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April 10, 2019

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2019-Apr-10 (PDF)

L091 - Wed 10 Apr 2019 / Mer 10 avr 2019

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 10 April 2019 Mercredi 10 avril 2019

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Education

Education

Health care

Curriculum

Mental health and addiction services

Energy regulation

Indigenous economic development

Government’s agenda

Health care reform

Lyme disease

Real estate industry

Education

Tourism

Curriculum

Hunting and fishing

Anniversary of Polish air disaster

International Day of Pink

Notices of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Members’ Statements

Education

Public transit

Autism treatment

Vaisakhi

Business improvement areas

Events in Orléans / Événements divers à Orléans

Youth employment

Public safety

Registered practical nurses

Ontario budget

Order of business

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Introduction of Bills

Sunshine Protection Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 sur la protection offerte par la lumière du soleil

Election Finances Amendment Act (Charges for Fund-Raising Events), 2019 / Loi de 2019 modifiant la

Loi sur le financement des élections (droits exigés pour les activités de financement)

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Anti-bullying initiatives

Génocide rwandais / Rwandan genocide

Anti-bullying initiatives

Rwandan genocide

Rwandan genocide / Génocide rwandais

Anti-bullying initiatives

Petitions

Autism treatment

Campus radio stations

Animal protection

Affordable housing

Animal protection

Long-term care

Animal protection

Emergency services

Animal protection

Orders of the Day

The People’s Health Care Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 sur les soins de santé pour la population

Adjournment Debate

Curriculum

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We’re going to begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 9, 2019, on the motion for time allocation of the following bill:

Bill 87,

An Act to amend various statutes related to energy / Projet de loi 87, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne l’énergie.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I move that the fourth bullet of the fourth paragraph be struck out and the following substituted:

“That each witness will receive up to six minutes for their presentation followed by 14 minutes for questions from committee members, with two minutes allotted to the independent member of the committee for questioning and 12 minutes divided equally amongst the recognized parties for questioning; and”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Rickford has moved that the fourth bullet of the fourth paragraph be struck out and the following substituted:

“That each witness will receive up to six minutes for their presentation followed by 14 minutes for questions from committee members, with two minutes allotted to the independent member of the committee for questioning and 12 minutes divided equally amongst the recognized parties for questioning; and”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister like to speak to the motion that he just made?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Nothing further at this time.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I know we’re here today talking about Bill 87 because the government decided to time-allocate it. The time allocation piece that this government constantly uses as a way to move bills through this House is really becoming a pattern of behaviour when it comes to management.

It’s concerning, because when we talk about bills like the health bill, Bill 74—they shrunk down the time that people were able to present to two days. I was in those presentations and only 30 deputants came before the committee. That’s the type of parameters that this government imposed on this bill for consultations. We received 1,564, I believe it was, submissions to present during committee on Bill 74, the health bill, which is the largest transformation of our health care system that we’ve seen. That speaks volumes about how unengaged this government wants the public to be.

From those 1,564 presentations, less than 2% were able to present because of the timelines that were imposed on the committee. That meant 30 presentations were accepted on Bill 74, the health bill. I don’t know about you, Speaker, but when we talk about hearing from the people we represent, hearing from different points of view, broadening our minds to understanding other people’s experiences and expertise and specialties, that 30 people did not represent all of Ontario.

The other part that was really concerning as well: I think this government has a propensity against travelling a bill so that they can hear a wide range of voices. I get that Toronto needs to be heard; no one disagrees that that is something that needs to be done. But we also need to understand there are voices in southwestern Ontario. I use that as an example because in London, a lot of the health care concerns that drove the Liberal government and that are now driving this Conservative government to pay attention to health care rose up from London. We call it ground zero. The mental health crisis was huge.

The long-term-care crisis, Speaker—I think you probably remember when I was in the Legislature bringing up time and time again that it was in crisis and that we needed to address it. The home care system: People were not getting enough home care and were being left to either rush to their doctor—if they had one—or to the emergency room. We called it out. We called it hallway health care. We called that.

So when we’re talking about Bill 74, which is going to transform health care in ways we’ve never seen before, we do have concerns when we say that it’s opening doors to unprecedented privatization. I think we need and we deserve and the people of Ontario deserve to have that full consultation. Limiting debate under time allocation in this Legislature does not help that process.

We also had 19,000 pieces of paper that were submitted afterwards because we could not hear all the presentations, and so those were written submissions. The minister said that people could write in their views on this massive transformation on health care, and people did: 19,000 pages. There were boxes in the member from Nickel Belt’s office. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through those 19,000 pages, because by the time the bill comes for debate, I suspect this government will also shorten debate and will only follow the standing orders to the bare minimum. That’s their right to do that.

But I think as legislators, as this government sets the tone for health care in the future, that it’s our responsibility.

I was watching something the other day about responsibility. It’s two words: “response” and your “ability.” The response this government has given to the people of Ontario—and to the people in this Legislature that represent their ridings—to allow them to debate this bill properly, and the ability they have, doesn’t match up. I wish they would have taken this responsibility and responded with the ability they have and allowed further, wholesome, more robust debate as well as in the committee process.

Limiting the debate in the Legislature—I don’t agree with that, as much as I’d like to say that we should have constant debate until members don’t want to stand up and speak to something. Yes, there are limitations, absolutely, and you can work with the government that way. That’s called a working relationship. But to actually, when it goes out to the public, give them a day and a half to submit a request to present to the committee and then to cap the hours—two days of presentations for 30 people is not realistic to what this bill is going to do, how it’s going to impact the health care system.

And we have yet to understand and hear from this minister that it’s not a way to expand privatization.

We understand there’s already privatization in the health care system, but what we’re saying is, let’s not continue that privatization. Let’s say, for an example—which we heard as a recommendation at the committee—that long-term-care homes were going to be not-for-profit; those beds that are being built by this government are going to be not-for-profit beds.

I’m going to share my time with one of my other members, and it’s coming to a close, so I would just like to finally say a few comments about the fact that this government has really not paid attention to the real problems of health care, because they haven’t listened to other people’s voices in the province and they haven’t travelled the bill. It would do a world of good for them to understand that they’re not the only ones who can contribute to legislation. The public needs to have their say when it comes to what we do in this House.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate?

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I rise today to speak in support of Bill 87 and what our government is doing to fix the hydro mess and why we need time allocation.

For many, many years, Ontarians have been complaining about skyrocketing hydro rates. Our families, businesses and public institutions were suffering. Our government promised to clean up the hydro mess, increase transparency in our electricity system and make life more affordable for Ontarians, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’ve already taken action on hydro and energy. The bill furthers our commitment to the people of this province, a commitment that we will provide reliable hydro at affordable rates for generations to come. We won’t drown the province in debt and make our children pay for it to cover skyrocketing bills.

Under our Premier and our Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, we are taking real action. Wasteful energy projects costing taxpayers nearly $800 million—gone; the Green Energy Act, which introduced disastrous changes to our energy system and increased the cost of electricity for families and businesses while taking away planning decisions from municipalities—gone; the six-million-dollar man from Hydro One—gone, without the $10.7 million arranged for under the previous government.

There will be no six-million-dollar man under our government; the maximum compensation a CEO of Hydro One can receive is now $1.5 million, under one quarter the previous CEO. And we’ve amended the Ontario Energy Board Act to require the OEB to exclude executive compensation from Hydro One customer rates. That’s action, Mr. Speaker.

We’re not for the insiders. We’re not for the executives. We are for the seniors, families and small businesses of Ontario. We are for the people.

Our dedication to the people continues today as we discuss Bill 87 and time allocation. Bill 87 will increase transparency, ensure affordability, and restore trust and accountability in our energy system and carriers.

Rather than implement proper conservation programs in a sensible and responsible manner, the previous government applied band-aid solution after band-aid solution to attempt to reduce end costs. By centralizing our conservation programs, we are reducing costs and duplication in the inefficient, ineffective programs introduced by the previous government—quality over quantity.

We’re focusing on targeted programs and initiatives that benefit those who need it most. By eliminating ineffective initiatives while still providing programs to the most vulnerable people in our province, we’re providing immediate cost savings to the province, saving taxpayers up to $442 million.

We’re also benefiting businesses. By lowering the cost of overhead, we are ensuring that the world knows that Ontario is open for business, open for competition and open for jobs. Businesses were fleeing the province towards the end of the previous government’s mandate, as doing business was simply unaffordable. Our government is committed to ensuring Ontario is the best it can be and is home to highly skilled, well-paying jobs. By shifting conservation programs to the IESO, we’re removing burdens from the carriers while still allowing them to apply for local funding.

Every area has different needs, and we are ensuring that LDCs retain that ability to implement area-specific programs for the benefit of their communities.

Let’s talk about the Ontario Energy Board. Our government is also taking steps to overhaul the Ontario Energy Board, the province’s independent energy regulator. We are taking action to stabilize costs, promote regulatory excellence and improve governance within the organization. For several local distribution companies, the cost of preparing recent rate applications increased by over 200% or 300% because of increased reporting requirements. A medium-sized local distribution company spent the equivalent of almost 1,000 business days on its 2016 cost-of-service rate application. That’s not efficient.

What we’re proposing to do is to take steps to improve the governance of the OEB by better separating its management, administration and adjudication roles. Clarity on these roles, combined with performance expectations, will lead to more timely and predictable outcomes for all.

Ontarians have lost confidence in the OEB. Modernizing operations will lead to more efficient and predictable regulatory approvals, more inclusive and transparent consultations, and reduce regulatory burdens and costs, benefiting Ontario consumers and businesses. The proposed structure of the modernized OEB reflects the recommendations made by the OEB Modernization Review Panel after consultations with stakeholders across the whole province.

By amending the OEB Act, 1998, we will separate the different responsibilities of the OEB by introducing a board of directors and a CEO that are accountable and responsible to the people of Ontario. OEB executive compensation will be governed by the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act. If our proposed legislative amendments are passed, the ministry would work with the Treasury Board to ensure that compensation is set at levels consistent with government policy for provincial agencies.

The government recognizes the importance of the OEB’s role as an energy regulator. The OEB’s adjudicative and regulatory decisions must be made and be seen to be made independently and impartially. The governance structure of the OEB should reflect this. Under our proposed legislative amendments, we will enhance the independence of the OEB’s regulatory decisions, as the commissioners deciding on applications would not be appointed by the government after the transition period for the changes to the governing structure has concluded.

These chief commissioners will report to the CEO regarding the timely and dependable delivery of active cases, creating confidence that the work of the OEB will be carried out in a timely manner.

Further, we will ensure that the OEB is still accountable for delivering its mandate by requiring the new board of directors to report directly to the minister. We also plan to streamline the OEB’s consumer education objectives and reduce duplicate responsibilities between the OEB and the IESO. Under the proposed changes, the OEB would still have oversight of the public interest of consumer education in the energy sector, but we are ending duplication in consumer outreach activities, serving Ontarians more efficiently and effectively while reducing costs. We are ensuring that Ontarians have a modernized OEB that works for them.

Now, let’s talk about the global adjustment refinancing. Public confidence in the electricity system itself in Ontario was destroyed by policies under the previous government. Ontarians saw through the Fair Hydro Plan, which hid the true costs of their hydro, and elected our government to restore transparency to the provincial electricity system. This plan added approximately $4 billion in borrowing costs to the people of Ontario that would be passed down to our children and grandchildren to pay for. We should be supportive of our future generations, not burden them with more debt.

If passed, we will replace the Fair Hydro Plan with a rate relief structure that would take advantage of significantly lower borrowing costs while increasing transparency. We are working to replace the global adjustment refinancing structure with a more transparent, on-bill rebate taking effect November 1, 2019, when the regulated price plan rates are normally updated. Residential electricity customers will clearly see the rebate as a single line item and know the true cost of their power.

We are also ensuring that in the interim, Ontarians have stable rate relief that they desperately need on their hydro bills. Under Bill 87, starting next month, on May 1, increases to the average residential electricity bill will be held to the rate of inflation.

Starting this spring, we will also be consulting with Ontario’s industrial sector on electricity pricing to inform new policies to manage electricity costs and help Ontario businesses grow and compete.

Speaker, our government is taking action on our promises to the people of Ontario. We’re providing relief in a responsible, transparent and accountable manner. If our legislation is passed, the true costs of rate relief will finally be accurately reflected on our government’s books, in a manner consistent with the Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry and provincial Auditor General’s recommendations.

With today’s announcement, not only are we providing direct relief to Ontario families, but we are putting Ontario back on the map as a place to do business in a highly competitive international market, allowing businesses to create jobs for Ontarians, boosting our economy. Our government has already reduced electricity system costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr. Speaker, and these changes under our legislation will build on that. We promised to clean up the hydro mess, and that’s exactly what our government is doing.

I urge members on all sides of the House to support this important piece of legislation before us today that will restore public confidence in Ontario’s electricity system, provide relief and stability to increasing hydro rates for families, and continue to invest in effective and efficient conservation programs, all while reducing unnecessary costs and red tape within the system, sending the message that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs.

Let’s get started fixing the hydro mess right now. Support Bill 87 and support time allocation so that we can get started right now.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I just have to say that I’m so disappointed to again be talking about a time allocation bill, because the people of Ontario deserve so much better than a government that thinks that they have all the answers and is not prepared to listen to the people of Ontario.

As my colleague from London–Fanshawe has already said, with Bill 74, the greatest transformation in health care, we had almost 1,600 people apply to speak to that, and how many people did this government allow to speak? Under Minister Elliott’s very own nose, she allowed only 30 people to speak. It’s less than 2% of all the people who wanted to speak to this important bill.

This just shows that this is a government that, again, is not much different than the Liberals. They do not want to listen to the people of Ontario, and they like to move forward with omnibus bills, with time-allocated bills, and that’s really not at all what democracy is all about. I would say that the people of Ontario see this as a continuation of the blatant disregard for government accountability. It’s the kind of politics that makes people feel like they don’t matter, that they don’t matter in this House, and that’s really an unfortunate state for us to be in in Ontario.

I spent a number of months on the Select Committee on Financial Transparency. I sat with the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane on that committee. What could have been a really important exercise to get some important answers for the people of Ontario turned out to be a partisan exercise. The mandate of the select committee was to review the actions of the past Liberal government, and to investigate and report on the accounting practices, decision-making and policy objectives of the previous government, specifically around two pieces: the way the Fair Hydro Plan was constructed and also about the pension treatment.

Let’s focus on the hydro plan. There were many, many questions that were raised, but they were not the kind of answers that we would expect from a committee that took up so much of our time and our valuable resources. The reason that I would say that this time allocation is an indication of this government’s disregard for democratic process is the way the Conservatives behaved on the select committee. They routinely blocked important questions. One of the commissioners that we had was Gordon Campbell. Gordon Campbell, when he was the Premier of BC, instituted a carbon tax, and the economy of BC is flourishing. We wanted to ask some questions about that, but we were blocked.

We wanted to ask some questions about P3s, public-private partnerships, which were at the core of some of the things that went wrong in the hydro file; and also, some of the things that were before the current government. We were not allowed to ask those questions. We wanted to ask the Auditor General about that, but no, those questions were blocked.

It wasn’t just important questions that we weren’t allowed to get answers to. It was also key witnesses that were routinely blocked by the Conservatives on this committee. To start with, it seems unbelievable that we couldn’t call witnesses such as the former CEO of Hydro One, Mayo Schmidt. You may recall, Mr. Speaker, he was the six-million-dollar, nine-million-dollar man. We also weren’t able to call Paul Dobson, who was the chair of the board at the time. And really, when you’re trying to understand how the Fair Hydro Plan went so terribly awry, why would the government block us from calling a witness that could provide significant answers that would help inform this debate?

It’s also worth noting that right after that, the Avista deal fell apart, and the Premier’s meddling in the governance structure was cited by the regulators in Washington. Those are important lessons that this government should be listening to.

It’s not only that we blocked witnesses; I would say that this government put Ontarians at significant risk. Despite pleas from OPG and IESO not to release confidential, sensitive documents, and despite us, the opposition, saying, “This is really an important thing. We need to make sure we protect the confidentiality of sensitive commercial data,” the government, in their, I have to say—let’s just call it not listening to other people, also perhaps known as arrogance—didn’t listen to IESO, didn’t listen to OPG, didn’t listen to us and made those confidential commercial documents public.

The government had to retract that and take them down, but really, at that point, the damage was done. The damage was done to our credibility as well, as a government that understands and listens to people.

The other thing that I want to say with this government is that it’s not just blocking witnesses, not allowing questions, not taking the time to consider the people of Ontario’s opinion, to consider the opposition’s opinion; really, we have a government before us that is repeating the same mistakes of the Liberal government. Not only are they behaving in the same way, which is treating democracy as an afterthought; they’re also, in full, unbelievable irony, essentially adopting the Liberals’ hydro plan. The only difference is that the taxpayers will be borrowing this money.

And the cynicism of this government calling borrowing a rebate—it boggles the mind. The only analogy I can I think of: It’s like the government reached its hand into your pocket, took your credit card, went out and bought something, and came back and presented it to you and said, “Hey, look, I got a gift for you.” The people of Ontario will understand that this rebate is borrowing; it’s coming directly from taxpayer dollars.

I would have to say that Mike Harris, when he began the privatization of Hydro One—which he has said is his one regret in his term of office, that he didn’t complete the privatization of Hydro One—at least on our bill it said, “Debt reduction,” and we know how long we had to deal with that on our bill. But at least he called it what it is; a debt is a debt, not a rebate.

The people of Ontario deserve so much better. I have to say, does this government think that democracy is an afterthought? It seems like they think democracy is a bothersome thing, something to push aside like red tape. But we deserve so much better. Mr. Speaker, there’s a Biblical expression: “Pride goeth before a fall.” This government’s use of time allocation shows their hubris, and it will, in the end, not be good for the people of Ontario and not good for this legislation. I do not support time allocation in a democratic institution like Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate? The member from Oakville North–Burlington.

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: Good morning, Speaker, and thank you. I’m pleased to join the debate on Bill 87, the Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, 2019.

Our government is proposing these reforms to our electricity system to reduce costs, find efficiencies and lower electricity prices for medium and large employers and to help these employers create jobs. This is only a part, if an important part, in cleaning up our hydro system and making it affordable again.

When I was canvassing in my community of Oakville North–Burlington in the election, I heard one thing over and over again: “What are you doing about the high cost of hydro?” Like people all across the province, my constituents have faced rising energy prices under the Liberals. Local businesses have been telling me that when they make decisions whether to stay in Ontario or leave the province, the high cost of electricity is a critical factor.

Ontario once had one of the finest and cheapest electricity systems in the world. Our hydro system helped to make us the engine of the Canadian economy. The rates attracted investment to our province from across North America, and our system was the envy of other states and provinces. But somehow, we lost our way. Under 15 years of the Liberals, hydro became less about delivering power at affordable prices and more of a political football, manipulated by governments for ideological reasons, and the cost of hydro only went one way: up and up and up. That’s why fixing the hydro mess is so important.

In the June election, the Premier and our government committed to cutting hydro rates by 12% for the people of Ontario, giving relief to families, seniors and businesses. Since taking office, our government has started to deliver on this commitment. One of the bills we passed in the rare summer session was the Hydro One Accountability Act. This act introduced a number of important changes to deal with the excessive executive and board compensation at the utility.

When we think of the money wasted on energy projects, who can forget the Liberal gas plants? They wasted billions of dollars on plants they announced and then cancelled for purely political reasons. Or what about the failed scheme to establish green energy projects across the province, all subsidized by hydro ratepayers, with wind and solar farms forced into the backyards of communities that didn’t want them?

We must not forget that, according to the Ontario Energy Board and the Independent Energy System Operator, wind and solar meant almost $4 billion in added costs to electricity bills in 2017. Wind and solar represent just 11% of total generation in Ontario but make up a full 30% of the global adjustment costs that are borne by electricity customers. Yet in Alberta, somehow the government managed to negotiate a deal for green energy at 3.7 cents per kilowatt hour, while the Ontario Liberals could only manage 13.5 cents.

It’s pretty clear, Speaker, that the problem with the Green Energy Act in Ontario was not green energy; it was Liberal mismanagement and incompetence. That’s why we had to bring their plan to an end. As soon as our government took office, we started to cut back on the Liberal waste, cancelling more than 750 wasteful energy contracts, and saved $790 million for Ontario electricity customers.

We repealed the Green Energy Act, which had led to electricity rates tripling for Ontario families and seniors and had stripped powers from municipalities to stop expensive and unneeded energy projects in their communities. With our changes, now local municipalities will be able to decide for themselves what projects they want in their communities.

As announced by the minister, Bill 87 would accomplish five main tasks: finding savings of up to $442 million by refocusing and uploading electricity conservation programs to the Independent Electricity System Operator; overhauling the Ontario Energy Board to make the regulatory system more efficient and accountable, while continuing to protect consumers; hold residential electricity rates to the rate of inflation; wind down the Fair Hydro Plan, and as a result, save billions of dollars in borrowing costs; and introduce a new, transparent, on-bill rebate on consumer bills to replace the Fair Hydro Plan.

Uploading the delivery of conservation programs to the operator will promote a consistent approach to conservation across Ontario while avoiding duplication in administrative costs. The conservation changes are expected to lead to savings for medium and large employers. For example, a large employer consuming 50,000 megawatt hours a month would see a bill reduction of about $30,000 per month, allowing them to invest these savings in modern equipment or expansion and be able to create more jobs.

The bill also proposes changes to modernize the Ontario Energy Board, improving its governance and cutting red tape and overregulation. The OEB would be given a new governance structure, with a board of directors and a CEO allowing it to separate its responsibilities. These proposed changes reflect best practices and support independent decision-making.

The bill would also require action to hold the line on electricity bills, keeping electricity customers’ bills stable. Increases to the average residential electricity bill would be held to the rate of inflation starting May 1, 2019. All of these actions are part of the government’s plan to increase transparency and accountability in the electricity system while working to make life more affordable for all Ontarians.

The legislation would also, if passed, replace the Fair Hydro Plan with a rate relief structure that would take advantage of significantly lower government borrowing costs, while increasing transparency. The proposal aims to improve accountability and align with the recommendations of the Auditor General and the Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry. The Financial Accountability Office estimated that the Fair Hydro Plan added approximately $4 billion in borrowing costs for the people of Ontario.

When the bill to implement the plan was introduced under the Liberals, the Auditor General issued a special report criticizing its violation of accounting principles. Just think of it: The Liberals were willing to dump the costs on our grandchildren to try to make hydro bills look better for them in the election.

We will take a different path. Our government is proposing to introduce a new on-bill rebate, which would replace the Fair Hydro Plan that hid the true costs of electricity from consumers. Starting in November 2019, residential electricity customers will know the true cost of power and the new rebate will be clearly displayed as a single line item. The full electricity cost, including global adjustment, would be shown on the electricity line of the bill. None of the facts, Speaker, would be hidden from consumers, as they were under the Liberals. What consumers and ratepayers will receive from the PC government are the facts.

Our government believes in full transparency in our hydro system, because the only way to clean it up—to fix the mess—is if everyone can see the problem, and see our proposals for solutions. PC governments have always had to clean up the messes after the Liberal and NDP governments, whether it’s hydro or reforming health care or our labour laws. I am proud of the legacy Progressive Conservatives have when it comes to hydro, and I’m proud that our Premier and the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines today are continuing this legacy by working to make hydro available and affordable

In conclusion, Speaker, our government is working to protect the things that matter most to Ontarians, including fixing the hydro mess. What we must do is make sure that we get on a sustainable path so that we can protect our core services in our health care, in our social services and in our education for the people of Ontario. If we do not protect these front-line programs and services, we in this House would be responsible for causing a great inequity to the next generation.

It is not right, Speaker, for any government to leave its problems or its debts for future generations. What is right is for us to deal with them today, and I am proud to be part of a government that is doing so.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate?

Mr. David Piccini: It’s a real pleasure to rise today to speak to Bill 87. I’d just like to thank everyone for their remarks on this today, and I’d like to thank my lovely colleague in front of me for her very poignant remarks.

I am proud to be part of a government that acts. I’m proud to be part of a government that has adopted a slogan, “Promise made, promise kept,” and that lives by that slogan. In fact—

Interjections.

Mr. David Piccini: Oh, wait till you hear the clapping after this one.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, of the 59 campaign promises this party made, do you know how many promises we’ve kept? It’s 38 of 59. We’ve got 12 more under way. And we’re just getting going.

That brings me to what we’re doing today. As I gaze in front of me, I see the minister tasked with fixing this mess—Minister Rickford—the Fair Hydro Plan. There was nothing fair about it.

Again, to talk about promises made, promises kept:

We promised to get rid of the $6-million man, that ridiculous executive compensation—promise made, promise kept.

We promised to deal with the heinous Green Energy Act, which bypassed the municipal planning process in small municipalities like in my riding, which put solar and wind energy projects we didn’t need on prime agricultural land—promise made, promise kept.

We talked about restoring trust and accountability in the billing process. I can’t tell you the number of homes I visited on backcountry roads—2nd Line, 3rd Line near Bailieboro—where the families would bring out their hydro bills and show them to me, and it was like we were learning Mandarin together. These bills made no sense. We promised to restore trust and accountability in the billing process—promise made, promise kept on that, saving the taxpayers $442 million. That’s real leadership from this minister, from this government.

I’d like to talk a bit about the past number of months. One of the things that compelled me to run, when we talk about protecting what matters most—what matters most to me, growing up in rural Ontario: our agriculture community; walking down the street, looking at someone in the face and saying good morning; the remarkable community I live in in rural Ontario; everything that I hold dear.

When I would take my dog, Max, who is a campaign staple in my office and out in my riding—people know him more than they know me in the riding office—going to where Max grew up with his breeder, and where we would take him to drop him off so they’d look after him on weekends, and talking to Betty, who looks after him, and Betty looking me in the face and saying, “David, I’m sorry, but you can’t bring Max here anymore.

I’m moving.” When I talk about my “why” and why I’m running—looking Betty in the face and having too many seniors, too many locals in my community leaving our community because they can’t afford to live in their community any longer, and that’s not right. And what did she cite? You can talk about all the pundits and all the experts you want, but at the end of the day, the experts are the people.

When I go into their homes and they’re telling me why they’re leaving, and it’s because of the unaffordability of their hydro, or it’s because they’re looking to rely on a health care system that’s broken in this province—another issue we’re dealing with—it breaks your heart. That’s why I was compelled to act. I was compelled to run. We were compelled to clean up this hydro mess.

If we think of one singular issue that defined a legacy of gross neglect, a legacy of cover-ups, a legacy of pulling the wool over the eyes of the voters of Ontarians, I look to this mess of a hydro file.

If I could just elaborate a bit more on the Green Energy Act—something that defines the hydro file in our community. We’re a government that’s working with our rural municipalities. Our minister came into my riding. We did a number of round tables. We talked about affordable housing; we talked about listening to our municipalities. In fact, we just invested $7 million in my community of Northumberland–Peterborough South to talk about modernization.

Why I want to talk about modernization and how that links to hydro is because we’re making a more competitive province. We’re letting the experts on the ground lead: our municipalities, from the ground up. We promised to be a government that listens to the people. What did the Green Energy Act do? They bypassed the municipal planning process. They bypassed our municipalities. Our local farmers that give up their evenings, their weekends, to sit on town council were ignored: “What do they know? What does rural Ontario know?” Well, Mr.

Speaker, that is why the minivans that I so often see in my community—that is why the Liberals have been reduced to a minivan party, because of a complete neglect and disregard for rural Ontarians, for the municipal planning process, a complete disregard for hydro bills. I know it’s not much for their friends in downtown Toronto in their skyscrapers, but for rural Ontarians, for farmers, for granaries, it matters. Every dollar matters.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to be part of a government that has taken decisive action on this file, with a minister that has been honest with Ontarians. There’s nothing easy about cleaning up the mess that the previous Liberals left behind, but this is a minister that’s being transparent, a government that’s being transparent in our process and in our approach, and that’s being open and honest with Ontarians about tackling this. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because we promised to be a government that would be open for business and open for jobs.

When I look at one of the most fundamental things limiting, inhibiting, that ability to be competitive in this province, it’s electricity prices. When we went around and we talked to businesses, when I held business round tables in my community, what did they say? I met too many high-tech firms—in fact, in my previous job years ago at foreign affairs, we worked on foreign direct investment. We dealt with major car manufacturers out of Germany that were looking to invest. Do you know why they didn’t choose Ontario? It’s simple: hydro. That’s what we heard. That’s what we heard.

It was so pervasive that countries around the world from Europe to Asia knew about it. They didn’t want to invest in Ontario.

So when we talk about restoring trust and accountability, about making this province open for jobs, this is one of the things we need to deal with, the Green Energy Act, and we did. This is one of the things we need to deal with, our hydro plan, and we are dealing with it, making this province more competitive. Why is that so important? We’ve got a great government doing a lot of great things, and I encourage everyone to stay tuned for a fantastic announcement this morning.

As we look at making this province more competitive and attracting business investment, the key to that is fair and decent hydro prices. So when I talk to high-tech companies looking to invest, we’ve got Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre taking our agricultural goods, adding value—our second- and third-generation farming families looking to add value to their agricultural products. What do they all need to do that? They need competitive hydro prices. Too many were looking outside of Ontario.

I had granaries coming to me, saying that it costs a fraction of the price to operate a granary on the other side of the border just in Quebec. Now, that’s not fair. That’s why we needed to take decisive action on this, because we know as a government there is more to this province than just the cities. We’ve got a vibrant rural community. We’ve got municipalities, AMO, that were neglected for years under the previous government. We’re listening to them. We’re working with them. We’re working with them to expand broadband. We’re working with them on lower hydro prices.

We’re working with them to make a more competitive agricultural sector, the backbone of my community. Seventy-five per cent of many of my municipalities are agriculture-based. The number one employer in my community: ag. The number one thing killing that industry after that previous government: hydro.

Again, I’m proud to be part of a government that has taken our 59 promises we made during the campaign and acted swiftly on 38 of them, and another 12 more on the way. Look at what we’ve done. We’re not even a year into our mandate, and already we have tackled so much of the neglect. We’ve restored trust to so much of the haziness that clouded that previous government, the billing process on hydro. We’ve acted, because at the end of the day, when we make Ontario open for business, when we make this province open for jobs, we give people the dignity of a job, of a meaningful day’s work. We employ people in my community, getting them to work. We empower our next generation.

We’ve got some of the brightest minds in rural Ontario on the farms—our sons, our daughters, who are going to university. In fact, I was just meeting with Guelph the other day—number four in the world and number one in Canada in terms of agriculture.

Applause.

Mr. David Piccini: Yes, that deserves a clap.

Mr. Speaker, they said to me that, as they empower and broaden the minds of our next generation, including a number of rural Ontarians in my community, we needed to be more competitive on the hydro file, that we needed to look at making responsible investments on this file.

Looking at renewables: I toured with my colleague here the centre for green energy at Ryerson, and we looked at renewables and investing. Again, this stems back to the core issue that Ontarians felt. That’s the previous government, that felt the answer was to gouge them and then hide it on their hydro bills, that felt that the answer to our environment was to tax the bejesus out of them. That’s not what we feel is right in this government.

We’ve looked at making responsible investments. We know that the core to this, to tackling this, the core to tackling climate change, is through responsible investments in renewables. That’s what we’re doing. That’s going to work hand in hand with this hydro mess that we’ve cleaned up.

Mr. Speaker, again, if I could draw it back to the core thing: There was nothing more unjust, as I went door to door, from farm to farm, than this hydro mess, than the nastiness of hiding embedded fees on bills, and the pain and the torment and the real issues that that caused people in my community. That’s why, Mr. Speaker, I’m proud that we received more votes in my riding than any predecessor in provincial history, that we received more votes, again, on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, because people wanted change. They wanted a change in the government. They wanted us to restore trust and accountability.

They wanted us to deal with that unfair hydro plan. We did it. They wanted us to deal with executive compensation. We did it. They wanted us to repeal the Green Energy Act for energy we didn’t need, that bypassed the municipal planning process, and we did it.

This is a government that is staying true to our word, that is going above the pundits and the folks in ivory towers. It’s going straight to the people. We’re listening to their concerns, and we’re acting on it. I couldn’t be prouder to stand shoulder to shoulder with members on this and that side of the House to address this.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate? Further debate?

Mr. Rickford has moved an amendment to government notice of motion number 35 relating to the allocation of time on Bill 87,

An Act to amend various statutes related to energy: “That each witness will receive up to six minutes for their presentation followed by 14 minutes for questions from committee members, with two minutes allotted to the independent member of the committee for questioning and 12 minutes divided equally amongst the recognized parties for questioning; and”.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Are the members ready to vote on the main motion, as amended?

On April 9, 2019, Mr. Clark moved government notice of motion number 35, relating to the allocation of time on Bill 87.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed to the motion will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, it will be deferred until after question period today.

Vote deferred.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Orders of the day. I recognize the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Hon. Steve Clark: No further business, Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): No further business. This House now stands recessed until 10:30.

The House recessed from 0955 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I would like to welcome my constituent Stephen Massaro to the House this morning. Stephen is here with the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to welcome one of the greatest Italian soccer players in history. He played 326 games for Juventus, scoring 129 goals, 42 times for the Azzurri and 48 for the Toronto Blizzard. I would like to welcome Roberto Bettega here today.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Today, I would like to welcome my friend and a wonderful community organizer, Heather Douglas, who has come to shadow me and learn about my new life at Queen’s Park. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Will Bouma: It’s my pleasure to welcome to our House today Meagan Gordon representing the RPNAO.

Mr. Michael Gravelle: I would like to welcome two guests from my Thunder Bay–Superior North riding. First is Dr. George Macey, a long-time friend and the president of my riding association, and Kevin Thomas, my constituency assistant, who’s down for a couple of days. Welcome, George and Kevin.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I would like to welcome David Meekis from Deer Lake to the House, and also Athena and Anne from my office, and the Anishinabek Nation leadership. As a First Nations person, welcome to our House.

Hon. Greg Rickford: I would like to welcome the leadership council of the Anishinabek Nation, representing 40 Anishinabek First Nations. Please welcome Grand Council Chief Glen Hare; Deputy Grand Council Chief for the Northern Superior Region Ed Wawia; Deputy Grand Council Chief for the Southwest Region Joe Miskokomon; Deputy Grand Council Chief for the Southeast Region James Marsden; Chief Scott McLeod, Lake Huron Region; and Ogimaa Duke Peltier, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Welcome to this magnificent place.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I would like to welcome a resident from St. Catharines, Evelyn Belchior. Evelyn is here today wearing one of her many hats and representing the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. Welcome, Evelyn.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s a pleasure to introduce Massimo De Menech from the board of directors of Ciociaro Club, Windsor. Benvenuto to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have two introductions today. I have a friend from Windsor visiting today, Jerry Udell, who is in town for some executive business at the Law Society of Ontario. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Jerry. And I would like to welcome Linda Keirl to the House today. Linda is a registered practical nurse from my riding. Welcome, Linda.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: It’s my pleasure to welcome all the members of RPNAO here today: Tiff Blair, who is the director of policy and communications; board member Samantha Salatino; and Dickon Worsley, who I met with today. Please welcome them.

Mr. Vincent Ke: It is my honour to introduce my guests from the Fuzhou University Alumni Association of Canada. They are my friends, my alumni, and they were also my volunteers during last year’s election campaign. Their names are: Chen Hong, Guo Yun, Jiang Caide, Wang Jiangbin, Chen Jianbin, Zhuo Honghui, Wang Jun, Shi Panqin, Wei Qingming, Yao Li, Chen Jingjing, He Lixian, Chen Jingliang, Jiang Yong and Ma Lin.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, and I hope you enjoy your visit.

Mr. Joel Harden: We have the great privilege to be hosting many people from the disability rights movement today. I’m just going to name a few, but I thank all of them for coming. You have a flyer on your tables, colleagues, about an event later today.

I want to mention the great David Lepofsky from the AODA Alliance. I want to mention Sarah Jama from the Disability Justice Network of Ontario. I want to mention Thea Kurdi and also Justin Scrimgeour and Paula Walker from my own family, from the great city of Alliston, Ontario. Thank you all for coming to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I’d like to welcome some of the members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association to Queen’s Park. Visiting today, we have Bill George Jr., Mike Chromczak, Alison Robertson and Gordon Stock.

They’d also like to invite everyone in the Legislature to their reception at 5 p.m. in room 230 to get to talk to them all.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I have two introductions this morning. First, I’d like to welcome Dr. Sean Kidd and his daughter Olivia, who are here for a Queen’s Park experience and lunch with me. I’d also like to welcome Stephanie Horner from the RPNAO. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. David Piccini: It gives me great pleasure to welcome a number of constituents to Queen’s Park today. I’d like to welcome Adam Bureau, a councillor in Cobourg, who is visiting us today. He’s joined by Paul Harding, another constituent from Cobourg; as well, a former councillor we miss every day in Clarington region, Willie Woo, who’s up there. Willie, welcome to Queen’s Park. It’s great to have you here.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: As I look over, I’m pleased to welcome my friend Kristen Ellison, who may not be from my riding—she’s from Northumberland–Peterborough South—but she is known to us at Queen’s Park for being a great advocate for children with autism. Thank you. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Michael Parsa: I’d like to welcome to the House Dr. Saeed Faizi, the president of the Al-Nadwa centre in Richmond Hill. And all the way from India is a guest, the head of Darul-Uloom Ashrafia, Moulana Muhammad Usama; and Mr. Hafiz Mohammed Shamshad, imam at the Al-Nadwa centre in Richmond Hill. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome Angela Corneil and Stephen and Dianne Martin from the Registered Practical Nurses Association.

I would also like to welcome Jeff Cornett, Amanda Sussman, Nicholas Esterbauer and Shawn Chirrey, who are from the Canadian Cancer Society. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I just want to welcome Gina Vivian, who’s from the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. She’s here with the RPNAO. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Deepak Anand: I’d like to welcome members of the Mississauga Italian Canadian Benevolent Association from my riding of Mississauga–Malton. Benvenuti a Queen’s Park.

Ms. Jill Dunlop: On behalf of my seatmate, the member for Mississauga–Lakeshore—we were all so excited to welcome his first guest—I’d like to welcome his two other guests, Lucky Raso and Nicola Tarantino. Thank you for being here today.

Ms. Donna Skelly: I’m very pleased to welcome Sarah and Ryan Duncan from my riding of Flamborough–Glanbrook. Sarah and Ryan are the parents of Stella, who is doing a fantastic job serving as one of our pages here in the Legislature.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I’m pleased to introduce Craig Swatuk from my riding of Oakville, who is here today with fellow representatives from the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. Welcome, Craig, to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I’m delighted to welcome Dianne Martin to the Legislature today. She’s not only a constituent of Barrie–Innisfil, but she’s also the CEO of the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario.

Ms. Lindsey Park: I’d like to welcome Debora Cowie, my constituent, who is here with the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Jim McDonell: This morning I’d like to welcome Barbara Hope, grandmother of page Greyson Hope, and Greyson’s mother, Chelsea. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: I’d like to welcome my good friend Dr. Michael Surkont, who is a pain physician and a big fan of Minister Elliott. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ross Romano: I would also like to welcome all of the leadership from the Anishinabek Nation.

I would also like to remind everyone of the Anishinabek Nation and Union of Ontario Indians reception this evening, which is happening in room 228 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. I look forward to seeing you all there.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have available today to introduce our guests. I want to welcome anyone who wasn’t introduced specifically to Queen’s Park today.

Oral Questions

Education

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question is to the Minister of Education. Does the Ford government think that 46 students is too many for a high school classroom?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Well, Speaker, let’s talk about realities. The fact is, on March 25 the CBC did a fact check and, even with our announcement, they concurred that Ontario, once we take a look at our class sizes—and I’ll remind everybody today, from K to grade 3, we’re not changing any size. There’s no change in K to grade 3. From grades 4 to 8, there could be as many as one more student added to the class. In high school, with our more mature senior students, we’re taking a look at increasing the average class size to 28.

The CBC fact check confirmed on March 25 that even with the changes we announced that we’re looking at in our plan, we’re still one of the lowest class sizes across Canada.

The Leader of the Opposition should be well advised to stop fearmongering, because the fact of the matter is, she’s starting to lose credibility with the average parent out there who is tired of all the rhetoric that is coming from the opposition party.

You know what? We’re getting it right, Speaker—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. I will remind the members that when the Speaker stands up, your microphone goes dead and you need to conclude your response.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Halton District School Board wrote to the minister yesterday. The Halton District School Board warns that to make the government’s new class-size policy work, some classes will swell to as much as 46 kids in the classroom. They warn, “This situation will inevitably lead to eliminating course offerings with low enrolment, even though those courses may be the top choice for some students.”

Can the minister tell us how many boards have sent her similar warnings?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I can tell you this: We are never, ever going to play political games when it comes to the success of our students in the classroom.

When it comes to school boards across the province, we want to work with our education partners. As I’ve said time and again in this House, I introduced our education plan, Education That Works for You, on March 15, and in association with that announcement, we’re inviting our education partners to work with us in good faith, come to the table and talk about how we get the education system in Ontario back on track after 15 years of failed experiments and ideology under the Liberal administration.

Again, I’d like to remind everyone: I invite our education partners to work with us. Come to the table in good faith. I’m looking forward to your submissions, until May 31.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, bad education policy is bad education policy no matter how this minister tries to fancy it up. School boards, teachers, students and parents are all warning the Ford government that their classroom cuts are cheating the next generation of young people in our province.

It’s not just the Halton board, Speaker. The Durham board wrote to the minister warning that “course options [will] diminish drastically, especially in the area of the arts, trades and specialty subjects.”

The evidence is clear: The Ford government’s plan means fewer course options, larger classes, and thousands of fired teachers and education workers.

Will the minister tell us what other warnings she has received from experts in the field?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: What’s very, very clear, Speaker, is that the opposition party is getting very tired and they’re just pulling out old talking points. The fact of the matter is, our education plan, Education that Works for You, is getting well-received remarks in the sense that our math strategy, phasing in a new math curriculum over four years, is getting incredibly well received. Our focus on mental health, the first time ever in Ontario, physical and health education, is going to be incredibly well done and well placed and well-timed, if I might add.

My friend to the left of me mentioned that it seems like, today, NDP stands for “Nothing but Doom Party.” That’s what we’re hearing. Nothing but doom and gloom is coming from the opposition when we should be celebrating that, after 15 years of mismanagement and failed experiments and ideology, we’re actually finally putting our students first.

We’re focused on student success, we’re focused on getting the curriculum back on track, and I’m very proud of that.

Education

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Minister of Education. One of the measures from the Ford government that’s most concerning to students is their decision to make online learning mandatory for high school students.

Until a month ago, the Ontario eLearning Consortium warned on their website that “e-learning may not be for everyone,” a warning that mysteriously disappeared shortly after the minister made her announcement.

If e-learning may not work for every student, why is the minister forcing every student into it?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Well, apparently, based on this question, NDP now stands for “No Digital Party.”

The fact of the matter is, this party is absolutely going back in years. I can’t believe they’re not embracing technology for good. It is absolutely mind-boggling that they do not want to see students in Ontario embracing technology and all the good that it represents.

What we’re talking about in our rollout of online classes is that by the time an Ontario student graduates from high school they will need to have taken four online courses. This is something that absolutely is a fit in today’s world, based on the realities of jobs—not only today, but into tomorrow as well.

For goodness’ sake, there are colleges, there are universities that have the bulk of courses online, and we’re just following suit and making sure that our students in Ontario have the—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Notwithstanding the minister’s silly name-calling, the vanishing warning is just one issue—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The government side will come to order. Minister of Government and Consumer Services, come to order. Government House leader, come to order.

Restart the clock. I apologize to the Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The vanishing warning is just one issue that’s being raised by an academic who has just completed the very first study of online learning in Toronto schools. She concludes, “If the government heads in this direction, students will suffer.”

She warns that the government has not invested sufficiently in building capacity and research, and that this e-learning is more about saving money than helping students to succeed.

Does the minister have any evidence that counters the findings in this study?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Well, absolutely, I do. Just recently, the Harvard Business Review actually touted the merits of online courses. Seriously, we could go study to study all day if you like, Leader of the Opposition. I’ll meet that challenge. I’ll go study to study.

The fact of the matter is, our students need to be learning the skills they require for the jobs of today and tomorrow. When post-secondary education is embracing online courses, for goodness’ sake, the least we can do is make sure our high school students, when they graduate, are prepared for that reality.

Speaker, we are doing an amazing job of getting education back on track. Once and for all, I think the opposition party needs to embrace the fact that we are getting good reviews on our education plan and we’re moving forward in a very thoughtful manner that is a result of listening and consulting and, most of all, generating results that will give parents confidence that their kids and their learning environment—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: When school boards and parents and young people and educators are all panning their education changes, I think that this minister has a very distorted view of what people think of their education plan.

Here’s what students and parents do see: a government that’s firing teachers; eliminating courses; cramming students into even larger classrooms; and forcing every single student, regardless of if they can learn very well in that method, into online learning, despite the overwhelming expert evidence that online learning does not work for every student.

This isn’t about building resiliency. It’s about cuts to the classroom—cuts to the classroom that this party made the last time they were in government, which damaged kids and their education then, and they’re about to do it again to our young people. Students will pay the price.

Will the minister back away from these reckless cuts?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Niagara West will come to order. The member for Flamborough–Glanbrook must come to order.

The minister to reply.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I think in that last question we finally have hit the nail on the head as to what the real reason is for the angle that the opposition party is taking, and that is because they’re doing the unions’ bidding and creating fearmongering and absolutely spinning things.

The fact of the matter is, when I’m out and about—when I was out at an education event last week, I had retired principals coming up and hugging me and saying, “Finally, somebody is getting it straight and standing up for our classrooms in Ontario.”

I’m telling you, parents are celebrating that we’re going to get back to the basics and focus on the fundamentals.

Do you know what? Our business world, our employers, are absolutely celebrating the fact that we’re going to focus in on the jobs of today and tomorrow. Skilled trades are a wonderful career. A plethora of careers are enveloped into skilled trades. I can’t wait for students to be learning the skills and the—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Members, take their seats.

Restart the clock. Next question.

Health care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is to the Minister of Health.

For many people living with chronic pain, news that the government is set to make drastic cuts to OHIP-covered pain management treatment is very concerning. It will mean that their conditions could worsen, their symptoms could go untreated, they could lose out on opportunities for their careers and may be forced to stop working altogether because they cannot deal with their pain.

People in Ontario living with chronic pain deserve to know now what crucial medications are being taken away from them by this government. Will the minister confirm which pain management treatments are going to be cut?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the leader of the official opposition for the question, because there was some erroneous information that was printed in a news article, which was based on some discussions that were held in the associated working group between the Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health. There were some suggestions there that have not happened. In fact, that particular issue with respect to pain medications is not on the table. I have not even seen this list myself. This is not something that has been approved by the ministry.

What we are going to do is make decisions based on evidence. Discussions are still concluding, but there is no decision that has been made with respect to those pain medications. We know that people with chronic pain depend on these medications and nerve blocks, and so we will be continuing with them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, sadly, Ontarians have seen what happens when this minister doesn’t see reports or bills, or when this minister claims that something is not on the table we end up finding out that, in fact, it has been on the table all along.

One of the cuts to pain medication that the government is proposing is to peripheral nerve blocking shots, which are to be reduced to only 16 allowable shots a year, less than a week’s worth of medicine for some people. For Ontario patients, these medications are an effective alternative to opioids, Speaker. But if they’re forced to go without, there is growing concern from doctors that patients will seek out prescriptions to opioids or, even worse, try to find those opioids on the streets.

Will the minister consider the needs of Ontarians living with chronic pain before she approves any cuts?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, of course patients’ needs and priorities are utmost in our minds and that’s what we make our decisions based upon. But what I would say, through you, Speaker, to the leader of the official opposition, is I always see documents before decisions are made. In the situation that I believe you’re referring to, that was material that was taken from the ministry and provided to you directly, before I had the opportunity to see it, because it was something that wasn’t even up for discussion.

In answer to your specific question, of course we are going to keep patients’ needs and priorities and we are going to make decisions based on evidence. If patients need the medication and need that for pain, for nerves or whatever else they have, they will be receiving it. We will make decisions that are in the best interests of patients, based on our discussions with them and on the experts who understand exactly what the evidence suggests is best.

Curriculum

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: My question is for the Honourable Minister of Education. I know the minister has announced a number of initiatives to help protect our students and put Ontario back on track when it comes to education. It was obvious that the last government was not only failing our students when it came to basic life skills like math, but that they also had no respect for our parents. When I spoke to parents in my community of Oakville North–Burlington, they told me that they felt their voices weren’t heard.

Speaker, can the Minister of Education tell us what our government is doing to protect our students and ensure our parents are being heard again?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I absolutely admire our member from Oakville North–Burlington. She does such a stand-up job and I’m so pleased that we’re building a school in your riding. I look forward to that opening day.

Mr. Speaker, back to the question. Over the last few months, we have taken a number of steps to protect our students and ensure parents are being respected. Our government has been very clear. The last Liberal administration thumbed their nose at parents. They absolutely ignored them, and we are making steps that are very clear-footed. We are consulting and listening, most importantly, to modernize and improve Ontario’s education system.

Through our consultations, specifically, we conducted just enormous opportunities for parents to be heard, and we heard a range of opinions. But there was a common thread, Speaker. One thing was always clear: The last government, as I said, never listened to parents. I’m so proud to stand with all my colleagues today, wearing pink to stand up against bullying, and recognize that there’s something—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary?

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: Through you, Speaker, thank you to the minister for that response. It’s refreshing to hear a government that is listening to the people and respecting parents. I know the minister listens because, as she said, she listened to the parents in my growing community when they told her they desperately needed a new school in northeast Oakville. I know that many parents were excited to hear about our modern, comprehensive approach focused on student success and achievement.

But parents also told me that they are concerned about a number of other items that were simply not covered in the previous curriculum. Could the minister tell us more about what she has introduced in this new curriculum?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Today, students need to know how to respect one another and how to use technology safely, and they need to know what healthy relationships look like. We heard that loud and clear through our consultation.

That is why I’m so proud to stand here today, Speaker, and share with you that, by next September, we’ll have a modern, age-appropriate health and physical education curriculum that will reflect the desires of parents, reflect the needs of students and will be supported by teachers across Ontario.

Again, our age-appropriate curriculum will have a focus on student safety, but we’re covering a wide array of topics. Starting in grade 1, students will hear about important concepts like mental health, online safety and concussions. By grade 6, our students will be taught about more complex topics, like substance abuse and addictions.

Speaker, I can tell you, we heard from over 72,000 Ontarians, and we’ve listened. By next year, any parent who feels they need extra resources at home to teach these subjects will have access—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Next question.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. One of the first acts by this government was to cut $330 million in funding for mental health and addictions, all the while children and youth needing life-saving mental and addictions care are on wait-lists for years and more than—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The government side has to come to order so I can hear the member who legitimately has the floor ask a question on behalf of her constituents.

I apologize to the member for Parkdale–High Park.

Start the clock.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: —and more than three people die every day of an overdose.

Speaker, the people of Ontario deserve better. Will the minister commit to restoring the $330 million cut to mental health and addictions?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Through you, Speaker, I need to correct an inaccuracy. In fact, our government is increasing support for mental health and addictions by $3.8 billion over 10 years: $1.9 billion from the provincial government matched by $1.9 billion from the federal government. We are using those funds to create a connected, comprehensive mental health and addictions plan for the province of Ontario.

I hope to obtain views from all members of the Legislature—from the government side, from the official opposition side and from the independent parties—because this is an issue that is very important for all Ontarians. It is not a partisan issue, and we all need to get this right. I look forward to having further discussions with you and any other members of your caucus who are interested in providing opinions.

On the side of the addictions piece, this is something that is very important to us. We are actively involved in opening new centres and receiving applications; 15 have been approved, and we have six more to go. We are listening to areas where there is significant need. We want to make—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Supplementary.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Back to the minister: We’ve heard the minister say it time and time again, but we have not seen the money flow and there has been no concrete action. The only action we’ve seen so far is the $330-million cut and the defunding of six overdose prevention sites.

The mental health and addiction crisis that we are facing needs immediate action, not empty words. I ask again: Will the minister commit to restoring the $330 million cut from mental health and addictions funding?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Again I repeat: We are increasing funding for mental health and addictions services. And that is happening; there has been money already spent from money that was available from last year into housing, into increasing supports for mental health and addictions agencies. That money is flowing.

But what we want to make sure as we go forward is that we need to have a connected and comprehensive system. We don’t have that infrastructure right now in mental health and addictions. I’m sure that everyone in the Legislature and all the people in Ontario who are watching today want to make sure that they are the good investments that are actually going to help people.

We are actively working on that plan now. We will be in contact with you very shortly to obtain your views, because we want to make sure that we get this right. It’s a lot of money to spend, but it has to be spent wisely to make sure that we help people with mental health and addictions needs.

Energy regulation

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: My question is for the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. The previous government’s culture of waste and inefficiency cost the people of Ontario their precious taxpayer dollars. We inherited an electricity system that was not working for the people of Ontario. Our government was elected to bring much-needed change to the electricity system after 15 years of mismanagement.

With Bill 87, we are delivering on our promise to improve the electricity system. This includes the modernization of the Ontario Energy Board, or OEB. Mr. Speaker, can the minister please tell the members of this House why it is so important to modernize the OEB?

Hon. Greg Rickford: When I first tried this as Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, it was clear that stakeholders wanted change; they wanted modernization. Here in Ontario, they need it. I’ve never seen a group of stakeholders clamour in desperation for fundamental changes, stemming from the governance structure and undue delays. OEB had come to stand for the Ontario energy bureaucracy, as projects mounted with significant amounts of paper requirements for fairly routine regulations—delays on key projects in regions of Ontario that were desperate for projects to move ahead.

I’m thinking, of course, of the east-west tie—a trained workforce, more than 275 Indigenous workers, ready to go on the east-west tie, and communities’ energy infrastructure at stake. We broke through for them.

Moving forward, the Ontario Energy Board is going to be modernized and work for Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: Thank you to the minister for that clear and concise answer. I am certain that our government will ensure that the OEB becomes a competent regulator once again.

It’s essential that we can rely on the energy regulator as we continue expanding our electricity system with exciting energy projects. As Ontario becomes open for business, we will have new energy demands, and we need the OEB to be ready to respond. A more efficient OEB will provide an incentive for new businesses to invest in Ontario. They can be sure that our government is ready to meet the energy needs of the new employers.

Can the minister please tell us more about how our OEB modernization will make Ontario open for business?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I mentioned those stakeholders. The Electricity Distributors Association said, “With Bill 87, the Electricity Distributors Association is pleased that this government has decided to listen to industry and stakeholders about regulatory reform and cutting the red tape in Ontario’s energy industry.”

Susannah Robinson, vice-president of EPCOR, said, “EPCOR ... is enthused about investing hundreds of millions of dollars here for years to come.... We applaud the minister’s efforts”—oh, that’s nice—“to improve the board’s functions and governance and we look forward to experiencing these changes first-hand as we expand our business footprint in Ontario.”

Mr. Speaker, modernizing the OEB puts Ontario in a better position to be open for business and that’s precisely—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Next question.

Indigenous economic development

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: This question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. This week, the minister spoke about the government’s commitment to making the north open for business and said that the ministry was properly engaging all stakeholders on the Far North Act.

Proper engagement on such an important act should not be rushed, and it involves more than two hearings in northern Ontario. By rushing hearings and making communities travel to give evidence, many community voices will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, will the minister make a commitment today to proactively and fully engage with First Nations on what happens in the Far North? Meegwetch.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the member for that question. Something that we are absolutely committed to doing is engagement with our Indigenous peoples and First Nations. My colleague the Minister of Indigenous Affairs is looking after that side of it. He will lead those engagement sessions with our Indigenous peoples.

I want to point out very clearly, Speaker, that when the Far North Act was brought in by the previous government, there was no engagement with Indigenous peoples. They did not want it. We heard from all across the Far North, with Indigenous peoples and with every other citizen across the Far North, businesses and otherwise, that they did not want the Far North Act.

We are now committed to improving the situation, bringing jobs and development back to the Far North, giving them an opportunity to enjoy the prosperity that other people in Ontario depend on. I’m going to be working with my colleague the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development and Mines to fully engage First Nations to ensure that they have the opportunities that they deserve as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: First Nations and the Far North want to benefit from the resources in their treaty lands, but many First Nations are concerned the minister is undermining the duty to consult when he refers to cutting red tape. First Nations are not red tape. Supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples gives the government the path to resource development they need.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, I’m here to tell the government that the Far North is not open for business without involvement in development in our territories. Will the minister commit to respecting our treaty rights through meaningful consultation and involvement with communities affected by the Far North Act?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members please take their seats.

Hon. John Yakabuski: To the Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

Hon. Greg Rickford: I appreciate the honourable member’s question. In fact, I had an opportunity to discuss this matter with Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler yesterday.

Look, Mr. Speaker, we’re focused on

an act here that was never consulted on in the first place for those communities. I haven’t met a First Nations leader in my extensive time living and working up there who liked anything about this act, Mr. Speaker. Designations of parks status on some of their traditional lands and including some of their reservation lands—this is completely unacceptable. It has put a stop to good business opportunities in northern Ontario.

Of course First Nations communities ought to have, as my learned colleague said, every opportunity to develop the resources, participate in the economic activity and see an improvement in the overall economic conditions and prospects in their communities moving forward. That’s exactly what we intend to deliver.

Government’s agenda

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Since the Ford government came to power, we’ve seen devastating cuts for workers, families and children in Ontario. Premier Ford and his hatchet team have cut jobs and slashed public services that people depend on.

This made me wonder: Is Doug Ford the anti-Marie Kondo? Because if it sparks joy, Doug Ford cuts it. Joy that students feel in classrooms with engaged teachers—Premier Ford fires 3,500 teachers. Joy that parents of autistic children felt knowing that their child is getting the treatment that they need, when Doug Ford made dramatic changes—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind all members: We refer to each other by our riding names or our ministerial responsibility.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The member for Mississauga East–Cooksville will come to order. The member for Northumberland–Peterborough South will come to order. The member for Niagara West will come to order. We’re going to allow the member for Scarborough–Guildwood to ask her question in a manner that I can hear her.

Please restart the clock. The member for Scarborough–Guildwood has the floor.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: The Ford government made dramatic cuts to autism services, sending families into panic and turmoil. Joy that low-income students—

Hon. John Yakabuski: How can you say that? Wow. Wow—oh, sorry.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come to order. Did anybody over there hear what I just said?

Interjection: I did.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Some of you did. I appreciate it.

Once again, the member for Scarborough–Guildwood has the floor.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Tomorrow’s budget will be more of the same, with attempts to distract from cuts with beer at sporting games—

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Pick a lane, lady. Oh, my God.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock again. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services will come to order.

Restart the clock. Again I apologize to the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question to the Deputy Premier, through you, Speaker: What will the anti-Marie Kondo Premier cut next?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: To the member opposite: She takes the most circuitous route to actually ask a question in this House so that we don’t know what she’s asking. At the end of the day, I can tell you with great certainty, though, that this government, led by Premier Ford, will be bringing subways to Scarborough and it will be a direct route that everybody can take, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Bill Walker: And we won’t be cutting schools there.

Hon. Todd Smith: After 15 long years of inaction from the Liberal government, of which the member opposite was a part of, a government that cut 600 schools across Ontario under her watch, we will be making investments in Ontario, whether it’s with transit, education, health care. We’re going to get Ontario moving back on the right track, and today’s announcement announcing subways to Scarborough is step number 1 in doing just that.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock.

Restart the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: We welcome the subway actually being built in Scarborough.

Marie Kondo has inspired a decluttering movement telling people to get rid of anything that doesn’t spark joy. The anti-Marie Kondo Premier has done the opposite. If it sparks joy, he cuts it, like the joy that communities felt knowing that energy conservation programs—now cancelled—were making the air cleaner to breathe for children. The joy that the basic income pilot gave to families as they planned for a brighter future is now taken away under this government. The renewed joy in the supports found in the wake of violence or abuse, with the cut to the rape crisis centres—that joy taken away.

Even the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the FAO is warning finance minister Vic Fedeli about reckless cuts, reminding him that Ontario already has relatively—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

The question has been referred to the government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you, it’s with great joy that I get to stand in my place here again today, and it was with great joy this morning that the Premier and our Minister of Transportation and a number of members of our GTA caucus stood there and talked about the investments that our government is going to be making for the people of Scarborough, for the people of north Toronto, for the people of downtown Toronto, for the people of the GTHA—and that’s on top of the investments that we announced earlier this month and last month when it comes to transit right across Ontario.

All of our communities are going to benefit from the work that our Premier and our Minister of Transportation are doing to make Ontario move again. That’s not just getting people from here to there; that’s ensuring that we’re allowing our economy to move again, an economy that has been stuck in gridlock—over 300,000 lost manufacturing jobs under that member’s government. We’re going to get the economy moving again. We’re going to get people moving again. We’re going to get Ontario moving again, making sure that it’s in its rightful place as our leader in Confederation when it comes to the economy.

Health care reform

Mr. Toby Barrett: My question is for the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, our government is committed to delivering on our promise to end hallway health care. I’ve heard time and time again from my constituents across Haldimand–Norfolk that building a public health care system centred around patients is very important for them. That’s why I’m quite heartened our government has introduced The People’s Health Care Act so that patients and families will have access to faster, better and more connected services.

Would the minister please inform the members of this Legislature why our proposed changes are so desperately needed for our health care system?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much to the member from Haldimand–Norfolk for the great question. I can tell you that I have heard from thousands of Ontarians on this issue, including patients, families and caregivers, and from these countless hours of conversation, I’ve heard the same refrain: Our health care system is broken.

The health care system is facing capacity pressures, but it does not have the right mix of services, beds or digital tools to be ready for a growing and rapidly aging population with increasingly complex health care needs. That is why we are building a public health care system centred around the patient and redirecting money to front-line services where it belongs, to improve the patient experience and to provide better and more connected care.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Toby Barrett: I thank the minister for that response. As the minister has just indicated, there’s no doubt our health care system needs immediate attention.

It’s no secret the former Liberal government left us with a health care system on life support. I, along with my colleagues in this Legislature, have been hearing dozens and dozens of unfortunate stories from people on the state of our health care system in the province. My constituents, and as you’ve indicated, Minister, so many people in Ontario, would certainly benefit from a patient-centred health care system.

My question, Speaker: Could the minister please inform this House how The People’s Health Care Act, if passed, will address the pressures facing our health care system? And secondly, how will this act improve patient care?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you again to the member. Our government is making the necessary changes to build a modern, sustainable system that will improve access to care and emphasize a patient-centred approach.

If we expect real improvements that patients will experience first-hand, we must better coordinate the public health care system so it is organized around people’s needs and outcomes. This will enable local teams of health care providers to know and understand each patient’s needs, and provide the appropriate, high-quality, connected care that Ontarians deserve and expect.

By relentlessly focusing on the patient experience and on better connected care, we will reduce wait times and end hallway medicine.

My question to the minister: Do you accept the findings of the Onley report?

Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: I’d like to thank the member for raising that question. First of all, I’d like to thank the Honourable David Onley. He did a marvelous job; I read the report.

By the way, I will drop by your town hall meeting.

Our government is open for business for everybody, even people with disabilities, and I’ll try my best as minister.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Joel Harden: Thank you to the minister for that answer, but 1.9 million Ontarians with disabilities actually deserve better. This is a human rights issue. Stalling any further and only looking backwards is not an option.

Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: Thank you again for the question. After the Honourable David Onley completed his review, we tabled the review. I talked to him—three times, I went to see him—and he emphasized getting jobs for people with disabilities is most important. That’s why we’re going to focus and I’m going to hold my own town hall meeting with the business community. Thank you for the question.

Lyme disease

Mr. Randy Hillier: My question is for the Minister of Health. Last year, Jennifer Wheeler took her son, Nicholas, to CHEO for care. Eleven-year-old Nicholas suffers with Lyme disease. Nicholas also receives treatment for Lyme by a physician in New York because our outdated standards of care are not working. Because Nicholas goes to the US for treatment, the physician at CHEO lodged a complaint with the children’s aid society against Jennifer and her family and filed a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario against their family doctor.

Minister, Ontario’s health system often treats people with Lyme in a reprehensible and atrocious manner. Will you meet with Jennifer Wheeler and her team of professionals to discuss a pilot project to reform these outdated attitudes and harmful practices and help people who are suffering with Lyme disease?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. I am sorry about the troubles that Jennifer and Nicholas have gone through, but I want you to know that our ministry does take the issue of Lyme disease very seriously. We are constantly consulting and reviewing areas of risk, including certain geographic risks in the province of Ontario. I would be happy to meet with Jennifer and Nicholas and their team to discuss the situation and to discuss the pilot project they have in mind. We are looking for solutions and we would be happy to hear from them about that.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Randy Hillier: Thank you for that response, Minister. I’m sure Jennifer and her family will appreciate that response. Fortunately, Alex Munter, CEO of CHEO, also stepped up to the plate for the Wheeler family when he heard of the abuses that had happened, and I commend him for his actions as well. Ontario needs significant reforms on how we diagnose and treat Lyme disease. If it was left to our current standards of care, Nicholas would have continued to suffer as he did before receiving care out of country.

Alex Munter did the right thing. You’re doing the right thing. I would like to see you also direct the appropriateness group to investigate the state of Lyme disease diagnostics and treatments so that Nicholas and thousands of people with Lyme are not treated as unimportant or, in the case of the Wheeler family, as criminals.

Hon. Christine Elliott: I agree with you that Alex Munter is doing a wonderful job at CHEO, and I’m glad that he was able to provide some assistance to Jennifer and to Nicholas. Certainly it is an issue that can be referred to the appropriateness group to discuss, because there is more work to be done, there’s no question, on the issue of Lyme disease in Ontario.

But it’s also an issue of public health. I have had some conversations with our public health officials about Lyme disease and what else we need to do. It is an area that is under study, but I think the more eyes we can get on it and more opinions we can hear about it from people who know what the solutions are and have that evidence—we are certainly open to hearing from them, including Jennifer, Nicholas and her group of people as well. Absolutely we want to hear from them. Thank you.

Real estate industry

Mr. Vincent Ke: My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Minister, over the past several months, our government held consultations on modernizing the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act. Real estate is a major part of our province’s economy, and ensuring rules are up to date, efficient and effective is key to ensuring our province is open for business and open for jobs.

Speaker, I know that constituents in my riding of Don Valley North are very interested in this review. They want to know they are protected when buying, selling or renting a home.

Could the minister update the Legislature on the input he received from Ontarians about REBBA and the rules and regulations governing the real estate industry?

Hon. Bill Walker: I want to thank my colleague from Don Valley West, Vincent Ke, for his excellent question and the excellent work he does on behalf of his constituents.

My esteemed colleague is correct: Public consultations on the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act closed on March 15. I’m pleased to say that we received over 6,500 responses from industry professionals, former and current realtors, and the people of Ontario.

Sadly, like so many areas of government, the previous Liberal government allowed real estate laws and regulations to stagnate over the last 15 years of their reign. Of course, over that time, the market has changed dramatically.

Our goal in reviewing REBBA, as with everything we do in government, is to ensure the rules and regulations governing businesses and members of the public are clear, modern, fair and efficient. That is exactly what this review is allowing us to do.

Mr. Speaker, we are currently in the process of reviewing those 6,500 submissions, and I will be pleased to update this House on the findings once we’ve completed that review.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Vincent Ke: I would like to thank the minister for his answer.

I know how important this issue is to so many of my constituents, and I know many of them were shocked to find out that in the ever-changing real estate market—which the previous Liberal government allowed rules and regulations.

I’m very pleased to hear that over 6,500 Ontarians made their voices heard by taking

part in the minister’s consultations. Could the minister outline what he has heard from Ontarians during these consultations and highlight some of the out-of-date rules the Liberals kept on the books for the previous 15 years?

Hon. Bill Walker: Again, thank you to my colleague from Don Valley North for the great work he’s doing.

We’re currently reviewing those 6,500 responses we received from industry professionals and Ontarians buying, selling or renting their homes. We heard a wide range of views, and we’re taking time to develop the right solutions for the people of Ontario.

Our review is looking at areas such as consumer protection, greater transparency in the offer process and improved disclosures. We’re also considering enhanced professionalism, modern regulations and creating a strong business environment.

Mr. Speaker, the real estate sector is a major part of Ontario’s economy. I heard loud and clear that Ontario needs rules governing the real estate industry that are modern, fair and effective. We are committed to doing just that, and I will provide this House with an update on our government’s plan of action once we’ve completed those 6,500 reviews for the people of Ontario.

Education

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: My question is for the Acting Premier. Last Thursday, 100,000 students in Ontario walked out to protest the proposed deep cuts to our education system by this regressive Conservative government. In my riding of Humber River–Black Creek, students from C.W. Jefferys, Emery, James Cardinal McGuigan, St. Basil’s and Westview came out in the hundreds.

I dropped by the walkout organized by Emery Collegiate Institute students. A senior student approached me and shared his worries about the cuts to post-secondary education. He told me that eliminating OSAP grants and the grace repayment period would influence whether or not many of his friends would have a chance at going to college or university. He wants to know how, exactly, these cuts will help him and his friends get a world-class education.

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Our government was elected with a strong mandate to create good jobs in Ontario. As the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, my focus is on making sure that the people of Ontario are prepared for those jobs. We want everyone in Ontario to have an opportunity to succeed and prosper, and post-secondary education is a critical part of preparing Ontario for the future.

Speaker, as we grow the economy, we need Ontarians who are skilled in sectors across the economy. As minister, I will support programs and efforts that help students to get the skills they need to find employment and to help fill the skills gap. Post-secondary education is a critical—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: This government is doing the exact opposite of what the minister is saying. Thousands of educators and people who care deeply about public education gathered on the front lawn of Queen’s Park this past Saturday to protest this government’s disastrous plan to balloon classroom sizes and eliminate thousands of teaching jobs within the next four years.

Tell me how removing math teachers from our schools is going to improve math scores in this province.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: It’s my pleasure to stand up and speak to the issue at hand because, again, no teacher is going to lose their job involuntarily. I cannot stress that enough. In fact, we’re investing in our teachers. I can’t wait for the Minister of Finance to bring our budget forward tomorrow because, again, we are taking very strong steps forward to demonstrate how we’re investing in the Ontario education system to make sure that we get it back on track, once and for all, after 15 years of failed ideology and experiments by the former Liberal administration.

It’s interesting. We need to make sure that our teachers are confident in the subjects that they’re teaching, and specifically with math. We’re rolling in a curriculum over four years. We’re going to be working with our education partners to make sure we get it right. Most importantly, any teacher who wants to improve themselves and are interested in taking an additional qualifications math course—we will invest in that teacher because we want the best in front of our students.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary? The member London North Centre.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is for the Minister of Education. Today is the—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Sorry, I made a mistake. I apologize. The next question.

Tourism

Mr. Norman Miller: My question is for the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Indigenous Affairs. Ontario is blessed with natural beauty and a rich history that draws visitors from all over the world. Tourism is a critical part of our province’s economy, and our government appreciates the jobs it creates all over Ontario. This is especially important for the northern regions of Ontario. There are adventures to be had in northern Ontario, Mr. Speaker, and our government is supporting the growth of unique tourism opportunities in the north.

Can the minister tell the members of this House about how our government is supporting tourism in the north and making northern Ontario open for business and open for jobs?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Since coming to government, we have sharpened our focus in northern Ontario, especially through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, for economic development, business development, business diversification and, importantly, job creation, and that extends to tourism, very much, because we want to celebrate our vast and beautiful space with the rest of the world.

We recently invested $456,000 in Thunder Bay to help SailSuperior.com buy that new catamaran to accommodate larger groups, and NorthWest Helicopters to establish aerial tour and charter operations for visitors to the area. The town of Marathon is also receiving $140,000 to make waterfront upgrades. Mr. Speaker, these are serious investments. For the town of Marathon, strategically positioned on a natural deepwater port, we see an incredible opportunity. Who knows? Maybe the Love Boat will park there some day, Mr. Speaker. But in the meantime, we want to create economic opportunities for these towns and businesses so people from around the world can celebrate our vast and beautiful space.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Norman Miller: I would like to thank the minister for his response. I’m very happy to hear our government recognizes the importance of tourism in Ontario’s north and is taking concrete steps to make sure that this industry continues to thrive and grow.

As I’m sure members of this House will understand, growing tourism in northern Ontario will take collaboration across government. Can the minister tell us what other ministries are doing to grow tourism in northern Ontario and across the province?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thanks to the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka for giving me the opportunity to speak about how we’re growing tourism in northern Ontario. Our government provides strategic support to festivals and events in the north through the Celebrate Ontario program, along with support for planning projects through the Tourism Development Fund.

Last month, we wrapped up our in-person tourism round tables with front-line tourism operators from across the province. Their input, Mr. Speaker, along with over 7,000 online submissions we received from tourists, operators and students, will be considered as we develop Ontario’s new tourism strategy. This new direction, Mr. Speaker, will help us continue to grow tourism in Ontario’s north, and I look forward to sharing this new strategy later this year with the House.

Curriculum

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question today is for the Minister of Education. Speaker, today is the International Day of Pink, a day where communities across the world wear pink to raise awareness to stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny and all forms of bullying.

LGBTQ+ students still face bullying in our schools. In fact, research shows that 87% of trans students have felt unsafe at school and 77% of trans Canadians have considered suicide. One death by suicide is one too many.

Across this House, across party lines, we have a duty to act. On the International Day of Pink, what is the minister doing to ensure LGBTQ+ students feel safe in Ontario’s schools?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I am pleased to say that I am standing with all of my colleagues today wearing pink to demonstrate our commitment and our conviction that every person matters, no matter what colour, stripe or relationship that they have.

The fact of the matter is, what we’re doing is making sure we have a modern and age-appropriate curriculum in health and physical education to make sure students, right out of the gate, are learning about what healthy relationships look like.

I look forward to working with the members opposite as we release this curriculum, and they’ll come to embrace this new, modern age-appropriate curriculum as well. I’m confident of that.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Speaker, it would be nice to hear the minister be able to say the words “homophobia” and “transphobia” on this Day of Pink, because that is what this day is about.

If the minister wanted to make our schools safer for LGBTQ+ students, she would support an inclusive curriculum that all children can access. Statistics show there is a 93% drop in suicide rates among trans youth when parents and mentors accept their gender identity. The government expresses its values through the educational curriculum, yet this minister has delayed teaching gender expression until grade 8, when we know that LGBTQ+ students need support much earlier than this.

Through you, Speaker: Why is this minister taking away support from LGBTQ+ students during a time when she should be offering more? And can the minister say the words “homophobia” and “transphobia”?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Actually, those words don’t exist in my vocabulary because it’s about the actions that really matter. I’m thinking of my friend Craig; I’m thinking of my friend Frank. I am thinking about my family members whom we embrace. We don’t classify and we don’t use terms to label. We embrace relationships. We embrace healthy relationships, and that is what our curriculum is going to reflect when it’s released in September next year.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our time for question period this morning.

Interjections: No, no.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Okay. I erred. I’ll recognize the member for Kitchener–Conestoga.

Hunting and fishing

Mr. Mike Harris: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. As government members, we all know the record of the previous Liberal government when it came to hunting and angling. For 15 years, they ignored the concerns of folks who enjoy these great sports, which are part of our heritage in Ontario.

And the NDP are even worse, Mr. Speaker. When they weren’t supporting the Liberals, they were busy writing campaign platforms that didn’t add up and didn’t even mention hunting and angling.

The baitfish industry supports jobs at mom-and-pop-run shops all across this province by catering to the needs of anglers. Can the minister update the House on what our government for the people is doing for the baitfish industry?

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the member for his question. I know he is a passionate hunter and angler and this is an issue that’s close to his heart. I also want to thank him for the great work he’s doing on our caucus advisory team.

Before I answer, I want to recognize my parliamentary assistant, the member for Haldimand–Norfolk, for the great work he’s been conducting around the province on round tables. He has heard first-hand from the baitfish industry about the issues facing them.

Under the leadership of our Premier, Ontario is finally open for business and open for jobs. The baitfish industry supports jobs in rural Ontario as part of the $2.5-billion fishing industry that contributes that much to Ontario every year. There are 1.3 million recreational anglers in this province, and our government will continue to improve the experience for any Ontarian who wants to enjoy these great pastimes.

Anniversary of Polish air disaster

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Mississauga Centre has informed me she has a point of order.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: I would like to take a moment to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the tragic Smolensk plane crash that took place in Russia in 2010. The crash killed 96 people on board, including former president of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczynski and Ryszard Kaczorowski, Poland’s last president in exile.

I would like to ask for unanimous consent to honour the victims with a moment of silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Mississauga Centre is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to have a moment of silence. Agreed? Agreed.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much.

International Day of Pink

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I would like to invite all members to the assembly this afternoon as we recognize the Day of Pink to combat bullying, transphobia and homophobia.

Notices of dissatisfaction

Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for London North Centre has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Education concerning the Day of Pink. This matter will be debated today at 6 p.m.

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on government notice of motion number 35, as amended, relating to allocation of time on Bill 87,

An Act to amend various statutes related to energy.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1149 to 1154.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would ask the members to please take their seats.

On April 9, 2019, Mr. Clark moved government notice of motion number 35, relating to allocation of time on Bill 87. All those in favour of the motion, as amended, will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Baber, Roman

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Elliott, Christine

Fee, Amy

Fullerton, Merrilee

Ghamari, Goldie

Gill, Parm

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Jones, Sylvia

Kanapathi, Logan

Karahalios, Belinda

Ke, Vincent

Khanjin, Andrea

Kramp, Daryl

Kusendova, Natalia

MacLeod, Lisa

Martin, Robin

Martow, Gila

McDonell, Jim

Miller, Norman

Mulroney, Caroline

Nicholls, Rick

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Park, Lindsey

Parsa, Michael

Pettapiece, Randy

Phillips, Rod

Piccini, David

Rasheed, Kaleed

Rickford, Greg

Roberts, Jeremy

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, Todd

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Walker, Bill

Yakabuski, John

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion, as amended, will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Nays

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Arthur, Ian

Berns-McGown, Rima

Bisson, Gilles

Burch, Jeff

Fife, Catherine

Fraser, John

French, Jennifer K.

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gravelle, Michael

Gretzky, Lisa

Hassan, Faisal

Hatfield, Percy

Horwath, Andrea

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Lindo, Laura Mae

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Monteith-Farrell, Judith

Morrison, Suze

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Shaw, Sandy

Singh, Gurratan

Singh, Sara

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

West, Jamie

Yarde, Kevin

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 62; the nays are 35.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): This House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1157 to 1500.

Members’ Statements

Education

Mr. Paul Miller: Speaker, I would like to start today by thanking the OSSTF, ETFO, OECTA, AEFO, CUPE and all of the other labour groups who organized the largest rally I’ve seen in a very long time this past weekend. With nearly 30,000 protesters here at Queen’s Park, I can’t think of a clearer demonstration of how educators, school administrators, board trustees, parents and, of course, students feel about the proposed changes and cuts to our public education system.

Recently, my office was contacted by a student from Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek. The student was selected by his peers to communicate with my office. He is a clarinet player in Orchard Park’s instrumental band, which recently won the CBC’s Canadian Music Class Challenge. From across the nation, thousands of secondary school students took

part in this competition. It was Stoney Creek’s very own Orchard Park that took first place, with their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

The potential loss of programs like this will be devastating to the skills development of our students. The loss of these programs will result in a loss of real-life-learning experiences that many of our young teenagers may be experiencing for the first time. These vital skills are sought after by colleges, universities and employers. They are the skills that allow each student to stand out and to determine their paths in life, to gain the confidence that comes from victory and to learn the lessons of hard work, loyalty, teamwork, sacrifice and tenacity.

We must realize that for every teacher we lose to the cuts, we could lose the wonderful sports teams, the clubs, the bands and the programs that are the lifeblood of our educational system. Teachers are the reason these programs exist, and we must not pull the rug out from underneath them.

I would like to thank the students of my community for voicing their concerns, the labour unions for their strong support, and the teachers of this province for the immeasurable dedication and professionalism they display every single day.

Public transit

Mrs. Robin Martin: Today is a great day for the residents of my riding of Eglinton–Lawrence. Our government has announced an ambitious and historic transit plan for the greater Toronto area, a total of $28.5 billion.

I’d just like to take a few moments to highlight two projects which will be of particular benefit to my constituents. The Ontario Line, to be built by 2027, will help relieve dangerous congestion on the Yonge subway line that my constituents face each and every day they ride the subway downtown. Ensuring the construction of this important transit line is a priority for my constituents. I am so proud that our government has developed a plan to build a line that will serve more people and have more stations than the city’s current plan, and deliver it two years earlier.

The second project that is really important for my constituents is the western extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, a large portion of which will be built underground, and which will provide residents with rapid transit access to the Toronto Pearson airport. That’s a huge benefit.

Our government will also move forward with a three-stop subway extension to Scarborough and a northern extension of the Yonge subway line to open after the Ontario Line is complete.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve said that we would get subways built in the city of Toronto, and today we have taken a giant step towards making that happen.

Autism treatment

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Families in the north feel ignored by this government’s latest autism plan. Solutions to the lack of available providers and the high travel costs in the north aren’t there. Announcements are made on the fly, but few details are provided. Parents have questions, and no one has answers for them.

A constituent of mine in Atikokan, Brittany Smith, has a three-year-old son, Wesley, who is newly diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Brittany has questions about the government’s new plan, but no one seems to have an answer for her family, particularly the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. I’ve written to her myself several times, with no reply.

Under the new system, Brittany believes Wesley will never receive most of the services he needs. Her family simply won’t be able to afford them. Brittany says that if she could, she would pay for those services out of her own pocket, but that’s just not possible, and it’s not possible for almost any family in Ontario to afford.

On top of that, there are the travel costs of northern families. For a parent in Atikokan like Brittany, getting Wesley to appointments takes time and money, but the minister hasn’t announced any extra money for this. That means northern families will be spending more of their family budgets on mileage, hotels and food, and that’s not equitable—yet another example of why parents in the north feel that their concerns are being ignored.

Vaisakhi

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Today, I would like to talk about the historic festival of Vaisakhi. This day is observed as the Punjabi thanksgiving day by farme