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December 8, 2016

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2016-Dec-08 (PDF)

L042 - Thu 8 Dec 2016 / Jeu 8 déc 2016

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 8 December 2016 Jeudi 8 décembre 2016

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016 / Loi de 2016 visant à favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario pour tous (mesures budgétaires)

Order of business

Computers Mean Business Inc. Act, 2016

Computers Mean Business Inc. Act, 2016

Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc. Act, 2016

Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc. Act, 2016

Introduction of Visitors

Order of business

Hazel McCallion Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour de Hazel McCallion

Oral Questions

Highway tolls

Highway tolls

Government’s record

Hospital funding

Health care / Soins de santé

Hydro rates

Hydro rates

Hospital funding

Hydro rates

Child care

Flood prevention

Casinos

Home ownership

Ontario film, television and digital industry

Correction of record

Visitors

Viola Desmond

Deferred Votes

Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne les élections

Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016 / Loi de 2016 visant à favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario pour tous (mesures budgétaires)

Legislative pages

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Season’s greetings

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Simorgh Gala

Racism

Scugog Lake Stewards

Casinos

Justin Masotti

Season’s greetings

Skills development

Engagement communautaire / Community engagement

Steel industry

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Introduction of Bills

Protecting Patients Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la protection des patients

Asbestos Use Prohibition Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 interdisant l’utilisation de l’amiante

Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le soutien à l’enfance, à la jeunesse et à la famille

Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Safety Zones), 2016 / Loi de 2016 modifiant le Code de la route (zones de sécurité scolaire)

Petitions

Hydro rates

Komoka Provincial Park

Hydro rates

Health care funding

Wind turbines

School closures

Hydro rates

Environmental protection

Highway ramps

Domestic violence and sexual violence

Report, Chief Electoral Officer

Report, Integrity Commissioner

Visitor

Private Members’ Public Business

Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour commémoratif du massacre de Nanjing

Highway tolls

Jonathan’s Law (Employee Leave of Absence When Child Dies), 2016 / Loi Jonathan de 2016 sur le congé des employés en cas de décès d’un enfant

Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour commémoratif du massacre de Nanjing

Highway tolls

Jonathan’s Law (Employee Leave of Absence When Child Dies), 2016 / Loi Jonathan de 2016 sur le congé des employés en cas de décès d’un enfant

Highway tolls

Report, Integrity Commissioner

Private members’ public business

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016 / Loi de 2016 visant à favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario pour tous (mesures budgétaires)

Mr. Naqvi, on behalf of Mr. Sousa, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 70,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 70, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, thank you very much for recognizing me to speak on this very important bill. But before I do that, today is the last day of the Legislature for the year, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you and all the members of this House a very merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, and the best of the holiday season. We work very closely together, and I know to the world outside, this may seem like a place where we are always sparring with each other. But I really want people to know that there are long-held friendships and relationships that exist in this Legislature.

We are, at the end of the day, colleagues. We are, at the end of the day, fierce champions of our respective communities. We’re here for one sole purpose, and that purpose is to build a better province for all our constituents. It’s an honour to work with every single one of you. It has been an exciting and busy year, and I’m looking forward to next year. And I thank you, Speaker, for your service.

It has been a very busy year for me, personally, in my capacity as the Attorney General of the province—it is a great honour for me to have that role—and, of course, as the government House leader, and working with so many members in that capacity. Most importantly, Speaker—and coming to this bill, Bill 70—the job that I take most seriously is being the MPP for Ottawa Centre. My community has put their faith and trust in me as their representative for over nine years—I’m in my 10th year of service—and it has been an honour to serve my community.

From the very first day when I sought the nomination back in 2007 and then was subsequently elected in the 2007, 2011 and 2014 elections, the reason I ran for public office in a downtown community like Ottawa is to make sure that we’re building a vibrant, healthy and sustainable community.

The purpose for me running, personally, was that I wanted to make sure that downtown Ottawa, my community of Ottawa Centre, remained vibrant—that it is a community where people come to build their lives, young and old; where people come to raise their families; where people who are retired—or, as we call them, empty nesters—move back to downtown so that they can enjoy all the great amenities and the quality of life that downtown has to offer.

The reason for me running was that I did not want to see the hollowing of the downtown core. I did not want to see people fleeing to the suburban part of the city. They’re great parts of the city to live in, but I wanted to make sure that from a public service perspective, all the right public services were there in my community in downtown Ottawa—in Ottawa Centre. That’s the work that I have remained focused on, be it investments in our health care, investments in our schools or building public transit. Those are the kinds of things that our government has invested in again and again and again.

My community of Ottawa Centre has been a great beneficiary of it. If you look at the investments going on that this particular legislation speaks to and what our fall economic statement speaks to—for example, new investments in health care—I’ve got great institutions like the Ottawa heart institute and the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital. There’s more to talk about there in the great, new 21st-century hospital we’re going to build in downtown Ottawa, in the heart of the community that I represent; the Saint-Vincent, which provides care to people with complex needs; and many other such institutions.

If you just look at the heart institute right now, there is a $200-million expansion that is taking place at the heart institute to provide world-class cardiac care to not only individuals who live in my community but the entire city of Ottawa and the entire eastern Ontario region.

Similarly, I’m really proud of the investments that we have made in education and in child care, another big focus of the fall economic statement and this bill. Just in my riding, the investments we have seen in rebuilding, revitalizing and refurbishing schools in the downtown core are enormous. We know that schools in the downtown core tend to be older. Most of the schools in my riding are almost 100 years old now. A lot of them were built a while ago. They need TLC—tender, loving care—to make sure our children continue to receive a good education.

We have seen, for example, a brand new Broadview Public School built in Westboro in my riding. It has just brightened the whole community. You see the kids going to the school—it is remarkable. Similarly, last year we completed a new extension to Mutchmor Public School in the Glebe. It’s an old school, 100 years old or so, and they built an addition to the school. The architecture flows so well. It’s another great example of revitalizing a school and giving a whole new life to that school community.

Lastly, I will mention Devonshire, which celebrated 100 years a few years ago and has gone through an incredible refurbishment. The school has been kept the same, but inside it’s just like a new life has been brought to school. In it, by the way, while they were doing the renovation, they found all these hidden gems like hidden fireplaces from 100 years ago, which were just covered up, and all kinds of things.

So many kids are so excited. Parents are delighted because it’s giving them more reasons to live downtown. They know that they can get a good education and good schools for their children. The seniors who are moving back into the downtown core know that health care is available just down the street. We see that the small businesses in Wellington Village, on Elgin Street, in the Glebe, in Westboro, in Hintonburg, are just thriving. The BIAs tells me that the businesses are growing and they’re excited, with more and more people moving back into the downtown core and making it so vibrant.

Those are all things that are personally very exciting to me, because it’s exactly why I chose to run: to make sure that our downtown core communities like Ottawa Centre are a vibrant place to live. The investment that we are making in building public transit in Ottawa with the LRT is remarkable. That is absolutely a game changer. We’ve got over 12 kilometres of LRT in phase 1 that is being built right now, with the support of the province to the tune of about $600 million. Most of those 12 kilometres run through the downtown core from my riding, really creating the spine for the system that will—

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I hear a point of order from the member from Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: I have read Bill 70, and I didn’t see anywhere where it talks about Ottawa downtown. So I was hoping that the member could speak to Bill 70.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): All right. I’ve got to remind the member—he has been talking about daycare, so I’m going to just remind the member to focus on the entire bill. Thank you.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Thank you very much, Speaker. I find it very disheartening from the NDP and the member from Nickel Belt that they do not want me to talk about my community. I’ll say, with all due respect to the member opposite, that the reason I’m here is to talk about my community. I will not apologize for that, and I encourage you to do the same thing.

Speaker, I was talking about the downtown core and I was coming around to this bill talking about the modernization of the land transfer tax, how it’s going to make housing more affordable in my community. So if you pay attention for a second, you will hear. But I shall not apologize for talking about my community.

Going back to public transit, because it is important and it ties to Bill 70 because it’s a major investment that we are making in communities like mine to make sure that Ottawa Centre is a place to live. With the investment of $600 million in phase 1 of LRT and then, most recently, we announced over a $1-billion investment in phase 2 that will go east, west and further south, covering the rest of the city—in addition, building extensions up to Innes road in Ottawa–Orléans and going to the airport, again, to make sure that Ottawa is a vibrant place to live.

That, Speaker, leads me to a very important aspect of Bill 70, which is the changes that we are making to the land transfer act, where we are making it easy for first-time homebuyers, making it more affordable for first-time homebuyers to be able to purchase their home. Speaker, we know that one of the biggest investments that we make in our lives is when we buy a property, be it a house or a condominium. That is a huge, huge investment. I remember 10 or 12 years ago, Speaker, when I bought my first home, that I saved money for years and years to be able to do so.

By creating a real incentive, by making sure that young families and individuals who don’t own homes—to have an opportunity to buy a home is a very exciting part of this bill.

The change that we are making through Bill 70 is ensuring that first-time homebuyers get a refund of up to $4,000. We’re doubling that refund from $2,000 to $4,000, which is significant. That change means that the land transfer tax will not be payable on the first $368,000 of the cost of your first home, which is roughly about the average cost of a home.

Again, coming back to my community of Ottawa Centre, where you’ve got an incredibly hot real estate market, we see that that kind of incentive, where first-time homebuyers will not be paying any land transfer tax up to about $368,000, is a significant boost to my community, where we will see more and more people moving into the community and buying homes.

With all the amenities, like the investment in the health care infrastructure we’re making, like the investment in our school infrastructure we’re making, like the investment we’re making in our public transit, Speaker: All those things make it even more exciting for young families, for young people, for young professionals to come and live in the Glebe or Hintonburg or Carlington or Carleton Heights or Westboro or Mechanicsville or Champlain Park. All these great neighbourhoods are going to thrive from it.

Speaker, I thank you for the time. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to very briefly speak about the amazing things that are happening in my community, Ottawa Centre. It’s a great pride of mine to represent such a vibrant community. I’m very grateful to be part of a government that’s making an investment that is going to help individuals who live in urban communities like mine by making investments in our child care, by making investments in our schools, by making investments in our health care, by making investments in our public transit and, most importantly, making it affordable for people to buy their first home.

Speaker, I look forward to hearing from other members, and I hope they, too, talk about the great things this are happening in their communities.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Further debate.

Mr. Steve Clark: I’m actually not pleased to speak on Bill 70. It just seems to be a pattern with this government—shameful conduct, I would say—that we continue to ram bills through committee and we ignore a very serious concern raised by those affected—in this case, those affected by Bill 70. This is what this government has done to Ontario’s small and independent craft distillers. This is a prime example of how this government operates.

The Ontario Craft Distillers Association spent more than two years—two years—negotiating towards a graduated tax on spirits sold at their locations. This same tax policy has allowed Ontario’s craft breweries to become some of the most successful in the world. So we did it with craft breweries, and this is what the craft distillers wanted to have.

This was my approach when my former colleague the member for Niagara West–Glanbrook had tabled his Free My Rye bill, Tim Hudak. I picked it up after he left the House and my friend here, Mr. Oosterhoff, was elected. So I want to talk, Speaker, just very briefly about Free My Rye and what it does and what, actually, the Ontario Craft Distillers Association thought the government was going to put forward.

Under my bill, the markup on the sale price of spirits a manufacturer produces and sells in a year at a store on site would not exceed 10% for the first 50,000 litres, 20% for 50,000 up to 100,000 litres, and 40% for any

part in excess of 100,000 litres, to a maximum of 625,000 litres. So that was the recipe for success that I think small craft distillers were looking for, but instead, out of the blue, this finance minister comes down with Bill 70 and pours those two years’ worth of talks down the drain. For comparison purposes, the rate that’s proposed is a 61.5% flat tax on spirits. It’s 10 times the rate that a winery is charged for on-site sales.

So needless to say, Speaker, when Bill 70 was tabled, after these two years of negotiations were poured down the drain, they were furious. They explained how this regressive tax that the government is proposing would force some or all of those existing 16 small independent distilleries out of business. But, you know, this finance minister, he wasn’t having anything of it. He and some of his members accused these small distillers of making this all up. He basically said, as the finance minister, that they should just drink up and take the medicine.

So I wanted to just take this opportunity to applaud Charles Benoit, who is the head of the Ontario Craft Distillers Association, which also includes a brand new distillery in my riding of Leeds–Grenville, the King’s Lock Craft Distillery in Johnstown, Ontario. They made an incredibly strong case for taking this distillery tax out of Bill 70 and restarting negotiations on a graduated tax. It would have allowed our craft distillers producing world-class grain-to-glass spirits to experience the same growth we’ve seen in our craft brewing, in our winery and in our cidery sectors.

I know the Minister of Children and Youth Services wants me to give a shout-out to Bruce Davis and the Gananoque Brewing Co., so I’ll do that, sir. I’ll do that just for you, sir.

But that makes my point. The policies that this government put in place to grow the craft beer industry, to grow small wineries across the province, ones that all members celebrate—we’re not taking the same approach when it comes to those small craft distilleries.

We had a great opportunity, from an economic development standpoint, to grow this industry. Other provinces do it. The model that has been talked about in this House on numerous occasions was the British Columbia model, which allowed their small distillers to grow and flourish.

Charles Benoit talked about his disappointment in a press conference we held here at Queen’s Park together on Tuesday. As Charles stated, “Our association first met with the ministry in August, 2013. For three years, we were led to believe that the government heard us on the importance of a graduated tax. Bill 70 proves otherwise, and guarantees that Ontario misses out on the craft distilling renaissance happening throughout the rest of North America.”

So we tabled an amendment, Speaker. The government used their majority, as they do to vote down any good idea that’s at the House. We wanted to allow distillers to sell up to 1,250 litres of spirits tax-free in the store that they own and operate. We thought that was a reasonable compromise. Again, the guillotine of this government came down, cut down any reasonable amendments, stopped debate. Using the words that the member for St. Catharines said many, many times when he was in opposition, the government “choked off” debate and time-allocated this bill.

Again, with craft distilleries, we’re missing a great opportunity, Speaker. I wanted to pitch this to them again. Please, I want some indication from this government that you’re recognizing what we are doing to this industry. Why can’t we sit down and talk about a graduated tax? They stood at the table in good faith. They thought they were bargaining in good faith with this government. Again, this government led them down the garden path and poured all of those wonderful talks down the drain with Bill 70. It’s a terrible deal for distillers, the

schedule is awful, and I wanted to make sure that I stood up for those people today.

Thanks for giving me that opportunity, Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Further debate? I recognize the member from Kitchener Centre.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Waterloo.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Waterloo. My apology.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Waterloo. That’s where I’m from. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Of course, the story of Bill 70 is such an interesting story, is it not? We have never seen a piece of legislation move so quickly. It was rushed for a number of reasons, I believe.

The 5,000 people who appeared on the front lawn of Queen’s Park in protest specifically to schedules 16 and 17 contained in Bill 70—Bill 70, of course, is called Building Ontario Up for Everyone. The government remembered the “for everyone” part after they prorogued, so we’re happy about that. If we’re in the Christmas spirit and we’re trying to be generous, I’m really happy that the government remembered the “for everyone” part of this bill.

However, Madam Speaker, the schedules speak a different story,

schedule 1 in particular, with regard to the new tax on craft distillers.

If you had asked me if I would be talking in defence of the 16 craft distillers almost on a consistent basis for the last two weeks, two weeks ago I would have said, “I don’t think so.” Because we were also led to believe that the government had been working collaboratively—you know, this new culture of openness and transparency. Their fourth pillar of the government is to build up the economy and build businesses up.

But

schedule 1 does exactly the opposite of this, Madam Speaker. Because we have these boutique wine and beer now in grocery stores, the government has increased the tax for those operators, because they no longer have a stand-alone operation. That was made clear during our review at finance. But what it does, actually, for craft distillers is quite the opposite.

We’ll hear the bafflegab, if you will, from the government side of the House on this, but I want to make it very clear: We believe the craft distillers on this one. In fact, Charles Benoit of the Ontario Craft Distillers has actually opened their books, and they have told us the true financial impact of a tax of 61.5% of the retail price, plus a 28-cent to 38-cent per-litre volume tax and an 8.93-cent environment tax for each non-refillable container. He has been very clear about the impact that this change will have on their business. When he did come to Queen’s Park and he participated in the press conference, he said that on a good day, this will probably save them $1.80 per bottle.

That is the change that the government has made. That’s the extent of the investment that this government is willing to put forward to craft distillers, who are local entrepreneurs, who take some pride in their craft, who have very strong partnerships with their local farmers and the agricultural sector and who are committed to their local communities and to supporting those local food movements, local agriculture movements, and took this government at face value for three years.

I have to correct my record. I thought it was two years, but actually when we review back the entire process, the Ed Clark process that the Premier has embraced, it’s almost a three-year investment of time, energy and time away from their business. They also had to sign a non-disclosure statement with the Premier’s advisory council to not speak to their MPPs. It must be a breach of some privilege somewhere to have a citizen in the province of Ontario and prohibit them from speaking to their duly elected MPPs. For us it was quite alarming and definitely a red flag, a red Liberal flag.

So what do we have here in the province of Ontario now? We have 16 craft distillers who are incredibly disappointed in this government, 16 small businesses who are not going to give up, and neither are we. We did try to make Bill 70 a better bill for them at committee by bringing forward an amendment to have them exempt for the first 5,000 litres—5,000 litres. The government used their majority to vote us down. We supported the PC amendment of 1,250 litres, a tax exemption.

This is the idea of graduated taxation, to give these businesses an opportunity to be successful. But the government is willing to let those same craft distillers give away 1,250 litres of promotional—this is something that the finance minister likes to brag about—but they will not let them sell that product tax-free. Well, how generous of the Liberal government to let them give away their product, but will not let them sell it and be tax-free.

That is the walking contradiction of this government, who says they believe in small businesses; that they believe and understand that the small and medium-sized businesses in the province of Ontario are the true job creators. Yet, when they had an opportunity to engage an emerging field, an emerging sector, they decided to not apply the graduated tax model, which has been so successful in the province of Ontario.

The craft beer industry in Ontario has proven to be very successful, as has the local wine movement as well. The BC model allows for a 50,000-litre exemption. That’s how that government is demonstrating to an emerging craft movement, from a distiller’s perspective—that’s how they are supporting those businesses. It has proven to be so successful.

The grain farmers in BC and the fruit producers in BC have an amazing collaborative relationship with those distillers, because we grow good things in Ontario and we want to put those products into a place where they can create jobs, they can improve communities and where people who are invested in becoming a craft distiller can realize their dreams.

I think it was genuinely a surprise. I think that the government thought that they were doing the craft distillers a huge favour by giving them a small break at the LCBO level, but the movement is in the distilleries. I toured one in Ayr, Ontario, last Friday. I was so impressed with these young entrepreneurs. They were so committed to quality, so committed and so proud of the fact that they’re following their dream. They were out in Ayr on a farm. They had totally refurbished this barn.

They use the mash after they make the vodka or the rye—they’re still deciding what they’re going to be making—and they can actually put it on the field. It’s full circle. Environmentally friendly geothermal solar panels—they are so far ahead of this government it was a little bit embarrassing for me to be there because the Liberal government is actively working against these young bright people of the province of Ontario who want to be part of this growing economy, who want to be part of the solution.

What does this government do? They rush Bill 70 through this House in the last two and a half weeks. The reason I mention the speed of the bill is because I will say, in this House, that democracy was undermined by this process. The legislative process where a bill would move through this place with due democratic participation—this government failed on this mark. The reason that they did fail is that they time-allocated the debate. I had one hour. I think only two of our members got to speak to this bill at second reading.

We tried to pull schedules 16 and 17 from this bill because this is a finance bill that has nothing to do with downtown Ottawa.

Interjection.

Ms. Catherine Fife: No apology needed; just speak to the bill, please—to the Attorney General.

Schedules 16 and 17 have no business in this finance bill. They have no business in there. Undermining worker safety in the province of Ontario and hurting small and medium-sized businesses in the province of Ontario—right now Bill 70 is a perfect example. It is a perfect vehicle for how our government is so disconnected with the people of this province.

I quoted that 2,000 skilled trade workers were on the front lawn; legislative security did let me know that it was closer to 5,000. They weren’t here because they felt that the process was so consultative. They weren’t here because they’re so supportive of this government. They weren’t here because they feel so supported by this government. They were here fighting for good jobs and fighting for worker safety. That’s what they were here for. They had to come to the front lawn because they were not consulted in the crafting of this legislation.

The government will say that there were two substantive reports that came forward which informed schedules 16 and 17, and I will contend, as I did in the two hours that we had for clause-by-clause—in the two hours that we had for clause-by-clause—that in those reports, the Dean report included, one of the number one recommendations is that if you are changing legislation as it relates to worker safety and the Labour Relations Act, then you must have the employer and the employees at the table while you do so. That is how you craft progressive, meaningful legislation. You don’t do it after the fact, and this government tried to do it after the fact.

The reason I have evidence that this government just rushed this piece of legislation through is that they had to amend their own legislation: Ten amendments at committee—10 amendments on

schedule 17 really just sort of tinkering around the edges, nothing really substantive. There’s also a get-out-of-jail-free clause at the end saying that the minister can pretty much override.

It’s hard. It’s hard right now on this last day of this Legislature because some of us are tired—full disclosure—as we leave this place and as we have tried to work with this government in a collaborative effort. We brought amendments to Bill 70 which were informed by the voices of the people that we represent because that’s the way it’s supposed to work. We’re not here for ourselves; we are here for the people who elected us. It’s a huge responsibility.

As I mentioned in committee on worker safety, I will always bring up one person’s name in my riding because, for me, worker safety is incredibly personal. It’s incredibly personal because we have children who are entering the skilled trades. My own son is starting his apprenticeship to be an electrician. I’m incredibly proud of him. But when you undermine a process that is meant to keep workers safe and meant to hold employers to account for their practices and their policies as employers, you need to ensure that workplace inspections are a part of that equation.

When I was first elected in Kitchener–Waterloo, there was a young man named Nick Lalonde, 23 years old, who was working on the 11th storey of a building—Waterloo is definitely growing up—and he fell to his death. He had a child, and he had a family that loved him. But what he didn’t have was working-at-heights training. There was no workplace health and safety policy in place, and the ministry had not been monitoring this particular contractor to ensure that those practices that the government talks about were actually in place.

I drive by that building every single day and I think of this young man. I think of the lost potential of workers who lose their lives when they go to work in the province of Ontario. I have to tell you that this province can do a much better job on that.

If we thought schedules 16 and 17 would improve worker safety in the province of Ontario, then we would be supportive of them. But unfortunately,

schedule 16 amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to allow the Chief Prevention Officer to accredit a health and safety management system according to the standards set out by the CPO. This gives the Chief Prevention Officer of the province of Ontario the ability, or the powers, to recognize an employer if they are a certified user of an accredited health and safety management system that meets some of the standards set by the CPO.

When we met with finance staff—and I have to tell you that the public servants who serve this Legislature are very amazing people, and I think they care deeply about their work. But when we had asked them about the consultation that they did on the schedule, they made it very clear that they consulted within their own department, with their own client. Again, that speaks to a flawed process, and that’s why you have a piece of legislation that New Democrats cannot support, Madam Chair.

It was also very concerning that the ministry, on the same day, put out a memo saying that this legislation will reduce the burden of workplace inspections—the burden. What we know in the province of Ontario, and actually in other jurisdictions, is that these health and safety management systems are not the be-all and end-all that the government would like them to be. There are weaknesses in this model, for sure, and the evidence speaks to that.

But when the government or the ministry considers—this memo came from the Ministry of Labour—that the burden of a workplace inspection—just even that language is disconcerting for us, because there’s a direct correlation between workplace safety and the accountability that employers are held to, and the level of those inspections on a workplace site.

When you hold the employer to account for having safety as a priority in the workplace, then workers are safer. When workers are trained appropriately and go through an apprenticeship program which actually is very meaningful and based on quality, when they are trained in that manner, they are safer. Workplaces are safer. When they are not, this compromises the safety of the entire workplace, or a work site in this instance. So that is a challenge.

Bill 70 is really a disparate level of schedules that have come together, but

schedule 1,

schedule 16 and

schedule 17 definitely are sort of buried in there. For us, they are incredibly concerning.

I didn’t even have a chance to deliver petitions on Bill 70. That’s how fast Bill 70 went through. I do have some, from skilled tradespeople across the province who are incredibly concerned about the way that this legislation moved forward. Who was driving this legislation, I think, is of concern as well.

This is from Melissa Mcglashan. She says that Bill 70 will allow labourers to perform skilled tasks that presently require a licensed tradesperson. That’s the heart of the concern. She goes on to say that this is another example of governments regulating only in the interests of investors, rather than the workers of this province.

I have so many of these testimonials from the people who are building Ontario up. This is what this government needs to understand. You will not build Ontario up without trained, qualified, competent, skilled trades workers. You will not.

We have, really, so many issues with Bill 70. The people who came to committee—we voted on Bill 70 at noon and we took delegations at 1 o’clock. This has never happened. The list of delegations was handwritten by the Clerk—never happened. One person who came— Charles Benoit from the Ontario craft distillers—I asked him, “How much time did you have to appear before committee?” He said, “Seventy-eight minutes.”

When you undermine the democratic process—this is a shared responsibility that we all have, to ensure that legislation serves the people, not special interests; to ensure that people are brought into this place. This is the people’s House. We are here for the people of Ontario. When a government so actively works against that principled approach to this democratic institution, it leaves us all with questions about the purpose and the goals and the intention of a government, because what Bill 70 does not do is build Ontario up for everyone. In fact, it leaves a huge swath of our population out of the equation.

This is my last appeal: that the finance minister would consider pulling

schedule 16 and 17 from Bill 70 and give the Ontario craft distillers a graduated tax scheme so they can actually survive in the province of Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): The member from Nepean–Carleton for a point of order.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Just a few minutes ago, it was announced that the first Canadian female will be on a banknote in Canada. I’m sitting here incredibly moved because I grew up in a small town called New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, which actually became the reason that this individual—Viola Desmond, a civil rights leader, a trailblazer, a strong woman—will be the first Canadian. As a New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, native, and as a female, I’m incredibly proud here today, and I wanted that noted in this House.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you for that information.

I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: I’m very proud to be standing in this House today for the third reading of Bill 70, the Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016. The fall bill reflects the choices our government has made to help people in their everyday lives, creating jobs and growing the economy, all the while remaining committed to balancing the budget next year and remaining balanced the year after. Bill 70 is part of our plan to build Ontario up for everyone. We’re making housing more affordable, we’re strengthening consumer protection and we’re supporting growth across the province.

Our plan is working. Over the past two years, our economy has grown 5.3%. Last year, our economic growth was double the national average. In fact, for the first half of this year, Ontario’s growth was faster than Canada, the US and almost all other G7 countries. In fact, the commerce board of Canada today has just announced that Ontario is at lead with BC for that growth.

Since the 2008 global recession, 660,000 net new jobs have been created in Ontario. The majority of these jobs are full-time in the private sector and at above-average wages. These are good jobs—jobs that Ontarians can rely on. In fact, Ontario’s unemployment rate today is at an eight-year low. As I reaffirmed in the 2016 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, we will continue to make strategic choices to grow our economy, to attract more jobs, to encourage businesses to grow and scale up and to make life easier for everyone across the province.

We often hear from people that they’re concerned about not being able to afford their first home. It’s difficult for many to get up on that first rung of the property ladder. Bill 70 proposes that as of January 1, 2017, the maximum refund of land transfer tax, the LTT, is doubled for eligible first-time homebuyers to $4,000. With the increased maximum, no LTT would actually be payable by those qualifying purchasers on the first $368,000 of the cost of their first home. In fact, with the doubled refund, more than half of first-time homebuyers in Ontario would pay no LTT on the purchase of their first home.

While we’re supporting first-time homebuyers, we’re also protecting renters. The government is taking action by freezing the property tax on apartment buildings while reviewing how the high property tax burden on these buildings affects rental market affordability. The average municipal property tax burden on apartment buildings is more than double that for other residential properties, such as condominiums.

Increases in rents and home prices have made housing affordability a concern for a growing number of people trying to enter the market.

At the same time, we’re also modernizing the LTT, given that rates have not changed since 1989. In fact, the residential properties that we’re speaking of would see a marginal increase by 0.5% on the portion of the purchase above $2 million, and the rate on commercial, industrial and agricultural properties would also go up to 2% from 1.5% on the portion of those purchases above $400,000. This would help fund the enhancements to the first-time homebuyers refund.

We’re also doing our part to strengthen consumer protection. We propose to extend Ontario Securities Commission whistleblower protections to employees who provide information about the possible contraventions of Ontario commodity futures law.

We would also establish the initial parameters for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, otherwise known as FSRA. This would be a new, independent and flexible regulator of financial services and pensions. The establishment of FSRA represents an important first step towards modernizing and strengthening the regulation of financial services and pensions in Ontario.

FSRA would be more consumer-focused and improve protections for investors and pension plan beneficiaries. We’re also amending the Pension Benefits Act to clarify the entitlements to portability of pension benefits and give the Superintendent of Financial Services within FSCO the authority to impose the appropriate measures in the pensions sector to improve enforcement of the Pension Benefits Act.

This bill is also includes amendments designed to support economic growth across the province. As the opposition has highlighted, Bill 70 does include changes that would amend the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act of 1996. In less than five years, the number of distillers in our communities has grown more than tenfold. There is strong evidence that there is a bright and promising future for craft spirits here in Ontario. We want distillers to attract new customers, grow their businesses and thrive in their communities.

As it stands right now, revenue for those distillers, say, from a $39 bottle of the spirits sold at their on-site store is only 39%. With our changes, the distillers would have an increase in their revenue to about 45%. We’ve also included tax exemptions for promotional distribution of up to 1,250 litres of spirits. Both of these changes would bring distillers closer in line with the way breweries and wineries operate with regard to on-site sales and promotional allowances.

These proposed changes are designed to improve the bottom line of small distillers and help them invest, hire, grow and thrive in their communities.

We’re supporting small business. We know that’s important for all of us.

The building up our Ontario plan also supports the implementation of our fiscal plan. We are balancing the books this year and next. We’re borrowing less than we’ve ever had in the past. Our interest on debt as a percentage of revenue in this province is now the lowest in 25 years. We’re taking advantage of ensuring that we stimulate growth by investing in things that matter to the people of Ontario without sacrificing those programs and services that matter to them. We’ll continue to do our part to ensure Ontario grows and that our economy grows.

We’re taking steps to improve the College of Trades, as also mentioned by the members opposite, recognizing that everyone needs to be at their best. Taking advantage and recommendations from Tony Dean and, since then, Chris Bentley, we’re enacting those measures to provide greater protections for consumers, the public, as well as workers.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Further debate?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, I rise to speak on this Bill 70—one of the few times anybody in this Legislature actually gets to speak on this bill. It was rushed from beginning to end. It fell out of—well, it was supposed to fall out of the fall economic statement, which was only, by the way, the middle of November. And here we are, in the first week of December, and the bill is about to pass today, if the government has their way. It’s a matter of hours, Speaker, that we’ve had across the entire province to talk about this bill, not days or weeks. It could be calculated in minutes, to be quite frank.

Instead of the fall economic statement, where we should be talking about the dire financial straits that the province is in thanks to the government, we should be talking about the massive debt, our deficit. The Financial Accountability Officer tells us we are going to have 13 consecutive years of deficits in the province of Ontario. That’s staggering, that we can be the largest subnational debtor on the planet and still be accumulating deficits.

Now, I know the government says they’re going to balance by 2017-18, but I have to tell you, the Financial Accountability Officer came out with not one, not two, but three documents in about a three-week period that say, “No, that’s not what’s going to happen.” He came out with his outlook, his medium-range outlook, and said, “They’re not going to balance by 2017-18. In fact, they’re going to have a $2.6-billion deficit at that time”—$5.2 billion this year, a $2.6-billion deficit on the year that the government says they’re going to balance, and increasing to $3.7 billion.

According to our independent Financial Accountability Officer, our deficit is scheduled to continue to rise, not reduce, Speaker.

But we don’t find any of that here in this bill. What we do find instead is tinkering with the Municipal Act. In the fall economic statement bill—Bill 70—we’ve got the Municipal Act, which is, first of all, unusual in itself, that we’re dealing with the Municipal Act in a finance bill. But what’s even more unusual is that—this is Bill 70—we’re also dealing with Bill 68 simultaneously, and Bill 68 is all about the Municipal Act. It deals entirely with the changes to the Municipal Act.

It just tells us that this government is scrambling to make some semblance that they’re in control and in charge, but oops, they’re not. They’ve got a chunk of the Municipal Act that we’re dealing with in Bill 70 that didn’t make it into Bill 68. With this speed come mistakes.

Speaker, here we are, one day earlier at 11:45 in the morning, we have a vote. The vote passes to send us to our finance committee, which, incidentally, is meeting this very second downstairs on yet another issue. To have the same finance people that—the third party’s finance critic and me having to be here, when we’re supposed to be downstairs also, just tells you they’re fumbling and bumbling over trying to ram all these things through at the same time with the same people. It should never happen. We’ve got rules to make that not happen, Speaker, but the rules are all thrown out this week and last week as we fumble and bumble through these bills.

So at 11:45 in the morning, the bill passes. You have until 1 o’clock to book a deputation with our committee, which is also seized with wiping everything else we’ve done out and go and meet with these deputants. But we already had other pre-budget consultations scheduled for that day. It’s amazing, Speaker, that we’re meeting on this with this speed. Here are these people at 11:45 in the morning. They get notice: 1 o’clock; book it.

As the third party finance critic mentioned, the agenda was handwritten. I’ve never seen that either. That’s quite amazing. A scribbled-out, handwritten agenda in a legislative committee that’s meeting was quite novel to see, I must say. It was a keeper, Speaker. Now we’ve got people who came to present as best they could, considering they had an hour’s notice.

Again, they’re rushing this through. It was so bad that the government brought 10 amendments to their own bill—mistakes they made along the way, and things they needed to fix. It’s that rushed. It’s this rush that is probably the most upsetting.

I know that other members here wanted to speak on these 27 acts. They’re amending 27 different laws. Again, many of them have nothing to do with finance. They’re rammed in here. They’re creating four new laws.

In fact, the most interesting part—you heard the Premier say only three weeks ago, when this bill was introduced, Bill 70, that there are no new taxes. No new taxes. But as you start to read through this, as you heard my colleague from Leeds–Grenville and the third party finance critic mention, there’s a 61.5% increase in sales tax on Ontario’s craft spirits distillers, who came to the committee and told us that if and when this bill passes, they will cease operation. They will close their businesses down. They were promised things by the government, who, in their opinion, led them along.

They stuck it out as long as they could, waiting for this big change to come. The change that came, sadly, is going to put them out of business. They told the committee. Those are their words. They are going to close their businesses. That in itself is disappointing. It’s very sad news for employees throughout Ontario in the craft distiller business. It defies what the Premier said. She said “no new taxes,” and this is a 61.5% sales tax increase.

That slouches in comparison to the $105 million in new taxes that are being imposed on Ontario’s families and seniors in this bill—$105 million in new taxes. The Premier said “no new taxes,” but her bill that I presume she’s going to vote for in a couple of hours from now will be in favour of a $105-million tax increase.

There used to be a 1.5% tax rate on houses over $250,000, but now it’s going to be 2% on the amount of the value of the properties that exceed $400,000. That scoops up a big chunk of money for this government.

So while the Premier says “no new taxes,” we’ve got the distillers charged taxes, and we’ve got $105 million in taxes on families and seniors on the sale of their homes.

We brought some amendments. I mentioned that the government themselves brought 10 amendments to clean up the mess that they scrambled together in this bill that they put together quickly. We’ve asked them to remove that $105-million tax that’s being added. They said no. They voted down our amendment. The Liberal government voted down our amendment that would save families $105 million starting January 1. That’s gone. Get ready to write the cheques. More money for this government. To think about their waste, their mismanagement, and their scandals—they’ve got another $105 million thrown in the pot starting January 1 to add to that mess.

We asked them to remove amendments, Madam Speaker. We asked them to remove the amendments where the minister is allowed to collect and use certain information. We asked them, and this is on land transfer again: “What are you going to do with that?” We asked them that in our briefing, and they couldn’t tell us what they’re going to do with this information. But they want it. You would think that they would know in advance, or at least be able to tell us in advance, what they’re going to do with that if it was something that was important to the people of Ontario. But that’s gone.

When we go to the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act—this is the one that my colleague from Leeds–Grenville has championed so well; Steve Clark has championed this unbelievably well, fighting for the craft distillers. We brought an amendment and, sadly, again, it got turned down by this government. It would have altered this 1,250-litre tax-free exemption to be applied to spirits that are sold, instead of those distributed free of charge.

The government will boast, “Oh, we’re going to allow them to distribute these free of charge.” The amount that they’re talking about for other distillers would be literally something they’d spill in a month. This is more than some of these craft distillers even make in a year. So their competitors will be able to dole that much out as samples, without charge, where these guys will be put out of business because of that. We brought an amendment, a very thoughtful amendment. It got turned down by the Liberal government. It’s gone, as will those companies be gone in a month from now, Speaker. That’s the saddest part of this.

We’ve asked for sections that impose a phased increase to the basic tax rate on wine and wine coolers purchased from boutiques and wine stores. That got thrown out. Everything we brought—all the productive and thoughtful ideas that we could garner from those quick deputations that we had from the people and the companies and the associations that had great ideas, we put into thoughtful amendments—gone. They didn’t want to hear anything, Speaker. Bang the gavel, get us out of the way, ram this thing through as fast as possible. I’ve just never seen anything like that. From the time a bill is written to the time it’s passed, it goes through like that.

It has nothing to do, in many cases, with finance. We don’t talk about finance. We don’t talk about our debt and our deficit. We don’t talk about the dire financial straits. No, we’re going to fix something in the Municipal Act in this bill. We’re going to fix things that have nothing to do with the finances of Ontario, and it’s all because they’re ramming and cramming.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Further debate? Further debate?

Okay. Pursuant to the orders of the House dated November 30, 2016, I am now required to put the question. Mr. Naqvi has moving third reading of Bill 70,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I hear a yes.

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

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

I believe the ayes have it. We’ll have a recorded vote following question period.

Third reading vote deferred.

Order of business

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Point of order.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the Attorney General.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I believe we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding private bills.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Mr. Naqvi has moved unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding private bills. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Agreed. I recognize the Attorney General.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I move that the orders for second and third reading of the following private bills shall be called consecutively and that the questions on the motions for second and third reading of the bills be put immediately without debate: Pr54 and Pr55.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Mr. Naqvi has moved that the orders of the—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Okay, dispense. Do we agree? Agreed.

Motion agreed to.

Computers Mean Business Inc. Act, 2016

Mr. Dong moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr54,

An Act to revive Computers Mean Business Inc.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Second reading agreed to.

Computers Mean Business Inc. Act, 2016

Mr. Dong moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr54,

An Act to revive Computers Mean Business Inc.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc. Act, 2016

Mr. Vanthof moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr55,

An Act to revive Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Second reading agreed to.

Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc. Act, 2016

Mr. Vanthof moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr55,

An Act to revive Ranger Survey Systems Canada Inc.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Orders of the day? Nothing? No further business. We will recess until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1007 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I’m honoured to have Sarah and Lou Nirta from the riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, from the town of Parkhill, at Queen’s Park today. Welcome.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I have many grandparents who will be joining us here in the gallery today: Frank Cianciullo, Sonya Cianciullo, Lea Campbell, Archie Campbell, Betty Cornelius, Tami Downes, Matthew Frizell, Wanda Davies, Giovanna Valenti, Fay Brugger, Paul Brugger, Audrey Meikle, Alex Meikle, Joel Jacobson and Suzanne Jacobson. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I would like to introduce four excellent young people who have joined us today in the members’ gallery. They’re members of the Ontario Students Trustees’ Association: the president, Kayvon Mihan; the public board council president, Dasha Metropolitansky; the Catholic board council president, Nicolas Bottger; and Aidan Harold, who is a policy officer with the student trustees’ association. Speaker, please welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have two very special guests visiting Queen’s Park today for the first time: my next-door neighbour from Blue Heron Pond in Windsor, Nora Rehner, is here, along with her three-year-old granddaughter, Michaela, who lives in the riding of St. Paul’s here in Toronto. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I too have people visiting for the first time at Queen’s Park: first, from my constituency office in Pickering–Scarborough East, Michelle Viney and Dave Johnson in the upper gallery. I also have Laura Vaillancourt. She is the executive director of the Ontario Philharmonic, located in Durham region.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Please join me in welcoming the former mayor of Mississauga, the icon from Mississauga, Hazel McCallion.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: On behalf of my colleague the MPP for Niagara Falls, I would like to welcome family members of page Jackson Louws: his sister, Megan; his cousin, Erica George; and Jackson’s aunt’s sister, Charmaine Reid. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: It is my privilege to welcome a very special guest, the former mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion. She is in the east members’ gallery. I also extend a warm welcome to her guests: Erika and Peter McCallion, Diane Kalenchuk, Fran Rider, Pat Nichols, Jim Murray, Douglas Fowles, Ron Duquette, Amy Tjen, Kay Umemera, Najah Saad, Haroon Khan and Thomas Wellner. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you for joining us.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I am delighted to welcome Stefan Suvajac, who is a student trustee with the Thames Valley District School Board and here with Ontario Student Trustees’ Association.

L’hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Il me fait plaisir de souligner la présence de deux personnes très importantes pour moi : Anick Tremblay et Nathalie Montpetit, qui travaillent dans mon bureau de circonscription. Je les remercie d’être ici.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I want to acknowledge all of the members of our constituency offices, our staff, who are here. I know that we’re joined by many of them today, and I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park and thank them for all that they do.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Today, I would like to welcome the wonderful and very capable staff from my constituency office in Barrie, Ashleigh Latham and Pamela Nicholson, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Sue Wigg.

Mr. Granville Anderson: I would like to welcome the parents of page Emma-Rose, Sarah and Chris Hoog, and sister Lavinia Hoog. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would also like to welcome Kaitlin Jingco and Alanna Myers, two wonderful constituency staff of mine. Welcome.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: No words can express my gratitude for the hard work that my staff does in our community office in Ottawa Centre. I want to welcome Terri-Lynne Robinson, Jessica Dawson, Lydia Klemensowicz and Jayson Pham, who is our intern in the office. I want a big shout-out to Mai Habib, who is holding the fort at the office in Ottawa Centre. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Han Dong: I would also like to welcome my constituency staff, Roy Zhang and Sarah Haque. They’re joining us in the public gallery today. Welcome.

Hon. Charles Sousa: As noted, we’re going to be honouring an outstanding individual here today. Before us, we have the loyal friends of Hurricane Hazel up in the galleries. We welcome the good people of Mississauga to Queen’s Park. Thank you for being here.

Mr. John Fraser: I’d like to welcome Fadi El Masry from my constituency office in Ottawa. I’d also like to welcome Elise Roiron, who is my executive assistant here at Queen’s Park. She’ll be leaving me in the new year after five years, and I just want to thank her for all of her work.

Hon. Michael Coteau: I just want to wish MPP Baker a happy birthday today. Happy birthday.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Please help me welcome the grade 10 students from St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: I would like to welcome to the gallery today Heather Morrison, who is the chair of the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington children’s aid society.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: It is my pleasure to welcome the leadership of our student trustees here from MSAC, who I understand met with PA Anderson this morning. Welcome, all of you.

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I’m pleased and proud to welcome members of my team to Queen’s Park. Here today in the east gallery are my new staff members Lawvin Hadisi and James Maclean. Also here in the public gallery from my constit office are Meghan Sinclair, Sam Lash, Nicole Mills, Gillian Rowatt and Ali Baig. Welcome to Queen’s Park, everyone.

Mr. Yvan Baker: I’d like to welcome to the chamber my hard-working constituency staff. Up above, we have Charlotte Rouse and Catherine Dos Santos, and here in the east members’ gallery, Anne Wood. They work hard every day in Etobicoke Centre. I’d like to thank you for coming today.

I’d also like to welcome two dear friends, Becky Coles and her mother, Ann. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Jeff Leal: I want to certainly welcome my constituency staff from Peterborough: Andrew Bolton, Wat Lajoie and Matt Stoeckle. Charlene McClintock is at home doing it. It’s always interesting for some folks in Peterborough to come to the big city of Toronto.

Ms. Soo Wong: I have a couple of guests who are coming to Queen’s Park this morning. My staff from the constituency office, Jo-Anne Linton, Fiona Su, and intern Sheila Gu.

Very shortly, Mr. Speaker, I’m going to encourage all of us to welcome Dr. Joseph Wong, founder of ALPHA Education.

I encourage all my colleagues to attend the Nanjing Massacre exhibition in room 230 immediately after question period.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I just noticed, in the members’ gallery, that my student intern has joined us—Allison Headrick, from Oakville Trafalgar High School. Judy Rivard, my constituency assistant, is with her. Please welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: I’d like to welcome to the gallery today Vinay Singh, who has just walked in. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Last call for introductions.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: I am delighted to welcome to Queen’s Park today, for the first time ever, Rebekah Harris and Jake Keifer, who are members of my awesome constituency staff in Kitchener Centre.

Order of business

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Mississauga–Brampton South on a point of order.

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: Mr. Speaker, I believe you will find we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding Bill 16,

An Act to proclaim Hazel McCallion Day, co-sponsored by the member for Mississauga–Brampton South, the member for Windsor–Tecumseh and the member for Dufferin–Caledon.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Mississauga–Brampton South is seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? Agreed.

Member?

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: I move that the order of the House dated September 22, 2016, referring Bill 16 to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills be discharged; and

That the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order be now called; and

That the Speaker shall put every question necessary to dispose of the third reading stage of the bill without further debate or amendment.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member moves that the order of the House dated—

Interjection: Dispense.

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

Do we agree? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Hazel McCallion Day Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur le Jour de Hazel McCallion

Mrs. Mangat moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 16,

An Act to proclaim Hazel McCallion Day / Projet de loi 16, Loi proclamant le Jour de Hazel McCallion.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Merry Christmas, Hazel. Thank you all.

Oral Questions

Highway tolls

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. The Liberal members have a choice today, especially the members from Mississauga, Vaughan, Brampton, and York and Durham regions. They can choose to publicly stand with the best interests of their constituents, they can choose to stand for affordability and they can choose to stand against tolls in Toronto. Or they can choose to defend a tax-and-spend Premier, a Premier who is out of touch with the challenges of working commuters who can’t afford to pay another $1,000 a year.

Mr. Speaker, what choice will Liberal members make? And will the Premier allow her members to freely vote on the motion before the House today?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Before we get into the cut and thrust, I just want to wish everyone in this House, everyone in the gallery and the people of Ontario a very happy holiday time, whatever they celebrate. I want to wish them a merry Christmas, a happy Kwanzaa, a happy Hanukkah, and happy Diwali. Whatever their celebration, I hope that people have a chance to spend time with friends and family.

Interjection: Hear, hear.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Absolutely.

Mr. Speaker, I will say to the Leader of the Opposition that there are different ways of doing politics. I believe it’s very important that government and all politicians think about the long term at the same time that they think about the day-to-day, making sure that the decisions we make have a positive impact on people in their day-to-day lives.

But at the same time, we plan for the future and we make investments that are going to make prosperity possible in the future.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: In the 2014 provincial election, the Premier promised the largest infrastructure program in our province’s history. We’re still waiting. We haven’t seen any of those results from municipalities across the province.

In 2015, the Premier announced the fire sale—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. As all of you know, I’ve been struggling with my voice. It doesn’t mean that I still can’t get your attention by other means. Even on the last day, if it’s required, I’ll move into warnings. Yesterday, I even told you it got to a point where I might even move to naming, which is very unorthodox. If I need to apply that, I will do that. I insist on making this as calm as possible, with or without your help.

Finish your question, please.

Mr. Patrick Brown: In 2015, the Premier promised the fire sale of Hydro One would go towards infrastructure. Not a single cent has gone towards infrastructure.

And then last week, the Auditor General’s report showed the Liberals’ stunning level of incompetence when it came to managing our infrastructure dollars. It revealed the government is spending infrastructure dollars irresponsibly.

My question is this: Will the Premier come clean to the Legislature and say that the only reason we’re considering tolls in Toronto is because of this government’s waste, scandal and mismanagement?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. The member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell will come to order.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Infrastructure will come to order.

Those last two heckles are forcing me to say we’re now moving to warnings. You do not understand my resolve. I’ll make it happen.

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Just on the issue of the vote this afternoon: In private members’ business, there are free votes. My members will vote the way they choose to, and that’s always the case.

To go back to the importance of long-term thinking, I think that decisions have to be made on principle. The principle that we are operating with on this side of the House is that we need to invest in infrastructure. We need to build roads, bridges and transit. It’s extremely important that we do that.

The other principle that we operate with is that provincial government must have a respect for municipal government, and that local decision-making is important. As I’ve said, many of us are here on this side of the House because a previous government did not respect local government, did not pay attention to municipalities, and we’re not going to go down that road. We have a deep respect for local government.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The Premier did not answer my question of whether these tolls are to pay for the waste and mismanagement. It’s like the government is oblivious to the AG’s report, oblivious to the irresponsible management of infrastructure dollars.

Let me remind the Premier: The government gave out $8 million in bonuses to companies paving our roads, despite the fact that the companies falsified the quality of the work. This is a government that paid $23 million for highway repairs after three years, despite the fact that the roads were supposed to last for 15 years. This is a government that rewarded a company with a $39-million contract, despite the fact that they built a bridge upside down.

This is not a government that should be introducing new taxes or tolls. Mr. Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The Minister of Finance is warned. The member from Leeds–Grenville is warned. The Minister of Transportation is warned.

Anyone else? Thank you.

Finish, please.

Mr. Patrick Brown: The AG’s report was black and white: This infrastructure spending has been irresponsible. Will the Premier tell the House today that these tolls are only coming to pay for your incredible incompetence on infrastructure spending?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The billions of dollars that we are investing in infrastructure across the GTHA and across the province, building roads, bridges and transit, are creating 110,000 jobs a year.

I sort of understand why, politically, the Leader of the Opposition would invoke this kind of short-term tactic, but in the long run, if we as a government, if we as a society do not invest in the infrastructure that this province needs, then we will not prosper. We will not be able to provide the jobs for the young people who are the pages today. We will not be able to provide for the prosperity and the innovation in this province that we know is possible.

I’m going to leave short-term thinking to the opposition. We are in this for the long haul to invest in Ontario’s future.

Interjections.

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

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: They built an upside-down bridge.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nepean–Carleton is warned. Anyone else want to make their last comment?

New question.

Highway tolls

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. Approval of these tolls, these taxes on the DVP and the Gardiner is not just harmful to the 905; it’s harmful to the 416. City staff in Toronto reported—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Excuse me. Stop the clock. The Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation will withdraw.

Hon. David Zimmer: I withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You are now warned.

Finish.

Mr. Patrick Brown: City staff in Toronto reported that congestion on main city streets surrounding the DVP and the Gardiner will increase by as much as 29%. You’ve got more cars on city streets; it’s going to cause more gridlock, more traffic in the 416. The gridlock on Lake Shore Boulevard, the Queensway, Victoria Park, the Danforth and Kingston Road will make life more difficult for drivers in the city of Toronto.

Why is the Premier doing this to the city of Toronto? Why is she doing this to the 905? This is not the Christmas present that commuters in Toronto need.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: We covered this ground yesterday. We covered this ground a number of days ago. We’ve covered this ground repeatedly as the Leader of the Opposition has brought forward these kinds, as the Premier said, of very short-sighted questions.

It could not be more abundantly clear that this Premier and our government understand the importance of making sure that we are investing at the same time that we’re partnering with municipalities. At the end of the day, it is the only way for us to make sure that we continue to move the province forward.

For the life of me, given the evidence that we have in front of us, I can’t understand why that leader doesn’t get it, because—

Interjection.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It’s not the way I wanted to end it; this is the way you’re ending it.

Finish, please, Minister.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: As I was saying, everyone on this side of the House understands how important it is to make sure that we continue to partner with all levels of government, particularly our municipal partners. Premier Kathleen Wynne understands that, everyone on our side understands that and certainly former Mayor Hazel McCallion understands that.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The Premier is opening a dangerous box. It could create a war of tolls. What if the mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie, says that she wants a share of the revenue for drivers from Toronto going to the airport? If the mayor of Mississauga asked the Premier for a toll—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I can keep getting up. The Minister of Economic Development and Growth is warned.

Mr. Patrick Brown: If the mayor of Mississauga said that Mississauga deserves some revenue for Toronto drivers going to the airport, if they ask for a toll—you’ve given provincial permission to the city of Toronto. Are you going to say no to the city of Mississauga?

Interjections.

Mr. Patrick Brown: They shake their heads. This can’t happen without provincial permission. They are giving provincial permission. Will you give it to Mississauga? Durham is against this. If they want a toll, are you going to give it to Durham? Markham has said that this is taxation without representation.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Where does it end?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Where does this end?

My question is very clear. To the Premier: If Mississauga asked for a toll, if Durham asks for a toll, if Markham asks for a toll, will you say yes, like you have to Toronto?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore is warned and the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock is warned.

Minister of Transportation?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I notice that the member talks about the war of the tolls. Let’s talk about the war of the quotes instead of the war of the tolls.

Here I have a quote: “I applaud ... the Wynne government and Metrolinx for their commitment to ensure ... Mississauga receives important infrastructure investments and is at the heart of a plan to build an extensive regionally-integrated transit network.” That’s from mayor of Mississauga Bonnie Crombie.

In addition to that, that leader was in Durham—he mentioned Durham just a second ago—not that long ago, on August 29 of this year, when he said, “And if there’s a resolution of council saying that this is a top priority, then government should try to work with our municipal partners to respect municipal wishes.”

He said when he was at Flamborough, “My approach to infrastructure on a municipal level is this: We have to trust our local partners. You have to work with your local partners as much as possible. I’m going to try to defer to the decisions of local council.”

This wasn’t 10 years ago; it wasn’t 20 years ago; it was this year. This is what that leader said at that time, and today has changed his tune.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, these are diversion tactics. That was on new bills on infrastructure. Give me a break—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Come to order, please.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Toss a couple of Liberals out and it’ll quiet down.

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

Finish, please.

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question, directly to the Premier: You could start a war of the tolls. You have said that if Toronto asked for it, you’ll give them provincial permission. The mayor of Mississauga said that she deserves revenue from drivers from Toronto going to the airport. The mayor of Markham has said essentially the same thing for drivers leaving Toronto.

My question to the Premier, and please don’t avoid answering the question: If Mississauga asks for a toll, like the city of Toronto has done, will you give special provincial permission like you’re doing for Toronto? Yes or no? Are you going to start a war of the tolls? Be honest with the people of Ontario. For once, just be honest and answer the question.

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Beaches–East York is warned—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And if I saw who said that, I’d warn them, too. Very disappointing.

Minister?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I guess I can kind of understand why the leader of the Conservative Party gets upset. I guess I can understand why he gets upset: It’s uncomfortable for him to hear his own words of only a few months ago thrown back at him. And then, in his final question, he gets up and suggests that his own words are our diversionary tactics. I don’t know; I don’t really get it. I really don’t know who’s writing the material on that side of the House. I really don’t understand it at all, Speaker.

Here is what the people on this side of the House, every municipal partner we have and the people of this region know: We are building transit. The last time he and his ilk had a chance, they sold the 407. They sold it. Today, it’s tolled. It was tolled then, and they sold it.

At the same time, the Eglinton subway—they didn’t just kill it; they killed it and filled it. The only thing they’re fond of saying is how they wouldn’t build transit, and we are.

Interjections.

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

Government’s record

Ms. Andrea Horwath: If I may, I’d like to, on behalf of New Democrats, our caucus, as well as New Democrats around the province, wish all MPPs, all political staff and legislative staff, members of the media gallery, the Speaker and all Ontarians a happy and safe holiday season, as well as a prosperous new year.

My question is for the Premier. All across this province, people have an incredible desire to build a better Ontario and have a better future for our next generations. But instead of it getting easier to build a future here, it’s getting harder.

A good job with benefits is harder to find. People are being treated in hospitals that are overcrowded—dangerously overcrowded—and students are going to schools that are literally crumbling.

Why is this Premier ignoring these problems and letting them get even worse?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I absolutely agree with the leader of the third party that people across this province want to see our province built up. They want to see that bright future. To that end, here are the things that we have been doing. We’re making university and college tuition free for middle- and low-income students starting in September 2017—150,000 students. We’re taking the HST off electricity bills. That will provide savings to families and businesses throughout the province. We understand there’s more to be done, but this will help.

We’ve made retirement security a priority and we were able to reach a national agreement on the enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan. We’re doubling the land transfer tax rebate for first-time homebuyers. We’re investing historic amounts in child care to create another 100,000 child care spaces. That will make a huge difference for families, particularly mothers who want to go back to work.

Those are the things we’re doing that are building this province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Response?

Interjections.

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

Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: What’s clear is that this Premier promised to set the reset button and it just didn’t happen. Instead, we continue to see a Liberal government that’s more interested in helping the Liberal Party than the people of Ontario, a government whose focus is not on good jobs with benefits, a government that stubbornly refuses to stop the sell-off of Hydro One, that continues to neglect the crises that we see in our hospitals and in our schools.

When is this government going to start listening to the people of Ontario and get its priorities straight?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The leader of the third party suggests that somehow there’s a partisan bent to the results that we’re seeing in the province because of the investments that we’re making. I can say, Mr. Speaker, in the past year, of the 100,000 jobs that have been created across the province, most of those people probably have no political affiliation, but they have jobs because of the investments, because of the work that we’re doing in this province. Our unemployment rate is at its lowest level in eight years. That means people across the province are benefiting from that.

I know that there are regional differences and there are demographic differences. We need to make sure that more young people have opportunities. But we are leading the country. We’re one of the leading jurisdictions in the country in terms of the unemployment rate and in terms of our GDP—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You have a sentence to wrap up, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: In the first half of this year, the GDP growth in Ontario outstripped that of Canada, the US and almost all G7 countries. What we’re doing is working here in Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: What the Premier didn’t talk about is how she just, without any notice, got rid of sick leave and bereavement leave for a lot of workers here in the province of Ontario. I’m sure people aren’t happy to hear about that. People across Ontario are disappointed. I’m sure the Premier has heard it and I’m certain Liberal MPPs have heard it as well. In fact, Liberal staff in this gallery have heard it as well.

People were hopeful that the Premier would change, that things would change, but she hasn’t changed a thing and people are now at a breaking point. They can only take so much. This is the last day of the Legislature in this year of 2016. Will this Premier commit to changing course and start listening to the real concerns that the people have about their province and where it’s headed?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, I am happy to debate the realities of what is going on in the province and the realities of what we are doing. The leader of the third party talks about an adjustment that was made in terms of personal emergency leave and says that we’re getting rid of personal emergency leave and bereavement leave. That’s just not true. That is not what is happening. There is an adjustment that is being made, but 10 days is staying as 10 days; it will be seven and three.

If the leader of the third party wants to talk about what’s really going on in Ontario, wants to talk about the protections that we are putting in place for people, wants to talk about the fact that 85.5% of kids are graduating from high school, wants to talk about the fact that we have the shortest wait times in the country—if she wants to talk about those things and then talk about what more we can do, I’m happy to have that discussion. But let’s deal with the truth, Mr. Speaker.

Hospital funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is for the Premier as well. Here’s a dose of the truth: People in Hamilton, Brantford and Brant are going to hospitals that are dangerously overcrowded because of Liberal cuts and underfunding to our hospitals. The Auditor General said that it is unsafe for hospitals to be filled beyond 85%; so does the OECD. But this government has no policy on what level of occupancy is safe and has no policies or plans to deal with dangerous overcrowding in Ontario’s hospitals.

How’s that for a dose of reality? Does the Premier even believe that it’s unsafe for hospitals to be filled beyond 85%?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Well, it may be her reality, but it’s not the truth.

Here’s why I’m so disappointed with the leader of the third party. Yesterday, on CP24, she said, “We have 60% of our hospitals operating at more than 100% occupancy.” That’s not true. Here’s what the Auditor General said—and she was only looking at medicine wards, not all wards in hospitals. She said that last fiscal year, “60% of all medicine wards in Ontario’s large community hospitals had occupancy rates higher than 85%”—completely different.

Mr. Speaker, just to add—hopefully to adjust her reality so that she can honestly portray to Ontarians what the facts are—currently, with the most recent information, only one hospital out of more than 150 in the province is currently over capacity—3%; one hospital.

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m not actually very happy about that—at all. I would ask and advise everyone that we stay away from the unparliamentary accusations that I know you are all aware of. Thank you.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, as per my question, this government refuses to acknowledge what “capacity” is or isn’t. This minister thinks that 100% capacity is appropriate when we know the AG says it is not, the OECD says it is not, and it is not good for the people of Ontario. Shame on him that he likes hallway medicine in this province. Shame on him.

All across northern Ontario, hospitals are filled to beyond safe levels. People in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay are being put at risk because of overcrowded hospitals. Those are the facts.

Can this Premier and her minister tell people in Ontario—explain to them why their hospitals are overcrowded and why the Liberal government doesn’t have any policies or any plans to stop the overcrowding in our hospitals?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Look, we have challenges in our health care system; I will be the first to admit it. But it is such a disservice to our front-line health care workers, to the Ontario Hospital Association and to those administrators that work so hard, day in and day out.

I admit that there is much more work to be done, but I think we all owe it, when we’re speaking in this Legislature, when we’re speaking to Ontarians, to speak the truth.

For the member opposite to go on live television yesterday and state that 60% of our hospitals are operating at more than 100% occupancy, when the truth, from the AG herself—she says 60% of our medicine wards in our large community hospitals are at 85% capacity or higher, and the most recent data shows that a single hospital out of more than 150 is over capacity.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, how dare this minister, just like the Premier yesterday in question period—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. I would ask all members to just kind of tone it down—all members. I don’t need armchair quarterbacks to tell me when it’s too loud. This is really not the way I think anyone would want us to end this session. Really.

Please finish.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: How dare they shift the blame onto the front-line workers in the hospitals? That is a shameful thing. Registered nurses in this province are ending their shifts in tears, sobbing, because they can’t provide the health care they know they should be providing to the people of this province, because of the cuts that this government has made to our hospitals, to our nurses and to our front-line health care workers.

For more than two and a half years, Brampton Civic Hospital has been overcrowded. Mississauga Hospital and Credit Valley Hospital are regularly above 90% capacity. I don’t know what this minister’s talking about. Those are the facts. Sometimes they’re above 100%.

How many patients in Brampton and Mississauga have been treated in a hallway, have ended up with infection, have come home from hospital sicker than when they went in because this government has no policies and they have no plans to deal with the overcrowding in our hospitals?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. You say that 90 out of 150 hospitals are at over 100% capacity. I am saying it’s one. The public can choose who to believe. I can provide the facts, from the most recent quarter, that demonstrate that truth—unless perhaps she’s thinking about when they were in power, when they closed 24% of hospital beds across this province. That would be understandable.

The Auditor General also said that nine out of 10 people going to emergency are discharged within the provincial and the national target wait times. The Fraser Institute and the Wait Time Alliance have consistently ranked Ontario as having some of the shortest wait times in Canada. We have the shortest wait times in Canada for MRIs, CTs and ultrasounds.

We should be proud of the health care system that the Conference Board of Canada ranked as the seventh-best in the world, ahead of Japan, ahead of Germany, ahead of the United Kingdom and ahead of the United States. We should be proud of that. We should be proud of our front-line health care workers, and not spreading these mistruths and not disparaging our—

Interjections.

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

The minister will withdraw. You have to have your mike on.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I withdraw, Mr. Speaker.

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

Health care / Soins de santé

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Merry Christmas, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

It is the season of giving, but some gifts we receive are unwanted. Bill 41 yesterday delivered the gift of another layer of bureaucracy and increased red tape for our front-line health care professionals. With a bloated bureaucracy and mountains of red tape, this bill reversed the government’s previous intentions and shifted the power away from local decision-making back to the Ministry of Health.

Why did the government not listen to health care professionals and patients, and present Ontarians with this health care lump of coal?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: It was a proud moment yesterday in the Legislature when we did pass the Patients First Act, which makes a transformation that not only reduces bureaucracy—I don’t understand the member opposite. When we eliminate the CCACs, when we eliminate the boards that run the CCACs and integrate that into the LHINs—I know the member opposite wants to get rid of the LHINs.

I happen to believe, in the 10 years that they’ve been here—local boards, local decision-making—that they’ve worked closely with our hospitals, with our long-term-care facilities, with home and community care, with our mental health and addictions agencies. This bill allows them to coordinate that care better as well as work with primary care providers, work with public health and, as I mentioned, integrate the home and community care services into their functions.

I’m proud of this bill and, in the supplementary, it’s not simply that I’m proud; I’m going to talk about individuals who are also proud and who represent the front-line workers.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Back to the minister: Minister, the opposition parties of this Legislature presented 73 amendments before committee in relation to Bill 41. These amendments came from those who deliver health care first-hand and who are worried that patient care will suffer under this bill. One of those communities was the francophone community.

Will the minister assure the francophone community today that they will not be denied home care services in French?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Well, of course, I’ll provide that assurance and commitment. I’ve worked extremely hard since the moment I became health minister to make sure we not only meet our responsibility to Franco-Ontarians, to francophones in this province who want to and deserve to and have the right to expect to receive their services in the French language. I worked to exceed that commitment and that responsibility under the French Language Services Act. In fact, that act is specifically referenced in the Patients First Act. I have my own council, which is the French Language Health Services Advisory Council.

I took their advice. We incorporated it into the bill as we were drafting, and they expressed their 100% satisfaction, and these are individuals who not only represent the francophone community in this province, but they are leaders in the health field and advocate for patients. I took their advice. I’m working very closely with the commissioner as well and will continue to work to ensure that that responsibility is exceeded.

Hydro rates

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Premier. A new report released this week states that families will spend an extra $420 on groceries and dining out next year. Food prices overall are expected to rise between 3% and 5% for basics like meat and vegetables.

With too many Ontarians already living in energy poverty thanks to the callous policies of this government, my question to the Premier is: How many Ontario families need to live in energy poverty, and now food poverty, before this government cares enough to take action? When is enough going to be enough?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Again, I’m pleased to rise and speak about the programs that we’ve put in place to help those families that are struggling with their electricity bill, that are having a difficult time. I know the Premier has recognized that and has said that we’re going to continue to act. That’s what I’ve been doing since I’ve taken over, almost six months now, as Minister of Energy.

You know, Mr. Speaker, just go back to the speech from the throne a few months back. We brought forward an 8% reduction for all families across the province. Small businesses, families and family farms will receive that 8% reduction come January 1. That’s just a few weeks away. That is something that they can look forward to.

For those families that are still struggling, we have many programs that are out there for them to utilize. I do hope that those families contact their local utilities, contact some of the social services agencies that are out there, to get access to these programs. The Ontario Electricity Support Program is just one of those programs that help many of those families.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Back to the Premier: This report makes it clear that things are only getting harder for families in Ontario. Sylvain Charlebois, the report’s lead author, warned, “Those living in Ontario and BC should prepare for above-average food inflation—around 4% to 5%.”

With this government still stubbornly digging its heels in and pursuing the sale of Hydro One, and families forced to make impossible decisions between paying for food or hydro, my question to the Premier is: This holiday, will this Premier stop stealing the dignity of Ontario families and tell them that she will make their lives more affordable by stopping the sale of Hydro One?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, in relation to all of the programs that we’ve put in place, we are helping many of those families that are out there. The Ontario Electricity Support Program has helped 145,000 families already. We’re actually doing as much as we can to get more people signed up to this program to help these families, especially during this time of year. We know how important that is.

When it comes to the sale of Hydro One and the broadening of the ownership, just yesterday—the example of the reasons why we’re doing this is to build infrastructure and to make the company a better customer-focused company. Yesterday, they reconnected 1,400 families who have been disconnected. That is just an example of this company changing and being broader-based, ensuring that it can help people. That will make sure that they can get into a payment plan, moving forward, as this company continues to grow.

Hydro rates

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Ma question est aussi pour le ministre de l’Énergie, l’honorable Glenn Thibeault.

Speaker, as you’ll know, recently the Premier provided a reset on one of the essential goals for this government; that is, making everyday life more affordable for Ontarians. While Ontario’s economy is doing well, as we appreciate, not every family is seeing that impact on their personal day-to-day budgets. Perhaps nowhere is that challenge more pressing than on the issue of hydro rates. As the Premier indicated, helping Ontarians with the cost of everyday living is a top priority for our government.

In the speech from the throne from this fall, Speaker, as you’ll appreciate, the government announced new measures to curb the cost of electricity for Ontario homes as well as businesses. These measures will take effect on January 1, 2017.

Could the minister please inform this House in somewhat more detail about the measures from the throne speech that will lower electricity costs for Ontarians?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for that question and also for his hard work in this House.

Over the past decade, our electricity system has been transformed from a dirty, aging system to one that is clean and reliable. That transformation was for the better, but the costs of this transition have presented a challenge for some Ontarians. That’s why, this fall, we took action. We passed legislation which, beginning January 1—which is only a couple of weeks away—will provide an 8% rebate for every family, farm and small business in this province. At the same time, we will also introduce additional support for the most rural parts of our province and expand the programs for businesses.

Speaker, we’re proud of the work that we’ve done to turn our province into a leader when it comes to clean, reliable electricity, and that’s why we’re now acting to make this as affordable as possible for as many people as we can.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Je voudrais vous remercier pour votre réponse.

In my own riding of Etobicoke North I know that these programs will be a significant step and very well received by the families and businesses, and of course across the province. The 8% rebate will help to curb electricity costs for Ontarians across the board, while other programs will provide the type of support that keeps our province fair as well as competitive.

I understand that the measures from the speech from the throne are just a few of the many actions the minister has taken and will take to further reduce the costs of electricity. As he has been in office for just a short time—I believe that the minister has been devoted and diligent in executing this government’s commitments.

Speaker, would the minister please share with this House some of the other initiatives that our government is taking to lower the costs of electricity in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, thank you to the member from Etobicoke North for that question.

On top of the direct support to ratepayers provided through the speech from the throne, our government has been hard at work to find ways to remove costs from the electricity system. Back in September, we announced that we would suspend further procurement of large renewable generation. This announcement will avoid almost $4 billion in costs to the system.

In October, we finalized a deal with Quebec to increase and improve our electricity trade, making better use of our system and saving ratepayers $70 million in the process.

I’ve been in constant conversation with our partners in the sector, from our agencies to stakeholders to poverty and business advocates, discussing ways to save yet more money for the ratepayers.

I am committed to lowering costs for Ontario ratepayers. Whether it’s 50 cents or $50, I will continue to do everything I can to find reductions that ensure electricity is affordable across the province.

Hospital funding

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Auditor General tabled her annual report, which further confirmed the Liberal government’s stunning incompetence in managing our province.

The Auditor General’s report tells us that to get a bed at Ontario Shores mental health centre, patients with the same diagnosis in 2015-16 waited three weeks longer than five years ago. Those with borderline personality disorders, who waited about a month and a half in 2011-12 for outpatient services, are now waiting seven months.

My question to the Premier is this: How can she continue to defend the outrageous increases in wait times that have happened under her government’s watch?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I particularly appreciated this

chapter in the Auditor General’s report that helped point the way for us to identify challenges in our mental health system, specifically as it pertains to our hospitals that provide acute care for those with mental health and addictions.

She highlights areas where we need to continue to make improvements. For example, she talks about standards of care. Health Quality Ontario has already developed three standards of care in mental health for dementia and for schizophrenia that will allow our health care providers in our hospitals to follow best practices.

With regard to Ontario Shores mental health hospital, I was particularly proud when we made the recent investment to open up beds specifically for individuals with eating disorders. We’ve increased the operating budget of the hospital by $2 million this year as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Back to the Premier: I’ve asked the Premier previously about cutbacks at Ontario Shores. My questions have been met with Liberal spin from the health minister. As the clock mercifully runs out on this government, the fact is that its legacy of unprecedented scandal, waste and mismanagement has led to cuts to services Ontarians rely on.

Since the Premier didn’t answer my first question, perhaps she will answer this one: Will the Premier fire her health minister for the sake of patients at Ontario Shores?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’m not sure if I should be the one answering this part of the question, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Just say no.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: No. I’m hearing a “no.”

We recognize, when it comes to mental health and addictions, that there is a lot more work to be done. But I’m proud of the investments that we’ve made in CAMH, in Ontario Shores, in the Royal, which is in Ottawa, and in Waypoint. We’ve made substantial new investments in those hospitals.

In fact, I need to mention, because the MPP for Barrie is here—is there; now I can see her—I was recently in Barrie just a couple of weeks ago, where we announced a brand new inpatient and outpatient youth and child mental health unit, which will be providing a number of inpatient beds at the Royal Vic in Barrie, as well as being able to serve more than 3,000 individuals on a daily basis.

These are the kinds of investments that we are making. We know we have to not only reduce and eliminate the stigma; we need to invest more money—

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

Hydro rates

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. While this government sits idly by and makes excuses, the rising price of electricity continues to make life more difficult for our most vulnerable citizens.

The Downtown Mission in Windsor used to serve about 1,100 people a month. Now they serve 800 a week. It seems this is the only business that expands as hydro prices soar.

Speaker, will this government admit that their token hydro rebate is too little too late and that the sell-off of Hydro One is a mistake, and finally commit to providing real relief for people living on a low income? And I’ll repeat, because the Premier wasn’t listening: They went from 1,100 people a month to 800 people a week.

Interjections.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: No, you weren’t listening, Premier.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Just a reminder that you speak to the Chair, please.

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It is very important to me that we recognize that there is more that needs to be done in terms of hydro prices. As the Minister of Energy has said, we made an announcement in the throne speech that we were taking 8% off people’s electricity bills. We already had in place the Ontario energy support program, which is targeted at exactly the people who are living on low income, who need support. That’s why that program is in place.

As the Minister of Energy said, Hydro One is paying closer attention. The fact that those 1,400 people who have been cut off have been reinstated—the company is more attuned to what is going on in the community. But we know there’s more to be done, and we will continue to work to find solutions.

And, Mr. Speaker, I can do more than one thing at a time.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: People of Ontario are well aware that the Premier can multi-task. She can slash, cut and privatize all at once.

Again to the Premier: If this government was doing enough, then the people in Windsor wouldn’t be going hungry. The mission wouldn’t see an explosion in the population they serve. Essex Powerlines is installing load limiters at residences facing disconnection, allowing them to run a bare minimum amount of hydro so people can either heat or eat. The Keep the Heat program in Windsor has already helped more people in 2016 than in 2015, and that number will continue to grow.

While businesses, charities and non-profits are doing all they can, this government continues to make life more difficult. Speaker, will the Premier make providing real relief from hydro bills and stopping any further sell-off of Hydro One her New Year’s resolution in 2017?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I know the Premier mentioned this, but, yesterday Hydro One reconnected 1,400 families, just to show that they’re actually a better customer-focused company. And that’s what’s happening with the broadening of Hydro One: They are becoming customer-focused.

When it comes to disconnections, we recognize that there’s more to do. That’s why we’ve put in Bill 27, to give the OEB more power to ban all disconnections in the winter months. But unfortunately, it’s sitting in front of committee, because the opposition chooses not to act. They could have passed that with unanimous consent. We could have been making sure that that bill would have passed, and we could have worked with the LDCs to have that implemented ASAP, but unfortunately, they chose not to.

We on this side of the House recognize that we can continue to find ways to help those who are struggling, and we’ve done that: an 8% reduction, 20% for our rural folks, and we’ve got the OESP and other programs.

Child care

Mrs. Cristina Martins: My question is for the Associate Minister of Education for early years and child care.

Minister, I’m proud our government has made it a priority to improve and expand child care and early years programs in our province. In my riding of Davenport, I have heard from parents who say that demand for quality, affordable child care is great. It is encouraging to know the government is working to address the needs of Ontario families.

Just earlier this morning, I was proud to stand beside the Minister of Education to announce a new community hub in my riding of Davenport. Part of that announcement was that we were indeed securing child care spaces at Bloor and Dufferin. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, my constituents would like to know what the government is doing to make sure families’ needs are properly met.

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Thank you to the hardworking member from Davenport for this very important question.

I am proud that our government is making child care a top priority. In fact, our government has created a position dedicated to early learning and child care. This is a clear indication that we are committed to Ontario’s children and families. We are putting people first.

Since we took office, we have more than doubled child care funding to municipalities to over $1 billion a year, and the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario has doubled since 2003. In September, we committed to doubling the number of spaces again. Over the next five years, we will be creating space for 100,000 new children to attend child care, and we’re committing to improving and integrating our early years programs to better serve families.

Speaker, we’ve already begun public consultations to inform our framework. In fact, I attended a consultation last night in Toronto. We’ve held town hall meetings—

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

Supplementary.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I want to thank the minister for that answer. It’s encouraging to know that you are heading to towns and cities across the province to meet with families and sector leaders. I recognize that there is a lot of work to be done, but people involved in the child care and early years sector are keen to see how the system will be modernized, and parents are eager to see these new spaces open up.

The commitment of 100,000 new spaces in over five years: When can Ontario families expect to see these rolling out?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I’m pleased to answer the member’s question. I know that families and stakeholders are excited about this, and so are we. This is a historic investment, one that will benefit all of Ontario, which is why we are moving quickly and thoroughly.

As we heard recently in the fall economic statement, we’ve already taken our first step in creating 100,000 additional licensed child care spaces by 2022. We have invested an additional $65.5 million in this school year to support the creation of 3,400 spaces for infants, toddlers and young children. This investment promotes early learning and development while helping more parents find quality, affordable care. It’s the first step. We continue to build an early years and child care system that is high quality, seamless and meets the needs of parents and children.

Flood prevention

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. The mouth of the Nottawasaga River at Wasaga Beach has filled with sediment, and that has made boat passage between the river and Nottawasaga Bay virtually impossible. This includes vessels operated by first responders. But worst of all, if there’s a heavy thaw next spring and the mouth of the river is restricted, ice could accumulate and form a dam that potentially causes river water levels to rise. This would cause flooding upstream, impacting hundreds of people.

The town is earmarking $100,000 for dredging, money they shouldn’t have to spend. Wasaga Beach council would like to know: Why is the municipality faced with footing the bill for dredging the river when it is a provincial responsibility?

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: Thank you very much to the member for that question. My ministry has been reviewing the town’s dredging work permit application, and we’ve been out to assess the river to assess local conditions. Through this work, my ministry has determined that there’s not an imminent threat of flooding, nor an emergency situation at this time.

Speaker, it’s worth noting that before any dredging takes place, an environmental assessment will need to be completed to identify potential environmental risks or effects, including impacts to lake sturgeon and other species at risk, water flows and shoreline erosion.

It’s also important to note that dredging can have significant impacts. It can be highly disruptive to important habitats and natural conditions, and it’s also common for a change in weather conditions to contribute to the natural process of washing out the accumulated sediment and potential further opening of the mouth of the river.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Back to the speaker: With all due respect to the minister, we’ve been hearing this “blah blah blah blah blah” for several years now. The speaking notes haven’t changed, no matter who the minister is over there.

It’s clear to everyone, including local engineers—maybe the MNR doesn’t agree, but the new MNR doesn’t seem to agree with any municipalities anymore. The fact of the matter is, it’s clear to everybody involved, except the MNRF, that it’s time to dredge the river again.

We’ve had severe flooding in the past. Right now, there’s nothing wrong. I’m talking about the thaw that’ll occur in the spring. Hundreds of homes will be affected and hundreds of thousands of people could be affected. Why don’t we just prevent that and prevent those millions of dollars’ worth of damage, spend $100,000 now, do what the town wants and what everybody involved wants and get ’er done?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: Respectfully, to the member opposite, thank you for the supplementary question. But due to the fact that the work permit has not yet been approved, it would be inappropriate to discuss any costs that may or may not occur out of this.

I’d also like to remind the member opposite that, through our work, my ministry has determined that there’s not an imminent threat of flooding nor an emergency situation at this time. If that changes, then we’ll certainly be out there to reassess that. We’ll continue to work with the town, providing advice, guidance and support during the required environmental assessment that’s at work already.

I also wanted to point out that since the last time that dredging was permitted, in the year 2010, new information on species at risk in the river, specifically lake sturgeon, has come to light. Because of this, it’s necessary for any future dredging projects to be assessed, planned and carried out in a way that’s protective of the environment and the habitat of the river.

Casinos

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Premier. The OLG is currently in the process of putting forward the RFPQ and an RFP for a new casino operator in Niagara Falls. The way this process works, the focus is on upfront payments to the government and not on economic development, investment, job creation and, equally important, job protection. The Niagara Falls city council has passed three unanimous resolutions, and the Niagara regional council recently passed another one to support it.

Will the Premier commit today to delay the RFP and the RFPQ process to allow for it to be rewritten, giving greater weight to job creation, investment, economic development and job protection, as requested by the city of Niagara Falls and the entire Niagara region?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Thank you to the member from Niagara Falls. We’ve had ongoing discussions about this very issue, recognizing how important it is for us to modernize Fallsview and Casino Niagara as requested by council. In fact, we established a new bundle in order for them to be able to participate in that modernization process.

It’s all about building and creating more jobs and helping the economy in the local community. It’s why we proceeded to go this way, again at their request. Furthermore, we’ve committed to the new Niagara entertainment centre, which will be part of this bundle, enabling even further employment and greater attraction into the community.

We are going to proceed in a transparent and fair procurement process, as required, and as indicated to the city council. We’ll continue to work with them, recognizing how important it is to the local community and, frankly, to the province of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Wayne Gates: Back to the Premier: The casinos in Niagara gain up to 80% of their business from the GTA. They are the biggest employer in Niagara, with 4,000 employees, and create millions of dollars in economic benefits for our province. People want to travel to Niagara because they know it’s a world-class destination.

Unfortunately, the way the RFPQ and the RFP process is being run, we know that the big-name gaming companies aren’t going to bid. If they don’t bid, less people will travel from Toronto and that will put 1,500 good jobs in Niagara on the chopping block. We need to delay this process to ensure that big companies bid, because we cannot afford to let 1,500 workers lose their jobs.

When the city of Ottawa asked for the casino RFP to be delayed, that request was granted. Will the Premier follow her own lead and delay the process for the new Niagara casino operator, as requested by the city of Niagara Falls and the entire Niagara region?

Hon. Charles Sousa: The member from Niagara Falls has just reinforced our position. We know how important it is for the local community of Niagara Falls to have an attraction, like Casino Niagara, like Fallsview and like the new entertainment complex that’s being put forward. We also recognize how important Ontario Lottery and Gaming is to the province of Ontario. Over $2 billion are sourced as a dividend, which goes directly to the communities. For Niagara Falls, it has been one of the essential contributions to its local economy. We want it to grow.

The member is making reference to job creation and protection of jobs. Well, that’s part of the agreement within the RFPQ as it stands now. Furthermore, we’ve engaged a fairness monitor to ensure the integrity of the process so that all stakeholders that are engaged in the process are acting fairly. We have to abide by that as well. We’re going to take the necessary steps to ensure integrity and fairness—more importantly, working very closely with the local community to provide greater economic benefit to Niagara Falls.

Home ownership

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: My question is to the Minister of Finance. Minister, just recently you tabled the fall economic statement detailing t