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July 17, 2018

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard (PDF) 17-JUL-2018_L004

L004 - Tue 17 Jul 2018 / Mar 17 jui 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 17 July 2018 Mardi 17 juillet 2018

Notice of reasoned amendment

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Introduction of Visitors

Correction of record

Oral Questions

Curriculum

Executive compensation

Community safety

Community safety

Curriculum

Bruce nuclear generating station

Energy contracts

Climate change

Arts and cultural funding

Hospital services

Executive compensation

Refugees

Labour dispute

School facilities

Energy contracts

Automobile insurance

Use of question period

Visitors

Private members’ public business

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Riding of Toronto–St. Paul’s

Ferrochrome plant

Affordable housing

Hanover and District Hospital Auxiliary

Riding of Kingston and the Islands

Discours du trône / Speech from the throne

Riding of Niagara West

Riding of Scarborough Southwest

Riding of Hastings–Lennox and Addington

Events in Chatham-Kent–Leamington

Petitions

Prévention du tabagisme chez les jeunes

Health care funding

Energy policies

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate / Débat sur le discours du trône

The House met at 0900.

Prayers.

Notice of reasoned amendment

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 71(b), both the member for Scarborough–Guildwood and the member for Toronto–Danforth have notified the Clerk of their intention to file a notice of reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 2,

An Act respecting Hydro One Limited, the termination of the White Pines Wind Project and the labour disputes between York University and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3903. The order for second reading of Bill 2 may therefore not be called today.

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Resuming the debate adjourned on July 16, 2018, on the motion for an address in reply to the speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the session.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m advised that the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane last gave a presentation on the throne speech, and so now we’re going to ask for questions and comments related to his remarks.

The member for Timmins.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I wasn’t expecting to go first, but I’ll take it.

Listen, Mr. Speaker, I was actually here for all of the presentation made by the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane. He touched, I think, on one of the issues that I find quite interesting and bizarre as far as the government’s actions.

Ontario has always been known as a stable place to come and do business. It has always been known as the jurisdiction that’s stable. When you come to Ontario as a local Ontarian investor or you come from the States or anywhere else in the world, you know you’ve got a stable regime and that, in the end, if you invest money here, the rules of the land will prevail and your investment is safe.

Well, the decision made by the government in that particular bill they introduced yesterday in regard to the windmills is really making a mockery of all of that. What is really interesting is that it’s being done by a Conservative government. You would think that a Conservative government would understand you don’t do things in the marketplace in order to—how would you say?—confuse the investor as to the security of their investment in your jurisdiction.

What the government is doing in this particular bill on the wind farms is saying somebody can come to Ontario, negotiate a contract—in this case, with essentially the government, because it’s done with the IESO through the hydro system—and that contract doesn’t mean anything because a future government can come in and cancel it on you and put you out of pocket for millions and millions of dollars. We’re talking in the tens of millions, if not the hundreds of millions, of dollars. This is all being done by this government, which raises the question that they’re sending out a message that Ontario is not that stable place that it used to be.

What is even more interesting is that, by fiat, by use of their power of a majority, they’re actually going to prevent any lawsuits from coming forward on this. So I don’t think this is such a good idea from a business perspective. It being done by Conservatives is even more bizarre.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments? I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: Thank you, Speaker, and good morning to you.

It’s a pleasure to stand in the Legislature this morning and bring some remarks on behalf of the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane, who always does a great job speaking in this House and bringing local issues to light here in the Legislature. I enjoy working with him. We’ll be working especially closely over the next four years in our roles as officers of the Legislature for our respective parties here, and ensuring that the government’s agenda gets through the Legislature as quickly as we possibly can.

I know yesterday the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane was talking about wildfires that are currently burning in northern Ontario near his community as well, and right across the north. It’s a very concerning issue that’s happening in northern Ontario right now with the tinder-dry conditions that we’ve been experiencing. We did get a little bit of rain yesterday here in Toronto. I’m not sure, maybe we’ll get a weather forecast from the member opposite to find out if they’ve had any rain. I know the water bombers have been busy up there doing the best that they can to try to get this situation under control.

Yesterday we heard from our Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry on what’s happening within that ministry to ensure that we have a coordinated effort. Our employees, our public service Ministry of Natural Resources employees, are working in harmony with other jurisdictions as well to ensure that we can keep a handle on this very, very dangerous situation that’s occurring in the north. I commend the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane for always bringing those local issues to light.

On the issue of the wind turbines: We have made no mistake about where we stand on these issues, particularly on the White Pines issue, which is in my riding. We have an unwilling host community. They have been an unwilling host community in Prince Edward county for years and years and years. The previous government forced this wind project down their throats, against the wishes of the vast majority of people in Prince Edward county.

We’re listening to the people of Ontario on this side of the House, and we will continue to act in the best interests of the people of Ontario, because we are a government for the people.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I wasn’t here in the House and didn’t have the pleasure of hearing the debate that the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane brought forward, but I know that he did a great job and—

Interruption.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: You have to take that away, I think. It’s on a video that just came on automatically.

The point is, the House leader talked about how this is a government for the people. I think we need to re-evaluate that title. When you’re cancelling the cap-and-trade program, you’re affecting communities throughout.

In London, just this morning, we have had a project be cancelled with regard to biogas. They were going to actually use those gases to provide energy to homes. That project has been cancelled in London, with several other southwestern Ontario projects. In London, that was going to be a very environmentally friendly type of initiative. It was going to generate some income for the city, and it’s been cancelled. Quite honestly, if it’s for the people, you should have really given people some notice and some time.

Premier Ford, at the time a candidate, just really made announcements off the cuff and didn’t back them up as to how he was going to do it. Now we’re being called back to the Legislature, and everything has just really stopped without any explanation, without any consultation of which programs are working for municipalities. I’m sure there are municipalities like London that were willing to continue that program, but yet you’ve cancelled the cap-and-trade arbitrarily and you’ve left people out in the cold without asking what the people wanted and which programs were actually working and helping the environment.

So your title, “For the People”—I think you need to ask the people what they’re looking for before you tell them what they need.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments. I recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you very much, Speaker. It’s lovely to see you in the chair, and congratulations on your re-election. It’s wonderful to be back here, and this time in government.

Let me be perfectly clear to the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane, whom I’m also proud to see back in this assembly: There are many people on this side of the House—myself, the Minister of Economic Development, the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Agriculture and the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka included—who were here when the Liberals decided, with the help of the New Democrats, to usher in the Green Energy Act that destroyed local communities across rural Ontario. Because of those industrial wind turbines, we fought tooth and nail.

And during the minority Parliament, not too long ago, they stood hand in hand with the Liberals in order to make those decisions that drove up energy prices across this great province and cost us jobs and made it very difficult for seniors in many communities across our province to heat their homes or eat.

I’m simply saying here today that if they want to talk about the people, the strongest mandate in a generation is here on this side of the assembly with Premier Ford. That’s why we have 76 members—because people have been fed up with the energy policies of the New Democrats and the Liberals. That’s why we’re here today. We’re going to continue to stand up for the people who sent us here. One thing we heard loud and clear since 2009 when the Green Energy Act made its way to the floor of this assembly by then-Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman was that people didn’t want it.

Finally, the people have not only spoken but have been listened to. That’s why we are on this side of the House. This is why we’re going to continue to make sure that energy policy in the province of Ontario is reflective of the needs of the people of this province.

I’m very proud to be here once again, not only as the minister, but for the fifth time, as the MPP for Nepean.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I return to the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane for final comments.

Mr. John Vanthof: I’d like to thank my colleagues from Timmins, London–Fanshawe, the government House leader and the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services for their comments.

We’ve had a bit of rain, but the forest fire season is still very critical. I’d like to again thank the MNR.

On the issue of cancelling green energy contracts: The issue isn’t the cost of the power; the issue is that you’re cancelling contracts that have been entered into with the previous government and you’re trying to indemnify yourselves from the cost of cancelling those contracts. Actually, what we’re asking for is: Show us the cost. The projects have been built, and now to say that we’re going to cancel them, tear them out of the ground—the people of Ontario are going to end up paying huge costs for that. You’re trying to avoid that by saying, “Oh, no, you can’t sue the government,” and that’s what you’re putting into this legislation. Quite frankly, that doesn’t make sense.

You’ve won a majority. No one is disputing that. What we’re disputing is—you didn’t win authority of cancelling previous laws and, specifically, contracts. When someone enters into a contract, now that you’re the government, you wouldn’t expect if it’s a 20-year contract that when your regime ends, all those people would lose their contracts. Government doesn’t work that way, and you’re going to find that out the hard way.

It was the same when the gas plant contracts were cancelled. It cost Ontario taxpayers a billion dollars. What you’re doing now is gas plants scandal Ford-style, and Ontario taxpayers are going to pay for it.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate. I recognize the member from Markham–Stouffville.

Mr. Paul Calandra: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to rise today on behalf of the people of Markham–Stouffville. Let me just take the opportunity to congratulate you and, through you, the other Speakers who were elected. I look forward to working with you, and I know that you will do a great job of controlling and making sure that this is one of the most effective Parliaments Ontario has ever had.

I want to start by thanking my family for this because, above all, they are the ones who have made the biggest sacrifice in order to allow me to be here, and previously in my time in Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, before I go any further, I will be splitting my time with the honourable member for Cambridge. Sorry, Mr. Speaker.

I want to go back. My family, of course, has sacrificed so much to give me the opportunity to be here and to be in Ottawa. It is a very difficult thing for family. They often take the brunt of the bad things or the bad decisions that you make or the decisions that you have to fight for that aren’t necessarily popular, but they rarely celebrate with you when things go right. So I want to thank my wife, Melanie, and my daughters, Natalie and Olivia. They are 12 and almost 10 and have really been my rocks in my time in office, both here and in Ottawa. I couldn’t do this without them, and I thank them.

I also want to take a moment to thank the previous member of provincial Parliament, the honourable Dr. Helena Jaczek. In my time in office, when I was a member of Parliament, we worked together very, very closely on many, many issues. I considered her a friend before the election, during the election, and I still consider her a friend. I know that she’s somebody who gave so much to our community, both as a member of provincial Parliament and as the medical officer of health for York region. I wish her, her husband, Hersh, and her staff who supported her for many years all the best in the challenges that they face going forward.

I also want to thank my campaign team. I was nominated back in November 2016, and to say that the last number of months have been a challenging and unique few months in my time as a candidate would be a bit of an understatement. They were with me—not only with me, but with the broader Progressive Conservative family—through all of the difficult times, through the challenges that led up to the election and through what was a very difficult election. Through some cold days and very, very hot days, my campaign team stuck with me. In particular, I want to thank my campaign manager, Owen Macri.

He has been with me since 2008, and I’m glad to say that he has helped me win more elections than I’ve lost. I’m glad that he’s joining us here at Queen’s Park so that we can continue what we started and really face the challenges that this province has.

I want to also thank, of course, the people of Markham–Stouffville. This is a great riding. It is a riding that I grew up in. I went to school in Markham at St. Patrick’s Catholic school. It was a little elementary school in the small town of Markham at the time. Markham has exploded to become one of our most important centres of commerce. I know the members for Kitchener might dispute it, but it’s still one of the centres of excellence when it comes to technology and innovation. The town of Stouffville, my hometown, is a community that has really stood by me throughout very good days and very bad days, so I truly thank the people of my hometown.

I am very excited to be here, Mr. Speaker. There is a lot of work that has to be done and there are a number of challenges that we face. Look, I’m very excited. Some of the things that we highlighted in the throne speech—of course, we’re going to start tackling the issue with hydro. I was very happy to see that we’ve started to make progress on White Pines and scaling back and eliminating some of the high-priced green energy contracts. Over the last 18 months, I have heard time and time again from small, medium and large job creators about how difficult it has been for them to prosper in the province of Ontario.

One of the things that they have continuously highlighted for me is the cost of energy on top of cap-and-trade carbon tax issues and on top of overregulation and red tape. There is an excitement that we’re seeing with the small, medium and large job creators that we haven’t seen in this province in over 10 years.

I’m also very excited by some of the other things that we’ve talked about. I’m excited that we’re putting our students at York University first and finally getting them back into the classroom. This should have been done a long time ago; it wasn’t. The previous government has kept students out of the classroom since March. That is completely unacceptable. I’m glad that the Premier brought this Legislature back so that we could, in part, deal with that issue.

But I’m also very excited about some of the other things that we talked about in the campaign. We talked about reducing taxes for our middle-income earners. We’re hearing today in some reports, as I was coming down, of how stretched people are feeling in Toronto and how difficult it is for them to make ends meet. This is a government that has decided that we’re going to start to reverse that trend. We’re going to put more money back into their pockets so that they can invest in themselves, they can invest in their future, they can invest in their small businesses and they can invest in their families.

I’m very, very excited to be able to do that, Mr. Speaker, but I’m also excited that this is a government—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Stop the clock.

I realize that it’s summer and I realize that we’re excited to be here, but I’m having a difficult time hearing our speaker. I think we deserve to respect what he has to say, so I would ask that the conversation cease, or be at a very, very, very low roar. Okay? So, having said that: Message sent; message delivered.

Back to the speaker from Markham–Stouffville.

Mr. Paul Calandra: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m very excited by the fact that, during the campaign, we committed to taking the lowest-income earners off of the tax rolls altogether, because when you talk about supporting Ontarians and supporting the most vulnerable Ontarians, you can’t even talk about that when people are getting up and working hard every single day and a portion of their earnings comes to the government. It’s one of the promises that I’m very, very excited about.

Yes, there’s a lot that we have on the table. We’re going to balance the budget. We’re going to do it in an appropriate fashion. We’re going to do it in a responsible way. We’re going to make changes to the education system, including changing a math curriculum that has been failing our students. There’s a lot that we have to do, and I can’t tell you how honoured I am to have this opportunity to be here, to be a part of the debate, to be a part of this Parliament.

I will close by saying this: This is a chamber where there will be lots of debate. There will be lots of discussion. We aren’t always going to agree with each other, but Ontarians didn’t send us here to be bumps on a log. We should always respect the fact that we may have disagreements, that we may fight very hard in this place, but that’s what Ontarians want. They want their members of provincial Parliament to fight over the issues, to debate the issues and for it to be a vigorous debate.

But what we can’t do as members of Parliament, and what we’ve seen sometimes in previous Legislatures—we have to remember that what we do is important and that it is never acceptable for us to talk down the job that we do as members of provincial Parliament, as representatives of the people. We should never do that, because Ontarians are relying upon us to get the job done.

Although we may disagree on how we balance the budget, although we may disagree on how we put more money back in people’s pockets, where tax cuts should come and on what curriculum is best for our students, we can all agree that we’re here for the same reason, and that’s to provide a better Ontario for the next generations of Ontarians. I’m here fighting for my kids, but I’m also here fighting for the present. I’m here fighting for the people who are having trouble making ends meet. I hope that as we do this, we can always remember that.

I take a little bit of inspiration from the member from Kitchener. When we were here in our earliest discussions about how this place works, he said that it’s not The West Wing. As a former member of Parliament, I was always asked to speak to new candidates, and I always told them that elections aren’t The West Wing. They’re boring, but they’re tough, and you’ve got to get it done. But I also tell newly elected members, and I did it myself, to watch the last episode of The West Wing, because having gone through defeat, I can tell you there is nothing more difficult than leaving what you love to do. There is nothing more difficult than having to walk away from representing your community.

But in the fullness of time, you can look back at what you’ve accomplished. Although people in your community might not necessarily know that you helped with that bridge or helped with that road or helped bring a park to a community, or that the person sitting at the Tim Hortons is somebody that you helped put back on their feet—they might never know that, but in the fullness of time, you will know that that is what you accomplished.

Again, I congratulate all honourable members for being here today, and again I congratulate you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Continuing along, I now recognize the member from Cambridge.

Mrs. Belinda Karahalios: I rise today to give my remarks to the speech from the throne in my maiden speech to this House. I congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your re-election, and I would also like to thank the former member representing my riding of Cambridge, Kathryn McGarry, for her service over the last four years. She conducted herself with grace and with enthusiasm for her work. I would like to thank a dear friend, Ron Dancey of Glen Morris, who served as my campaign chair.

It is an honour to be here and to represent the people of the riding of Cambridge. As many of you know, my riding consists of a mix of young families, long-time residents and new Canadians, those who were born in the riding and those who moved there seeking a better tomorrow.

We are home to many small businesses, advocated for on their behalf by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.

The landscape of the riding is picturesque, with many historic buildings, some from as early as the 1820s. Downtown Galt is defined by the Grand River that runs through it, and is so beautiful that the television series The Handmaid’s Tale is filmed there.

In Preston, home to Riverside Park, we host a fantastic Canada Day parade. In July, the riding hosts the Scottish festival, with musical entertainment and Highland games. Our riding is home to the third-oldest farmers’ market in the country, operating in the same building since 1830. And I cannot forget the beautiful Remembrance Day ceremonies that are held in Galt, Preston and Ayr.

While I was not born in Cambridge, these are some of the reasons that my husband and I chose Cambridge as the place we wanted to raise our family. In fact, my mother, Maria, and my late grandparents lived in Cambridge for a short period of time upon moving to Ontario from Portugal. My father, Antonio, was born in Trinidad, a place that I lived in for a short time in my teenage years with my parents and my brothers, Nathan and Patrick. And while I am thankful for my time there, I will always be grateful that my parents decided to move back home, back to Ontario.

As some of you may know, my husband, Jim Karahalios, who is my strongest advocate and biggest supporter, is of Hellenic descent. His mother, Maria, and his late father, Konstantine—better known as Gus—were both born in Greece. Both of them chose to come to Ontario for a better life, and they were each successful entrepreneurs. Maria started Maria’s Hair Salon, located in Toronto at Bathurst and St. Clair. She later joined my late father-in-law in running their family business, Black Cat Fish and Chips, that was located in north Toronto for over 60 years until his passing.

Every Good Friday during Easter for the last few years of my father-in-law’s life, you would find me, along with my husband, working at the restaurant trying to keep up with the crowds.

While our son’s ancestral background is diverse, his grandparents chose to come to Ontario for the same reasons, because of the promise this province offered: the opportunity to live in a free society, a society with sound laws, a society that promotes caring for its most vulnerable and never gives up on its people, a society that provides equality of opportunity, a society that provides its people with the freedom to worship, a society that thrives on the competition of ideas, a society whose governance respects tradition while reflecting the will of its people through a Parliament that is supreme, and a free society that not only allows but promotes the freedom of its people to participate in the political process without fear of retribution.

This common cause, these common sets of values, motivated my son’s grandparents to pick Ontario to call home and to start a new life, and they motivate me today.

I am a graduate of the University of Toronto. My career was spent in the health care sector in a variety of roles, including advocating on behalf of patients and those in need.

But in my new role, Mr. Speaker, as a member of this provincial Parliament, I know that the seat I occupy belongs to the people of the riding of Cambridge, who have entrusted me with this responsibility. I will strive to do my best not to let them down.

My involvement in political life is not new. Since the second day after I married my husband, we’ve been on one campaign followed by another. But my motivations for seeking public office came about more recently.

Remarkably, it was only a short eight months ago, when our party was under different leadership, that my husband and my family faced a lawsuit launched against Jim because of his campaigns called Axe the Carbon Tax and Take Back Our PC Party. The legal case that was filed against him was an egregious attempt to stifle dissent. At the time, my husband was deemed an outcast in the political process. In the same week the lawsuit was launched, he was escorted out of a political convention and banished from our party.

Within weeks of the lawsuit commencing, however, Justice Paul Perell of the Superior Court dismissed the case as a SLAPP, short for “strategic litigation against public participation.”

As an aside, Mr. Speaker, some new members to this House may not be aware that it was only as recently as 2015 that Bill 52, entitled the Protection of Public Participation Act, was enacted. Anti-SLAPP legislation, as it is commonly referred to, provides defendants a better way to defend themselves in court against these types of SLAPPs, which are typically filed by individuals or entities that are better resourced and meant to intimidate or punish people for speaking out on matters of public interest.

As such, anti-SLAPP legislation allows for people to participate more freely in public discussions without fear of retribution by being able to ask the court to dismiss these suits early on in a court proceeding.

Under a different set of circumstances, and if Bill 52 did not exist, it is possible that today, instead of me being in this House and giving my maiden speech, my family could have still been in the middle of a long, expensive and frivolous lawsuit, defending the right of all people in Ontario to participate freely in the political process.

It goes without saying that Bill 52 is very near to me. As such, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to the prior government, to this House and its members for enacting this important piece of legislation. I guess, after all, it is true what they say, Mr. Speaker: There is no monopoly on a good idea.

These are the events that inspired and showed me first-hand the importance of what happens here and how it directly affects the lives of the people of Ontario. Throughout our ordeal, my family was encouraged to fight, because we knew that one day a new day would dawn in Ontario—a day where Ontario would be governed by a Premier and a government that would be for the people and that would axe the carbon tax.

Today we see that a new day has in fact dawned in Ontario. Today, after years of many in Ontario being driven to the brink of energy poverty as a result of failed experiments with Ontario’s electricity system, I am proud to be a part of a government that will bring common sense back to Ontario’s energy policy by taking immediate steps to reduce hydro rates using the supremacy of this Parliament, an idea that was first advocated for politically in 2015 by my husband and his support of the campaign of the member from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex and alongside the late, great mayor of the city of Toronto, Rob Ford.

I am proud to be a part of a government that will scrap the carbon tax, or as some prefer to say, “axe the carbon tax,” by eliminating cap-and-trade and fighting against the imposition of all carbon taxes in any form and by any disguise.

I am proud to be part of a government that trusts taxpayers and a government that knows that no dollar is better spent than the dollar that is spent by the people and for the people, a government that recognizes the right of people to stand for what is right even when it isn’t easy. I am proud to be a part of that government—a government that is for the people.

I look forward to serving as a member of this House and as a parliamentary assistant. I look forward to ensuring that community and social services are there for those in need and that we never give up on them. But, Mr. Speaker, I need to warn you: Being an MPP and a parliamentary assistant are actually not the most important jobs that I have. My most important job and the one that I will always cherish and put first is being the mother to my two-year-old son, Victor.

I know our work won’t be easy, but through hard work and determination, I know the best is yet to come for the people of Ontario.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s a pleasure to offer a brief commentary on the member from Markham–Stouffville and the member from Cambridge.

The member from Markham–Stouffville actually did reference the orientation process that we were part of. I sat on that panel and I did comment that this is not The West Wing; the stakes are real here, the issues are real. Sometimes there’s a romantic vision of what we do here, and that will be quickly dispelled, as you know from your former work. Really, we’re hoping that we’re not in The West Wing, but we’re also not going to live a House of Cards episode here at Queen’s Park.

Interjection.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Some humour, that’s right.

The member from Cambridge, on her inaugural comments here in the House: Congratulations on your win, as well. I have to say, I did work very well with the former member Kathryn McGarry. That can’t be said for all the Liberal members during that time period. However, your community is very engaged just like Waterloo is very engaged, and they will hold you to a very high level of accountability.

I do agree with you that the community and social services file is probably one of the most emotional files here at Queen’s Park, because this is where you actually get to see how policy directly impacts the quality of life of children, of families and how it either provides a barrier for their success or lifts them up out of some of the pain that they experience.

Having that empathy is really important, but having policies that translate into real solutions—because I will tell you that with 15,000 special-needs adults on wait-lists for supportive housing, for instance, in Waterloo region alone, that problem is big. It will take all of our collective interest to solve that issue, and I urge you to work with us on that file.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments? I recognize the member from Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte.

Mr. Doug Downey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds a bit like a game show when you roll it out like that. I’m pleased to rise.

It really resonated with me when the member from Markham–Stouffville talked about having something and then losing it and getting it back, and the value that you place on it. I think that’s a great perspective for all of us in this House, to reinforce the value of what we’re doing here and how important it is to our constituents and how anything is possible if you don’t care who gets the credit. That’s the kind of tone that you were speaking of.

To my fellow member from Cambridge: What a beautiful part of the world you come from, or that you’re living in and that you represent. The portfolio that you represent is a lot of the vulnerable in Ontario, and it’s very, very important.

I want to touch on the concept of shutting down debate and the SLAPP legislation and that type of thing. This is exactly what has happened in the energy file in this province, and that’s why we’re in the mess that we’re in. When the previous government were going to install wind farms and they were going to install solar, they completely ignored the municipalities. They said, “You don’t even get a say.” Then they relented a bit and said, “Well, you’ll get a say, but it doesn’t mean anything.” That’s offensive. It’s this kind of thing that makes people become disenfranchised from politics, when they’re shut out from what happens in their local areas.

I’m thrilled that White Pines is being cancelled in Prince Edward county. My mother hails from Ameliasburg in the county. She was a county girl. It’s a beautiful place. The local people really have a pride of place, and they should be respected. This government is respecting the people.

The people have sent us here to do a job. We’re doing the job. And I look forward to many more of these types of actions.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments. I recognize the new member from Guelph—no, wrong.

Mr. Jamie West: Other end.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Sudbury. Sorry.

Mr. Jamie West: It’s my first time speaking in the House, so no apologies for not getting my riding correct.

I’d like to begin by thanking the riding of Sudbury for electing me. It was very good to see their support.

As well, I’d like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your election, and all the MPPs for their elections.

I’d like to thank my family, of course. They came to visit me today at Queen’s Park for the swearing-in ceremony later on today. The support they’ve given me over the years is just fantastic, and it has allowed me to have the success I’ve had and to be away for so long.

As well, the volunteers who helped me to get elected—it was overwhelming—especially the students and the youth who believe in this change for the better made me very proud.

I’d also like to thank the former MPP. We had a very clean campaign, very friendly. I’ve known the former MPP for nearly 10 years. Although we differ on political opinion, just like we might differ across the floor, we’ve always had a respectful relationship and worked together.

The member from Markham–Stouffville made a comment that it’s difficult for job creators, and I would agree with that. We have job creators in Sudbury who have set up their business to install the new high-efficiency windows. They’ve ordered them already. They trained their workers and paid in advance for the training. They’re concerned about the rug being pulled out from under them. They’re concerned about how it’s going to affect their bottom line and how they’ll make ends meet. As we all know, for small businesses the economy is very, very difficult and the margins are very thin.

As well, there was a comment about the lowest income earners not paying tax. What concerns me about that is that many of the lowest income earners don’t actually have to pay any tax because they earn so little. Not filing your taxes means that you’re not eligible for credits and incentives provided by the government to help you be more successful. As someone who grew up in a low-income family, that’s something that speaks to my heart and is very important to me.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions and comments. The member from Peterborough–Kawartha.

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations on your re-election.

Paul Calandra, the member from Markham–Stouffville, spoke about his two children aged 10 and 12 and how his family is his foundation and his rock. I know he’ll do all that he can to make life better not only for his children, but all of the children in Ontario. Our plan to put more money back into the pockets of people in Ontario will do just that.

Too often, we have focused on what someone’s gross income is and not what the buying power of the money they have is and what their actual net income is. One of the things that we’ll be doing as a government is making sure that people have more money in their pocket to choose how they want to spend that money.

He spoke about the strike at York University and how we need to help these students as well, those who are trying to make a better life for themselves, examples of what people in Ontario need to do or want to do to make sure that they can have a better life. For far too long now, these young people have had an uncertainty about what their immediate future is going to be. We’re going to put an end to that. We’re going to allow those students to go back to school by putting that legislation in place to end that strike, so that they have certainty for what their immediate future is going to be. We’re going to address that so that thousands of students have that ability to go back to school.

Looking at my colleague Belinda, from Cambridge, she spoke about our society and how not only her seat, but all of our government is here to support the people of Ontario. I know the struggles that she has recently gone through demonstrate that she’ll be a great representative for her riding. I appreciate everything that she has done. I myself look forward to being able to work more closely with her.

There was a commonality between both of the speeches of my colleagues. They referred to making life better for people in Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Now I return to the member from Markham–Stouffville for final comments.

Mr. Paul Calandra: Thank you to all of the colleagues who had some questions and comments.

To the member for Sudbury, I say congratulations to you. I know in the time that I was watching the Legislature in advance of the election, the member that you defeated is somebody else I worked with in Ottawa. I had a great deal of respect for him, I understood the challenges that he faced, but I have to say that I’m not sorry to see that you’re in this chamber instead of him at this point.

I think the member for Cambridge highlights the spirit that we come from on this side of the House, and I’m sure all members on all sides of the House come from. We understand how hard it is to get elected. We understand that often it’s an issue that brings us here, and that we’re going to fight very hard for that issue.

When I talked about the challenges that I faced in the lead-up to the election, they were nothing compared to the challenges that the member of Cambridge faced in the lead-up to the election. When you see the things that we are fighting for, the things that came forward in our throne speech, you can thank, often, a member like the member for Cambridge for having done that.

The member of Kitchener–Waterloo—or is it Waterloo; I’m not sure it’s Kitchener—also highlights the spirit that I hope that this place will be. We will have very vigorous debate. We are going to fight, because we all believe in things. We believe differently in the things we came here to do, but ultimately, we want to accomplish the same thing.

I believe that Ontario works better, our small businesses work better and we can create jobs when we don’t advantage small groups of small business over others. When we cut red tape, eliminate useless regulation, put more money in the pockets of small, large and medium job creators, they will go out there and hire more people. I believe that the future of Ontario will work best if we balance our budget.

Those are the things that we are going to do on this side of the House. I very much look forward to the vigorous debate that will come over the next four years, Mr. Speaker. Thank you again for the opportunity.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate? I recognize the member from Niagara Falls.

Mr. Wayne Gates: You knew I wasn’t from Welland, Mr. Speaker. I’m proud of you.

First of all, I’m going to talk on the throne speech for the next 20 minutes, so sit back, relax and enjoy yourself. But I’m going to talk a little different before I get into my formal speech. The throne speech was 27 minutes, so I’m going to talk about what wasn’t in the throne speech—obviously, quite a bit.

I’m going to start by saying thank you for allowing me to rise and speak today. I want to say congratulations on your election, Mr. Speaker, and also to the Speaker of the House. Over the next four years, I’m going to personally thank you every time I get a chance to rise in this House. So, thank you. I do that because no matter how intense the political debate in this chamber, I never lose sight of the importance of what we’re doing and the privilege we have to serve here.

I’m going to start by saying I’d like to thank my wife, my three daughters—Tara, Jacqueline and Chantel—and my five grandkids for understanding, something that we all will learn, particularly the new people that may or may not be listening. The hardest part of this job, by the way, isn’t debating with the Conservatives or—I don’t know if there are any Liberals left—with the Liberals. At the end of the day, the hardest part of this job is when you come up here on Sunday and you go home on Thursday.

In that period of time, you’re away from your family, you’re away from your kids and your grandkids, and you’re away from your community. That’s the hardest part of the job. So your family has to support you. Your family has to understand why you’re here.

We’re all here, whether we agree or disagree—in the last week, we’ve talked about what they think is the best way to enhance the province and make it better for our kids and our grandkids. We, obviously, on this side, don’t agree with them. But we’re all here for the same reason: to make Ontario better.

To the new people, I just wanted to say, make sure you’re talking to your family and make sure they support you and understand what’s going happen, because it’s going to be four years of being away.

I’d also like to thank the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls for giving me and my team the privilege of representing you. When I say “my team,” I’m not just saying the NDP team; I’m talking about our support staff, our staff that’s there for us. They are there on the front lines. They come in and see if there are questions and no matter what it is—they’re the face of all of us. I think we should all—I just want to see how many are listening: Let’s give our staff a round of applause for what they do every day.

Applause.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’ll make one promise today, and that’s the promise that I’ll give every ounce of passion and energy I have to do this job. I hope I don’t let anybody down. We’ve managed to do so much together working as a community, and I’m honoured to be able to continue that work.

Mr. Speaker, I’m happy today to respond to the throne speech given last week. I know a lot of the members have raised not only what was in the speech but also what wasn’t in the speech, and that’s what I’m going to concentrate on. I’d like to talk about the part that was missing that I think was the worst.

We’ve had a lot of discussion already over the last couple of days on the throne speech, and this is my opinion, but I believe it’s the opinion of all Ontarians. Perhaps the biggest thing missing was talking about our environment: keeping our air that we breathe clean, keeping the water that we drink safe and combatting climate change. If we don’t have clean water that we can drink, and we don’t have any clean air, do you know what happens, Mr. Speaker? Do you know what happens?

Interjection.

Mr. Wayne Gates: You don’t know? I’m going to tell everybody: You die. So I would think that the environment is important.

Do you know who knows how important the environment is? Obviously my good friend the Speaker wasn’t sure, but I’ll tell you who knows. Your kids and the young people in this province, in this country and around the world, they know. I’m serious about this issue. I go to speak at a lot of schools, and do you know what I see every single time? Students—and I go to grade 3, I go to grade 4. I don’t just go to people who are going to vote; I go and talk to the young people and the young adults who care about our future and care about our environment. They get it. They get how important this is for their future and the future of their children.

And yet a plan to fight climate change was missing from the throne speech. I’m going to read that again, and it’s to you, to the Conservatives on the other side: And yet a plan to fight climate change was missing from the throne speech.

In this day and age, with weather patterns breaking records across the world, with flooding, heat waves and fires, how is it possible? How is it possible to ignore the environment? How can the biggest challenge we face as a society be absent from the government’s opening speech? How does that happen? You have to ask yourselves that—you have your caucus meeting tomorrow: “How did we miss the importance of the environment to the world?”

We should be leaders on the environment. The province should be a leader on the environment. The country should be a leader on the environment.

Now, listen to this—and I don’t believe it has happened in Ontario yet. When we hear that dozens of people died in Quebec just in the last few weeks because of the intensity of the record-breaking heat waves, how can this be ignored?

We realize that a lot of the people who died had health issues; a lot of them were seniors. But if we’re going to stand up here and say we support seniors—and the Conservatives probably should support seniors more than any other party seeing as seniors vote for Conservatives. That’s who was dying during our heat wave. That’s who died. You go and check the record. Most of them were seniors; some of them had health issues.

This is a concern that must be addressed—and there’s another part of it that really makes me scared. All this discussion—and the member talked about this just a few minutes ago. What he said is, cutting red tape. So far, we’ve seen them do nothing but reward their insiders. Take a look at the past president of the PC Party, who just got a six-figure-a-year job. Does that sound like it’s for the people? By the way, he already has a big pension. He’s retired. It might be good for him, but it certainly isn’t good for the people.

When you talk about cutting red tape, I think what you’re actually going to see is regulations being removed that benefit their friends. I’ll have to say, “Just watch.” We’ve seen this show before in the previous PC government, where cutting red tape meant people in Walkerton couldn’t drink their water, where seven people died in Walkerton—we try to forget that—where countless other people today—today—are still sick from drinking that water. It’s one of the greatest black marks on the Harris legacy, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to put people in danger here, too. I’m speaking to the Conservatives, so I hope they’re listening, Mr. Speaker.

When I see this, all I can think it means is that red tape is going to mean regulations that protect our environment. You know, we have a situation in Niagara Falls, my home riding. It’s called the Niagara Falls riding, but I represent, obviously, all along there, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. When there was raw sewage being dumped into our Niagara River, the previous government, the Liberal government—when I raised it and when I put it in the press, and when the TVs came down, they did nothing about it. As a matter of fact, the minister didn’t even return my call for three weeks—a huge issue.

Imagine that. You’re saving up for years to take your family to Niagara Falls. A lot of people do that; we had 15 million visitors to Niagara last year—15 million. You get there and you go on a boat called the Hornblower or the Maid of the Mist, and it’s early on a—I think it’s a Saturday morning. All around the boat is raw sewage—raw sewage all around the boat. These are the sorts of things that happen when you don’t have strict regulations and when people want to skirt the rules.

Here’s the issue. You can say whatever you want; we can debate this over the next four years. When it comes to the environment, you’re putting profit over the environment. That’s the issue. You want to make sure companies are making money at the expense of our environment. I think it’s wrong. I also think it was wrong that it wasn’t in your throne speech. It’s why we need to care about this and it’s why we need to work together in this place to protect, for our future generations, the environment. Our children, our grandchildren are counting on us to do the right thing—all of us.

The Liberal member—although I don’t know if they’re here—rose yesterday and said they were angry about this as well, which I thought was interesting. I’ll tell you something: They have no right to act surprised, because they were the ones who are responsible for this. I’m going to say this clearly, and I wish all the Liberals were here to listen to it: In the dying weeks of the campaign, when it was clear—and it was clear—that the Liberals were not going to win the election, what did they decide to do? They spent the last four or five days of that campaign attacking the NDP.

Wynne quit a week before the race was even over. She quit and then attacked the NDP. We really saw the true Liberal character in those weeks of the campaign. They turned on working people because all they wanted to do was save the Liberal Party.

Equally surprising, as they turned their guns on the NDP and basically helped elect a PC government, they attacked the unions. I didn’t hear a lot of talk about unions in your throne speech, either. Wynne’s legacy is going to be that she put the PC Party in power.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Good legacy.

Mr. Wayne Gates: We’re all entitled to our opinion.

But what I want to say: Wynne never figured out why she was so unpopular, yet everybody else knew. As a matter of fact, her caucus members knew. When she decided to sell off Hydro One, it was the biggest mistake that was ever made in the province of Ontario. It was the biggest mistake ever in the province of Ontario, and we all know who started it. Put your hands up, Conservatives; it was you guys. Put your hand up. You guys started it; no doubt about it. And we’re suffering today.

Make no mistake about it; the legacy of Wynne is going to be the sell-off of Hydro and the fact that they put these guys in power. My understanding is she won a seat. I’m not sure if that’s true or not because I haven’t seen her yet, and I’ve been here every day. My understanding is she won a seat here; hopefully she shows up, because it was wrong what she did.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me.

Mr. Wayne Gates: So the question is clear—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Oh, I’m sorry.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): You’re walking a very fine line in making reference to a member who is not here. That’s unparliamentary, so I would ask that you would refrain.

Please continue.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and you’re absolutely right. I got a little carried away, but you’re right. Thank you for standing up and correcting that.

Let’s talk about another issue that was touched on in the throne speech: hydro rates. We saw it during the campaign; it was the number one issue we were hearing from people at the doors. So what action has the government taken when it comes to the management of hydro in the province of Ontario? Well, congratulations. You’ve turned the six-million-dollar man into a 10.7-million-dollar man.

Hon. Todd Smith: Not true; Kathleen Wynne did that.

Mr. Wayne Gates: At least we think—and I appreciate the heckling—that it’s the 10.7-million-dollar man, but no one else in the province of Ontario really knows because you won’t release the backroom deal of what they’re actually paying him. How many more millions will the residents of this province pay for the Ford-Mayo Schmidt deal?

But I want to be clear: I’m not sticking up for Mayo Smith at all. Mayo Smith—

Interjection: Schmidt.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Sorry, Schmidt. Thank you.

The reality is, he said he felt our pain. Do you remember this, Mr. Speaker, when he went on TV and said he felt our pain? He felt the pain of seniors. He felt the pain of single moms and single dads. He felt the pain of small businesses that had to go out of business. He felt the pain of the hospitals that, by the way, had to pay so much in hydro, they had to cut front-line staff. He felt our pain. So, to see him going out the door, I don’t think anybody is upset.

Maybe while you’re at it you could tell us how much the interim CEO will be getting paid. Can you guarantee that the next CEO won’t be a connected insider? These would be good questions for people to hear answers to, but unfortunately, they won’t find that in the throne speech.

Mr. Speaker, let’s talk about another issue that was missing from the throne speech: the decision by the government to sideline the issues of First Nations peoples across the province. When we look at First Nations communities, we see them doing the work that this government should be doing, things like defending our environment, addressing the suicide crisis among young people, working on true reconciliation and ensuring that our schools properly teach children about the incredible culture of our great province. There is no more culture than down in Niagara with Niagara-on-the-Lake and the War of 1812.

Yet, instead of work alongside First Nations to make these projects happen, we see this government running in the opposite direction. Here’s what I say to the Premier: You have a lot to learn from the first people of this land. Sidelining their issues is unacceptable in an era of reconciliation.

I think the people deserve to know why this government has tucked this issue into another ministry. How can we have true reconciliation if we don’t have respect? That’s a great question that I think was missing from the throne speech. We can never begin with the necessary healing process until these issues are given the respect they deserve.

For people who are from Ontario who might not think of up north, you don’t have to go far; go down to Brantford. Right on the reserve in Brantford, they’ve been boiling water for 15 years—15 years. In a province as rich as the province of Ontario, that shouldn’t be happening. We should be doing something about it.

Young people on First Nations reserves are committing suicide. Their schools are full of mould. I’m not making this stuff up; this is what’s happening in the province of Ontario. We need to take more time, dealing with First Nations issues.

Mr. Speaker, there’s another issue that I’d like to touch on before I’m done speaking. It’s amazing how quickly 20 minutes goes. It’s an issue that’s pretty close to my heart: changes made with the ticket resale market. I know some of you are asking why this is so important to me. It’s because of all the time we put into making this bill a reality. We met with stakeholders. We met with those passionate about the issue. We sat through committee hearings and we provided a number of amendments to get where we are today.

At every single stage in that committee when we were trying to make tickets more affordable for people in the province, the PC Party was on the side of the corporations that wanted to make as much profit as they could squeeze out of hard-working families. Can someone tell me how ensuring that hard-working parents can’t afford to go to a Leafs game, a concert—is that “for the people”? Families like to go to Leafs games and they like to go to concerts.

One of the pieces that we worked on was capping the price of ticket resale at a certain percentage. This meant companies can make a profit, but they couldn’t gouge those who wanted to see a concert or go to a Leafs game or a sporting event. This was interesting to me when I put this together: Just look at the Foo Fighters concert that happened last week in Toronto—

Interjection.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Foo Fighters. Is that better? Foo Fighters. Did I get that right? They’re heckling me over what I said. The moustache is getting in the way of that, okay? Just for the record. Don’t put that in Hansard, though. I don’t know if that would flow well. But the moustache is getting in my way on at that one.

Anyway, some of the tickets were going for as much as—listen to this—$9,000. I challenge anybody—certainly on our side of the House, we can’t afford the $9,000. I can’t speak for the other side of the House. I know I can’t afford $9,000 to see—I’m just going to say the “fighters” concert.

We came together and we worked on legislation to cap that—legislation that the Premier struck out in one blow. Can any single member of the PC Party tell me how that plan is “for the people”? We have to rethink that.

Mr. Speaker, do you know what was left out of that bill once they were done with it? One single amendment requiring the face value of the ticket to be printed on the ticket. So now they’ve got to put the price of the ticket on the ticket. That was the only amendment we got during all of that that’s still there. But you’re still going to pay $9,000. Does that make any sense to anybody? It just shows you how much people are being gouged. I suppose we can take a victory from that, but honestly, is it really a victory? Now families can expect to be gouged and never to be able to afford going to see a concert or a sporting event. That’s the legacy of this first week.

Mr. Speaker, I’m running out of time. I didn’t get into the drug coverage and the privatization of that. Unfortunately, I’ve only got 12 seconds left. Thank you for allowing me to speak this morning. Thank you for correcting me when I was wrong. I’ll trim up the moustache so I can get all my words out. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

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

Mr. Paul Calandra: I congratulate the member on his re-election and his comments. He has it wrong a little bit; in fact, he’s got it wrong a lot. It wasn’t Kathleen Wynne that put us in office; it was the people of Ontario who put us in office, over 2.5 million of them who voted for this government and who voted for the policies that we brought forward during the election.

Time and time again during the election, whether it was at debates with my fellow candidates, I heard the NDP candidate in my riding complaining that what the Liberals had done was steal their policies. He said constantly that the Liberals were running on an NDP platform. They had been running a government as though they were an NDP government. He was upset by this.

The member opposite also touched on a litany of disappointments, whether it was the previous government’s 15 years of mismanagement with respect to our schools and rehabilitation of our schools, our relationships with our First Nations. He touched on that, and a month in we understand these issues. That’s why we have Minister MacLeod and Minister Rickford who will be focusing on these and who are seized by our relationship with our First Nations.

I also want to touch a little bit on the environment. It amazes me that the opposite side thinks that somehow taxing small, medium and large job creators and allowing them to pollute—as long as they offset that pollution by paying a tax—is somehow good for the environment. It doesn’t work. It hasn’t worked. It’s a failed policy.

Instead, what we want to do is make sure that regulation is tough and those who actually break laws and who pollute are punished for those. We heard the Minister of the Environment talk about the fact that we will be bringing some legislation forward in order to protect our environment better.

I want to again highlight the fact that the member really said it himself: Liberal and NDP, there is literally no difference between the two. That’s why the people of Ontario elected a strong Progressive Conservative government to fix the mess that they, in co-operation with the Liberals, created over the last 15 years.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: It’s always a pleasure to stand in the House and listen to the member from Niagara Falls. He really does bring passion to the debates here, and it was very evident when he was talking about what’s missing in the throne speech. He was correct. He didn’t get to the pharmacare and the dental care, which is a huge piece in my riding of London–Fanshawe when you’re talking to seniors.

I currently am the seniors critic for long-term care and home care. I remember when I got elected in 2011, seniors would say, “I cannot afford to go to the dentist. I retired, and my benefits”—if they had them at the time—“were cut off.” They were suffering. They had sometimes not all their teeth, sometimes no teeth. Their diet and their health were exacerbated because of that issue. Not having a dental plan for everyone in Ontario is really disadvantaging seniors.

I know that the member was going to talk about examples in his riding of constituents who really could have used dental care. If I recall, I think the Conservatives did say they’re going to give dental care for 65 and over, if that’s what I heard. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what that will look like.

In the meantime, I do want to say that we are still going to be debating the throne speech and making—I know I’m looking forward to my part and bringing my constituents’ perspective as to what they wanted to see in the throne speech. It was a very short throne speech. It was 10 pages. There wasn’t a lot of meat to that throne speech. I understand that the government is in a hurry to get those things done, but pushing legislation through this House very quickly sometimes is not the best policy and not the best way to be effective. So I hope this is not setting the theme for future legislation that we’re going to be debating in this House.

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: First off, I want to congratulate the member from Niagara Falls on his re-election. It’s great to see you in the chamber and hear your input this morning. Thank you for your perspective, and perhaps I’ll add a different perspective.

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. We can talk all day long about what’s not in the speech from the throne, but I’m really proud of what’s in the speech from the throne. I’m really glad that our leader and our new Premier has set out a clear vision.

We have a plan that includes cleaning up the hydro mess, restoring accountability and trust in government, ending hallway health care, bringing jobs back to Ontario and putting more money in Ontarians’ pockets. I’m proud that we’ve set out that clear plan. We are already, with that clear vision, moving swiftly with our first three legislative priorities: We’re bringing an end to the York University strike; we’re repealing cap-and-trade, which is long overdue; and we’re cancelling wind and solar projects.

Let me just speak about Hydro One for a moment. The days of choosing between heating and eating will soon be over as we move to save the average Ontario family 12% on their hydro bills. An honest and responsible plan this is, that will save families $170 on their hydro bill.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: I also wanted to thank my colleague from Niagara Falls, and I wanted to try to connect what was just said with what the member from Niagara Falls had brought up.

I’m actually kind of worried about the silences. I’m nervous about the idea that leadership from the government is taking pride in the things that Ontarians are asking for—the things that are missing from the throne speech. That would mean, if I am understanding that correctly, that the government is taking pride in ignoring the issues that are harming our First Nations people and Indigenous people across Ontario. That would mean that the government is taking pride in not addressing climate change. That would mean that the government is taking pride in making sure that we don’t pay attention to those who are most marginalized.

From my experiences, what I’ve learned is that if I focus my leadership and my work and my dedication to those who are most marginalized, every single person wins.

So, if the government does not want to recognize the important place that First Nations people have made in keeping our water, our land and our people safe and secure, at the very minimum, can we recognize that they live in Ontario and they deserve to turn on their water taps and have clean drinking water? Can we, at the very minimum, recognize that they deserve to walk into schools and not have to worry about the quality of that education? Can we recognize that they don’t have to suffer?

I think that leadership—true leadership—means paying attention to those who are being harmed, and if we can’t do that, this will not be the Ontario that people are voting for.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I now return to the member from Niagara Falls for final comment.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Again, I enjoyed being able to speak this morning.

I’m not sure to which member there, but I will talk about hydro rates. I thank you very much for congratulating me on my re-election; I appreciate that as well. But on the hydro rates that you’re talking about going to go down 12%—it has been the number one issue in the province of Ontario since the day I got here. But what you’re going to do is, you’re still going to borrow, over 30 years, $40 billion. And what’s going to happen there is that those rates are going to continue to climb. That’s what’s going to happen; we all know that. We’ve all agreed to it. That’s your policy. I’m going to tell you that where you’re going with hydro is not going to work.

The second thing is, you fired the CEO—and I’m glad of that, by the way. I said that from day one. We should have done that a long time ago.

Hon. Todd Smith: He retired.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Yes, whatever. I retired, too, before the company fired me. I get how that works. I was in the union once. I get all that.

But you know what? You know how much our rates are going to do down from that particular decision? Does anybody on that side know? How much are the rates going to go down? Help me out; I’m giving you the opportunity. You’ve been heckling me for the last 20 minutes. Go ahead and say something this time. Speaker, it’s okay that I do that, right? You can heckle me. Tell me, how much are our rates going to go down by making this decision on getting rid of him and getting rid of his board? Do you want me to tell you? Nothing.

Do you know how I knew that? I was coming down the elevator today, where I live in my little condo, and I was talking to a lady who said she used to work here. She’s the one who said to me about it, “Do you know, getting rid of him, how much my rates are going to go down?” I said, “No, how much?” Do you know what she said? “Zero.” So I asked the question to the PC Party—and to the Speaker because I’ve got to speak to the Speaker; I’m trying to learn that this term. That’s kind of my goal this year, to look directly at my good friend the Speaker. Not one person on that side answered the question. Meanwhile, you guys have heckled me for 15 or 20 minutes. Zero, to the young lady—zero.

Debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): It is now 10:15 and this House stands recessed until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1015 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Robert Bailey: It’s my pleasure today to introduce in the gallery friends of mine from my riding of Sarnia–Lambton and the parents of Annabelle Rayson, one of our returning pages: the Lobsinger family from Sarnia.

Mr. Doug Downey: My executive assistant, Kathryn Abel, has come to see how we operate here and help us out. Welcome.

Mr. Randy Hillier: Today I’d like to welcome to the House some guests who have never been here before. My grandsons Harlan and Flynn have joined us in the House today. I have to say as well that they are avid watchers of the House on YouTube. Also, my beautiful daughter, Chelsea, and my darling wife, Jane, are joining me here today.

Ms. Marit Stiles: It’s my pleasure to introduce and welcome my mother, Katherine Greaves Stiles, who is here in the members’ gallery today, watching, I guess, that I live up to all the expectations that they’ve put on me. I want to welcome her.

Correction of record

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

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you, Speaker. I just wanted to correct my record from yesterday. When I was listing the diversity of the PC caucus, I was remiss not to mention the first Armenian Canadian MPP: Aris Babikian. We have the three Chinese Canadian MPPs: Vincent Ke, Billy—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. It’s not technically a point of order.

Oral Questions

Curriculum

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my first question is to the Premier. The Premier’s decision to scrap the updated sexual health curriculum and drag Ontario back to 1998 is not about doing what’s right for students or about listening to parents. It’s about doing favours for social conservatives like Charles McVety and Tanya Granic Allen. Why is the Premier more focused on keeping social conservatives happy instead of keeping students, young people and queer youth safe?

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you for the question, Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Speaker, we travelled around Ontario. We consulted with thousands and tens of thousands of parents. We consulted with hundreds of teachers. And not one single person came up to me and said they were consulted. We heard that they want a change when it comes to the sex ed curriculum. And I know the Leader of the Opposition would have heard the exact same thing on the campaign trail that I heard. Matter of fact, we’re going to do the largest consultation in Ontario’s history when it comes to sex education.

Mr. Speaker, we know there was close to zero consultation. Matter of fact, out of the 14 million people there were 1,638 people who were consulted—point zero zero—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Premier is being driven by whatever far-right social conservatives want him to do and ignoring his responsibility to all Ontario students, all of our young people and all of our queer youth and LGBTQ families. After spending all of yesterday trying to figure out what they were really doing, last night the Conservatives confirmed they are dragging students back to the 1998 health curriculum this September.

I have a simple question for the Premier: Will same-sex relationships and LGBTQ families be fully included and reflected in the curriculum this fall, or does he have to ask permission of radical extremists like Charles McVety and Tanya Granic Allen?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, we know that the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t want to consult with parents. The Leader of the Opposition actually believes in the nanny state. They believe that the government knows best when it comes to our students, they know best when it comes to our children and they know best when it comes to our parents. We take a different approach, Mr. Speaker. We take the approach that the best teachers are the parents, not a special interest group.

I will once again remind the Leader of the Opposition: There was next to zero consultation. Out of 14 million people, 0.001% were consulted. That is disgusting

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

Interjections.

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

Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: What I know best, Speaker, is that it is 2018, not 1998, and the world has changed.

Interjections.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The 1998 curriculum ignores consent, online safety, gender identity and LGBTQ families. That’s the curriculum that this Premier and his radical extremist friends are dragging our kids back to.

The Deputy Premier, the Attorney General—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The House will come to order.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Deputy Premier, Attorney General and minister of children and youth have all, in the past, expressed their support for keeping kids safe. Why is this Premier listening to radical extremists like Charles McVety and Tanya Granic Allen instead of his own cabinet and putting the safety of our young people at risk?

Interjections.

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

Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, I find it pretty rich that the Leader of the Opposition would call us radical—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The House will please come to order.

Hon. Doug Ford: If you want to see radical, look at the history of the party right across from us. You want to talk extremist? You want to talk radical?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

Hon. Doug Ford: —worked so good in the campaign, the Leader of the Opposition had to steal a couple of our lines.

My friends, we are going to make sure we have the largest consultation in Ontario’s history. We’re going to go to every single riding and consult with the parents. I know the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t believe in consulting with parents. She believes the government should make the decision for each and every one of us. She doesn’t believe in consultation—

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

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Executive compensation

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. The job of the Premier is not making backroom deals with insiders, but that’s what this Premier is already up to on sex ed and on hydro. He said the CEO of Hydro One was going to get “zero, absolutely zero,” but Mayo Schmidt will actually walk away with at least $9 million, maybe more. Only the Premier knows the real answer, Speaker.

So will the Premier make the deal public today so that everyone, all Ontarians, all the people, can see what he actually agreed to?

Hon. Doug Ford: The Leader of the Opposition knew exactly what the deal was, and I’ll tell you the reason why the Leader of the Opposition knew exactly what the deal was: because the Leader of the Opposition was down here for years propping up Hydro One, propping up the six-million-dollar man, propping up the board.

The Leader of the Opposition is in favour of high hydro rates. She’s in favour of the highest hydro rates in North America. She’s in favour of putting the burden of carbon tax and cap-and-trade on the backs of the taxpayers and small businesses in this province.

My friend—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Premier, take your seat for a second.

The House has to come to order. I can’t hear the Premier. The Speaker has to be able to hear what’s being said by the member who has the floor. The volume has to go down.

I apologize to the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the Leader of the Opposition knew exactly the compensation package. The Leader of the Opposition kept it under wraps, not saying a word, knowing that he had stock options.

I’ll tell you, there’s only one thing that the Hydro One CEO walked away with: the same package as anyone else would walk away with, with their benefits and their pension plan. He had zero—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Will the members please take their seats.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I can tell you what the biggest zero in this House is, and that’s the knowledge that this Premier has on what has happened in this Legislature for the last 10 years.

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The bottom line is this: This Premier said that the CEO would get zero, absolutely zero. But it turns out that whatever backroom deal he cooked up with Mayo Schmidt will end up costing at least $9 million. Now, that’s what privatized electricity does. That’s what it does, and that’s what this party supports.

When will the Premier actually come clean and fully disclose and release the deal that he cut with Mayo Schmidt?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker, I can see the Leader of the Opposition. I understand she doesn’t like losing. She wants to get personal, but I’m not going to get personal with the Leader of the Opposition. I can tell you one thing: The CEO of Hydro One had zero—zero—severance.

I understand that the Leader of the Opposition worked hand in hand with the previous government propping up the highest hydro rates in North America, propping up the highest gas prices in North America, wanting to have the highest carbon tax anywhere in the world. As a matter of fact, one of her members said they want the highest carbon tax in the entire world. That is shameful.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, no matter how much he wants to pretend he didn’t say it, the Premier said the CEO’s payout was zero, absolutely zero. But he knew that the CEO would leave with more money than most families in this province earn in a lifetime. The Premier turned the six-million-dollar man into a nine-million-dollar man. It could be more; only the Premier knows exactly how much that secret deal really cost. And if the Premier refuses to come clean and refuses to make his backroom deal public, then any new bill on executive compensation and transparency is just a joke.

Will this Premier agree to amend the bill that he tabled yesterday to include full disclosure of all payments to outgoing executives and board members of Hydro One?

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, the CEO had a 0% severance. The Leader of the Opposition—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I have to ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Withdraw.

Hon. Doug Ford: The Leader of the Opposition stood side by side beside the previous Premier. As they were getting outrageous, absolutely outrageous wages of $6 million, the Leader of the Opposition stood by. As board members worked seven days a year and were compensated $180,000 a year, the Leader of the Opposition stood by and did not say a word. When the previous administration raised the hydro rates to the highest in North America, the Leader of the Opposition did absolutely nothing to protect the taxpayers of this province.

We were given a clear mandate from the people of Ontario, a clear mandate to reduce their hydro rates by 12%, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Community safety

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier, but I would ask him to look at the Hansard to get a real understanding of what we did as opposition here in the House. He needs to get a little bit of education.

In his first week in office—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I have to ask the government members to please come to order. I can’t hear the Leader of the Opposition. Please come to order.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Thank you, Speaker. In his first week in office, the Premier quietly stopped the implementation of the Ontario Special Investigations Unit Act, but he hasn’t told us why. That has people across Ontario very worried, Speaker. Is this Premier getting ready to open the door wide open to carding and discriminatory police checks in our province again?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, our party is going to give the tools to our police—all the tools they need—to stop the gun violence that we’ve seen in these cities.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members, please take your seats. Please take your seats.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, we support our police. We support our police, unlike the Leader of the Opposition and unlike their party, who are police-haters, military-haters, veteran-haters, poppy-haters and—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats. Be seated. The government—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): No. Take a seat.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I say to the government members that, first of all, you’re cutting into the Premier’s time when you do these standing ovations. Secondly, I’m asking the Premier to withdraw.

Hon. Doug Ford: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: There is something called the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our country, and this Premier needs to look it up and talk about what people deserve in terms of their rights—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members, please take your seats. I say to the official opposition members who are standing and applauding that you’re cutting into your leader’s time too.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Sorry, Speaker.

When the Premier slammed the brakes on the new police oversight rule, he ignored more than two years of consultations, he ignored the voices of Ontarians and he refuses to tell us why. And yesterday, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services couldn’t tell us either, so I’m going to ask again: Is this Premier going to drag Ontario backwards and start opening the door to carding once again in our province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, as I was saying earlier, our party supports the police. We don’t have any members—

Interjections.

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, I’ll reinforce that we will give the police all the tools they need to get their job done.

But I’ll tell you one thing, because I wouldn’t allow this: We didn’t have any MPP like the member from Brampton East who walked around, running up and down the streets, with a sign that says “eff the police.” That is disgusting, absolutely disgusting.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats.

Next question. The member for Eglinton–Lawrence.

Community safety

Mrs. Robin Martin: Mr. Speaker, as it is my first time rising in the House, I want to congratulate you on your election as Speaker and also thank the residents of my riding for electing me.

My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Over the past number of months, Toronto has seen a sharp rise in guns and gang violence, and that violence has been shocking to residents in my community and across the greater Toronto area. Our police officers and emergency responders are on the front lines in our community helping to assuage the fears of residents, but they need more help.

Can the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services please update the House on this important file?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member for Eglinton–Lawrence, who has been an important advocate on this file, and others in her community. I’d also like to add that I grew up in Eglinton–Lawrence and my mom still lives in that riding.

Gun violence has no place in Toronto, nor in any part of this province. The brazen, indiscriminate attacks have to stop. With the rise in gun violence on our streets, it’s clear that current strategies and anti-gun units in the city of Toronto are required and that we are dedicated to providing services and oversight. We’re committed to police services across the province and to providing our officers with the tools and resources they need to keep communities safe. This isn’t a partisan issue.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Back to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services: Minister, during the campaign, we made a number of commitments to our police and other first responders. This included making sure that we respect our front-line officers and the work that they do in our communities every day.

Can you please update the House on what you’ve been working on?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you again to the member for this important question.

Safety of the public is our paramount concern. We’ve been clear from day one that we are going to make sure we are giving our front-line officers the tools they need to do their job. We’re committed to fixing Bill 175 and treating our front-line officers with respect. This includes a full and thorough review of the legislation governing police services and police oversight. By consulting experts, police services and the public, we will accomplish this goal.

Our police officers put themselves in harm’s way every day and work to keep our communities safe. We’re committed to listening and consulting with our front line and ensuring they have the tools they work with.

Curriculum

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Earlier this week, the Premier’s close friend and avid supporter Charles McVety made his opinion about the repeal of the sexual health curriculum crystal clear. He said: “The fruit of the poisonous tree has been cut down.” McVety is a social conservative who lobbied hard for the modernized curriculum to be pulled out of schools, and this government was more than happy to make a deal with him.

Does the minister think it is appropriate to allow social conservative activists like Charles McVety to drive Ontario’s health and physical education program from the backroom?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you to the member from London West. Congratulations on your re-election to this place. It’s a pleasure to be back with you.

On behalf of my ministry, we’re going to continue to stand up and protect children and youth. As the minister responsible for children and youth, I couldn’t be more delighted to be in this ministry given my roots started as the children and youth critic 12 years ago with your now-leader of the official opposition. I congratulate her as well.

Let me be perfectly clear. You would like to present one narrative. Let me speak as a mother who has a child who is 13 years old. Let me speak as a person who has watched as my daughter was confused with half of the things because it was not age-appropriate. I don’t know Charles McVety. He is not going to lead this process. The Minister of Education is going to lead this process, and the Minister of Education with parents will lead the process, because the difference between us and you is you don’t respect parents. You don’t tolerate—

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The minister will come to order.

Back to the member for London West.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, yesterday this government confirmed that the new sexual health curriculum would be rolled back, while claiming that there is ample room to discuss consent, cyber safety and gender identity, even though the old curriculum is completely silent on these critical issues. Instead of catering to pressure from inflammatory far-right activists like Charles McVety, this government should be ensuring that young people have the accurate, up-to-date sexual health information and resources they need to protect themselves.

Will this minister confirm that her government rejects Charles McVety’s comments about the current up-to-date curriculum, and commit to having an inclusive, modern sexual health curriculum in place for this September?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats.

Minister?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I guess she didn’t listen. Charles McVety is not running the process. The Minister of Education is going to lead the process, and we’re going to include parents, because when parents were standing on that side of the aisle and when they were coming in to talk at committee, everybody in the former Liberal administration was ignoring them. You were ignoring them in your party. We’re simply saying that we’re going to talk about—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to remind the entire House: You have to make your comments through the Chair and speak about other members, if you speak about them, in the third person.

Minister.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: My apologies, Speaker.

Let me just be perfectly clear. We are talking about being age-appropriate. I have personally, in this House, talked about suicide prevention and children’s mental health. We have talked about concussions. We have talked about all sorts of other issues, including anti-bullying, which I have legislation in my own name on. That will not change.

What will change is the respect that we will have for the parents of this province through the Minister of Education and through the parental process that will take place as we consult with people.

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Bruce nuclear generating station

Mr. Bill Walker: My question is to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Indigenous Affairs.

Minister, as you know, Bruce Power provides 30% of Ontario’s electricity as a low-cost producer of power for families and businesses. Over the next four years, they will invest private dollars into the long-term future of their facility to secure low-cost power through 2064 and an estimated 22,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Minister, are you supportive of Bruce Power’s role in Ontario continuing?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Funny you asked. I certainly am, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to thank the member for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for his strong representation of his constituents over the years and for standing up for Bruce Power. It’s an important employer and producer of energy for our sector here in Ontario.

Our government will always support the work of private organizations here in Ontario that are working to create good jobs, high-tech jobs, good union jobs in our province while providing safe and secure access to energy. We are especially supportive, Mr. Speaker, of companies that achieve these goals without the need for public funding.

I’m proud to be part of a government that believes in these important principles, as I know the member is.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Bill Walker: Back to the Minister of Energy: Minister, that’s great news for families and businesses that rely on this low-cost power and some 22,000 jobs in Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound and across the province—

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: And Huron–Bruce.

Mr. Bill Walker: —and Huron–Bruce.

One of the key items that often doesn’t get attention is the role Bruce Power plays in supplying the world with life-saving isotopes. This is an area you played a leadership role in during your tenure as federal natural resources and energy minister. Minister, what does this mean to Ontario’s leadership role as an isotope supplier?

Hon. Greg Rickford: We did face a pressing challenge to make sure that medical isotopes were available to people across Canada and especially here in Ontario. The private sector in Ontario in particular was challenged to step up to the plate and meet global isotope shortages, and I’m pleased that Bruce Power had demonstrated leadership in this area.

By extending the life of the assets, they will not only generate low-cost, reliable power through 2064, but will continue to supply 40% of the world’s cobalt-60, used to keep hospitals and health care clean, and be the largest producer of medical-grade cobalt used to treat brain tumours. We think that’s important, Mr. Speaker, and we’re going to stand up for Bruce.

Energy contracts

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the government tabled Bill 2. It should have been called the Bad Faith Act, because this bill gives the government the power to break its own contracts, which will have a chilling effect. From now on, businesses will either have to add a bad-faith risk premium on to the price of government contracts, driving up the price, or they’ll have to make sure that they have a special relationship with the Premier and his inner circle that protects them from these sorts of arbitrary actions.

Why would any company do business with the Ontario government when the Premier is willing to suspend the rule of law when it comes to contracts he personally doesn’t like?

Hon. Doug Ford: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Greg Rickford: Mr. Speaker, we’re in rarified air when the NDP start talking about cost savings, but since they are, let’s talk about their election platform. It sounded like a Liberal version of the tax-and-spend buffet. Had they been listening to Ontarians, they would have heard that they wanted to cut back on spending, lower hydro rates and look for cost savings to the tune of $790 million.

Now, 76 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario members are sitting in this place today because we were listening to what the people of Ontario were doing, Mr. Speaker. The difference: We were for the people; they were for the prop.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I gather the Premier doesn’t want to answer the question. I’ll try another tack.

Bill 2 includes a bizarre clause that protects the government from lawsuits that allege “misrepresentation within the meaning of applicable securities laws.” Exactly what misrepresentations has the Premier been making recently that he needs a law to protect himself from lawsuits?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The members will take their seats.

I’m going to ask the member from Toronto–Danforth to withdraw.

Interjection: Why is he withdrawing? It’s in the bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): He suggested the Premier was misrepresenting.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I’m quoting the bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m asking the member to withdraw.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Back to the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Greg Rickford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Listen, it has been a great couple of weeks for ratepayers and taxpayers. We’ve started down the road to reducing hydro rates, and we’ve taken a couple of important steps. We’re committed to reducing electricity bills by 12%—cutting them, not subsidizing them, not punting them down the road for future generations to bear those costs.

Winding down 758 contracts is expected to avoid long-term costs of $790 million. This approach importantly maximizes the benefits for ratepayers. We’re ending the contracts where the benefits outweigh the costs, and we’re safeguarding that with legislation to ensure that taxpayers realize even greater savings.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next question. I recognize the member for Guelph.

Climate change

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Mr. Speaker, it’s an honour to rise for my first question. First, I’d like to congratulate you on your election as Speaker and to congratulate all members of the 42nd Parliament. I’m looking forward to serving with each of you.

My question is for the Premier.

The climate crisis is the biggest threat facing humanity, and there is urgency for all of us to act. Fortunately, what is good for our planet is also good for our economy. The $7-trillion global clean economy is generating jobs and prosperity around the world.

But cancelling Ontario’s plan to price pollution without an alternative plan sends the wrong signal to clean-economy investors and companies. So my question to the Premier is this: Does the government have an economic analysis on the effects of your decision to dismantle our climate change programs on clean-tech investments and job creation? And if you have such an economic analysis, will you make it public?

Hon. Doug Ford: To the Minister of the Environment.

Hon. Rod Phillips: Congratulations as well to the member on his election.

As the member knows, the Doug Ford PC government was elected with a plan. The plan was to get rid of the regressive cap-and-trade carbon tax program of the previous government. This was a program that the opposition thought didn’t go far enough. It was a program that was killing jobs and making life difficult for average Ontarians.

We understand the importance of climate change. We agree that steps need to be taken, and those steps will be forthcoming. But they won’t be steps that put the burden on individual Ontarians.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Mike Schreiner: It is so important to have an economic analysis because the decision to dismantle programs like GreenON, electric vehicle rebates and energy-saving school repairs is hurting businesses, consumers and public facilities. It’s a decision that takes money out of the pockets of people who want to lower their energy bills. It makes it harder for people to afford a car that will save them money at the pumps. It makes it harder for schools to reduce their energy bills. It’s a decision that hurts local businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to redirect my question to the Premier.

Premier, will you bring forward a climate plan with financial supports for people, businesses and schools to make investments to save money by saving energy while lowering their carbon footprint?

Arts and cultural funding

Mr. Dave Smith: My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. In my riding of Peterborough–Kawartha, organizers of the Peterborough Musicfest are anxiously waiting on grant money from the Celebrate Ontario fund that was promised by the former government. They were approved for grant money before the election, but payments were frozen to a number of festivals and events across Ontario. Without funding, the organizers will have to cancel a number of the scheduled events and the city of Peterborough will lose an enormous amount of tourism revenue.

Can the minister update us as to when this approved money will flow to the Peterborough Musicfest and other festival events across the province?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you, Speaker. May I say you look excellent in the chair? I know you will serve our Legislature well. So congratulations.

To the member for Peterborough–Kawartha, thank you for your question. It is an honour to be able to serve with you, and I know you will be an excellent constituency representative for your riding because you are already advocating for your community.

The member is absolutely right. The Celebrate Ontario program was put on hold during the transition. We had to make sure that due diligence was done, that we ensured that the funds that were promised were accurate and needed and necessary. I can assure the member from Peterborough–Kawartha that you will get your money, and I hope you enjoy the festival.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Dave Smith: Back to the minister: I’d like to thank the minister for the answer. I’d also like to congratulate the minister on her re-election by the constituents of Dufferin–Caledon.

It’s clear that this government’s mandate is for the people.

I’d also like to know if there are any other initiatives that the minister and the government are putting forward.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: There is no doubt that festivals like Peterborough Musicfest or Timmins’ Rock on the River or the Beaches jazz festival in Toronto are critically important to our communities. We all understand they bring in tourism dollars. It’s what makes Ontario special.

I encourage all members to participate and enjoy those festivals that are across Ontario. As I said, there are over 100 festivals that were lined up for the funding dollars and those have flowed, so enjoy your festivals.

Hospital services

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre.

The last Liberal government pushed Ontario hospitals to the brink. Hallway medicine and painfully long wait times have become the norm in our hospitals. But instead of taking urgent steps to fix it, the Premier handed out a contract worth over $1 million to one of his friends, the former president of the Conservative Party.

Why was the Premier’s first act in health care

an act of blatant political patronage?

Hon. Doug Ford: To the Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much for the question.

The fact of the matter is that the state of hallway medicine in Ontario was so bad that we needed advice, and the person who is providing that advice and leading an advisory council is going to be providing information on ending hallway medicine, on innovation and bringing more efficiencies into the system so that we can expand health care. That council is going to be providing advice both to myself and to the Premier so that we can end this situation and improve health care so that we don’t have hospitals operating at over 100% capacity virtually every day.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: Back to the Premier, Speaker: In 2006, the hospitals run by Dr. Devlin had the second-worst death rates in all of Canada. Nurses warned of chronic understaffing in all of his hospitals. Then he shut down three Toronto hospitals and replaced them with a P3 hospital. Now, apparently, he’s contracted to fix the entire health care system.

Why did the Premier hand out a million-dollar contract to his friend, the former president of the Conservative Party?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I could tell the member that it was done because the state of affairs is so bad right now, and what happened before was not that person’s responsibility but the government’s responsibility. So what we need to do is to create this council, get them moving as soon as possible so that we can end the situation with hallway medicine, because as bad as it is right now, once we have flu season hit in a couple of months, it’s going to become worse if we don’t take action right away. That’s what the council is looking at. Both the Premier and I are looking forward to their recommendations.

Executive compensation

Ms. Jill Dunlop: My question is to the Minister of Energy.

Yesterday the Minister of Energy tabled a bill that included the Hydro One Accountability Act, 2018. The Hydro One Accountability Act, 2018 would require the board of Hydro One to establish a new compensation framework for the board of directors, CEO and other executives in consultation with the province and the other five largest shareholders. The act would also give the Management Board of Cabinet authority to approve the compensation framework and any amendments to it, as well as to issue directives governing the compensation of the directors, CEO and other executives.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister explain why this is an important step in cleaning up the hydro mess left behind by the previous government?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I want to congratulate the member for Simcoe North on her election and welcome her to this magnificent place.

Under the strong leadership of Premier Ford, we have moved quickly over the past couple of weeks to set in place a process to renew the leadership of Hydro One. This is of critical importance to our province’s electricity system. Our government will be closely engaging in the leadership transition at Hydro One to ensure the stability of the system is preserved and customers are protected. That’s why we’ve prepared legislation that, if passed, will improve transparency and accountability at Hydro One.

The Hydro One Accountability Act, 2018 will require the board to establish a new compensation framework for the board, CEO and other executives in consultation with the province and the other five largest shareholders, Mr. Speaker. This represents a renewal for—

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

Ms. Jill Dunlop: Back to the minister: Further, yesterday’s act would amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 to require the Ontario Energy Board to exclude any amount in respect of compensation paid to the chief executive officer and executives from consumer rates for Hydro One Ltd. or its subsidiaries. In addition, the act would require Hydro One to annually publish on its website a record of the total compensation of executives as prescribed by regulation. The act would also require Hydro One to publish on its website any proposed changes to its compensation frameworks for its board, CEO or other executives at least 30 days prior to the date on which it seeks approval.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister explain why these are important steps to restore trust and accountability at Hydro One and in the energy sector?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I appreciate the careful attention that this member has put to this piece of legislation.

Public accountability is an important element of this legislation. The process that we’re undertaking will enhance trust and accountability not only at Hydro One but across the energy sector, Mr. Speaker. As the member rightly points out, this legislation requires Hydro One to publish any proposed changes to its compensation policies for the board, CEO and executives 30 days prior to seeking Management Board of Cabinet approval.

We will also require Hydro One to annually publish a record of the total annual compensation of the executives on their websites.

Mr. Speaker, this demonstrates a clear and decisive set of actions that we’re taking to ensure Hydro One has renewed leadership on the right path of reducing hydro rates for ratepayers across this great province.

Refugees

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Acting Premier. Yesterday, I asked the Premier about our refugee crisis and federal funding. The Premier passed me off to the member from Nepean, who did a lot of yelling and posturing about who’s more Canadian and gave me a list of racialized MPPs in the PC caucus.

But yesterday’s hooting and hollering does nothing to solve this crisis, and this government’s lack of clarity is making things worse. Because of the lack of clarity, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration had to hold an emergency meeting on Parliament Hill yesterday.

Conflating issues and collapsing ministries has been a running theme of this government, and we’re only in week one.

I would like to ask the Premier again: Why on earth would this government walk away from $11 million to help our cities? Is it because you haven’t yet figured out how to redirect it into the pockets of your corporate friends?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thanks very much for the question, to my colleague from Oshawa. She asked me why I would walk away from $11 million. Clearly, math is not their strong suit in the official opposition. The price tag is $175 million, and growing.

I’m going to tell you something. My ministry is quite large. We look after children in care. We look after children who have autism. We look after children with developmental disabilities. We look after the welfare system. We look after ODSP. We look after women who are escaping domestic violence, and we look after women who are being trafficked.

So I ask you this, and I hope you have a response for me: Where do you want to take the money from? Those vulnerable people, or from the federal government who created a mess at the border and owes this province $175 million?

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: Again to the Acting Premier: Yesterday during question period, the member from Nepean hollered, “We’re going to continue to welcome people to Ontario, and we’re going to continue to support them.” But at the same time, this government is neither welcoming nor supportive of asylum seekers in Ontario.

During the PC electoral campaign, a statement was issued that read, “While funding for refugees is primarily a federal issue, Doug Ford will sit down with Mayor Tory to ensure the city has the funding it needs.” “Primarily” a federal issue means “mostly,” but—and I’ll explain to the team—it is also a provincial responsibility, both morally and legally.

The people of Ontario and our municipalities are looking to the provincial government to do the right thing and help people who are seeking refuge. While you waste precious time going back and forth about which level of government should shoulder the expense, refugees and asylum seekers are suffering.

I hope that the Premier will do the right thing. Will they provide the much-needed housing to these families before the August 9 eviction date?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Immigration and refugee policy is under the purview of the federal government. No one disputes that. The issue that we have today is that we have $75 million in housing costs for the city of Toronto. We have an additional $11-million cost for the city of Ottawa, where I live. We have a $90-million-and-growing social assistance cost as a result of this. You’re telling me to take six cents on the dollar when I should be fighting for the people of this province—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to once again remind the members that you have to speak through the Chair and talk of other members in the third person.

To the minister.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: My apologies, Speaker.

The member opposite is telling me that I should accept six cents on the dollar. I can’t afford that, this province can’t afford that and the people I’m responsible for, whom I stay awake at night worrying about, can’t afford it. So she can either stand with me or against me in my fight with Ottawa to get fair compensation for this province—

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

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Labour dispute

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Labour.

Minister, tens of thousands of students at York University from across the GTA have been adversely affected by months of inaction. The York University strike has gone on for too long. I have received numerous calls from my constituents, from students at York U and members of their families who are very concerned about this ongoing strike which has kept them from the classroom. Our constituents want action. They want government to put students first.

Minister, I was very pleased to learn—through you, Mr. Speaker—that our new government is moving forward with one of our promises to the people of Ontario with the introduction of legislation that will finally end the strike at York University. Unfortunately, the opposition has indicated that they intend to stall this important legislation and keep students out of the classroom.

Minister, can you commit today to move forward this legislation and get our students back in the classroom?

Interjections.

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

Hon. Laurie Scott: I’d like to congratulate the member from King–Vaughan on his election to the Legislature; I know he will represent his constituents well. And I want to congratulate the Speaker on his election as Speaker of this Legislature.

The member from King–Vaughan is exactly right: This is about getting students back to the classroom. Finding a resolution to this situation is one of our immediate priorities. There are more than 45,000 students affected by this strike. They’re concerned about losing their school year, and they’re uncertain for their future.

This strike has gone on for more than 100 days, Mr. Speaker—it started on March 5—so we have every indication that both sides are deadlocked. There is no resolution in sight. We need to get the two parties back to the table, and the priority is to get the students back to the classroom.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Interjections.

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

Supplementary question?

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Back to the minister: Minister, thank you for your leadership on this file and thank you for moving with a sense of urgency for the sake of our young people.

While we know the NDP is ill-prepared to put our students first, under this minister, under this Premier and under this government, we are governing for the people, for the next generation and for those who want to work hard and get ahead in this province.

We know these students have been out of the classroom for four months, for far too long, so, Minister—through you, Mr. Speaker—could you elaborate on why it is so important that we get this legislation passed without delay? Let’s get these kids back in the classroom.

Hon. Laurie Scott: Again, the students have suffered long enough. Over 45,000 students are being affected, and they are frightened about the future of their education. They shouldn’t have to face this uncertainty.

This is the longest strike in post-secondary education in Canada. It needs to be resolved. This is one of the immediate priorities that the Premier and his government want to have, to get the students back to the classroom. This is why we’ve introduced legislation. We need to get the two parties back to the negotiating table and we need to get the students back to the classroom. That’s what we, as the government, intend to do.

School facilities

Ms. Marit Stiles: Through you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education.

For years, the parent-led group Fix Our Schools has been calling on the government to make urgent repairs to Ontario’s schools. Days before the election, they circulated a pledge asking candidates to make a public commitment to finally eliminate the astonishing $16-billion repair backlog. I signed that pledge, and indeed many Conservative MPPs, including our own Minister of Education, signed their names to that pledge.

And yet, as soon as this government was sworn in, it turned around and quietly gutted $100 million in funding for very urgent school repairs. Why is this government already breaking its promise to the students and families of Ontario?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: To the Minister of the Environment.

Hon. Rod Phillips: Mr. Speaker, through you: The member is referring to the funding that was being provided by the cap-and-trade carbon tax program. This government was exceptionally clear—this party was exceptionally clear—that it would eliminate that regressive tax, and as a result, we are working with our transfer partners to go through the orderly wind-down of the funding that came from that program. That’s what you can expect from this government: We’ll make a promise and we’ll keep a promise.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Through you, Mr. Speaker: My question again to the Minister of Education, who signed this pledge.

The state of our schools in Ontario is appalling. They are crumbling. Across this province, they are literally falling apart—

Interjection.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Oh, I know. I know, after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement. Don’t get me wrong; I know that.

In my own riding, I have schools like Alexander Muir/Gladstone, where the roof was so bad last year, they had to use the kindergarten water tables to catch the leaks. They have an urgent repair list of 44 major repairs needed, in that one school alone.

I want to know—and I want to hear this from the Minister of Education, please. You made a pledge. I don’t care where you get it. You cut $100 million in repairs that we urgently need in our communities. Parents expect it. You talk about the importance of parents and how you’re listening to them. Listen to them now. Fix Our Schools is a parent-led organization, and you signed the pledge.

How many more students are going to have to sit through the next year in leaky classrooms wearing hats and mitts before you live up to your pledge?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats.

Minister of the Environment?

Hon. Rod Phillips: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very pleased to rise on the occasion of our second day back in the 42nd Parliament to address this very serious issue that evolved under 15 years of mismanagement by the former Liberal government.

I might remind the speaker that during my seven years here, it was the party opposite, the opposition party, that propped this government up and allowed the continued disintegration of the schools.

With that said, I’m pleased to share with you that we’re working with our ministry officials, because fixing our schools is very important. We’re going to fix and address the issues that evolved under the former Liberal government, because our students deserve that.

Energy contracts

Mr. Dav