Ontario Hansard — 1 May 2017 (41st Parliament, 2nd Session)
2017-05-01
Ontario — Debates (Hansard)
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May 1, 2017
41st Parliament, 2nd Session
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Hansard Transcripts
Votes and Proceedings
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Hansard Transcripts 2017-May-01 (PDF)
L074 - Mon 1 May 2017 / Lun 1er mai 2017
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO
Monday 1 May 2017 Lundi 1 er mai 2017
Introduction of Visitors
Wearing of pins
Wearing of ribbons
Richard Shiu
Robert Dynerowicz
Oral Questions
Ontario budget
City of Toronto
Pharmacare
Pharmacare
Consumer protection
City of Toronto
Ontario budget
Children’s mental health
Hospital funding
Pharmacare
Photo radar
Hospital funding
Mental health services
Disaster relief
Hospital funding
Visitors
Members’ Statements
Doctors’ Day
Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara
Speech and Hearing Month
National Day of Mourning
Perth county tartan
Casino Strathroyale
Notice of reasoned amendment
Petitions
Curriculum
Hospital funding
Markdale hospital
Disaster relief
GO Transit
Hydro rates
Hospital funding
Nanjing Massacre
Privatization of public assets
Health care funding
Hydro rates
Employment standards
Long-term care
Privatization of public assets
Orders of the Day
Rental Fairness Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur l’équité en location immobilière
2017 Ontario budget / Budget de l’Ontario de 2017
The House met at 1030.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Good morning. Please join me in prayer.
Prayers.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): This being the first sitting Monday of the month, I ask everyone to join in the singing of the Canadian national anthem.
Singing of O Canada.
Introduction of Visitors
Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure this morning to introduce Mr. Jon Reyes. He’s an MLA, from St. Norbert, from the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. He’s a 10-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and he’s also the special envoy for military affairs. With him is his son Miguel Reyes. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.
Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I’m delighted to welcome guests of page captain Emma Yu: her mother, Terry Yu, and her sister Debbi Yu. And also all of those who are here for Children’s Mental Health Week.
Hon. Michael Coteau: Today is the start of Child and Youth Mental Health Week. I would like to thank parents, youth and families here and across the province who have taken time to join us today.
I’d also like to welcome Children’s Mental Health Ontario’s chief executive officer, Kim Moran, and many of her guests who are joining us here today; and the New Mentality Youth Action Committee, who are here with us today. Welcome to the Legislature.
Mr. Jeff Yurek: I would like to wish all doctors a happy Doctors’ Day, especially those here today: Dr. Rachel Forman and Dr. Greg Athaide.
Nancy Dale and Gibb McGugan are here as well. Welcome.
Hon. Helena Jaczek: Please help me welcome the grade 10 students from St. Augustine Catholic High School, from the great riding of Oak Ridges–Markham.
Mr. Todd Smith: I would like to introduce some members from Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro who are here with us this morning: Jim Huntingdon, Jim Ryan, Nick Miller and Tim Curtis, the chair. Welcome to Queen’s Park, gentlemen.
Hon. Kathryn McGarry: In the members’ east gallery this morning, I want to introduce my youngest son, Declan McGarry. Can you stand up, Declan?
Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Here today for the launch of Children’s Mental Health Week, we’ve got Michele Sparling, who is the chair of Parents for Children’s Mental Health, and Rachel Sparling, her daughter. Brian Hansell is here, president of the Paul Hansell Foundation. Jim Hogarth, the president of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, and his wife, Joan, are joining us here today too.
Miss Monique Taylor: It’s always a pleasure to welcome the executive director of Children’s Mental Health Ontario, Kim Moran, to the House. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Mr. Grant Crack: Good morning. It’s my pleasure to welcome to Queen’s Park, for the first time, my son, Calvin Crack, who is here with us today.
Ms. Soo Wong: On behalf of Minister Albanese, MPP for York South–Weston, I would like to welcome Yorktown Family Services and the executive director, Suzette Arruda-Santos, to the Legislature for Children’s Mental Health Week; and also my good friend Jennifer Churchill, the CEO of the association of children’s treatment centres. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge that today, May 1, is Doctors’ Day. I want to congratulate and thank all of the tens of thousands of doctors across this province for the hard work they do every day, day in and day out.
Ms. Sophie Kiwala: I would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Jan Kasperski, the CEO of the Ontario Psychological Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
M me France Gélinas: I too would like to wish everyone a happy Doctors’ Day. I would like to welcome to the House Dr. Rachel Forman and Dr. Greg Athaide, as well as Nancy Dale and Gibb McGugan from the OMA. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Good morning, Speaker. On behalf of my colleague the MPP for Ajax–Pickering, I want to welcome the guests of page captain Charlene Rocha: her mother, Nedenia Rocha, her father, Cilbur Rocha, her grandmother Bertha Rocha, her aunt Irene Rocha, and her cousin Joshua Rocha. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.
Wearing of pins
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Point of order: the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London.
Mr. Jeff Yurek: Thank you very much, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent for all parties to wear the buttons provided by the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists to highlight May as hearing and speech month.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Elgin–Middlesex–London is seeking unanimous consent to wear the ribbons—is it ribbons or buttons?—the buttons that have been distributed. Do we agree? Agreed.
Wearing of ribbons
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Children and Youth Services on a point of order.
Hon. Michael Coteau: I believe you’ll find that we have unanimous consent that all members be permitted to wear green ribbons in recognition of Children’s Mental Health Week.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Children and Youth Services is seeking unanimous consent to wear the ribbons for children’s mental health. Do we agree? Agreed.
Richard Shiu
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I want the members to know that starting today, and on the first sitting day of each month, I’m inviting assembly employees who have retired or shortly will be retiring to be in the Speaker’s gallery and have their service to the assembly recognized.
In that regard, I ask all members to join me in welcoming and thanking, in the Speaker’s gallery, Richard Shiu. Everyone will—
Applause.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I just learned a lesson. I’ve got to do the
preamble first and then introduce him.
Anyway, everyone will know Richard as a loyal and long-serving member of the dining room staff. Richard began working in the dining room in 1996 and has very recently taken his retirement. Joining Richard is his wife, Rita. Please join me in thanking Richard for 21 years of service to the assembly. Thank you, Richard.
Applause.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Simcoe–Grey on a point of order.
Mr. Jim Wilson: Yes, a point of order, Mr. Speaker: I seek unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding Bill 114,
An Act to provide for Anti-Racism Measures.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Simcoe–Grey is seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? I heard a no.
Robert Dynerowicz
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member for Kitchener–Conestoga on a point of order.
Mr. Michael Harris: Yes, a point of order, Speaker: I believe you will find we have unanimous consent that we observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Canadian Armed Forces sergeant Robert J. Dynerowicz, from Kitchener, who tragically lost his life in a military training exercise.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member for Kitchener–Conestoga is seeking unanimous consent for a moment of silence. Do we agree? Agreed.
I ask everyone to please rise and observe a moment of silence in respect to the fallen soldier.
The House observed a moment’s silence.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is therefore now time for question period.
Oral Questions
Ontario budget
Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. The government still claims they balanced the books, but all with typical Liberal math. Mr. Speaker, something doesn’t—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order, please.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s not helpful when I’m trying to get attention for your leader. Thank you.
Please put your question.
Mr. Patrick Brown: But all with typical Liberal math—something doesn’t add up.
What do you get when you add in $1.8 billion from double-counted cap-and-trade money; $500 million in pension assets, despite the Auditor General’s advice not to count it; $1.5 billion in double-counted federal transfer funds; $450 million in land transfer taxes; and lastly, $1 billion from the fire sale of Hydro One? What do you get, Mr. Speaker, when you add that all together? It’s a $5-billion operational deficit funded through cash grabs—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to ask the member from Nepean–Carleton to withdraw, and I’ve made it clear I don’t want that said.
Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Withdraw.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Carry on.
Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, it is a $5-billion operational deficit through cash grabs, pension assets and one-time and unusual revenue. Will the Premier come clean and admit to the House that the budget is not balanced?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased to say that this is the first balanced budget in Ontario for nearly a decade. We worked very hard to eliminate the deficit. We knew that that was critical.
Our economy is in a very strong position in Ontario. We are leading the country in economic growth, but the reality is that people are still anxious. The foundation of a balanced budget actually gives us the opportunity to make investments that are needed in the province. A prime example of that is OHIP+, which allows us to invest in the people of this province and allows children and youth in this province, as of January 2018, to have free medication, because we know that if we can make that investment and kids and young people can get access early to the medication they need, they will be healthier in the long term.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: You know what else doesn’t add up? The fact that the Wynne Liberals are adding another $10 billion of debt. They say they have a balanced budget, but another reason the Liberals claim they have a balanced budget is because they’re simply hiding debt elsewhere.
If this budget was truly balanced, we wouldn’t be adding debt left, right and centre. But the Wynne Liberals are adding $10 billion worth of debt to the most indebted province in the world. We owe more than any province or state, and it’s about to get worse.
Can the Premier explain why we’re adding so much debt this year, $10 billion, if it’s actually a balanced budget?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I absolutely understand that the Leader of the Opposition has no interest in and no plan to make capital investment in this province: no interest in it and no apparent understanding that without investment in capital, without investment in transit, in roads and in bridges across the province—he was at the city of Toronto today, talking about the city of Toronto, and didn’t make one commitment to invest one cent in transit in Toronto.
We have billions of dollars that are being invested in Toronto, in Ottawa, in Kitchener-Waterloo, in Hamilton, around the province, because we know that those investments are critical to the economic viability and growth of those communities and the province overall.
We are proud of our balanced budget, the first one in a decade in Ontario. It allows us to have a foundation upon which to invest—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.
Final supplementary.
Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: This myth of a balanced budget didn’t trick everyone, didn’t confuse everyone. Just look at what Kelly McParland had to say in the National Post: “The budget claims to be ‘balanced’ even though debt will rise another $26.4 billion this fiscal year. Debt servicing costs will again eat up $1 billion a month.” He added, “Billions of dollars in expenditures for capital projects are kept off the books; billions more in borrowing is shoved into the future; one-off asset sales like the Hydro One sell-off are used to make the numbers look better than they are.” That’s from the National Post.
Mr. Speaker, clearly this budget is not balanced. My question to the Premier: Is playing with the numbers, is fudging the numbers, really worth hurting the long-term future—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m on the edge with that. Just keep it away from there, please.
Premier?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.
Hon. Charles Sousa: Let me be clear: We balanced the budget this year, next year and the year after that.
This is coming from a party who increased debt by 53% when they were in power as a province during the good times. This member himself voted in the largest deficit in our country’s history: $55 billion. He doubled debt during the time he was there.
I’ll read a quote from an independent source, a rating agency. They said the following: “The government has, to its credit, outperformed its targets each year. Efforts to constrain wages and limit spending growth in key program areas kept the plan on track initially while the province has benefited from strong economic growth and, more recently, some one-off measures.” That’s DBRS. It goes on to say, “The net debt-to-GDP ratio is seen falling for a third straight year at 37.5% in 2016-17, and Ontario aims to ease the”—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question.
City of Toronto
Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. This morning, I sat down with Mayor Tory to discuss the Liberal government’s 2017 budget. We both agreed on one important fact: A Premier who got elected on the promise that she would fight for the city of Toronto has clearly turned her back on this great city.
The Liberals have ignored almost every promise the Premier made to the city of Toronto. Instead, they sent down a minister to say John Tory had crossed the line. Standing up for the city of Toronto isn’t crossing the line. It’s honouring the promises they made, which they have broken to the city of Toronto.
So my question, Mr. Speaker, is, when is this Premier going to honour the commitments she made and make sure we actually support the city of Toronto?
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.
Premier?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker—
Interjection.
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): And it’s not to be done again.
Carry on.
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me first say that I have a very strong working relationship with mayors across this province. I work with them. I go to their gatherings. I listen to their concerns. I believe that the municipal level of government is extremely important to the well-being of the whole province.
I meet with Mayor Tory on a regular basis, so let me just talk about the ways in which we have invested and supported Toronto. There’s no government in the history of this province that has invested more in housing and transit in the city of Toronto. Also, let me note that we have earmarked $30 billion more for infrastructure in the province, and a large proportion of that will go to the city of Toronto over the next decade for future projects. I’ll speak more in my supplementary.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: As John Tory said, what happened 10 years ago doesn’t do much for the future. Listing off highlight reels doesn’t help with the immediate infrastructure needs of the city of Toronto.
Now, one very serious example Mayor Tory raised was the stories about people living in Toronto Community Housing who, when they get convicted of a crime, when these people are jailed, are allowed to jump the queue. We have 82,000 people on the waiting list for Toronto Community Housing, and someone who is a convicted criminal can jump the queue over those families. That is outrageous. I don’t understand how this government can continue to support allowing violent criminals and drug dealers to jump the queue over the most vulnerable in our city. This is shameful.
Mayor Tory and city council have made this request of the province. Yes or no: Will you stop this practice? Will you allow the province to make sure convicted criminals don’t get to jump the queue for social housing?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Housing.
Hon. Chris Ballard: Thank you for that very interesting question, because it is factually incorrect. I am so disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition wouldn’t at least check his facts before he stood up today and spread that falsehood.
Speaker, here is how it works—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I will offer the minister a warning as much as I did for the leader. Stay away from there. Carry on.
Hon. Chris Ballard: The only legislation, the only regulation that this province puts in place is that victims of domestic violence get priority, not what the Leader of the Opposition is saying. It’s absolutely wrong. Get the facts straight.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Be seated, please.
Final supplementary?
Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier—and the Liberal government seems to be oblivious to the fact that the entire city council and Mayor John Tory made this request, that the wording in the provincial legislation needs to be changed. Right now, because of the word “disadvantaged,” you’re allowed to jump the queue—a convicted drug dealer or anyone who has committed a violent offence. The entire Toronto city council has passed this request—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. You really confuse my job, when I’m trying to get them to be quiet and you continue.
Carry on.
Mr. Patrick Brown: Since I can’t get an answer on convicted criminals being allowed to jump the queue, Toronto Community Housing has one other request, and that’s natural gas purchasing. Because of the way the province has set it up, Toronto pays $6.3 million more. Mayor Tory has a legitimate ask: Will the Premier at least acknowledge that, if she’s not going to acknowledge—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.
Minister?
Hon. Chris Ballard: You know, I thought I gave a fairly clear answer, and I’ll give it again: The province of Ontario gives—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Huron–Bruce.
Hon. Chris Ballard: The only mandate the province of Ontario gives is that those people fleeing domestic violence get priority in this housing. I can say that Ontario has a long-standing commitment to tackling—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nepean–Carleton.
Hon. Chris Ballard: —homelessness and ending chronic homelessness.
Speaker, I’ll say that again: The only regulation that we have in place is that those people fleeing domestic violence get priority.
With regard to natural gas bulk purchases—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question.
Pharmacare
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, in the Premier’s political response to the pharmacare issue, she left out 10 million Ontarians. Why?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: What OHIP+ does—and I said last week that I’m very glad that the leader of the third party and her caucus are on the same page in terms of the need for pharmacare support. I think that the more voices that we have leading the charge across the country, joining with our Minister of Health who has been talking about this and working with his colleagues across the country—the more voices we have joining in that chorus, the better off we are.
Instead of 125 medications, we made a decision to cover 4,400 medications, including cancer medications and medications for rare diseases, for all children and young people 24 years or younger. That was the path that we took. It will make a huge difference in children’s lives.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Ms. Andrea Horwath: One in three people in this province have no drug coverage through their work. This situation is getting worse today, not better. Ontario needs a universal pharmacare plan that will ensure those people get the medication that they need, and yet, in the Premier’s political response to this issue, she chose to leave them out.
Under the Premier’s response, people will continue to max out their credit cards, being forced to split their pills in half or go without the medication that they need. Why?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: I understand the frustration of the third party, but I find it remarkable that I have yet to find another third-party stakeholder or a patient interest group that actually shares their view, because this pharmacare program has been lauded and celebrated and applauded across this country. In fact, even the individuals who were involved in helping the NDP create their income-tested pharmacare proposal have supported this. In fact—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Steve Morgan, one of the experts in this country that was utilized—in fact, he stood right next to the leader of the third party saying, “Bravo. A first-dollar, single-payer pharmacare plan for children,” recognizing that this is critically important. That was his response, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary?
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I’ll give the Minister of Health a little bit more time to read our plan, because in fact he’s got it wrong, but that’s okay. He would rather spin than be upfront about what’s in our plan. But let me say, for the record—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Let me say for the record that I do agree that young people need their prescriptions filled, but maybe their parents do too. I believe that their parents need their prescriptions filled too. So can the Premier tell the people who work hard but don’t have workplace benefits why she thinks they should have to continue to empty their wallets and reach for their credit cards to pay for their prescriptions or, worse, go without those prescriptions, as they do right now?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: I would hope that we can all celebrate this proposal that’s in the budget. This is the biggest transformation in medicare in this province probably since the beginning of medicare. It’s a giant leap forward towards universal pharmacare for all Ontarians.
It’s providing, I believe, that national leadership that the Premier has worked so diligently on over the last number of years, and it means that, come January 1, four million children and youth will be able to, with their parents, go into pharmacies and get absolutely free access to 4,400 medications, including cancer drugs, including drugs for rare diseases, at absolutely no cost to them. I would hope that a progressive party like the NDP would get up with us and celebrate this incredible visionary transformation of OHIP.
Pharmacare
Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Nearly a quarter of Canadians between the ages of 30 and 60 are dealing with high blood pressure. The largest cohort of people living with HIV and AIDS are aged 30 to 40, not under 24. The gathering of statistics for people with high cholesterol doesn’t even start until age 40.
The NDP plan for universal pharmacare would give all of those people coverage for the medications that they need. In fact, it would cover every single Ontarian, because that’s what is needed. That’s what’s needed. Why has the Premier decided to leave all of these people out of her plan?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, as I said, the leader of the third party and I have come at this from a different direction. What we have done is we have said, for young people 24 years or younger, we would cover all of the medications that they might need—4,400 medications. The leader of the third party chose to bring forward a proposal that would have been much, much narrower.
We can try to stir up a fight between us on which plan is better, but the reality is we both know that a national pharmacare plan that covers everyone in the country is actually what is needed in this country. In the absence of that, we have taken a huge step forward so that all children and youth 24 years or younger will have all of their medications covered—4,400 medications—right in January 2018, so as quickly as possible.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: What the Premier refuses to admit and the minister refuses to acknowledge is that the vast majority of those 4,400 drugs will never be utilized by the vast majority of young people in the province of Ontario. However, a truly, truly universal pharmacare plan will—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Order.
Interjections.
Mr. Mike Colle: Tell it to those little kids who will have a decent guarantee of health.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Eglinton–Lawrence, second time.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek.
Please finish.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: A truly universal pharmacare plan will create savings that could range between $800 million and $1.9 billion immediately. These are real savings that are backed up by independent experts. Why has the Premier chosen a response to the pharmacare issue that minimizes the benefits to Ontario’s economy?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: I have to admit that I am profoundly disappointed at the NDP’s position. This shouldn’t be about which program is of greater benefit; this should be about the important announcement that was made last week, which is the biggest transformation of medicare in the history of this province.
Mr. Speaker, I learned of a mother of a family with a teenage daughter who has cancer. She indicated that from the time this program comes into place to when this young person becomes an adult and gets a prosperous life, she estimates that she’s going to save $20,000. She said that that $20,000 represents her daughter’s college education.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary?
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, I’m profoundly disappointed that 10 million Ontarians are not going to have their prescription drugs covered here in this province—profoundly disappointed—because prescription drugs are unaffordable for millions of Ontarians. Once again, we are reminded that these Ontarians are just not the priority for this Premier.
So let me be clear to all Ontarians: I don’t agree, and I am committed to bringing forward universal, comprehensive pharmacare for the people of this province, from age one to age 65, a plan that will cover all Ontarians from the outset. Will this Premier actually join me in supporting a plan that does cover all Ontarians, as Ontarians would expect a Premier to do?
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.
Minister?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Our Premier has been advocating for national pharmacare for years. I know it’s recently that that leader of the third party has joined our efforts for national pharmacare, but Nav Persaud from St. Mike’s, one of the leaders across this country on pharmacare, said on Metro Morning last week, “This announcement is potentially historic. It indicates that the government is taking action to address the fact that millions of people who don’t take medications because they can’t afford them will.”
Danielle Martin, another leader on this, said, “There are real people who are going to be significantly helped by this.” Maybe the member opposite doesn’t think that children and youth are real people deserving of pharmacare.
And Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition—an individual I know that the member opposite knows well—said, “This is an amazing announcement that will provide national leadership.... This is a great first step in the right direction.”
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Be seated, please.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Start the clock.
New question.
Consumer protection
Mr. Victor Fedeli: My question is for the Premier. Home Capital is one of the largest non-bank mortgage lenders in Ontario. The Premier would know them as being under investigation by the Ontario Securities Commission. They’ve seen a withdrawal of hundreds of millions of dollars from savings accounts, and their shares tumbled 65%.
Last week, they received a $2-billion bailout from the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, or HOOPP. Seeing as one of the players is under a provincial government regulator’s investigation and the other player manages the pension funds of Ontario’s health workers, we have questions.
I ask the Premier: Was the government aware of this deal, and if so, when?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.
Hon. Charles Sousa: Our first priority is always consumers and investor protection. The Ontario Securities Commission is reviewing and assessing the circumstances around Home Capital. We understand that there is a case before it now.
FSCO, our financial securities regulator, has engaged as well, because of the mortgage component of it, and then there’s the investor component of it which the Ontario Securities Commission is involved with.
We have actually been doing a review for over a year and a half now, referencing to increased consumer protection and ensure that full disclosure is made for those consumers and investors, to appreciate the degrees of risk that are involved in those circumstances. But it is before review, and that’s where it is.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Premier. The board chair of Home Capital is Kevin Smith. He earns $357,000 a year and has some $1.5 million in stock. But that’s only his part-time job. The Premier would know him better as Kevin Smith, CEO of St. Joseph’s health centre, his other part-time job, where he’s paid $720,000 a year. He was also a board member of HOOPP.
Now, HOOPP’s CEO was Jim Keohane, who also happens to sit on the board of Home Capital.
Speaker, you truly can’t tell the players without a program. The apparent conflicts are beyond description. After the bailout, which helped restore the share value, each resigned from the other’s board.
I ask the Premier: Is it right for executives of a lender to also be making decisions as a borrower?
Hon. Charles Sousa: As the member may appreciate, he knows that Home Capital Group is incorporated federally and is regulated by the federal financial institutions. FSCO, which is the province’s, is confident that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, or OSFI, is carefully monitoring the situation, as well.
We’re monitoring any impact on mortgage availability in the marketplace. But again, the transparency, the oversight and consumer protection are paramount. It’s why we’ve taken the initiatives that we have to strengthen FSCO’s regulation, also moving more of that to the OSC to ensure that our consumers and our investors are protected and are fully disclosed. It is before review, Mr. Speaker, and we’re trying to protect the interests of the consumers here.
City of Toronto
Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Toronto set out some clear and reasonable priorities for the Ontario budget. People living in Toronto Community Housing need help, and the mayor asked that the province join with the city to provide that help. People relying on the TTC need an improved transit system and the mayor asked the province to join the city to help provide that system.
Now, I understand what the mayor is talking about, and when we met I was clear: An NDP government will be there for Toronto. The Premier ignored the people of Toronto in last week’s budget. As the mayor told people living in community housing, “The Ontario government is not helping to get your housing fixed.” Why isn’t the Premier doing what’s needed to fix affordable housing in Toronto and communities around the province?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let me just say once again that we are making billions of dollars of investments in Toronto. We have uploaded literally billions of dollars of costs from municipalities, including Toronto and around the province.
But let me just talk specifically about housing, because I am concerned about social housing around the province and I am concerned about social housing in the city of Toronto. As a Toronto member, I know first-hand the challenges of Toronto Community Housing, but those challenges are found in other parts of the province, as well.
For Toronto, what this budget does is it provides $130 million for social housing repair, $340 million for prevention of homelessness and another $130 million for affordable housing. A specific ask that the mayor had which was about provincial land; we have acquiesced provincial land worth up to $100 million to build 2,000 new affordable rental housing units. Those are all supports for housing in the city of Toronto.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Ms. Andrea Horwath: The mayor told Torontonians that the city got “a big goose egg when it came to social housing repairs.” Social housing stock is crumbling, and concern doesn’t fix it; funding fixes it.
But that wasn’t all. To quote the mayor, “The most crucial needs of the people of the city of Toronto were not met by this budget.” The Premier “and her government had a chance to stand up for Toronto on transit.... Instead ... they turned their backs.” When I met with Mayor Tory, we talked about the importance of the province supporting 50% of the TTC’s operating costs. Why is the Premier saying no to immediate improvements to Toronto’s transit system—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. I’ll come back to the leader for that last part to make sure that she has an opportunity to say it.
The member from Eglinton–Lawrence is warned.
Carry on, please.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Why is the Premier saying no to immediate improvements to Toronto’s transit and transit systems across the province?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The chatter that you might have heard behind me, Mr. Speaker, is from members who are not from the city of Toronto, who have watched the funding that has flowed to the city of Toronto, to Hamilton, to Kitchener–Waterloo and to Ottawa.
Let me just talk about the money that is going into the city of Toronto: $5.3 billion for the Eglinton Crosstown; $1.2 billion for the Finch West LRT; $3.7 billion for GO RER within Toronto; $870 million for the Toronto-York Spadina subway; $1.48 billion for the Scarborough subway. And on future projects, which is I know what the mayor has been talking about, $150 million for planning and design work on the Toronto relief line, a line and a project for which there is no committed city money at this point; and $55 million for the same work on the Yonge North subway.
No government has put more money into transit in the city of Toronto than ours.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.
New question?
Ontario budget
Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: On behalf of my constituents of Etobicoke North, my question is to the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Charles Sousa.
Speaker, I can tell you that all of my colleagues on this side of the House are, in fact, quite proud of Premier Wynne and Minister of Finance Sousa for the Ontario 2017-18 budget. In fact, our growth has outpaced Canada and all other G7 countries for the last three years.
On the ground, that means the greatest expansion for prescription health care in a generation; $1 billion for transit just in my own riding; $400 million for Etobicoke General Hospital; we’ve created 700,000 new jobs since the recession; and our unemployment rate has been below the national average for two straight years.
When the global economic recession hit, we made a deliberate choice to invest in Ontarians and the things that matter to them most. Will the finance minister please itemize more of what we’re doing for Ontarians in the 2017-18 Ontario budget?
Hon. Charles Sousa: I would like to thank the member from Etobicoke North for the question and his advocacy in this regard.
I’m happy to reaffirm that the 2017 budget is a balanced budget, and it’s the first one since the global recession. I would also like to add, again, that not only have we balanced this year, but we’re on track to do so again next year and the year after that.
A balanced budget means that the government will not be borrowing to pay for operating costs, because all of it now goes directly to invest in capital—long-term capital assets. The result is more money available for things that matter to the people of Ontario, like free prescriptions for children under 24 or free tuition.
When the global recession hit, we set out a realistic and responsible approach to return to balance in 2017-18 and, last week, we delivered on that commitment.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: OHIP+, new schools, new hospitals or hospital expansions, free tuition for modest-income Ontarians, a 25% cut in hydro rates, more child care, eight stops of the Finch LRT in my riding alone: Minister, on behalf of the people of Etobicoke North, muito obrigado.
Families in Toronto will benefit from these important investments. We are already making the largest infrastructure investment in our province’s history, and Toronto is, in fact, receiving very significant funding support not only for the items that I’ve listed, but, of course, for affordable housing, as well as transit.
Could the Minister of Finance please comment on how we continue to build up the city of Toronto?
Hon. Charles Sousa: Again, I would like to thank the member from Etobicoke North for his question and his language skills.
It’s important to remember that no provincial government in Ontario’s history has invested more in the city of Toronto. We’ve increased provincial uploads, meaning that the city of Toronto will save $530 million this year alone. In fact, since 2003, we’ve contributed over $10 billion in transit projects like the Eglinton Crosstown and the downtown relief line that we’re supporting.
This year’s budget includes another $130 million for social housing repair, $340 million for homelessness prevention and $130 million for affordable housing. We’re also using provincial lands worth up to $100 million to build 2,000 new, affordable housing units in the city.
The city has asked us for new revenue tools, and we’ve responded. Our balanced budget will give the city the ability to implement a vacancy tax on empty homes, as well as a hotel tax. In fact, to ensure the people of Toronto benefit from predictable, ongoing funding, we’ve also doubled the share of gas revenue to the city.
On this side of the House—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.
New question?
Children’s mental health
Mr. Jeff Yurek: My question is to the Minister of Finance. Children and youth are experiencing a mental health crisis because they can’t get the treatment they need when and where they need it.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information released new data this morning that indicates that children, youth and families facing a mental health crisis are ending up in hospital ERs and in-patient units at disturbing rates. Since 2006, there’s been a 63% increase in ER visits and a staggering 67% increase in hospitalizations for children and youth seeking treatment for mental health and addictions. The new statistics are trending in the wrong direction compared to 2015. This government is failing our children.
My question to the Minister of Finance: Did the Minister of Children and Youth Services request funding in this year’s budget to deal with the eroding capacity in community-based children’s mental health centres?
Hon. Charles Sousa: Minister of Children and Youth Services.
Hon. Michael Coteau: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I also, again, want to recognize all of the advocates, parents, family members and staff who are working across this province to make sure that our children are positioned for success here in the province of Ontario.
When I first became the minister responsible for this file, I was given a mandate by the Premier to work with providers to transform the child and youth mental health system here in the province. We recognize, without question, that there’s more work that needs to be done to improve the services that young people receive. We are facing challenges with wait times. We’re facing challenges with service delivery. We’re facing challenges with our funding model. Our agencies have said this, the Auditor General has said this, and we’ve accepted this. This is exactly why we’re seizing the opportunity to give Ontarians a community-based mental health system for today and into the future.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’ll take that as, “No, I did not ask the minister for any funding.”
The data shows how the erosion of community services not only leaves children and youth unable to obtain the help they need but also strains our hospital resources. The data shows that the government’s inaction endangers lives and costs the system $175 million a year. Children’s Mental Health Ontario estimates that the $118 million the system needs annually could save $1 billion in the long run, while ensuring children and youth receive the services and treatment they need.
Speaker, will the Minister of Finance explain why none of the new federal health transfer money for mental health initiatives was allotted to children and youth?
Hon. Michael Coteau: Minister of Health.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: The importance of this issue is part of the reason why we announced $140 million towards mental health services, including access to cognitive behavioural therapy and supportive housing, and why we announced in Barrie 10 in-patient beds for children and youth mental health as well as a set of outpatient services.
This is precisely why OHIP+ is so important. We know that 70% of mental illness emerges during childhood. For the first time in this province, those children and those youth are going to have free access to the medicines that they need to deal with their mental illness.
Hospital funding
Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Ontario hospitals have been driven to the breaking point by your government, and this budget won’t undo the damage. Operating funding for hospitals is $300 million short of what the hospitals say they needed. That means that our community hospitals will continue to be squeezed, patients will continue to be treated in hallways and northern and rural hospitals will continue to be forced to cut the services that people count on.
Why is this government continuing to refuse to fix the damage they’ve caused in our hospitals?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Last year we invested $1 billion in Ontario’s hospitals. This past week, in our budget, we announced more than $500 million or a 3.1% increase to the bottom line, that base funding in the operational costs of hospitals right across this province. That means that all Ontario hospitals are going to get a minimum increase of at least 2%. We reserved that extra part specifically so we could address those challenges that are faced by a number of hospitals across this province, whether that’s in their ERs, whether that’s bed capacity or a high level of population growth in their regions.
I would ask that the member opposite perhaps might want to speak to the Ontario Hospital Association, the OHA, with regard to their response to what is outlined in the budget.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. John Vanthof: Once again, back to the Premier: Hospital budgets have been frozen for years. A 2% increase is basically inflation. That’s nothing to crow about. Giving inflationary costs to the base budget isn’t exactly a huge gift. So the people who are in hallways and the surgeries that are being cancelled are not going to be corrected by simply an inflationary increase.
Why is this government refusing to acknowledge this problem?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, Anthony Dale, the president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, had this to say about our budget: “The government’s significant investments in hospital capital”—because we added $9 billion to the $11 billion that’s already there, for a total of $20 billion over the next decade—“will help to support a sustainable health care system for the future.”
With regard to the operational investments, “Today’s investment in the health care sector is an acknowledgement of the capacity challenges that hospitals have been facing. It also signals a renewed commitment from government to expand and enhance access to care across the continuum.”
Today’s budget announcement, he goes on to say, “is an investment in patient care and will help maintain system stability and strengthen access to front-line services.”
A 3.1%, or more than half-billion-dollar, addition to the half-billion that we increased by last year: That’s more than $1 billion in two years to our hospitals.
Pharmacare
Mrs. Cristina Martins: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Last week, our government introduced a budget which includes significant investments in health care. In fact, the 2017 budget includes an additional $7 billion for the health care sector over the next three years to reduce wait times, provide access to care, and enhance the patient experience. But most importantly, this budget includes funding for priority health care services that will have a real impact for Ontario families. This budget invests in our hospitals, in long-term-care homes, in mental health and in our world-class health care professionals.
Mr. Speaker, there is one piece of this budget that stands out for me, as the member from Davenport, more than anything else. Youth and parents in my community are particularly excited about the new OHIP+ program. Can the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care please inform this House of the historic investment our government is making in Ontario’s children and youth?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, it truly is historic, and that’s the way it is being described across this country.
Pharmacare for Ontarians and for Canadians is so vitally important, that issue of access to medicine. Come January 1—not some time deep into the future, potentially, but January 1, 2018—four million Ontarians, including the member from Niagara West–Glanbrook, four million children and youth under the age of 25, are going to be able to go into pharmacies with their parents, if they are under age, with a prescription from their health care provider, and receive, absolutely free of charge—no copayment, no annual deductible—access to 4,400 medications. That’s drugs for cancer, Mr. Speaker, drugs for rare diseases.
This is truly an historic moment in Ontario’s history, and indeed in Canada’s history.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mrs. Cristina Martins: Thank you, Minister, for that response, and thank you to the minister and the Premier for all their hard work and dedication in ensuring access to prescription medications for Ontario’s children and youth. As the mother of two young boys, I know how important this access is.
This new program will make a tremendous difference for those families who struggle with poverty and social inequality. It’s going to give these families and their children, in Davenport and across the whole province, a better opportunity to grow strong and healthy, and a chance at a brighter future. Most importantly, it is going to impact all of Ontario’s children and youth. No matter the circumstances, no matter the socio-economic status of the child or their parents, all Ontarians under the age of 24 will benefit equally from this program.
Speaker, can the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care please share with this House the impact the program will have for Ontario families?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, this is such an important advancement to medicare in this province. It’s the biggest transformation, I would argue, in the history of the 51 years that medicare has existed nationally. It provides that national leadership. The Premier, by making this decision and showing such courage, is making that bold statement to the rest of the country that this can be done. This must be done, Mr. Speaker. Access to medicine is one of the most fundamental issues of health equity. I’m proud to be in a cabinet and part of a caucus with a Premier that has such vision and courage and boldness—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, second time.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: —to advance this visionary aspect of medicare. We’re going to deliver it, come January 1, to four million children and youth under the age of 25.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Be seated, please.
New question.
Photo radar
Mr. Michael Harris: My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier explain why she is allowing a return of photo radar back on major expressways and roads in the province of Ontario?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.
Hon. Steven Del Duca: The member opposite knows that in fact, with Bill 65, the Safer School Zones Act, this government is moving forward to help protect our most vulnerable road users, because municipalities and road safety partners asked us for this support in school zones and in community safety zones—and only in those municipalities that want to take advantage of the power that this legislation, if passed, would provide to them.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. Michael Harris: If only the Wynne Liberals were focusing on protecting students with Bill 65. Of course, we certainly support enhanced student safety, but as we know, with this government, the devil is always in the details.
Instead of a road to student safety, they’ve chosen a sneaky route, placing us on a slippery slope to allow photo radar on potentially any municipal parkway, expressway—
Interjections.
Mr. Michael Harris: They’re going to allow photo radar on potentially—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Etobicoke North, come to order.
Mr. Michael Harris: —any municipal parkway, expressway, road and highway right across the province. This Premier is quite literally bringing us back to the future and putting photo radar back to highways in Ontario.
Bill 65, the photo radar act, is in committee today. Will the Premier bring the focus back to school safety and stop her green light for speed-trap cameras on municipal highways and roads across the entire province?
Hon. Steven Del Duca: I think the more pertinent question for that member is, why has his party and his leader brought forward 214 amendments—procedural delays—that will help deny giving municipalities that choose to use the power the opportunity to protect our most vulnerable road users?
I have listened throughout all of the debates on Bill 65 and I’ve heard that member and I’ve heard the member from Nipissing and I’ve heard other members on that side of the Legislature literally stand up and, on the one hand, claim that they want to protect our most vulnerable road users, including those older pedestrians and school students who are on their way to their community and neighbourhood schools. And yet, when they had the chance to work constructively with us on Bill 65: more than 200 amendments to slow down the process.
The question isn’t why won’t we do something; the question is, why won’t they help us protect Ontario—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Kitchener–Conestoga.
New question.
Hospital funding
M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la première ministre. Ontario hospitals are being hollowed out by decades of Liberal cuts and the Premier’s budget does nothing to undo the damage already done. As the Ontario Health Coalition says, this budget “will not solve the dangerous levels of overcrowding faced by hospitals across Ontario. Patients will continue to wait on stretchers in hospital hallways.”
Why is this Premier ignoring the overcrowding in our hospitals and basically turning her back on patient care?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: We’re doing the opposite of that. We’re doing the opposite of what the NDP did when they were in government, when they closed 24% of all acute beds in the province, when they closed 13% of all the mental health beds in this province.
What we are doing is adding $9 billion to the $11 billion that’s already there, for $20 billion in new dollars for capital improvements, new hospitals and redevelopments across this province. We’ve named some of those—
Hon. Deborah Matthews: Windsor.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: —including the hospital in Windsor and elsewhere.
But on the operational side, more than half a billion dollars on top of last year’s roughly half a billion dollars. This year’s budget alone is a 3.1% increase to operating funding. It means that every single hospital across this province is going to benefit and benefit substantially, Mr. Speaker.
We continue to make these investments to make sure that we’ve got the highest quality care.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
M me France Gélinas: The Premier’s budget fails our health care system. It fails our hospitals, and lets the crisis of hallway medicine continue. It fails patients who need care, and have to wait days to get it.
Today, hospitals are operating over 1,100 unfunded beds. More than 250 of those beds are in hallways and storage rooms that were never designed to provide patient care. Surgeries are still being cancelled today as we speak, and emergency room wait times are longer than they have been in a decade.
Why is this Premier ignoring the damage that she’s done, and refusing to stop the cuts to our hospitals?
Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, here’s what the NDP apparently don’t like about our budget. I already mentioned the extra $9 billion on capital. They don’t like the fact—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order.
Continue.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: They obviously don’t like the fact that we’re investing 11 billion more dollars over the next three years in our health care budget. We’re investing $500 million to support our hospitals to reduce wait times and expand capacity. They don’t like the fact that we’re investing $140 million to expand access to mental health services over the next three years, or $101 million over the next three years to support our dementia strategy. They don’t like the fact that we’re adding $100 million to support the creation and expansion of interprofessional teams over the next three years, or $80 million for long-term care, Mr. Speaker.
Mental health services
Ms. Ann Hoggarth: My question is for the Minister of Labour. Today, on May 1, we recognize the beginning of Mental Health Week. Mental Health Week is an annual national event to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health.
People often associate the Ministry of Labour’s health and safety initiatives with preventing and responding to physical injuries. However, more and more I’m hearing from constituents about the importance of mental health. Ontarians want to know that mental health will be taken seriously in their workplaces.
Can the minister please share with us what he is doing to ensure that our government is taking action to promote mental health in the workplace?
Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you for that excellent question. Speaker, this week we’re going to recognize Mental Health Week. It reminds us of how much mental health affects us all. It affects us at home; it affects us at work as well. In fact, in Canada, as I speak today, about half a million Canadians are unable to go to work today because of either mental health concerns or illnesses.
Now, smart employers know if they look after their workers as well as their bottom line they become even more successful, so I’m excited to announce this week two new initiatives at the Ministry of Labour that are going to help promote the importance of mental health in our workplaces.
The first is a webinar. It’s free, it’s an hour long, and any organization in Ontario can avail itself of it. I’m also proud to let you know we’re launching a new portal later this month. It’s a one-stop shop containing free workplace mental health resources for all employers in this province.
We’re investing in mental health. It’s the right thing to do.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Thank you to the minister for his answer. I’m happy to hear how committed our government is to promoting mental health in the workplace.
We’ve come a long way on this issue of mental health. Everyone has a continued role to play. It’s clear that we’ve made tremendous strides in advancing workplace mental health in Ontario.
Last Thursday, as part of the budget, further plans were announced to support workers across Ontario. Can the minister please give us further details on the recent plans that were unveiled?
Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you to the member for that excellent question again.
The proposed budget that we have before us is going to ensure finally that workers who develop chronic mental stress will be entitled to benefits that are provided by the WSIB.
Benefits for injured workers in this province, Speaker, have long been a priority of this government, but we know that workers don’t just suffer physical injuries; there are invisible injuries as well, ones we can’t see, and although they are unseen, they are still equally significant.
Chronic mental stress has become a reality for far too many workers in this province. Those workers deserve the benefits and deserve the supports we’re already providing to workers who suffer traumatic injuries and stress. This is one important step in our efforts to make this province the most psychologically safe place to work in the world.
We all need to do our part. We’re committed to making sure that Ontarians are protected from chronic mental stress.
Disaster relief
Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The Bonnechere River system has experienced flooding at a level like we’ve never seen before. People living on Round Lake, Golden Lake and along the river have been engaged in a man-versus-nature battle for the last few weeks.
The amount of damage to homes and properties is extensive. The disaster recovery program now allows for individuals to be compensated for some of their losses, but that program can only be triggered by the minister and his officials. I’m sending over the most recent copy of the Eganville Leader, and I’ll provide a thumb drive of photos later so that the minister can see the damage for himself. There is no question in my mind that this spring’s flooding event qualifies, and I would ask the minister to make that call as expeditiously as possible so that people can get on with their lives.
Hon. Bill Mauro: I want to thank the member for the question. I want to begin by saying I’m aware, clearly, of what’s going on in Renfrew county. On the weekend, I want the member to know, I did reach out to the mayors: Mayor Visneskie from Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards; Mayor Gruntz from Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan; Mayor Love from Madawaska Valley; Mayor Farr, North Algoma Wilberforce; Mayor Murphy from Bonnechere Valley; and Mayor LeMay from Pembroke. I reached at least five of them.
The goal in reaching out to them was to ensure, as best I was able to discern from our conversations, that those municipalities and those mayors were receiving the assistance and the information they needed to convey back to their constituents as they all deal with this tragedy, this major environmental issue that’s going on.
It sounds to me like they’re getting the benefit of the information out of the Kingston office. They are well prepared to speak to their constituents.
In the supplementary, I’m happy to provide a bit more information for the member in terms of the program, how it works and when, if ever, it gets activated.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?
Mr. John Yakabuski: Minister, I recognize there is a process and I appreciate you reaching out to local officials, and the officials from your ministry who were in the riding yesterday. But people can’t wait. They need to know that their government will be there when disaster strikes.
It rained heavily over the weekend and another downpour is expected today, with heavy rains later in the week. This is only going to increase not only the financial losses, but the level of frustration that people are feeling as well. I firmly believe that once the minister has the opportunity to review the data, he will agree with me and local municipal leaders that this spring’s flooding warrants the enacting of the disaster recovery program.
I emphasize once again that this is an event of historical proportions along the Bonnechere River. I ask the minister to recognize this as a disaster as quickly as possible. Can we have that commitment?
Hon. Bill Mauro: Let me first of all thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents.
The way the program will work is that the ministry folks on the ground make the assessment. They cannot do that assessment until the waters have receded so they are able to see and determine exactly what has occurred. Once they’ve been able to gather that data to make that assessment, they will then make a recommendation to me as the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Based upon what they provide back to me, we will then go forward and make a recommendation on whether or not to activate that program. Unfortunately, until the water has receded, it’s not possible for the ministry staff to do their work.
There is a possibility there for people on the private side to get assistance, possibly. Again, that requires the work of the people on the ground. There’s a second component to the program that deals with municipal infrastructure. But again, the best I can do for the member in terms of his advocacy for his constituents is to let him know that the water has to recede before the ministry can do its work and make a recommendation back to me. Once I receive that, we’ll expedite the process as quickly as we can.
Hospital funding
Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. Mr. Szillat is a retired senior from Waterloo who is living in pain. He survived cancer and now he needs two surgeries: a knee replacement and back surgery.
Mr. Szillat first met with a surgeon 15 months ago. He doesn’t even know when his first surgical consult on his knees will be, but as of December 2016, it is a 413-day wait between consultation and surgery in Waterloo region. He continues to wait to find out how long he’ll be waiting for surgery.
While he waits, his situation gets worse. Mr. Szillat is trying to lose weight to qualify for back surgery, but because of his knee issues he has reduced mobility, which affects his entire health.
Speaker, Mr. Szillat is in pain. After nine years of Liberal cuts to hospital funding and four years of freezes, why does this Liberal government believe it is acceptable to give hospitals $300 million less than what they need to help people like Mr. Szillat in the province of Ontario?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Hon. Eric Hoskins: We’re contributing more than $500 million to our hospitals this year. That is a 3.1% increase, and it allows us, in fact, to target specific challenges that are being faced. It allows for a substantial new increase in cataract surgeries. It allows for a substantial increase in hip and knee surgeries.
But what I would encourage the member opposite to do, if she hasn’t already, is to remind that individual that wait-lists do vary from place to place, from surgeon to surgeon. She should encourage that individual’s family physician to see what the wait times are and to see if there might be another provider who can perform it nearby sooner; and to work with the LHIN, because this is precisely what the LHIN is there for. I’ve talked with the LHIN, and there are many examples of where they work directly with patients to help them with this.
Visitors
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Deputy Premier.
Hon. Deborah Matthews: On a point of order: I want to welcome Joanne Sherin from Vanier Children’s Services here today, a great champion of children’s mental health.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Hon. Eleanor McMahon: I’d like to welcome, from my riding of Burlington, Brian Hansell. I thank Brian for joining us today in the members’ gallery for Children’s Mental Health Week.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Municipal Affairs, on a point of order.
Hon. Bill Mauro: I was a little late getting to QP this morning. I’d once again like to welcome my oldest son, Dustin Mauro, in the members’ east gallery.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.
The House recessed from 1147 to 1300.
Members’ Statements
Doctors’ Day
Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’m pleased to rise today to celebrate Ontario’s Doctors’ Day. Doctors’ Day was formally recognized in this House in 2011 to create a special day to recognize the hard work of our province’s 29,000 practising physicians. May 1 was chosen as Doctors’ Day in Ontario to mark the birthday of Dr. Emily Stowe, Canada’s first female practising physician. She was born in Norwich township, Oxford county, and graduated from the New York Medical College for Women in 1867. She then opened her medical practice in Toronto.
Every day, more than 320,000 patients across the province are treated and cared for by doctors. Whether it’s in a hospital, a long-term-care home, a clinic or a patient’s home, Ontario’s doctors are making a positive difference in the lives of patients by providing high-quality care when and where it is needed most.
To celebrate Doctors’ Day in Ontario, the Ontario Medical Association invited elementary students and pediatric patients from across the province to send in drawings with personalized messages about “What my doctor means to me.” The response has been overwhelming. Over the past month, the Ontario Medical Association has received hundreds of submissions, ranging from entertaining to emotional, thanking doctors for their care, professionalism and sacrifices made on behalf of their patients.
It is important to recognize that doctors’ contributions to our province are not limited to health care. Each physician’s office, through overhead, contributes the equivalent of four full-time jobs in a community, generates an average of $205,000 in GDP and produces $50,000 in tax revenue for the municipal, provincial and federal governments.
Join me in celebrating the vital work doctors perform every day to save lives and put patients first. On behalf of the PC caucus, I would like to extend my warm wishes to Ontario’s doctors.
Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara
Ms. Cindy Forster: It’s my pleasure today to rise to congratulate the Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara on celebrating 25 years of service this past weekend. Many dedicated volunteers were recognized for their commitment and their long-time service.
The CSC is a community health centre in my riding, founded in 1991. It began as a social service centre, and it wasn’t until 1995 that it began receiving federal dollars to provide much-needed primary health care to the francophone communities in the Niagara region.
Under the leadership of Marcel Castonguay, the centre takes a holistic approach to the delivery of programs. They focus on preventive care and health promotion by informing and educating. This is especially important in my riding because of the number of francophone seniors and the challenges specific to them as a result of limited French services and low income levels.
If you ask anyone who has been around to see the centre grow to what it is today, the names Marc Yvain Giroux and Rosaire Lavoie would also be mentioned. They were the centre’s pioneers, and they were able to pair the needs of our community with a dedicated long-term vision.
I’m proud to have witnessed the growth of the centre in my community. I want to thank Marcel, the talented staff at the centre and the many dedicated volunteers who all play an indispensable role in providing health care in our community.
Speech and Hearing Month
Communication disorders can have a significant impact on our physical, emotional, social and vocational well-being. They may prevent an individual from performing well at work, asking for help, hearing instructions at school or even saying, “I love you.” One in six Canadians suffers from a speech, language or hearing problem.
The good news is that half of all cases are preventable. The earlier we can identify and treat then, the better the chances for improvement and even recovery.
This month is our opportunity to work to increase the importance of early detection and prevention of communication disorders, as well as to raise the public’s sensitivity to the challenges faced by people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and break down barriers to help them reach their full academic and vocational potential.
I would like to recognize the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, OSLA, for all the work they have done to promote communication health and provide support to affected individuals and their families. Their advocacy efforts on removing barriers to communication, advancing hearing health and promoting inclusion and equal access for people with speech and hearing problems to all aspects of life, counting employment, education, recreation, housing and social services, is commendable.
Promoting communication health is an important cause, and I know that many of my colleagues in this Legislature support it. I thank them very much for all of the efforts in raising awareness about the importance of early detection and intervention in the treatment of communication disorders, and for doing what they can to champion the needs of people with communication disorders in Ontario.
National Day of Mourning
Ms. Jennifer K. French: Today is May Day, recognized as International Workers’ Day around the world. In Canada, we recognize Labour Day in September, and on April 28 we mark the National Day of Mourning.
Our local labour council, unions and community organizations gathered at our beautiful monument downtown to pay tribute to fallen and injured workers. This is the first year that all flags at public buildings were flown at half-staff, and I’d like to recognize and appreciate the bill brought forward by my colleague from Windsor–Tecumseh that passed last spring to make this the law in Ontario.
No one should be injured or killed on the job. We should be seeing improvements and safer, more predictable, less precarious workplaces, whether they be offices, building work sites, hospitals, jails, classrooms or other workplaces. We need to ensure workers have the safety equipment, job training and mental health supports they need. We must enforce laws and regulations to make sure working Ontarians are safe.
New Democrats support the Remember Westray campaign to call on the government and law enforcement to understand and enforce the Westray law. Employers who put their workers in jeopardy must be held responsible. Employers whose workers die on the job must be held responsible.
We must respect and protect workers. More people deserve the protection of a union, and we need to make it easier for Ontarians to have that protection. And when workers are injured, they deserve fair compensation and support. We have to fight to put dignity back in our compensation system.
The Day of Mourning is not only for workers in the trade union family; it is for every worker who goes to work and has the right to come home safely. We will remember the dead, but we must continue to diligently fight for the living.
Perth county tartan
Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Today, I want to pay tribute to my necktie, or, rather, the pattern on my necktie, which is none other than the Perth county tartan. This beautiful tartan was unveiled by Perth county council on April 6 in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. It represents the county’s Scottish heritage, and its colours reflect the past and present of Perth county. The shades of green represent agriculture, while blue represents our rivers and streams. The red is for the blood sacrificed by the early settlers who tamed this wild land, and of the veterans who laid down their lives to protect our freedom. Gold stands for the industrious nature of the people of Perth county.
I’d like to recognize everyone involved in creating this tartan, especially councillors Helen Dowd, Doug Kellum and Bob Wilhelm, and community member Pauline Hartfiel. Their work represents the very best of the county and its people. With hard work and dedication to our communities, I know the county’s best days are still to come.
Casino Strathroyale
Mr. Monte McNaughton: I wish to recognize an event held annually in my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex which raises money to make important and significant contributions to ease the financial burden on families living with cancer.
In Strathroy, on April 22, the seventh annual Casino Strathroyale was held. With my wife, Kate, I was pleased to be among the nearly 1,000 participants at this gala occasion. This is a lively event which combines a superb dinner with live entertainment and casino games.
Casino Strathroyale was begun by Dr. Tyler Damen after his own battle with melanoma cancer during 2006-07. He understands and knows first-hand the struggle and hardships that families experience while supporting their loved ones through an illness.
Throughout the year, residents of Strathroy-Caradoc are invited to nominate worthy recipients, and a committee selects 10 names to receive support. After expenses, all the funds raised from Casino Strathroyale go directly into the hands of local families living with cancer.
Last year, $64,000 was distributed to 10 recipients. While the final accounting for 2017 is yet to be made, the total is expected to be even greater this year.
Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the work of Dr. Tyler Damen, his family, the many generous local sponsors and all those who support Casino Strathroyale in this cause of helping victims of cancer in Strathroy-Caradoc.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their statements.
Notice of reasoned amendment
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 71(b), the member from Nipissing has notified the Clerk of his intention to file notice of a reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 127,
An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes.
The order for second reading of Bill 127 may therefore not be called today.
Petitions
Curriculum
Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition to the Legislature of Ontario, and it reads as follows:
“Whereas the Ontario Ministry of Education removed the teaching of cursive writing as a mandatory component of the Ontario education curriculum; and
“Whereas numerous independent psychological studies have proven that the learning of cursive writing at a young age improves cognitive development, improves the development of fine motor skills, creativity, the integration of visual and tactile information; and
“Whereas many students are now reaching their teens and are unable to even sign their name on legal documents, government forms, drivers’ licences, etc., including petitions such as this; and
“Whereas future generations of adults will be unable to not only write in cursive but will be unable to read historical documents, genealogical documents such as birth, death and marriage certificates, prior to the 20th century, which were prepared primarily using cursive, nor will they be able to understand family letters and documents passed from one generation to the next;
“Whereas the loss of cursive writing represents a significant loss in an important component of our cultural heritage;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“That the Minister of Education for Ontario take the necessary action to ensure that the teaching of cursive writing is reintroduced as a mandatory element within the Ontario education system at the early public school level, at the soonest possible time.”
Hospital funding
Ms. Cindy Forster: A petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario—this is the petition that keeps on going:
“Whereas the decision to close the Welland general hospital was made without consultation with the residents of south Niagara, and without regard for potential social and economic impacts of this closure; and
“Whereas the recommendations to the government contained in Dr. Kevin Smith’s report on restructuring of the Niagara Health System included no evidence to support the closure of the Welland general hospital; no needs assessment for the residents of south Niagara; no costing of the entire restructuring plan; and no proposals to mitigate the impact of reduced hospital access;
“Whereas the catchment area of the Welland general hospital includes four municipalities, with a population of over 90,000, including a high percentage (+25%) of seniors and people living in poverty;
“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“
(1) Stop the planned closure of the Welland general hospital;
“
(2) Conduct a rigorous third-party evidence-based study to assess the present and projected health care and hospital services requirements of residents in the catchment area of the Welland general hospital;
“
(3) Hold public consultations, not only during the assessment process, but also on recommendations resulting from this study.”
I support the petition, will sign it and send it with Noah.
Markdale hospital
Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas Grey Bruce Health Services’ Markdale hospital is the only health care facility between Owen Sound and Orangeville on the Highway 10 corridor;
“Whereas the community of Markdale rallied to raise $13 million on the promise they would get a new state-of-the-art hospital in Markdale;
“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“That the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announce as soon as possible its intended construction date for the new Markdale hospital and ensure that the care needs of the patients and families of our community are met in a timely manner.”
I affix my name and send it with page Matt.
Disaster relief
M me France Gélinas: I have hundreds of names on this petition that comes from Gogama, and thousands more that come from all over the northeast. I would like to thank Betty Carrière from Gogama. It reads as follows:
“Gogama needs help.
“Whereas at 2 a.m. on March 7, 2015, a Canadian National train derailed in Gogama;
“Whereas this derailment caused numerous tank cars carrying crude oil to explode, catch fire and spill over one million litres of oil into the Makami River; and
“Whereas residents continue to plainly observe oil and find dead fish in the Makami River as well as Lake Minisinakwa, despite the fact that the Ministry of the Environment has declared the cleanup complete;”
They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“That the Ministry of the Environment require CN to continue the cleanup of Gogama’s soil and waterways until the residents are assured of clean and safe water for themselves, the environment and the wildlife.”
I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask Rishi to bring it to the Clerk.
GO Transit
Ms. Soo Wong: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly.
“Whereas Cambridge, Ontario, is a municipality of over 125,000 people, many of whom commute into the greater Toronto area daily;
“Whereas the current commuting options available for travel between ... Waterloo ... and the GTA are inefficient and time-consuming, as well as environmentally damaging;
“Whereas the residents of Cambridge and the Waterloo region believe that they would be well-served by commuter rail transit that connects the region to the Milton line, and that this infrastructure would have positive, tangible economic benefits to the province of Ontario;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“Direct crown agency Metrolinx to commission a feasibility study into building a rail line that connects the city of Cambridge to the GO train station in Milton, and to complete this study in a timely manner and communicate the results to the municipal government of Cambridge.”
I support the petition and give it to page Maggie.
Hydro rates
Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas household electricity bills have skyrocketed by 56% and electricity rates have tripled as a result of the Liberal government’s mismanagement of the energy sector;
“Whereas the billion-dollar gas plants cancellation, wasteful and unaccountable spending at Ontario Power Generation and the unaffordable subsidies in the Green Energy Act will result in electricity bills climbing by another 35% by 2017 and 45% by 2020; and
“Whereas the Liberal government wasted $2 billion on the flawed smart meter program; and
“Whereas the recent announcement to implement the Ontario Electricity Support Program will see average household hydro bills increase an additional $137 per year starting in 2016; and
“Whereas the soaring cost of electricity is straining family budgets, and hurting the ability of manufacturers and small businesses in the province to compete and create new jobs; and
“Whereas home heating and electricity are a necessity for families in Ontario who cannot afford to continue footing the bill for the government’s mismanagement of the energy sector;
“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To immediately implement policies ensuring Ontario’s power consumers, including families, farmers and employers, have affordable and reliable electricity.”
I fully support it, affix my name and send it with page Rada.
Hospital funding
M me France Gélinas: I have this petition that comes from all over Sudbury and Nickel Belt. I would like to thank Liz Larochelle from Val Caron, in my riding. It reads as follows:
“Health Care You Can Count On....
“Whereas for all Ontarians—no matter who they are, or where they live—the health of their family comes first, and it should come first for the government of Ontario;
“Whereas 1,200 nurses have been laid off since January 2015;
“Whereas hospital beds are being closed across Ontario; and
“Whereas hospital budgets have been frozen for four years, and increases this year will not keep up with inflation or a growing population;”
They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“Stop the cuts to hospitals, and ensure that, at a minimum, hospital funding keeps up with the growing costs of inflation and population growth, each and every year.”
I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask Sofia to bring it to the Clerk.
Nanjing Massacre
Ms. Soo Wong: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly. I wanted to say that I’ve got 3,235 signatures from Milton, Waterloo and Toronto.
“Whereas the events in Asian countries during World War II are not well-known....
“Whereas Ontarians are unfamiliar with the World War II atrocities in Asia;
“Whereas Ontario is recognized as an inclusive society;
“Whereas Ontario is the home to one of the largest Asian populations in Canada, with over 2.6 million in 2011;
“Whereas some Ontarians have direct relationships with victims and survivors of the Nanjing Massacre, whose stories are untold;
“Whereas the Nanjing Massacre was an atrocity with over 200,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers alike were indiscriminately killed, and tens of thousands of women were sexually assaulted, in the Japanese capture of the city;
“Whereas December 13, 2017, marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre;
“Whereas designating December 13th in each year as the Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day in Ontario will provide an opportunity for all Ontarians, especially the Asian community, to gather, remember, and honour the victims and families affected by the Nanjing Massacre;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“That the Legislature pass the Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day Act, 2016 by December 8, 2017, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, which will enable Ontarians, especially those with Asian heritage, to plan commemorative activities to honour the victims and families affected by the Nanjing Massacre.”
I fully support the petition. I will give my petition to page Jeremi.
Privatization of public assets
Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas the current government under Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling for the sale of up to 60% of Hydro One shares into private ownership; and
“Whereas the decision to sell the public utility was made without any public input and the deal will continue to be done in complete secrecy; and
“Whereas the loss of majority ownership in Hydro One will force ratepayers to accept whatever changes the new owners decide, such as higher rates; and
“Whereas electricity rates are already sky-high and hurting family budgets as well as businesses; and
“Whereas ratepayers will never again have independent investigations of consumer complaints, such as the Ontario Ombudsman’s damning report on failed billing; and
“Whereas the people of Ontario are the true owners of Hydro One and they do not believe the fire sale of Hydro One is in their best interest;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To protect Ontario ratepayers by stopping the sale of Hydro One.”
I fully support it, affix my name and send it with page Noah.
Health care funding
Miss Monique Taylor: I have a petition that was signed by thousands of people in my community for Justin Masotti. Unfortunately, Justin died on April 21 due to further complications, but I will read this petition today in his memory.
“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas 17-year-old Justin Masotti of Hamilton is battling an extremely rare form of brain cancer that has not responded to traditional cancer treatment;
“Whereas the alternative cancer treatments he is now receiving out-of-country appear to be having a positive impact on him;
“Whereas the huge costs already incurred by his family to fund his out-of-country treatments are not being covered by OHIP as they are considered experimental;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“That the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, on compassionate grounds, fund the transport and medical costs associated with the out-of-country cancer treatment of Justin Masotti.”
I will affix my name to it.
Rest in peace, Justin.
Hydro rates
Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas the Green Energy Act has driven up the cost of electricity in Ontario due to unrealistic subsidies for certain energy sources, including the world’s highest subsidies for solar power; and
“Whereas this cost is passed on to ratepayers through the global adjustment, which can account for almost half of a ratepayer’s hydro bill; and
“Whereas the high cost of energy is severely impacting the quality of life of Ontario’s residents, especially fixed-income seniors; and
“Whereas it is imperative to remedy Liberal mismanagement in the energy sector by implementing immediate reforms detailed in the Ontario PC white paper Paths to Prosperity—Affordable Energy;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To immediately repeal the Green Energy Act, 2009, and all other statutes that artificially inflate the cost of electricity with the aim of bringing down electricity rates and abolishing expensive surcharges such as the global adjustment and debt retirement charges.”
I fully support it, affix my name and send it with page Rishi.
Employment standards
M me France Gélinas: I have this petition to support a $15-an-hour minimum wage. I’d like to thank Mona Filion from Azilda, in my riding. It reads as follows:
“Whereas a growing number of Ontarians are affected by the growth in low-wage, part-time, casual, temporary and insecure employment; and
“Whereas too many workers are unprotected by current minimum standards outlined in employment and labour laws; and
“Whereas the Ontario government is currently engaging in a public consultation to review and improve employment and labour laws in the province;”
They petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:
“Implement a minimum wage of $15 an hour.”
I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Maggie to bring it to the Clerk.
Long-term care
Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas Ontario’s 627 long-term-care homes play a critical role in the support and care for more than 100,000 elderly Ontarians each and every year;
“Whereas nine out of 10 residents in long-term care today have some form of cognitive impairment, along with other complex medical needs, and require specialized, in-home supports to manage their complex needs;
“Whereas each and every year, 20,000 Ontarians remain on the waiting list for long-term care services and yet, despite this, no new beds are being added to the system;
“Whereas over 40% of Ontario’s long-term-care beds require significant renovations or to be rebuilt and the current program put forward to renew them has had limited success;
“Whereas long-term-care homes require stable and predictable funding each year to support the needs of residents entrusted in their care;
“We, the undersigned, citizens of Ontario, call on the government to support the Ontario Long Term Care Association’s Building Better Long-Term Care pre-budget submission and ensure better seniors’ care through a commitment to improve long-term care.”
I fully support it, affix my name, and send it with page Hayden.
Privatization of public assets
Miss Monique Taylor: I would like to thank a young person in my riding, Megan Duvall, who knocked on doors to have residents sign this petition. It reads as follows:
“Privatizing Hydro One: Another Wrong Choice.
“Whereas once you privatize hydro, there’s no return; and
“We’ll lose billions in reliable annual revenues for schools and hospitals; and
“We’ll lose our biggest economic asset and control over our energy future; and
“We’ll pay higher and higher hydro bills just like what’s happened elsewhere;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To stop the sale of Hydro One and make sure Ontario families benefit from owning Hydro One now and for generations to come.”
I support this. I’ll affix my name to it and give it to page Sofia to bring to the Clerk.
Orders of the Day
Rental Fairness Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur l’équité en location immobilière
Resuming the debate adjourned on April 27, 2017, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:
Bill 124,
An Act to amend the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 / Projet de loi 124, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2006 sur la location à usage d’habitation.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Further debate—oh, I’m sorry. The Minister of Housing apparently has the floor.
Hon. Chris Ballard: Thank you, Speaker. I just want to carry on where I left off at the end of the debate last week about the fair housing plan. Our government released our fair housing plan a couple of weeks back. It’s a comprehensive set of 16 actions that the province will take to make buying or renting a home more affordable. Every year, over 100,000 people move to Ontario because of our strong and vibrant economy; yet, we all know that housing affordability is a complex issue with no one silver bullet.
In some ways, our hot housing market is tied to the confidence people have in the Ontario economy. But as the Premier has said—and I said this last week; I will quote her again: “When bets and speculation drive the average resale of a house up by 33% in just 12 months, we know we have a problem.”
Speaker, that’s why we took time to consult with people from every side of the issue: developers, planners, financial institutions, economists, federal and municipal partners, realtors; perhaps most importantly, though, we’ve listened to all of the people who are looking for a place to live or who are struggling to pay for the place that they are living in now.
The Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy—these initiatives that we’re introducing build on top of this strategy, which is, at the core, about ensuring that every Ontarian has access to an affordable and suitable home. Our government is serious about reducing the pressure of housing costs felt by Ontarians, as well as providing more affordable options for people to choose from.
Last December, the Promoting Affordable Housing Act was given royal assent. Driven by the updated Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, this act lays the legislative groundwork to create more affordable housing across the province and supports our goal to end chronic homelessness by 2025. Our communities are already seeing the benefits. Through that landmark piece of legislation, we’ve made significant improvements to help expand and improve the rental housing market.
We’re preventing unnecessary evictions from social housing units for those individuals and families who cease to be eligible due to an increase in income. In this way, we’re encouraging more inclusive communities, strengthening tenant rights, and creating more mixed-income housing. We’re making secondary suites, such as above-garage apartments or basement units, less costly to build in new homes by exempting them from development charges. Secondary suites are a potential source of affordable rental housing and allow homeowners to earn additional income.
And we’re giving municipalities the option to implement inclusionary zoning, which would require affordable housing units to be included in residential developments.
The proposed Rental Fairness Act that we’re discussing here today also includes a suite of other changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, because the issues that tenants face include more than just out-of-control rent hikes. Today I’ll discuss changes to the transitional housing system, illegal clauses in leases, unfounded evictions and rent increases above the provincial guideline.
I want to take a minute to just turn the discussion to the issue of homelessness, an issue that continues to be a problem in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora and in many other communities. Too many of our citizens are transitioning out of provincially funded institutions such as jails and hospitals or out of a precarious living situation, and finding themselves on the street because they have nowhere to go. But our government is making great strides toward our goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025. One of the ways we’re accomplishing this is through the province’s transitional housing system.
Transitional housing serves an important role within Ontario’s housing system. In addition to being a person’s temporary home, it provides a mix of appropriate support services for people who are in vulnerable situations. For example, people with mental health and addiction issues or survivors of domestic violence may access these services. Whatever their needs, transitional housing helps people to become more independent and move to longer-term stable housing in their community.
Currently, the Residential Tenancies Act does not define transitional housing and does not outline specific rules or responsibilities for transitional housing providers. Some transitional housing providers offer programs of up to one year that are fully exempt from the Residential Tenancies Act. However, these organizations have told us that many of their participants require more than one year to successfully complete the objectives of the program and find suitable and affordable long-term housing. As a result of these short timelines, some clients are not receiving the temporary housing and support services they need to become independent.
To help us understand how the province could facilitate better outcomes for people in transitional housing programs, we consulted stakeholders on potential amendments to the RTA, Residential Tenancies Act. These amendments aim to provide flexibility for transitional housing providers while ensuring that clients in vulnerable situations have appropriate protections. We consulted with transitional housing providers, tenant and landlord advocacy organizations, municipal service managers and indigenous organizations. We also spoke to approximately 70 people who have lived experience in transitional housing programs.
We heard from the transitional housing providers that, due to the nature of their programs, they need an exemption from the Residential Tenancies Act, and if transitional housing programs were to remain under the act, providers might not be able to enforce rules that are critical to the program’s success, such as restricting visitors or prohibiting drug use or substance abuse.
Throughout the consultations we also learned about how transitional housing programs affected participants’ lives. For some, participating in a transitional housing program helped them adjust to a new life in Canada and acted as a stepping stone to pursue education and employment. For others, it helped them to overcome addiction, trauma and other challenges, and to relearn life skills they lost after years of homelessness and housing instability.
Participants told us it often takes more than a year to successfully complete a program and find suitable and affordable longer-term housing. To illustrate this point I’d like to share this quote from a participant in Covenant House’s program, just one of the many testimonials we heard. She said, “Everyone who enters the transitional housing program ... has to attend school or work. And, if you’re in school, it’s challenging to fulfill your school duties as well as the life skills commitments of the program. We need more time. I think if we had the option to stay longer that would be better.”
During these discussions with participants, we also heard that most if not all participants signed written agreements to enter into the program. Participants understand their rights and responsibilities under the program, and that restrictions like most curfews or disallowing guests were necessary in order to operate the program successfully.
With the one minute I have left, I just want to reiterate some of the important aspects that we bring to the fore.
Changes to the act, this legislation, will provide more protection for renters and will make for a far more robust Residential Tenancies Act as we go forward in the future. We’ve all heard stories about untenable, unconscionable rises in rent over the past few months—stories that really break your heart. We have to make sure, through legislation such as this, that does not happen again, that tenants are treated fairly, and that we have a system that provides stability for families to put down roots in communities they love.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions or comments?
Mr. Bill Walker: It’s a pleasure to provide a few comments on Bill 124, the Rental Fairness Act, 2017.
The minister just talked about exorbitant rents being charged. Obviously, we want to go after those. But why wouldn’t they go after the people who are actually doing this, instead of whitewashing like they do and trying to make everything look like it’s going to be a perfect scenario at the end of the day? In this case, again, he talked about tenants. I believe that tenants—in some cases in this proposed legislation—are the latest affordability victims in Wynne’s Ontario, where a shortage of supply and high costs for landlords have been forcing up rents.
In many of our areas, we have challenges with not having enough affordable housing, but they put in restrictions there that make it prohibitive for a landlord or builder to say, “I want to do that.”
I just had a gentleman approach me on the weekend. He knows that there is a need, but he said, “We need the government to come forward so that it’s actually viable for us to build this type of housing, so that there are solutions for people who are in need out there.”
We’re facing a housing crisis because of a lack of supply, and this bill will make the problem worse by discouraging new rental buildings and second units in houses. They already know that people are scrambling and can’t find enough housing, and yet they put in restrictions and new legislation that’s going to impede even more of that.
At the end of the day, the challenge is that they’ve taken an affordability problem and made it worse. Over the last six weeks, every time they mused about rent controls, landlords increased their rents in many cases, in case it was their last chance. This bill will only be retroactive to April 20, meaning that many of these increases won’t be covered.
The government needs to take real action to address red tape and the barriers to building more housing in Ontario, and to work with the development community and builders and landlords who want to go out there and provide good, affordable housing for people in need, and ensure that they’re not putting more red tape, more legislation, more bureaucracy in place so that the builders say, “I don’t have the opportunity to make money, so I’m not going to build more housing,” even though they’ve identified in many of our communities that there is a need and they’re prepared to step forward.
The government needs to start working before they put legislation; not go out and consult after, like they are with our school closings.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions or comments?
M me France Gélinas: It was interesting to hear the minister talk about this issue. We on the NDP side have been wanting serious changes to this bill, the Residential Tenancies Act. I’m glad to see that some of the ideas that we have been pushing forward, such as closing the loopholes of the 1991 rent control—we’re now in 2017—will be acted upon.
There are a number of good ideas in the bill, such as the use of standard leases and clarifying of the eviction rules, but at the same time, as is very common with this government, a lot of the details of it—to make sure that the intention is actually what will happen—are left to regulation. I don’t get to see the regulations. We get to see the bill. The regulations are made behind closed doors by the governing Liberals.
Many of the intentions in the bill are things that we can support, things that we have been asking for and advocating for alongside many, many other people. The problem with the bill is that it states its intentions, but it leaves to regulation how it’s actually going to be done.
When you change things such as the eviction rules, it makes me worry. There are people out there who are very hard to house, and they also deserve a place to live. Are they going to find the right balance between the two? I won’t get to vote on that, Speaker, because this will be left to regulations, like a lot of other details.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?
Mr. Arthur Potts: It gives me great pleasure to have an opportunity to comment on the Minister of Housing’s debate on this very important bill, the fair housing act. I want to say how very proud we are on this side of the House of the incredible work the minister has done on this very comprehensive, very compassionate and very complete set of plans to address affordability issues in the housing market.
The member opposite, in the leadoff speech—the member from Oxford—had a chance to shout out comments I had made in the House years ago or months ago about this very issue in which I had taken issue on rent controls as a very blunt instrument. They are a blunt instrument, and the fear is that, with rent controls, we might actually—but what we have done is very different. It’s a comprehensive plan.
If the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound had read the entire 16-point plan, he’d see that we are working with the development community. We’re making changes to the property tax rules around multi-residential housing, and it’s going a long way to provide the incentives the development community needs in order to do exactly what was suggested, to build more tenancy buildings, not the least of which—and I’ve said it before—is the notion that we’re going to change the property tax on multi-residential units so you’re not paying four times the property tax that you would if you built the same unit that was in a condo structure.
To the NDP’s comments that they have been behind this, it was only, what, three weeks, four weeks ago that the member opposite from Toronto–Danforth actually brought his private member’s bill. The coincidence—and I’m sure it was just a coincidence, because we see him do this time and time again. When he hears our members asking that member, our Minister of Housing, questions about affordability, he knows, “Oh, my God, something’s about to come. I’d better jump all over this. I’d better take credit for this and put a private member’s bill.” He did the same thing when I did my daycare wait-list fees.
We have not a blunt instrument, which was the NDP approach, to just change what they call the loophole. We have a very comprehensive, a very large, complex suite of programs which will address affordability problems, and I’m very proud about it.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Questions and comments?
Mr. Randy Pettapiece: It’s a pleasure to rise to add my comments to this debate. I suppose there’s good and bad in every bill, and I think we can all agree on that.
What my people in the riding are telling me, especially those in the building trades and in the rental housing units trade or business, is that it just seems that every time you turn around, there’s more red tape. There are more forms they have to sign; there’s more of this, more of that. I look at this bill and I look at some of the things that are in it, and I can see this happening very easily.
One of the things holding back development, certainly in my riding and in different spots in the province, is the red tape issue. You go through years of trying to get a development approved by anybody. There’s all kinds of different levels of bureaucracy you have to go through. It changes from here to there, in different areas. It frustrates anyone who wants to get into the rental business, and as we are seeing where I live, we have a lack of rental units in our area. It’s very frustrating, if you can’t afford to own a home, that there aren’t the rental units around that there should be.
I do know that there has been some movement to try to correct that, but again I get back to red tape and also the costs of building new rental units. You know, a metre of concrete costs the same whether you’re putting it into an affordable housing unit or a new home. So contractors are standing back a little bit and waiting to see how some of this stuff unfolds. But I do believe the real issue with some of this is the red tape issue that we’ve been trying to correct for a number of years.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Thank you. That concludes our questions and comments. We return to the Minister of Housing to reply.
Hon. Chris Ballard: I’d like to thank the members for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, Nickel Belt, Beaches–East York and Perth–Wellington for their comments in this debate. I do listen, and we do take notes.
The official opposition’s notion, though, that rent controls restrain the building of new rental units is, in my opinion, overly simplistic. The fact is, the 1991 exemption, which was put in place with a promise that there would be lots of purpose-built rental constructed, did not achieve that objective. Out of 1.45 million housing completions in Ontario between 1992—the year after that was put in place—and 2016, purpose-built private rental units accounted for just 6%, or around 93,000 units. So, clearly, it’s not working.
Despite this evidence, the official opposition refuses to accept that rent controls do not impact the construction of rental units. The official opposition’s pitch is simple, in my mind, in its code. When they talk about increasing supply, what I really think they’re talking about is paving over the greenbelt and hoping that prices will plummet.
By passing this bill, a quarter of a million more people will be protected from unreasonable rent hikes. With the pre-1991 rental units continuing to appreciate in value, and attracting new capital investment, the evidence shows that Ontario’s version of rent control allows landlords to make a fair return on their investment.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Further debate?
Mr. Randy Hillier: Bill 124 is an important bill not just for this assembly, not just for the city of Toronto, but it’s an important bill for all of Ontario.
When I first saw those 16 proposals for this bill, I thought about it. I thought about what they were trying to do, and what they were trying to accomplish. It really dawned on me, what was happening, while I was pruning my apple tree last week. If anybody has ever pruned an apple tree, you can see what this government is like. It just keeps growing and growing and growing, and it gets twisted and gnarled, up, to the point where no more fruit grows on that tree unless it is pruned and trimmed.
What I was doing was pruning and trimming the gnarled limbs, and that’s what needs to happen with this Liberal government: a significant pruning and trimming of the gnarled policies and legislation that they keep coming up with.
Just think about this: We have a huge problem of a lack of supply of housing, and an impact on the affordability of housing in the GTA. So of course, the gnarled limbs of this Liberal government decide, “We are going to choke off the supply even further,” as the solution to this. It’s absolutely incredible that this government would rely on historically failed policies as a solution to the problems that they keep creating themselves.
There is a significant problem of housing affordability. We’ve seen the magnitude of the increase in housing down here has been unsustainable. People are having difficulties entering into the housing market in this city.
The solution is not to restrict supply. That should be intuitive to all members opposite, not to restrict supply.
Hon. Steven Del Duca: Randy Appleseed.
Mr. Randy Hillier: The Minister of Transportation likes my fruit tree analogy. It would be nice if he got out of his political tree some time and actually learned about what’s happening on the ground here in Ontario. But if you want to—
Interjections.
Mr. Randy Hillier: Listen. Prune this government. Trim it down.
Interjections.
Mr. Randy Hillier: I guess I struck a nerve with the apple tree analogy—
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Sorry to interrupt.
The member for Lanark–Frontenac–Lennox and Addington has the floor, and I need to be able to hear him.
I again recognize the member.
Mr. Randy Hillier: Thank you, Speaker. I’ll put this in clearer terms for the Minister of Transportation and others. When a fruit tree continues to grow and grow, it doesn’t produce more fruit; it actually reduces how much fruit is available to blossom.
Hon. Jeff Leal: Except if it’s a new gala variety.
Mr. Randy Hillier: It doesn’t matter what variety, Jeff.
Mr. Ernie Hardeman: The Minister of Agriculture should know that.
Mr. Randy Hillier: The Minister of Agriculture should know—
Hon. Jeff Leal: Gala and Ambrosia. Do you know the lesson about gala and Ambrosia apples?
Mr. Randy Hillier: Speaker, the point I’m trying to make is that growth, without proper trimming, management and pruning, causes problems in nature. The same thing applies to society. It has an impact on the nature of societies.
This proposal is not going to achieve any improvements in affordability—the necessary improvements in affordability—for the people of the GTA or the people of Toronto. Expanding rent control will help some people, without a doubt. Nobody will question that individual that we saw on the news a few weeks ago who was talking about his rent doubling. We know that, under this proposal, that won’t be allowed to happen. I don’t know how many people were seeing their rent doubled.
I know that in the nine years that I’ve been here in Toronto, I haven’t ever been asked to double the rent on my apartment that I rent down here. I’m sure there are others that may have. But again, let’s focus on the problem: affordable homes.
People want detached or single-family homes, and there is not the supply available for those types of homes. The smart growth act, the Places to Grow Act, the provincial policy statement on land use: All these things are a growth of government legislation that has negatively and with consequence impacted housing affordability in Ontario and in the GTA. It is the government’s own doing that has led to this problem. Growing government more, having them more involved in the marketplace, is not the solution.
This government believes that the laws of supply and demand don’t apply to their legislation; that the laws of supply and demand are unimportant. Surely they should understand those great liberal principles of Adam Smith and many others who recognized the laws of supply and demand. Your legislation should complement the laws of supply and demand, not attempt to abrogate them or to disregard them.
We can all say this with absolute certainty, Speaker: If Bill 124 gets passed—I’m sure it will—and then gets implemented, and all other things being equal—if that legislation is allowed to remain in place for any period of time, we will be talking about an even bigger housing affordability problem 10 years from now. We will be talking about an even greater shortage of rental housing 10 years from now. We will be talking about the same problems that led to this bill, but we’ll be speaking to them in even greater and more imminent and more credible terms, because this bill does not address any of the problems.
Creating two new bureaucracies to advise the government about the barriers to development—Lord jumpin’, Speaker. They are the barriers to development; they are the absolute barrier. And they’re creating a bureaucracy to advise them about the barriers? It’s absolutely astonishing to have such gall to believe that all of these problems that are happening with affordable housing have no bearing on the policies that this government has implemented over the years, over the course of its administration.
Take ownership of what you’ve done. Take ownership. Look in the mirror and say, “Guess what? We really mucked this one up with all of our well-intended legislation. We really mucked this up. We forgot about the very essence and the very basics of supply and demand. We were going to impose this Liberal, activist-centre utopia on the marketplace here in the GTA.” They ended up failing. They ended up failing huge, big time.
This bill is just a recognition that this government is a failure. It’s a failure for the people who want to have affordable homes in Toronto; a failure for people who want to have affordable homes in Ontario; and a failure for people to be able to go out and find a home that they would like to purchase—a single-family home, a detached home.
But they know better than anybody else. They know better than the marketplace. They know better than the millions of people who live here. They know better than the tens of millions of people who live in the province. They know better than everyone how to control and manage and manipulate, to create their activist-centre utopia paradise.
Well, you’ve got it. You’ve got it. Everything that is happening here is a result of your activist-centre utopian dreams: why homes are unaffordable now in Toronto; why young new families and couples can’t get into the marketplace here.
I really encourage the Minister of Transportation, as he’s pondering his new photo radar bill, to think about how he’s hurting people in Ontario, in the GTA, preventing them from buying a home, preventing them from being able to get a home that’s affordable.
This facade of a housing supply team: Give me a break. You guys all know that that’s not true. You all know that it’s not true.
Interjection.
Mr. Randy Hillier: I see that the Deputy Premier thinks the alternative is that we pave over Ontario, pave over Toronto. That’s a falsehood. It shows an elementary level of understanding of what the problem is, to think that you are either on this side of a question or you’re on that side of a question—
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the member to withdraw the unparliamentary remark.
Mr. Randy Hillier: I will withdraw. I’ll have to go back through Hansard and see what I might have said, just for my own edification, Speaker. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.
There is a breadth and a spectrum to this problem. It is not a case of the only solution is the Liberal solution, or the other only solution is to pave over everything. Like I said, that suggests a very limited knowledge or interest in the subject