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March 27, 2017

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2017-Mar-27 (PDF)

L058 - Mon 27 Mar 2017 / Lun 27 mar 2017

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 27 March 2017 Lundi 27 mars 2017

Introduction of Visitors

Committee sittings

Visitors

Oral Questions

Energy policies

School safety

Hydro rates

Hydro rates

School closures

Hydro rates

Autism treatment

Government advertising

Mental health and addiction services

Sports and recreation funding

Economic development

Tenant protection

Legal aid

Skills development

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Jay Woollven

Kelsey Mellan and Matthew Bedard

Bangladeshi community

Maple Leaf Schools

Stelco

Hôpital Montfort / Montfort Hospital

Water quality

Vietnamese community

Economic development

Introduction of Bills

End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 visant à mettre fin au financement public de la publicité gouvernementale partisane

Motions

Committee sittings

Petitions

Hydro rates

Employment standards

GO Transit

Government advertising

School closures

Hydro rates

Hydro rates

Primary health care

Elevator maintenance

Mental health and addiction services

Employment standards

Orders of the Day

Protecting Patients Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur la protection des patients

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Report, Integrity Commissioner

Protecting Patients Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur la protection des patients

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased to welcome to Queen’s Park students and teachers from Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I’m delighted to welcome to Queen’s Park today members of the Atkinson family and the Stevenson family—Jennifer Atkinson, Andrew Stevenson and Zachary Stevenson—and also Barbara Sylvestre Williams. Welcome.

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: It is my pleasure to welcome to Queen’s Park Sarbjit Deol, a community leader who has been actively promoting sports among youth, and his friends Baljider Singh and Harjeet Singh Virdi. They are visiting from New Delhi, India. They are in the east members’ gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: Good morning. I’d like to introduce a tremendous group of activists and volunteers from Etobicoke–Lakeshore—Susan Kuzman, Jean Luc Marchessault and Roman Kordiuk—and a co-op student from Bishop Allen Academy working in my office, Brent Amino. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I would like to introduce today Patti Carr. Patti is the vice-president of policy and communications for the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce and is here today.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Good morning. I have a couple of folks here today from the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade: Shannon Moore, the president, and Chrystine Langille, the new executive director for the board of trade. Welcome to Queen’s Park. They may not be here yet, but I know they are in the building.

Hon. Reza Moridi: It’s a great pleasure to introduce and welcome Dr. Jamak Zamani, visiting the House this morning.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m so pleased today that page captain Jace Kramer from my riding of Thornhill is here today with his parents, Lara and Randy Kramer. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I’d like to welcome Paul Kossta, a familiar visitor here at Queen’s Park, who has joined us from OSSTF.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: I would like to welcome our mayor of Kingston, Mayor Bryan Paterson, and his assistant, Holly Wilson, to the chamber today.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I would like to welcome a good friend of mine, a lawyer in Toronto, Peter I. Waldmann. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it.

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Mr. Speaker, I’d like to introduce today members of my staff. Please give a warm welcome to Jessica Lyall and Rachel Ingram. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Rachel.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I’m very pleased to welcome a number of students—I believe 40 students—who are here visiting the legislative building from the Kakehashi student exchange program from Japan. I met with them this morning and I’m very pleased to welcome them.

Mr. Ted Arnott: On behalf of the member for Sarnia–Lambton I want to welcome the family of our page captain Nicholas Bhola, who are here today and with us in the public gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Committee sittings

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Point of order, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader on a point of order.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding Bill 89,

An Act to enact the Child, Youth and Family Services Act.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order, please. The government House leader is seeking consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree?

Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I move that, notwithstanding any other order of this House relating to Bill 89,

An Act to enact the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be authorized to meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, and from 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2017, and Thursday, April 6, 2017, for the purpose of public hearings on the bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader moves that, notwithstanding any other order of the House—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Dispense? Do we agree? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Visitors

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: I appreciate your indulgence, Speaker. It’s my privilege to introduce visitors in the visitors’ gallery from the Sindhi Association: Messrs. Ahmed, Issani, Bansari, Riaz, Siddiqui, Behrani, S. Memon, Qazi, N. Memon and Kalhoro of the Sindhi Association of North America. Thank you, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You’re welcome. Welcome. Now that introductions are completed, it is time for question period.

Oral Questions

Energy policies

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. According to government-commissioned polling, in December of 2013, electricity was the government’s worst-performing policy. Some three years later the government decides to act.

For three years families struggled to pay their bills. For three years families sat in the dark. For three years seniors had to choose between heating and eating, and for three years the government did nothing.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier just admit that the only reason we’ve seen—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Education.

Mr. Patrick Brown: —some late action is because it’s now affecting the Liberal Party fortunes? This is about self-interest. That’s all it’s about.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I thank the member opposite for the question. I acknowledge that the 25% reduction is very important, that it is the most significant thing that we can do to reduce people’s electricity bills.

Let me just go through the facts of the timeline in terms of the work that we’ve been doing and our recognition that this was an issue:

In December of 2013, we deferred the construction of two nuclear reactors at Darlington, avoiding $15 billion in new construction costs.

In June of 2013, we renegotiated the Green Energy Investment Agreement with Samsung, reducing contract costs by $3.7 billion.

Also in December 2013, we reduced feed-in tariff prices through annual reviews, saving ratepayers at least $1.9 billion, Mr. Speaker.

We were on it, and I’ll continue the work that we’ve—

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: For three years, people struggled to pay their hydro bills, but for three years Liberal friends got rich off more bad contracts. We know, according to Allison Jones from the Canadian Press, that it was Liberal polling firms, Pollara and Gandalf, that received large cheques to tell the government their policy wasn’t working. How much did the government pay these Liberal friends and the Premier’s campaign manager over those three years only to ignore that advice?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I’ve said, we have made a very significant move in terms of removing 25% of people’s electricity bills. They will see those changes in the summer.

But we were very aware that there was a need to take costs out of the system and to reduce people’s bills long before we made the move on the 25%, so let me continue. In April 2014, we removed the debt retirement charge from people’s bills, saving the average family $70 a year on their bills. In March 2015, we introduced the Ontario Electricity Support Program and the Rural and Remote Rate Protection Program. That was a direct recognition that people were paying too much on their electricity bills and a direct support for people who were paying too much on their electricity bills, particularly low-income families.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: We know David Herle from the Gandalf Group, the Liberal campaign manager, received at least $3 million in contracts. At the same time, despite getting advice that this electricity policy was very unpopular, we had the Minister of Finance saying in the Legislature that his hydro bill was going down; we had the Minister of Energy saying there was absolutely no crisis. So we’re paying millions for research, and the government ignores that research.

My question to the Premier: If you’re paying the Liberal campaign millions for research, ignoring that research three years ago, is this just thanking Liberal friends with taxpayer dollars once again?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m pleased to rise and talk about the fair hydro plan, in which all families will be getting a 25% reduction, as well as businesses and farms.

But when it comes to—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): If I have to, we’ll pick up from last week.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: But when it comes to removing costs from the system, our government has demonstrated that very clearly. For years and years, we’ve been pulling costs out of the system. Since the 2010 long-term energy plan we’ve been pulling costs out. You can start talking about the deferred nuclear plants, the renegotiated Samsung agreement, the competitive LRP process—again, $1.5 billion that we’ve pulled out of the system, to ensure that the system we’ve built—the system that we had to rebuild after they left it in tatters—at a cost of $50 billion. We made sure that we find ways to pull costs out of the system. We know we have more work to do, and that’s what the fair hydro plan—

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

New question.

School safety

Mr. Patrick Brown: To the Premier: Since I can’t get an answer on the $3 million in contracts to Liberal friends, I’ll try a different question.

In early February, a six-year-old was handcuffed in a Mississauga school. More than half of Ontario principals have had to ask parents to keep a child home because of violent, disruptive behaviour. Now, some children are flagged with evacuation orders if they start to act out, and the room is cleared.

Newstalk 1010 had a shocking, week-long report that detailed the state of violence in our system that is putting students and educators at risk—

Interjections.

Mr. Patrick Brown: The Liberals may laugh at this, but this is a very serious matter.

So I ask the Premier: Is this the education system that our last two so-called education Premiers envisioned for Ontario? Please take this seriously. It is not a laughing matter.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It certainly is not. It is important that we understand how critical it is that we have the resources in our schools that allow kids to have the experience they deserve, that every child in our system has the supports that will allow them to flourish.

That’s why education funding in this province has increased every year, year over year, since we have been in office. There are more support workers. There are more teachers in our schools. There are more people with better training to help deal with classrooms that are integrated. There are kids with a whole range of abilities in our classrooms, and so it’s really important that we have the right personnel in those classrooms and that those people all have the right training.

That’s the work we’ve been doing. Where there are exceptional circumstances, obviously, those need to be dealt with.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: The Premier and her predecessor were supposed to be education Premiers, but it certainly doesn’t seem that way. They aren’t collecting key information dealing with a student displaying disruptive, aggressive or violent tendencies. There are no consistent standards across the province.

Mr. Speaker, as Newstalk 1010 asked, is violence in the classroom even on the ministry’s radar, or are they ignoring the data so they can ignore the shocking results?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Education.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I want to thank the member for this question. Any incident of violence that occurs in our schools is not acceptable, for any reason. We want to ensure that students, teachers, education workers, everyone in our school environment is safe. That’s the focus. When an incident does occur, we want to ensure that school boards have appropriate protocols and procedures in place to deal with that situation.

We’re working with our education partners to ensure that the school environment has a safe school culture. We have a provincial health and safety working group that meets—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Dufferin–Caledon, come to order.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: —with all parties to ensure that that is being followed.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: They’re working with education partners? Is that by closing schools and pulling EAs out of the classroom? Is that by cutting special needs funding?

There is another aspect here that’s at risk. The Liberal government’s attack on autism services have reached a breaking point. The explosive report on violence in the classroom has revealed that students with autism are being left behind. Those children aren’t receiving the specialized help they need in overcrowded classrooms with overworked teachers. It’s not fair to teachers; it’s certainly not fair to students.

Will the Premier finally stop ignoring what is now being called Ontario’s dirty little secret? Will the Premier do something to empower educators, support educators and help students with autism?

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: Here is what we are doing. Our government has increased funding for special education by 70% since 2003 to $2.7 billion. As well, we have increased the number of EAs, educational assistants, by 37%—6,300 EAs since 2013—to support students with special education needs.

Here is what we are not doing. We are not doing what that party opposite planned to do during—

Interjections.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I’m hearing the answer come from the Minister of Agriculture.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Timmins–James Bay, I’d like to do my job, please.

The Minister of Agriculture and the member from Dufferin–Caledon are not helping matters by moving while the questions are being put and the answers are being put. Second time for the member and second time for the member.

Finish, please.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: Mr. Speaker, here is what we’re not doing. The PC plan wanted to slash 2,000 teachers, 5,000 ECE workers and 10,000 support staff—a plan, in fact, supported by the parties opposite to slash 100,000 workers, which included firing teachers.

We are not doing that. We continue to invest in our education system to ensure students receive the best support possible.

Hydro rates

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. After 15 years of skyrocketing hydro costs, the Premier told Ontarians that she finally understood. But, last week, the Minister of Health turned that right around and said hydro costs were no big deal. It was only a few million dollars to a hospital budget; it’s only a few per cent. Maybe to the Premier and her ministers, $1 million might not be a big deal, but in a hospital budget, that’s a big number.

Did the Minister of Health not see the Premier’s polling? Or did he not get the memo that this is all about politics for the Premier and her Liberal Party?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I think that the leader of the third party knows that what this is about is making sure that people in the province can pay their electricity bills. We’ve been very clear about that. As I said to the Leader of the Opposition, we actually started to look for ways to reduce electricity costs in 2013, which is the year that I became Premier.

I know that the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care is going to want to comment on this, but I believe the context in which he was putting his comments was that there is about a 1% cost associated with electricity for hospitals. The operating dollars that we have put into hospitals have actually far surpassed that, and so I think the point that was being made is that there is more money going into hospitals.

We recognize that there’s more to be done. We recognize that hospitals have been working under some constraints. But that’s exactly why we’ve been putting funding into the hospitals at a greater rate than the member was—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: In fact, this Premier and her government froze hospital operating budgets for four years straight which is in fact a decrease—not an increase. The Premier and her Minister of Health have ignored concerns from hospitals about their skyrocketing hydro bills, telling this House that they simply haven’t heard any. That’s just not the case.

Officials at Hamilton Health Sciences talked about the problem publicly just last week. They said, “It’s not like you can just shut the lights off when you’ve got patients in the building. We’ve got less money to do other things because we’re spending more money on electricity.” How can the Premier and her minister seriously hear statements like this one and yet offer no real concrete solutions for hospitals whose bills are skyrocketing because of the Liberals’ hydro mess?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m very pleased to rise and respond in relation to what we’re doing for, specifically, hospitals when it comes to electricity bills. On top of the fair hydro plan, which is going to help every family, small business and farm in the province by reducing their bills by 25%, there is going to be a modest decrease for hospitals, between 2% and 4%.

But on top of that, Mr. Speaker, is the saveONenergy program. The saveONenergy program has helped many, many hospitals in this province, so much so that the Independent Electricity System Operator has phoned us up and has told us to make sure that we let everyone know that these hospitals have actually seen $20 million invested by the IESO to make sure that they can reduce their consumption and at the same time save on their bills. Sudbury, for example, is saving $275,000 to $500,000 a year.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Hospitals, like everybody else, are doing everything they can to reduce their consumption, but the bills keep going up. That’s the problem that this government has not figured out after a number of years messing up our electricity system.

Look, municipalities are also stepping up to the plate to try to get this government to understand the magnitude of the problem. Last week, North Bay city council actually passed a resolution. They voted to ask the Premier to help their hospital, because they said Ontario hospitals are not currently eligible for any hydro relief, and the government is “creating a situation where rising hydro costs can potentially impact health care.” That is what the hospital said.

Their back-of-the-napkin response is a phantom plan that lines the pockets of bankers with $40 billion in public money and denies hospitals the funding they need. When will they finally admit that there’s a problem?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Minister of Health.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, we increased the operating budget of North Bay Regional Health Centre by almost $4 million, or 2.1%, last year. We increased the budget of Hamilton Health Sciences by 3.6% last year, almost 30 million new dollars. But I can understand the challenge that the leader opposite is facing, because every time she mentions a hospital, that hospital comes out and either explains the innovations that they’ve adopted—in fact, my colleague from Sudbury had referenced some of those programs that resulted in reduced consumption—or, in the case of Sault Ste.

Marie, the CEO had to publicly rebuke and refute the claims made by the leader of the third party: Those increases in electricity have not resulted in layoffs at the hospital, despite what the member opposite was trying to say; the hospital has not made decisions directly tied to the increase in electricity rates; and there are no planned layoffs of front-line staff at SAH.

There are challenges with our hospitals, Mr. Speaker, but as you can see from—I did this last week; I’m prepared to do it again—increase after increase—

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

Hydro rates

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Hospitals are having a tough time, whether the Minister of Health tends to agree or not, but so are families and so are businesses: families like the Campbells in Sault Ste. Marie, a senior couple on a fixed income with a hydro bill so high that they’re actually scared to open their hydro bill each and every month.

Or Jamie: Jamie lives in the Soo with her three-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. Both have special needs. Jamie’s hydro bill was $1,200 a month. It got so expensive that she had to turn off the baseboard heaters, and now she uses propane instead because it’s all she can afford to heat the house for her and her two kids.

When will the Premier finally offer some certainty to people who are suffering, and release the details of her phantom plan?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: In relation to our plan, I would suggest that the leader of the third party talk to her colleague, who is the critic for energy, because he was at the technical briefing. He would know that this plan, Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan, and all of the information that was in there, is going to be reducing rates for families like the family mentioned by 25%.

Not knowing the specifics of the individual family in the individual case, but if they’re actually in Sault Ste. Marie and part of the outlying areas, if they’re a Hydro One customer, if they’re an Algoma Power customer or even if they’re out closer to the Chapleau way, their distribution rate is going to be going down as well, significantly. That means that seniors and families of low-income individuals can save between 40% and 50%—that’s significant—on top of the Ontario Electricity Support Program. We actually heard, listened and—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Liberals have not released publicly one scrap of paper that details their plan, and we deserve to have that plan tabled, whether it be here in the Legislature or publicly through the media.

A few weeks ago, I met with a guy named Gerry in Thunder Bay. Gerry owns A.J.’s Trading Post, a great restaurant and store just outside of the city of Thunder Bay. It was also Gerry’s dream to use A.J.’s as a stepping stone to his next business venture, but his hydro bills now account for almost 60% of his overhead, making it impossible for him to realize that dream of expansion.

Will this Premier offer business owners like Gerry some certainty right now and tell us which businesses will qualify for relief under her $40-billion phantom plan?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Again, we’ve provided a deck to her critic, so she may want to speak to that because, again, all of the details were outlined on all of those pieces of paper.

But also, let’s talk about where the Premier visited recently, when we’re talking about businesses. We have here the Guelph hydro bill of the Bookshelf, the bookstore that the Premier visited. Again, this business is going to be saving $500 a month when it comes to the fair hydro plan.

The Premier also visited Miijidaa, a restaurant in Guelph. This place, this facility is going to save $700 a month on average when it comes to their bill.

Those are significant savings for small businesses. Mr. Speaker, 500,000 small businesses and farms will qualify for the 25% reduction. We heard small businesses, and we acted.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I think it is unbelievable that the very top issue of the day is not being given the decency by this government to provide a public plan that’s open and transparent, and that people can read and look at. I find it unbelievable that this government is being so irresponsible to the people of Ontario. Hospitals are integral to communities. Businesses are integral to communities. Families are the heart of communities. This Premier just doesn’t seem to get that this phantom plan, that’s propped up by press releases and PR, is not enough to ensure the long-term prosperity of communities in Ontario.

When is this Premier going to stop putting her interests and her political party’s interests first? When is she going to stop benefiting her friends and bankers on Bay Street, and instead put forward a plan that really fixes our hydro system and addresses the concerns of families, businesses, hospitals, industry—

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: We’ll make sure that the leader of the third party gets a copy of the deck, so that she can see it for herself.

Also, when talking about who actually is in support of this fair hydro plan, let me quote Francesca Dobbyn, the executive director the United Way Bruce Grey:

“This shows that Kathleen Wynne’s government is listening to people. With these positive changes, our rural community will now truly benefit from the low cost power it produces.”

What about Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day, Mr. Speaker? “The elimination of the delivery charge will assist our citizens by reducing energy poverty in our communities. It also represents recognition for the use of the land in the development and expansion of the provincial energy grid ... Today’s commitment by the Ontario government is commendable and allows a path forward for greater quality of life for First Nations in Ontario.”

We listened to people like Chief Day, we listened to people like Francesca Dobbyn, and we acted.

School closures

Mr. Jim McDonell: To the Premier: On Thursday, her government’s ill-conceived funding policies and neglect of rural education and services caused several communities in my riding to lose their excellent rural schools. Rothwell-Osnabruck Secondary, North Stormont Public and S. J. McLeod schools are set to close, limiting student achievement and the area’s growth by diminishing the township’s ability to attract young entrepreneurs and businesses.

By the time her education funding review panel starts to work, it will be too late to save high-quality rural public education for many students across Ontario. This can’t be allowed to happen and the Premier must stop procrastinating.

Will this Premier show some integrity and some common sense and put an immediate moratorium on school closures in Ontario until a full review of all provincial services in small urban and rural Ontario is completed, including education and the appropriate funding formula established?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Education.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I’m very pleased to rise and speak about the investments that we’re making in rural schools. We know that schools play a vital role in the social fabric that ties our communities together. The member opposite knows I’ve visited a number of schools in his area to talk about this specific issue.

We want to ensure that our schools are providing the best possible education to our students in rural communities. When school boards have to make a decision that involves the closure of a school, that’s a very difficult decision that the school board has to make, and they do that with input from all parts of that school community, including community members and parents as well as their local municipality and other organizations within that community.

I will speak very specifically to the member’s area in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary? The member for Leeds–Grenville.

Mr. Steve Clark: Back to the Premier: On the eve of closing seven, or one in four, elementary schools in Leeds–Grenville, the education minister told the Upper Canada trustees she was proud of them. That’s right, she was proud they were about to devastate those who fought so hard to keep those rural schools open.

Do you know whom I’m proud of, Speaker? I’m proud of the parents and the municipal and community leaders who worked tirelessly and put forward ideas to save their schools, but they never had a chance. The board was never serious about working with these communities.

Does the Premier agree that closing this many schools is bad for rural education, and will she now admit that a moratorium is the only way to save rural schools?

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: An arbitrary moratorium on school closures would not allow our local school boards to make the decisions that they need to make, which is in the best interests of local schools.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to correct the information that the member opposite has put forward, because I actually contacted the chair of the Upper Canada school board because they were doing leading work to protect students against opioid issues in their local communities. I felt that that work that they were doing with public health officials was protecting our students and keeping them safe and keeping them healthy.

That’s why we have to support our locally elected school officials to act and to do what they know is in the best interests of their students, and that includes decisions around the school configuration. I trust our local trustees to do the best—

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

New question.

Hydro rates

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. Ontario’s small businesses have lost confidence in this government. A recent Ontario Chamber of Commerce report found that a full 78% of small businesses are not confident in this province’s economic outlook. These are the real job creators in the province of Ontario. They don’t believe that the direction this government is taking the economy will help their business. In fact, they believe that this government will only make things worse.

With runaway hydro costs, it’s easy to see why businesses cannot trust the choices that this government makes. Why doesn’t this Premier think that the confidence of Ontario’s businesses is important?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister responsible for small business.

Hon. Jeff Leal: I’m delighted to respond to the honourable member this morning. In fact, I just had a meeting with small-business officials at 8:30 a.m. this morning. They indicated to me that up to 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses, SMEs, will soon be eligible for the industrial conservation initiative, ICI, saving about one third on their current bills. And, similar to home customers, an 8% rebate for small businesses is now being provided. This is in addition to the HST input tax credit that many small businesses are eligible to claim.

Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to say that the small business tax rate in Ontario is among the lowest in North America.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Catherine Fife: And we have the highest hydro costs in North America.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Back to the Premier: Skyrocketing hydro prices are threatening to close the doors of small businesses across this province. We bring these stories to you every single week. Half of Ontario Chamber of Commerce members believe that a reduction of electricity costs will have a positive impact on their organizational health. But what has this Liberal government put forward to reduce the burden of high hydro costs? A $40-billion borrowing scheme that does nothing to fix the problems in the electricity system. That is an extra $40 billion in interest costs that Ontario businesses and families will have to pay back for years to come. It is irresponsible.

When will this government stop making life harder for families and businesses and admit their desperate hydro tactic is nothing more than a partisan scheme that will cost all of us more in the long run?

Hon. Jeff Leal: Mr. Speaker, when I heard the member’s supplementary, I was reminded of the former observation that Sean Conway once made when he was responding to a question. I think the minister’s information was a bit of a petit canard.

But, frankly, we just got the Financial Accountability Officer’s report back in August, which confirmed that Ontario is in the middle of the pack in terms of energy costs in Canada. We’ve already done all the heavy lifting of modernizing our energy infrastructure and transitioning off coal.

While the FAO reports add, from a value perspective—our government recognizes we need small businesses alive and well in Ontario. I’d be prepared to share this information with the honourable lady.

Autism treatment

Mr. Arthur Potts: My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. I know the minister has been hard at work ensuring that the beginning of the rollout of the new Ontario Autism Program in June of this year is as seamless as possible. I know the minister has been meeting with parents from across the province to listen to their concerns and to their ideas. It is, after all, of the utmost importance to this government that all students are provided with the best supports possible, especially those who have autism or are on the spectrum.

I’ve had so many calls from constituents in Beaches–East York who are caring for their children who are on the autism spectrum. They do need our support and they are looking for a direct funding option. It is our duty, Speaker, to help them succeed.

Would the Minister of Children and Youth Services clarify whether or not he is considering a direct funding option for parents who are caring for their children who are on the autism spectrum?

In the face of these difficult questions, I want to provide some clarity on some of the issues that were under discussion this weekend. I want them to know that we will be rolling out a direct funding option as part of the Ontario Autism Program in June. I also want parents to know that children and families who are receiving direct funding currently will do so past June until they’re brought into the new program.

I want to say this one more time, Mr. Speaker, because I think it’s important: Direct funding will be part of this new program. I know that there are a lot of parents who are anxious out there, but we’ll continue to work together with parents and communities to make sure we position children for—

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

Applause.

Mr. Arthur Potts: Thank you; well deserved.

My understanding is, the minister is going to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital this afternoon to speak with parents and to check in on the progress of this key government commitment. That commitment is to establish five new autism spectrum disorder diagnostic hubs across the province.

Last year, I toured an autism care centre, Breakthrough Autism, which is run by Nancy Marchese. I’ve got to tell you, Speaker, they’re doing incredible work with children with autism.

Ontario is also investing an unprecedented half-billion dollars over the next five years to create these new services for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Could the Minister of Children and Youth Services tell us more about what these hubs will be doing and how they are expected to make a difference in the province and how other key government commitments are expected—

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

Hon. Michael Coteau: Again, thank you to the member for the question. The member is right. We will be investing $5 million into five diagnostic hubs across the province of Ontario. This will allow for staff to extend their hours to build more capacity within the system. We estimate that 2,000 more children will be assessed per year through this investment.

As the Minister of Children and Youth Services, I have to say that I’m proud of this government, I’m proud of the work we’re doing to support families who have children with autism, and I’m proud to be leading this process into a new program that we’ll be launching in June.

We’re also committed to creating 16,000 new service spaces that will significantly reduce wait times here in the province of Ontario. I pledge this government’s continued commitment to work together across ministries to ensure that everyone with autism growing up in Ontario has the support and services they need to realize their dreams and their full potential.

Government advertising

Mr. Norm Miller: My question is to the Premier. Despite this government creating many of its own problems, they are once again using taxpayer dollars in an attempt to save themselves. The Auditor General has stated that the Premier’s recent hydro ads “convey a positive impression of the current government and it’s more like a pat-on-the-back type of advertisement.” The ads “would not have passed under the previous legislation.”

Two years ago, when the government reduced the oversight of the Auditor General, the Deputy Premier stated, “This legislation expands her oversight of our advertising, and it clarifies what is in fact considered partisan.”

Given the auditor’s comments, can the Premier really say that the auditor’s powers to block partisan advertising have been expanded?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I want to point out that we need a little bit of a reality check here. The Ontario Legislature, the Ontario government, is the only government in Canada that actually has an advertising act that lays out the rules. In fact, the ads in question follow the legislation, are consistent with the rules and the budget has been set out by the Legislature, and they are not in contempt of the Legislature.

I would point out that this much-loved legislation, in original form—they voted against it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary? The member from Dufferin–Caledon.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I think the minister is forgetting a couple of other facts. The facts are that two years ago, you changed the legislation to make the Auditor General a rubber stamp.

These hydro ads are not the first time this government has funded partisan ads through taxpayer funds. The government’s pension plan ads cost Ontarians almost $800,000. The auditor called those ads “self-congratulatory,” and stated that they had added no value to the public.

In the last two years, this government has spent nearly $6 million in taxpayer money on a series of ad campaigns on the environment. The auditor said that these ads “could be seen as self-congratulatory and, in some cases, misleading”—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You can’t do that. Withdraw, please.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Carry on.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Will the Premier restore the Auditor General’s authority to review and approve government-funded advertising?

Hon. Liz Sandals: Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I think the member opposite is forgetting some facts. It was her government, when they were in power, that ran, under Mike Harris’s leadership, advertising worth $400 million. When this party and this government came into office, one of the earliest actions they took was that they brought in a piece of legislation that would ensure that we do not have that kind of Mike Harris-style government advertising.

Speaker, you wonder: How did the Tories vote on that bill? They voted against that bill—so did the NDP. So I would like to ask the member opposite: What were you thinking then? Why did you not support that bill, which creates one of the most strict and most stringent regulations on government advertising in Canada? We’re the only Legislature that has a law like this. They have very little ground to stand on, because—

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

New question.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. While this government fails to show leadership to address London’s mental health crisis, my community is looking for solutions, such as the innovative ER diversion project between London Health Sciences Centre, the CMHA crisis centre and Middlesex-London EMS.

All the project requires is the health minister’s sign-off to fund the EMS transfer of non-acute mental health patients directly to the crisis centre instead of to the hospital. The project would divert 3,000 patients a year and save $2.5 million annually, money that is desperately needed in my community.

Will the Premier direct the Minister of Health to sign off on this project today?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: As I mentioned last week in my response to this question, we have legislation in the province of Ontario called the Ambulance Act. It pertains to governance, activities and issues of deployment—where individuals and patients can be dropped off by EMS. It pertains to all of the elements that surround our emergency medical services and our ambulance services. It would be a violation of the act today to allow an ambulance to drop off a patient at a location other than a hospital, whether it’s a pilot project or otherwise.

I am looking very closely at this project. We were the government that funded CMHA to open and run this incredible crisis centre in the community. We are working very closely with all partners to see how we can further provide care to these vulnerable individuals.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Even if it were true that approving the pilot would be breaking the law—which it is not—this government has had two years to figure out how to make it happen.

As CTV reported last week in London, the need for this diversion project has never been more urgent. LHSC’s psychiatric ER is at 152% capacity and 26 mental health patients are waiting for beds.

Why is this Liberal government refusing to support the efforts that London is making to deal with this urgent and ongoing crisis?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’ll state again that the LHIN, the local hospital, CMHA itself, my ministry, my office, myself—we’re all engaged in conversations to see how we might be able to find a path forward, but it would require a change to the Ambulance Act.

One possible solution that was provided some time ago was that, if that crisis centre was actually to come under the corporation of the hospital, then it would be possible and it would be legal—as has been done in other parts of the province—for that deployment and that drop-off to take place at the crisis centre. It was decided locally not to pursue that path, so we’re looking at any other option that we can to make sure that that important service that we funded, that we started along with CMHA last year, is augmented even further.

Sports and recreation funding

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: My question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. As the former parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, I saw first-hand the benefits of our government’s support to indigenous sport and recreation. For example, nearly in its 10th year, the Community Aboriginal Recreation Activator Program continues to improve the quality of life and well-being of First Nation communities through sport and recreation in communities all across Ontario.

This program supports the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the recommendations generated by the Feathers of Hope report, which was written to address the needs and difficulties facing indigenous young people.

Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, can you tell the members of this House what else our government is doing to support physical activity and recreation-based programming for First Nations communities?

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: Thank you very much to the member for the question and for her advocacy on behalf of First Nations communities across this province.

I’m very proud—

Applause.

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: Yes—very proud of the Community Aboriginal Recreation Activator Program, which helps to support the integration of traditional values and culture into sport and recreation programming, benefiting over 50,000 First Nations Ontarians. Since 2006, we’re very proud that $7.8 million has been invested in First Nations communities through CARA. And the program continues to expand. In fact, it has grown by 80% since 2014 alone, from 15 to 27 communities, which is really exciting.

Building on that model, our government recently hosted two successful youth cultural camps, supporting indigenous youth in accessing their cultural teachings through hands-on programming. Two of these programs, one in Pikangikum and one in Fort Albany, attracted over 250 indigenous and First Nations young people—

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

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: I look forward to more in my supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You certainly will.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: Thank you, Minister, for your response. It’s fantastic to hear how wide-reaching, comprehensive and successful our government’s investment in indigenous sport and recreation has been. The CARA Program’s community development model is considered across government as a best practice for First Nations programming.

I know the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, outside of Kingston, are a CARA community that have benefited tremendously from the CARA Program. As the MPP for Kingston and the Islands, I’m very encouraged by this.

Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, can you please tell the members of this House about other ways Ontario is engaging and welcoming young indigenous athletes into organized sport?

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: Again, thanks to the member for Kingston and the Islands. And I want to thank and recognize my colleague the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for his strong advocacy and his leadership on behalf of indigenous Ontarians, both in sport and more broadly.

Our government continues to provide funding to the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario to oversee grassroots physical activity and participation, coordinate sport development and coaching initiatives, and represent Ontario’s indigenous people at the national level. In July 2016, the council hosted the first Ontario Aboriginal Summer Games in partnership with the Six Nations of the Grand River, welcoming athletes, coaches and volunteers from across our province.

This summer I’m very excited that Toronto will, for the first time, host the North American Indigenous Games. These games promise to be one of the most exciting sporting events in Canada. They will represent all 13 provinces and territories and 5,000 athletes from across North America, leveraging the investments we made in the Pan Am Games and all the facilities that they—

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

Economic development

Mr. Monte McNaughton: My question today is for the Premier. Many groups and organizations are simply ignored when they come to Queen’s Park to meet with this government, so I strongly urge the Premier and her government to listen and act upon what is being said here today at the Legislature.

As a past president of the Strathroy and District Chamber of Commerce, I can tell you that the members and leaders of chambers of commerce are some of the most active, engaged and involved people in our communities. It’s a vital organization here in the province. But only 24% of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce membership is confident in the Ontario economy.

Speaker, how can the Premier stand here and say that the economy is on track when three out of four members of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce lack confidence in the economic outlook in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Economic Development and Growth.

Hon. Brad Duguid: Let me begin by welcoming the Ontario Chamber of Commerce here to Queen’s Park today. I don’t know if this government has a partner that we’ve worked with more closely than our friends at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

When it comes to developing the economic strategies that have taken Ontario to the forefront in Canada in economic growth, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has been with us every step of the way. They supported and actually urged us to make the investments in infrastructure—the $100 billion we’ve invested over the last 10 years, the $160 billion we’ll be investing over the next 12. They’ve urged us and supported us in making investments in our people, in building one of the best education systems anywhere in the world today. And, Mr.

Speaker, they’ve urged us and supported us in our commitment to innovation that’s building the next-generation economy here in Ontario so we’re in a position to lead the world—

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, second time.

Supplementary?

Mr. Monte McNaughton: Back to the Premier: The results of the business confidence survey indicate that Ontario business is in a delicate position. Chamber members are unsure of the stability of the provincial economy and critical of the impact that Liberal policy will have on their organization. This lack of confidence is causing businesses to hold off on hiring, investment, and ultimately growth here in Ontario.

The most recent example is Fiat Chrysler, which is now planning to wind down its transport operations in Windsor, affecting nearly 300 jobs. All of this stems from the burden of input costs that this Liberal government is placing on businesses.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is our largest and most inclusive and credible business network. Why does the Premier refuse to listen to Ontario’s business leaders, like the Ontario Chamber of Commerce?

Hon. Brad Duguid: There has never been a time that I can recall when our business community should have been more confident in our economy here in Ontario than today.

We’re talking about an economy whose unemployment rate is at a level not seen for over a decade. It’s at the lowest level it has been in 10 years. We’re talking about an economy that has seen the creation of 700,000 net new jobs across this province. We’re talking about an economy that is not only leading the country in growth; it’s leading the G7 in growth. We’re talking about an economy that’s attracting more foreign direct investment here in this province than any other jurisdiction in North America.

Our business leaders are confident in this economy. They’re investing in this economy in record amounts. They are creating jobs in this economy, and they’re doing it in partnership with our government, in sync with our economic development strategy. This is a great time to create jobs, a great time to invest in—

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

Interjections.

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

New question.

Tenant protection

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. This weekend, a young woman named Niloofar Golkar told the media that she was evicted from her home because her landlord told her he was moving in. It turned out that her landlord just wanted to cash in on Toronto’s red-hot rental market, because just a few weeks after she moved out, Speaker, he was advertising the apartment for $500 more than Niloofar was paying.

Does the Premier think it’s about time to tighten up the rules and make sure that people like Ms. Golkar are protected from economic evictions like this one?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Community and Social Services.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Of course we are very aware that there are many Ontarians who are faced with housing costs that continue to rise dramatically. Evictions do occur, obviously, from time to time. We’re very aware that families on tight budgets are feeling the pinch in a rental market that is struggling to keep up with demand.

That’s why we’ve been developing a plan to address unfair rises in rental costs by delivering substantive rent control reform in Ontario as part of an ongoing review of the Residential Tenancies Act. We have been taking action through this time. We’ve been consulting very, very broadly, and some of the initiatives that we’ve been taking I will expand upon in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board has seen a 23% spike in these types of evictions just since 2013. It’s a sign that renting in Toronto is becoming more and more uncertain and expensive.

Closing the loophole that allows buildings built after 1991 to be exempt from meaningful rent control is a very good first step in addressing this growing problem and this growing insecurity that families are feeling.

Some 45% of people who live in Toronto are renters. Does the Premier think that extending rent control protection to 45% of Torontonians is actually the right thing to do?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Some of the initiatives that we’ve been taking are: working with our municipal partners to make secondary suites a quick way to provide affordable housing in our communities, passing inclusionary zoning legislation that will empower municipalities to require the construction of affordable units in new residential developments, and freezing the municipal property tax on apartment buildings to provide relief to renters.

Lest we forget, of course, it was our government that eliminated automatic evictions. Under the previous PC government, automatic evictions were granted unless the tenant filed a notice within five days. We certainly do believe that eviction is a remedy of last resort, and that all tenants are entitled to a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board to decide this issue. We wish to ensure fairness for all parties.

Legal aid

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: My question is for the Attorney General. Access to justice continues to be a challenge for many people in Ontario. Legal Aid Ontario plays an important role in addressing this challenge and makes a positive impact in many people’s lives. Every day they help almost 4,000 people access legal services, regardless of their ability to pay.

People are often marginalized, vulnerable and living with limited means. That’s why our government has made historic investments in Legal Aid Ontario to ensure that more people have access to legal representation.

I understand that on April 1, Ontario is providing even more people with affordable access to legal services by increasing the financial eligibility threshold for legal aid by another 6%. Can the Attorney General tell us more about our government’s investments and how raising the financial eligibility threshold will ensure people can access legal services?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I appreciate the question from the MPP from Etobicoke–Lakeshore on this very important issue. The member is correct in saying that access to justice is a serious challenge facing Ontario’s justice system. That is why, Speaker, our government has made historic investments in Legal Aid Ontario. I’m pleased to let this Legislature know that we increased Legal Aid Ontario’s funding by $153 million over the past four years, so that more low-income and vulnerable Ontarians across the province can have access to legal services, regardless of their ability to pay.

The member is also correct that on April 1, Ontario is providing even more people with affordable access to legal services by increasing the financial eligibility threshold for legal aid by another 6%. This is the fourth time that our government has boosted the eligibility threshold by 6%. This increase will have a real, positive impact on people’s everyday lives. Effective April 1, about 140,000 more people will be eligible to receive the legal aid services they need.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: I want to thank the Attorney General for his answer. Community and legal clinics, such as the South Etobicoke Community Legal Services, play an integral role in Ontario’s justice system. I know my constituents will be pleased to hear that our government’s commitment to raise the financial eligibility threshold will ensure that about 140,000 more people will be eligible to receive the legal services they need, regardless of their ability to pay, on April 1.

Mr. Speaker, increasing the eligibility threshold builds on our government’s commitment to improve access to justice for people all across Ontario. This is part of our 2014 commitment to expand access to legal aid services to an additional one million Ontarians in 10 years. Can the Attorney General tell us more about our government’s commitment and what the next steps are after the increases are complete?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: The member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore is right. Our goal is to expand the access to legal aid services provided by LAO to an additional one million Ontarians in 10 years.

Speaker, I have some very good news. With this fourth threshold increase, more than 500,000 people in total are now eligible for legal aid services. This is important because it means that Ontario is now more than halfway to our goal to expand access to legal aid services to an additional one million people.

I would also like to recognize the community and legal clinics that play an integral role in delivering legal aid. We value the work they do to ensure that people with lower incomes have access to justice. On behalf of our government, I would like to thank LAO for their work, as well as the services provided by community and legal clinics. We look forward to continuing to support them and to work with them to improve access to justice for all Ontarians.

Skills development

Mr. Lorne Coe: During the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s consultation process of their 2016 report on the skills mismatch, they said, “Many small business owners validated the concern”—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Question to whom, please?

Mr. Lorne Coe: To the Premier.

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

Mr. Lorne Coe: “Many small business owners validated the concern that there is a serious mismatch between the nature of job vacancies and the qualifications of those seeking work.” In fact, the report says that 39% of employers had difficulty filling a job opening over the last year. This number was up 11% from 2014.

The government’s own Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel report also showed that the skills mismatch is a significant problem. Speaker, when will this government start taking the skills mismatch seriously and implement the recommendations from the Highly Skilled Workforce Panel report?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Economic Development and Growth.

Hon. Brad Duguid: I really appreciate that question. I think it’s a very valid line of questioning. In many ways, the highly skilled workforce was our task force, and we set it up for that very reason: to give us advice. In a fast-changing economy where we have many of our sectors migrating and automating and changing the way they do work, we’ve got to make sure that our workforce, our education systems and our skilled training systems move with them.

That’s entirely why, under the leadership of Sean Conway, our minister Deb Matthews appointed that task force. The recommendations that they brought forward are extremely important as we put forward our strategies to stay at the cutting edge of skills development and education in this world. So a very valid question, and we’re on it, we’ll continue to be on it and we’ll certainly see it as a priority.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Back to the Premier, Speaker. The Conference Board of Canada estimates that the skills mismatch costs the economy of Ontario up to $24.3 billion in gross domestic product and $3.7 billion in tax revenues each year. Weeks ago, I asked the Minister of Advanced Education when this government will address the skills mismatch by adopting the recommendations from the Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel report. The minister’s response provided no deadlines and vague commitments to implementing the recommendations from the report.

Will the Premier step in and demonstrate that the skills mismatch is being taken seriously, or will we be given yet another vague response?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Mr. Speaker, the Premier doesn’t have to step in to make sure that our efforts to enhance skills in this province are taken seriously. That’s part of the DNA of our Premier and it’s part of the DNA of this government. It’s part of the reason why we’ve been successful in building a strong economy and we’ll be successful in building a new economy here in Ontario, based on the fast-changing innovation that’s taking place around the world.

This is an issue we take extremely seriously. It’s absolutely crucial that we continue to work with our education leaders—and we have a great education minister here who is highly engaged in that—we continue to work with our post-secondary partners, we continue to work with our labour leaders and we continue to work with our businesses to ensure that we’re producing the most highly skilled workforce anywhere in the world today.

We’re close to be being there now, but it’s a fiercely competitive global environment. We’re continuing to be there in the future as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The time for question period is over, and there are no—

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Point of order, the minister.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Thank you, Speaker. I just want to take a minute to wish my seatmate to the right, the MPP for Cambridge, a very happy birthday.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1141 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Jack MacLaren: I have the great pleasure to introduce guests here today who have come to see a petition presented on the controlled act of psychotherapy. They are here with us in the members’ gallery. They are: Connie Rowley, Scott Sanderson, Royce Hamer, Richard Archambault, Gordon Rodrigue, Gary Page, Barbara Kostenuk, Christine Massey, Sonja Wesholowski and Richard Tufts.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome. Thank you for being here.

Members’ Statements

Jay Woollven

Mr. Jim McDonell: On Monday, March 20, the Williamstown area in my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry lost an outstanding volunteer and an inspiration to our communities. Jay Woollven worked tirelessly to make our region the best place to call home. He volunteered for organizations as diverse as the Williamstown Fair board, the Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry business development centre, the Aultsville Theatre movie series and St. Lawrence College, just to name a few.

Everywhere he went, he brought a contagious passion and an inspiring dedication to his fellow residents. I heard past students say that he made a difference in their lives.

Jay was an accountant by trade, yet we remain wondering whether that was his true profession. What energy could Jay possibly have to spare for accounting after all his community work?

Jay wasn’t just a worker but a lively character, with smiles and enthusiasm that he shared with everyone he came across. In the minds of many visitors to the Williamstown Fair, he will always be remembered for his trademark “Good morning, Williamstown” call over the loudspeaker, which I could hear at home over a kilometre away, and of course his trademark yellow knee socks.

We should all strive to be more like Jay: good listeners, hard workers, always upbeat, and always ready to lend a hand and share a kind word—yellow socks optional.

Rest in peace, Jay. You will certainly be missed by everybody.

Kelsey Mellan and Matthew Bedard

Mr. Michael Mantha: It’s always an honour to stand and speak in the House on behalf of the good people of Algoma–Manitoulin. Today, I’d like to speak to the hard work of two remarkable athletes from my riding, Kelsey Mellan and Matthew Bedard, who competed this month at the Special Olympics Winter Games in Austria. Both Matthew and Kelsey competed in snowshoe races at the winter games.

For Kelsey, this was her second winter games, and she did great. Kelsey put up two great times in both the 100-metre and 200-metre snowshoe races.

For Matthew, this was his first winter games, and he’s coming back not with one but two silver medals in the 800-metre snowshoe race and the 4x400-metre race.

Algoma–Manitoulin couldn’t be prouder to have had these two incredible athletes representing Canada.

Today, I’m really proud of our Canadian athletes. Canada sent 148 Special Olympics athletes to Austria. As the member from Hamilton–Stoney Creek would say, “Wow.” And 35 of those athletes were from Ontario. What an incredible achievement, and thanks to all of our Ontario athletes who represented us.

On behalf of all of Algoma–Manitoulin, Matthew and Kelsey, congratulations. Your hard work paid off. Algoma–Manitoulin could not have had two better athletes represent us at the winter Olympic games.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I know we’re all very proud of our Special Olympians representing Ontario and Canada. So thank you for that statement.

Bangladeshi community

Mr. Arthur Potts: I am delighted today to extend warm greetings to members of the Bangladeshi community as they commemorate the Independence Day of Bangladesh, which was celebrated yesterday. Beaches–East York is home to an incredible community of Bangladeshi Canadians and I’m delighted that they have made me feel so welcome in their community.

The occasion brings us together to reflect on Bangladesh’s declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971 and to celebrate the country’s rich culture and heritage. Bangladeshis champion and continue to champion the mother language day movement, aimed to protect and preserve the culture they were raised in.

I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Bangladeshi community in becoming an integral part of our multicultural success story. Members of this dynamic community continue to help make Ontario even stronger.

Last year, we hosted the first Bangladeshi flag-raising event down here at Queen’s Park. Today, I am happy to announce that at 4:30 we’ll be hosting the second annual flag-raising event, and there will be over 250 people from the Bangladeshi community coming to the front lawn. Among those joining us will be: Amit Chakma, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Ontario; Hasina Quader and Mahbub Reza, who are community leaders in my riding of Beaches–East York—they run a group called Bangladesh Centre and Community Services; and Nasima Akter of Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services.

We will also be joined by some very special guests: a group of veterans from the Bangladeshi war of independence.

I’m grateful for the many enduring contributions this community has made to the social, economic and cultural life in our province. Please accept my best wishes.

Abhinandana. Congratulations.

Maple Leaf Schools

This project fits with the town’s official plan for this site and is supported by the town, by the residents, the cottagers and by the business community. It would create 200 construction jobs during development and then 200 permanent jobs. In a town of 12,000, that’s a lot of new jobs.

I know that the Minister of Infrastructure has met with the town of Gravenhurst, and I want to thank him for taking that meeting and to reiterate just how important this project is to the town. I hope the minister and Infrastructure Ontario will move quickly to make this school a reality.

Stelco

Mr. Paul Miller: It is vital to this province’s continued economic health that we preserve steel manufacturing both in northern Ontario, in Sault Ste. Marie, and in southern locations such as Hamilton and Nanticoke.

The restructuring of Stelco has entered a new phase with a proposed sale of the company being put to a vote of creditors in April. Some 20,000 workers, retirees and their families are deeply concerned. Based on past, painful experiences, they are skeptical of the good faith of foreign investors and doubtful of the ability of Canadian governments to enforce agreements made by these investors.

The rights and interests of all Stelco workers and retirees must be protected. The promises of pensions and health benefits to Stelco retirees, earned through decades of labour, must be honoured. They want to know why this government is allowing the pension plan to be taken off the balance sheet in this proposed sale. Why is it not considered a liability of the company? This company will have almost $300 million in cash at the end of May. Why have the post-employment benefits of retirees, so desperately needed, not been fully restored?

Never again should a foreign company buying one of this province’s major manufacturers be allowed to escape its obligations and commitments through a secret renegotiation and agreement with the federal government. We need to know that this government will hold any new buyer fully accountable for every promise it makes to the workers, retirees and governments.

Hôpital Montfort / Montfort Hospital

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: Ça me fait plaisir de me lever aujourd’hui pour célébrer un évènement qui est arrivé la semaine dernière dans le comté d’Ottawa–Vanier. C’était le 20 e anniversaire de la bataille pour sauver l’Hôpital Montfort.

L’Hôpital Montfort est un établissement hospitalier qui est bien connu dans la région et qui a survécu, grâce à la solidarité franco-ontarienne, des coupures qui avaient été proposées par le gouvernement Harris.

La semaine dernière, ce que nous avons fait, c’est célébrer encore une fois cette solidarité franco-ontarienne, et nous avons permis, évidemment, que Montfort continue de rayonner et de pouvoir bien servir toute la communauté.

Cette soirée a été aussi magnifique parce qu’on a eu l’occasion à la fin d’entonner la chanson « Notre Place » que cette Chambre a déclarée tout récemment comme étant l’hymne des Franco-Ontariens. C’était une très belle soirée dans Ottawa–Vanier. Merci.

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

Water quality

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Members’ statements. The member from—

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about Lynnwood mobile home park’s water quality, just outside of Edwards in the city of Ottawa.

Beginning around 2006 and 2007, I started advocating for this community with then-city councillor Doug Thompson and today’s city councillor George Darouze. Not only is the water of poor aesthetic quality, but it is not potable. Over the years, we have tried to find different solutions, whether that was the trickle system coming out of Carlsbad Springs or signing onto a water pump from the neighbouring municipality of Russell, all of which has been rejected.

So it was up to us, as local politicians, to try to get the property management, Killam Properties of Nova Scotia, to do something about the poor water quality there. Now, let me make this statement abundantly clear: This is Third World water in the nation’s capital of a G8 country, yet this company, Killam Properties, is okay with allowing the residents on its property to have substandard water.

Today, I’m calling on Killam Properties to stand up and do the right thing for the constituents of Nepean–Carleton who live in Lynnwood mobile home park, who are living in affordable housing units and who cannot afford to move out. Killam Properties should be publicly shamed, Speaker, and that is why I’m here today as the member of provincial Parliament. I am fed up, after 11 years of representing these people in Lynnwood mobile home park, that they now have a 30-plus-years water quality problem.

Enough is enough. Time is time. Killam Properties better stand up and do the right thing.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. That was the member from Nepean–Carleton. I didn’t get a chance to introduce her.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: You’ve called me many things over the years, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I call you nice things.

Vietnamese community

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I rise today to inform the House about an event I had the pleasure of attending this weekend, an event that was hosted by the Vietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto in my riding of Davenport.

The wonderful event that I attended on Saturday commemorated the struggle of the Trung sisters and their brave stand against nations who occupied Vietnam nearly 2,000 years ago. It is celebrated annually by Vietnamese communities both here in Ontario and all around the world.

The Trung sisters’ story of fighting for freedom and independence became a symbol of resistance for the Vietnamese people and has inspired generations of Vietnamese women and girls. Their determination and strong leadership qualities are a testimony to the respected position of freedom and strength of women in the Vietnamese community.

As the member of provincial Parliament for Davenport, I have seen first-hand the amazing work the Vietnamese community does. Ontario has always been a welcoming place for people from all around the world who choose to live in our province. Over 56,000 people from Vietnam live in the GTA, with many choosing Davenport to be their home. That diversity, along with the strong contributions made by this community, represents one of Ontario’s key strengths.

I am proud to support such a fierce and hard-working community in our province and in my riding and hope that more women from all across the world can be inspired by the Trung sisters.

I also want to thank Binh-Minh Hoang, chair of the Vietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto, for the invitation to attend this wonderful event.

Economic development

Mr. Bill Walker: This past month, Grey county residents were treated to some exciting news when it was announced that their region was voted as one of the world’s top seven intelligent communities for 2017 by an international network of cities and regions known as the Intelligent Community Forum. This group focuses on communities that use technology to enhance economic development and quality of life.

In Grey county’s case, it was just that: Years of hard work, collaboration, and smart, strategic investments in the game-changing SWIFT—SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology—initiative was the key to this big win. In my supporting the SWIFT project, I had the pleasure of collaborating with project lead and now SWIFT CEO Geoff Hogan, as well as county CAO Kim Wingrove and Warden Alan Barfoot, as they worked hard to advocate for the connection of 350 communities with over 3.5 million people from the Bruce Peninsula to Orillia and down to Lake Erie to ultra-high-speed and high-quality fibre optic Internet.

These ongoing efforts in broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce and innovation and marketing will ensure new jobs and new investments for my riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. They will put us on a level playing field.

Grey county’s winning streak does not stop there. The county has also received the Planning and Building Initiatives Award and the Promotional Award for its tourism marketing efforts by the Economic Developers Council of Ontario. Over the past year, Grey county leaders have worked hard to build their region into a success story.

From the new state-of-the-art marine emergency duties training and research centre at Georgian College in Owen Sound to the Specialist High Skills Major programs through the Bluewater District School Board to the library-based technology trading at the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library, there’s no shortage of examples highlighting innovation and growth in our region.

These efforts in broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation and marketing will ensure new jobs and new investments for my riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. With a list of such successes, my constituents should be proud for being recognized as true leaders here in Ontario and around the world.

Thank you, Speaker, for allowing me the time to speak about these exciting developments in my riding and to say congratulations to Grey county once again.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their statements.

Introduction of Bills

End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 visant à mettre fin au financement public de la publicité gouvernementale partisane

Ms. Jones moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 112,

An Act to amend the Government Advertising Act, 2004 / Projet de loi 112, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2004 sur la publicité gouvernementale.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Ms. Sylvia Jones: First and foremost, I want to acknowledge and very much thank my colleague from Parry Sound–Muskoka for his assistance in preparing and drafting this legislation.

The Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015, made numerous amendments to the Government Advertising Act, 2004. Among the amendments made were changes to the rules that apply when the Auditor General reviews government advertising. The bill amends the act to reverse those amendments so that the act reads substantially as it did prior to the 2015 amendments.

Motions

Committee sittings

Hon. Laura Albanese: Speaker, I believe you will find we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding Bill 84,

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to medical assistance in dying.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? Agreed.

Minister?

Hon. Laura Albanese: I move that, notwithstanding any other order of this House relating to Bill 84, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs be authorized to meet for an additional hour, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., on Thursday, March 30, 2017, for the purpose of public hearings; and

That the committee be authorized to meet on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the purpose of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Madame Albanese moves that, notwithstanding any other order of this House relating to Bill 84, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs be authorized to meet—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Dispense? Dispense.

Do we agree? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Petitions

Hydro rates

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is now time for petitions. The member from—let me see now—Wellington–Halton Hills.

Mr. Ted Arnott: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate your goodwill.

I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It reads as follows:

“Whereas the price of electricity has skyrocketed under the Ontario Liberal government;

“Whereas ever-higher hydro bills are a huge concern for everyone in the province, especially seniors and others on fixed incomes, who can’t afford to pay more;

“Whereas Ontario’s businesses say high electricity costs are making them uncompetitive, and have contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs;

“Whereas the recent Auditor General’s report found Ontarians overpaid for electricity by $37 billion over the past eight years and estimates that we will overpay by an additional $133 billion over the next 18 years if nothing changes;

“Whereas the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants costing $1.1 billion, feed-in tariff (FIT) contracts with wind and solar companies, the sale of surplus energy to neighbouring jurisdictions at a loss, the debt retirement charge, the global adjustment and smart meters that haven’t met their conservation targets have all put upward pressure on hydro bills;

“Whereas the sale of 60% of Hydro One is opposed by a majority of Ontarians and will likely only lead to even higher hydro bills;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To listen to Ontarians, reverse course on the Liberal government’s current hydro policies and take immediate steps to stabilize hydro bills.”

I agree and have affixed my signature as well.

Employment standards

Mr. Paul Miller: A petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas a growing number of Ontarians are concerned about the growth in low-wage, part-time, casual, temporary and insecure employment; and

“Whereas too many workers are not protected by the minimum standards outlined in existing employment and labour laws; and

“Whereas the Ontario government is currently engaging in a public consultation to review and improve employment and labour laws in the province;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to implement a decent work agenda by making sure that Ontario’s labour and employment laws”—there are many requirements, Speaker, but I’ll just name a few:

“—require all workers be entitled to a starting wage that reflects a uniform, provincial minimum, regardless of a worker’s age, job or sector of employment;

“—promote full-time, permanent work....;

“—protect workers who stand up for their rights;....

“—make it easier for workers to join unions; and

“—ensure all workers” in this province get “at least $15 an hour.”

I agree with this and put my name to it.

GO Transit

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I have a petition that’s addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas Cambridge, Ontario, is a municipality of over 125,000 people, many of whom commute into the greater Toronto area daily;

“Whereas the current commuting options available for travel between the Waterloo region and the GTA are inefficient and time-consuming, as well as environmentally damaging;

“Whereas the residents of Cambridge and the Waterloo region believe that they would be well-served by commuter rail transit that connects the region to the Milton line, and that this infrastructure would have positive, tangible economic benefits to the province of Ontario;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Direct crown agency Metrolinx to commission a feasibility study into building a rail line that connects the city of Cambridge to the GO train station in Milton, and to complete this study in a timely manner and communicate the results to the municipal government of Cambridge.”

I agree with this petition. I will affix my name to it and have page Zara bring it to the table.

Government advertising

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition. It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas since 2006, the Auditor General of Ontario had been responsible for reviewing all government advertising to ensure it was not partisan; and

“Whereas in 2015, the Wynne government watered down the legislation, removing the ability of the Auditor General to reject partisan ads and essentially making the Auditor General a rubber stamp; and

“Whereas the Wynne government has since run ads such as those for the Ontario Pension Plan that were extremely partisan in nature; and

“Whereas the Wynne government is currently using taxpayers’ money to run partisan hydro ads; and

“Whereas the government did not feel the need to advertise to inform the people of Ontario of any of the many hydro rate increases; and

“Whereas history shows that the Wynne and McGuinty governments have increased ad spending in the year preceding a general election;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To immediately reinstate the Auditor General’s authority to review all government advertising for partisan messages before the ads run.”

I’ve signed this and support it, and I will give it to Kishan.

School closures

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I’d like to thank the Ontario Alliance Against School Closures for collecting signatures from Ontarians from both urban and rural communities across the province. This petition reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas under the current Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG), one in eight Ontario schools is at risk of closure; and

“Whereas the value of a school to the local economy and community has been removed from the PARG; and

“Whereas the PARG outlines consultation requirements that are insufficient to allow for meaningful community involvement, including the establishment of community hubs; and

“Whereas school closures have a significant negative impact on families and their children, resulting in inequitable access to extracurricular activities and other essential school involvement, and after-school work opportunities; and

“Whereas school closures have devastating impacts on the growth and overall viability of communities across Ontario, in particular self-sustaining agricultural communities;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“To place an immediate moratorium on all school closures across Ontario and to suspend all pupil accommodation reviews until the PARG has been subject to a substantive review by an all-party committee that will examine the effects of extensive school closures on the health of our communities and children.”

I agree with this petition, will affix my name to it and will give it to page Laura to take to the table.

Hydro rates

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: Speaker, I have a petition here to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas electricity prices have increased and in too many cases become unaffordable for Ontarians;

“Whereas Ontario is a prosperous province and people should never have to choose between hydro and other daily necessities;

“Whereas people want to know that hydro rate relief is on the way; that relief will go to everyone; and that relief will be lasting because it is built on significant change;

“Whereas the Ontario fair hydro plan would reduce hydro bills for residential consumers, small businesses and farms by an average of 25% as part of a significant system restructuring, with increases held to the rate of inflation for the next four years;

“Whereas the Ontario fair hydro plan would provide people with low incomes and those living in rural communities with even greater reductions to their electricity bills;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Support the Ontario fair hydro plan and provide relief for Ontario electricity consumers as quickly as possible;

“Continue working to ensure clean, reliable and affordable electricity is available for all Ontarians.”

I will affix my signature and send this to the desk with Jace.

Hydro rates

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I have an important and well-written petition to the Legislative Assembly, and it reads as follows:

“Whereas the price of electricity has skyrocketed under the Ontario Liberal government;

“Whereas ever-higher hydro bills are a huge concern for everyone in the province, especially seniors and others on fixed incomes, who can’t afford to pay more;

“Whereas Ontario’s businesses say high electricity costs are making them uncompetitive, and have contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs;

“Whereas the recent Auditor General’s report found Ontarians overpaid for electricity by $37 billion over the past eight years and estimates that we will overpay by an additional $133 billion over the next 18 years if nothing changes;

“Whereas the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants costing $1.1 billion, feed-in tariff (FIT) contracts with wind and solar companies, the sale of surplus energy to neighbouring jurisdictions at a loss, the debt retirement charge, the global adjustment and smart meters that haven’t met their conservation targets have all put upward pressure on hydro bills;

“Whereas the sale of 60% of Hydro One is opposed by a majority of Ontarians and will likely only lead to even higher hydro bills;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To listen to Ontarians, reverse course on the Liberal government’s current hydro policies and take immediate steps to stabilize hydro bills.

I support this petition and send it to the table with the page.

Primary health care

Miss Monique Taylor: I’d like to read this petition to the assembly. It was written and collected by a nurse practitioner in my riding, Beth Gerretsin.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas primary care is the foundation to the Ontario health care system, this is where the average Ontarian will utilize most of their access to health care services, where prevention and health promotion start and where retention of primary care providers like nurse practitioners can significantly influence the continuity of care” or the service “the public receives;

“Whereas research shows that the greatest overall health impact including lower mortality and better population health and the most cost-saving benefits to the entire health system occurs when there is high quality accessible primary health care services;

“Whereas if the Ontario government has placed a priority on putting patients first in our health care system, then the priority on health care funding needs to focus on building strong interprofessional primary care team models;

“Whereas some Ontario primary care nurse practitioners received a small increase in compensation in 2016-17 it still leaves them at rates below what was recommended in 2012;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“For the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to invest additional $130 million in primary care in the 2017-2018 budget to ensure primary health care teams including nurse practitioners receive fair and equitable wages in Ontario.”

I agree with this petition, I’ll affix my name to it and give it to page Kishan to bring to the Clerk.

Elevator maintenance

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: I table this petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas elevators are an important amenity for a resident of a high-rise residential building; and

“Whereas ensuring basic mobility and standards of living for residents remain top priority; and

“Whereas the unreasonable delay of repairs for elevator services across Ontario is a concern for all residents of high-rise buildings who experience constant breakdowns, mechanical failures and ‘out of service’ notices for unspecified amounts of time;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Urge the Ontario government to require repairs to elevators be completed within a reasonable and prescribed time frame. We urge this government to address these concerns that are shared by residents of Trinity–Spadina and across Ontario.”

I agree with this petition, I sign it, and I send it with page Ethan.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Jack MacLaren: We have 10 guests here today who are practitioners of alternate systems of psychotherapy in the members’ gallery with us to hear this petition.

I have a petition that I’ve been asked to present, signed by 25,000 people, concerning a bill passed in 2007 called the controlled act of psychotherapy.

“Whereas the Ontario health care system is experiencing massive cutbacks in services...;

“Whereas the safe natural treatment industry saves the health care system $7-10 billion annually;...

“Whereas the elimination of natural, holistic, spiritual care and energy treatments from the public domain has already commenced with ... cease demands by the College of Registered Psychotherapists;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Take action to end all efforts by the Minister of Health to proclaim the controlled act of psychotherapy.”

I support this petition, I affix my signature, and I give it to page Keira.

Employment standards

M me France Gélinas: I have this petition that comes from all over Nickel Belt and Sudbury. I’d like to thank Stephanny Campbell from Coniston, in my riding. It goes as follows:

“Fight for $15 and Fairness....

“Whereas a growing number of Ontarians are concerned about the growth in low-wage, part-time, casual, temporary and insecure employment; and

“Whereas too many workers are not protected by the minimum standards outlined in existing employment and labour laws; and

“Whereas the Ontario government is currently engaging in a public consultation to review and improve employment and labour laws in the province;....”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“—require all workers be paid a uniform, provincial minimum wage regardless of a worker’s age, job or sector of employment;

“—promote full-time, permanent work with adequate hours for all those who choose it;

“—ensure part-time, temporary, casual and contract workers receive the same pay and benefits as their full-time, permanent counterparts;

“—provide at least seven (7) days of paid sick leave each year;

“—support job security for workers when companies or contracts change ownership;

“—prevent employers from downloading their responsibilities for minimum standards onto temp agencies, subcontractors or workers themselves;

“—extend minimum protections to all workers by eliminating exemptions to the laws;

“—protect workers who stand up for their rights;

“—offer proactive enforcement of laws, supported by adequate public staffing and meaningful penalties for employers who violate the law;

“—make it easier for workers to join unions; and

“—require a $15 minimum wage for all workers.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Laura to bring it to the Clerk.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I regret to inform the members that the time for petitions has expired.

Once again, I would remind members that you don’t have to read the entire petition’s contents; you can abbreviate it. Then, more members would get on.

Orders of the Day

Protecting Patients Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur la protection des patients

Mr. Hoskins moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 87,

An Act to implement health measures and measures relating to seniors by enacting, amending or repealing various statutes / Projet de loi 87, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre des mesures concernant la santé et les personnes âgées par l’édiction, la modification ou l’abrogation de diverses lois.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I look to the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Ottawa South.

Today I rise in support of the Protecting Patients Act. This is a bill intended to fulfill one of the most basic obligations we have as a government, which is to protect people, keep them healthy and keep them safe. If passed, the Protecting Patients Act will help do exactly that. This is a multi-faceted piece of legislation, one that, if passed, would make a significant number of improvements to health care for the people of Ontario.

My colleague the member from Ottawa South and I will be addressing different parts of this legislation. For my part, I’m going to speak to how this proposed legislation would strengthen and reinforce the zero-tolerance policy that we have as a government and as a province for the sexual abuse of patients by regulated health professionals.

My top priority as minister is to protect the safety and well-being of Ontarians. Sexual assault and other forms of sexual abuse by anyone, including health professionals, is absolutely and unequivocally unacceptable. Our government has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse.

The legislation that is before us today is informed by the important work done by the task force on the prevention of sexual abuse of patients. My colleagues may remember that I appointed Professor—now Senator—Marilou McPhedran to chair this task force in the wake of troubling and high-profile cases of patient sexual abuse. Sheila Macdonald, a registered nurse and highly experienced in this field, was also appointed as a member of the task force. They provided me with a report that contained 34 recommendations for improving the prevention of and response to patient sexual abuse in this province.

I want to thank the task force for their important work. It has greatly informed the work we did on this piece of legislation, the Protecting Patients Act.

I should also note that we were mindful, as we did that work, of Ontario’s Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment, which is helping to ensure that everyone in the province can live in safety, free from the threat, fear or experience of sexual violence and harassment. We’re proud to be supporting that plan with this proposed legislation.

Finally, in preparation for drafting this bill, we consulted with many stakeholders: Ontario’s health regulatory colleges, regulated health professional associations, patient advocacy groups, victim support groups, the Premier’s Roundtable on Violence Against Women, the Office of the Patient Ombudsman and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, as well as many other experts and concerned stakeholders. I thank each and every one of them for their input.

Before I begin describing the proposed legislation and explaining how it would protect patients, let me return to one extremely important concept: zero tolerance for sexual abuse. As Minister of Health and as a physician, I can tell you that the relationship between a patient and a health professional is based more than anything else on trust—trust that the patient has in the person to whom they have turned for help, for their expertise, for compassion.

Sexual abuse of patients by health professionals is a fundamental betrayal of that trust. It is a violation, it is unacceptable, and we will not put up with it. This legislation is our government taking concrete action to uphold and reinforce a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse of patients by any regulated health professional.

We’re proposing a number of legislative amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, which my colleagues know is the act that sets out the governing framework for the regulated health professions in this province.

These proposed amendments would strengthen existing sexual abuse provisions in the RHPA. They would enhance supports available to individuals throughout the complaints, investigations and discipline processes. They would improve the complaints, investigations and discipline processes, both for sexual abuse matters and in general. They would modernize regulatory college governance. They would increase the transparency of health regulatory colleges’ operations, and they would improve health human resources planning.

That’s all very high-level, Mr. Speaker, so let me be a little bit more specific.

The first thing we would do through our proposed amendments is strengthen the sexual abuse provisions in the legislation. We propose to prohibit sexual interactions between regulated health professionals and former patients for a minimum period of one year after the end of the patient-provider relationship, and each college would have the authority to extend this period of time with respect to their own members.

Mr. Speaker, there is a list of acts of sexual abuse right now that result in mandatory revocation of a regulated health professional’s certificate of registration. We propose to make that list longer, adding additional acts to those already set out.

Mr. Speaker, if passed, this bill would also introduce a new mandatory penalty of suspension for all findings of sexual abuse that do not involve conduct for which mandatory revocation is required. This change would further strengthen the existing penalties for all findings of professional misconduct by professionals involving the sexual abuse of a patient.

The bill also proposes to increase the maximum first-time fines for failure to report an incident of sexual abuse to a health regulatory college, increasing that fine to $50,000 for individuals and $200,000 for organizations.

The bill also proposes to strengthen the sexual abuse provisions in the RHPA.

If passed, the bill would prohibit the colleges’ ability to impose so-called gender-based or gender-specific restrictions on a professional’s certificate of registration. These sorts of prohibitions do not have any place in a culture of zero tolerance for the sexual abuse of patients by regulated health professionals.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to strengthening sexual abuse provisions in the RHPA, our proposed amendments would also enhance the supports provided to patients throughout the colleges’ complaints, investigations and discipline processes. To better encourage the reporting of incidents of sexual abuse by regulated health professionals, we need to provide patients with the right supports to enable and empower them to come forward. If the Protecting Patients Act is passed, individuals alleged to have been sexually abused would have more timely access to funding for therapy and counselling to assist them.

We’re proposing to allow for the further improvement overall of the complaints, investigations and discipline processes that colleges are now required to follow. We also propose to allow the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee to more expeditiously impose terms, limits and conditions on, or even suspend, a member’s certificate of registration if they are of the opinion that the member exposes or is likely to expose his or her patients to a risk of harm or injury.

Under the proposed legislation, we would create additional mechanisms to permit the modernization of college governance and establish requirements regarding the composition of committees that every college is required to have, as well as the composition of panels of such committees for various purposes.

We propose to increase the transparency of health regulatory colleges’ activities. If our legislation is passed, we would expand the minimum requirements for information that colleges must provide on their public registers with respect to their members. Why is this important? Because it means that relevant information about regulated health professionals would be available to the public, because they have the right to know.

Finally, we propose to improve health human resources planning. If passed, this legislation would allow for health human resources planning data collected from and by regulatory colleges to be disclosed to organizations outside of the ministry for the purpose of health human resources planning, as well as for research.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important to make a few points of clarification. First, I want to provide context surrounding the protection of private information for health professions. Let me be clear: This amendment is primarily intended to support my duty under the RHPA to ensure that health professions are regulated and coordinated fully in the public interest and for the public good.

It is also important to note that the proposed amendments expressly state that any reports and information provided to the minister must not contain any private information or private health information about members if other information would be sufficient for those purposes. In addition, if the reports and information provided by a college to the minister do contain any private information about members, the proposed amendments clarify that the reports and information provided to the minister must not contain any other information than is absolutely necessary to meet that mandate of public interest, public good and public safety.

These limiting principles were included in the proposed amendments in recognition of the inherently sensitive nature of private information. In fact, we have consulted extensively with the Information and Privacy Commissioner on these exact proposals to ensure consistency with the personal health information act. The IPC recommended some changes to limit the collection of information; we made those changes and incorporated them into Bill 87.

Mr. Speaker, the second point I want to clarify is regarding the composition of committees. We are proposing an amendment that would allow our government to reconsider the composition of committees that each college is required to have. We’re doing this because we want to ensure that all committees are balanced. Specifically, we want to ensure that all committees have a balanced representation of the public to protect patient interests.

We recognize that it will also be important to have other health professionals represented on these committees, but with this amendment our government would have the ability to ensure a more even distribution and allow for better patient representation on committees, such as disciplinary committees, in order to best represent the public interest.

We look forward to an important debate in the House and a thorough public consultation through the legislative committee process to ensure that we get this important piece of legislation correct. This includes hearing from all health care professionals about their concerns and suggestions, while making sure we respect victims’ rights. It is absolutely critical we strike the proper balance between patient and professional.

Taken together, these various proposed changes would strengthen both our ability to prevent and our ability to respond to the sexual abuse of patients by regulated health professionals. Going forward over the course of this year, we will continue to consult with key partners, including patients, to make policy and program changes throughout the health system to uphold and reinforce a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse of patients by regulated health professionals.

The end goal is to bring about a series of improvements that empower patients in the health regulatory system—improvements that strengthen leadership and accountability throughout the health system. There will be increased transparency in the health regulatory system. The complaints, investigations and discipline processes will offer more supports to patients, and we will be enhancing knowledge and education on the issue of patient sexual abuse.

We know we have a great deal to do in this regard, but it really does start with the proposed legislation we are discussing today. I know my colleagues on all sides will have a lot more to say in just a moment and over the coming days about other aspects of this bill, but I want to say that, first and foremost, the Protecting Patients Act does just that: It protects patients. I would urge all of my friends and colleagues to think about what they will be accomplishing if, together, we pass this legislation.

They would be adding to the list of acts of sexual abuse that would result in the mandatory revocation of a regulated health professional’s certificate of registration.

They would be increasing fines for health professionals and organizations that fail to report an allegation of patient sexual abuse to a college.

They would be increasing transparency by adding to what colleges must report on their public registers and websites.

They would ensure that there would be a minimum time period after the end of the patient/provider relationship during which sexual interactions between that former patient and that provider are prohibited.

And they would be increasing timely access to funding for therapy and counselling for patients who are alleged to have been sexually abused by a member of a health regulatory college.

Speaker, I’m quite certain that everyone in this chamber agrees with me that these are important goals. I am also confident that when they hear my colleagues discuss the other aspects of the proposed legislation, they will agree that this legislation gets us one step closer to a truly patient-centred health care system.

Thank you. I would like to turn the discussion over to my colleague the member from Ottawa South.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: I’m pleased to join my colleague the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to rise in support of the Protecting Patients Act. This legislation’s intention is to put patients first. It’s a piece of legislation intended to improve the lives of Ontarians.

The Protecting Patients Act would, if passed, help seniors stay healthy, active and engaged in their communities by making improvements to the elderly persons’ centres that support more than 100,000 seniors per year. I know the Minister of Seniors Affairs will have more to say on this as we go forward.

We also heard from the Minister of Health that the Protecting Patients Act would, if passed, uphold and reinforce our zero-tolerance policy when it comes to the sexual abuse of patients at the hands of a regulated health professional. We have a bill that sets out to protect and support people, some of those who are vulnerable and need our help.

This bill also looks to address another vulnerable population: children. If passed, the Protecting Patients Act would help patients make informed decisions about immunizing their children and make it easier for them to keep track of the vaccines their kids are required to get.

Immunization, as my colleagues well know, is a key component of Ontario’s public health system and is one of the most cost-effective health interventions that exists. Vaccines prevent disease. For more than 200 years, they’ve been saving lives around the world. Smallpox has been eliminated, thanks to vaccines. Measles, rubella and many others are simply nowhere near the threat they once were.

The way we can continue to ensure that these diseases are not a threat to our children is by maintaining a strong public vaccination program. We want to continue protecting our children by making our immunization system better and easier to understand.

Ontario currently funds 23 different vaccines that protect against 17 diseases. Beginning last fall, we expanded our routine HPV immunization program to include all boys and girls in grade 7. We’re always looking at ways to improve that system, and the Protecting Patients Act, if passed, would do that.

The amendments we are proposing are part of Immunization 2020, the strategy we launched in December 2015 to modernize the publicly funded immunization program and make Ontarians healthier by reducing health risks related to vaccine-preventable diseases.

The proposed amendments would, if passed, strengthen requirements to obtain vaccine exemptions for non-medical reasons—I repeat: non-medical reasons. If parents want their children to be exempted from the requirement that they be immunized, the parents would have to participate in an education session delivered by their local public health unit.

Speaker, I’m not here to speak to the reasons some parents might have for wanting their children to be exempted from vaccination requirements in schools. What I will say, though, is that if our legislation is passed, parents will be better positioned to make an informed decision for their child’s health and understand the risks for their child and for the larger community should they choose not to vaccinate their children. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of parents having that information about what the risks are to not immunize your child.

The amendments would also streamline information reporting by having health care providers report vaccination records for the designated diseases under the ISPA directly to public health. Currently, parents have to report the records themselves to a local public health unit. I know that in my community of Ottawa, every year we seem to have this challenge where there are thousands of children whose immunization records are not available to school boards, so parents are caused undue stress and children are caused undue stress, and this provision in the bill will help to eliminate that.

I know that there are also innovations, like immunize.ca, that came out of Ottawa and will help in the reporting of immunization. This change would ease the burden on parents and also reduce unnecessary suspensions due to out-of-date immunization records.

Our proposed amendments also advance the Immunization 2020 vision of a modern, publicly funded immunization system, resulting in improved uptake of vaccines, reduced risk for disease outbreaks, and better health for all Ontarians.

One of the key commitments that our government has made to Ontarians through our Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care is that we would provide faster access to the right care. The Protecting Patients Act proposes to do that by recognizing the expanded role of nurse practitioners within our health care system.

As many of my colleagues know, our government has been committed for more than a decade to expanding the role and scope of work for nurse practitioners because we have known that it improves outcomes for patients. You just have to look at the 50,000 patients who are receiving faster access to excellent primary care in 25 nurse practitioner-led clinics across the province. Those clinics were born out of our understanding that there was more that nurse practitioners could and should be doing.

That same understanding led to an expansion of the services offered by nurse practitioners, who are now admitting and discharging patients from hospital, ordering laboratory tests, and prescribing medication.

What the Protecting Patients Act would do, if passed, is ensure that health products prescribed by nurse practitioners, such as blood glucose drips and nutritional products, are covered benefits under the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. The act, if passed, would also allow nurse practitioners to submit an application on behalf of an Ontario drug benefit recipient to have a drug product funded under the Exceptional Access Program, the ministry’s case-by-case review program.

The point here is that the Ontario Drug Benefit Act was enacted before the role and scope of nurse practitioners began to evolve here in Ontario. These proposed legislative changes, if passed, reduce a barrier to nurse practitioners exercising their current scope of practice. If a given substance or a drug is covered by the ODB program when prescribed by a doctor, it would now be covered when it is prescribed by a nurse practitioner.

The bill also includes proposed technical and housekeeping amendments that remove obsolete provisions and enhance the operation of the legislation.

This is a continuation of the public drug program’s efforts to increase patient access to drug products and provide program efficiencies, and it aligns perfectly with the Protecting Patients Act’s commitment to access.

Speaker, the last of these measures I wanted to speak about involves the community laboratory sector in Ontario. Community laboratories are independent corporations that provide lab testing and test reporting services at the request of health care providers. Approximately 47% of all medical laboratory testing for the province is done by community laboratories. We want to modernize this sector, and in the process improve access and quality for patients, and deliver the kind of value that would sustain the health system for generations to come.

Some of my colleagues may remember our government convened a three-member Laboratory Services Expert Panel back in 2015 to conduct a review of Ontario’s community laboratory sector and to provide recommendations to improve and modernize laboratory sector funding and services.

A key theme in the expert panel’s report, which was delivered in late 2015, was that the current status quo is not sustainable and that there is potential to extract greater value from the community laboratory sector. We accepted the expert panel’s report and wanted to move ahead on modernizing the sector and the funding model for community laboratory services to achieve better value.

That is what our legislation, if passed, would do. It would open up the market to greater managed competition by allowing existing suppliers to compete more effectively based on their current market shares; it would improve value for money by realigning the pricing of services to reflect advances in technology; and it would enhance access by paying community laboratory suppliers and rural and northern hospitals for the true cost of collecting specimens.

Patients would benefit through a standardized quality of care and through access points, particularly in rural and northern communities. They would also benefit from improved access at specimen collection centres, thanks to enhanced performance and accountability measures in agreements between the ministry and suppliers.

I want to emphasize that we are not proposing a complete redesign of the community laboratory system, but a reorganization of a system to more effectively drive competition and derive value. This would optimize access and would ensure that Ontarians receive the best quality in laboratory services. It would also result in greater efficiency and better value for money, helping us protect and sustain our health care system.

The Protecting Patients Act is a big piece of legislation: from zero tolerance for sexual abuse of patients to supporting seniors in their communities to informing patients about immunization to improving access to services provided by nurse practitioners and, finally, to modernizing labs—all of it with the same objective of improving health care in Ontario, protecting patients and putting patients first.

I am pleased to have had the chance to speak to this bill and will be giving the proposed legislation my full support. I