emissions were, in fact, the result of factors other than the Drive Clean program, such as tighter manufacturing standards for emission-control technologies; and

“Whereas from 1999 to 2010 the percentage of vehicles that failed emissions testing under the Drive Clean program steadily declined from 16% to 5%; and ...

“Whereas the new Drive Clean test has caused the failure rate to double in less than two months as a result of technical problems with the new emissions testing method; ...

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

“That the Minister of the Environment must take immediate steps to phase out Ontario’s Drive Clean program.”

I proudly support this petition and send it over with page Julia.

Health care funding

Mr. John Vanthof: “Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

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

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

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

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

I wholeheartedly agree and send it down with page Delaney.

Lung health

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I have a petition that’s addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I agree with this petition, will affix my name and send it to the table with page Ryan.

Renewable energy

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: This is a “Petition to Support Bill 150, Energy Referendum Act, 2015.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Green Energy Act, 2009 has been a major contributor in recent years to the skyrocketing and unsustainable increases in hydro bills and has created an environment where large-scale renewable energy projects are becoming more prominent in all areas of the province;

“Whereas these large-scale renewable energy projects can have significant impact on property values, tourism, wildlife population and the very landscape in the communities where they exist;

“Whereas there have been instances where local municipal councils have allowed large-scale renewable energy projects into their communities against the popular will of residents; and

“Whereas local residents will be the ones who are most impacted as a result of large-scale renewable energy projects being developed in their communities and hence should be the ones who have the final say regarding the issue;

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

“That members of the Legislative Assembly vote to support MPP John Yakabuski’s private member’s bill, Bill 150, Energy Referendum Act, 2015, which would mandate that local municipalities hold a referendum before large-scale renewable energy projects are approved so that residents are the ones who decide if these projects will go forward.”

I agree with this petition and I send it down with page Charlotte.

Health care

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I have a petition here from people across Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

“

(1) Reverse the cuts to health care;

“

(2) Return to the bargaining table with the OMA ... to resume negotiations for a fair physician services agreement;

“

(3) Work with all front-line health care provider groups to develop plans to create a sustainable health care system for the people of Ontario.”

I agree with this. I affix my name to it and will send it with page Sayeem.

Water fluoridation

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I have a petition here addressed to the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

“Whereas fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in virtually all water supplies, even the ocean; and

“Whereas scientific studies conducted during the past 70 years have consistently shown that the fluoridation of community water supplies is a safe and effective means of preventing dental decay, and is a public health measure endorsed by more than 90 national and international health organizations; and

“Whereas dental decay is the second most frequent condition suffered by children, and is one of the leading causes of absences from school; and

“Whereas Health Canada has determined that the optimal concentration of fluoride in municipal drinking water for dental health is 0.7 mg/L, a concentration providing optimal dental health benefits, and well below the maximum acceptable concentration to protect against adverse health effects; and

“Whereas the decision to add fluoride to municipal drinking water is a patchwork of individual choices across Ontario, with municipal councils often vulnerable to the influence of misinformation, and studies of questionable or no scientific merit;

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

“That the ministries of the government of Ontario amend all applicable legislation and regulations to make the fluoridation of municipal drinking water mandatory in all municipal water systems across the province.”

I agree with this petition, will affix my name and send it to the table with page Owen.

Beer sales

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition with regard to beer sales in small towns. It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the changes to beer sales in the 2015 provincial budget only allow for grocery stores to qualify in population centres of over 30,000 people;

“Whereas all consumers, including those living in rural and northern Ontario, will pay their share of the new $100-million-per-year beer tax;

“Whereas many of Ontario’s craft breweries are located in communities of less than 30,000 people—four of which operate in such locations in Parry Sound–Muskoka;

“Whereas access for craft breweries to sell beer in grocery stores will provide the opportunity for increased sales and will support local jobs;

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

“That the Ontario government do away with the 30,000 population restriction so people living in rural and northern Ontario have the opportunity to purchase beer in their local grocery stores.”

Mr. Speaker, I have signed and support this petition.

Gasoline prices

M me France Gélinas: I’d like to thank Sharon Simpson from my riding for this petition. It goes as follows:

“Whereas northern Ontario motorists continue to be subject to wild fluctuations in the price of gasoline; and

“Whereas the province could eliminate opportunistic price gouging and deliver fair, stable and predictable fuel prices; and

“Whereas five provinces and many US states already have some sort of gas price regulation; and

“Whereas jurisdictions with gas price regulation have seen an end to wild price fluctuations, a shrinking of price discrepancies between urban and rural communities and lower annualized gas prices;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to “Mandate the Ontario Energy Board to monitor the price of gasoline across Ontario in order to reduce price volatility and unfair regional price differences while encouraging competition.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Delaney to bring it to the Clerk.

Public transit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives me great pleasure to sign this petition and give it to page Erin.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

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

“Whereas the Canada Health Act requires provinces to fund medically necessary treatment for Canadians; and

“Whereas a growing number of people in Ontario suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) have to seek out-of-country treatment at their own expense because doctors in Ontario don’t have the knowledge or skills to understand EDS symptoms and perform the required delicate and complicated surgeries; and

“Whereas those EDS victims who can’t afford the expensive treatment outside of Ontario are forced to suffer a deteriorating existence and risk irreversible tissue and nerve damage; and

“Whereas EDS victims suffer severe dislocations, chronic pain, blackouts, nausea, migraines, lost vision, tremors, bowel and bladder issues, heart problems, mobility issues, digestive disorders, severe fatigue and many others resulting in little or very poor quality of life; and

“Whereas despite Ontario Ministry of Health claims that there are doctors in Ontario who can perform surgeries on EDS patients, when surgery is recommended the Ontario referring physicians fail to identify any Ontario neurosurgeon willing or able to see and treat the patient;

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

“Require the Minister of Health to provide the names of Ontario neurosurgeons who can—and will—perform surgeries on EDS patients with equivalent or identical skills to the EDS neurosurgeon specialists in the United States, and meet the Canada Health Act’s requirement to afford equal access to medical treatment for patients, regardless of their ability to pay for out-of-country services.”

I fully support it, will affix my name and send it with page Ryan.

Financement des soins de santé

« Alors que la croissance et le vieillissement de la population de l’Ontario pèsent de plus en plus sur le système de santé financé par l’État; et

« Alors que depuis le mois de février 2015, le gouvernement de l’Ontario a diminué de près de 7 % les dépenses de service des médecins de manière unilatérale, lesquelles couvrent tous les soins donnés aux patients par les professionnels de la santé; et

« Alors que les décisions que prend aujourd’hui l’Ontario auront un impact sur l’accès des patients à des soins de qualité dans les années à venir, ces coupes budgétaires menaceront l’accès aux soins de qualité axés sur le patient dont les Ontariens ont besoin et qu’ils attendent.

« Nous, les signataires, demandons à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario que :

« Le ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée revienne à la table des négociations avec les médecins de l’Ontario pour s’efforcer par l’entremise d’un arbitrage par médiation de trouver un accord équitable qui protège les soins de qualité axés sur le patient que les familles ontariennes méritent. »

Je donne ça à Charlotte, and ask her to table that.

Lung health

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I will sign this petition and send it to the Chair.

Health care funding

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a health care petition and it reads:

“Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

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

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

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

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

I’ve signed this petition, Mr. Speaker.

Orders of the Day

Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016 / Loi de 2016 favorisant la création d’emplois pour aujourd’hui et demain (mesures budgétaires)

Mr. Sousa moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 173,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact or amend various statutes / Projet de loi 173, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter ou à modifier diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, I’ll be sharing my time with my parliamentary assistant, the member from York South–Weston.

I am pleased to stand today in the House for the second reading of Bill 173, the Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016.

I’m proud to report that the 2016 Ontario budget, and hence the content of this bill, is the result of extensive consultations with the people of Ontario. In fact, the government conducted pre-budget consultations across the province. This included 20 in-person pre-budget sessions in 13 cities with more than 700 people. It included two telephone town halls reaching more than 52,000 Ontarians. It included receiving 500 written submissions, and it included online consultations with more than 6,500 users through the Budget Talks website.

Ontarians let us know how they felt about the subjects that mattered most to them, like jobs, education, health care and the environment, and we listened. The result is this budget, a budget that continues this government’s plan to create jobs and grows Ontario’s economy.

Like many jurisdictions around the world, Ontario was hit hard by the 2008 global economic downturn. We did not wait to invest or address the challenges to enable growth, nor did we wait for the economy to magically improve. Instead, our government put a plan in place to protect and create jobs, to grow the economy and attract foreign investment, and to balance the budget by 2017-18 in a deliberate and responsible way. The people of Ontario embraced this challenge. This plan is working.

Today, Ontario is a leader in growth and job creation. For the last two years, Ontario has attracted more foreign direct investment than any other province or US state, and we continue to meet and exceed our deficit targets. As announced in the 2016 budget, the deficit for 2015-16 is forecast to be $5.7 billion, which is $2.8 billion lower than the forecast in the 2015 budget, and it’s $1.8 billion lower than the amended projection laid out in the 2015 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review. Our government is projecting a further reduction in the deficit to $4.3 billion in 2016-17, and we are coming and announcing a balanced budget in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

We sow what we reap, and our economy is growing. The Ministry of Finance is forecasting growth in Ontario’s real GDP of 2.5% in 2015 and 2.2% in 2016. Our economic growth is now outpacing national growth and is expected to continue being among the strongest in Canada over the next two years.

And a further piece of good news: A key indication of fiscal sustainability is in regards to management of the debt. Our net debt-to-GDP is expected to peak at 39.6% in 2015-16, remain level in 2016-17 and decline in 2017-18. Furthermore, we are creating jobs, Mr. Speaker—lots of jobs. More than 600,000 jobs have been created since the recessionary lows in 2009. Ontario is projected to create more than 300,000 additional jobs by the end of 2019, which would bring total job creation to more than 900,000 net new jobs over a 10-year period.

But our work is not finished. Today we face new challenges: the price of oil and the Canadian dollar have fallen considerably. Once again, Ontario will embrace these challenges. These challenges also provide our manufacturers, our exporters and private sectors with opportunities for growth and job creation.

This government will continue to beat its fiscal targets while investing in the economy, people and a healthy, clean and prosperous low-carbon future. These investments will help enhance the public services on which Ontarians rely, as well as stimulate growth and investments like building and revitalizing our public infrastructure, which are critical to strengthening Ontario’s economy and creating jobs for today and tomorrow.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the government previously committed to investing more than $134 billion over 10 years in priority projects such as roads, bridges, public transit, hospitals and schools. We’re building on this plan with an additional $3 billion in commitment, bringing the government’s total infrastructure investment to more than $137 billion over the next 10 years. That will result in about $160 billion over 12 years, starting in 2014-15, which is the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history ever. These planned investments would support more than 110,000 jobs each year on average.

That’s not all that we’re doing to help the economy grow and create jobs. We’re also forecasting and fostering a more dynamic and innovative business environment. Our plan continues to reduce business costs, leverage investments through strategic partnerships, help businesses go global and strengthen the financial services sector.

We’re also developing a sharing economy strategy and renewing the province’s social enterprise strategy.

Our government continues to roll out our Business Growth Initiative. This is a five-year, $400-million strategy to accelerate the province’s shift towards a high-growth innovation economy and help businesses scale up. It will also modernize the regulatory system and lower the cost of doing business in the province.

Mr. Speaker, we’re planning for the jobs of the future. The global economy is moving towards pricing carbon. This is a key step in combatting climate change, and Ontario is taking action. Last week, this government introduced the proposed Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act. That bill sets the groundwork for a cap-and-trade program to help Ontario meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets. Together with last week’s bill, the 2016 budget sets the stage for Ontario to auction carbon allowances in 2017.

A cap-and-trade program would reward innovative companies and ensure that households and businesses thrive within the transition to a low-carbon economy. All proceeds from the cap-and-trade program, projected to be $1.9 billion in 2017-18, would be used exclusively to fund initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These are just a few aspects of our economic plan to create jobs today and jobs for tomorrow. They include a plan to invest in people’s talents and skills, to help all Ontarians reach their full potential and succeed in an evolving economy; a plan to move people and goods quickly and efficiently to attract private investment and to help people in their everyday lives by making the largest investment in public infrastructure in our history; a plan to create a dynamic, supportive environment where businesses thrive; and a plan to help strengthen retirement security for Ontarians.

To speak further on the 2016 Ontario budget and Bill 173, the Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016—a mouthful, Mr. Speaker—I call upon my colleague, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance, the all-great Laura Albanese.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I’m pleased to recognize the member for York South–Weston.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to stand today and add my support for the second reading of Bill 173, the Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the budget measures bill contains a wide variety of initiatives and amendments. While the bill contains a number of important initiatives and amendments, I’d like to take the opportunity to provide some background for the proposed changes in two specific areas.

This government’s plan to grow the economy and create jobs includes investing in people’s talents and skills. High-quality education and training, starting from the earliest years and continuing throughout a person’s working life, are what enable Ontarians to acquire and retain good jobs, while adapting and thriving in today’s demanding and competitive global environment.

We have been successful on many fronts. For the early years, our changes are leading to better outcomes for children and a more seamless experience for families. We have modernized the legislative and regulatory framework for child care. We have enhanced program quality, consistency and access in child care and early years programs. This reflects our focus on safe and healthy child development and improved supports for parents and families. And of course, since September 2014, we have made full-day kindergarten available to every four- and five-year-old in Ontario.

We continue to take steps to invest in people’s talents and skills. In the 2016 budget, our government is proposing to modernize student financial assistance to make post-secondary education more accessible and affordable. We are proposing to create a simple, integrated, upfront grant, the Ontario Student Grant, starting in the 2017-18 school year. Under the proposed system, average tuition will be free for students with financial need from families with incomes of $50,000 or lower. Tuition will also be more affordable for middle-income families.

More than 50% of students from families with incomes of $83,000 or less will receive non-repayable grants in excess of average college or university tuition. No Ontario student will receive less through the Ontario Student Grant than they are currently eligible for through the Ontario tuition grant.

Students in families with annual incomes of less than $50,000 will have no provincial student debt. The government will also expand financial support for mature and married students. Access to interest-free and low-cost loans for middle- and upper-income families will be increased by reducing their expected parental contributions. Most students will have less debt than they would under the current system, and the maximum OSAP debt level will be capped at $10,000 annually for higher-income families.

As part of these changes, the government is proposing to discontinue the Ontario tuition and education tax credits, beginning in the fall of 2017. The proposed changes to the Taxation Act, 2007, are part of Bill 173.

All additional revenue from eliminating these tax credits would be reinvested to support the new Ontario Student Grant or other post-secondary education, training and youth jobs programs. We are proposing these changes because grants are more effective than tax credits at targeting financial support to students with the greatest financial need and providing support upfront.

Ontario’s tuition tax credit is calculated based on eligible tuition and related fees, as well as fees for certain occupational trade or professional examinations. The education tax credit provides set amounts for non-tuition expenses for each month of full-time or part-time post-secondary studies. Students who cannot use all their tuition and education tax credits for a particular year may transfer them to a parent, grandparent, spouse or common law partner up to an annual maximum. Credits that are not used or transferred are carried forward to future tax years.

The timing of the proposed elimination of the tuition and education tax credits would correspond to the introduction of the Ontario Student Grant. Ontario students would be able to claim the tuition tax credit for eligible tuition fees paid for studies up to and including September 4, 2017, and would be able to claim all accumulated education tax credits for months of studies before September 2017. The eligible portion of 2017 tax credits would be transferable to a qualifying family member.

Tax filers who live in Ontario on December 31, 2017, and have unused tuition and education tax credits available for carry forward would still be able to claim them in future years. Tax filers who move to Ontario from other provinces after December 2017, however, would no longer be able to claim their accumulated tuition and education tax credits in Ontario.

These changes will provide students who have the greatest financial need with better access to grants upfront when they need them. They will provide them with the opportunities and tools they need to succeed in the knowledge-based economy.

Another proposed amendment in Bill 173, the Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016, relates to the changes we have been making to beverage alcohol retailing in the province of Ontario.

The government has delivered on its promise to introduce the sale of beer in grocery stores. Sixty locations across Ontario are now selling beer. Up to 150 stores will be able to sell beer by May 1, 2017, and up to 450 stores could eventually be approved to do so. Building on that progress, we are moving forward with expanding wine sales to further improve consumer choice and convenience.

By the fall of this year, 2016, up to 70 grocery stores across the province will be authorized to sell wine and beer together, through newly allocated authorizations. Eventually, up to 150 grocery stores will be approved to sell wine from Ontario across Canada and around the world. As well, up to 150 of the province’s private winery retail outlets, now located at grocery stores, will have the opportunity to operate their store inside the grocery space, enabling customers to buy wine with their groceries. In total, up to 300 grocery stores, both large chains and independent stores, will sell wine inside their stores.

It is important to note that the government also continues to carefully regulate the sale of alcohol. The same requirements for safe and responsible retailing of beer in grocery stores will apply to wine. This includes designated sales areas, restricted hours of sale, and rigorous training for grocery store staff.

The government is proposing changes to the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act, 1996, as part of Bill 173, the Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016. These proposed changes include establishing a definition of “authorized grocery store” and provide for the collection of tax in those stores, and increasing the basic tax on non-Ontario wine purchased at winery retail stores by one percentage point in each of June 2016, April 2017, April 2018 and April 2019.

These are just a few of the changes proposed in Bill 173. This bill continues the government’s plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number one priority, which is growing the economy and creating jobs. This bill ensures that we continue to build Ontario up by investing in our future. That is why I ask for the support of this House in passing this important legislation, Bill 173, Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I’m happy to rise today to add some input into the government’s budget that they presented last week.

Obviously, our leader, Patrick Brown, and our finance critic, Mr. Fedeli, put three demands out in advance of the budget. Clearly, the government wasn’t interested in consulting the other parties, let alone consulting anyone else in the province of Ontario.

What I want to highlight today is what I think is the greatest risk to economic prosperity in the province from this budget, and that is the Liberals’ $308-billion debt that they are burdening future generations in this province with. And $308 billion, if the finance minister isn’t aware, represents over $22,000 for every man, woman and child in this province. I think of my family—my young daughter, my wife and myself—and that’s $66,000 worth of debt. That’s just the provincial portion that our family is responsible for.

Then you take into account the burden that the federal government is putting on families, with their massive spending programs and the debt that’s happening in Ottawa. So I caution the government to really think seriously about the burden. It’s easy for them to sit here at Queen’s Park in what I like to call “the Queen’s Park bubble,” but they have to realize the impact they’re putting on families across the province.

Just in closing, one of the asks that our leader, Patrick Brown, had in our PC caucus was to make energy more affordable. That is something that we needed to see in the budget. Clearly we’re hearing from constituents—I know we are, in my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex—who are really having a tough time keeping their payments going so they can stay in their house.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?

M me France Gélinas: We, too, had been clear ahead of the budget: “Let’s make sure that we listen to what Ontarians are telling us.” Ontarians have been saying in every part of the province that they have a hard time making ends meet, and that one of the reasons they have a hard time making ends meet is the price of electricity. But yet, we see the Liberal government continuing to sell Hydro One, and we all know privatization will lead to even higher hydro bills. That makes life hard, no matter where you live.

Then we saw this over-four-cents-a-litre increase for the price of gasoline. I represent the riding of Nickel Belt; I understand that if you increase the price of gas, people will look for other means of transportation, but there are no other means of transportation in Nickel Belt. You could increase the price of gasoline, and it doesn’t matter. There still aren’t going to be alternate modes of transportation.

Then there is the 1% increase to our hospitals. You have to realize that right now, our hospitals cancel elective surgeries and admit people in hallways and in all sorts of areas that were never meant to be patient rooms. They have long wait-lists. Well, the 1% increase to our hospitals means that all of this stays. It doesn’t have an opportunity to get better; it just stays where it is. But there are some serious gaps that need to be addressed so that we have better access and we have quality of care in your hospital.

That is not part of the budget, which means that people will continue to wait, will continue to have their surgeries canceled and will continue to be denied access, and that’s wrong.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: I’m thankful to be given this opportunity to add a few of my comments to this debate.

This morning in question period I had the opportunity to ask the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities about the budget and the tuition fee changes that have been made to the budget. My colleague from York South–Weston covered it extensively in her remarks, but I just want to reiterate that the changes the government is making in the OSAP program are significant for my residents, because you had to apply for OSAP under I think 12 or 14 different streams. It is now reduced to four, and it’s simplified.

The other problem is a lot of parents and students did not know how much they would receive until they actually applied. Now it is very easy. You know up front, based on your family income, what is your opportunity.

In my riding, which is a low-income neighbourhood on the eastern part, I will tell you that that makes a huge difference to the residents, because parents used to be scared that they would not be able to afford to send their kids to college or university. Now they know they don’t have to worry about that anymore. They can work with their children while they’re in high school and encourage them that the opportunity is greater than it used to be, rather than saying to them, “I don’t think we can afford university or community college for you.” So I think that’s great. My riding is going to benefit from it, and I think it is significant.

The other thing is, I was at a Rotary Club business meeting on Friday morning about the budget, and I was very impressed that the community is behind our government on the cap-and-trade program. We’ve spent many years trying to protect the Rouge River in my riding; that is a significant resource of that riding.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I rise to give a few comments on what I heard from the members opposite on this budget.

It’s interesting to me that a reference was made to the 2008 recession, when things were certainly not good in this province. It went into the winter, and I know our own business had a downturn in business. Those are the facts. That’s the first time we ever laid off our staff, that winter. But yet, this government kept spending and they’ve continued on that course. Even though they project their deficit to be eliminated in the next couple of years, the debt is projected to be over $300 billion this year. That’s nothing to be proud of.

In fact, I’m sure that people who are in that business of finance will say that that is something that has to be brought under control. We cannot continue to spend like that and put it toward this debt.

I also made mention of the cap-and-trade tax that they want to bring in. I do get worried when this government fools around with anything to do with energy. That’s what is going on at this time with this cap-and-trade tax. We know what the green energy file has done to this province. It has done nothing but raise costs to where we have people in all sectors of our life—businesses and private—having difficulties with their hydro bills. That’s going to continue to go up. So when this government has anything to do with energy, I certainly get nervous.

I think the people of Ontario are going to get nervous about that, too, because, from their previous record on how they have failed on these different files from the past, it gives us no certainty of the future.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time that we have for questions and comments for this round.

I return to the member for York South–Weston, who has two minutes to reply.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: I wanted to point out that we have a plan to reduce our debt and that we have stayed the course. Debt is one measure of fiscal performance; a better indicator is net debt to GDP, which offers a more complete pic