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March 27, 2018

41st Parliament, 3rd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2018-Mar-27 (PDF)

L006 - Tue 27 Mar 2018 / Mar 27 mar 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 27 March 2018 Mardi 27 mars 2018

Orders of the Day

Correctional Services Transformation Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transformation des services correctionnels

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Government accounting practices

Government accounting practices

Dental care

Government’s record

Taxation

Government accounting practices

Education funding

Health care

Correctional services

Mental health and addiction services

Correctional services

Transit funding

Francophone immigration / Immigration francophone

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Member’s birthday

Visitors

Deferred Votes

Throne speech debate

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Aggregate extraction

Health care

Racism

Rez Girls 64 Wolves hockey team

Transgender Day of Visibility

Sahara Senior Services

Services for the hearing-impaired

World Tuberculosis Day

Maurice Racine

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Introduction of Bills

Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la promotion du recyclage des agrégats

Pathways to Post-secondary Excellence Act (Post-secondary Educational Report), 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur les voies de l’excellence au niveau postsecondaire (rapport sur l’enseignement postsecondaire)

Rea and Walter Act (Truss and Lightweight Construction Identification), 2018 / Loi Rea et Walter de 2018 sur l’identification des composants structuraux à ossature légère

Fee Waivers (Photo Card and Birth Certificate) Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la dispense de droits (cartes-photo et certificats de naissance)

Stop the Calls Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur les appels indésirables

What You See is What You Pay Act (Consumer Protection Amendment), 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’affichage de prix toutes taxes comprises (modification de la

Loi sur la protection du consommateur)

Combatting Eating Disorders in Ontario Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la lutte contre les troubles alimentaires en Ontario

Motions

Private members’ public business

Business of the House

Referral of Bill Pr79

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Nowruz

Bangladeshi Heritage Month

Nowruz

Bangladeshi Heritage Month

Nowruz

Bangladeshi Heritage Month

Petitions

Tree seed services

Consumer protection

Animal protection

Respite care

GO Transit

Opposition Day

Health care

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Correctional Services Transformation Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transformation des services correctionnels

Mrs. Lalonde moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 6,

An Act to enact the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Act, 2018 and the Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, 2018, to make related amendments to other Acts, to repeal

an Act and to revoke a regulation / Projet de loi 6, Loi édictant la Loi de 2018 sur le ministère de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels et la Loi de 2018 sur les services correctionnels et la réinsertion sociale, apportant des modifications connexes à d’autres lois et abrogeant une loi et un règlement.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Madame Lalonde.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: It is an honour for me to begin second reading debate of the Correctional Services Transformation Act, 2018. Before I dive into my remarks, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the many corrections staff who are here this morning and all throughout the day at Queen’s Park for their annual lobby day. There are corrections officers, probation and parole officers, and rehab officers here today; also, we have nurses, front-line managers and area managers. I want to thank each and every one of them for the work they do, and for being here today as second reading begins for Bill 6.

We all know that our correctional system is facing significant challenges. There is much work to be done, and our government is meeting the challenge head-on. It is time to do the right thing. The legislation we have introduced is ambitious. It will be the foundation of our broader correctional reform.

Right off the top, I want to say two things, Mr. Speaker: First, if anyone thinks the challenges we face can be addressed by making small tweaks to our correctional system, they are wrong. Second, the best way to fix our correctional system is to make sure that people do not end up there in the first place.

Large-scale reform within our correctional system is one part of a much larger picture. This is why we have proposed sweeping changes to our entire justice system and to the delivery of social services. These changes address the societal causes that are driving people into our institutions. We want to make sure that the right supports are available in the right place and at the right time. This will go a long way to ensuring that Ontarians are not cycling from social assistance to hospital to police car to court to jail to the street and back through the cycle again.

We have put in place broad investments in social supports; in education; in mental health services; in poverty reduction, including the Basic Income Pilot project; in community safety and well-being plans; in our anti-racism strategy; and in our commitment to truth and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. These are the investments, the decisions we have made, the deliberate choices our government has made that will help break the cycle that lands people in our custody, and brings them back to us again and again.

But, while we must focus on prevention, it cannot be the only target for change. When people do arrive in our custody, our system should prepare them for a successful, supportive return to their home communities. That is why we are transforming Ontario’s adult correctional system.

Bill 6 redefines correctional services in Ontario. Our commitment to doing things differently is reflected in the title of this bill. It speaks to transformation and reintegration because, ultimately, individuals in conflict with the law are members of our communities; there is no “us” and “them.”

Most people spend very little time in our provincial correctional system. The roughly 7,000 inmates in our institutions spend an average of about 60 days in our custody. Incarceration must always be a last resort, but when someone does end up in our institutions, we have an opportunity. It is an opportunity to provide people the supports they need, whether it is to change, to learn, to get well or to simply make their way through the legal process. In each of these cases, we do the utmost we can to ensure they never return to our jails.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will provide a foundation to improve conditions and outcomes for those in our custody and care, and will ultimately make Ontario a safer place to live. We are committed to a principled, rights-based correctional system that uses strong, evidence-based practices to enhance community safety through rehabilitation and reintegration. We will apply a consistent and client-centred approach to achieve better outcomes for those in our custody and under our supervision.

We will continue to build a correctional system that is open and transparent, one that will prohibit segregation for the most vulnerable; one that will significantly reduce time spent in segregation for others; a correctional system with access to the health services that meet each individual inmate’s needs; one that offers the targeted rehabilitative programs and reintegration supports to achieve a seamless transition back to society; a correctional system that provides better training, support, guidance and safer working conditions to the dedicated professionals who work in our institutions and in our community; and a correctional system that addresses the overrepresentation of Métis, First Nation and Inuit peoples and racialized populations.

Custody, care and operations in our institutions must be culturally appropriate and follow the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We must give prominence to Inuit, Métis and First Nation matters; they can no longer be just an afterthought.

The Correctional Services Transformation Act is the foundation we need to reach such a system. This legislation will redefine adult correctional services in Ontario and help improve conditions and outcomes for those in custody by:

—setting rules for, and clearly defining, segregation while prohibiting its use for vulnerable inmates, including those who are pregnant and those with a significant mental illness;

—requiring minimum standards for living conditions for all inmates, including those on remand;

—increasing transparency and accountability within the system; and

—enhancing supports for rehabilitation and reintegration through better programming, individualized plans and increased supports that address the unique needs of each inmate.

I will now expand on each of these points, Mr. Speaker. First, I am proud to tell this House that this transformation is the result of the largest consultation ever undertaken in the province of Ontario on the future of adult correctional services, and that is saying something, because the correctional system was one of Ontario’s first public services. The Correctional Services Transformation Act was informed by input from stakeholders, partners in the justice system, corrections staff and by several comprehensive expert reviews. This included:

—the largest staff engagement exercise the ministry has ever undertaken, where staff across the province contributed their ideas and offered their valuable input on the future of corrections;

—experts’ reports and recommendations, including those from Mr. Howard Sapers, who is here today in our House. We welcome him, the independent adviser on corrections reform;

—the Ontario Ombudsman’s review of segregation;

—the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre Task Force reports and recommendations;

—a ministry-wide review of segregation that included consultation with a broad range of experts and stakeholder groups; and

—comprehensive consultation that included round table engagement with 31 stakeholders, countless individual engagement meetings and dedicated sessions with our First Nation, Inuit and Métis partners.

Mr. Speaker, we have listened to our staff, to our communities, to independent experts and to those in our care and custody. This legislation is a direct result of the input and feedback we have received. And although the introduction of this bill is a milestone and a new beginning, the work of our transformation journey began a long time ago. We have already taken many steps to initiate the transformation of the correctional system. Let me give you some highlights.

Since March 2016, we have hired over 1,400 new correctional officers, and I am proud to say that we are fully on track to fulfill our commitment to hire 2,000 correctional officers. These new correctional officers are helping to deliver rehabilitation and reintegration supports, and improve staff and inmate safety.

We have enhanced supports for inmates with mental health issues by increasing the number of mental health nurses who provide specialized services. We have also implemented new mental health screening processes for all new inmate admissions. These screening tools are helping to detect symptoms of mental health issues and begin treatment sooner.

We have already begun to overhaul the use of segregation by introducing more robust oversight and tracking.

We have implemented new admission and placement policies for trans inmates that recognize and protect their human rights. It is one of the most progressive trans inmate policies in North America.

We have added program delivery officers across the system to help reduce reoffending by delivering targeted rehabilitative programming to medium- to high-risk clients. These officers work with offenders, including those with a history of domestic violence and sexual offences, to provide evidence-based programming targeting underlying issues such as substance abuse and anger management.

Our government is also continuing to invest in infrastructure. We are installing advanced-technology body scanners in all adult correctional facilities to improve safety and reduce the flow of contraband. A new, 112-bed regional intermittent centre for weekend offenders is addressing capacity issues at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre.

We will be opening the first dedicated women’s mental health facility in Ontario to meet the specific and often complex needs of female inmates who are suffering with serious mental health issues.

We are investing in upgrades to existing facilities, including optimizing use of existing spaces, and building two new facilities to replace aging buildings in Ottawa and Thunder Bay.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a moment to talk about these new institutions. I want to be very clear on this: We are not rebuilding the jails of the past. Our expectations for minimum conditions of confinement, staff and inmate safety, clinical supports, programming space, family contact and supports, and alternatives to segregation will be baked into the design of these institutions from day one. These new builds will be innovation platforms that will inform the ongoing transformation of our correctional system.

Our government is also fully committed to reducing pretrial incarceration, and to ensuring that, by addressing underlying social needs, as many people as possible are actually kept out of the criminal justice system.

We want safer communities and fewer people behind bars, but while we pursue these goals, we cannot ignore the immediate and pressing needs of those who are incarcerated right now. We need infrastructure renewal, and that includes new builds. We also need to plan for population growth so our investment today will continue to serve our communities in five, 10 and 20 years.

When we do build, we will do so responsibly. We will build flexibility into our infrastructure so it can respond to the changing needs and realities of a 21st-century justice system. These investments in correctional services infrastructure will fully support all of our future transformation initiatives.

Monsieur le Président, a lot of work has been done—work we are very proud of—but the fact remains that the Ministry of Correctional Services Act is almost 30 years old. It does not address today’s realities, and it cannot meet our expectations of how correctional services should be delivered. The time for profound and effective change is now—right now.

This government’s goal is a system built around safety, human rights and dignity that will enhance community safety through effective rehabilitation and reintegration. If passed, the Correctional Services Transformation Act will repeal and replace the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, and will set a new course for correctional services in Ontario. This will increase community safety and result in increased public confidence in Ontario’s correctional system.

It would also give our staff a clear system within which to work in a safer workplace because, Mr. Speaker, we know that our front-line staff are the single most important assets in corrections, and theirs is often a thankless job. They are first responders who save lives but their stories never make the news. Their work can be, and often is, dangerous. They are asked to keep and care for people who society often vilifies and who are used as political footballs. They are asked to safeguard those with some of our most significant and challenging mental health and addiction issues.

They are asked to safeguard some people who have committed unspeakable crimes, yet they do it. They do it every single day, and I want them to know that their sacrifices and professionalism are appreciated.

Our correctional officers strive to keep individuals in our system safe while providing the necessary services and programming so that incarcerated individuals can reintegrate back into society. They have a responsibility to their families to keep themselves safe. They must come home safe and sound at the end of a shift, and that is not always easy. They work for the people of Ontario because they believe in community safety and because they believe in a better future for the individuals placed in their care.

I now want to recognize the very important contributions made by probation and parole officers. Probation and parole officers are the unsung heroes of our system, and they shoulder an enormous responsibility. Every day, there are thousands of people in our communities who are on probation, parole and/or serving a conditional sentence. Our dedicated staff supports and supervises many of these individuals, and I know from my meetings with them the challenges they face and how seriously they take their responsibility for making our communities safer. To all of our dedicated staff, thank you for what you do each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to also be very frank today. In the past, there has been an overuse of segregation, especially for vulnerable inmates who need particular supports or accommodations. This is not the fault of the hard-working staff in our system. The system itself is at fault. To ensure that segregation is truly used as a last resort, a correctional system has to have the appropriate framework, infrastructure and supports to make it work. This starts with a strong legislative framework, and that is what we are debating today.

The legislative framework must be accompanied by a strong regulatory and policy framework. We will build that framework if this House passes this bill. We will then have to put the resources and supports in place to fully implement the transformation, so our staff can do their jobs effectively and in a safe environment.

We know that segregation is not just a problem for Ontario. Correctional systems around the world are struggling to reduce the use of segregation and to provide safer alternatives. With this legislation, along with our broader corrections reforms, we will become a national leader in addressing this issue.

We are under no illusions. We know that there are no easy solutions. We cannot fix this overnight. Many of our facilities are old. They were built in a different era, some before Confederation. They often lack appropriate spaces to provide alternatives to segregation, and new infrastructure takes time to build.

Some of the proposals in this bill will take several years to implement. It is important to get it right; for our clients and for our staff, this transformation cannot and must not be rushed. But it can and will be implemented.

We will overhaul the use of segregation with the proposals contained in this bill, and we will build on things our government has already done. First, the bill outlines a new, modern definition of segregation. In the future, segregation would not be described by a physical area, such as a segregation cell or unit. Instead, it will be described as the physical and social isolation of an individual for 22 hours or more a day. This definition is consistent with the international standard, also known as the Mandela rules.

It is also one of the key recommendations in the report by Howard Sapers, the independent adviser on corrections reform. This new definition is important because it means that we will be focused on improving what happens to the individual. Different people have different needs and they are impacted differently by time spent in certain situations in our facilities. The damage that can be done in segregation is about what actually happens to you, not about where you are. It is about the state and conditions of custody, not the physical location.

Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to respecting the human rights and dignity of all those in our care and custody. In the past, inmates who had experienced segregation-like conditions without being transferred to a designated segregation cell or unit were not officially counted as being in segregation. This is important, because an inmate who is officially counted as being in segregation benefits from additional policies and protocols.

While the ministry has already made significant improvements in the tracking and management of segregation data, it has been challenging to get a firmer handle on segregation-like conditions outside of designated segregation cells and units: Who is being placed in isolation and for how long?

For example, if an individual is physically and socially isolated without being placed in a segregation unit, protocols like the review of all placements after 24 hours and every five days thereafter would not be invoked. The risk that some inmates may slip through the cracks is too high. Both Mr. Sapers and the Ontario Ombudsman have called for improved data collection and oversight. By implementing a standardized definition of segregation based on the experience of the client rather than the physical space they occupy, the ministry will be able to better track and monitor those who are placed in segregation.

This matters because it will help improve overall accountability. It will enable us to create a system that has the appropriate supports and services in place, including alternative housing, so we can eventually arrive at a point where segregation as we know it ceases to exist.

This, Mr. Speaker, is central to our transformation efforts. In addition to changing the definition of segregation, this legislation will also prohibit segregating the most vulnerable inmates. Evidence shows that there are certain vulnerable individuals who are disproportionately impacted by the experience of segregation.

This legislation would provide additional protections to vulnerable persons by phasing in prohibitions on the segregation of inmates who are pregnant or have recently given birth, are chronically self-harming or suicidal, have a significant mental illness or a significant developmental disability, are under medical observation, or have a significant mobility impairment. The bill would also phase in strict time limits on the length of time any inmate can spend in segregation conditions.

These are bold changes. We recognize that they are not achievable within our current infrastructure and with our current level of clinical support. Our staff are understandably worried about how these changes could affect their safety, and they’re worried because they remember past attempts at change. As we implement these broad reforms, I am personally committed to consulting and engaging front-line staff and listening to what they have to say. They need to know and trust that the proposed system is not simply to dump people out of a segregation cell so a box can be checked on a new set of rules.

They need to know that we will work with them to develop meaningful, supportive alternatives to segregation.

We know this can work. It has worked in other jurisdictions, and alternatives exist in parts of our system already.

In all my conversations about segregation, I have to say, Mr. Speaker, everyone has agreed that the status quo is unattainable and unsustainable.

Persons with mental illness need to be in a place where they can get the care they need, whether that’s inside or outside of our jails, not locked away in a cell for 23 hours a day, and not necessarily in general population either.

The same goes for people in our care who are a danger to themselves, and for those who are a danger to others. We know we have to develop dedicated spaces so they can be managed appropriately and safely. They must not and will not be allowed to impose a culture of fear and violence within the inmates’ community or endanger the safety of our staff and institutions.

None of this is easy, and it will not happen overnight. But it is the necessary thing to do. It is the right thing to do. It is what we are going to do, and we are committed to working with our staff and justice partners to make it happen.

Segregation reform is a singular priority for this government. It is not, however, the only challenge that we face within our correctional facilities. Most of our inmates are held in general population and in conditions that vary, depending on the age of the institution. The proposed legislation would set minimum living conditions for all inmates in our care and custody. These standards will set out the minimum conditions of confinement we expect across our system: nutritious food, health care, reasonable access to natural light, fresh air, adequate bedding and a clean living environment. These are all essentials. They are basic human rights that should be clearly set out in law.

We’re also setting minimum expectations regarding open-contact visits and programs to enhance family supports for inmates. A constant link to family and friends is essential to helping inmates cope with incarceration, Mr. Speaker, and vital for their successful reintegration back into our communities.

I want to, in particular, thank a group—and they are here today; we have a representation from them—Mothers Offering Mutual Support, or MOMS. They’re here today in our gallery, and I want to say thank you for your advocacy and all the great work you’ve done in helping us.

They have been tirelessly engaging with us. I see my colleague Yasir Naqvi smiling, because they have been very much engaging and advocating, and have been supporting each other in helping us to find meaningful changes to bring in our legislation, because they believe that the incarcerated people are still their loved ones.

MOMS was an integral part of the OCDC task force, and their recommendations have helped shape the proposed legislation we are discussing today. Their voices are strong and their voices have been heard. So I say again, thank you very much for all the efforts you’ve made for this bill.

Their voices told us that those in our custody need to see their family and friends more, not less, and our correctional system needs to facilitate and foster these connections. So we are proposing that inmates have the right to at least two in-person visits a week, and that the ministry begin consultations on our pilot for a mother-baby program that will deliver new hope to multiple generations.

Our government has made great progress in bringing increased transparency and accountability to Ontario’s public institutions, including our correctional facilities. Over the past few years, an improved oversight and investigation model that delivers greater transparency and accountability in use-of-force investigations was put in place.

We have strengthened the link between institutions and local communities by establishing community advisory boards; we call them CABs. These independent boards are made up of community volunteers who provide advice to the facility’s superintendent and who deliver an annual report to the minister. They have 24/7 access to our institutions, and they bring an outside set of eyes and ears to our institutions.

We have also initiated independent public reviews of our correctional system. The Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre Task Force, which included participation from staff, management and community members, delivered a public action plan and multiple reports about our progress implementing that plan. The OCDC Task Force is a model for what is possible when we all work together.

Our independent adviser on corrections reform, Mr. Howard Sapers, was tasked with examining every aspect of our correctional system. His report and recommendations provided the road map for this legislation and for our continuing transformation efforts. These were bold, often unprecedented steps, but we know that we must do more.

With this legislation, we are proposing to further strengthen transparency and oversight in a number of ways. First, the legislation would establish an independent inspector general of correctional services. The inspector general would be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and would operate independently of the ministry and the minister. They would be responsible for monitoring the ministry to ensure compliance with the provisions of our proposed bill, to oversee conditions, and to ensure the fair and humane treatment of those in our custody and care.

The proposed inspector general will also, when necessary and at their sole discretion, issue mandatory directives to enforce compliance with ministry policy. They will use improved data collection and trend analysis to identify and address issues before they become problems. The inspector general would deliver an annual public report and would be able to supplement this report with investigations into specific areas of concern within the ministry.

The new role was one of Mr. Sapers’s key recommendations. A similar position that provides independent oversight of correctional services works well in the United Kingdom and Australia.

In addition to the inspector general, the bill also proposes specific independent oversight measures for segregated inmates. Independent review panels would regularly review the cases of inmates held in non-disciplinary segregation. To bring increased accountability and oversight to disciplinary segregation, the independent disciplinary hearing officers would be responsible for judging the most serious allegations of inmate misconduct.

Third, the legislation would bring community advisory boards—the CABs—to all of our institutions.

We would also establish independent hearing panels to regularly review the cases of inmates who are held in segregation.

Finally, we have created a new position, the chief of investigations, that will focus on staff professionalism and institutional security. The chief of investigations will be appointed by the minister and will be independent from the operational branch of the ministry. The legislation would establish a regulatory power to set timelines and procedures for these investigations, and to ensure that they are transparent and fair.

Mr. Speaker, every admission to an institution is also an opportunity for us to assess and address a client’s unmet needs, often for the first time. Our ministry has improved the admissions process, including better mental health screening tools and policies that recognize gender identity and gender expression. This bill proposes to build on the work to date.

We will ensure that all inmates, including those on remand, are classified upon admission for security purposes and are housed accordingly. The current maximum-security-for-all model will be a thing of the past.

On the discharge side, we are working to improve community reintegration through enhanced community partnerships. We will work more closely with community organizations to support a seamless transition back to society. Discharge planning must begin as soon as an individual walks through our door, and this legislation would ensure that this happens.

Between admission and discharge, we need a correctional system that is equipped to meet the needs of our inmates, one that helps them prepare for their return to the community. Improved access to client-centred supports is key in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.

It starts with a plan, Mr. Speaker. Putting in place client-centred supports starts with identifying individual needs and putting a plan in place that addresses an individual’s circumstances. We actually know this works. Corrections Canada and British Columbia have integrated case management models in place to coordinate responses between health care and corrections for clients with mental health or substance abuse issues, and they have achieved excellent results. Knowing an individual’s needs at the outset will help ensure that they have the right supports in place while they are in our custody and care.

To better respond to an inmate’s individual needs, this bill will require that an initial assessment be conducted on all newly admitted inmates. Based on that assessment, an integrated case management plan would be developed. This plan and the information it contains will follow an inmate throughout their time within our institutions. This will ensure the client gets appropriate care and support. The plan will inform the discharge planning process and help define the supports required to assist with a return to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been talking for a fairly long time, but there is a population that I have not yet shared as to what we’re going to be doing.

The need to address the overrepresentation of First Nation, Inuit and Métis people and racialized populations in our institutions is one of the greatest challenges facing our correctional system in Canada. Métis, First Nation and Inuit peoples account for just over 2% of Ontario’s population but make up more than 12% of the inmate population. For those serving sentences in the community, the number is almost 11%. In his final report as the federal correctional investigator, Mr. Sapers noted that black Canadians represent the fastest-growing group in federal prisons, and are vastly overrepresented behind bars.

For our government, the transformation of Ontario’s correctional system will not be complete without driving those numbers down.

The proposed bill would increase support for Inuit, Métis, and First Nation individuals within our system and other overrepresented groups who have diverse and unique needs. It would establish an advisory committee made up of Métis, Inuit, and First Nation justice system experts to advise on the delivery of correctional services to inmates.

The proposed bill would also affirm that First Nation, Inuit and Métis elders and spiritual advisers have the same status as other religious leaders inside our correctional facilities. It would require that oversight bodies, including community advisory boards, receive enhanced training on Inuit, Métis and First Nation rights and culture. It would also require cultural competency training to promote the recognition of, and respect for, Ontario’s diverse community.

The legislation, if passed, would also ensure that all rehabilitative programming, general programs and work programs take into account the diverse and unique needs of the inmate population, and pay particular attention to the needs of overrepresented populations.

Finally, it would require that a life history analysis that takes individualized and systemic factors into account be consulted and considered for every decision that would limit the liberty of an Inuit, First Nation or Métis individual.

This government made a commitment to address the legacy of residential schools, and to making the justice system culturally relevant and responsive. This legislation is another step on the long road towards reconciliation.

We know that there are other communities in this province that experience over-incarceration and systemic racism. Their needs and realities can and will be addressed. I will establish an advisory committee to advise me on measures to address the overrepresentation of black inmates and on how we can better support their reintegration into the community.

Let’s talk about health care, something that was part of my life for 15 years. As we talk about our Correctional Services Transformation Act and the highlights that we shared—certainly, the bill is to achieve a better outcome for individuals in our correctional system, but there’s one area, as I said, that is very, very strong. I want to discuss the health and the well-being of those in our care and custody.

I will start by saying that every citizen has a right to high-quality health care, even if they are in jail—perhaps especially when they are in jail. A great many of the people who find themselves in the correctional system arrive ill or at greater risk of illness than the general population. The people who are sent to our institutions are disproportionately impacted by mental illness and addictions. For many, difficulties dealing with illness, addiction and trauma are what propelled them towards our institutions in the first place. These are realities that cannot be ignored.

The proposed bill supports our government’s commitment to expand and enhance health care for inmates. It includes a principle that underscores our responsibility to provide equitable access to health care for those in our custody and care. It also emphasizes the importance of clinical independence and the need to provide continuity of care when people move from institutions to the community and back again. These are essential pillars of a responsible, effective health care system.

We know that many people in our facilities have special health care needs—needs that must be addressed. We also know that there will, by necessity, be differences between the care delivered within our facilities and the care available in the community. Indeed, at times, this vulnerable population will require more clinical support within an institution, given their particular needs and circumstances. The ultimate imperative is a health care system that is fair to all Ontarians.

The legislation would also set out a clear definition of health care services and would establish health care services teams and mental health services teams to improve services to our inmates.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to emphasize the importance of health care in and out of our institutions. We must ensure that our inmates have very good transition plans in place so that their health care is not interrupted as they move in and out of our institutions. If someone is suffering from mental illness, we have to help them, wherever they are, whoever they are.

As I mentioned earlier, the vast majority of those entering our provincial correctional institutions will stay there for a very short period of time. Bringing them in and then turning them out without providing the help they need is counterproductive. It leads to recidivism. If any underlying issues are unaddressed, the individual will likely repeat the behaviour that led to their incarceration in the first place. We have to break the cycle of people going from emergency room to hospital to the streets to police car to jail, and then back out again to start all over.

This government takes this duty and this opportunity seriously. We know that making progress on this is key for making our communities safer.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to thank the members of the health care coalition, who, along with Mr. Howard Sapers, have been strong advocates on this issue. The coalition included key mental health and addiction organizations: the centre for mental health and addictions, the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario and many others who have been strong voices for improved mental health and addictions care in our institutions. I also want to in particular recognize the John Howard Society of Ontario, who authored a valuable report on this topic called Fractured Care.

This proposed legislation is neither the beginning nor the end of these discussions. My ministry and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will continue to work together to transform health care services in correctional facilities.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to say a few words about private, for-profit prisons. Actually, I want to say one word, and that word is “no.” If passed, Bill 6 will prohibit the government from entering into contracts to operate private, for-profit correctional institutions. As you may remember, a previous government went down the privatization path with disastrous results. We know from these failed experiments that outcomes for inmates, and ultimately our communities, are way better in publicly run facilities. I am proud to stand in this House proposing legislation that recognizes the value of our public corrections system and keeping it public.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, this bill proposes a large and ambitious transformation that will put Ontario’s correctional services for adults in step with the complex needs of our client population.

For several years, Mr. Speaker, I have worked as a social worker in the children’s aid society, at CHEO and in hospital. When we talk about discharge planning and the importance of a proper discharge plan, when we talk about individuals who are very vulnerable and challenged in our society, it resonates with me as a former social worker. I and we on this side of the House are committed to a safe and secure correctional system that incarcerates less, that addresses health and mental health needs, and where rehabilitation and other programs support individuals’ successful reintegration into our communities.

The proposed legislation addresses recommendations by both Mr. Sapers and the Ombudsman, as well as concerns raised by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and other organizations. Other recommendations and concerns will be addressed through non-legislative and operational changes.

By proposing to include much of the future of correctional services in legislation and by clearly defining areas such as segregation, increased transparency and accountability, and more individualized programs, we are setting new standards and goals for service delivery, including respect for every client’s dignity and human rights; including safer, more supportive workplaces for our staff; including more robust services and supports for vulnerable inmates and individuals; and including stronger ties to community agencies and resources so that when people leave our correctional system, they don’t return.

As we enter the next stage in the transformation of correctional services, we will continue to work with our dedicated correctional staff, community organizations and other partners on the development of new regulations and practices.

We have to retool the system and focus our support on the physical, emotional and learning needs of those placed in our custody and under our community supervision, and we have to give our staff the tools they need to do the jobs we ask them to do. We have to do all that we can to ensure that those who come into our custody and supervision do not return.

Mr. Speaker, I have a few minutes and I would like to share some stories with you that I experienced over the last year as minister. I had the great privilege of visiting our institutions and also meeting with former inmates and our dedicated staff. I went to visit some parole and probation offices. And there’s one thing I must say here, and I’m very proud to say this: We have an extraordinary group of individuals working for the province of Ontario. They are dedicated, their hearts are in the right place, and we will continue to work with them.

As I engaged with all of them, today I also want to recognize the very dedicated individuals who have worked in bringing this legislation together. We have lots of people in our policy and in our ministries who have worked tirelessly in ensuring that we consult with individuals, that we consult with our staff, and that we have the right people around each and every table possible, so we can collect—I was at the breakfast earlier this morning and I was making reference to some of the asks that I was asked to do. Some of our staff were very funny—and I don’t know how funny that is to you, Mr.

Speaker—and they said that I should go undercover. You know, there is Undercover Boss, and they said, “It would be nice, Minister, if you were to challenge yourself to do this.” Then there was another group that asked me to go to the training that our corrections staff go through, and some of our nurses shared with me that I should spend a day with them. I wish that I could have done all of that.

In the last year I visited over 11 of our facilities. Again, I must say, I am very, very proud to be part of a government that is attentive, that wants to do the right thing, and I know that all of us in this House, I would say, will reflect on that.

I certainly hope that our transformation of corrections will keep Ontarians who already live in the safest jurisdiction in North America even safer. I would say that is what the people of Ontario expect.

I would challenge everyone in the House who is interested in learning more about this bill, as it makes its way through the legislative process, to come—Mr. Speaker, I think you had a technical briefing about the bill, and I certainly hope that you will be able to reflect some of your thoughts about the high quality of this proposed legislation, because it is transforming, it is a change, it is bold; it is something that we are fully committed to implementing.

But we cannot do it alone. We’ll need the support of this House to pass this bill. We’ll need the support of our staff, of every single organization and not-for-profit organization in a true holistic approach to this transformation.

I shared some thoughts this morning and I know some of you have listened very carefully.

I also want to recognize one name that I would like to throw in. Nathalie Des Rosiers, my colleague from Ottawa–Vanier, is not here, but she reflects back on an individual who—I’ve shared MOMS; I’ve shared the CABs importance, but there is one lady whom we have had the great privilege of knowing and talking to every single day for a few months now. Her name is Abby. She is our senior policy adviser. If any of you have a chance to meet Abby, have a meaningful conversation about the importance of this bill and what it means from her past.

I also want to recognize Shane, Bryan, Juliana, Dorijan, Jesse, and all the team within our ministry, who have worked tirelessly—and I would say very hard, actually—to bring this proposed legislation to the floor.

Let’s talk about final thoughts on our inmates, those who are currently in our institutions, a vast majority on remand, with mental health issues and overrepresentation, with sometimes feeling that there’s no hope for them after they leave our institutions. As I’ve said to you, Mr. Speaker, I’m a former social worker and that speaks to me. That speaks to me because, yes, there are individuals who are in our institutions because they’ve done serious crimes. But there are also individuals who didn’t have the same opportunity that maybe some of you in this House had.

For me, finding a way of addressing their needs and listening and finding a better way of discharging them back into our community is a commitment that I take very seriously.

Several organizations have told us that we have to take care of individuals who are in our care and custody—MOMS, our human rights commission and other individuals, and I would say also our staff in our institutions. This legislation is a first step. I would say it is the foundation of what we have started and the furthering of what we need to do.

I hope that you have enjoyed this one-hour discussion. I look forward to hearing your comments.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Questions and comments?

Ms. Laurie Scott: It was interesting to hear the minister’s comments today on the Correctional Services Transformation Act, because what I’ve heard from corrections officers, from nurses, and from probation and parole officers is this bill is not going to help them deal with what we have all been hearing is the crisis in corrections. In fact, the independent adviser on corrections reform described shocking abuse and disorder in our detention centres.

From Central East Correctional Centre here today is Chris Butsch, the president of Local 368, and Mike Fullon, who are waiting in my office. I’m going to go up to meet with them.

But I hear stories from my corrections officers all the time about violence being at an all-time high. I just watch the tweets. Just last week there was another incident in the Central East Correctional Centre. Officers are assaulted all the time, and they tweet out and say, “When will you speak out and act for the safety of corrections officers?” So, Madam Minister, I hope you’re watching those.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Every one.

Ms. Laurie Scott: You spoke about being like an undercover boss and going into the facilities. Carolyn Jarvis from Global News was undercover and spoke in detail of what’s going on with the probations and parole situation that we have.

You just have to listen to what happened in Renfrew county when those three women were murdered by someone on parole and probation. They don’t have the resources to go out and make all these checks. It is unsafe out there. Conditions need to improve. The ministry—the government—has to do a lot better.

I could go on and on, but I know that our critic will go on and on. Hopefully I’ll get another chance to address what’s not in this bill that is needed to protect our corrections officers.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I’m glad to have an opportunity to make a few comments in response to the minister’s one-hour speech. I’m glad that, as always, we have the opportunity to talk about what’s happening behind the walls and in our communities when it comes to corrections.

I’m relieved to hear the minister say some things about segregation and changing the definition of segregation. She has mentioned that private, for-profit prisons have no place in this province. Okay. Changing the definition of segregation is one thing, but changing the practice is another, and if we’re going to just change the language and re-jig a couple of things—if five minutes will make the difference between technically calling something “segregation” and calling it “alternative housing”—I don’t want to get into word games. We want to actually get to the heart of the matter. We want to appropriately resource our institutions and our community corrections.

It’s fine for the government to say, “We’ve put language in here saying there will be no privatization,” but there remains the concern, (

a) because they’re Liberals and (

b) because in the bill it talks about contractors. Well, we can’t privatize and contract out services. No privatization at all is what we need to have in order to have that safe and secure work environment.

I would like the government to be a little bit clearer and make some changes when it comes to that. No more P3s. We’ve been seeing that, and it’s a really pretty concept, but when you actually get down to the nuts and bolts of it, it is not what’s in the best interests of this province.

I’d like to hear more about staffing, and not just the government celebrating, “Look at how many officers we’ve hired.” That’s not enough, just hiring folks to stand in line and not even get the hours they need and not offset the issues. We need appropriate staffing levels in our institutions in our communities, and they are not addressing this.

So, lots to talk about.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments?

Ms. Soo Wong: I’m pleased to rise this morning in my two minutes to respond to the minister’s kick-off of Bill 6 and her remarks on second reading.

Mr. Speaker, I want to do a shout-out to three correctional facilities that I visited recently: the Toronto East Detention Centre, the North Bay Jail and the very famous Don Jail, before it was closed. I want to say thank you so much to the staff at these facilities for what they do every single day to keep Ontario safe but, more importantly, Mr. Speaker, to support the inmates who are in these facilities.

I know some of our colleagues were at OPSEU’s lobby day this morning, at the breakfast. I will be meeting with some of the officials from OPSEU later this afternoon. But more importantly, these workers are like any other first responders. We need to make sure their issues, as well as those from the inmates’ perspective, are heard.

The minister spoke very eloquently this morning in the one-hour kick-off of second reading debate about Bill 6. If the legislation is passed, it will provide the most foundational changes and transformation of our correctional system in generations. The minister alluded to about 30 years since we had the last transformation of correctional facilities.

As a former nurse, like the minister, in health care—I don’t have a lot of time, 30 seconds—I want to highlight the many nurses and health care professionals who are working in these correctional facilities across the province. I met some of the doctors. The dentist, when I was at the Toronto East Detention Centre: “Do you need some dental work?” I said, “No, it’s okay.” But the very important piece, Mr. Speaker, is that we know there are higher incidences of mental health and substance abuse in these correctional facilities.

I’m looking forward to the second reading debate but also going to committee for further discussion.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments?

Mr. Steve Clark: I’m pleased to be able to provide a few comments on Bill 6 and in response in the minister’s lead.

First, because the Attorney General is here, I just want to acknowledge a letter that he sent yesterday to Brockville police chief Scott Fraser, putting the wheels in motion to have installation of a video suite in courtroom number 1 in Brockville. It’s an issue that I’ve brought up a couple of times in question period. I want to acknowledge and thank the Attorney General for moving this forward. I know that people in our community are very happy to see this letter to Chief Fraser. I’ll be calling the chief.

I’ve acknowledged it to the Attorney General personally this morning but I wanted to do it publicly in the House, and I will be passing it along in a few moments when I call Chief Fraser.

In terms of the minister’s comments on Bill 6, on March 16, I met with Ralph Newans, who is the vice-president of OPSEU Local 440, and also Gareth Jones and Jonathan Turcotte. They expressed to me some of their concerns in the corrections system right now. I think the minister knows that our officers maintain some of the highest caseloads in the country. There is a concern, and I know other members have acknowledged it this morning, about the need for us to hire and invest in more officers. Training was an issue that was expressed at that meeting, and the lack of accredited training that the ministry has.

We’ve got some very complex offenders that are in our facilities, and we need this government to make that financial commitment to them.

We also have a very limited legislative runway. I really would like to hear someone, either the minister or the government House leader, talk about how you’re going to get this bill forward before the House prorogues for an election. I’d like those questions answered.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Back to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services for final comments.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: I want to say thank you very much to all the members who shared comments. I know this is the beginning of several hours of debate where we will be able to hear the concerns from each of you. This is part of our legislative process. Then the bill will be moving to committee.

Mr. Speaker, we are very, very much committed in moving this bill forward and hopefully having it pass. Certainly the support of the House will help. This is a time, a moment in history, where, after 30 years, we are working hard to transform our justice system. I know that, as reflected by one member about some initiatives taken with the Attorney General and, on the other side of my ministry, the Police Services Act and the Safer Ontario Act modernization.

We have the privilege in Ontario to live in one of the safest jurisdictions. We are proud Ontarians who have access to many things that other jurisdictions in other parts of the world don’t have. But at the same time, we can always do more. This is the challenge. This is what we are acknowledging. I am listening to the challenges expressed by our very hard-working, dedicated staff, inside and outside. We’re also working very hard with the health care transformation within our institutions.

Nothing can happen in one single aspect. It has to be a whole approach where we are reviewing our remand and our bail system, and looking at community safety and well-being development.

Merci, Mr. Speaker. Again, I really appreciate being able to talk today.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I’d like to thank all who participated in the debate this morning. It is now 10:15. This House will stand recessed until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1015 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Today I would like to welcome Alicia Eliot, Sarah Coleman and their grade 11 and 12 students from Innisdale Secondary School in my riding of Barrie. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’d like to welcome the president of the Ontario Medical Association, Dr. Shawn Whatley, who introduced his platform today, and also OMA reps Laurel Brazill, Amanda Phillip and Cal McClellan. Thank you and welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I’d like to welcome His Worship the mayor of Prince Edward County, Robert Quaiff. Robert, welcome.

Mrs. Julia Munro: I would also like to introduce Dr. Shawn Whatley in his role as a constituent of mine, as well as being the president of the OMA.

Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to welcome Tyler Twarowski to our Legislature today, from the great little town of Englehart in northern Ontario.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: On behalf of the MPP for York Centre: Page Eliana Rosenberg has her parents here today. Please welcome Marsha and David Rosenberg to the Legislature.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to introduce the hearing coalition audiologists here today: Darren Farry; Lisa Simmonds; Kathleen Schneiker; Jim Bidner; Patricia Lynn Van Hoof; two constituents of mine, Roseanne McNamee and Robbie Davidson; Joanne Sproule; Vivienne Saba-Gesa; Jason Toone; Adam Fitzsimmons; Katty Herrera; Alaina Baker; Maggie Arzani; Michelle Ummels; Kim Scott; Vlad Mitreski; Hish Husein; Ida Massarella; Brian Archambault; and Brian Beatty. We welcome them on behalf of all members of this assembly today.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’ll be meeting this afternoon with members of OPSEU corrections from Thunder Bay. I’d like to welcome to the Legislature Mike Lundy, Shawn Bradshaw, Randy Simpraga, Sean Dunn and Monte Vieselmeyer.

Mr. Bill Walker: I’d like to welcome Natalie Richardson, the managing director of Save Your Skin and a constituent from the great town of Meaford, and Ferg Devins with Bladder Cancer Canada.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’d like to introduce a number of guests of our page Annabelle Rayson. Her mother, Stephanie Lobsinger; her father, Eric Rayson; and her sister, Cyndi Rayson, will be joining us in the members’ gallery later this morning.

Also, from my riding, Brian Moore and Barbara Clements are joining us this morning in the west members’ gallery.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I know that we have, from all across Ontario, correctional officers who are here today. But I want to give a shout-out to Ken Steinbrunner, who comes from South Porcupine. He is down here with the rest of the team from the Monteith Correctional Complex.

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’d like to introduce Executive Director Joanne Sproule and President Vivienne Saba-Gesa of the Association of Hearing Instrument Practitioners who are here from my riding today.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I’m glad to welcome folks from corrections from across the province. I was glad to have breakfast this morning with the folks from Central East Correctional Centre: Chris Butsch, the president; Carrie Fitzpatrick, Leigh Enborg and Sean Dunn. And I see friends from Toronto East Detention Centre up in the galleries. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: On behalf of the MPP from Mississauga–Streetsville: Page captain Luke Dixon has here today his parents, Christine and John; his sisters, Danielle and Claire; his brothers, William and Graham; and his grandmother Silvia Dixon. They’re all here in the public gallery this morning.

Mr. Bill Walker: I’d like to introduce Jacqueline Dobson to the Legislature.

Mr. Michael Harris: I have to introduce constituents of mine, page Luke Dixon’s family here from my riding: father John Dixon; mother Christine; William, his brother, who was also a legislative page here at Queen’s Park; Graham, Danielle and Claire. Welcome, guys, to Queen’s Park.

M me France Gélinas: I, too, wanted to welcome the OPSEU members from correctional services who are here today. From my riding is Mike Bisaillon, who works at the Sudbury Jail, and Jean-Luc Roy, who is a parole officer. I also had the pleasure to meet with Chantal Breton, Erin Darrington and Wayne Stack, better known as “Stacker,” from Monteith. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to join the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services in welcoming all the correctional officers who are here today in the House. In particular, I want to welcome Smokey Thomas, who is the president of OPSEU; Monte Vieselmeyer, who is the MERC co-chair; and, in addition, Scott McIntyre, Chad Oldfield and Chris Jackel.

Also, from Ottawa, I want to welcome Irene Mathias, who is the coordinator of the MOMS group, which has been of tremendous counsel and guidance to me, personally, and to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services on issues related to reforming our correctional system and transforming it into something that actually looks after people who are in our custody and care.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I would also like to introduce the father of page captain Tatyana Zebroski of the riding of Brant. Her father, Thadeus Zebroski, is in the Speaker’s gallery. Welcome, and we’re glad you’re with us.

Also today in the Speaker’s gallery, my executive assistant and chief of staff Heather Gaukel’s family members: James Balsdon and John Davies. Welcome.

Again, we have in the Speaker’s gallery the guests from the Jean-Charles-Bonenfant Internship Program in Quebec. Welcome to them. Please stand. Thank you very much for joining us.

Also in the Speaker’s gallery, we do have a new friend of mine, the consul general of Spain, Mr. Marcos Vega.

Finally, we have in the Speaker’s gallery a delegation of consular corps representatives from the Caribbean: Mr. Haynesley Benn, consul general of Barbados; Ms. Ann-Marie Layne, consul general of Antigua and Barbuda; Mr. Derrick James, consul general of Grenada; Ms. Anyin Choo, consul general of Guyana; and Dr. Winston Isaac, honorary consul general of St. Kitts and Nevis—you can’t ask for a trip on this one.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I was just thinking that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I was thinking like you.

The consul general of St. Lucia, Cheryl Francis; Mr. Fitzgerald Huggins, consul general of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Cherrone Mokund, acting consul general of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Mr. Lloyd Wilks, consul general of Jamaica; and Ms. Frances Delsol, trade and investment commissioner of Dominica. Welcome to our delegation.

Just so that you know, we’re working on twinning arrangements with our wonderful people from the islands. It’s a pleasure to have you with us here today.

It is therefore time for question period.

Oral Questions

Government accounting practices

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The newest Liberal billion-dollar scandal is a real doozy, this time over at the Independent Electricity System Operator. The Auditor General says the IESO’s “annual deficit would be understated by $1.3 billion” due to their accounting shell game.

But worse, the auditor is being blocked from completing her investigation. The energy minister says they have been “forthright and fully responsive,” but the auditor says that “they stalled on giving us information” and “wouldn’t sign” the forms “confirming that they gave us all the information.” The auditor then asked, “When it came down to the crux of it, why can’t you sign a document that says that you gave us all the information?”

Speaker, it’s no wonder that the people of Ontario don’t trust this government. Just what information does the Premier not want us to have?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, I’m pleased to rise and talk about the great work that’s being done at the IESO.

In relation to the question, the system operator, the IESO, has assured my ministry that they have made every effort to be forthright and fully responsive to the Auditor General’s requests for information. For example, they made workspaces for the AG staff in the IESO headquarters, making sure that these accommodations—to extend the duration of the Auditor General’s staff on the premises from the initial two weeks to seven weeks. During this time, they received and responded to over 200 information requests from the AG’s staff. They accommodated every meeting request.

Forty meetings took place between the IESO and the AG. They also accommodated their request to meet with the board and the audit committee.

They’ll continue to work with the IESO, just like our government does.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Premier: Despite what the energy minister says, the obstruction by the IESO has gone to extreme lengths, including holding secret meetings. They held a board meeting to approve their statement, but they didn’t tell the auditor or her staff. Contrary to what the minister says, the AG said, “‘When is the board meeting? We’d like to come.’ They did it without telling us.”

The energy minister says these concerns aren’t anything new, but because this government can’t be trusted to properly report their numbers, the auditor has threatened an adverse opinion. That would be a first in Canada. We’d say, Minister, that is something new.

Speaker, is the Premier going to come clean on this billion-dollar scandal?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, when it comes to the board meetings and when it comes to the audit committee, the IESO accommodated every AG request on this. They also made sure that the Auditor General’s staff had direct access to the IESO staff to ask questions.

As I said before, they made sure that they had workspaces for the AG’s staff. They accommodated their requests from two weeks to seven weeks, answered over 200 requests for information, and made sure that over 40 meetings took place between the IESO and the AG’s staff.

We’re going to continue to have the IESO work with the AG, just like they’ve been doing in the past—because when it came to making sure that we brought forward real relief for families, the fair hydro plan did that, and that party on the other side, as usual, voted against it.

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

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Premier: The auditor says this is all due to the government’s “bogus” accounting of its hydro plan. The energy minister says this accounting is common in other jurisdictions, but the auditor says most of his examples are in the US and none use Canadian standards.

This government paid $600,000 to an outside auditor, nearly seven times their normal fee, just to defend this position. The Auditor General said, “It’s ridiculous.” They said they spent $230,000 just to answer the AG’s questions. Not only is it ridiculous; it’s wrong.

How can families ever trust anything this government tells us again?

Interjections.

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

Be seated, please. Thank you.

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Jurisdictions right across North America use rate-regulated accounting. Alberta, New England, New York, Michigan and Texas, and many entities right here in Canada, including Ontario Power Generation, Toronto Hydro, Fortis and Hydro One use this type of accounting.

When it comes to trust, they seem to trust the numbers that we have on this, because they put it in their People’s Guarantee. They made sure that right in the People’s Guarantee—the Conservatives included the fair hydro plan in their platform magazine and now are standing there criticizing it.

Worst of all, when it came time to provide real relief for Ontario families, for half a million small businesses and farms and for low-income consumers, they voted against it.

Time and time again, they demonstrate that they have no interest in helping the people of Ontario.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): As I’ve been doing for the last few weeks, we’re now in warnings.

New question.

Government accounting practices

Mr. Todd Smith: My question is for the Premier this morning.

The Auditor General found something else a little bit fishy about this audit. She said documents were given to them “in a box of papers after we were basically finished the audit.” In there was “documentation around the fact that the assets of the IESO had been pledged as collateral and security against the fair hydro trust.”

What does that mean? According to the AG, it means that the generators fall behind the creditors for the fair hydro plan trust. The government is playing financial games with assets that they have no right to play with.

Did the government try to play this shell game on the generators just like they tried to play this shell game with the Auditor General’s office?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, as I said before, we made a choice—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Niagara West–Glanbrook is warned.

Carry on.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: We made a policy choice to ensure that we continue to have a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system for ratepayers of today and ratepayers of tomorrow. The fair hydro plan keeps the cost of borrowing within the rate base, not the tax base, because that’s the logical thing to do.

As I said before, electricity financing should remain within the electricity system. Officials from the Treasury Board, finance, OPG, IESO, the Ontario Financing Authority, along with external advisers that included Ernst and Young—

Mr. John Yakabuski: What about the AG? What did she have to say?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke is warned.

You have a wrap-up sentence.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: —KPMG and Deloitte, for example, all worked on the accounting relating to the fair hydro plan.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Todd Smith: And, Speaker, they all benefited from this unfair Liberal hydro plan that they’ve cooked up over there.

This is the body that won’t stay buried. This unfair Liberal hydro plan keeps giving and giving. This financial shell game that they’re playing clearly worries this government.

The Auditor General—

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: “Shell game” is not parliamentary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Etobicoke North is warned.

Finish, please.

Mr. Todd Smith: The AG asked management and the board to disclose this in their financial statements and they haven’t done so. The AG added that Bruce Power would be concerned that the IESO pledged as collateral the incoming revenues they would receive from the local distribution companies. The generators fall behind the creditors at the bank now, basically, in receiving their money. How far does this go?

A quote from the AG: “At this point, we know it’s at least an over-$1-billion adjustment from this accounting.” That is one heck of an adjustment.

Did the government secretly mortgage a billion dollars of taxpayer money to finance this shell game?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, what we’ve done has been open and transparent about the whole process when it comes to the fair hydro plan—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Ontario families and small businesses are now paying less, by average, on their bills than in any other jurisdiction, and that is because of the fair hydro plan that we brought forward. Families in cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco actually pay more than we do in Ontario.

When it comes to the Auditor General and the accounting dispute, as I said before, the Office of the Provincial Controller—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Simcoe–Grey is warned.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: The Office of the Provincial Controller ensured that this plan was in accordance with public sector accounting. As I said, the Treasury Board, finance, OPG, the IESO and the Ontario Financing Authority, along with all of the other external advisers, agreed with this, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Todd Smith: Not all the skullduggery here is at the billion-dollar level of scandal. Just look at the missing million dollars in the AG’s report that came out on the fair hydro plan. During the accounting process, another missing million was found. Quote: “If you don’t need the money anymore, you pay back the security deposit.”

The AG found over $1 million and they couldn’t figure out who they owed the money to. They were never doing the proper reconciliations. A million dollars, just like that: poof. No one knows where it went. No one knows who received that million dollars, Speaker. This level of secrecy over the mysterious missing million is astounding, even for this Kathleen Wynne government.

Folks want to know how many more millions of dollars are simply just missing or unaccounted for as a result of their—

Interjections.

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

We’ll remind the member and all members that you use titles or ridings in this House.

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, when we’re talking about regulated accounting, when we’re talking about the work that’s being done by the IESO, all of this is done through public sector accounting standards. Of course, these are used in many other jurisdictions: Alberta, New England, New York, Michigan and Texas. Toronto Hydro uses this; Fortis and Hydro One use this type of accounting. This is common practice in the electricity sector because that’s where you keep the debt. You keep it within the electricity sector.

For us, we’re going to continue to work to make electricity reliable and affordable for everyone in this province. The fair hydro plan did just that, Mr. Speaker. We’ll continue to work for the people of Ontario.

Dental care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. One third of working people in Ontario don’t have a dental plan. For people who work freelance or who work on contract—artists, people who work in the gig economy—that statistic is even worse.

The Premier and her Liberal government have had 15 years to address this issue. Why didn’t they?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I have said in this House a number of times, we’re very glad that the NDP has come into the discussion of this issue, because we have been working on this. We understand that dental care is a gap in health care. We understand that, which is exactly why we have expanded the Healthy Smiles program. It provides free preventive, routine and emergency dental services for children and youth. It’s helping more than 450,000 kids access important dental services.

We know there’s more to be done. We recognize that, Mr. Speaker. We know, whether it’s pharmacare or dental care, that we need to be working to find solutions so that people who don’t have those services can access them in an affordable way.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Two thirds of Ontario seniors don’t have a dental plan. Folks on social assistance have no minimum standard of dental coverage either. Why didn’t the Premier and her Liberal government ensure families have access to the dental care they need, in their 15 years in office?

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

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Again, to reinforce what the Premier has just said, we have our expanded Healthy Smiles program. I think it’s really important to recognize there is no limit to our funding for the Healthy Smiles program. We work with dentists to ensure that every single eligible child has the necessary services available.

We’ve started with children and youth, as evidence suggests that oral health issues are most prevalent, of course, in those particular low-income families, and the children are particularly vulnerable.

Through our throne speech—and I know the anticipation is really rising for our budget tomorrow. I’m sure all members are eagerly anticipating that. We want to make sure that we make the appropriate investments to ensure more people without a drug or dental benefits plan will have access to this type of care.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Every three minutes, someone in Ontario goes to the emergency room or to a physician, a family doctor, to get dental care. Parents are being forced to watch as their kids grow up with pain in their mouths.

Notwithstanding what this minister has said, just the other week, the medical officer of health in Hamilton was sounding the alarm bells, asking that city council help provide more dental care for the children in our community.

Their system has been failing kids for years, Speaker. No one in this prosperous province should go without the dental care that they need, least of all our children. Why does the Premier disagree?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I’m really pleased that the third party has come to our way of thinking on this very important area of health care.

My ministry provides public health units with funding for over 200 dental clinics to ensure access to services. These include services in public health units, community health centres, portable clinics, mobile clinics like dental buses, and aboriginal health access centres. But we recognize that there’s more to do.

Our government does provide dental benefits for individuals receiving income support under the Ontario Disability Support Program. Under Ontario Works, adults may also receive dental coverage when they are in need of emergency dental care or to help them get back on their feet and participate in employment assistance activities. We know these are crucial investments. We are going to continue to make them.

I acknowledge that the medical officer of health for Hamilton put out a very useful and interesting report. She also emphasized the need for people to understand the services that are in the community that they can access.

Government’s record

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier: 4.5 million Ontarians don’t have access to the dental care they need because they can’t afford it. In a province as wealthy as Ontario, this is absolutely unacceptable.

But instead of showing Ontarians that she cares about these issues too, the Premier has focused her energy on other things, like selling off Hydro One, after she said she wouldn’t, and taking the money away from health care while lining the pockets of wealthy investors.

Why did the Premier choose selling off Hydro One over making our health care system better?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I appreciate the leader of the third party bringing forward, at this point, a discussion on dental care. We have been concerned about this for some time. We have been working on it, as the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has said, to expand those services. We know that there is more to be done.

We also know that there are other investments that are needed in this province. One of them, Mr. Speaker, has been investments in infrastructure, whether that’s roads, bridges, transit across the province, hospitals and schools, including in the Hamilton region.

We made an announcement this morning that will be fleshed out in our budget. It’s interesting that there hasn’t been much talk about child care from the third party for some time, but we made an announcement about free preschool child care starting in September 2020. I’m sure that many of the same families the leader of the third party is talking about will be happy to hear that announcement.

Interjections.

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

Be seated, please. Thank you.

Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, 2.2 million Ontarians can’t afford the medicine that their doctors prescribe; 2.2 million Ontarians can’t afford to get their prescriptions filled. People literally cut their pills in half to make the bottle last longer. Many of these people are over the age of 24.

Why has the Premier chosen to fund tax cuts to profitable corporations instead of a drug plan that covers everyone in Ontario, regardless of age?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, Mr. Speaker, given that question, I’m sure the leader of the third party is pleased that our plan is to expand free pharmacare to everyone over 65, which will mean that 47% of the people in this province will have access to free pharmacare.

We understand that there needs to be a full program of pharmacare across the whole population. We understand that. But what we have determined is necessary is to make sure that the people who have free pharmacare—the OHIP+ program for kids, from their birth to their 25th birthday—have access to all of the drugs on the formulary, the 4,400 prescription medications, as will seniors next year. They will have the opportunity to have free pharmacare. We recognize that there’s more to be done, but we believe that making sure people have access to the full formulary means that they will be able to look after themselves and their families better.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Decades of cuts by Conservatives and Liberals have meant that our hospitals are overcrowded and some people are falling through the cracks. Governments can fill those cracks. We can end hallway medicine. We can make sure that everyone can go to the dentist. We can make sure that people can afford their prescription medications.

The Premier is fond of saying that we all know someone who needs more care. She’s right because, for 15 years, she and her Liberals took that care away from Ontario families.

Why does this Premier expect Ontarians to believe the desperate promises she has been making over the last week or so?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: When I came into this office as Premier in 2013, one of the first things we did was tackle retirement security. I think there’s no more important aspect of a senior’s life than being able to rely on a pension, to know there’s going to be money coming in every month and to be able to rely on that.

Mr. Speaker, my reason for being in politics is to make sure people have the supports they need, to listen to people in this province and—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —to build the province up so that we have the resources to put the supports in place for people to care for themselves and their families. That’s what we’ve been doing, and our budget will bring forward the next steps in that care.

Taxation

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Good morning. My question is to the Premier. We need to make life more affordable for families in Ontario. Under this Liberal government, costs have gone up and families haven’t seen a real raise in over a decade. The Liberals’ too-fast, too-soon policies have cost people their jobs and led to hours being cut for many others. We can make real change, but real change that is affordable for the people of Ontario, particularly for young families.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier lower taxes for those in need and make life more affordable?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: There are two things in that question that I think we need to understand. The first is that the member opposite does not believe that people who are working 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job should be able to feed themselves or their families. The member opposite believes that $15 an hour is too rich for people and we should take that money back from people. We don’t believe that.

The member opposite also believes it is possible to have less money coming into the treasury. She believes—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Haldimand–Norfolk is warned.

Finish, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: She believes that cutting taxes and saying to people, “You just fend for yourselves; you’ll be okay,” is the way we should go forward.

That is the opposite of what we believe, Mr. Speaker. People need more care, and government needs to be part of providing for people the things they can’t do by themselves.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: The Premier has been running around like Oprah, giving everybody what they want with other people’s money. She’s got a massive, massive deficit that’s going to be coming. We know it’s going to be a substantial deficit because her government has boasted about this deficit—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Energy is warned. Someone else was really close.

Carry on.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: This Oprah style of management for the government is not going to work. What Ontario doesn’t need is more Liberal waste, mismanagement and scandal. Instead of spending more for Liberal insiders, we should be making life more affordable for everyone in the province of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, why does the Premier not care? Why is she comfortable in costing these people jobs, and why won’t she lower taxes and make life more affordable for regular folks?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, the children and their parents who were in the room this morning when we were talking about free preschool child care don’t think of themselves as insiders to anyone. They think of themselves as people who need some support. They’re making decisions about whether to have another child, because they don’t know whether they can afford child care. The Minister of Education, who has responsibility for child care, has been working on a plan for over a year. She has listened to people across the province.

If you go through Hansard, Mr. Speaker, I think it would be pretty clear, if you listened to the questions from the other side—questions about, “Why isn’t there more support for mental health?”, questions about, “Why isn’t there more support for hospitals?”, questions about, “Why isn’t there more support for my project in my riding?” coming from across the floor—you know what? People in every corner of this province, whether they are represented by a Conservative or an NDP or a Liberal, are looking for support to do the things that they can’t do by themselves. That’s what we’re going to do.

Interjections.

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

Mr. Randy Hillier: They’re looking for a door for you.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Lanark–Frontenac–Lennox and Addington is warned.

New question.

Government accounting practices

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier. Last May, the Financial Accountability Officer confirmed that the government is needlessly wasting $4 billion of hydro ratepayer money on a complicated private financing scheme whose sole purpose is to conceal $40 billion worth of hydro debt off the government’s books. The Auditor General has repeatedly warned that this scheme violates public sector accounting standards.

But yesterday, the Premier stood up and defended the integrity of her $40-billion hydro borrowing scheme, saying that it had been “approved” by private consultants paid by the government.

Since when do the government’s private consultants approve the government’s books, and not the independent Auditor General?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, we’re talking about a policy choice that we made to ensure we have a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system for ratepayers of today and ratepayers of tomorrow. The fair hydro plan keeps the cost of borrowing within the rate base, not on the tax base, because that is the logical thing to do. Electricity financing should remain within the electricity system, not the tax base.

Mr. Speaker, the Treasury Board, finance, OPG, the system operator, the Ontario Financing Authority, along with external advisers and world-leading, world-class accounting experts Ernst and Young, KPMG and Deloitte, worked on the accounting related to the fair hydro plan. They, along with the Office of the Provincial Controller, ensured that this plan was in accordance with public sector accounting.

With this plan, we reduced rates, on average, by 25% right across the province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Again to the Premier—actually, I’m surprised they didn’t have Arthur Andersen in on that deal, but anyway.

The Auditor General pointed out that the IESO hired KPMG to design the $40-billion private financing scheme and then hired KPMG to audit the scheme it was being paid to design. That’s a huge conflict of interest. This makes this audit untrustworthy, even if we ignore KPMG Canada’s recent record with accounting scams like the Isle of Man tax haven scandal.

The independent Auditor General is the only one who has no interest other than to ensure that the government’s books are presented honestly. Will the Premier stop hiring private consultants who will report whatever she pays them to report and instead take the advice of the independent Auditor General?

Interjections.

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

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: The member opposite has just gone after a world-renowned accounting firm respected all across the globe. The member opposite also doesn’t recognize, and he should, that in order for us to prepare and provide for the reductions of electricity rates for ratepayers to the tune of 25% and, in some cases, over 40% that’s also being done, we also had Ernst and Young and Deloitte. All of these firms have recognized that in other jurisdictions, this form of accounting is permissible, and it occurs in Canada as well. We are doing exactly what colleagues of the Auditor General have recommended that we do. We have done so.

If there’s a dispute between accounts, I cannot resolve them. I can only do, and our government is doing, what the people of Ontario want: reductions in their rates and the betterment of our society.

Education funding

Mr. Arthur Potts: My question is to the Minister of Education. After we inherited an education system that was underfunded and in total disrepair, our government has made it a top priority to invest in teachers, education workers, students and our publicly funded education system. Our focus is to support the people of Ontario, including nearly two million students and thousands of tireless educators.

Ontario is an international leader in education. We are graduating students at a record pace. We are on a path to refresh the curriculum and core skills like math. We’re building new schools in communities across Ontario. We’re investing in school-based mental health supports and supports for students with special needs, all while we are maintaining our commitment to equity by carrying out the first-ever equity action plan in education to address systemic barriers.

Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education: What are we delivering to work to help these students, school boards and educators in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Thank you to the member from Beaches–East York for this important question.

Mr. Speaker, our government is making historic investments in education, and Ontario’s students consistently rank amongst the highest in national and international student achievement results in reading, math and science. In addition, the graduation rate is the highest it has ever been.

Since 2003, we have added more than 40,000 education workers to our publicly funded education system, and now, following yesterday’s Grants for Student Needs announcement, we will be adding 2,000 more.

Yesterday, Speaker, I was joined by the Premier and the member at Kimberley public school in Toronto to announce that next year, the GSN will be increasing by $625 million to $24.5 billion, bringing our per-student funding to $12,300. These investments in education are so important for our students.

Mr. Arthur Potts: Thank you to the Minister of Education for not only her great work that she is doing in education, but the work that she does to support her constituents in Halton.

Nearly $25 billion is a very significant investment in our publicly funded education system. We know that no government in the history of this province has invested more in expanding Ontario’s publicly funded education system than our government, and I’m proud to be part of a government that cares and is committed to providing opportunity for the people of Ontario.

What’s clear from the official opposition’s reports is that billions are planned in cuts, and education is going to be on the chopping block. In fact, Speaker, cutting just $1 billion from our schools means that thousands of teachers, ECEs and education assistants will be fired.

The education funding we announced in Grants for Student Needs yesterday in my riding of Beaches–East York—I appreciated the Premier and the minister coming—was very significant. Can the minister tell us how we’re going to support these kids with special education needs?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Thanks again to the member for that important question.

This $24.5-billion investment will mean so much for students, staff and educators. We are providing enveloped, permanent funding of $300 million over three years to support students with special needs.

This funding will wipe out special education assessment backlogs and wait times. As I mentioned, 2,000 new staff will be coming to classrooms. This includes additional staff, social workers, psychologists and speech-language pathologists. This also includes more education assistants and additional guidance counsellors so grades 7 and 8 students can transition successfully into careers. Finally, 400 new mental health workers over the next two years will help high school students achieve their best in school and in life.

Instead of making cuts, we are making investments in our children and in our classrooms.

Health care

Mr. Jeff Yurek: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Earlier this morning, the Ontario Medical Association released their platform for better health care. To quote their platform, “Wait times are one of the biggest health care problems facing Ontario patients today. Week after week, we’re treating patients in hallways, forced to cancel surgeries, and watching our patients wait to get the care they need. Simply put, patients have to wait far too long, far too often.”

In my riding of Elgin–Middlesex–London, patients can be expected to wait 393 days for a knee replacement surgery. Many ridings across the province have similar times. This government should be ashamed of themselves for their health care record.

My question to the minister is: When so many people have been suffering for so long, why has health care only just become a priority for this government on the eve of an election?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I’d certainly like to welcome the members from the Ontario Medical Association here today. As of last year, I’m a life member of that organization, and I certainly would like to acknowledge, of course, the great work that our physicians do across this province.

Our government knows that everyone in Ontario deserves high-quality care when they need it, and our skilled, dedicated health care professionals, including physicians, deserve the right resources to deliver it. We also believe that they deserve to be compensated well for that high-quality work. I’d just like to remind everyone that Ontario’s doctors are among the highest-paid in Canada, and higher than in most OECD countries.

Wait times are a concern for all of us. That’s why tomorrow’s budget will include more funding for our hospitals, home care and elder care. We’re making headway, Mr. Speaker. Our wait times are the best in Canada, from MRIs to CT scans, ultrasounds and overall specialist wait times. Our wait times for cataracts and knee replacements are half the OECD average.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Back to the minister: This government has continued to attack doctors over the past three and a half years. We’re four years without a contract, and the people that are suffering—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I want the member from Leeds–Grenville to know that it’s your member that’s asking the question, and I would rather hear him than you.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That goes for the other side.

Finish, please.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: It’s the patients who are suffering due to this government’s inability to work with Ontario’s doctors. They’ve refused to work with the OMA and failed to fix the strained relationship with health care professionals, which has lost opportunities for patients to access improved care.

Our wait times are out of control for surgeries and for mental health treatments, our hospitals are overcrowded, and we have an opioid crisis which has overtaken our province. This government has failed to properly manage the health care system.

My question to the minister: After 15 years of cuts and vilifying our doctors, how can Ontarians trust you heading into the election?

Interjections.

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

Mr. Steve Clark: I’m glad I stopped heckling. That was a great one.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Well, actually, you haven’t.

Minister.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: It really sounds like the member of the official opposition agrees with all the announcements that we’ve made recently. On this side of the House, we’re all about care. We’re not about cuts, as we anticipate from the side opposite.

We need to know that the OMA’s campaign has a lot to do with the election and using political pressure to get the best deal for its membership. We understand this. This comes from us being in government. But on this side of the House, we’re very aware that it is our responsibility to use public dollars as wisely as possible. We work in the public interest, and we are building a health care system that is serving everyone. That comes from us being in government. We are investing more, but we also have to ensure that every dollar we are currently spending is providing the most it can for patient care.

We’re completely committed to driving down those wait times. We want to add capacity to our hospitals and expand home care, long-term care and mental health services in this province.

Correctional services

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Premier. I’d like to welcome our hard-working, dedicated front-line correctional, probation and parole officers here today as well as community advocates, who are here once again to highlight the crisis in corrections.

Speaker, there are people who have worked nearly their entire careers under these conditions in corrections. Violence in the workplace is at epidemic levels. PTSD from exposure is at chronic levels. But still, not all correctional staff are covered. These correctional and probation officers need resources, not good intentions. They need training, but most importantly, they need adequate staffing levels that can actually alleviate these pressures.

The Liberals claim that they’ve created 1,500 new positions, but this is simply a new metric of Liberal accounting, because as few as 24 actual positions have been created. After 15 years, how can this government be trusted to correct the crisis in corrections that they’ve created?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Thank you very much. Certainly I appreciate the question.

I know how appreciative we are on this side of the House of our hard-working, dedicated correctional officers, corrections staff, parole and probation officers, bailiffs—everyone. And certainly I hear the concerns. We hear those issues that are raised.

But I also want to talk about some of the investments that we’ve been making in the past few years. We made a commitment—and I shared this earlier—where we’ve hired 1,400 new officers. We’re fully committed to achieve our 2,000 new corrections officers as we have intended. We’ve also hired more mental support nurses.

Is there more to do? Definitely, and I’ll talk more in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: As many as 50% of inmates have mental health and addictions problems—another five went out on stretchers this past weekend in Niagara due to overdoses—yet there aren’t enough nurses to even make a dent.

There are 8,000 inmates inside our facilities, many of these on remand. But there are 45,000 in the community on parole, yet serious underfunding of probation and parole officers has meant caseloads of over 50 per officer.

Bill 6, after 15 years, tabled during the last act of a Liberal government, is too little, too late. Where is the explicit commitment to increasing resources for those working every day in corrections?

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: The member reflected on Bill 6, and certainly this comes from several years, I would say, of consultation and addressing the challenges. Every time I hear—

Ms. Catherine Fife: How about 15 years?

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

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: You know, Mr. Speaker, every time I hear of incidents that are occurring with our corrections staff, or inmates’ issues, it’s always something that I take very seriously. As I said, the safety and security of our staff and inmates are priorities to me.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée, the Honourable Helena Jaczek.

Speaker, my question is to a fellow OMA member. Speaking doctor to doctor, both of us know the ground reality of the fact that one in three Ontarians will experience mental health challenges in their lifetime. Of course, it’s hopeful that society has come a long way in reducing the stigma. With that increased awareness comes the need for increasing supports.

As you will know, Speaker, in 2011 our government introduced the comprehensive mental health strategy Open Minds, Healthy Minds. In 2015, we enlisted the help of those who live with mental health issues by creating the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council. I’d also like to commend the minister for the neuropsychiatric expansion in my own riding at Etobicoke General Hospital, part of the $400-million expansion.

My question is this: Can the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care please detail the investments that our government is making to improve care for those with mental health or addiction challenges?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Thank you to the member from Etobicoke North, a fellow physician, for the opportunity to speak to an issue that deeply affects the lives of so many.

Mental health does not discriminate: It affects people of all ages, in every corner of the province, regardless of gender, race, culture or socio-economic status. We recognize that physical and mental wellness must go hand in hand for Ontarians to live their best lives, and we are providing $2.1 billion over four years to reframe the system.

​Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, representing over 200 addiction and mental health organizations in the province, has stated:

“What makes this announcement historic is not only the significant sum of the investment, but it’s also how comprehensive the approach is. There is recognition of the importance of housing, the unique needs of historically underserved groups such as indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ2S and others, and services that meet people where they are, whether that be in schools, the justice system or the community.”

For those living with mental illness, their loved ones, health care professionals, educators and anyone else affected by mental illness, we hear you and we support you.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Speaker, in all sincerity, I would like to commend the Minister of Health, under the leadership of Premier Wynne, for what is truly an historic advance with mental health and addictions in this province.

We know that 70% of young adults with mental health problems will actually have reported their symptoms to have begun in childhood. That’s why this investment is so important, because it will go a long way to help in identifying and treating mental health illnesses as early as possible.

As a fellow physician, my colleague will know that anxiety, panic, depression, mental health issues, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and, unfortunately, even suicide or suicide attempts are on the increase.

As a government, Speaker, you will know that we have increased mental health spending every year, but we need to do more to address the wait-lists and ensure that children and youth have access to those services.

My question is: Minister, can you please share the details of the various investments that we’re making in child and youth mental health?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Michael Coteau: It was a really proud moment for me to be part of the announcement last week, joining the Premier and my colleagues as we joined stakeholders and people who have been advocating for mental health services here in Ontario, at CAMH to make a historical investment into supporting children and youth here in the province.

It’s important that when a young person needs help, they have access to services in all parts of Ontario. I believe that this historical investment of $570 million into the children and youth services mental health sector over the next four years is truly that: It’s transformative and it’s historical.

Mr. Speaker, 12,000 more young people will get access to service this year, and by 2020-21, that will grow to 46,000 young people getting more services.

I want to thank the parents, families, stakeholders and advocates out there for working with us to build and transform this mental health service in Ontario.

Correctional services

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Bill 6, the Correctional Services Transformation Act, is supposed to be a thorough overhaul of a broken correctional system. Ensuring the safety of everyone in our detention centres should be paramount, but Bill 6 is all about the inmates and not the safety of our correctional officers.

The crisis in corrections is out of control. Assaults on officers are at an all-time high. Harsh discipline against officers for petty incidents leaves them feeling abandoned, unappreciated and lacking management support. When inmates physically assault an officer, even when throwing urine or feces, the penalty for an inmate is either nothing or a minor slap on the wrist.

Minister, when will you actually get tough on crime and respect our officers?

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Well, okay.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Where to start?

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Where to start? To be fair, it’s where to start.

I was very happy this morning to be at the breakfast—and always happy to engage with our correctional staff. Certainly, every time we hear the issues and challenges they are facing, we are working with them to address this.

Bill 6 is a foundation of a transformation, and maybe something that particular member, that particular party may not understand, because while they were in power, they actually privatized our institutions. You know what? Mr. Harris negotiated very bad-faith deals that still today impact our inmates and our corrections officers all around our province.

I hear and I am very committed to working with our corrections partners to ensure their safety, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Back to the minister: Under the Liberal regime for the past 15 years, probation and parole policy-makers have put greater emphasis on P and P offender risk assessments. This has basically turned probation and parole officers into psychotherapists. This was made absolutely clear in Carolyn Jarvis’s Global National investigative report entitled Probation and Parole: Who’s Watching. P and P officers are not to blame, but the police say it’s not their responsibility. Worse, offenders describe probation and parole supervision as “a joke.” Some 60% of criminals on probation or parole are medium- to high-risk. So, Minister, who is going to supervise these dangerous criminals?

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: I had the great privilege, as I said, for the past few months of being the minister of corrections services—I have engaged with our partners and actually visited some of our parole and probation offices. And you know what? When you talk about the reality, there is a reality that they have shared with me. We’re going to be working with them to address this.

This bill, Mr. Speaker, is actually part of this transformation. It is finding the solution together to enhance our way of delivering a sensitive and a more meaningful approach to our inmates. At the same time, we want to protect the hard-working individuals who are taking care of those individuals.

We have looked at mental health. We have looked at accountability. We have looked at ensuring that our probation and parole officers have the support that they need.

Transit funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. Over 20 years ago, the Conservative government cut the provincial funding that paid for half of municipal transit operations. For the last 15 years, the Liberal government has kept these devastating cuts in place. The TTC, which was once the envy of the world, still struggles to provide reliable, frequent, comfortable and affordable transit service. The advocacy group TTCriders is coming to Queen’s Park today to demand the restoration of provincial funding for municipal transit operations.

Will the Premier restore the province’s traditional 50% funding formula for all municipal transit operations, as the NDP has proposed?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: Thank you for the question. We continue to work hard on this side of the House, in collaboration with all of our partners at the municipal and federal levels, to improve everyone’s commute, but let me be very clear: Our government is investing more in public transit in Toronto than any other provincial government in history. We have made historic investments like the $3.7 billion for GO RER in the 416, which will enable SmartTrack; $5.3 billion to build the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and the list goes on. Now, through our partnership with the federal government, together we are contributing nearly $9 billion to support the city’s priority transit projects.

We do understand the need to support municipal transit operations. It’s why we made the choice to double the amount of gas tax funding in the municipalities. To date, the city of Toronto has received over $2.1 billion in gas tax funding to support their local transit priorities.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, we need to improve transit service standards if we’re going to offer people a reliable, convenient and affordable alternative to the car. That means funding for transit operations.

The TTC is the most underfunded major transit agency in North America. No other jurisdiction in the world forces major transit agencies like the TTC to rely solely on municipal funding and property taxes. But the Premier has repeatedly refused to restore the successful funding formula where the province paid half of the TTC’s net operating costs.

Will the Premier continue to support the Conservative cuts to transit or will she finally fund 50% of the net cost to all municipal transit operations, as the NDP has proposed?

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: Thanks for the supplementary.

Speaker, we continue to find ways, through things like fare integration, to ensure we work hard to make the commute more affordable and more comfortable. We have dramatically reduced the cost of a trip by taking $1.50 off when you transfer between GO Transit or the UP Express and the TTC on your Presto card. We have continued to invest more than $400 million towards replacing 204 TTC streetcars. We continue to do more. We know there’s more work to do.

Unlike the party opposite, we’re supporting the expansion of local rapid transit while also supporting operating needs through our gas tax program, which will double, again, from two cents to four cents per litre in 2021-22. The NDP have voted against countless budgets that provided strong support for transit, and they continue to vote against budgets that contain the investments for transit in the province of Ontario.

Francophone immigration / Immigration francophone

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Speaker, my riding of Ottawa South is home to a strong and vibrant Franco-Ontarian community. It is vitally important that we continue to promote and celebrate Ontario’s francophone community. Ontario is home to the largest francophone community in Canada outside of Quebec. It is a community that goes back more than 400 years and is a vital part of our provincial heritage.

I know that the minister, along with her federal counterpart, recently co-hosted a federal-provincial-territorial forum on francophone immigration.

Speaker, through you to the minister, can she please inform this House what our government is doing to showcase Ontario as a destination of choice for French-speaking people around the world?

Hon. Laura Albanese: Thank you to the member from Ottawa South for his question and for his advocacy for his francophone community.

Mr. Speaker, it was a pleasure to welcome my counterparts here in Ontario. At the forum, we highlighted the leading role that Ontario is playing on francophone immigration and the steps we have taken to reach the 5% target laid out in our immigration action plan.

As part of the plan, we have launched the Ontario express entry French-speaking skilled worker stream, where 4.1% of our nominees within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in 2017 were French-speaking.

We are also promoting our province globally: We’re prioritizing the expansion of services to francophone immigrants. Soon we are to sign an annex on French-speaking immigrants with the federal government as part of the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement.

At the forum, we announced a new federal-provincial-territorial action plan for increasing francophone immigration outside of Quebec, and the plan outlines actions that we can—

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

Supplementary?

M. John Fraser: J’aimerais remercier la ministre pour sa réponse.

Ce gouvernement continue à démontrer son engagement concret envers les Franco-Ontariens et les Franco-Ontariennes. Notre gouvernement comprend les défis de la communauté et s’efforce de donner aux francophones les outils dont ils ont besoin pour prospérer et pour assurer leur vitalité. C’est pourquoi l’Ontario est chef de file dans la promotion et le renforcement de l’immigration francophone.

Est-ce que la ministre peut nous expliquer comment notre gouvernement appuie et augmente l’immigration francophone en Ontario?

Hon. Laura Albanese: The Minister of Francophone Affairs.

L’hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Merci au député d’Ottawa-Sud pour cette question.

L’immigration francophone est cruciale pour l’avenir de la communauté franco-ontarienne. C’est pourquoi j’apprécie particulièrement les efforts de mes collègues Laura Albanese, ministre de la citoyenneté et de l’Immigration, et du député d’Etobicoke-Nord, le D r Shafiq Qaadri, pour atteindre une cible de 5 % d’immigration francophone en Ontario. Je tiens aussi à souligner le leadership de l’Ontario dans ce dossier depuis les dernières années.

Monsieur le Président, j’ai eu l’opportunité de représenter la voix des Franco-Ontariennes et des Franco-Ontariens, aux côtés de mes collègues, lors du deuxième forum FPT sur l’immigration francophone, tenu le 2 mars dernier à Toronto. Je peux affirmer que nous avons fait du progrès depuis le premier forum FPT à Moncton l’an dernier.

Maintenant, le gouvernement fédéral, les provinces et territoires sont dotés d’un plan d’action duquel découleront plusieurs mesures qui soutiendront l’immigration francophone hors Québec. Je suis fière de l’annexe francophone, qui sera annoncée—

Le Président (L’hon. Dave Levac): Merci.

New question.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is to the Minister of Labour. Last January, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board brought in significant changes to its hearing aid program without properly consulting audiologists and WSIB recipients: They hand-picked only three suppliers.

After a year under these changes, we have feedback to know that workers have been adversely affected by this change. The new system does not save the WSIB money, yet it forces injured workers to rely on only three suppliers for their chosen hearing aid. A hearing aid is not a one-size-fits-all; choosing the right hearing aid is a decision that should be made by the patients and their health care professionals.

As a result of on-the-job loss, we owe these people a good hearing aid system to work for them.

Will the minister reverse these flawed changes at the WSIB so injured workers can get the hearing aid that suits them best?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you to the member for the question.

In the past, injuries have taken place in Ontario’s workplaces because practices weren’t put in place at the time, and that has resulted in hearing loss for some workers. These workers need to know that they’ve got a system that is going to give them the hearing aid devices that they need.

The WSIB has gone out and it has done a very transparent process. As a result of an RFP, three manufacturers were successful. However, anybody who is renewing their hearing aid device, anybody who has a very specific health-related reason, is allowed to go to the WSIB and submit the reasons for that, and they’re dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

I always appreciate advice from the other side. I always appreciate advice on how we can make the WSIB work a little bit better, but when we were trying to cover psychological injuries and index pensions, where were they when the injured workers needed them—

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

Member’s birthday

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order, the member from Beaches–East York.

Mr. Arthur Potts: I just wanted the