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April 29, 2013

40th Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2013-Apr-29 (PDF)

L032 - Mon 29 Apr 2013 / Lun 29 avr 2013

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 29 April 2013 Lundi 29 avril 2013

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

ONTARIO BUDGET

ONTARIO BUDGET

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

POWER PLANTS

RURAL EDUCATION FUNDING

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY

UNEMPLOYMENT

ACADEMIC STREAMING

HOME WARRANTY PROGRAM

NORTHERN ONTARIO

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETIES

VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

JACK BURROWS

HAMILTON HELMET INITIATIVE

ELLIOTT KERR

HARDY SINGH

HEALTHY EATING

ROTARY CLUBS

FOOD LITERACY

IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

ROAD MAINTENANCE

DOUG ROLLINS

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

HEALTHY DECISIONS

FOR HEALTHY EATING ACT, 2013 /

LOI DE 2013 FAVORISANT

DES CHOIX SAINS

POUR UNE ALIMENTATION SAINE

WIRELESS SERVICES

AGREEMENTS ACT, 2013 /

LOI DE 2013 SUR LES CONVENTIONS

DE SERVICES SANS FIL

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

CONSUMER PROTECTION

PETITIONS

LAND USE PLANNING

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

COMMUNITY SAFETY

WORKPLACE INSURANCE

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

TIRE DISPOSAL

WATER QUALITY

COMMUNITY SAFETY

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TRADES

AIR QUALITY

ORDERS OF THE DAY

LOCAL FOOD ACT, 2013 /

LOI DE 2013 SUR

LES ALIMENTS LOCAUX

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to welcome the Canadian Beverage Association. In the members’ gallery are Jim Goetz, president of the Canadian Beverage Association, and member representatives including Neil Antymis, PepsiCo Beverages; John Challinor, Nestlé Waters; Wayne Delfino, Canada Dry Mott’s; Jenny Gusba, PepsiCo Beverages; Erika Mozes, Coca-Cola Canada; and John Wren, Cott Beverages. I hope the members will take time to meet with them at their reception this evening in the legislative dining room.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Joining us in the east gallery at some point: Donna Tranquada, from the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce; Carl Cosack, who’s the chair of that same group; Dave Vander Zaag, who’s a Melancthon potato farmer; and Harvey Kolodny, professor emeritus, Rotman School. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I’d like to introduce a summer intern who’s going to be working in my office for the next number of months: Eugenie Lambert, from Paris, France. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I’d like to welcome folks from the Nature Conservancy of Canada here today. Kate Lyons is the chair of Nature Conservancy of Canada in Ontario, and James Duncan is the vice-president in charge of Nature Conservancy of Canada in Ontario.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I am delighted to welcome to the House Kyle Olsen. Kyle is a former resident of Toronto Centre, but he now works for Premier Alison Redford in Alberta. Let’s show him how we operate here.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I have four special guests here today: Kayla Goulding, from my riding, painted a beautiful picture which we’re unveiling today at 1:30 in my office, room 444—everyone is welcome—and her friend Brie Welch. Marg Goulding is here; and Al Goulding is here. He’s the co-founder of Railway City Brewing, whose Dead Elephant Ale is served every day in this fine establishment.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: I have three guests here today from the People First group: Kory Earle, Marg McLean and Richard Ruston. Welcome, all.

Mr. Todd Smith: It’s a pleasure to welcome two residents from Prince Edward county here today: Lyn Tracey and her daughter, Rachael Tracey, sitting in the west members’ gallery.

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I want to welcome Elena Woydich, a German exchange student who is staying with a family from Etobicoke–Lakeshore, and a friend of hers, Alexa Tagura, who are here today to see how Queen’s Park operates.

Mr. John O’Toole: I’d like to welcome, from my riding of Durham, page Tenzin Shomar. Here today also are his father, Phurbu, as well as his mother, Tsering, and his sister, Dephel. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Teresa Piruzza: Good morning. I too would like to welcome Kate Lyons and James Duncan from the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Ontario. I encourage all members to drop into their reception in committee room 230 following question period. Welcome, and thank you for all the work that you do.

Mr. John Vanthof: I’d like to welcome Anne Nahuis, Bernard Pope and Robert Wright from the Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture. Welcome.

Mr. Frank Klees: This may be unconventional, but I want to extend congratulations to the member from Nepean–Carleton on her Sens stumbling into the playoffs, and we wish them an enjoyable four games.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That was unorthodox. Further introductions?

Finally, I have one. Would the members please join me in welcoming a visiting table officer who is on attachment this week with our table. Shannon Dean is the senior parliamentary counsel and director of House services with the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Welcome.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I think the Minister of the Environment is asking me to help him today.

Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: We have a class from Mississauga South just arriving—I’d like to give them an opportunity to walk in—they’re from St. Paul Secondary School. There are going to be about 75 students listening to us cordially discussing and debating today, and I appreciate the students being here from grade 10 civics classes.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’ll have one more call for introduction of guests. There being none, it is now time for oral questions.

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

Mr. Tim Hudak: My question is to the Premier. At 11:30 today, just after question period, Jim Wilson, the PC House leader, the member for Simcoe–Grey, will be tabling a want of confidence motion in the assembly. The motion will reflect the sadness, anger and frustration of Ontario taxpayers that the Liberal Party is putting their own interests ahead of the interests of taxpayers, that you chose to spend probably over $1 billion to cancel gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga instead of addressing the real concerns around jobs and spending within our means.

Premier, given the seriousness of this issue and the motion coming before the House today, will you agree to have this motion debated here in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It is absolutely within the purview of the party opposite to work to hold the government to account. In a minority Parliament it is absolutely within his control to suggest that there be a non-confidence motion at any point.

But the reality is, we have a very large confidence issue that will come before this House very shortly. Within this week, we’re going to be presenting a budget. I really believe that the fact we’re introducing the budget on Thursday gives this Parliament an opportunity to vote on and express confidence or non-confidence in the government.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: This is helpful that the Premier acknowledges the rights of the opposition to bring this forward, and I assure you, we take this with the utmost seriousness and we believe we need to do the right thing on behalf of Ontarians. But I worry, Premier, that the NDP has already indicated that they’re willing to prop up your government if you make enough commitments around increasing taxes and spending.

I think this matter is serious enough in itself. It crosses the line towards a government that appears to be corrupted to make these types of decisions. You were around the cabinet table, a senior McGuinty minister who has a hand in these decisions. I think that the people around Ontario want to see the gas plant scandal put before a vote to the assembly. Do they have confidence in a government that has made this decision and if they stay in office will simply do so again? Premier, will you do the right thing and allow this motion to stand for debate and a vote in the Legislative Assembly?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I’ve done exactly what I said I would do on the issue of the relocation of gas plants. I was committed to being open and transparent. That process is unfolding in committee.

The reality is, Mr. Speaker, the confidence vote, the confidence issue that will be before this House, the budget, is extremely important to the people of Ontario and I think that the people of Ontario—not to put thoughts in their minds, but I would expect the Leader of the Opposition would read the budget before he decided not to vote for it.

To be fair, the third party has simply said that they are going to look at the budget before they make the decision. There is no guarantee, and I completely respect the decision that the third party has taken. But I think it is questionable that the Leader of the Opposition has said that he’s not even going to look at the budget before he rejects it out of hand.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: The Premier knows we’ve had a number of meetings where I put ideas on the table to get our economy going again, to restore hope to those who have lost hope in the province, and also to bring forward a budget that actually reduces spending, not increases spending.

You’ve made a decision, as you indicated in your interviews this weekend, that you and I don’t see eye to eye on how to approach the big issues. I respect your opinion. We just simply disagree on the approach.

But here’s what this comes to. This is what I worry about. The Liberal government, in your words, made intentional decisions to cancel, first, the Oakville plant, no matter what the cost, and then a year or so later you decided to cancel the Mississauga gas plant, no matter what the cost, instead of addressing the big issues. If you got away with it for Oakville, if you got away with it for Mississauga, why should taxpayers not believe that you’re going to try it again? That’s why we need this vote. How we know you won’t try to pull this stunt again?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I just want to go back to the discussions that the Leader of the Opposition and I have had. They have been very collegial, and it has been a pleasure to be able to sit down with him. In fact, if he were to read the budget before he decided not to vote for it, I believe he would see that there are issues that have been raised by him and by a member of his caucus.

The member for Haldimand–Norfolk, for example, called on us to implement the Brighter Prospects report to look at the untangling of the social assistance program and to look at the recommendations that Munir Sheikh and Frances Lankin put forward. I think if the Leader of the Opposition took the chance to look at our budget, he might see that we are moving in that direction, and he’ll be able to see that on Thursday.

I believe, I contend, that there will be common ground in our budget that both the Leader of the Opposition and his party and the NDP could find if they chose to read the budget before they rejected it.

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Premier on the topic of the confidence motion around the cancellation of the gas plants in this province and on the topic of the budget vote.

There used to be a day when there was modesty about budgets. You’d wait and see what was in the budget. These Liberals have been very clear on the direction they’re going to go. You’ve basically had a new spending announcement every day; you’re making another spending announcement later today. You’ve already signalled that you’re going to increase taxes in the province. You call them revenue tools, but you’re increasing taxes.

Speaker, more of the same is not going to get us out of this mess. We need to go in the opposite direction: Hold the line, reduce spending and lower taxes.

Let me ask you this: We know the kinds of games Dalton McGuinty played. He prorogued this Legislature for four months; you supported that decision. Please don’t tell me that you’ll engage in Dalton McGuinty games by trying to block this very important motion of confidence. Please tell us, Premier: You’re not going to stand in the way and block what Ontarians want us to do and have a vote on this measure?

Interjections.

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

We’ve started that process again today, and I’d like to stop it, which is when somebody is putting the question, I’m hearing people from that side of the bench say stuff while the person is putting the question, which is not helpful; and in this case, when the answers are coming, I’m hearing heckling from the answer. I can’t hear either one as clearly as I’d like to, so please respect each other on both fronts, and then also tone the heckling down.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: There is a process under way. There is a process under way in the justice committee, where a full range of questions is being asked about the issue that the Leader of the Opposition is raising, the issue around the relocation of the gas plants. I wrote to the Auditor General. I asked that he examine the cost of the Oakville relocation. I am appearing before the committee tomorrow. I don’t know if the Leader of the Opposition has agreed to do that. He’s been asked, but my hope is that he would also appear before the committee.

So that process is in place, and because the committee has a broadened mandate, they’re able to ask questions on a full range of all the issues surrounding the relocation of the gas plants.

There is a confidence issue coming before this House that will affect everyone in this province, Mr. Speaker, because the budget is wide-ranging. All of the issues in the budget will affect the people of Ontario. I believe that that is the confidence issue that should be considered by this House fully, with everyone having read the documents.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: The Premier has been clear: Her budget will increase spending; you make a new announcement every day. You’ve indicated that you’re going to bring in new revenue tools, which—you have used the term euphemistically—does refer to new taxes. I just don’t think that more of the same that got us into this mess is going to get us out of this mess.

I want to see Ontario back on its feet. I want to see Ontario strong and proud, creating jobs and leading Canada. Your plan is not going to do so.

What I worry about, Speaker, is that the Liberal government seems to be in the mode to give whatever spending promises the NDP demands. That’s going to dig our hole deeper. Any government that’s focused strictly on survival is not going to be the kind of government that we need to actually take us on a new and different path.

The bottom line here, Premier: The NDP may prop you up on that vote, but I want an honest question put before all members of the assembly on behalf of all Ontarians. Is the gas scandal—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Question?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Does it go so far that the confidence in this government has been badly shaken and we need a new team to lead this province of Ontario—

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I really believe I’ve spoken to the confidence issue. I think that the budget is the confidence issue that the House needs to—

Interjection: Consider.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —consider. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the vision for the province, when the Leader of the Opposition talks about his vision for the province and the province prospering, I believe that we share that, but I also believe that we need a fairer society as well.

I also believe that fiscal responsibility and a fairer society are not mutually exclusive. I think not waiting another 40 years to build transit in the province is a good idea. I believe that investing in youth and making sure that youth have access to employment—I believe youth having the opportunities to find employment—that’s an investment in the future. That’s going to make Ontario more prosperous.

Those are the investments that we’re going to make in the context of fiscal responsibility. I haven’t heard those—

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, please come to order.

Final supplementary.

Mr. Tim Hudak: The Premier speaks passionately about a fair society, but I ask the Premier, when you have 600,000 of our friends, our neighbours, our relatives, folks watching the Legislative Assembly at home today who have no job to go to Monday morning—they’ll have no job to go to next Monday as well. They’re losing hope in the province of Ontario. What is exactly—

Interjection.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: —about your decision to spend a billion dollars to save Liberal seats, to try to buy the last election campaign, to bail out the Liberal Party ahead of those 600,000 folks who know we can do a lot better in this province, who know we can restore hope. There is nothing fair about your decision to put the Liberal Party’s interests ahead of the interests of hard-working Ontario families.

Premier, you know in your heart the right thing to do. The wrong thing is to dodge this vote. The wrong thing is for the Liberals to use their position to block this motion. Let’s do right by Ontarians. Do what they want us to do. Call the vote on the gas plant scandal. Let people stand up and decide where they stand. We know where we stand.

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I am committed to bringing forward a budget that is even-handed, that is going to be fiscally responsible, that is going to make sure that we put in place supports to make Ontario a fairer society.

Mr. Speaker, I think what is right at this moment is that all parties in this Legislature work together. We had a provincial election not that long ago. I believe that the people of Ontario expect us to work together and to avoid an unnecessary election. I believe that working together is exactly what the people of Ontario have asked us to do, and if all parties in this House read the budget and look at what’s there, I believe they will find much to support.

ONTARIO BUDGET

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. It’s clear that people want to see some real, positive change in the upcoming budget. They’re worried about their parents and their grandparents who are waiting for home care; kids who are well into their twenties who are still living at home and looking for work; and being stuck with the highest auto insurance rates in the entire country. They’re tired of seeing these priorities pushed aside to make way for more corporate tax loopholes, Speaker, and hospital CEO salaries that continue to spike up. Is the Premier prepared to offer real action in this budget, or are we just going to get more of their same conversation?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The conversations came first, and the conversations are very important in order to understand not just what the opposition parties were concerned about and were looking for, but what people across the province were looking for, which is why the Minister of Finance talked to hundreds of thousands of people in person and on the phone. We held round tables around the province, talking to businesses, making sure we understood what their concerns were, and their concerns more often than not were about the mismatch between the skills that many of our youth have got and the jobs that are actually available. So we need to find a way to close that gap.

Mr. Speaker, to the question of the leader of the third party: We intend to take real action. We have laid out a plan. That plan will be before the House on Thursday. I look forward to everyone reading the budget and determining that they can support it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, for young people waiting to start their careers, this is not an abstract issue. Youth unemployment is over 16% in this province. Young people and their parents want to see a real plan that actually rewards the companies who put youth on the path to a good job in a real career. Instead, they see a government that’s ready to pour millions upon millions of dollars into tax loopholes that reward companies when they’re buying drinks and box seats for their clients and customers. They want to know why their challenges are being ignored by the government. What does the Premier have to say to those people?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: What I would say, Mr. Speaker, is that I am very concerned about a 16.5% unemployment rate for young people. It’s unacceptable. I completely agree with the leader of the third party. We need to do something about that, but we need to do something that is going to actually address the issue. We need to make sure that business and labour and government are working together, because there isn’t one simple solution to this. It’s about the skills mismatch. It’s about opportunities for young people to have access to placements and co-ops.

It’s about making sure that as our students go through secondary school, they know what the pathways are when they get to the end of high school, and that we have the right pathways in place not just in our urban centres but in all of our centres, in the rural communities, in the north, because it’s not just young people in urban centres who need that access. That’s the kind of approach that we are going to take to make sure that there is a real approach and real action for young people.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: When I talk to young people, Speaker, they tell me that they have the skills; they have the desire; they have the ambition. They can’t get their foot in the door of an employer. That’s their problem.

Here’s what they see: They’re struggling to find work and they’re struggling to start their careers. For 10 years, their government has offered tax breaks and opened new loopholes to Ontario’s largest corporations while promising that somehow it was going to create jobs. Well, guess what? It didn’t.

They’re tired of vague promises and they’re tired of vague conversations that may get them something 20 years from now, when they’re 40 years old. They want to see real change and they want to see it now. Will the Premier take action with a plan that rewards companies when they hire young people and give them some experience on the job, not when they’re expensing a dinner for their clients?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: There are two points to deal with here.

The member talks about input tax credits. They’re not a loophole. It’s not a tax break; it’s not a giveaway; and it’s not new. It’s a value-added system that we brought in place to inspire more investment and more growth. As a result of implementing these tax reforms, we have created more jobs, we have created investment, and over 400,000 net new jobs have come to the province.

The other aspect of the question was on our youth unemployment. We are taking action right now, Mr. Speaker, and we have, in trying to find ways to marry up our youth with our employers. That’s why we’re implementing, in this budget, initiatives around that very fact.

I appreciate the question, and we are addressing loopholes, which are, in fact, companies that don’t pay their fair share. We’re dealing with that with the federal government.

ONTARIO BUDGET

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, opening up a new tax opportunity for companies, whether it’s a tax loophole or a new opportunity, is still giving away $1.3 billion to the corporations of this province.

My next question is to the Premier, Speaker. People are really tired of feeling that they’re actually falling further and further behind. That’s the crux of the problem that we have in this province. They’re weary of government promises that don’t lead to results for them. They’ve been told that CEO salary hikes in hospitals and corporate tax loopholes and breaks to the insurance industry were going to somehow create jobs, improve health care and make life more affordable for them, but they see that it just has not delivered.

Instead, they see a government that’s spending millions and millions of dollars on cancelled gas plants and more tax loopholes, while their priorities get little more than lip service.

Is the Premier ready to admit that we need to move beyond the promises and beyond the vague commitments of eventually getting something done and actually delivering to the people of this province?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Just on the issue of our recovery, Mr. Speaker, and how we’ve been doing in the province: We have regained more than 100% of the jobs that were lost in the depths of the economic downturn. What we have been doing is working. We are seeing success.

On the broader issues of what the people of Ontario have been able to see over the last few years in terms of achievement, we’ve moved from last to first in terms of wait times in our health care. We have improved the education system to the point where our students are achieving at the very highest ranks internationally. The investments that have been made over the last nine years have produced results.

In terms of changing the way we address issues around young people being prepared to get into the workforce: I agree; there’s more that needs to be done. We need to address that issue, and that’s one of the things that you will see addressed in the budget when we deliver it on Thursday.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, New Democrats crossed the province when the government shut this place down for their own personal needs. We actually crossed the province and spent that time talking to people and families about how they actually contribute to our province. They told us that what they want to see in this upcoming budget is a very balanced approach. They also told us that they’re very tired of a government firing nurses, asking families to pay more, while handing away millions and millions and millions of dollars cancelling private power deals, creating brand new loopholes for Ontario’s largest corporations and watching hospital CEO salaries continue to spike.

The Premier can send people a signal today that she’s offering more than just conversation and vague promises. Will she commit to cancelling the tax loopholes and capping CEO salaries in hospitals?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, let’s be clear. These aren’t tax loopholes. They’re not giveaways. They’re not tax breaks. They are restricted tax inputs that exist now, that expire in 2015 on to 2018, as part of the value-added tax system. They involve vehicles, they involve telecommunications, and some of them involve meals and entertainment. We get that. We’re dealing with the federal government because it also involves them, and in order for us to proceed effectively, we need their co-operation.

But what’s happening now as a result of those initiatives and those tax reforms? It’s created a greater incentive of investment of those businesses in Ontario. As a result, it has created jobs. Those jobs are what we need to have right now, and this budget will speak about how we can create even more jobs and how we can create a more balanced approach in achieving it.

It’s not taking extreme measures; it’s taking the proper measures that the people of Ontario expect us to take.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The finance minister continues to play up or to defend an HST scheme that didn’t create the 600,000 jobs they promised, and now is about to hand corporations another $1.3 billion to send wherever they want, not necessarily to create jobs.

People have heard a lot of talk from this government, and they know that it’s time for action. Over 10 years of Liberal government have gone by, and the government has failed the people of this province. They continue to fall further and further behind while the well-connected few have gotten all of the breaks.

What they want: a five-day home care guarantee, not CEO salary hikes; an actual youth jobs plan, not more corporate tax loopholes; affordable auto insurance, not higher industry profits and payouts. They want to see a government that puts the needs of the people looking for work and better health care ahead of the needs of their party’s election chances in Oakville and Mississauga.

Is the Premier ready to do that, or are we going to see more of the same old status quo?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question and I understand the concerns, because we share them. We all want to see more prosperity in the province of Ontario. We’re all working towards that. That’s why Ontario now produces more jobs than the rest of Canada combined. In fact, the very issues that the member talks about in regard to the restricted tax credits are the very things that Quebec and the Atlantic provinces are dealing with as well. They too have phased them out as a result of the federal system.

We’re working towards the same goal, as is the third party and, I would assume, as is the opposition. The official opposition recognizes that what we’re doing is going to have a great benefit to the province of Ontario. They too should be supporting this budget.

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

Mr. Victor Fedeli: This morning, my question is for the Premier.

Week after week, we’ve had men and women come to the justice committee. They put their hand on a Bible, they swear an oath to tell the whole truth, then they give a sworn testimony that is completely different to what we hear from this Liberal government. The Premier says that the total cost of cancelling Oakville is $40 million, yet under oath, we hear sworn testimony that there are buckets of costs more than that.

The Liberal gas plant scandal is the last straw for Ontarians. They’ve lost their confidence in these Liberals. Premier, will you bring our want of confidence motion forward in this Legislature?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Government House leader.

Hon. John Milloy: Let’s talk a little bit about the justice committee and the hearings that are taking place tomorrow. Last week, we got to witness the dramatics, the arrogance of the member from Leeds–Grenville when he stood up and asked the Premier the following question: “Next Tuesday you’ve been invited to appear before the justice committee. Will you confirm to the House today that you will order and instruct your staff to not play calendar or scheduling games?”

The Premier will be there tomorrow. My question is, why did the Leader of the Opposition refuse to appear tomorrow when invited by government members?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Of course, you know that our—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Order, please. Please. A third time: Please. The member from Simcoe–Grey, come to order. The member from Leeds–Grenville, come to order. That’s better. Thank you.

Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: As everybody in this Legislature knows, our leader will indeed be at the gas plant Liberal scandal hearings shortly.

Premier, no matter what the Liberal staffers hold back from the justice committee, believe it or not, we’ve now been getting to the truth. The Auditor General’s report on the Mississauga cancellation showed us the true story and the depths of this scandal. It was much higher than any of the former—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Kitchener–Conestoga will withdraw.

Mr. Michael Harris: I withdraw.

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

Carry on.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Higher than any of the former energy ministers or the current energy minister admitted to, even higher than the Ontario Power Authority admitted to.

Now, Premier, the same thing is happening with the Oakville cancellation. You know exactly how high this cancellation is going to cost. You chaired that cabinet meeting that started the process.

Will you now call our want of confidence motion to the floor of this Legislature? Will you do that—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Government House leader.

Hon. John Milloy: Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, we don’t know the Leader of the Opposition will be before the committee.

The arrogance of the opposition to stand up and say to the Premier, “Are you going to play calendar or scheduling games?” and then turn around and have the Leader of the Opposition play calendar and scheduling games.

You know what else, Mr. Speaker? We’ve also heard that Geoff Janoscik, the PC candidate in Mississauga South, is refusing to appear before the committee. Maybe people remember Geoff Janoscik. He’s the one who said in the last campaign, “Unlike the Dalton McGuinty Liberals, the only way to guarantee this power plant does not get built is to elect a Tim Hudak Ontario PC government. A Tim Hudak government will cancel this plant.”

He also paid for thousands of robocalls, saying that the only way to cancel the plant was to vote for the Progressive Conservatives.

Will the honourable member encourage his colleague to appear before the committee and encourage the Leader of the Opposition to appear before the committee?

POWER PLANTS

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Premier. When the Premier was asked about her involvement in the now-infamous Project Vapour minute and how much she thought it would cost to cancel the Oakville gas plant when she signed that document, the Premier directed every question to her House leader.

When the Premier comes to justice tomorrow, will she tell Ontarians how much she thought it would cost to cancel the Oakville gas plant or is she going to continue to play games and hide behind procedure?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I’ll be at the committee tomorrow. I will answer the questions that the committee asks me.

As I said when I came into this office, it has been my objective from the moment I got into this job to open the process, to allow for all of the questions and to get the answers that the members of the opposition and third party were looking for. That’s why I said I would come to the committee. That’s why I asked the Auditor General to look at the Oakville situation. That’s why we suggested that we open the process, and, in the first instance, the opposition didn’t want to open the process. They voted against that.

But we have a more open process now. The questions are being asked. I will be there tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to the interaction with the members.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Tomorrow Colin Andersen, the CEO of the Ontario Power Authority, will be giving their latest estimate of the costs for cancelling the Oakville power plant. Judging from testimony we’ve heard so far, something tells me that it’s going to be more than $40 million.

Has the Premier been kept in the loop about the latest cost of the Oakville gas plant cancellation?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I said, I will be at the committee tomorrow. I will answer all of the questions that are asked of me. I will make a statement at the committee tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. I really believe that is where we should have this conversation: at the committee. That’s why I asked that the mandate of the committee be broadened. That’s why I asked that the Auditor General look at the Oakville situation. That’s why I am appearing tomorrow, so that we can have this conversation in the context of the justice committee.

RURAL EDUCATION FUNDING

Mr. Phil McNeely: Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Minister of Rural Affairs. I understand that recently our government announced that our graduation rates have increased for the eighth straight year, and now 115,000 more students have graduated through the investments we’ve made in education—a complete riding’s population of young people with a future. This is fantastic news that shows our student success strategy is working.

But many of my constituents want to know what is being done in rural areas to support their schools. This is an important question because, in order to have a world-class education system, all of our students, no matter where they live, must have access to a great education. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Rural Affairs: Could the minister please inform this House about the investments our government is making to support rural schools?

Hon. Jeff Leal: I want to thank the member from Orléans for his great question. I can assure him it’ll be a short series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Our government is committed to making sure that every student has access to a world-class education, no matter where they live. We also know that our rural schools face unique challenges. That is why we’ve increased funding to our rural boards by more than 30% since 2003. This year, rural boards will receive over $3 billion. We also know that our schools in rural areas face higher costs for materials and resources. That’s why we’re providing over $50 million to help with the purchase of materials so that our students have the resources they need to succeed.

These are only some of the investments we’re making to ensure that our schools, no matter where they may be, provide the best education for all our rural students.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Phil McNeely: Thank you, Minister, for your response. I’m glad to hear that the new Ontario government takes the unique needs of rural education seriously. The investments we have made towards rural schools and school boards will ensure that our young students have the opportunities they need to learn in an enriching and fulfilling environment. Now, more than ever, it is vital that our children get the education they need to compete for high-skilled jobs in a global economy. Mr.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Rural Affairs: Could the minister please update the House on what this government is doing to provide students with training in skills to succeed in the 21st-century job market?

Hon. Jeff Leal: To the Minister of Education, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Thank you to the member from Ottawa–Orléans for his question. Our government is committed to providing our students with the skills they need so they can be successful in their future. One program that allows students this opportunity is the Specialist High Skills Majors program. The Specialist High Skills Majors program allows our students to learn essential skills in subject areas including agriculture, technology, aviation and a whole host of other options.

For this school year, over 30,000 students are enrolled in over 1,500 Specialist High Skills Majors programs in over 670 schools across Ontario. We’ve also created Dual Credit Programs that allow students to work on secondary and college credits at the same things. These are the skills that students learn that will help them transition to the workplace.

GOVERNMENT’S RECORD

Mr. John Yakabuski: To the Premier: For months now we’ve been asking you, the members of your new cabinet and countless Liberal minions at committee to simply come clean on your gas plant scandals in Mississauga and Oakville. It’s clear that your only interest is the preservation of the Liberal Party. There is a want of confidence motion ready to be debated. The only thing missing is your willingness to accept your responsibility. The time has come for this Legislature to decide.

Premier, you’ve continuously talked about an open process that you want to be completely a part of, and completely open with all of the facts. Well, I ask you: Will you do the right thing today, accept your responsibility and agree to bring that motion forward?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Government House leader.

Hon. John Milloy: Mr. Speaker, again, I expected to hear from the honourable member some sort of apology for the fact that the leader of the opposition is refusing to appear in front of committee tomorrow. I think it’s important to know why we are calling him. It’s not simply a case of wanting to have him before the committee; it’s to ask him some very specific questions. For example, this brochure that was given to every house in the riding—where was it? The Etobicoke Centre riding association—says that, “The only party that will stop the Sherway power plant is the Ontario PC party.

On October 6, vote Ontario PC.” It has to do with the YouTube video that the Leader of the Opposition starred in, where he went out and said that if he was elected that the local gas plant would be “done, done, done.”

We want to know about the policy analysis that was done, the costing that was done, and we’re looking forward to his—

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

Mr. John Yakabuski: Premier, it seems you people want to turn this into more of a charade. The Leader of the Opposition, Tim Hudak, has made it very clear that he will appear before the committee April 7 or 14, and he wrote the Chair to indicate that.

Premier, the Auditor General indicated in his report that he did not agree at all—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. Come to order, please.

To the member.

Mr. John Yakabuski: —with your version of the Mississauga gas plant cancellation costs. Credible witnesses have also said that your numbers are vastly wrong on the Oakville cancellation and relocation.

This scandal has reached the breaking point. If you believe you’ve handled it well, then let’s put it to a vote. Agree to debate this want-of-confidence motion, and let the assembly decide.

Premier, I have to ask you: Are you afraid of the outcome, or is it true that you’ve actually lost confidence in yourself?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Government House leader.

Interjections.

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

Hon. John Milloy: Mr. Speaker, again, I expected, at the minimum, an apology from the opposition: the way they’ve stood up and challenged the Premier not to “play calendar,” and then the Leader of the Opposition does the same thing.

But you know, what about Geoff Janoscik and the fact that we are informed that he is refusing—he is refusing—to appear in front of the committee? Again, Geoff Janoscik—let me remind people: He was the one who had a candidate robocall in Mississauga South. I’ll read it for you; I know it’s a favourite: “This is Geoff Janoscik, your Mississauga South Ontario PC candidate. I’m calling about the McGuinty-Sousa power plant that the Liberal government decided to build in your backyard. I am against this power plant, and as your MPP, I will fight to stop the power plant from being built.

Unlike the Liberals, our team has been knocking on doors every single evening for several months, talking about the power plant and making sure that we defeat the Liberals in this riding and put an end to their bad decisions.” Mr. Speaker—

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

Interjection.

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

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: My question is to the Premier. On April 15, the head of FSCO, Philip Howell, indicated that he did not have the tools to reduce the auto insurance rates by 15%. In fact, he admitted in committee that he had no way of passing the $2 billion in savings that the insurance companies are pocketing on to drivers in Ontario. That’s why it comes as no surprise that over the past 30 months, our insurance premiums have increased by 5%, despite the $2 billion of annual savings that insurance companies are enjoying.

This Thursday, will the government table legislation that gives FSCO the legal mandate to actually enact a 15% reduction in auto insurance rates?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question. We’ve had this discussion many times. We recognize that the premiums in Ontario are much too high. We also recognize that the cost of claims in Ontario is much too high as well—10 times higher than in other provinces—so we have to deal with both of those issues, and we will.

We will, because we want to ensure that the best interests of the public are met. We did that in 2004, we’ve committed to doing it again, and we gladly will work with the opposition members—on both sides, for that matter—to try to get that done.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: FSCO has released its first-quarter 2013 report, and it comes as no surprise that there are no savings and no reductions in premiums for the nine million drivers in Ontario.

This government has a choice coming before it. It can either continue to allow the insurance industry to pocket billions of dollars in savings, due to our benefits having been slashed in 2010, or this government can enact legislation that provides FSCO with the legal mandate to actually reduce insurance rates by 15%. This Thursday, which will it be?

Hon. Charles Sousa: We have long been discussing how important it is for us to bring forward a budget that speaks to the needs of the people. It is going to be Ontario’s budget. It’s going to talk a lot, not just about auto insurance but about a lot of things that matter to those people of Ontario.

It would be a disservice for anyone to dismiss that budget without reading it. That’s a disservice to all Ontarians. I would hope that the official opposition will read the budget and give it the responsibility that they have to ensure that the needs of the people are met and ensure that we deal with the matters that the member opposite has just asked.

AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY

Mr. Mike Colle: I have a question to the Minister of Agriculture and Food. Minister, many small businesses in my riding are very concerned that they’re being stopped from promoting the term “local food.” There seems to be a definition that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is using which limits these local food supporters from using that. I’ve got some of the best local food grocers in Canada in my riding. I’ve got Pusateri’s. I’ve got Bruno’s. I’ve got Zito’s. I’ve got Lady York.

They want to promote local potatoes, local pork, local beef, but because of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, they are being stopped by these bureaucratic rules. What is being done to get rid of the bureaucratic barriers around local food people?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thank you to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence for this important question.

It’s very true, Mr. Speaker, that the CFIA’s definition of local food is different than the one that we’re proposing in our local food bill. Our view is that the scope of the definition is too narrow and it actually could work against support for local food in ridings like Eglinton–Lawrence, but also among all Ontario farmers. The definition that’s proposed in our local food bill is purposely broad. It defines local food as having been produced or harvested in Ontario. It includes foods and beverages made in Ontario if they include ingredients that are produced or harvested in the province.

The goal, then, is to ensure that producers and processors are supported and not hindered by a definition that is too narrowly constrained.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Mike Colle: Minister, a lot of my local green-grocers and restaurants say they want to bring in potatoes from Melancthon; they want to bring in tomatoes from Leamington. They want that ability to promote these wonderful, beautiful, natural Ontario products. I hope we can get the message across to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that we’re all supporting local food together, because when local food is eaten, everybody wins. The farmers win, the local restaurants win, the local green-grocers win, and all Ontarians win with wonderful, local Ontario food.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I love the passion from the member from Eglinton–Lawrence.

The member is absolutely correct that this is posing a problem for our local businesses, and it goes—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Let’s bring it down. I think you caught yourself. Thank you.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The CFIA definition actually hinders what we’re trying to do in the Local Food Act, Mr. Speaker. We’ve reached out to the federal agriculture and agri-food minister, Minister Ritz. I’m pleased that the CFIA intends to review their definition and work towards being more inclusive and supportive of the local food movement, and I’m very pleased that Minister Ritz has indicated that he’s moving to modernize the regulation so that it makes sense and, most importantly, that it supports local food and Ontario farmers. The federal minister has to act on this. It is in his purview. I’m glad that he has indicated that he’s willing to take some action.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Mr. Monte McNaughton: My question today is for the Premier. Premier, in a recent Toronto Star interview, you were unable to answer a simple question about the current unemployment rate in Ontario. When you were asked, you guessed “about 7%,” and then you added a hesitant “Did I pass?” Earlier this month, you said that the death of Ontario’s manufacturing sector was a myth.

Clearly, solving the jobs crisis in Ontario is not a priority for you or your Liberal government. Premier, let me help. Ontario currently has nearly 600,000 unemployed men and women, and an unemployment rate of 7.7%. Even worse, Ontario’s unemployment rate has been above the national average for 75 straight months.

Premier, can you explain how this House can have confidence in your leadership when you don’t even know how many men and women are seeking work in Ontario today?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I completely understand the question from the member opposite and that he would want to take me to task. The reality is that there is a range of unemployment rates across the province.

First of all, you’re right: A 7.7% average across the province is unacceptable, which is why we are putting measures in place in our budget to address that. Job creation is extremely important. Particularly, youth unemployment is unacceptable, which is at a rate of 16.5%. But the other reality: From March 2012 until now, the unemployment rate in Ottawa, for example, is 6.3%, which is down 0.4%; the unemployment rate in Toronto is 8.3%, which is down from March 2012. There are other parts of the province where the unemployment rate has gone up, and 7.7% is unacceptable, which is why we will be addressing those concerns when we bring the budget forward on Thursday.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Monte McNaughton: Well, Premier, the numbers don’t lie. Your government has utterly failed Ontario workers. You’ve let them down, and you’ve lost the confidence of the men and women in our communities right across this province. Ontario has now lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs. In my riding, Tender Tootsies, who employed over 1,000 people at its peak, just announced it will be closing. Premier, for these constituents, being unemployed is no myth.

The Auditor General’s scathing report detailed the costs associated with cancelling the Mississauga power plant and showed that the Liberals’ political ploy will cost Ontario taxpayers over $275 million. Premier, do you think it’s right for the 600,000 men and women who are currently out of work to be forced to pay for your political treachery?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: What I want to say to the 600,000 people who are out of work—if that is the number that the member is putting forward—is that it is unacceptable that they don’t have access to work; it is unacceptable that the party opposite would not work with us to address that issue.

The fact is that our budget will bring forward measures that will continue to build on the fundamentals and the conditions that are necessary to bring business to the province. We have put programs in place—for example, the Second Career program, that was designed specifically to deal with the transition of people coming out of the manufacturing sector to help them get into a new career. It has been wildly successful. Thousands of members of this society have had the opportunity to retrain because of that program. That’s the kind of solution that people without a job are looking for. That’s what we’re going to be putting forward.

ACADEMIC STREAMING

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Minister of Education. According to People for Education, streaming of high school students in Ontario is alive and well. Students at low-income schools are six times more likely to be placed in applied math classes compared to high-income schools. Students in applied math are half as likely to meet provincial math and literacy standards, and are less likely to graduate.

Does the minister accept the continued streaming of students in Ontario and the barriers to success it presents?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I think what’s important is that we have options for all students that are appropriate for the individual student. One of the things that we have found extraordinarily successful is the Specialist High Skills Majors courses. I must say that some of the kids in Specialist High Skills Majors are in academic, some are in applied and some are in a combination of both, but what that does is it allows students who have an interest in more practical courses to actually get credit for that interest on their high school diploma.

What we’re seeing with the introduction of courses like Specialist High Skills Majors is, in fact, that the overall graduation rate in Ontario high schools is going up. I think that’s what we need to keep our eye on: how many kids are graduating.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Minister, streaming has been discredited. It limits the opportunities of disadvantaged children, yet it continues—and from your response it’s clear why. Wealthy children are more likely to take academic courses; low-income, immigrant and aboriginal children are more likely to take applied courses.

Will the minister investigate why low-income children are overrepresented in applied courses and why applied students are less likely to succeed, so that all students have a fair chance for success?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I think we really need to look at what’s happening with the graduation rate in Ontario high schools. When we came in in 2003, the high school graduation rate was sitting at 68% of kids; we’re now at 83% of our students. We’re up 15 percentage points. Part of that is due to the fact that we are providing a range of options for Ontario students.

I absolutely believe that students have the right to choose whether they want to—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order.

Hon. Liz Sandals: —focus on academic or focus on more practical skills. We have a responsibility to provide choice to our students, and that choice has—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. When I do say, “Order,” I don’t have to be specific to one individual, or if I have to, that means that you’re not listening at all. So when I say, “Order,” you don’t just keep right on going; when I say, “Order,” you actually have to kind of think that you’ve heard the Speaker and you bring it down.

New question.

HOME WARRANTY PROGRAM

Mr. Steven Del Duca: My question today is for the Minister of Consumer Services. There are many areas of my riding of Vaughan that are experiencing a great deal of residential development. I am excited to see my riding flourish economically and socially. I certainly welcome all the new residents who are moving to my community; after all, it is one of Ontario’s greatest communities. Having said that, I do want to clarify one thing with respect to who exactly is protecting these homebuyers. After all, for most the purchase of a home is the single biggest investment of their lives.

Through you to the minister, how is the government ensuring there is protection for purchasers of new homes?

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I want to thank the member for asking this very important question, because he’s absolutely right. Home purchases are usually the most important investment decision people make, and that comes with some stress and lots of questions.

I want to assure the member and Ontarians that we have the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act to protect homebuyers. It’s administered by Tarion, an independent authority with the legislative mandate to oversee the act and provide services to provide protection for new homeowners. In fact, I was just with them last week for their fantastic customer service awards.

Tarion provides better communication, helps resolve conflicts, educates builders and buyers on quality standards, and finally, Tarion administers a guarantee fund which acts as a backstop to ensure consumer protection is maintained when a builder is unable or unwilling to pay the warranty. This is all required by the act, and all the fees are paid for by the builders—

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

Mr. Steven Del Duca: I thank the minister for her answer and for all of her fine work. I must say that I’m extremely happy to hear that there’s an established program, mandated by legislation, to provide warrant protection for new homebuyers across Ontario. It is particularly reassuring to know that there is a guarantee fund that will support a new homebuyer in case of an issue with their new home.

With all of these new home developments spanning across the province—and in my community of Vaughan, as I mentioned—I am definitely pleased to hear that there’s a dedicated organization looking out for the well-being of all those new homebuyers.

I’m wondering if the minister could please explain to the House today how Tarion will be working to ensure that they stay ahead of the curve with respect to the most effective consumer protective available for new homebuyers.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: You know, we can always do more to help consumers in Ontario, and Tarion is also looking at new ways to improve their services and offer consumer confidence that they deserve when they’re buying a new home.

In fact, I’d like to highlight that just last year, in the annual survey from Tarion, where new homeowners were asked about their level of satisfaction and their impressions of the organization, over 80% of new homebuyers were satisfied with their interactions and had a favourable impression.

Tarion continues to be dedicated to holding builders more accountable and increasing consumer protection. In that light, in 2012, Tarion actually made changes to their major structural defect warranty program in the three- to seven-year category, placing more onus on builders and protecting new homeowners. This highlights Tarion’s commitment to enhancing protections for consumers and holding builders more accountable using financial incentives to encourage them to implement better building practices and repair defects.

NORTHERN ONTARIO

Mr. Rod Jackson: My question is to the Premier. Premier, given your curious funding announcement for small, rural and northern communities on Friday in my riding, the 140,000-person city of Barrie—which is neither small, rural nor northern, and may not even qualify for the funding that you announced—I have to ask: Did you and your finance minister get lost on the campaign trail? How does the Liberal Party exactly define where northern Ontario begins?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I’m pretty sure that the rural and northern communities of Ontario, and even the rural communities in Simcoe county, think that it’s a good idea that we have a roads and bridges fund.

I have heard consistently, since I was the Minister of Transportation—so, for the last three-and-a-bit years, I have heard consistently that municipalities across the province want to be sure that they will have some predictability and some reliability—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. The government side makes it difficult for me to ask them to come quiet when the Premier is answering the question and you’re provoking. So I’m going to ask the members again to stop provoking—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And the comments that people make when I’m in mid-sentence don’t help, either. Please.

Please finish your answer.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The exuberance on this side of the House has to do with the reality that every single one of my members, the members of the government, has heard delegations from people from small municipalities, from rural municipalities and from northern municipalities asking for some predictability in terms of infrastructure spending for municipal infrastructure.

Interjection.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: That’s why we’re exuberant. We think that having a predictable fund is—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The member from Prince Edward–Hastings will withdraw.

Mr. Todd Smith: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): No, the member has to show a little bit of understanding of what I’m trying to get at.

Mr. Todd Smith: Withdraw.

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

Supplementary? The member from Parry Sound–Muskoka.

Mr. Norm Miller: Premier, while you were in Barrie, making your northern Ontario announcement, Tim Hudak and I were actually in the north, unveiling our plan for the north.

Apart from a single token cabinet meeting, there has been little to speak of for the north since you’ve been Premier, and no movement or progress on the Ring of Fire. Less than a month ago, you voted against a PC plan that would have provided dependable funding while extending the gas tax to these small communities.

Premier, at a time when the province is facing a $10-billion deficit and we’re witnessing cuts to programs in the north, like shutting down provincial parks, closing important visitor information centres and ending the Junior Ranger Program that has been in place for 68 years, my question is simple: Premier, can you explain how you magically came up with $100 million?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: We were up there with nine members of cabinet, meeting with northern mayors. Not only that, we have set a priority for the Ring of Fire. We have put in place a new rural roads and bridges program, thanks to Minister Leal; I want to thank him for doing that.

To the member for Barrie: We like Barrie. We announced together GO Transit, which we invited you to be part of in a non-partisan way. With York–Simcoe, we announced new highways, which we invited you to be in, in a non-partisan way.

Over and over again, Mr. Speaker, we try to work with the opposition—a race to the top, as you put it—and we don’t get any co-operation. We get cheap, political—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: We have, right now, $2.4 billion in highways, $600 million in northern highways. We saved the Experimental Lakes, Mr. Speaker. We are investing in—

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

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETIES

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Premier. Over the last number of days, my office has been inundated by emails from employees of the Hamilton children’s aid society. These employees are terrified about what a $4-million cut to their services will mean to the vulnerable children in our community. These workers are warning you that the children they serve are going to pay the price.

Will the Premier explain how she can be assured that a $4-million cut will not affect front-line services or the well-being of these children?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Teresa Piruzza: Thank you for the question with respect to the Hamilton CAS. First, let me say that the front-line workers and the work that’s done at the CAS are really the backbone of our child protection system.

I can’t speak to the specific decisions that CAS is making with respect to their staffing. However, we have come up with a new funding formula for the CASs to be fair to all CASs across the province—in Hamilton, in Windsor and in communities across the province.

It will bring stability to this sector. The overall provincial funding envelope is staying the same. We have not cut funding in this sector.

The new formula is looking at socio-economic factors in addition to service volume and it will better reflect the underlying need for child welfare services in each community.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Miss Monique Taylor: Speaker, this year alone the Hamilton CAS is losing 4% of their budget. Staff who are already working overtime and are struggling to meet the growing need in our community are trying to understand how they’re going to do more with less. Workers have told me that these cuts will make their jobs impossible, that they are terrified of what this will mean for the already vulnerable children and families they serve.

Is the Premier going to address these concerns or is she just going to ignore this crisis regardless of its impact?

Hon. Teresa Piruzza: What I can be clear about is that our ministry is working very closely with the Hamilton CAS and with CASs across the community to ensure that our priority of keeping children safe and keeping our communities safe is our number one priority, and we will ensure that all CASs do that. We will continue to work with them to ensure the sustainability of that system.

The changes that we have made have been all-encompassing with respect to the funding for CASs across the province to ensure that protecting children and youth in our community remains the number one priority. We will continue to work with our communities and with our ministry to ensure that priority is maintained.

VISITORS

Hon. Jeff Leal: Speaker, on a point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order, the Minister of Rural Affairs.

Hon. Jeff Leal: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to introduce some people with us today. Jim Goetz is the president of the Canadian Beverage Association. Other member representatives include Neil Antymis from PepsiCo Beverages, John Challinor from Nestlé Waters, Wayne Delfino from Canada Dry Mott’s, Jenny Gusba from PepsiCo Beverages, Erika Mozes from Coca-Cola Canada and John Wren from Cott Beverages.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1142 to 1300.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

JACK BURROWS

Mr. Victor Fedeli: The citizens of the city of North Bay and our entire northern Ontario were very saddened today to learn of the passing of former mayor Jack Burrows.

Interjection.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I see the minister acknowledging. Jack was an old friend to all of us, Minister.

Jack gave tremendously to our community through his service as a councillor and in his nine years as mayor, from 1994 to 2003. During his term as mayor and for the decade that followed, Jack was a true ambassador for North Bay and indeed for all of northern Ontario. After serving in office, he sat on the board of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, and he applied the same wisdom to that fund as he did during his many years in office in North Bay.

Jack was paid a tremendous tribute only two years ago on his 80th birthday by the North Bay and Area Community Foundation, which he founded. They established a new Jack Burrows Fund, named in his honour, with the purpose of reaching out to one local charity organization each year. Coincidentally, the entire philanthropic community came together only nine days ago when Jack presented this year’s award. It’s a true reminder of how fleeting life really is.

On a personal note, I always appreciated the fact that I could walk into Jack’s Country Store and chat about any issue. He’ll be missed by all of us. Our condolences go out to Elaine and the entire Burrows family.

HAMILTON HELMET INITIATIVE

Mr. Paul Miller: Head injuries are the leading cause of serious injury and death in children. Activities such as cycling, in-line skating and skateboarding can all be safe and healthy forms of recreation, so long as helmets and other necessary pads are worn.

The Hamilton Helmet Initiative is an organization, formed in November 2012, dedicated to encouraging helmet use. The partnership of McMaster Children’s Hospital and the city of Hamilton’s public services is making sure that all children in the area have access to helmets at a reasonable cost. If a family is unable to afford a helmet, a community sponsor will provide one free of charge.

The Hamilton Helmet Initiative will be hosting an event to celebrate their achievements with their community partners on the morning of Thursday, May 16, at Lake Avenue Public School in Hamilton.

I commend you for your efforts in tackling such a serious issue and for setting such a positive example for communities across this province. Some 88% of brain injuries can be prevented by wearing properly fitted helmets, and with the help of the Hamilton Helmet Initiative, they will be. Keep up the great work.

ELLIOTT KERR

Ms. Dipika Damerla: It is my pleasure to rise in the House today to recognize Elliott Kerr, who will be duly inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame this June.

Kerr has left a long-lasting legacy as a leader within Mississauga and beyond. As founder of Landmark Sport Group, his sports event marketing firm has been a part of the Mississauga community since 1987.

But Kerr’s contribution to sports goes beyond his business. He has done a lot to promote sport within Mississauga. For instance, his organization spearheaded the Mississauga Marathon, an event that has raised much-needed funding for both regional and national charities and is proudly celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Some of you may also know him as the owner of the Mississauga Steelheads, formerly known as the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, which he recently rebranded. He’s also the former part-owner of the Mississauga IceDogs. It’s no easy task to own a local hockey league in a city like Mississauga, which is just a stone’s throw away from the big Toronto market, but Elliott does this because he truly believes that a community needs local sports teams, and for that we are very thankful.

He’s also organized the Jane Rogers Championship golf tournament for three years, when the event was held in Mississauga and Halton Hills.

He will be inducted at the sports council’s 39th annual sports dinner, taking place this year at the Capitol banquet hall. Please join me in congratulating Elliott Kerr.

HARDY SINGH

Mrs. Jane McKenna: Progress through participation—that’s the motto of the Halton Regional Police Service. The words have been taken to heart by Burlington resident and Halton police constable Hardy Singh. Constable Singh’s outreach work in race relations across the Hamilton-Halton area has earned him community appreciation and special recognition from Toronto’s Human Rights and Race Relations Centre. Constable Singh was recently given a gold medal and commemorative certificate for “outstanding contribution to the promotion of race relations.”

Constable Singh routinely fields questions from members of the Sikh community, spending countless volunteer hours educating the Sikh community about issues such as domestic violence, community safety and crime prevention, acting as an interpreter at police presentations, and fostering awareness about policing among Sikh children and youth.

Amazingly, all of this has happened in the two years that Constable Singh has been with the Halton police, Speaker. His devotion to the force is rivaled only by his vital service to the community.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Constable Singh both on the awarding of this honour and his outstanding commitment to doing the work that makes our region such a fantastic place to live.

HEALTHY EATING

M me France Gélinas: In a few minutes I will be introducing for the third time—lucky third time—Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating. This is a bill that will mandate restaurants to post calories and high sodium right on their menu boards if they have more than five locations and make over $5 million in profits.

The Toronto Board of Health, just down the street at city hall, is debating the exact same issue at the exact same time. There is no coincidence here, Mr. Speaker. I bring this bill forward today because the Toronto Board of Health is making it clear that if the province does not show leadership on this issue, they will, and they have given us a time frame to do this, which is by September 1.

What will the bill do? Well, not much that isn’t already being done. Those restaurants already know the number of calories in their menu items; they already know which ones are high sodium. They have this information on posters on the way to the bathroom, on a brochure underneath the counter that nobody can find. Now, with Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating, if this bill passes, this information will be on the menu board. You will see Big Mac: $4.59, 450 calories. It’s already happening throughout the United States. It’s time Ontario follows suit.

ROTARY CLUBS

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I rise today in the House to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Rotary Clubs of Oakville. The objective of each Rotary Club is to foster the ideal of service. In Oakville, the Rotary Clubs are doing that by continuing to develop the very solid foundation of serving the local community.

The Rotary Club of Oakville is involved in many major local projects, including Easter Seals, Ian Anderson House, the Salvation Army and many others. They also support several international projects, such as Water for Humanity, Sleeping Children Around the World and, of course, polio eradication.

The Rotary Club of Oakville-Trafalgar helps with the development of our community’s youth through programs such as the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, bursary programs and the Oakville Youth Development Centre.

The Rotary Club of Oakville West has showcased itself as being one of the most active and progressive clubs. The club has spearheaded important projects both locally and internationally, including the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence, which was recently held for the 18th year.

On behalf of the citizens of Oakville, I’d like to thank all the Rotary Clubs in Oakville for what they do, and thank their members personally for setting an example through their contributions to community service that should be emulated by us all.

FOOD LITERACY

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize the Canadian Beverage Association. Their members directly employ almost 5,000 people here in Ontario at their 40 plants, distributions centres and offices, as well as thousands more indirectly. They are an important part of our provincial economy.

Today, the Canadian Beverage Association is here to share the steps they are taking to increase nutritional knowledge and to make nutritional information easier to understand through their Clear on Calories initiative. Just this weekend I saw a new Coca-Cola commercial raising awareness about the need to address obesity and to improve the health of our families. I want to commend them for the steps that they are taking.

We believe that increasing food literacy is an important part of helping our children understand food choices so they can create a healthy and balanced diet. It teaches them where our food comes from, what goes into it, and it helps them become healthy adults. That’s why we included a commitment to food literacy in our agriculture, food and rural affairs white paper, Paths to Prosperity: Respect for Rural Ontario, and it is why we were disappointed that it wasn’t in the Local Food Act.

Our PC education critic will be talking more about food literacy later this afternoon. I hope that all members of the Legislature will support our efforts on food literacy and that they will take some time to meet with the Canadian Beverage Association today or drop in and talk to them this evening and learn more about the jobs they create and the good work they do to increase nutrition awareness.

IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

Mr. Steven Del Duca: April 20 to 27 marked Immunization Awareness Week in Canada, which is designed to raise awareness of one of the most important and cost-effective public health innovations. Immunization Awareness Week in Canada coincides with World Immunization Week and Vaccination Week in the Americas.

This is a very good time for the people of Ontario to talk to their primary care provider about making sure their vaccinations are up to date. Now that effective vaccines are widely available, children in Ontario no longer suffer from many vaccine-preventable diseases like they did in the past.

I’m proud to say that we have a comprehensive, publicly funded immunization program that is the envy of many jurisdictions. Since 2003, for example, we have made continuous improvements to Ontario’s immunization programs by adding new vaccines; our government has expanded the province’s immunization program to include 21 vaccines protecting against 16 diseases; and for many years now we have provided the seasonal influenza vaccine free of charge under the Universal Influenza Immunization Program.

This year, we introduced another innovation by giving the people of Ontario even easier access to the flu shot by authorizing pharmacists to administer the flu shot to increase access to the vaccine, improve people’s health and save money for the health care system.

Because immunization prevents illnesses, it reduces the need for physician’s visits, hospitalizations, drug treatments and public health efforts to manage disease outbreaks. As we know, one of the best and most proven ways to avoid many serious illnesses is with a simple vaccination.

So, Speaker, let’s be reminded of the remarkable benefits of immunization for helping to keep the people of Ontario healthy.

ROAD MAINTENANCE

Mr. Peter Shurman: The Canadian Automobile Association, or as we know it, the CAA, is the leading advocate for overall road safety in Ontario. As CAA’s South Central Ontario branch is located in the heart of Thornhill, I wish to acknowledge the launch of their 10th annual Worst Roads campaign—it’d be a lot of fun, but it actually works and it’s quite serious and gets a lot of attention, as we all know.

Our province faces drastic changes in weather, temperature, sometimes even within the very same day. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike know all too well that our climate is the prime culprit for creating potholes and deteriorating our roads. CAA’s campaign provides Ontarians with an opportunity to vote on their choice of the worst road title.

Last year, six out of the 10 worst roads were in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area, or GTHA, all within about 60 kilometres of where I’m standing right now. The results of the vote are instrumental in assisting elected representatives at the municipal and provincial levels to understand which areas of Ontario need to be prioritized and targeted. Improvements have been made because of CAA’s efforts. Also informative in nature, the campaign provides information for drivers about how they can report a pothole or submit a damage claim.

CAA is an excellent example of how organizations can work together with people to assist and inform government. I thank them for their leadership.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. That ends the member statements.

DOUG ROLLINS

Hon. John Gerretsen: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: I believe we have unanimous consent so that the House and all parties may make a tribute to Doug Rollins, who was an MPP in this House from 1995 to 1999.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Attorney General is seeking unanimous consent to do this. Do we have an agreement for consent? Agreed.

The member from Timmins–James Bay.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I’m glad to rise today on behalf of Andrea Horwath and the New Democrats to talk about the time that Doug Rollins was amongst us here in the Legislature.

Listen, I remember that time well. I went from being a very comfortable member in government with plenty of us on that side of the House to being usurped by the Conservatives who came in with Mike Harris to oust us out.

Applause.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I would not applaud to that.

Doug was one of the guys who came in at the time of Mike Harris’s election victory in 1995, and he came to this Legislature and served with us for that first term of the Harris government.

What I remember of Doug is that he was a pretty easy guy to get along with. He was not the type of guy to get in your face as far as sometimes being the confrontational type of politician that you see here at times, not always, but at times. He was one of those fellas that liked to try to find a way to be able to talk to people straight but at the same time not do it in a way that, quite frankly, ran that negative kind of politics thing. He was that type of fellow. Just in my time that he was here, I remember him for that.

I sat with him on committee on a couple of occasions and obviously sat with him in the House. He leaves me with good impressions, not a bad impression, of the time that he was here. Anybody who can serve in this place for one term and leave and other members say, “You know what? I can’t think of one bad thing that person did”—that is a testament to the individual themselves. For that, I thank him.

I also note that Doug, like I, is a grandfather. I didn’t understand back then because I wasn’t a granddad and didn’t understand what being a granddad was all about. He obviously cared a lot for his family. I was not at the funeral, but I had a chance—I heard about it and read about it. It was very well attended by people of the community. What was really of note was the connection to the family.

Doug was one of those guys who understood you may be all mighty, get elected and be one of those highfalutin politicians, but at the end of the day it’s about what happens back home and what happens to your family because, unfortunately, as Doug found out at age 74, when you go the only people there are your family. Obviously, Doug understood that way before he got to this place and remembered it when he got here. It was important that he never forget where he came from, not only when it came to his constituents, but most importantly, that he didn’t forget his family.

That’s something that all of us strive very hard to do, and with the hustle and bustle of what we do it is sometimes difficult to do, but Doug always managed to find that.

He comes from a part of the province where being a Tory was not all that difficult. I will only put it that way. But in conversations with other members that I talked to earlier today to get a sense of the local politics, he was known as the Tory riding association. He was the guy in the community, if you wanted to know what was going on with PCs in that part of the world, in the Quinte part of the world, Doug was the guy who had been involved for a long time. Not surprisingly, he finally decided that he wanted to run for the nomination and got elected in that big sweep of 1995 when Mike Harris came in.

Now, I’m sure he had to be upset with redistribution, as I was, because redistribution wasn’t exactly fair to Doug. Doug was in a situation, unfortunately, that the riding boundaries changed in such a way that made it difficult for him, within the process, to be able to get the nomination when he tried to run again. I guess we share that, Doug and I. I was never a fan of redistribution. I always thought that having more members in the Legislature is a good thing. Why? Because it does allow our committee structure to work more properly.

The least amount of members we have here, I think, the harder it is for us to do our work collectively as members on committee. Our responsibilities there, I think, are paramount to what we do in this Legislature.

I just want to say to the family who is here today, thank you for sharing your father, your grandfather, your husband with us. To the people that knew Doug well, I’m sure it is never, never an easy thing to go through, but you were lucky to have had him in your lives. We are lucky to have shared him, and we say to you, your family: Congratulations and thank you. He was a great man, and we grieve for your loss.

Hon. John Gerretsen: I, too, would, first of all, like to welcome his widow, Cheryl, and his daughters Michele and Melissa, as well as their grandchildren. I’m not sure how many grandchildren are here today, but I know that he had four grandchildren: Avery, Paige, Reese and Ayden.

Yes, I, too, remember June 1995, when the Harris sweep took place, because I was elected at the same time as Doug Rollins. Of course, he represented the Quinte and Belleville area basically, and I represented the Kingston area. There’s something about politics in eastern Ontario. You’re quite correct; it tends to be Tory politics—not everywhere, but in most parts of eastern Ontario. But we also play our politics, I think, a little bit more subdued than many other parts of the province. I think there’s a respect amongst politicians.

We may not always see the world the same way, but we certainly always acknowledge politicians and work with them, no matter what political stripe, once the election is over and done with.

I was very much taken by some of the comments that were made about Doug in the Belleville Intelligencer at the time of his death last November, because this is the way I knew Doug as well. It states, for example, that, “Doug Rollins was a straight shooter. What you saw was what you got.” That was said by Todd Smith, who will be speaking a little bit later on today.

Also, someone else said, “I remembered him as a truth teller. He always had an opinion. We agreed to disagree, always with respect for each other.”

“He’d always say it like it is, and you like that in a person, especially someone in politics. He was never afraid to say how he felt.” That was said by John Williams, who is now the mayor of Quinte West but against whom Doug actually ran for the nomination—I guess it would have been in about 2003. But that’s the kind of respect that he had in the community, even from his opponents from within or other parties as well, and that’s the way I remember Doug here.

I can remember that we didn’t always agree with one another. I sat over there and he sat on this side. As a matter of fact, I think he sat in the rump most of the time. There were so many Tories at the time, they couldn’t all sit on one side; they had to bend over to the other side there. But we’d chat with one another during receptions. Of course, there’s always this healthy tension between Kingston and Belleville anyway, whether you’re talking about the sports scene, economic development or whatever, and that’s good for our part of the province. He spoke passionately about the Belleville area and eastern Ontario in general.

The other thing that’s interesting about Doug, and what I remember of him as well, is that we all have careers before we come to this place. Doug, for many, many years, ran a service station on Bridge Street in Belleville. As a matter of fact—now, I was able to pick this up, and I’m not sure whether I got this out of his maiden speech that he gave during the 1995 fall season, but this was what he said about himself, Speaker.

He said, “I started with Shell Oil back in 1962. I’m one of the first persons to have driven a pup truck in Ontario. It was in 1963 or 1964 that this Legislature passed legislation to allow vehicles of over 47 feet in length.” They were big trucks in those days. “Shell had bought a truck from British Columbia and parked it at the Lakehead. It was the first pup truck. When that legislation was passed and became law, they put the licence plates in my suitcase, flew me up to the Lakehead, and I brought back that truck. That was the very first one to my knowledge that was driven in the province of Ontario, particularly with licence plates on it.”

That’s the kind of person Doug was. He was an individual—

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Legal plates.

Hon. John Gerretsen: Legal plates, yes.

He was an individual you could share a laugh with, share a serious discussion with, who truly felt very strongly about his community. After he was no longer in this place, he twice tried to represent the riding again. I think he ran against the current mayor of Belleville in 2006 and lost to Neil Ellis, but then I understand that in the 2010 election he became a strong supporter of Neil Ellis. That really tells me a lot about a person: that you could want the same position as someone else, recognize the good qualities of the other person once that person is in that position, and then support that person.

Doug Rollins was a guy who was meant for this place. He spoke passionately. I believe that during one of the situations when gas prices were going up—he may have even been one of the three gas commissioners; I can remember the guys in trench coats; some of my Tory friends will remember this. Doug was very proud of that, because he had been in the gasoline business and the service station business his entire life.

The fact that so many folks came out to his funeral at the Bridge Street United Church in November of this year truly shows you that he meant a lot to the community; he meant a lot to his family. We’re all the better for the fact he was here. I’d like to thank his family very much on behalf of the Premier, Kathleen Wynne, and the government of Ontario, for Doug’s service to this place, and we offer to you our sincerest condolences. We will all have fond remembrances of Doug Rollins.

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

Mr. Todd Smith: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you as well to the member from Timmins–James Bay and also the Attorney General for your comments about my dear friend Doug Rollins. You’re very accurate in the fact he was very proud of his role as one of those gas commissioners. They were affectionately known as the “gas busters.” We actually used to, when I was in my radio career, have Doug on from time to time talking about the gas prices, playing the Ghost Busters theme song behind. Doug was very proud of that.

Usually we would ring him up here at 6:05 in the morning, just after I read the 6 o’clock news. Doug would be on the air and he would be talking about how much gas prices were going to go up that day and how they shouldn’t be going up that much. We should actually think about bringing the gas busters back here at this time, because I think back then prices were well under $1. Now, of course, they’re a lot more than that, that’s for sure.

I would also really like to welcome Cheryl, who’s become a friend of mine, and Cheryl, of course, is Doug’s wife. She’s been a great friend and a great supporter, not just here in this place or in my endeavours to come to this place, but back when I used to play first base for the Belleville Labatt Nationals, the senior A baseball team in Belleville. Cheryl and Doug would always be behind the backstop at Rotary Park in Belleville. You could always hear Doug Rollins, and every pitcher that came to town from another city knew who Doug Rollins was because he was all over them.

I’d also really like to welcome Michele as well, and her husband Trevor Clarke. They came in from Belleville today, and Melissa and Craig MacIntyre, who live here in Toronto, and of course the grandkids as well, Avery and Paige are here. It’s so nice to see you. I know that Rusty, Doug’s brother, also wishes that he could be here today. Rusty and Gail are watching down in the Hamilton area, I’m sure, and wishing that they could be here today, but health reasons are keeping Rusty from being here at Queen’s Park today.

The first picture I have on record of ever being involved on this side of the political landscape, not holding the microphone and interviewing one of you guys, was actually the day that I decided that I was going to run for the Progressive Conservative Party in the last election. It was a warm, sunny day, June 16, 2011, down at Meyers Pier in Belleville. The picture that appeared in the Belleville Intelligencer the next day was me standing by the Bay of Quinte and talking to Doug Rollins.

Doug really was the Progressive Conservative Association, or the face of the Progressive Conservative Party in the Quinte region. As the Attorney General points out, there was no question about that. If you wanted to talk to an influential Tory, Doug was going to make it happen. He was just an outstanding guy, and we spent a lot of time together during that campaign. Doug was the former member of the old riding of Quinte, which unfortunately no longer exists anymore, but after redistribution it could be back, known as the Bay of Quinte.

I don’t stand here particularly to talk as much about his political career but the Doug Rollins who was my friend, who I got to know over the last 20 years extremely well.

It really is, as the Attorney General pointed out, hard to think that this chamber has ever known anybody that was as straight a shooter as Doug Rollins was, and that was my comment to the Intelligencer as well. He never hesitated to speak his mind. He often would use blunt and very colourful language when he was speaking about his beliefs as well, so he left no question as to where he stood on any issue. You always knew what he believed in, and he would look you square in the eye and tell you what he believed while he was doing it. I think a lot of people had a lot of trust in Doug Rollins because he would do just that.

Doug was one of those common sense revolutionaries, as we’ve heard, who came in here in 1995. He always spoke proudly about serving here at Queen’s Park and being a member of the Mike Harris team here at Queen’s Park. When he talked about Queen’s Park, Doug always did the same thing. He would say, “When we came here in 1995, we did exactly what we said we were going to do.” He was very proud of that because that’s the kind of character that he had as a person as well.

Everyone out there has their favourite Doug Rollins stories; I have many, but it happens to be true here—for those of you who have served at Queen’s Park, as well, everybody has memories of Doug walking the halls here at Queen’s Park or down at a reception in the legislative dining room. When Doug passed away suddenly, my colleague from Haldimand–Norfolk, Toby Barrett, told me his favourite Doug Rollins story. It was actually during one of those famous teacher protests from the 1990s on the south lawn here.

Doug, our neighbouring MPP Gary Fox and a number of members of the PC caucus were out there on a bus. They had been bused in that day from wherever they were, and there was a large mob of teachers that were out there protesting, not dissimilar to the ones that we saw in September of this past year. Anyone who knew Doug knew how big a man he was; he was actually a pretty good football player in his day, too. He actually won, in 1959, the Ontario and Canadian championships for football with the University of Guelph, so he was a big, strong boy.

Doug just said to Toby Barrett and the others that were on the bus that day, “Don’t worry, boys. I’ll get you in the building.” He took his briefcase, he put it in front of him and he cleared a path right through to the front doors at Queen’s Park. It was almost as if he was a wedge that was driving his way through the mob so that all of his other colleagues could get through safely.

I’ll personally never forget, during the election campaign, bombing down the Shannonville gravel road. We were driving along in my change car at the time, and Doug was driving, because nobody knew his way around Hastings county as well as Doug Rollins did. Often Doug would be doing well in excess of the speed limit, and he would be telling you stories about all of the different businesses, the different houses and those who occupied them, the fact that there used to be a rail line that used to go from Thurlow to Havelock on Friday nights, and all of the great stories about his childhood growing up in Hastings county.

The only thing really bigger than Doug’s personality was his heart. Anyone who knew him knew that, too. In 1995, Doug fought a real battle, as the Attorney General says, with Belleville’s mayor at the time, George Zegouras, to win his seat here in the Legislature. It was a highly contested battle in 1995, and I can tell you that last year George Zegouras fell ill. He was nearing the end of his life, and the first person to call me and tell me about that was Doug Rollins. Doug was wondering if there was anything that I could do in my position as the new MPP to ensure that Mr. Zegouras was moved from a hospital bed in Kingston so that he could be close to his family in Belleville.

He really did care. He was a very caring individual, and I think that story there says a lot about Doug Rollins as well. They were two of the giants of 1995; Zegouras made a comeback later and became mayor of Belleville again. But unfortunately, we lost those two influential people in Belleville and our greater Quinte area last year as both of them passed away. The community really is poorer for it, because both of them were characters and both of them had so much integrity. It was a great loss for our area.

The spirit does live on, though, in the Quinte region. It’s great to have Cheryl and his daughters, who are here today. Every time I tell a Doug Rollins story, and there are many of them out there to tell, you kind of have to smile and laugh, because there are some real funny stories about Doug; many of them are probably not appropriate to tell in this place, but he was a real character.

He really did love the time that he spent here. Sometimes when I look into the back rows or in the rump here, I think about the conversations that must have gone on with people like Doug Rollins, Gary Fox and Doug Galt, and how they would be spending time heckling Dalton McGuinty and other members—

Interjection.

Mr. Todd Smith: —and quite possibly the Attorney General as well, and how Gary Stewart was probably chiming in there from time to time too. But from the day he walked onto this floor for the first time and then the last time he walked off, Doug definitely was a servant of the people of Quinte, and he loved every minute of it. Our area is poorer for his loss. He will be missed.

Thank you all for your comments here this afternoon, and thank you, Speaker, for allowing us the time to do that. All the best to the Rollins family.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I want to thank all members for their very kind and heartfelt comments, and I would like to offer the family, on behalf of all elected members and the entire staff of the Legislature here at Queen’s Park, our heartfelt prayers and our deepest sympathies. As is the tradition, the family will receive a copy of Hansard and a DVD of what was said today on behalf of Doug.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

HEALTHY DECISIONS

FOR HEALTHY EATING ACT, 2013 /

LOI DE 2013 FAVORISANT

DES CHOIX SAINS

POUR UNE ALIMENTATION SAINE

Mme Gélinas moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 59,

An Act to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act to require food service premises to provide nutritional information / Projet de loi 59, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé pour obliger les lieux de restauration à indiquer l’information nutritionnelle.

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, please.

M me France Gélinas: Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating is a bill that amends the Health Promotion and Protection Act to require all persons who own or operate a food service premise that is part of a chain of food service premises with a minimum of five locations in Ontario and a gross annual revenue of over $5 million to do the following three things:

(1) to display the number of calories contained in the food or drinks that are sold or served;

(2) to make available brochures that provide nutritional information for the food and drink items sold or served;

(3) to indicate the high and very high sodium content food or drinks that are sold or served.

The bill makes it an offence to contravene these requirements and imposes a fine for the first, second and subsequent offences.

WIRELESS SERVICES

AGREEMENTS ACT, 2013 /

LOI DE 2013 SUR LES CONVENTIONS

DE SERVICES SANS FIL

Ms. MacCharles moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 60,

An Act to strengthen consumer protection with respect to consumer agreements relating to wireless services accessed from a cellular phone, smart phone or any other similar mobile device / Projet de loi 60, Loi visant à mieux protéger les consommateurs en ce qui concerne les conventions de consommation portant sur les services sans fil accessibles au moyen d’un téléphone cellulaire, d’un téléphone intelligent ou de tout autre appareil mobile semblable.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I’ll make my statement during ministerial statements.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: On April 18, I rose in this House to announce how our government, in keeping with the commitments made in the throne speech, would continue to pursue reforms that would provide stronger consumer protection for the people of Ontario. At that time, I introduced legislation that would protect consumers against the aggressive tactics of door-to-door water heater salespersons and the abusive practices of some companies offering debt settlement services. The same legislation would provide consumers with more transparency and stronger protections in real estate transactions, and also provide them with more choice in the services they pay for when buying or selling a home.

I rise in the House again today to announce our latest commitment to strengthen consumer protection for the people of Ontario. Today, we are introducing the Wireless Services Agreements Act, 2013. This bill would protect consumers who enter into agreements with suppliers of wireless services accessed from a cellular phone, a smart phone, or any other similar mobile device. This bill, if passed, would have a direct impact on the daily lives of more than three quarters of the people of Ontario. That’s because approximately eight out of 10 families subscribe to wireless services.

Almost everyone uses cellphones; some, I would say, use more than one. Very few of us, though, understand the user agreements that come with them—the contracts that everybody signs. Many of us have opened our cellphone bills and simply do not understand the details related to costs and the other provisions that are contained in these contracts. We are introducing this bill to help make things clear—clear about cellphone contracts and the services consumers sign up for, and what those services cost.

We know that complaints about wireless billing are increasing year after year. When the federal Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services recently appeared before a hearing of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or the CRTC, to discuss the possibility of a national code for wireless services providers, he noted a 250% rise in complaints over the past four years, with wireless sector complaints accounting for more and more of the CRTC’s workload.

A recent survey by a social advocacy group called OpenMedia.ca compiled the opinions and complaints of 2,800 cellphone users across Canada and called for an overhaul of the Canadian cellphone market. The survey showed that consumers are unhappy about what they view as restrictive contracts and price gouging.

For our government, what this means is very simple: When it comes to contracts with wireless service providers, we need to protect consumers and increase that protection for the people of Ontario. This bill will give Ontario consumers those protections.

Let me say upfront that this proposed legislation is an improvement on Bill 82, which was introduced last session. The strong consumer protections that were included in Bill 82 are being carried forward in this legislation, and we’ve added additional protections.

At this point, Speaker, I’d like to acknowledge my colleague the honourable Minister of Natural Resources and MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, David Orazietti, who has been a very early, persistent and effective champion for consumers on this file. Thank you.

If passed, our bill would help consumers get the services they pay for, and understand what they’re getting. It would ensure that consumers receive the following things from their wireless service providers: First, there would be clear, written contracts that spell out which services come with the basic fee and which would result in a higher bill. Second, it would provide for the ability to walk away from a contract any time, with limits on cancellation fees, a hard cap of $50.

Third, there would be the right to sue the provider for three times the amount that the consumer is owed, if the consumer is owed a refund under the legislation and the company refuses to pay for that. And finally, this legislation will provide for all-inclusive pricing.

This legislation is about making sure agreements are clear—clear when it comes to the cost to operate your cellphone every month. Under our proposed legislation, consumers would receive one contract that spells out the key terms and costs that they’ve agreed to. It would be clear when it comes to the services you are getting. Companies would have to provide clear information on things such as roaming costs and when they would be incurred, and whether a cellphone is locked and if there’s any cost to unlocking it.

Service providers would also have to stop billing a customer immediately for a phone once it has been reported lost or stolen, and suppliers would be obligated to disclose the manufacturer’s warranty on a phone if the consumer is purchasing supplementary warranty coverage, and to be clear when it comes to renewing, amending or extending the contract you have.

Companies would have to be clear about renewing fixed-term contracts, and they would have to provide detailed information to consumers about that contract. Fixed-term contracts would also be automatically extended on a month-to-month basis once the term is finished so people don’t lose their phone number.

Above all, this legislation is about empowering consumers to know their rights when service providers do not follow the rules. This clarity extends to the strong enforcement measures that are included in our proposed legislation.

This proposed cellphone and wireless service legislation is, as I have mentioned, Speaker, part of the larger series of consumer protection measures that we have introduced recently. We believe they all strengthen consumer protection measures, help to build a strong economy, and ensure a fair, safe and informed marketplace.

This government has a responsibility to Ontario consumers and to their families to ensure that the cellphone agreements signed by Ontario individuals and families each year are clear, comprehensive and easy to understand. The approximately 80% of Ontario families who rely on wireless communication in their day-to-day lives are counting on us to get this right.

I call on this House, Speaker, to pass this bill quickly so Ontario residents can get the protection they want and deserve. In the end, we want to help make Ontario families and individuals self-assured when making decisions on their wireless use and, indeed, everything they buy. We want to help them make informed choices, spend wisely and protect their hard-earned money. Confident consumers help build a confident and strong economy, and a stronger economy is definitely something we can all agree on and I believe everyone in this province can support.

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

Mr. Jim McDonell: It’s always a pleasure to rise in the House to speak on consumer protection. It’s also an opportunity to express our concern that this government puts politics and its own internal Liberal squabbles ahead of the interests of Ontario consumers.

Speaker, last session Bill 5 received second reading with all-party support and was referred to the Standing Committee on General Government on December 1, 2011. Had the Liberals not engaged in delaying tactics and formed committees, the bill could have been examined and enacted by the spring of 2012. Instead, the government is still making media in mid-2013 about an issue that could have been settled 18 months ago.

When Bill 82 had a chance of becoming law, the Liberals chose to prorogue the Legislature and kill an important piece of consumer legislation in order to escape accountability for the scandals.

Context, Speaker, is very important, and when it comes to consumer protection, the Liberals choose to protect their skins first. The Ontario PCs enacted the original Consumer Protection Act, and we remain staunch advocates of the interests of Ontarians.

Most developed countries can be considered today as consumption economies, and one aspect of the transition to a consumption economy is that we stop earning to survive and begin earning in order to enjoy ourselves and provide for ourselves the things and services that were once considered luxuries.

Mobile phones have defined a generation, and smartphones may very well define the next. Data usage is doubling every few months. As smartphones become more advanced, the content designed for them becomes more interactive and heavier, which leads to and sometimes exceeds our limits.

Last year, the minister’s predecessor focused on the notion of cell shock, the cold chill running down your spine once you realize your smartphone has exchanged massive amounts of data while you were in the United States or elsewhere abroad. To this minister’s credit, the media announcements last week focused less on catchy sound bites but on the real issue of creating an educated and protected consumer in the wireless market.

We need to remain mindful of the upcoming CRTC mandatory code of conduct, which will create a national regulation framework. It’s likely this bill will be made redundant by a national regulation even before exiting the committee stage.

As I said last year during the debate on the bill’s predecessor, Bill 82, the wireless market in Ontario relies on self-regulation by the Canadian Wireless Telecom Association. Other provinces, such as Quebec and Manitoba, have passed legislation imposing certain obligations upon carriers. The most important development in wireless communication legislation is the limit on cancellation charges, with which we wholeheartedly agree. If a company is free to charge the consumer the whole cost of a contract upon cancellation, it becomes an income-guarantee scheme.

Some companies have abandoned this approach, such as Rogers in 2011. However, a comprehensive limit is in the consumer’s and the industry’s best interests.

I look forward to seeing the details of this bill, and I will attend the briefing later this afternoon. As last year, the Ontario PCs will focus on the need for clear language in the legislation as well as in the contract itself. Furthermore, we will ensure that this House is fully informed about the consequences of this bill’s provisions and how these may be mitigated if undesirable.

Our greatest concerns last year included the imposition of a mandatory cut-off at the end of a fixed contract, resulting in the consumer’s phone number and contract being cancelled overnight. Once the number is deactivated, there is almost no way of recovering its use. We must ensure that no Ontarian is put through this needless aggravation. We are glad to see this change. Contracts that expire must be extendable on a month-to-month basis on the same terms.

I wish the minister the best of luck in having this bill scheduled for second reading during a time as intense as the budget. For the sake of Ontario’s consumers, I hope this fourth issue of this wireless bill finally makes it to royal assent and is not just another publicity stunt by the Liberal government. With the parliamentary

schedule as it is, I am doubtful that this bill can clear the House before the summer recess—another wasted opportunity. Thank you.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Responses? The member for Bramalea–Gore–Malton.

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the NDP caucus, I am pleased to rise today to speak to this government bill. I think it addresses an issue that has come up in my constituency office and a number of members’ offices across this province. It’s a live issue that many folks, when dealing with their wireless agreements on their cellphones, are hit with a number of issues they are unaware of due to lack of disclosure and transparency. So I am supportive of the initiative to provide more transparency, more clarity and more protection for consumers. I think that’s a good initiative.

This is similar to the bill that was introduced before, which we also indicated our support for.

Consumers certainly need protection, and there are certain areas that this bill is addressing that are important to address, particularly when it comes to contracts and the way they are cancelled. Often, constituents and members of the community indicate that they feel trapped by their cellphone bills; they feel trapped by their agreement. They don’t know how to get out of it. They feel that it’s unfair that to cancel a cellphone agreement, you often have to pay for more than the phone you were given as an inducement in the first place, and that seems absolutely unfair. This bill works toward addressing that.

Also, I think it’s quite important to acknowledge that the bill provides a remedy. I think that people need to have a way that they can hold their wireless provider to account, so that they can actually say, “If you don’t follow through in providing what the legislation indicates you have to provide, there’s a way for me to get some remedy.” They can actually take the provider to court.

But there are some difficulties on that point. One is that accessing court to initiate a legal claim is something that’s quite difficult, and many people are uncomfortable with that. So I suggest perhaps looking at an alternative mechanism besides having to go to court. That could be difficult, costly and inefficient for some folks, but I do acknowledge that it is a remedy that’s available. I acknowledge that.

Another area, though, if we look beyond specifically consumer protection when it comes to transparency in agreements, is that in Canada we are actually paying some of the highest cellphone prices in the world. We are among the highest costs where it comes to cellphones, and I think what we need to do is look at ways to bring those costs down.

More and more we’re seeing people transitioning away from land lines to cellphones. That’s the reality: that people use their cellphones not only to communicate with one another in terms of placing phone calls and texts but also as a way of accessing the Internet. Internet usage among wireless users is increasing, so we’re seeing a trend that more and more people are accessing the Internet with their cellphones.

If that’s the case, there’s a real access to an important service, which we’re seeing in our global age: People who are able to connect to the Internet, who are able to obtain information and resources from the Internet—that’s their way of moving ahead with the times, of connecting with this new global age. If our way of connecting with the Internet is through wireless providers and we’re paying some of the highest costs in the world, we’re creating a barrier that those who are less fortunate, those who are facing socio-economic problems, are having a barrier in their access to the Internet.

The Internet is integral in this day and age. It’s something that we learn in schools; we have jobs that are integral—their use of the Internet is integral for their employment. So if we create a barrier that for cellphones we’re paying the highest prices in the world and the global age is about information and technology, and there’s this barrier, we’re doing a disservice to people who are less well off in this society.

I think that if we are serious about providing consumer protection, we really have to answer this question of: Why are our fees, our prices for cellphones and cellphone plans, the highest in the world, and what can we do to bring that down? That would be a really meaningful way of looking at this issue and addressing it in a meaningful way so that people can actually afford to pay their bills and can afford to have access to, whether it’s communication directly on a telephone, or whether it’s access to the Internet.

I look forward to learning more about this bill; I understand there’s a briefing this afternoon, which I’ll be attending to find out more details about it. We’re supportive of any initiative that protects consumers, and I think it’s an important initiative, but we also have to get to the heart of what we can do to make life more affordable and bring costs down so that families that are already hard hit aren’t in a difficult situation.

PETITIONS

LAND USE PLANNING

Mr. Frank Klees: Speaker, I have a petition that relates to a private member’s bill that I tabled here, proposing an amendment to the Places to Grow Act and specifically related to the town of Newmarket, but it has application across the province. It reads as follows:

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass the Preserving Existing Communities Act, 2013 proposed by Newmarket–Aurora MPP Frank Klees, that amends the Places to Grow Act, 2005 to provide that a decision made by a municipal council is final and may not be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board if the following conditions are satisfied:

“The decision is to refuse a request to amend the municipality’s official plan with respect to land that is designated for one or more of the following: residential uses, mixed uses including residential and parks and open space;

“The requested official plan amendment, if it were approved, would permit an increas