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October 22, 2014

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2014-Oct-22 (PDF)

L017 - Wed 22 Oct 2014 / Mer 22 oct 2014

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 22 October 2014 Mercredi 22 octobre 2014

ORDERS OF THE DAY

Child Care Modernization Act, 2014 / Loi de 2014 sur la modernisation des services de garde d’enfants

Shootings in Ottawa

Introduction of Visitors

Provincial Affairs publication

Oral Questions

Government fiscal policies

Small business

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Government accountability

Transit funding

Northern Ontario development

Forest industry

Personal support workers

Social assistance

Transportation infrastructure

School closures

Full-day kindergarten

Air quality

Services for the disabled

Visitors

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Belgrave Fowl Supper

Shootings in Ottawa

Diwali

The Shabbat Project

Shootings in Ottawa

Jean Paul St. Pierre

Halton Fresh Food Box

Oktoberfest

Full-day kindergarten

Visitors

Private members’ public business

Special report, Ombudsman

Introduction of Bills

Safeguarding our Communities Act (Fentanyl Patch for Patch Return Policy), 2014 / Loi de 2014 pour protéger nos collectivités (politique d’échange de timbres de fentanyl)

Shootings in Ottawa

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Road safety

Consumer protection

Road safety

Road safety

Consumer protection

Consumer protection

Visitors

Petitions

Air quality

Family Day

Health care

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Alzheimer’s disease

Hispanic Heritage Month

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Missing persons

Hispanic Heritage Month

Long-term care

Agricultural colleges

Health care funding

Visitors

Orders of the Day

Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act, 2014 / Loi de 2014 de lutte contre la fraude et de réduction des taux d’assurance-automobile

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

Child Care Modernization Act, 2014 / Loi de 2014 sur la modernisation des services de garde d’enfants

Mrs. Sandals moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 10,

An Act to enact the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, to repeal the Day Nurseries Act, to amend the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, the Education Act and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts / Projet de loi 10, Loi édictant la Loi de 2014 sur la garde d’enfants et la petite enfance, abrogeant la

Loi sur les garderies, modifiant la Loi de 2007 sur les éducatrices et les éducateurs de la petite enfance, la

Loi sur l’éducation et la

Loi sur le ministère de la Formation et des Collèges et Universités et apportant des modifications corrélatives et connexes à d’autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Ms. Sandals.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Speaker, before I begin, I’d like to note that I will be sharing my time today with my parliamentary assistant, the member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

I’m very proud today to be—I’m sorry; I’m just trying to sort out if we have some confusion here. I’m very proud to have the opportunity to speak today in support of the government’s plan to modernize Ontario’s child care and early years system.

In December of last year, our government introduced Bill 143, the Child Care Modernization Act. Unfortunately, the bill’s debate in this House was cut short, and it died on the order paper when the Legislative Assembly was dissolved for a general election. But I can state unequivocally that this government remains committed to that groundbreaking bill that will transform Ontario’s child care and early years programs and services to ensure that children in this great province have the best possible start in life. That is why I’m proud to rise in this House today to discuss this important piece of legislation.

Bill 10, if passed, will modernize our child care and early years system, and replace the outdated legislation that currently governs child care in this province. It is really outdated. It was first tabled in the 1940s and hasn’t been amended since the 1980s.

This new act will make our system more responsive to the needs of parents and children and better reflect the realities of our modern world. It will ensure Ontario’s families have access to safe and high-quality care that gives children the head start they need for lifelong success. If passed, it will also strengthen the oversight in the child care sector.

Speaker, this proposed legislation is truly transformative and will change child care and early years programs and services in this province for the better. It will build on the improvements we have already made, and I’m proud to say that full-day kindergarten is now available to every four- and five-year-old attending publicly funded schools in Ontario.

Applause.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Exactly. We need to celebrate the full introduction of full-day kindergarten.

That means that this year, the FDK program will benefit approximately 265,000 children province-wide. In addition, we have a new child care funding formula in place that is based on current demographic and population trends.

We also have an Ontario Early Years Policy Framework. This framework sets out a vision and strategic direction for early years programs and services—that is, for children from birth up to six years of age, in the earliest years of their lives.

Despite these improvements to the child care and early years system, these services are currently governed by a patchwork of rules and regulations which can create confusion for families. In fact, the legislation that currently regulates the child care sector, the Day Nurseries Act, hasn’t fundamentally changed since the 1980s. But as we all know, the world around us has certainly changed. These rules and regulations are simply outdated, and we need to better meet the needs of children and families in our modern world. That’s why the proposed Child Care Modernization Act is a top priority for our government.

I’m pleased to be in the House today to speak to my fellow members about the Child Care Modernization Act, which I introduced as Bill 10 during our summer session this year. Bill 10, if passed, will repeal and replace the outdated Day Nurseries Act, the legislation that currently governs child care in Ontario, as well as amend a number of other acts. It will amend the Education Act, the Early Childhood Educators Act, and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act.

If passed, the Child Care Modernization Act would support the government in working with partners to establish a system of integrated, responsive, high-quality and accessible child care and early years programs that support parents and families. It would improve safety and foster learning, development, health and well-being of children. It would provide a framework for the provision of child care and early years services and establish a licensing and compliance framework for child care.

It would set out powers related to the funding of child care and early years programs and services, and facilitate and support local planning and implementation of child care and early years services. It would provide access to information to support parents in making informed decisions about child care options, and improve our ability to evaluate the effectiveness of child care and early years programs.

Another important part of this proposed legislation would facilitate and support the local planning and implementation of child care and early years programs and services. It would reflect the leadership role that consolidated municipal service managers and district social services administration boards currently play as local service system managers in the delivery of child care and early years programs.

It would also give consolidated municipal service managers and district social services administration boards the flexibility to respond to local circumstances in a manner that best serves the needs of families in their communities. It would set out duties to co-operate with local partners to support the well-being of children. This allows local partners to best serve the needs of families in their own communities.

In addition, Speaker, a key objective of Bill 10 is to improve oversight in the child care sector. This is because the safety of Ontario’s children is of paramount importance. To strengthen oversight, our government would have a range of new enforcement tools to protect the province’s children and safeguard their well-being.

These new enforcement tools would apply to both licensed and unlicensed providers and include the authority to issue administrative penalties, which could be up to $100,000 per infraction, and the authority to immediately stop a child care provider from operating in circumstances where children’s safety is at risk. It would give us the ability to issue compliance orders and enforce rules in the unlicensed sector and increase the maximum penalties for successful prosecution of offences in the court system from $2,000 up to a maximum of $250,000.

To put this in context, the only enforcement tool that we have right now under the existing Day Nurseries Act is to take a non-compliant operator to court, and even if we win in court, the maximum fine is $2,000. This gives us a significant improvement in terms of our ability to enforce the law.

Additional measures to support the safety of children include the prevention of individuals from providing child care if they have been previously convicted of certain crimes. This also applies to individuals who have been convicted of certain offences under this proposed act and individuals whose membership has been revoked from a regulatory body, such as the College of Early Childhood Educators, over professional misconduct.

It would also require certain people who, in the course of their employment, have reasonable grounds to suspect an imminent threat to a child’s health or safety when in care to actually report this to the Ministry of Education. Currently, there is no requirement for professionals who may be aware of a problematic situation to actually report it to our inspectors, so this is a new requirement in law.

Speaker, it goes without saying that child care plays a critical role for Ontario’s families, communities and the health of our economy. This proposed legislation shows our government is committed to building on our success and safeguarding the well-being of our province’s children. Bill 10 includes measures to help parents make informed decisions about child care options by ensuring that parents understand whether a provider is licensed or unlicensed and providing parents with information about whether a provider has contravened the act.

These measures would include prohibiting unlicensed providers from using such terms as “child care centre” or “licensed child care” or “licensed daycare.” It would prohibit unlicensed providers from claiming to be licensed explicitly or by implication. It would require unlicensed providers to disclose their unlicensed status to parents and retain proof of such disclosures. It would require licensed providers to post a licence or any other required information or signage in a visible location, and it would prohibit copies from being made of those licences unless required by law.

It would require people who are paid for child care services to provide a receipt for payment if requested by the parents.

It would require the Ministry of Education to publish information about contraventions of the proposed act or its regulations, including publishing compliance orders, protection orders, administrative penalties and convictions, and it would prevent any child care provider from stopping a parent from accessing their child or the child care premises, unless the provider believes the parent has no right to access the child or may be dangerous or disruptive. Parents want to know their children are in a safe, nurturing environment, and parents need to know that the government can intervene if their child is at risk.

In addition to expanding the government’s powers of oversight, the proposed legislation would also increase access to licensed home-based care. This means additional spaces in home-based settings. Under the proposed act, the number of children permitted in licensed home-based care would be at least one child greater than in unlicensed settings. That means that the number would increase from five, which, as I say, is the current limit, to six in licensed home-based care. This would translate to additional child care spaces in licensed home-based settings.

More specifically, this means that if all current licensed home child care providers took on one additional space, approximately 6,000 new child care spaces would be created. This is another example of how Bill 10 would help the families and children of Ontario.

In addition, we recognize the role that unlicensed child care providers play in offering child care options for families. Under the proposed legislation, licensed home-based providers and unlicensed providers would need to follow the same rules on age restrictions. In the case of unlicensed providers, they would still be allowed to care for a maximum of five children; however, unlicensed providers would have to follow the same rules as licensed providers and count their own children under the age of six toward the maximum number of children permitted in their care.

This also means that unlicensed providers can care for no more than two children under the age of two. This restriction is consistent with research on brain development and safety provisions needed to protect young children.

The proposed legislation also prohibits a person from providing unlicensed child care at more than one location. I would also note that Bill 10 includes the regulatory authority to further reduce the number of children unlicensed providers can care for in the future, if it makes sense to do so.

All of these measures are intended as incentives for unlicensed providers to become part of the licensed sector. We want to encourage unlicensed caregivers to join a licensed home care agency, and we want to help increase access to licensed home-based options.

Speaker, this proposed legislation, if passed, would also help parents make informed decisions about their child’s care by clarifying what programs require a licence and what programs are exempt. Certain types of care, such as care provided by relatives, in-home nannies and babysitters, would fall largely outside the scope of the proposed legislation. Camps that operate for no more than 13 weeks for children who are junior kindergarten age would be exempt.

Private schools serving children who are junior kindergarten age and up, and other recreational programs that are primarily aimed at providing recreation or sports activities, or cultural or language activities—all those other programs for school-age and up children—would be excluded. They are not primarily daycare, and they would therefore not be required to meet the licensed child care provisions.

In addition, certain types of child care that meet specific criteria would not require a licence. This includes unlicensed child care, which we’ve already talked about a lot, and, subject to regulations, authorized recreation programs for children six years and under. We do recognize that there are all kinds of things like swimming classes or gymnastics classes or various forms of things for little toddlers that are primarily recreation, and there is no need for them to be treated as if they are child care.

However, our goal is to place an emphasis on the standards and protections of the licenced system for children under four years of age, as they are the most vulnerable group, and allow some flexibility for older children, where parents can make informed choices about their child’s care.

In addition to clarifying when a licence is required, the proposed legislation also sets out criteria for individuals applying for a licence, to support high-quality and viable child care options. The grounds for refusing, not renewing, or revoking a licence would include:

—the applicant is not competent;

—past conduct indicates the applicant will not operate within the law;

—the accommodation does not comply with requirements;

—the applicant has made a false statement;

—there has been no change in circumstances where a licence was previously revoked or refused;

—advice from a service manager, First Nation or local authority indicates that the licence would authorize child care in an area inconsistent with the local service plan; or, finally,

—a failure to comply with a protection order and/or prescribed requirements, or a failure to pay an administrative penalty which has been previously proposed.

Any of these would be grounds for refusing, not renewing, or revoking a licence.

The proposed legislation also includes provisions related to licensing. These provisions would include:

—the ability for child care providers to appeal decisions to the Licence Appeal Tribunal;

—the requirement to notify an applicant or licensee and parents that a licence has been refused or revoked. That is to say, if we refuse renewal or revoke a licence, we would want to let the parents who are currently in that situation know that the licence is being removed, so that the parents understand that the status of the setting has changed.

The provisions in the act also include the ability to issue a provisional licence so a provider can operate under the condition that violations are being addressed within a set period of time. What often happens during the renewal process for a licence is that an inspector will note that there is a small variation from the licensing requirements. In that case, we would simply issue a provisional licence while the operator comes into compliance with the rules.

We want providers to clearly understand when a child care licence is required, and we want it to be clear when a licence will be granted or renewed and when it can be refused or revoked.

Building on these licensing requirements, another way we can increase oversight in the child care sector is by empowering inspectors. If passed, this legislation would allow for the appointment of inspectors who are employees of the province. The legislation would set out the powers and duties of inspectors, including the authority to enter a location without a warrant in certain circumstances.

One of the issues that has been raised with the current Day Nurseries Act is that if there is a complaint received and the Ministry of Education inspector goes to that site—typically, a home-based site—if the owner of the home won’t let them in the door, there actually isn’t anything that the inspector, under the Day Nurseries Act, can do about the fact that they’re being refused entry.

Under the new legislation, if passed, inspectors would be able to enter without a warrant if the provider is operating under the authority of a licence, including home child care associated with a licensed home child care agency. That is to say that inspectors can automatically enter the premises when you’re licensed or, in the case of unlicensed premises, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the proposed act or regulations are not being complied with, including unlicensed child care in an individual’s home, as I’ve said.

As employees of the province, inspectors would also have other powers and duties. These powers and duties would include the powers to examine records, demand documents, and remove and/or copy records. That’s often got to do with the records of how many children were on site, when, under what circumstances and for how long. The powers and duties would include using data storage equipment on the premises to take photos or video recordings and question people on matters relevant to the inspection.

The inspector would be able to request criminal reference checks from a licensee or persons who have applied for a licence, their employees, a person who provides home care, and persons where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual is prohibited from providing child care. There would also be a requirement to provide a report to the child care provider.

So whether it is creating new enforcement tools, increasing access to licensed care, increasing oversight or clarifying when a licence is required, this proposed legislation is very necessary. It is necessary to modernize the child care and early years system in Ontario and it is necessary to ensure parents have access to a responsive, high-quality and accessible child care and early years system.

I should also mention Bill 10 contains some minor amendments that are largely technical in nature. These amendments do not diverge from the original scope or intent of the proposed legislation, but one amendment I would like to mention relates to the extension of the Ontario education number to post-secondary institutions. I should also note that this bill already—the Ontario education number is the ID number that is assigned to all elementary and secondary students in Ontario.

The previous child care bill and this bill both include the extension of the use of the OEN, the Ontario education number, into licensed child care settings—that is, we would begin to issue the OEN when children first enter licensed child care, which means we can track them through child care on into elementary and secondary. What’s new in this version, in Bill 10, is the ability to extend the use of the Ontario education number to post-secondary institutions.

This was previously part of Bill 151, the Strengthening and Improving Government Act, which died on the order paper in the last Parliament. What we have done is, because we were already dealing with the extension of the OEN into the preschool set, we’ve also moved in amendments that extend the use of the OEN, the Ontario education number, to the post-secondary set so that we can now be able to track students as they graduate from high school and move on into post-secondary, either college, university or training settings.

This amendment would actually provide the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities with the authority to link a student’s post-secondary data with their kindergarten to grade 12 data. This K to 12 data is already collected by the Ministry of Education, but the post-secondary sector doesn’t have access, and vice versa; so this improves the coordination between ministries. It will enable us to follow a child on their journey through school.

From birth to adulthood, we can evaluate a student’s academic progress through various paths that they may choose to take and through various locations around the province. We’ll get a more complete picture of how our education system is doing in terms of preparing our students for the future.

But this transformative legislation goes even further. It builds upon the existing requirements for schools to offer before- and after-school programs for four- and five-year-olds in full-day kindergarten, where there is sufficient demand from the community. If passed, this proposed bill would extend before- and after-school programs for children aged six to 12. To support this, in addition to repealing and replacing the outdated Day Nurseries Act, Bill 10 would also amend the Education Act.

The proposed amendment to the Education Act would place a duty on school boards to ensure that programs are offered for children six to 12 years old—this is before and after school—where there is sufficient parental demand. This would enable boards to offer developmentally responsive before- and after-school programs, either directly or through a third-party provider. It would build on the success of full-day kindergarten and it would help meet the needs of children as they grow and progress through school.

In addition to amending the Education Act, this legislation would also amend the Early Childhood Educators Act. These proposed amendments are based on feedback we received last year as part of a five-year statutory review of the Early Childhood Educators Act, which happened to coincide with the development of the Child Care Modernization Act, so we rolled it all into one bill—the outcome of the review of the Early Childhood Educators Act.

The proposed amendments to the Early Childhood Educators Act include clarifying the requirements for registration as a member of the college of ECEs. This means mandatory membership for all qualified persons working within a defined scope of practice. It provides the college with the authority to accredit ECE programs in post-secondary institutions and other bodies, and to accredit ongoing education progress, strengthening information-sharing and reporting between the college of ECEs, employers and the ministry to support enforcement and oversight.

So these proposed changes to the ECE act would help the College of Early Childhood Educators protect the public interest, and the amendments would enhance the college’s ability to support our common goals for child care and the early years system. These are the key areas of the proposed legislation.

Another essential part of this legislation is that it reflects valuable input from our stakeholders. In 2012 we received over 400 submissions during our consultation period from municipalities, child care providers, First Nations, child care advocates and other child care and early years partners, and, of course, from parents. We wanted to hear directly from stakeholders, and they also wanted to be heard. They are the caregivers, the families, the communities and the advocates that play an essential role in the care of Ontario’s children. Speaker, we listened to our stakeholders.

We continue to value their input, and we’ve heard what they were asking for. Without their feedback, this bill would be incomplete, and we thank them again for their valuable input.

Without a number of other programs and measures our government has already put in place, our plans for modernizing the child care and early years sector would also be incomplete. Therefore, it’s worthwhile mentioning some important changes we have already undertaken to complement the proposed legislation. They are all part of a comprehensive package our government has put together to help give Ontario’s children a great head start and safeguard their well-being.

In line with our goals to protect children, I would like to make everyone aware of one particular commitment that we made last year which we have honoured. We pledged to create a searchable registry of verified complaints about unlicensed child care providers. In August, the Ministry of Education launched this online tool, and it is available to anyone through our ministry’s website. It provides people with confirmed information about unlicensed providers who have violated the current Day Nurseries Act. This searchable registry has also been paired with a toll-free telephone number.

The telephone number allows people to report alleged complaints regarding unlicensed providers and inquire about verified complaints against unlicensed providers which have been noted on the website.

As a supplement to this registry, we are also establishing a dedicated enforcement unit to follow up on complaints and information relating to unlicensed child care providers.

We want to keep Ontario’s children safe and hold violators accountable. The registry, toll-free number and our new dedicated enforcement unit are all ways we’re improving oversight of the child care and early years systems, and Bill 10 will help us build on this and go even further.

Speaker, I’ve outlined why we need this legislation, what it will do and how it will help improve child care and early years services in our great province. That’s why I encourage all members here today, regardless of party, to support the Child Care Modernization Act. Ontario’s children and families cannot wait any longer.

The Child Care Modernization Act is transformative, and it will build on the proven success of our education, child care and early years systems. It will position Ontario as a future leader in these essential areas, and it will eliminate the problems caused by the current patchwork of rules and regulations.

It’s critical that we pass this bill quickly, so I look forward to the support of all members in this House on this very important piece of legislation, and I look forward to continuing the great work we have already done to modernize child care and early years services in Ontario. By passing this important bill, we can deliver on a promise that will benefit everyone in the province and contribute to our future prosperity. Without question, we need a child care and early years system that gives children the best possible start in life, and the Child Care Modernization Act will help us to do that.

Thank you, Speaker, and I will now turn things over to my parliamentary assistant.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): The member for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

Mr. Grant Crack: It’s an honour for me to rise today in the House, and I’m very pleased to be able to speak to Bill 10, which is the Child Care Modernization Act. I’d like to start off by saying that many parents across this province, and their children, will benefit from this very transformative piece of legislation. But it’s also important to me because my children—Chloe, who is 27, and Calvin, who is 22—have both provided me with grandchildren. Although I look young, I do have three grandchildren who I’m very, very proud of.

Interjection.

Mr. Grant Crack: I’m told that all the time.

As I said, my daughter, Chloe, has two children: Alexi and Maeve. Alexi is six years old now, and he has benefited from full-day kindergarten as well as before- and after-school programs. I think that this is an incredible initiative on behalf of our government. I look forward, as well, as Maeve, who is two and a half, will be entering full-day kindergarten within the next year and a half to two years. As well, Mason, who is my son Calvin’s son, is two years old, too. My grandchildren are very special to me. I wish I had more time to spend with them, Speaker, but I’m very proud to be here to speak to this bill and make sure that it passes through the House very quickly.

This morning, you had the opportunity to listen to the minister, who spoke a great deal about the bill, and I’m very pleased to continue that discussion. If passed, Bill 10 will modernize our child care and early years system. It will replace the outdated legislation that currently governs child care in this province. This proposed legislation, as I said earlier, is transformative. By changing child care and early years programs and services in this province, it will change them for the better. It’s part of our multi-year strategy for modernizing child care and early years systems across the province.

Another part of this strategy has been our Ontario Early Years Policy Framework. This has guided and is guiding our collective approach to early years programs and services for children and families. Most recently we released How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years. This document was inspired by a shared desire to build a common approach to guide pedagogy and child development. This resource will help guide learning and development in child care and early years settings. It will help ensure coherence across those early years settings, and it will also help to strengthen the quality of our early years programs and services all across Ontario.

We know from extensive research that experiences in a child’s earliest years have an extraordinary and long-lasting impact on their learning, their development and their overall well-being. That is why, Speaker, we have an ambitious vision for early years programs and services for children from birth up to six years of age.

Perhaps the boldest and most recent example of our great progress is the province-wide rollout of full-day kindergarten. This was a major milestone for education in this great province. Full-day kindergarten was five years in the making, and we are tremendously proud of this achievement.

In the fall of 2009, the then education minister and now Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, announced plans for this innovative program. There was to be an entire day of early learning that would make Ontario a leader in North America. I can proudly say that this ground-breaking program is now available to every four- and five-year-old in Ontario’s publicly funded schools. This represents the biggest transformation our education system has seen in a generation, and with more than $1.5 billion in capital funding to date, it is also the single most significant investment we’ve made in education in an entire generation.

The encouraging news is that we know it is already paying dividends. A recent study showed that students who attend the two-year full-day kindergarten program are better prepared for grade 1. It also showed that their personal and social development was accelerated. The evidence is already clear: Full-day kindergarten is giving our children a great head start in life, and it is giving them the confidence and trust to enter and succeed in school. Without a doubt, full-day kindergarten represents the next step on a continuum of learning for Ontario’s children.

But as we have said, we need to set our sights even higher and even further ahead to maximize a child’s potential in their earliest years.

As both the minister and I have outlined, ambitious plans for the modernization of the child care and early years system are already in motion, and they are an essential part of our broader plan for the education system as a whole. This plan is laid out in our renewed vision for education, Achieving Excellence.

Last fall we sought advice from experts, thought leaders, educators, parents, students and researchers, as well as business and the not-for-profit sector. These consultations proved invaluable as we calibrated our long-term aspirations and goals for education in Ontario for children and students from birth to adulthood.

Thus far, our renewed vision for education has received an overwhelmingly positive response, and our top priority is to work with our education partners to realize the vision’s four key goals: achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confidence. These goals were based on feedback from our partners across the province, including students, parents, business, community organizations and much more.

The vision emphasizes working with non-traditional partners like religious groups and community health agencies, which often have existing resources to help deliver services and learning programs. We will also work with the business sector as well as research and innovation. The relationships we’ve established through the consultation process will be invaluable. Of course, we’ve already made progress in a number of key areas, and we are already committed to making our vision a reality.

As I mentioned earlier, this plan for achieving excellence closely mirrors our parallel goals for transforming the child care and early years sector. Our renewed vision for education and our vision for early learning are born from the same guiding principle: to give children the best possible start and to help them reach their full potential so they can achieve lifelong success. This is good public policy for Ontario’s children, and it is good for Ontario’s future prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, when we look at Ontario’s child care and early years system, we can honestly say it has served us well. But the fact remains that it hasn’t fundamentally changed since the 1980s, and yet our world has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. I can hardly remember what I was doing when I was 21 years old, 30 years ago.

That is why we need the new Child Care Modernization Act, and that is why we need this important piece of legislation to pass quickly. It will modernize and build a high-quality system that is seamless and more responsive to parents’ needs.

This has been our government’s commitment all along. In the speech from the throne, we committed to a more comprehensive and integrated child care and early years system. In our 2011 and 2014 election platforms, we pledged to modernize Ontario’s child care system, as well as ensuring that schools had before- and after-school programs for children aged six to 12 once full-day kindergarten was fully implemented.

In the summer of 2012, we held public consultations on our proposed vision through the release of the discussion paper Modernizing Child Care in Ontario. In January 2013, we released our Ontario Early Years Policy Framework.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario is recognized around the world for our education system. The proposed Child Care Modernization Act is another example of how far we’ve come. But we are also on the leading edge of groundbreaking change. While our child care and early years system has served us well for a long time, it is governed by a mix of rules and regulations, and it no longer reflects the realities of our modern world.

We have clearly outlined why we need this legislation. We have explained not only what it will do, but also how it will improve the lives of children right across this great province.

We are encouraging all members of this House to support the Child Care Modernization Act because Ontario’s children and families cannot wait any longer. They need a system that is responsive to their needs. They need a system that better reflects the realities of today. They need us to strengthen oversight in the child care sector, and they need better access to safe, modern care that gives children what they need most.

The Child Care Modernization Act is transformative, and it is a logical and necessary step for our education, child care and early years system. With this bill, Ontario will be a leader in these essential areas, and we will solve the problems caused by the current patchwork of rules and regulations governing the sector. That’s why it’s imperative that we pass this bill as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, we are looking to all members of this House for their unwavering support on this important piece of legislation. We look forward to building on our great work to modernize child care and early years services in Ontario. By passing Bill 10, everyone in this House will deliver on a promise that benefits everyone in this province and will contribute to our future prosperity. That is why, in the spirit of true partnership and bipartisan goodwill, I urge all MPPs to stand up and do what is best for our children.

Ontario needs a child care and early years system that gives children the best possible start in life and puts each and every child on a firm path to lifelong success. Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that the Child Care Modernization Act will help us do that.

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

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: It was very interesting to listen to the speeches on Bill 10 from the minister and the parliamentary assistant. I’m going to have a chance to do the one-hour leadoff myself very shortly, on behalf of the Progressive Conservative caucus.

I was given a briefing by the Ministry of Education, back in July, on Bill 10. Of course, they made it sound like it was the most perfect bill that was ever created in the history of Ontario. Now I hear the minister and the parliamentary assistant both saying that this bill should be passed very quickly. I can’t agree at all with that. If this was important to the government over the last 12 years, it would have been passed eight or 10 years ago. Certainly, if it was important, it would have been passed before at least the last election.

I’m hearing—and I’m hearing from people across the province, representing thousands of people—about all kinds of problems with the bill. My concern right now is that I want those people to have proper consultations. I won’t be happy—and I’ve already asked the House leaders, Mr. Speaker. I want an opportunity for this bill to travel in the winter recess, plain and simple. There are a lot of people who know nothing about this bill. The people who are finding out about it know that there will be a major impact financially and we will lose child care spaces in the province of Ontario. It’s that simple.

So I’d ask the minister right now to bear with us and make sure that we have good debate on this bill in the House, and that means all members will have an opportunity, but more importantly, that we’ll have an all-party bill travel in the winter recess. When we’re back here by Family Day, which is only a six- or seven-week delay, I think then we can have a better understanding of what the people of Ontario want and what the impacts of this bill will be, and then we will be making proper amendments based on that.

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: It was a pleasure to listen to the minister and her parliamentary assistant today talk about this bill. As you’re well aware, Speaker, we have raised questions in the House about the need for oversight in the child care sector, about the responsibility of all legislators to be looking out for the interests and safety of children and of their families. For us, the idea that there would be a strengthened regulatory framework, an increase in licensed care—these are very positive things.

You may well be aware of situations in your own riding. I certainly am in mine, where I have dealt with parents who are extraordinarily anxious about the daycare or child care opportunities and situations they have to face. I’ve had parents say to me, “My child is in unlicensed, unsupervised care. I don’t have any choice. If I’m going to work, that’s all that’s available.” But I want a sense that that process is overseen. I’ve also talked to parents whose children were in unlicensed care and who came across some very serious problems with the treatment of their child and made it very clear to me that in their minds, a lack of government oversight was a critical failing in this province.

Speaker, this bill has got to be examined very closely in committee. There are issues that come out in terms of the ratio of caregivers or early childhood educators to children. There is certainly concern in the child care community about the regulations that came forward changing those ratios within the last 12 months. Speaker, when we go into committee on this bill, and I believe it will go to committee one way or the other, I think we need to look at the broader question of how we look after our children and how we ensure that parents have proper care for them during the day.

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

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Good morning, Speaker. As an educator, I believe that this bill is imperative. It’s very important that when the people from my area leave in the morning, perhaps to come to Toronto or to commute somewhere else, they know when they get in their cars that their young ones are going to be well looked after. Who possibly could object to their child care providers being licensed?

In my school, we are fortunate enough to have the Y daycare right in the building. There is always a waiting list, particularly for the little ones, who right now at this time of the year may be three and three quarter years old, and right up to 12 years. It’s wonderful. The parents feel very confident that their children will be well looked after. I think this is important for everyone in the province.

The proposed legislation builds on steps that the province has taken to improve the oversight of child care. I know I’ve watched the news many times when there have been horrific reports about incidents in unlicensed daycare, and we want that to stop. We want the creation of a dedicated enforcement team to investigate complaints against unlicensed providers, and the development of an online, searchable database on validated complaints. I think this is important to everyone, particularly to the little ones in our care.

I thank you very much, and I hope that you will support this bill.

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

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I’m pleased to stand to address and comment on Bill 10, the Child Care Modernization Act. I fully agree with my PC colleague from Simcoe North with regard to how imperative it is for this particular bill to be examined thoroughly, to go to committee and then be sent across the province and garner input, because as I look at this bill it seems to be the flavour of the day for this government to be incorporating many, many different bills into one bill.

A colleague of mine, yesterday, was talking about how there may be aspects of a bill that we agree with but other aspects of a bill that we want to challenge. We need to look at and be very careful in how we go about this because, in fact, when we look at this particular bill, it’s incorporating probably close to 13 different acts. I’ve never seen a bill so thick in my stay here at the Ontario Legislature. I’m concerned about that because some things will fall through the cracks.

We have to carefully examine just how important it is for us as legislators to ensure that all stakeholders are looked after in this particular aspect.

I look at it and I’m concerned about the fact that, yes, there are some unlicensed daycare centres out there, but in fact this bill is probably going to affect close to 70,000 child care providers in the province and roughly 350,000 people in Ontario. That’s a lot of people. My concern is with these child care providers, these daycare centres: What’s going to happen to them? They’re going to shut them down.

They’re trying to talk about how important it is for employment, to increase employment and get people back to work, and in fact, with this bill, it’s actually shutting down daycare centres and forcing people to close the doors and be out of work. I have a very serious concern. So let’s get this thing into committee and let’s get it in front of stakeholders throughout the province.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): That concludes our questions and comments. I recognize, again, the Minister of Education to respond.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I very much appreciate the comments of the member for Toronto–Danforth, who has recognized the urgency of improving our oversight of the unlicensed home child care sector. We really have very limited authority to intervene in what can be, in some cases—fortunately, relatively few, but in some cases—very dangerous settings.

I want to thank the member for Toronto–Danforth for recognizing that this bill dramatically increases our ability to have oversight of the unlicensed home care sector and ensure that where there are dangerous situations, we actually have the ability to impose administrative penalties or, frankly, shut it down without having to go to court. This is the point: We can totally change the scheme so that we can solve the problem without having to rely on the courts.

I want to thank my colleague from Barrie, who talked about the increase in before- and after-care. We’ve actually increased the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario by 130,000 over the last decade. We want to continue that trend of increasing the number of licensed spaces, which are the safe, reliable spaces.

I must say that I’m very distressed by the reaction of the members from the official opposition—the member for Simcoe North and the member for Chatham–Kent–Essex. What they are proposing is that we delay this bill. The member from Chatham–Kent–Essex referred to the bill as “thick.” I would rather refer to it as “comprehensive.” We have gathered together all the strands that have to do with child care legislation and rolled them into one comprehensive bill.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I’m pleased to be able to rise again and do the beginning of our leadoff on the Child Care Modernization Act. Let me say right off the bat that our party is not opposed to licensing. We’re certainly not opposed to oversight, and the safety of our children is paramount. Most of us have children and/or grandchildren, and they are probably the most precious things in our lives. Having those children, our children and grandchildren, attend daycare of any kind, we want it to be the very best.

There’s one thing I want to point out, though. It’s nice to have these comprehensive omnibus kinds of bills that cover everything, but really, in the end, what’s important is that most parents, by far the vast majority of parents, know what’s best for their own children. They know what’s best for their children and the kind of daycare they leave them at or the kind of school they attend and the kinds of teachers they have. I know literally thousands and thousands of my constituents, and I would trust their judgment against the judgment of some provincial legislation.

There are some cases where we add all these regulations and we add a lot more legislation; however, in the end, it’s really the parents who know best, by far the vast majority, because their children are the most precious things in their lives.

With that being said, I do want to thank the ministry, because they did offer me, and I took them up on the fact that we could do the briefing. They were very polite and nice, and they went through all of the different acts that were mentioned here, and I appreciate that, and I have to say that I really appreciate the fact that I’m the critic in education now. It was not a job that I thought a lot of people would want, but in our caucus, having the continuum between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Education, I’ve just found it to be absolutely phenomenal.

I’ve been able to work already since the middle of June—well, since about June 16 or 18 when I was told I had the job. I can tell you that I have met with literally hundreds and hundreds of stakeholders in all the different areas of the ministry, from the child care modernizations for the toddlers, people representing the toddlers, right through to the people who do their PhDs at our largest and most prestigious universities right here in Ontario.

I find this whole area fascinating. I’m enjoying doing it. It’s a huge learning curve for me. This is the only bill that we’ve got before the House right now that we’re actually debating, and I want to make sure, as the critic for education, that I get to voice the concerns of the people who are opposed to the bill, because we are opposition. That’s our job. When constituents across Ontario come to us with opposing views to what the government is saying in the bill, our job is to make sure those concerns are heard.

That’s why in my two-minute hit—as we call them—to the minister’s speech, I mentioned, “Wow, a lot of people know nothing about this bill, absolutely nothing,” and it will have a major, major impact on, in particular, the independent child care providers here in Ontario, many, many of whom do a fantastic job looking after the children right here in our province. I want to make sure that they are treated fairly, and if it means more licensing, if it means more oversight, they are there for us.

This is not just about agencies and big brothers; this is about a mom with a couple of kids staying at home and looking after two of her neighbours’ children. We want to make sure that they are all treated fairly. I heard both the minister and the parliamentary assistant say, “Oh, this has got to be passed quickly.” Well, come on. These bills have been around for, as someone said, 40 or 50 years in some cases. Surely this is not an urgent matter to pass before this House recesses at Christmastime.

Surely we can let the people in Sudbury or the people in Kitchener or the people in Ottawa know what’s happening so they can have a chance to come down and actually voice their concerns and listen to the committee.

When we come back here on February 17, we will pass and do the amendments to the bill, or the clause-by-clause. Then we can go into third reading, and the minister can probably have her bill passed by the 1st of March or the middle of March at the latest. I don’t think it’s too much to ask, for the people of Ontario and the 350,000 children who are in daycare, that they can have a few more weeks to make sure that their parents, their grandparents, their daycare providers get a chance to speak to this.

I will be completely disappointed if they try to push this thing through before Christmas. That will be a huge area of concern for me, because I can tell you that’s not what I thought the minister would be about. I think we deserve better than that on her first bill back in this session.

Mr. Speaker, could I ask how long I will be able to talk this morning?

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): We sit till 10:15, so another 10 minutes or so.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Thank you. I’ve got pages of stuff to read.

Hon. Liz Sandals: You’ve got more time the next time.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Yes, but I wanted to do it while you’re in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I have all kinds of letters that have come forward to me, and I can read some of them. I’d like to give you an example of what I’m already hearing. Here’s a case from a lady who said:

“Dear Mr. Dunlop,

“I would like to share with you the ways in which Bill 10 will affect me if passed.

“I am a certified elementary school teacher with 10 years professional experience working in the UK and here in Canada. I hold a BA and master’s in education and have just had my first child.

“I decided to stay home and care for him myself for a few reasons. The cost of daycare is prohibitive. As teaching work is very difficult to come by in Ottawa I am reduced to supply work (if you can get on the list), working in a private school (very low paying) or working in a daycare centre (even lower paying). After paying for my son to attend daycare, I would be making the equivalent of $5 per hour. It seems ridiculous that after eight years of university this is what I am worth.

“Therefore starting a home-based daycare business seemed logical to me. I offer an exceptional service, I am very well qualified, police checked, CPR trained and also have professional nanny training and experience from before my teaching career. I currently care for two babies plus my own son and a 5-year-old boy. The parents in my daycare are very happy with the service I provide and are very worried about any changes Bill 10 may cause.

“I have calls and emails weekly from parents trying to place infants. What I don’t have is much interest in placing older children. If Bill 10 is passed and I and all the other daycare providers have to ask a parent of a baby to leave, where are all these babies going to go? If I can’t make a living not only will the children I care for require a space but so will my son, so that I can work full-time. Bill 10 threatens to destroy my income and negatively impact my current clients. It won’t improve safety as parents will be forced to send their children to unscrupulous providers who don’t follow the rules anyway.

“Please put a stop to this,

“Sincerely,” a young lady from the Ottawa area.

I’ve got a number of them, and I’ll read others as examples, as we go through the one-hour debate.

I’ve been dealing more recently with the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario. They’re based out of Ottawa. They’re growing rapidly in municipalities across the province, in opposition to Bill 10. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to make sure that these people did have a chance to speak, other than by emails to me—to actually be able to go to a committee hearing in Kitchener or London or wherever it may be and have an opportunity to speak to their concerns on this bill.

This is a bill that is very important, as the minister has said, as the parliamentary assistant has said, and I think it’s important that we get it right. I think it was the member from Chatham who said that it’s a very thick bill. I don’t care about that, as long as the bill makes a lot of sense. I want to make sure that it’s sensible for the young people in our province and for those we treasure the most: our children and grandchildren.

I want to talk a little bit about the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario. It was founded to voice the grave concerns that thousands of parents and independent child care providers across Ontario have about Bill 10, the Child Care Modernization Act; specifically, the proposed reductions for the number and ages of children that independent child care providers can care for.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve got a real problem with that particular part of it, because we don’t want to limit the number of people we have now and then have an even further decline in the number of people who are actually providing that service.

“Secondly, this bill does not address individual licensing of home daycare providers. ICPs are not unlicensed by choice. No individual home care provider can obtain a licence in Ontario, as the government only provides licensing to agencies and centres. Those providers affiliated within an agency are working within their agency’s licence, not their own.

However, instituting a registry or licensing of all home daycare providers would ensure that all providers have current CPR and first aid and police background checks.” I think that’s a very important amendment that has to be made to this particular bill. “Every provider would be open to inspection by the Ministry of Education to ensure that they are in compliance with the law and health and safety regulations. Licensing would allow for 100% government oversight rather than relying on the public to report noncompliance.”

And here is one other very significant benefit: “ICPs would be able to provide care for the thousands of children currently on subsidized wait lists. As of December 2013, there were almost 17,000 children on the subsidy wait list in Toronto alone. Clearly, the licensed sector does not have the capacity to meet the needs of Ontario families as we speak. Unfortunately too few families and providers are aware of this bill and its repercussions.” Again, that’s why I want it to go to committee.

“Education Minister Sandals states that the bill will strengthen the safety and quality of child care options for families. With no data to substantiate her argument, the minister has repeatedly alleged that ICP care is unsafe across the board. While CICPO has confirmed the ministry is undertaking no analysis regarding the safety of ICP care, our coalition has. Using a cohort of zero to four years of age, CICPO has gathered information from the Ontario Coroner’s Office reports of deaths of children in the care of ICPs and population reports from Stats Canada over the period of 2009 to 2013.

“With the above data, CICPO found that the five-year mortality rate to children in the care of an ICP operating within the current regulations is 0.000017%. As Minister Sandals will not provide equivalent data for children in licensed care in terms of either deaths, injuries or complaints, we are unable to make a comparative analysis to licensed care. However, we can calculate that the overall mortality rate of children in Ontario over the period is 50 times greater than that of ICP care.

“Thus, despite the six tragic deaths that have occurred in the last five years, ICP care provides a safer environment for our children than that experienced by other children in general. These facts and calculations do not make the six deaths that took place over the last five years any less tragic, yet the fact that only one of those deaths was classified as accidental and occurred with an ICP in compliance with the current regulations clearly indicates that the real issue is not the existing regulations but the lack of oversight that prevents providers from working outside the law.

Although Minister Sandals promises this bill will provide the oversight necessary to ensure ICPs caring for more children than the law allows, the promise is an empty one. One cannot shut down what one cannot find.

“As long as this government refuses to facilitate a registry or licensing system for individual daycare providers, there will never be effective oversight. Minister Sandals’s encouragement of ICPs joining licensed agencies to prevent this crisis is disobliging at best, as the fees charged by the agencies would result in ICPs absorbing an average loss of 20%.

“To briefly recap, should Bill 10 pass with the proposal to amend the number and age ratios of children that ICPs can care for, we expect the following: approximately 140,000”—

Interjection.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Am I getting near my end? Okay, just give me one second.

Actually, Mr. Speaker, I’ll pick up later on, if it’s all right with you. I’ve got a lot to discuss. Whenever we return to this bill, I’ll be more than happy to continue my comments.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): It being 10:15, the House stands in recess until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1015 to 1037.

Shootings in Ottawa

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, everyone. In light of what is happening in Ottawa at this moment I know that there is fear and uncertainty about what is happening. I want to just say that there were some suggestions that perhaps we should suspend the proceedings of today and suspend question period.

Our belief—and I have spoken with the leaders of the opposition parties—is that people who are using violence to undermine democracy want us to be silenced, and we refuse to be silenced. We will not be silenced.

Having said that, we all have to be very careful. We have to be vigilant. The authorities are very aware of the situation. Our Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services has been in contact with the authorities. I have asked him to give the Legislature an update; then he will leave the House and he will continue to work with the authorities. But we will carry on with the business of this House and the business of our democratic society.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you, Premier.

First of all, from all the members of this House, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims in Ottawa. It is a developing scene. I just wanted to extend our thoughts and prayers for the families of the victims and all those who are involved right now with the developing situation in Ottawa.

The most important priority for our government is the safety and security of all Ontarians, and we obviously are very concerned by the situation at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. I am reassured by the quick response by the police and security in Ottawa. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.

I am confident that we have the appropriate security measures in place at the Legislature to ensure safety as well. I understand that the Sergeant-at-Arms is aware of the situation and monitoring it closely.

We have amazing police services in this province, and I have full confidence in their ability and that of all of our first responders to keep Ontarians safe. The OPP and the local police services have a strong, coordinated, effective and timely response plan in place, no matter where an incident might occur in the province. The OPP is part of a national counterterrorism security force that also includes local police services, the RCMP and other federal agencies. The OPP is continuously working with its law enforcement partners to identify and assess threats to public safety, including any terrorist threats.

From my discussions with the OPP, I am confident that the response to any incident involving terrorist activity would be well coordinated between provincial, federal and municipal authorities. I want to assure all Ontarians that our police, paramedics and firefighters train and prepare for dangerous situations of all scales.

We also encourage all Ontarians to remain vigilant: If they see or suspect any suspicious activity, please contact the local police service so that that police can act accordingly.

Thank you very much, Speaker, and I will beg your leave from question period today to monitor further, on behalf of the government, the situation that’s developing in Ottawa.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): On the same point of order? The leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.

Mr. Jim Wilson: I just want to thank the Premier and the minister for their words and to ask for unanimous consent to have a moment of silence and prayer for the soldier who was shot guarding our National War Memorial, of all things.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The leader of the third party first, and then we’ll come back to your unanimous consent.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: On behalf of New Democrats, I also want to send out our condolences to the people who were injured today in Ottawa. I’m sure we’ll be getting more information throughout the day.

I also want to thank the Premier and the leader of the official opposition, the interim leader, for the very thoughtful way that we dealt with this crisis this morning. It really showed the best of what we can do in this place when issues of this import come before us.

I look forward to us carrying on, in the way that we need to, the business of the Legislature and the business of the people of Ontario, all the while knowing that there are people who are in a crisis situation in Ottawa, knowing that there are very well skilled and trained people from the peacekeeping forces who are going to be helping with the situation, to resolve it and keep people safe. With that, Speaker, I thank you for the news.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Now I would like to revert to the unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the soldier who was victimized.

Do we agree? Agreed.

Could I ask everyone to rise for a moment of silence.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I would like to thank the leader of the third party, her Majesty’s loyal opposition leader, the Premier and the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services for the co-operative manner in which we dealt with this issue directly. But I also would like to reinforce that I’ve been briefed and that our staff have been absolutely bang on and deserve our thanks one more time for how they treat our people here in this place. So, Sergeant-at-Arms, I thank you for your work.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m sure that’s extended to all of our security and to the rest of the staff here at the Legislature. They do a fabulous job on a day-to-day basis, and I thank them for their response.

It is now time for introduction of guests.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Michael Harris: I welcome Leo Steffler this morning to Queen’s Park from my riding of Kitchener–Conestoga, the lovely little town of St. Agatha. Leo is also the president of the Ontario Concrete Pipe Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Cindy Forster: I’d like to introduce the Ontario branch Co-op Housing Federation guests who are here today: Diane Miles, Judy Shaw and Brian Eng. I want to encourage members to attend their reception between 5 and 7 in room 228.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: I’m very pleased to introduce some special guest from the post-secondary sector: Dr. Brian Stevenson, president of Lakehead University. He’s joined by Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, the president of Georgian College. They are accompanied by Richard Longtin from Lakehead University and Lisa Banks from Georgian College. Let’s welcome them.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize everyone who is here for the Co-operative Housing Federation day, including Keith Moyer, Michael Moreau and Aaron Denhartog. I look forward to meeting with them this afternoon. I encourage all members to join them at their event this evening in rooms 228 and 230.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I rise to welcome members of the Police Association of Ontario, many of whom are here in our building today. It’s a lobby day, as many of us know. I think it’s an important time to acknowledge the work that police officers do across our province, and the importance of that work, particularly considering what’s happening this morning in Ottawa.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: This morning, I’m pleased to welcome representatives from the Ontario Long Term Care Association to Queen’s Park. They’re up there; I see some of them. OLTCA is Canada’s largest long-term-care association and represents the full spectrum of charitable, not-for-profit, private and municipal long-term-care operators. I also ask everybody to join the OLTCA’s lunch reception later today.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I have a number of guests here today—my friends Howard and Belle Kizell from North Bay; I have my old schoolmate Jim McParland and his daughter, Charlotte McParland.

From the North Bay Police Association, in the building we have today Carol Wolfe, Denis Levasseur, Ken Rice, Michael Hunter and Mike Tarini.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: It’s my pleasure to welcome to the Legislature today in the Speaker’s gallery my good friend Kevin McShan and his father, Keith McShan. We held a press conference this morning in the media gallery to address the important issue of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the province of Ontario. I want to welcome Kevin and introduce him to the House.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I have four guests from the London Police Association: Rick Robson, Ozzie Nethersole, Chris Ross and Jerry Daniel. Welcome and thank you for being here today.

I would like to welcome Hannah Ferguson, who will be joining us a little bit later—she is the niece of my long-suffering executive assistant, Lisa Regan—and the grade 5 class from Saint Andrew Catholic School in the great riding of Halton.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’m pleased to introduce a family from Niagara-on-the Lake today: Patricia Couroux, William Couroux, James Couroux and with their grandmother, Aurel James, right here.

Also, welcome to Abdiel Hernandez from Niagara Falls.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’m pleased to rise and welcome today two members of the Thunder Bay Police Association: Greg Stephenson and Jim Glena. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I’d like to welcome today representatives from the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Congress of China. They are here today to learn a little bit more about the Ontario Legislature. They are Tang Jian, Wang Lin, Yu Wei, Kong Yun, Li Xiangyang and Zhu Zhengyu. Welcome to the Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s called stealing the Speaker’s thunder.

Minister of Community and Social Services.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: Speaker, there are a lot of receptions going on today. The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada is here, as we know, and I would like to introduce three who have not yet been introduced: Nicole Waldron, Harvey Cooper and Judith Collins were here. The reception is in room 228/230 this evening. Please join us.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’ve assigned a new ministry. It’s the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. My apologies.

The member from Windsor–Essex.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I would like to introduce and welcome to the Legislature Jason DeJong, Ed Parent, Paul Bridgeman, Pete Mombourquette and Sue Garrett-Bural of the Windsor Police Association, who are here today with their colleagues from across Ontario.

Mr. Arthur Potts: It gives me great pleasure to introduce Fraser Howell, the proud father of Colston Howell, who is one of our pages and who led the page procession today. They were joined earlier by his mother, Ellen Heron Howell; his grandmother Denise Heron; and siblings Tatum and Piper Howell; and his grandmother Helen Polatajko. Thank you and welcome.

Mr. Joe Cimino: I’d also like to welcome Heather Sutherland from Sudbury. She’s also here with the Police Association of Ontario. Welcome, Heather.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: How ironic that in light of today’s events in Ottawa, I have the honour of introducing three members of the Kingston Police Force here in the gallery today—we are reminded more than ever of how we value your work: Sean Bambrick, Jason Cahill, Ron Lehenhorst.

Also today in the press gallery, we have Dario Paola. Welcome.

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I too would like to join the procession and welcome two members of the Port Hope Police Association. They’re here with their colleagues today; I had the opportunity to meet with them at 8 o’clock this morning: Sergeant Katie Payton and Sergeant Darren Strongman. Welcome.

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s my pleasure to welcome Ian Sweet, Lori Auguste, Nancy Dargie, Paul Perchaluk and Tim Riperon from Waterloo Regional Police Service.

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: I would like to introduce police officers from Ottawa who are here and thank them for their good and precious service. I know that their colleagues will be very busy today, but we feel we are so well covered by the Ottawa police. On behalf of my residents. I want to say thank you to them.

Mrs. Julia Munro: I would ask the House to help me welcome Henry Geoffroy, who’s here from the South Simcoe Police Association in my riding. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: On a day like today, it seems that children give us hope that there are things to look forward to. I’d like to welcome a very special group of young people from my constituency. students from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in the gallery opposite.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): On behalf of our page captain Morgan Walker, from Brant, I would also like to welcome Dr. Kathyrn Walker, stepfather Michael Johntson, and grandmother Beverley Gottvald. They’re in the members’ gallery, and we welcome them here.

If you’ll bear with me, I just have a few more.

The former executive assistant to Speaker Stockwell, Maxine Young, and her guest Tim Rowan are here. Welcome.

In the Speaker’s gallery today, we have a delegation from the standing committee of the Jiangsu province of the People’s Congress of China. Ontario has a long-standing friendship agreement with Jiangsu province, and this delegation visit is an opportune time for us renew our relationship and forge new avenues of co-operation. Let us welcome them warmly and thank them a second time.

Again in the Speaker’s gallery today from the Ontario Legislature Internship Program are the 2014-15 interns: Clare Devereux, Christine Eamer, Emily Hewitt, Justin Khorana-Medeiros, Kristy May, Kristen Neagle, Patrick Sackville, Jakub Sikora, Matthew Stanton and Aaron Van Tassel. Welcome, and good luck.

Behind me in the press gallery today, we have the Queen’s University student mentorship program held by the legislative press gallery. We welcome those students from Queen’s in their journalism course.

Last but not least, I thank you all for your patience in making sure everyone was introduced and doing what we did this morning. It shows again, as has been referenced, the best of us.

Provincial Affairs publication

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I would like to direct the members’ attention to the books that have been put in your desks today. This is a new publication prepared by the staff of the Legislative Library and Research Services entitled Provincial Affairs: An Overview for Ontario Legislators of the 41st Parliament. It contains short briefing papers with background and analysis across 43 different policy areas and directions to further reading and additional resources. An online version of this document will be available on the Intranet very shortly.

It is a publication of some considerable quality, and I’m very proud of the work that our folks have done. So on behalf of the Legislative Library and Research Services, I hope all members will take time to look at it and find it useful in their deliberations.

Your feedback would be appreciated immensely if there are things that you would like us to include or change or add. We plan to make this a regular publication to provide to all members as a service in a very complex world to get you a synopsis of what’s going on here at the Legislature. Let me one more time thank the legislative and research staff for doing such a great job. Congratulations.

Oral Questions

Government fiscal policies

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much, and good morning, Speaker. My questions are for the Premier. Good morning, Premier.

Our resolve was tested today, but by us being here, Premier, we have passed. Thank you for carrying on.

I know that you and I agree that governments must focus on delivering prosperity, a better quality of life and accountability in government. I believe that you and I both entered politics and public life to deliver on those goals.

But Ontario isn’t what it could be or should be. Under your government, Ontario is home to Canada’s largest deficit, larger, in fact, than the federal government and all other provinces’ combined. Despite that, you continue to say you will balance the budget by 2017 and that budget targets would be imperilled if the province had to sacrifice investments in jobs, growth or families.

Premier, why do you believe that fiscal prudence is inconsistent with strong jobs, strong growth and strong families?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I actually believe that fiscal prudence and a strong economy are connected. I think that they are absolutely connected, and that’s why we have remained committed to our elimination of the deficit by 2017-18. That’s what we ran on. That’s the plan that we have in place. That’s the plan we are executing.

At the same time, we know that making sure that communities have the infrastructure that they need to be able to thrive, understanding that there needs to continue to be investments in people’s talent and skills and, quite frankly, partnering with business to make sure that business has the opportunity to flourish—all of those things have to be in place in order for the economy to thrive. Those things are integrally connected in our plan and I believe that is the best course, the best balanced and practical course for the province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, you continue to protect your deficits: your deficit of ideas, your deficit of vision and your deficit of hope.

We know that you peaked your deficit at $19.3 billion and incredibly you have 61% of your deficit reduction left until the end. At the rate you’re going, Premier, you won’t balance for another 15 years.

Premier, it’s time to come clean. Your $9.2-billion deficit grew to $10.5 billion last year and is forecasted to $12.5 billion this very year. Frankly, no one believes you’re going to balance. Premier, when will you get back to balance and make Ontario first?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As we have committed and as we are on track to do, we will eliminate the deficit by 2017-18.

In terms of the party that presented a hopeful option, a hopeful vision of this province, I think that is the vision that we brought to the people of the province. That is the vision that we ensconced in our budget when we introduced it this past May. Then we ran on that budget and we brought that budget back to the Legislature. That is the plan that we are implementing at this point and that is exactly about the optimism of this province.

It’s why I will be travelling with a delegation to China to meet with our friends and partners in Jiangsu province, also in Beijing and Shanghai, to talk about how we can increase that relationship and increase our trade relationship. That’s part of our economic growth.

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

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, the people of Ontario are suffering under the rigid ideology of this government. We yearn for an approach that is pragmatic—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. I’m giving you some quiet and it will stay that way.

Finish, please.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, when you addressed the Canada 2020 conference, you praised your government for “rejecting strict ideology.” But rationalizing waste and scandal from the gas plants, as an example, during a stalled economy is purely ideological.

You threaten Ontario’s prosperity, our quality of life and our place in the world. Your government is on a dangerous path. Our debt is five times as large as California’s and we’re piling on $11 billion in interest every year. Our credit outlook is negative and the credit agencies don’t believe in your reduction timelines.

Premier, how are you going to get us back to balance and make Ontario first?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The same bleak view of the world that the member opposite’s party brought to the people of Ontario is the same bleak view that he’s espousing again this morning.

In terms of an ideological response to the economic situation, I can’t think of a more ideological response than cutting 100,000 jobs and slashing services across government, which is exactly what that party proposed to do.

We are committed to eliminating the deficit by 2017-18. We are investing in the talent and the skills of our people. We are investing in infrastructure that will foster economic growth in the long term and will create jobs and create prosperity in the short term. That’s the plan that we ran on, that’s the plan that we are implementing, and that is the plan that holds hope for the people of Ontario.

Small business

Mr. Victor Fedeli: My new questions are for the Premier. I believe that Ontario is the land of opportunity because it has been fostered by a spirit of free enterprise. Premier, this week is Small Business Week and I’m sure you know that small businesses are how we make Ontario first. In towns and cities across our province, small businesses are the private sector job creators.

I know the struggles of these men and women as I’m a lifelong entrepreneur. I opened my first company when I was 16 years old. But, Premier, under this Liberal government, you have driven out small business. There were 2,700 fewer small businesses in Ontario last year than there were the year before.

Speaker, my question is simple: Why are you so keen to drive out small business instead of helping them build themselves up?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the Minister of Economic Development is going to want to comment on what’s actually happening in the province, but what I want the people of Ontario to know is that we are very focused on partnering with those very businesses, creating an opportunity for more of those small businesses to start. That’s what innovation is about. When we talk about innovation, when we talk about start-up companies, when we talk about commercializing, we’re talking about creating an environment where there’s enough capital to invest and where there’s the opportunity for those businesses to grow.

It’s why it’s very important, when we go on trade missions, when we travel internationally, that we open doors and make connections for small businesses that otherwise might not be able to develop those relationships in other countries. That’s exactly what we are doing when we go to China, when we take this trade mission.

Fostering an environment for small businesses and medium enterprises to grow: That’s exactly what we’re doing, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Premier, entrepreneurship is often a hard road. There are going to be lean times. In my early years, I recall taking the chamber of commerce First Dollar of Profit certificate, cracking it open and using that dollar to buy lunch. That’s the reality of being in your own business.

Entrepreneurs have an unwavering dream. We dream of creating something that wasn’t there before, hiring more people and creating jobs. But here in Ontario, you have created something different. You have created the highest-cost business environment. Now you’re going to hit business with a new pension tax, one that businesses say will force them to fire employees and reduce the wages for those employees who are left.

Premier, why don’t you listen to the advice of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and abandon this new pension tax?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.

Hon. Brad Duguid: It’s a long name, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, though. I have trouble with it too, sometimes.

I have to correct the member opposite, who is talking down the advances that our small business community has made in this province. I don’t know if the member is aware of this, but small business jobs have grown since 2012-13 by over 87,000, so the story you’re telling is absolutely, patently false. Jobs are growing in our small business community.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Where?

Hon. Brad Duguid: The Premier touched on something very, very important. The member asks where they are. Just yesterday, I was meeting with a small business start-up that’s coming to China with the Premier, the minister responsible for trade and myself called ChipCare. They’ve developed an incredible technology that’s going to make blood testing—actually, it’s almost a lab in a box, in a hand-held. They’re coming to China with us because they’re going to build those devices here, they want to market them in China and they want to attract investment.

Those are the kinds of companies that our initiatives are supporting. Those are the kinds of companies that represent our next-generation economy.

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

Mr. Victor Fedeli: The facts hurt; I understand that the facts hurt. But Premier, small business would love to hear some good news from you. Instead, your own Ministry of Finance tells us that growth was actually less than forecast, and you raided the piggy bank to make your deficit look even smaller. Instead of incentives to grow, you promised a new payroll tax. Instead of making Ontario first, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business ranked Ontario eighth out of the 10 provinces when it comes to tax policies. Instead of growing this valuable sector, as the facts showed, there are 2,700 fewer small businesses today.

Premier, small business owners have the answers. When are you going to stop punishing them and start listening to them?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Let’s talk about the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the high ranking that they’ve given this province as a result of the work done by my predecessor. Actually, when I was in this post before, our efforts to reduce regulatory burdens across this province by 17%—that focuses very much on small businesses—earned us an A or an A-, the highest in the country when it comes to reducing regulatory burden.

We’re working very hard with our small and medium-sized business community. We know that they’re the backbone of our economy. That’s why we’re pleased that they are up 87,000 jobs since 2012-13. We’re not going to take the member’s advice and talk down those small businesses. They’re working hard to grow our economy. We’re proud of the work they are doing, we’re proud of the growth that they’re experiencing in Ontario, and we’re going to keep working with them to keep creating jobs and building a strong economy in this province.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Whether it’s cancelling gas plants or bailing out MaRS, this Liberal government likes to keep its secrets in cabinet’s cone of silence. And yet this Premier says she’s different. She insists that she’s going to lead the most transparent government in all of Canada. So has the cabinet actually been briefed on the privatization of Ontario’s local hydro utilities, and will cabinet be discussing that today?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As the leader of the third party knows, we asked Ed Clark, a well-respected expert, to lead a group of people, including Frances Lankin and Janet Ecker, to look at how to optimize the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario. He has indicated publicly the direction that he thinks we should go. Obviously, we have been in close contact with him as he prepares to release his interim report, and we look forward to his advice and the advice of his council.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, on Monday, the Premier laughed at Ontarians’ concerns that she’s privatizing assets. But Ed Clark was crystal clear: The government’s plan is to sell the distribution network, “bring in private capital” and “sell down” our interest in public hydro utilities.

Is the Premier going to keep denying that her government is privatizing hydro?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, what I am going to keep emphasizing is that we have to take practical and sensible steps in order to make sure that the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario are working to their highest capacity, in order that we can then take the benefit of those assets and reinvest it in assets that are needed for the future. That is what we put in our plan. That is what we said we were going to do in our budget.

We know that if we don’t find the funding to invest in transportation and transportation infrastructure today, then we’re not going to have that infrastructure for the future. So it is responsible and practical that we look at these assets, whether it’s Hydro One or whether it’s the LCBO, to make sure that they are working to the greatest benefit of the people of the province. That’s what Ed Clark is doing, and I look forward to his interim report.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, we have records that show that besides meeting with the Premier, Ed Clark met with Ministers Chiarelli, Duguid, Matthews and Sousa, but the

section of the memo that lists the key themes of those meetings has been removed.

When the Premier and the members of her inner circle met with Ed Clark, did they talk about selling off our shared public assets like our public hydro utilities?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, Mr. Speaker, I hope that those conversations were wide-ranging, because if you don’t have a wide-ranging conversation, if you don’t look at what all the options are, then you’re not going to come up with the right answer. To only look at the most narrow, ideologically correct version of possibilities is not going to get you to the right answer. So I hope that those conversations were very broad.

We know, because of what Ed Clark has said publicly, the direction that he is going to be suggesting we go. I am very interested in hearing and reading his interim report, because I think that he has done exactly what we asked him to do, and that is, look at the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario and figure out how we can make them work better for the people of Ontario.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. The same records that we have obtained show that Ed Clark hired multiple consulting firms to put together his plan for selling off shared assets like local hydro utilities. My question is a simple one: Who are these consulting firms?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, we have asked an expert in the field of financing to look at the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario that are very valuable. We’ve asked him to, with his panel, give us some advice on how we could optimize those assets. What we didn’t do is make a back-of-the-napkin decision, as was made by a previous government, to sell off an asset like the 407, to no long-term benefit of the people of the province.

We’ve taken a very thoughtful and practical approach because we know that we need to be able to make investments in assets that are needed today and into the future, and we know that we need the funding for that. That’s why Ed Clark has done the work that he has done, and I look forward to his interim report.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The government was hiring private consultants to help out with the Liberal fire sale and privatization of Ontario’s shared public assets like our public hydro utilities; that’s clear. If the Premier is not prepared to be transparent with the people of Ontario about who those consultants are, perhaps she can at least tell the people of Ontario how much they’ve been paid.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Speaker, it’s very interesting to me—we have committed to invest $130 billion in roads, bridges, schools, and transit over the next 10 years because we know that that kind of investment is what is necessary. We also know that we have to be responsible as we move forward. We know that we have to make decisions that are responsible for the long term. In order to do that, we have to talk to people who are experts. We have to talk to people who understand the world of financing, who understand the world of investment and who understand the world of infrastructure. That’s what we have done.

We asked Ed Clark, with his council, to come up with some advice. I hope—again, I will say to the leader of the third party, I hope he has talked to who he needs to talk to in order to get the very best advice so we make the best long-term decisions for the people of this province.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: We know that when it comes to producing business cases, the Premier keeps saying that the dog ate her homework. Ontarians deserve to know whether any of these consulting firms produce a business case for the fire sale of their shared public assets. Will she make the consultants’ reports available for the public immediately?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, the interim report and then the final report of the group that Ed Clark has been working with are not yet finalized, but I’m looking forward to those.

I just want to step back and talk about why we are doing this. Our plan to maximize the value of the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario is not a whim on our part. It is actually a very important part of our plan to make investments, and the investments that we want to make are investments that will have long-term benefit.

So investing in regional express rail; investing in 15-minute GO service, full-day, two-way GO service; investing in the Brampton Queen Street rapid transit line; investing in the downtown relief line; Hamilton light rail transit; the next phase of the LRT in Ottawa; expansion of highways like number 7, to make sure that communities are able to thrive; that’s why we’re doing this. That’s why this is so important and it’s so important that we get it right.

Government accountability

Mr. Randy Hillier: Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Since 2011, your government has known the details of the loan agreement with MaRS phase 2, yet has never found the right time to be either open or transparent about it. In 2008, the economic recession hit ARE, and their share value plummeted over 60%. After three years of stalled development, in 2011 your government provided MaRS a $224-million loan to complete the project as ARE could no longer meet their obligations.

No financial institution was willing to back the project with only 10% of the building pre-leased—30% to 40% lower than industry standards. Premier, at the time of the loan, what terms of the contract between ARE and MaRS were amended to protect this risky taxpayer investment?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.

Hon. Brad Duguid: I’ve made it very clear—and I’ve said it in the Legislature, I’ve said it in committee and I’ve said it outside of this Legislature—that we’re doing everything we can to bring forward requests for information and that anything that’s not commercially sensitive will absolutely be shared. That’s fair; it’s what we can do and it’s what we should do. We’re happy to be as transparent as possible about all of that.

The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, this is the difference between that party and our party. Yes, MaRS is a viable project—MaRS phase 2—that ran into some trouble during the recession. Yes, we were there to support them, to try to do everything we could to see this project through, unlike the PCs, whose position quite clearly was to let that project rot in the ground.

We’re talking about a sector with 51,000 high-paying jobs, a sector that contributes $39 billion to our economy. This is an important sector, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to keep working to create jobs in the sector, even if the Tories—

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

Mr. Randy Hillier: Back to the Premier: Premier, your minister failed to answer. ARE originally took all the risk with phase 2 by supplying both the capital and management of the project. The only contribution from MaRS was providing the land, valued at $15 million.

Understandably, ARE was in line to receive the lion’s share of revenue from the leasing of MaRS 2. Up until 2011, MaRS was only due $715,000 per year from the total leasing revenue from phase 2. When you provided MaRS a loan, what did you forget to amend in the MaRS-ARE agreement that is now costing us an additional $65 million, or did you just forget that ARE continued to be in line for 95% of the leasing revenues from phase 2?

Hon. Brad Duguid: I was available and stood for 10 and a half hours in estimates committee and answered all the questions the opposition had for me. I think what’s important now is to speak about how important MaRS is to our economy. Let me say something that neither comes from the opposition nor the government. This comes from Life Sciences Ontario, which is made up of the 1,600 companies that work in the bioscience sector. This is what they had to say, and they released this yesterday:

“The government of Ontario’s support for MaRS is an example of Ontario’s leadership, and with leadership come risks.

“Now is not the time to second-guess the commitment that our government has shown by investing in innovation lest we rather seek to be followers and late adopters in this new global economy, and live with the associated economic fallout.

“This bold, long-term vision is the driving force behind MaRS and has enabled the Discovery District to become an international icon for innovation.”

Mr. Speaker, that was the vision of Ernie Eves in the previous government. That’s our vision today. We stand by it. We’re going to keep creating jobs. We’re going to continue to grow a strong biosciences cluster in Ontario.

Transit funding

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: My question is to the Premier. The government promised annual “dedicated funding” for transit and transportation and in fact set up the Trillium Trust fund, which can only be used for infrastructure. But here’s the catch: There’s no legal guarantee that any money will ever make it to the Trillium Trust or make it to transit and infrastructure.

This is the Premier who insisted she was going to be different, but the Premier’s “dedicated” plan doesn’t actually dedicate anything. Does the Premier have a different definition of “dedicated” than everyone else?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: It is, as has been stated in the budget, in the fall economic statement, in the creation of the Trillium Trust to ensure that funds that are associated with the sale of specific assets or any of the initiatives that we put forward go to the trust dedicated to transit. We made that very clear. That’s how we’ll proceed, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Back to the Premier: Without long-term dedicated funding, of which there is none, there is no long-term transit planning. That has left people in my riding and across Ontario packed into overcrowded public transit waiting for an actual solution. There is a loophole in the Premier’s “dedicated” transit funding plan so big you could actually drive a bus through that.

Will the Premier close that loophole and actually make dedicated funding dedicated? Would you answer my question this time? Thank you.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, the third party has put forward their proposals that include the very issue that they’re now denying. They have put in their program—they copied exactly what we put forward in terms of assets. They look at optimizing, maximizing the values and ensuring that any of the assets that are sold are then dedicated to the Trillium Trust that was developed for that purpose. They ran on that premise.

Furthermore, they said they would even do more. Now, they’re afraid to talk about the very issues, to look at ways to do just that.

The Trillium Trust was established. Any assets that are sold will go to the trust dedicated to transit. We have a plan for transit. We have a plan for public infrastructure that’s going to help grow our economy, and we’re going to continue to do just that.

Northern Ontario development

Mr. Grant Crack: My question this morning is to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Under Premier Wynne’s leadership, our government has placed strong emphasis on supporting small, rural and northern communities across Ontario. Our government’s economic plan is targeted to create jobs and spur economic growth, and we’re focused on investing in people, investing in infrastructure and supporting a dynamic and innovative business climate.

Speaker, can the minister inform this House on how our government is investing in our northern Ontario communities to ensure they have the tools they need to be competitive in the global market?

Hon. Michael Gravelle: I want to thank the member for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell for the question. Certainly, one of the programs that I am really proud to chair, in my capacity as Minister of Northern Development and Mines, is the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, although, recently, actually, I had one where the opposition was actually belittling the important work of the NOHFC, particularly related to our partnerships with the private sector.

The facts absolutely speak for themselves. Speaker, over the last decade, the NOHFC has supported over 6,200 projects, creating or sustaining almost 24,000 jobs in northern Ontario and, may I say, benefiting every single community across the north. The fund has also invested over $950 million over that time frame, leveraging $3.5 billion in additional investments for our province.

Our government remains absolutely committed to creating strong partnerships with businesses, communities and people to help foster continuing economic growth, with certainly a very strong emphasis on northern Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Grant Crack: It’s clear that the hard-working minister is a strong advocate for northern Ontario communities through work with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Agriculture is one industry that plays an important role in every community across the province, whether it’s small, rural, urban or northern Ontario, including my great riding of Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

I know that northern Ontario holds a lot of potential when it comes to agriculture. Identifying and acting upon opportunities to support the agricultural industry is critical in building a prosperous Ontario. I think we can all agree that efficient and modern infrastructure is the cornerstone for a strong northern economy.

I’m just going to ask the minister again to please inform the House on what our government is doing to support a strong, sustainable agricultural industry in northern Ontario through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: Again, thanks for the question. Certainly, one of the exciting things about the economy in Ontario is indeed the agricultural sector. The board was recently in New Liskeard actually, and we were able to announce close to $2 million there in funding through the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance to install tile drainage and clear land on over 3,800 acres of land in northern Ontario. May I say, Mr. Speaker, the general manager of that alliance is Stephanie Vanthof, the daughter of the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane—clearly the bright one in the family.

This tile drainage program is remarkable, and I know that many members have spoken about this. This allows farmers to get out on the land weeks, if not a month, earlier than they were expecting. It has dramatically increased the return on investment for those farmers. This is great for all across the north. A number of farmers told me directly, when we were in New Liskeard, that with the addition of tile drainage, they were actually able to double their yield.

This is a great program, a good example of economic development and support through the Ministry of Agriculture for some great economic development in northern Ontario.

Forest industry

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Earlier this month, Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller released his report Managing New Challenges, where he recommends closing Algonquin Provincial Park to commercial timber harvesting. In his report, Mr. Miller stated that closing the park to timber harvesting could somehow be done without negatively affecting the local economy.

Everyone in the industry understands that the commissioner is completely flawed in his premise. Furthermore, just last year your ministry released a report affirming the practice of responsible timber harvest in the park.

The people of my riding and across the province need assurances from your government that it will continue to allow Algonquin to be a multi-use park. Minister, will you stand in your place today and pledge to the people of Ontario that you will reject the commissioner’s recommendation for Algonquin park?

Hon. Bill Mauro: I want to thank the member for the question. I understand how important issues related to Algonquin park are to him as a member and to his entire constituency.

Having said that, I will also say in the House here today that we very much respect the work of the Environmental Commissioner. He has made commentary on the work that I do within my ministry and on the work that other ministries do as well. So we respect his work, we take his report and we will thoroughly review what he has recommended to us.

I am pleased, I would say, that the EC has recognized my ministry’s transparency and openness on a variety of issues, and we’re thankful for that. In the supplementary I will respond more directly to the member’s question and speak about what we have done very recently through the park management plan and the amendment that came into that plan and the work that will be going on in relation to this park on a go-forward basis.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. John Yakabuski: I hope to hear that. I’m looking forward to it, Minister, because this is not the time for parsed statements or unclear language. Allowing for the continuation of the timber harvest in Algonquin park is vital to the thousands of people in my riding and across eastern Ontario who rely on that for their livelihood.

In addition, it has been demonstrated, time and time again, that Algonquin park has the most stringent and comprehensive management system in the world. The multi-use function of Algonquin park makes it a world leader in responsible resource management, and the millions of tourists who visit the park each year are a testament to that fact.

Minister, I’m asking you again to do the right thing and unequivocally dismiss the commissioner’s recommendation. Will you do that today?

Hon. Bill Mauro: I thank the member for the supplementary. Of course, I have no intention, as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, of shutting down forestry within Algonquin park. Having said that, the member will also be aware that that park management plan and the amendment within it did take 96,000 additional hectares, about a year ago, into protection.

The important point for me to make to the member and to his constituency is that in no way, shape or form did that extra environmental protection impact the forestry operations that are going on in Algonquin. In fact, we can confirm for everybody who relies on forestry for their economic sustainability and is affected with logging in the park: It’s still whole. There’s plenty of work.

As the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan, I went through the forestry situation in 2005-06. We’re seeing a rebound in forestry right now. All the people who are making an economy off the logging in the park are still able to do that. We’re proud of that. We think we’ve landed it. It’s a multi-use facility where a park has been for 150 years, and we see it remaining so in the foreseeable future.

Personal support workers

Mr. Gilles Bisson: My question is to the Premier. Prior to the last election, you promised that PSWs in this province would be getting a raise, and that’s something that most people in this province support.

The problem, however, is that a number of PSWs are not getting that raise. Imagine the surprise, the shock and the sense of betrayal that the workers at the Canadian Red Cross in my riding found out when they got this letter. It reads:

“The wage increase does not apply to every personal support worker.… Our low acuity program and adult day programs are not included in the list of approved functional centres for the wage increase in 2014.…

“Based on the criteria outlined by the government of Ontario, your wage will not be changing this year.”

Premier, why did you break your word to these PSWs?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I find it pretty rich, coming from the NDP. This was an initiative—and I have to say, an important one—by our government that was in the platform during the election. It was in our budget as well. We committed, quite frankly, to respecting our PSWs across this province by increasing their wages by $4 an hour over the next three years.

As I said yesterday, our PSWs, our personal support workers—there are literally thousands of them working hard, as we speak, at this moment, helping people, helping our seniors in our homes, helping others in the community. We made a commitment not only to increase their wages so that they are respected for the hard work that they do every day, but also to engage in a program for sustainability of the sector to make sure that they’re not only valued but that they have the supports in place so that they can succeed and provide that important care that they do every day.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Gilles Bisson: The problem is, like most promises made by Liberals, there’s a “but” to it. In this particular case, a number of PSWs in my riding are not going to get the raise, and it’s the same for other PSWs around this province. So my question to you is a very direct one: Will you fund all PSWs working in the home care sector? Yes or no?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, we’ve worked closely with the sector, with the stakeholders and our partners in the sector, to determine a program which will guarantee the sustainability of the sector and increase the wages.

Again, I just have to reiterate that they not only didn’t have it in their platform—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A reminder for members on this side not to talk while the answer is being given, and a reminder on the opposite side to listen to the answer. Thank you.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, they not only didn’t have it in their platform; they voted against our budget that contained this measure and catalyzed an election which allowed us, fortunately, to continue this process.

We’ve added, in fact, 2,500 PSWs in our long-term-care centres since 2008 and three million additional PSW hours over the last three years. We’re committed to this program.

I’m not going to take lessons from the NDP on this. This was the leadership—

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —of Ontario and the Liberal Party—

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

Social assistance

Mrs. Cristina Martins: My question is for the Minister of Community and Social Services.

In my riding of Davenport, many of my constituents rely on the support that the social assistance system provides, both through Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program. These programs offer support for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and it is very important to my constituents that we provide this assistance to their neighbours in times of need.

However, I have heard from some constituents who receive social assistance that they find it difficult to afford the costs of living. In my riding of Davenport, the Abrigo Centre and the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre offer a number of important services, such as employment linking programs and crisis services for women. They have also told me that some social assistance recipients have trouble making ends meet.

Minister, can you tell us what your ministry is doing to support our most vulnerable citizens?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I’d like to thank the member for Davenport for this question.

Of course, continuing to reform social assistance is a very important part of our government’s work. We want to improve the social services system and make sure people in need can participate fully in our communities and in the economy.

It is to that end that, over the past two years, our government has increased OW rates by $50 per month for single adults with no children. This year, we increased our investment in social assistance by continuing to lift the lowest rates and increasing support for individuals with disabilities.

The rate increases announced in the 2014 budget are now in effect, including a 1% increase for families receiving Ontario Works and for individuals with disabilities who rely on ODSP. Those individuals living north of the 50th parallel are getting an additional $50 per month for the first person in their family and $25 for each additional family member.

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

Hon. Helena Jaczek: In

summary—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Sorry. Supplementary?

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Thank you very much, Minister. I’m sure my constituents will be very pleased to know about the rate increases that are coming into effect this fall and the government’s commitment to continue to transform the social assistance system.

My constituents often mention their desire to become financially independent and move off the social assistance program. These individuals tell me they don’t want or choose to be dependent on social assistance. However, they need support in order to establish the right skills so they can successfully find employment.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Minister, can you please inform this House of the actions your ministry has taken to assist these recipients of social assistance to fulfill their desire for employment?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: These changes that we’re making will promote greater independence by improving outcomes and encouraging work. For example, all social assistance clients will have access to a simple, flexible employment benefit that helps with their costs. Now people can earn up to $200 a month without affecting their assistance. For earnings above $200, assistance rates are now reduced by 50 cents for every dollar earned. This allows clients to gain a foothold in the labour force, improve their incomes and move towards greater independence.

Our government has also made significant progress on the employment supports available for people receiving social assistance. These positive changes include: people who leave social assistance can go back to work and keep their drug, dental and vision care benefits if they don’t have comparable benefits from their employer; and ODSP recipients who leave the program for a job can return to ODSP quickly if their job does not work out. We believe these are all very important and positive changes.

Transportation infrastructure

Mrs. Julia Munro: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. After a decade of missed deadlines, the Highway 404 extension was built on the assumption that the project would use an asphalt surface instead of a concrete surface; however, the highway extension is in fact a concrete surface. This means that residents whose properties back on to the 404 extension are not sufficiently protected from the noise of the highway as they expected they would be. Concrete surfaces deflect sound—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Eglinton–Lawrence.

Mrs. Julia Munro: —whereas asphalt surfaces absorb sound. It sounds like a jet taking off, constantly, 24/7. This is not what these neighbours agreed to.

My constituents want to know what you are going to do about it right now, not in a year’s time.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to thank the member opposite for that question regarding the Highway 404 extension. I also want to take a quick moment to thank her for being there on that very special day for York region and for her community when I was in a position to stand alongside the new member from Newmarket–Aurora and the new member from Barrie—and the member who is, in fact, asking me this question today—to be together there with all of our municipal partners from that area to celebrate the 13-kilometre extension of Highway 404.

That’s a $100-million investment in crucial transportation infrastructure that that member stood at the announcement for, the official opening—and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, and Research and Innovation was there that day as well. We all witnessed the member who is asking this very question being there with us to celebrate that opening. So I’m a bit confused about these questions, because I know in lots of communities across Ontario, a $100-million investment in crucial public transportation infrastructure would indeed be celebrated.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Julia Munro: I find it fascinating that the minister doesn’t want to deal with the actual issue because, of course, people have been waiting. As I said, this has been decades that people have been waiting. There was no question about that.

What they didn’t know was that the wrong assumptions had been made in the analysis of the kind of road that was to be built. What they didn’t know, until there was traffic on the road, was what had in fact taken place.

Now we have a concrete road which, at the very least, needs to be addressed. The assumption that the roa