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September 14, 2016

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2016-Sep-14 (PDF)

L003 - Wed 14 Sep 2016 / Mer 14 sep 2016

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 14 September 2016 Mercredi 14 septembre 2016

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate / Débat sur le discours du trône

Introduction of Visitors

Legislative interns

Wearing of pins

Legislative pages

Oral Questions

Energy policies

Hydro rates

Energy policies

Government policies

Government’s record

Minimum wage

Access to information

Fundraising

Education funding

Immigration and refugee policy

Highway construction

Disaster relief / Secours aux sinistrés

Electric vehicles

Members’ Statements

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario

Sarah Lewis

Community barbecue

Heritage railway and carousel

Autism treatment

Public transit

Calvin Stein

Community barbecue

Erica Wiebe

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Introduction of Bills

Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2016 / Loi de 2016 modifiant la

Loi sur le ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires (Commission de recherche sur l’aide sociale)

Promoting Affordable Housing Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la promotion du logement abordable

Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la responsabilisation de la Société des services de logement

End Age Discrimination Against Stroke Recovery Patients Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 visant à mettre fin à la discrimination fondée sur l’âge envers les malades se rétablissant d’un accident vasculaire cérébral

Stoneridge Development Corporation Act, 2016

Opportunity in the Sharing Economy Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur les possibilités offertes par l’économie de partage

Free My Rye Act (Liquor Statute Law Amendment), 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la vente libre de whisky (modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne les boissons alcooliques)

Protection for Motor Vehicle Accident Victims and Other Consumers from Unfair Legal Practices Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la protection des victimes d’accidents de véhicules automobiles et d’autres consommateurs contre les pratiques juridiques injustes

Liberty Tire Recycling Canada I Ltd. Act, 2016

Petitions

Government services

Environmental protection

Agri-food industry

Privatization of public assets

Natural gas

Missing persons

Hydro rates

Employment standards

Government services

Long-term care

Air quality

Gasoline prices

Private members’ public business

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate / Débat sur le discours du trône

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate / Débat sur le discours du trône

Resuming the debate adjourned on September 13, 2016, on the motion for an address in reply to the speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the session.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): When we last debated this bill, the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation had the floor.

Hon. David Zimmer: I was speaking yesterday. We stopped at 6 o’clock and I had two minutes and six seconds left on my rotation. I ran in here to finish the last two minutes and I’m still out of breath.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It will take you two minutes to get your breath.

Hon. David Zimmer: This is a very important issue. We have to get the electricity system up and running in Ontario in a way that will benefit voters, that will benefit businesses and that, in turn, will benefit our economy. To the extent that it benefits our economy over the long term, that’s good for our families, that’s good for our children and that’s good for our grandchildren.

So what has the government done to get the electricity system on a strong and sustainable footing? We have provided a way to reduce electricity costs for the typical consumer. That is done through the mechanism of a rebate on the provincial portion of the HST. In addition to that, there are other mechanisms to relieve the burden of costs on industry.

We are addressing the needs of the average consumer. We are addressing the concerns of industry and we are also, then, keeping an eye on the long-term planning to improve the infrastructure of the electricity system in Ontario. There are a variety of mechanisms that were referred to in the throne speech that will provide a stable electricity system for the province of Ontario, which is something that we all need.

My last comment: I would say that this is a challenging file. It’s a difficult file, but this government is up to the challenge. The plan is outlined in the throne speech.

Thank you, Speaker, for allowing me my remaining two minutes and six seconds.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): You’re worth every minute, Minister.

Questions and comments?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I appreciate the comments made by the honourable member. However, when we heard the speech from the throne, we found it very disappointing. Here we have a government that has been in power for 13 years, and it’s like driving a 13-year-old car where the muffler is shot, it needs new brakes and the tires are bald, but they think that by putting a new starter in, that car will be just perfect. Well, you still have a 13-year-old car that’s old and tired.

They talked about hydro rates and giving relief to Ontarians. It’s rather disappointing: They referenced HST, but really and truly it’s the provincial portion of the HST, which is 8%. Now, I have been asked, “Does that really provide some relief for people?” Well, sure. But keep in mind, a little over a year ago, this government took away the 10% benefit that consumers were in fact enjoying. They voted to take it away—the 10%—and now they’re putting 8% back on. So I have a challenge with that.

The other thing that I was really concerned about and that was alarming to me was the fact that there was not one mention of natural gas. Now, keep in mind, Union Gas is head-officed in Chatham. They employ hundreds of people in Chatham, thousands throughout Ontario. Not once did they mention natural gas. That was a big kerfuffle back when they first leaked it out several months ago. Now, having not mentioned it, my concern is that the delivery charges should in fact be a separate line item.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Questions and comments?

Ms. Catherine Fife: Yesterday’s debate I found incredibly interesting because the public relations exercise that we all went through on Monday with a reboot of this Legislature—or a changing of the channel, if you will, of this Legislature—was lost on the majority of the speakers from yesterday because the level of insensitivity, if you will, to the hydro issue in the province of Ontario was there in volumes.

Last night, actually, in Fort Erie, 150 residents came out; the member from Niagara Falls has just shared this information. They were crying. The people were crying. They were screaming. They were angry. They were throwing their bills at the organizers. What happened on Monday was really quite incredible because the Wynne government’s response to this pain, this anguish, this turmoil that they have put the people of this province through, is to offer them 36 cents a day in relief with this rebate—this rebate which, really, will make no difference in the lives of the people of this province.

So to change the channel—that didn’t work. The news yesterday was very clear. This was just an exercise in public relations. The people of this province deserve so much more. You know, 66,000 Ontarians were cut off their hydro last year—66,000 who could not pay their hydro bill. We all know, as MPPs, because we deal with these issues in our offices, that it costs $40 to $100 to actually hook up the hydro once again.

This is a government in free fall who have forgotten who they work for, who have forgotten who they serve. We are here on this side of the House to consistently remind them who they should be putting first in the province of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The Minister without Portfolio?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I would like to talk about Ontario’s speech from the throne, specifically about our balanced plan to build Ontario up for everyone. Our plan really talked about creating jobs and growth and helping people in their everyday lives. The throne speech started out by outlining how we were on the right track when it came to employment and also when it came to our economy, one of the strongest provincial economies in the country; also strength when it comes to jobs.

We have responded to people’s concerns, as you all know, when it comes to electricity. We’ve also helped families find affordable child care by creating an additional 100,000 licensed spaces within the next five years, starting in 2017. We’re going to introduce electoral finance reform. We’re also continuing to make sure that our young people have the right tools for a changing workforce. We’re building on a health care system that everyone can rely on, and we’re investing at record levels to build new hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in communities across Ontario.

As Associate Minister of Education responsible for early years and child care, I would like to talk specifically about child care, and how high-quality child care is an essential start to a child’s journey in terms of education and supporting their social, emotional and cognitive development.

I am proud of our commitment to create 100,000 new spaces in the next five years, because what this is going to do is double the capacity of licensed child care spaces in the province. By doing that, we are going to give parents the support they need in their daily lives, but we are also going to create a healthy environment for our young people to thrive and flourish. I think the bottom line is, that is probably one of the most important pieces in our speech.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Questions and comments?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker.

We heard the minister say that this throne speech addressed the needs of the people, but I would say to you, Speaker, that the throne speech certainly addressed the needs of the Liberal Party; there’s no question.

This is a billion-dollar band-aid. I asked the Premier yesterday where those billion dollars are coming from, because it has nothing to do with correcting or fixing the mess that they have created in the energy sector. It doesn’t lower energy bills. It’s not going to fix anything. It’s just taking your money—the taxpayers’ money, another billion dollars a year—and giving it back to you in the other hand—

Interjection: Plus interest.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: —plus interest now. You’d think it would probably be another $35 million a year on top of that for interest.

They’re just giving our own money back to us to appease us. That’s why I say to you that it has nothing whatsoever to do with fixing the problem.

I could understand, after listening to the Premier in her answer to me yesterday—they don’t get the problem. She told us—stood in the Legislature yesterday and said—that we make a profit from selling our power to the United States and Quebec—a profit. They don’t understand the difference between revenue and profit. They have revenue that comes in, yes, but they have expenses that are greater.

I’ll read to you, Speaker, from page 216 of the Auditor General’s annual report, where she said, “Ontario paid exporters a net total of $32.6 million to take our power.” We paid the United States and Quebec. That is just in a short period of time. It actually comes up to several billion dollars. Since the beginning, it has been $3.6 billion that we’ve paid them. That’s not a profit, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The new title for the minister is Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

Hon. David Zimmer: Thank you, Speaker.

The throne speech had a lot of other things in it also. I remind people that the throne speech pointed out that we are adding 350,000 hours of nursing care and about 1.3 million hours of personal support care for seniors. We are also addressing the affordable child care issues by creating an additional 100,000 licensed child care spaces over the next five years.

There’s the whole matter of the electoral financing reform measures that were highlighted in the throne speech.

In the throne speech, there was also significant comment on the investments we will be continuing to make in infrastructure matters such as hospitals, schools, roads and transit across the communities across Ontario, for the benefit of big-city Ontario and small-town Ontario. That investment alone represents $160 billion over 12 years.

We are also playing a significant role in reducing our debt-to-GDP ratio, which, if you analyze it closely, is levelling out. That augurs good news for our plan to have the budget balanced by 2017, as we have committed to. When you read through the throne speech, all of the issues and matters that we are going to tackle in a responsible way are still predicated on a balanced budget in 2017.

So in addition to all of the comments addressing the electricity issues, there are many, many other good things in the throne speech. It was a good throne speech; it reflects good government by the Premier of Ontario and my caucus colleagues.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Further debate?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I want to wish everyone a good morning starting off here and want to say that it’s a very big privilege for me, as leader of Ontario’s New Democrats, to respond initially, on behalf of our caucus, to the speech from the throne. I know that all members of the caucus, in fact, are looking forward to this debate, and I’m going to be dividing my time this morning with the member for Essex.

For the past three or four months we’ve been back home in our ridings, all of us, all of the MPPs in this chamber, listening to people. I know that that’s what we’ve been doing. New Democrats go back to our ridings when the House takes its breaks, go back and listen to the people in our ridings and listen to their priorities.

When I heard that the Premier was proroguing the Legislature so she could deliver a new throne speech, I hoped that we would see a real change of course for this government. I hoped that the Premier had been listening to people too and that she’d heard the same stories that I’ve heard. I hoped that the Premier would be making big changes and taking bold steps right now to make life better for the people of this province.

As New Democrats—and as Ontarians, frankly—hope is in our DNA. We believe passionately that together we can all do better. We can build a better future together and we can make sure that everyone shares in the opportunities that this great province has to offer. That sense of optimism, Speaker, that desire to lift each other up so we’re all better off together, is what drives so many people in this province, each and every day. And it never fails to inspire me.

I’m thinking about the incredible health care workers—the nurses, hospital workers, technologists and technicians, PSWs, doctors—everyone who takes our hand when we’re not well and helps us through our most vulnerable moments, helping us to heal, helping us to live better. They believe that we’re all better off when we take better care of each other.

I’m thinking of the remarkable education workers—the teachers, the support staff, the early childhood educators and the child care workers in this province—who pour every ounce of themselves into doing what’s best for our children. There is nothing better, as a mom—I think pretty much anybody would agree that there is nothing better than watching what our kids can do when they get a new opportunity. And we owe it to the fact that so many education workers devote themselves to making sure our kids get the support they need to succeed, inside and outside the classroom.

Our publicly funded schools are founded on our belief that every child and every young person should have the opportunities that they need to reach their full potential no matter where they come from, no matter how much money their parents earn, no matter who they are.

It’s that same belief that together we stand taller, together we reach higher, together we are stronger when all of us are stronger too. It’s that belief that leads so many women and men to work long and hard, to give everything they’ve got to build a better future for their families and, at the end of the day, to reach even deeper and give back to their communities. Ontarians have this incredible desire to build a better province and a better future. It’s that unwavering optimism, Speaker, that genuine belief that tomorrow should be better here in Ontario that drives millions of Ontarians to do the work that we do.

Everyone who lives in Ontario knows what a great place it is, and people are working hard to make this province an even better home, now and for the next generation. But to realize our potential, we need a government that makes the right decisions, day in and day out. We need a government that does everything it can to take down the barriers that stand in people’s way. We need a government that takes action to help folks lift their families up and improve their lives. We need a government that protects the public services that people count on, like our hospitals and our children’s schools, so they’re there when families need them.

Most importantly, we need a government that makes the right choices for the next generation. As I listened to the throne speech on Monday, I wanted to hear about the specific actions that this government was going to take to help people. I was waiting to hear the priorities of Ontarians reflected in firm commitments and detailed plans by this government. After 13 years, we need action.

Il faut agir pour améliorer la vie des gens.

Good words just are not good enough. Because for all the hope and incredible optimism that people have about our province, the truth is that more and more people feel that we’ve reached a tipping point here in Ontario. People can see that we need to have big changes. Big changes need to be made soon if we want our kids, our young people, to have a better future right here in Ontario.

Speaker, people see it in their own lives. They see it when they try to find opportunities for their kids or help their aging parents get the care that they need. For a lot of people, life is actually getting a lot harder. People have less security, and good opportunities are few and far between. For so many people, no matter how hard they work, they just can’t get ahead. Costs keep going up and people are struggling to keep up. When the bills come every month, people literally hold their breath, and at the very same time as that, costs are rising.

We have costs rising, bills increasing, but wages remain flat in the province of Ontario. So when the Premier talks about our economic recovery and growth, a lot of people wonder who the heck it is she’s talking about, who exactly is getting ahead, because people don’t see it in their own lives. But instead of helping, this Premier keeps making choices that actually make things worse.

In our schools, we see cuts to special education supports. We see teachers and education workers who have to pay for supplies out of their own pockets, and parents see a government that refuses to fix our schools and maintain them properly. There is a $15-billion repair backlog in our schools today, and it’s the result of years of neglect and underfunding by Liberal and Conservative governments who did not share the priorities of parents.

When young families need care, they should be able to find a spot in a high-quality, licensed public child care system, where the costs are affordable for every family. But that’s not what we have here in Ontario today. Over the past few years, this government has actually forced municipalities—Sarnia, for example—to shut down their child care centres and close those spaces for families in those communities.

On issue after issue, instead of helping people, the Liberals are making life more difficult. In this year’s budget, the Liberals tried to nearly double the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, and they only backed down because seniors and New Democrats spoke up and forced the Liberals to change course.

When it comes to the costs that people face every month, now the Liberals are planning to plow ahead with the sell-off of Hydro One. They’ve already gone too far down that road, Speaker. But against all evidence, against all the advice of the Financial Accountability Officer, against the will of 80% of the people of this province who say it is not the right thing to do, the Liberals are plowing ahead with the sell-off of Hydro One. Hydro One should belong to the people of Ontario, now and forever.

But this Premier has decided to sell it off to private investors who have one objective, frankly, which is to make higher profits off the hydro bills that Ontarians are paying. Over and over, this Premier keeps making choices that make life harder for the people of Ontario, and that has got to change.

You know, Monday’s throne speech could have gone a long way to help. It could have done so much to give immediate relief to families, to improve the quality of work in this province, to stop the sell-off of Hydro One and to make sure that everyone has health care they can count on and our kids have the supports that they need to succeed in the classroom. But that’s not what we heard, Speaker.

After listening to the throne speech, I can tell you that New Democrats will keep working for the real action that people need to see on health care, hydro, jobs and all of the priorities that matter the most to the people of Ontario.

Without real action now to make a difference in people’s lives, we won’t be able to build a future that we know is possible in Ontario, a future where we actually reverse the growing gap between those who get ahead and those who fall behind, a future where workers can actually find good jobs that lift them up into the middle class, a future where our economy is more sustainable and the prosperity that we create is shared by everyone who calls Ontario home, a future where we continue to welcome the world and do everything we can to fight inequality, tackle racism and eliminate systemic discrimination.

That’s the future we want, Speaker. That’s the future that we need to build here in Ontario, a future where every First Nations community has clean drinking water, where they have safe, affordable housing in every First Nations community and proper health care in every First Nations community, and where we lead the fight against climate change and make sure that northerners and low-income families aren’t stuck paying the highest price while big polluters are left off the hook.

It’s a future where we work to eliminate poverty and solve homelessness in all our communities, where we do everything we can to lift people up, and where people can see every single day that their government is actually working for them and actually making a positive difference in all of our lives.

There is no doubt in my mind that we can build a future that is more fair, more just, more prosperous and much more sustainable, and we can do that together, but to get there we need big changes, starting right now.

Let me focus on health care for a minute. Health care is something that you don’t think about until you need it, but then it needs to be there for you. That’s why we built our universal public health care system, where the care that you get is based on what you need, not how deep your pockets are. In Ontario today, the Liberals are making choices that actually undermine the future of public health care and put it at risk for the next generation.

Patients are waiting longer in emergency rooms. They’re waiting longer for surgeries. They’re waiting longer for the home care that they need. The wait time, in fact, for folks who are waiting in hospital to go into long-term care has increased by—get ready for this—280% since the Liberals took office.

And our hospitals are facing cuts year after year by this Liberal government, which promised the opposite. More than 1,400 nursing jobs have been cut. That’s just since the beginning of 2015. Hundreds of health care workers have been laid off, from Windsor to London, from Kitchener–Waterloo to Hamilton, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Barrie, Ottawa and here in the GTA; hundreds and hundreds of health care workers are no longer looking after my family and yours.

I’ve talked to patients like Jeff in London, who said that he had to wait months on end for his hip replacement. He’s not able to do the things that he loves to do in the meantime, and that wait is affecting his ability to work. His big concern, on top of all of that, is that the only answer he gets is more prescriptions to take away the pain, instead of actually dealing with his physical problem and his hip replacement surgery.

I’ve talked to nurses like Rebecca. Rebecca told me that her workplace is so short-staffed and working conditions are so overwhelmingly overcrowded in their emergency rooms that the situation right now is worse than she has ever seen in her considerable career as a nurse in this province.

Our hospitals are closing beds, contracting out services to private companies and laying off workers and health care professionals. That’s the Liberal health care system in the province of Ontario.

It was New Democrats who revealed just last spring that many of our hospitals are, in fact, running at over 100% capacity month after month. The gold standard for capacity of hospital beds being filled is 85%. That’s not even the gold standard; that’s the worldwide standard for hospital occupancy rates—85%. In Ontario, it is over 100% consistently in most hospitals.

We also revealed that more than $3.2 billion in unfunded, urgent repairs that need to be done inside our hospitals are sitting and waiting for that work, but the Liberals still refuse to tell us how each local hospital shapes up. So much for transparency.

There is a growing crisis, a silent crisis in our health care system, but the throne speech said almost nothing. That was the most deafening of silences.

The Liberals have no plan to tackle overcrowding in our hospital hallways. We have hospitals now where, in the hallway, there are labels that say, “Hallway room 1. Hallway room 2. Hallway room 3.” I don’t remember having that, Speaker. For years and years, we didn’t have that kind of problem in our hospitals, but under the Liberals’ watch, we have hallways that are now labelled as if they were rooms.

What kind of dignity and what kind of privacy does that allow the people in Ontario who need hospital services? None whatsoever. Shame on this government for letting things deteriorate to that point.

They have no plan to stop the cuts in our hospitals. They have no plan, as I said, to tackle the overcrowding. They have no plan to protect public health care and make sure that our local hospitals are actually there when people need them.

New Democrats are going to keep fighting to change that. We’re going to keep working to build a health care system that actually puts people first. Our hospitals need to be stable. We need to have stable and predictable funding for our hospitals that keeps up with the growing costs of inflation and population growth. At a bare minimum, that’s what this hospital system in our province requires. Each and every year, at a bare minimum, that’s what’s needed. We’re going to keep fighting to protect and strengthen our public health care so that it’s there not just for our parents as they age, but for our kids too and, yes, for their kids.

We need action now, and it can’t stop with health care. We need to see real action to make life more affordable, too. I don’t know if the Premier knows this, but since she was elected leader of the Liberal Party and took office as the Premier of Ontario, peak hydro rates have increased by more than 50%—just since she’s been the Premier of this province. That’s her record on hydro: higher costs for families and seniors and higher costs for businesses, which makes it harder for them to hire new workers.

Six years ago, in September 2010, the New Democrats were the party that called on the Liberals to take the HST off the hydro bills as just a first step to lowering the bills. Six years ago, when the Liberals brought the HST to Ontario, something that the majority of Ontarians were against—six years ago, we said that we shouldn’t be forced to pay a sales tax, an HST, on a basic necessity like keeping the lights on. The HST should never have been put on those bills in the first place, and the only reason we have the HST on hydro today is because the Liberals put it there.

For 75 months, people have been forced to pay the HST on their hydro bills and now, finally, finally, six years later, the Premier says she’s going to start giving folks a rebate on their HST. I guess that’s good news. It means a bit of relief for people when they pay the bills. But the Premier’s rebate also raises a lot of questions. Why make people wait for four months? Why force folks to pay the HST on hydro for four more months before getting the relief? How long is this rebate really going to last? What’s going to prevent the Liberals from cancelling it at any point? People need relief now.

C’est maintenant qu’il faut agir.

So my message to the Premier is clear and straightforward: Take the HST off hydro once and for all. Do it already. Get rid of it for good. When families and seniors open up their next hydro bill, they should see an 8% cut in their costs. They should see that the provincial portion of the HST has been removed, effective immediately. That’s what should happen.

Don’t stop there. We have to do so much more to lower hydro bills for the long term and prevent those costs from getting any worse. We have to stop the sell-off of Hydro One—stop it in its tracks. We have to stop any further privatization overall of our hydro system. Privatization has been the biggest bane, the biggest problem in our electricity system. For 20 years, Conservative and Liberal governments have privatized critical parts of our electricity generating and transmission systems. That’s what has happened. It is no secret. It is no curiosity.

There is no kind of smoking gun somewhere that we have to find to determine why things went wrong in our electricity system. It is as plain as the nose on your face. It was the Conservatives that started privatizing the generation of electricity—they wanted to go a lot further; they held back—and the Liberals came in right behind them and finished the job and continued privatizing more and more. And now they’re privatizing Hydro One. It has driven costs up for everyone.

Today, our neighbours, the bookend provinces which we sit in between, Manitoba and Quebec, both have public hydro systems—completely public hydro systems like we used to have. And you know what? They pay half or less than what we pay. They pay half or less of what we pay in their hydro bills, so it’s no secret. There’s no secret. The bottom line is that the mess in our hydro system started with the Conservatives and has continued under the Liberals, and it’s time to make big changes in our hydro system.

It’s time to put the people of this province in the driver’s seat and make decisions that don’t just work for the government’s friends, whether it’s a Conservative government or it’s a Liberal government, but decisions that actually work for all of us. That’s what needs to happen. The throne speech on Monday should have announced that the government would stop privatizing Hydro One, but once again, the Premier was silent when it comes to the kind of real action the people need to see.

Let me talk about jobs for a minute. We need to take action now—now—to protect and create good jobs in this province. In fact, action should have been taken long before now to improve the quality of work for millions of people across this great province and to make sure that every worker can actually support their loved ones and build a better future for their families. That’s not a lot to ask.

This might have been the biggest disappointment in Monday’s throne speech, at a time when so many workers are struggling to find good jobs, when young people are working full-time just trying to find work, when so many workers have lost their good jobs and now find themselves too young to retire but too old to start over, and when so many of the jobs being created don’t come with the decent pay and security that every worker needs.

I’m disappointed and frustrated beyond belief by this government’s failure to act, and by its lack of focus on one of the most pressing challenges faced by young people and workers of every age. We’ve lost 300,000 good manufacturing jobs in this province over the last decade—again, while this government was at the helm. And across Ontario, between 2003 and 2011, while this government sat in office, the share of employees in that time—this is important—working for minimum wage in the province of Ontario more than doubled.

Nearly one in every 10 workers is now taking home a minimum wage today that is simply too low to get by on, never mind to get ahead. Worst of all, the explosion of precarious work in this province is entrenching the very inequalities that social democrats and progressives are committed to eradicating.

Now, the good news here is that we can change this. We have everything we need in Ontario to make sure our economy actually works for working people. We just need to see bold action from the government. We need to see the kind of action that the Liberals refuse to take. We have to protect temporary workers from predatory temp agencies by guaranteeing equal pay and fair treatment for every temporary worker. The government needs to bring forward changes in the Employment Standards Act to ensure that every worker has the ability to care for their loved ones and spend time with their family, and can share in all the benefits that this province has to offer.

We have to lift people up, raise the bar and make sure that no working family is stuck living in poverty. We have to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Ontario. Yesterday, Premier Notley and the NDP government in Alberta passed regulations which will lift Alberta’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Ontario should be leading too. We should raise our minimum wage to $15 an hour.

On top of that, on top of these real changes that will make a difference in so many people’s lives, we have to make it easier for the next generation of workers to join a union and join the middle class. The facts are clear. The facts are very clear. When workers can join together, speak up together and bargain together for a better deal, it’s not just those workers and their families who are better off; our entire province is better off, too. Workers and unions always stand up to make more room for people inside the middle class, and that’s exactly what we need today: more room for people inside the middle class.

We need action to make it easier for young workers, struggling workers, part-time workers, contract workers—workers across the board—to join a union and see the benefits of joining the middle class.

Nous devons renforcer notre classe moyenne.

We can’t let barriers stand in the way of a better future for the next generation. Joining a union and obtaining a first contract is the best ticket into the middle class, and growing the middle class is the best way to build a future for all of us in this province.

This is the kind of action that we need to see in Ontario today, and the Premier’s throne speech could have done so much more to make a difference in people’s lives right now.

I was hoping for change on Monday, but that’s not what we saw. The Premier decided to keep on cutting hospitals, keep selling Hydro One and keep on refusing to take real steps to improve the quality of work for millions of Ontarians. We will hold the Premier accountable for those decisions, but even more importantly, New Democrats will stand up with Ontarians. We will speak up for what matters to the people of this province, and we will be the voice for action and the bold changes that people need to see.

We will push this government hard to take action that improves health care, makes life more affordable and more secure, and makes the quality of work so much better for so many more workers. We will put forward a positive vision, based on real action that will improve life for people across this province.

New Democrats know our priorities, Speaker. We know our priorities very well. We know them very well because they’re the priorities of people. New Democrats are working for this generation and the next, and we are not going to stop until we build a better future for all our young people, for all people, right here in Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Further debate?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I want to congratulate our leader, Andrea Horwath, on a wonderful, inspiring speech, which actually should make up the next speech from the throne for an NDP government, when we finally turn this province around.

Speaker, I am honoured to follow our leader to speak in response to the Wynne government’s speech from the throne. We have had some time over the summer to consult and commiserate with our communities, to listen to them, to have those impromptu meetings in Tim Hortons and the restaurants all around our ridings, and to connect with the people who sent us here.

It has never been clearer that our communities are suffering and that they require and demand a government that responds to their needs, that understands that times have never been tougher and that they are losing hope, not only for themselves and their current situations, but for their family members and their friends and colleagues.

The opportunities that this government promises, and that we have heard from successive speeches from the throne and budgets that have been laid out from successive governments, have not presented themselves in a way that benefits our communities and the people who live there.

That’s why we are sent here today. We continue to persevere to address those issues and to highlight where the Wynne government has continued to fail glaringly. We know that hydro rates in this province have just recently cost the Wynne government a seat in this House. The Scarborough–Rouge River by-election was a message sent to the government that, frankly, if the direction isn’t changed, they’ll soon be on their way out of this building. And it couldn’t happen soon enough, Speaker.

We know that across this province, from one quadrant to another—the north, the northwest, the east and the south—people are having to choose between paying their hydro or paying for food. This is Ontario. This is the most prosperous province in Confederation, and yet we’re at a point now where one of the most basic amenities is no longer affordable.

Speaker, I’ll bring you back to 1905. Some on the Liberal benches may remember the government of the day. It was the government of James Whitney, who was a Conservative.

The minister of energy and hydro at that time was a gentleman called Adam Beck. We should all know the legacy of Adam Beck. We should all know the history of Adam Beck. Often, when I think about hydro rates and I think about the nature of hydroelectricity generation and distribution in this province, I go back to Sir Adam Beck, because he is the father of public hydro in Ontario. Sir Adam Beck knew at that time that electrification and distribution of hydro and access to electricity was not only vital for the growth of this province and the prosperity of the province, but he knew that it had to be affordable.

In that light, he has left us with not only a legacy of public power and the growth that has ensued because we had a public power system, but he has left us with some great quotes that I’ll give to you right now for the benefit of the House.

Speaker, he’s quoted as saying, “We must deliver power to such an extent that the poorest working man will have light in his home.” That’s Sir Adam Beck, a Conservative, talking about the working man, at that time, in 1905. We would be hard-pressed to hear those words, I believe, from the right wing at this time.

Another quote from Adam Beck, as he flipped the switch on Ontario Hydro: As he flipped the switch to light up this province, he said, “For the people.” That was top of mind for Adam Beck: “For the people.” And shouldn’t it be that in perpetuity? Shouldn’t we continue to honour that legacy, to understand the benefit that we have in a public power regime?

Mr. Ted McMeekin: Wasn’t it free, too?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: It was at cost, and it should have been at cost. But the decisions that are being made by the Wynne government, by Kathleen Wynne and successive hydro ministers who have failed us, the decisions that have been made to privatize Hydro One now leave us with a legacy not for the people but for the profit, because the profit of that system will now go to multinationals that will absolutely rain down a level of unattainable, insufficient and expensive power that this province has never seen before.

And we have examples of it. We have examples of it dating back to 1999, where, in a brief moment of time, the Conservative government of the day, Mike Harris, allowed himself to be a full Conservative—showed his true colours—when they went full privatization. They deregulated the industry. We saw power costs at that time increase almost overnight. Immediately, we saw power jump 30%, in a time where the province was struggling economically, in a time where interest rates were certainly higher than they are today. We saw power costs explode in this province. What did they do?

They hightailed it back to some measure of public ownership. They cut their losses, but we are left with that legacy and we see it every day on our hydro bills as the stranded asset, the stranded liability that we see. That’s about a $19-billion price tag that we have yet to fully eradicate.

Our leader, Andrea—I referenced that that should make up the context of a speech from the throne. If people are listening today, they will find hope in that message, that there is a political party in Ontario that has their needs as a priority, that has listened. And how do you know that? Well, let’s look back six years, when then-Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who was from our neck of the woods down in Windsor, decided it was a great deal to partner with the Harper government at the time to bring in and impose the harmonized sales tax on Ontarians.

Now, New Democrats joined with the people of this province to fight tooth and nail, to fight the imposition of the HST. It was a fight that ultimately was not won, but at that time we said, “If you’re going to bring it in, at the very least exclude hydro and natural gas, exclude those from the harmonized sales tax, from the HST.” These are inevitable requirements to live in this province. You have to heat your home and you have to keep the lights on. So it was a common sense proposal.

It was something that we thought, at the very least—as we knew that costs were going to rise for everyday items in this province—the government could understand that they could do for the province.

Now, six years later, we see they have finally come to their senses and have understood that people need some remedy. They need some relief. You’re offering them 8% after we’ve seen, under the Kathleen Wynne Liberal government, a 50% increase over the last four years in hydro rates—a meagre, measly 8%.

I’m having a fun time reading the comments, the editorial comments, as of the last couple of days on this plan, because it is indicative of the fact that this government has done so very little for the people of the province that I don’t think there is anything you can do from here on in that will reverse your fortunes. You are in a tailspin. Your government has made the wrong decisions, time and time again.

Whether it’s the privatization of Hydro, whether it’s the cancellation of gas plants, whether it’s eHealth, whether it’s public-private partnerships that have cost this province $9 billion, you fail the province every time. It’s time to reverse the course, and the New Democrats will be doing that.

The speech—the would-be speech from the throne—can we call it that? The would-be speech from the throne that we should anticipate after the next election—we can’t wait. The speech from the throne that our leader Andrea Horwath will deliver will present a remedy—

Mr. James J. Bradley: Presumptuous over there.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Presumptuous? It is inevitable. You’re leading us down that path, and people can’t wait to get rid of your government. They cannot wait—believe me. And we’re going to help them. We’re going to help them get there because we know that people in this province prioritize their health care above everything else. That’s one thing I think we can all agree on. We all talk to the same people and when it comes down to it, the health of their family, their friends, their community is paramount.

Yet, again, under the Kathleen Wynne government, we have seen a degradation of our health care system to the extent that we’ve never seen before. People are being warehoused in our hospital system, as we’ve heard. We have hallway health care, where you’re lucky to get a room, you’re lucky to see a physician for a brief time, and you are warehoused in overcrowded hospitals. That’s your legacy.

We have an infrastructure deficit where our hospitals are falling apart and the government doesn’t even want to recognize its own failure. You can’t bring yourself to actually see those numbers, let alone present a clear picture of the infrastructure deficit that exists in our hospitals. I’ll give you an example just in Windsor, the other day. We know that they are struggling with an antiquated, outdated sterilization system in a hospital that certainly predates my birth and many others in the city—I think it’s over 100 years old—Hôtel-Dieu Grace hospital. But the system that is there is breaking down.

That is directly as a result of the cuts that this government has imposed on our province and on our system. We see front-line care workers being fired, nurses being fired in every community across this province, directly affecting the health and the well-being of our friends and family.

That’s your legacy. That’s the legacy of Kathleen Wynne. That’s what we have come to expect. But we can expect so much more. We can expect the next speech from the throne, from an NDP government, to address the priorities of the people that we hear so clearly, not address the priorities of the profiteers that have been knocking on the door and having that door swung wide open by the Kathleen Wynne government for years and years.

Our leader, Andrea Horwath, spoke about the quality and the nature of the employment and jobs in this province. Anyone who is entering or re-entering the job market these days knows that it has never been more challenging. Access to good-quality employment, a good job, let alone a career, is almost unattainable. We have an explosion of part-time, precarious work. We have an explosion of temporary agencies that are now the mainstay of employment recruitment.

I can remember a day when the back pages of the classifieds were full of help wanted advertisements, and these were good jobs. At 18 years old, you could find a decent job. You could find something that allowed you to support your university education or your post-secondary education. You could find a job that could pay the rent and pay the utilities and maybe give you a little bit of leisure spending.

No longer, Speaker. People in this province are having an absolute challenge to find gainful employment, and why is that? Well, under the Kathleen Wynne government, we’ve seen a lackadaisical approach to employment standards. We’ve seen neglect on the part of supporting improvements through organized labour. We have seen a government that frankly is a neo-Liberal government that has a laissez-faire approach around economic development: Let the market create itself. Let the market spur its own economic development.

Well, let me tell you, you have a role to play. You have a role to play in supporting job creators who are there, who are innovating, who are looking to hire. You have the ability as a government to enable and enact supportive measures, like my colleague from London, in work-integrated learning through our post-secondary institutions.

You have great ideas. You have the ability to ban temporary agencies from paying workers less than their colleagues make, working right beside them. You have the ability to do that, but you haven’t. You have abdicated your responsibility. Why? Because we believe that you just don’t care, or you’re tone-deaf to the needs of workers in this province.

That’s why New Democrats, time and time again but particularly now, faced with this crisis, have presented you, as a government, with some really tangible ideas, some real tangible, attainable ideas. One: Ban the ability for temp agencies to pay their workers less than the workers they work alongside. You could do that today. You can do that today, and it’s something that workers are wanting.

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s stealing from workers.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Essentially, you’re sanctioning wage theft from workers in this province who have no other recourse but to go through a temp agency to get a job.

Speaker, 10% of workers in this province work for minimum wage—$11.75 an hour, I believe—

Ms. Catherine Fife: Mostly women.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: —mostly women and vulnerable new immigrants who need to provide for their families.

This government can follow the lead of the Premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley, and her government, who just recently raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour. They are showing true leadership in this country. They understand the priorities of the people.

Speaker, I don’t know if you know—we’ve had many discussions, but for the benefit of the House, prior to being elected I was a member of the Labourers’ International Union of North America, LIUNA, Local 625. I worked on infrastructure projects, built bridges and roads. It was a good job. I started when I was 19 years old and worked my way through, on and off seasonally, when I was going to university. Then I got married. There was always a good job there for me through the union. I made a good wage.

I probably made 25 bucks an hour as an apprentice, getting up towards 30, 32 bucks an hour as a journeyman labourer. It enabled me to provide for my family. It enabled me to pay off university debt. It enabled me to have benefits like dental and health care and prescription drugs. It enabled me to be protected at work so that if I was hurt or injured, they couldn’t fire me.

I was able to be a part of that union because the construction sector in Ontario is a card-based certification process. You get to join a union if you and 51% of your colleagues decide it’s time to organize your workplace. You sign a card, you say, “We’re ready,” you submit that to the labour board and you become unionized. You make that decision; it is a worker-based decision.

But we are the only ones in this province—the construction sector—who get that privilege. Everyone else has to have a vote that is sometimes biased and influenced by overzealous and heavy-handed employers.

The fairest way, the best way for workers to organize is card certification. It provides for a measure of security. It brings people into the middle class. It enables people like me to be able to have a job, to be able to provide for my family, to buy my first vehicle.

There are thousands of workers out there today—tens of thousands—who would love to have that opportunity, but are blocked from that opportunity because this government hasn’t changed the rules. Why is it that one sector, one industry in this province has the ability and others don’t? Do other sectors not work as hard as construction workers? I would argue no. I would argue that service workers work just as hard, if not harder, every day. They deserve that same right. It’s time for this government to bring in card certification in this province.

I did a little bit of research, knowing that I was going to have the ability and the privilege to speak today. It may have been quoted here—I’m sure one of my brilliant NDP colleagues has quoted and referenced this in relation to hydro rates—but I’m going to give a shout-out to Tom Parkin. Tom is a researcher. He has got a long, storied career in the progressive movement and labour rights.

Tom, thanks for putting this out on Twitter today. He quickly let us know that the rates in Manitoba per 375 kilowatt hours—in Manitoba today, you’d pay $36.34. In Quebec, you’d pay $33.60. In Ottawa today, you’d pay $70.96—

Ms. Catherine Fife: Double.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: —more than double the rate of the two provinces adjacent to us, two provinces that have fully public hydro systems for the benefit of their people and the benefit of their industries, to be economically sustainable and to use their systems as a strategic asset.

What do we do? We sell it off in a fire sale, because they’re out of ideas and they can’t make the right decision. It is time, Speaker, that we change this government, if not for hydro, then for a legacy of missteps that have been to the detriment of the people of this province.

We are lagging behind in this province. It’s all well to say that you have a plan, but to not put any resources into it and to not have any oversight or governance in it is a shame. It is right for those folks to be speaking out, and you can rest assured that the next throne speech by the new NDP government will address the issues of the disabled in this province, because that’s what they deserve and that’s what’s fair.

Speaker, along with many of my colleagues I want to give thanks to my colleague from Windsor West, Lisa Gretzky, who initiated something quite unique—not unique. What’s the word? Brave. She was brave, in that she asked residents of our riding and our adjacent riding to send in their hydro bills to the community office.

Yes, you’re shaking your head over there because you would hate to get the hydro bills in your community offices.

She said, “Send me your bills. We need to see these.” In a couple of days, she received hundreds of hydro bills from people who are struggling, who can’t make ends meet, who don’t know where to turn.

Mr. James J. Bradley: And your solution is?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My solution is to fire the Liberal government, to get Kathleen Wynne out of here. That’s the number one solution. But that’s not coming from me. Don’t take it from me. Read the editorials in the Windsor Star, because after your 8% HST rebate, they’re having none of it. Where you might want to go on vacation after, Minister, is to Nunavut. Go see what the hydro rates are in Nunavut.

Speaker, just yesterday I received another Facebook text, and a copy of a hydro bill, from a gentleman who owns a restaurant in LaSalle. I won’t mention his name. This is it; he’s done. He cannot continue. He had a $6,000—this is a small, mom-and-pop, greasy-spoon restaurant, the ones that we like to go to. This isn’t Big Macs. This isn’t McDonald’s. This isn’t the big chain restaurants. This is just a small, family-run restaurant. He can’t do it. He has got a deep fryer. He has got some lights. This isn’t the Ritz-Carlton. It’s $6,000 a month.

This is what you’ve created. These are the economic conditions for small business growth in this province. You are stymieing any type of economic growth or opportunity. And if you don’t realize that now, you might realize it after the next election when you’re sitting at home looking at your own hydro bill, wondering how you’re going to pay for it.

Speaker, they are all tied together. These are ideas and concepts. It is interesting to hear the Progressive Conservative Party try to champion the maintaining of public power in this province. They’re against hydro privatization. I call “shenanigans” on that. I highly doubt that, in their heart-of-right-wing hearts, they truly believe that we should have a public utility in this province. They don’t want anything public. They don’t want universal health care; they don’t want universal education; they’d love charter schools, I guarantee it; and they’d want privatization of utilities. There’s no question about it.

If they say any different, then they should check their membership card and see what party they truly belong to, because that’s not the ideology of the Progressive Conservative Party.

If they are to learn from history, I would suggest they go back to Sir Adam Beck. He sounds like a good New Democrat, actually. He sounds like somebody I could have supported—

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Had a beer with.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: —or had a beer with, for sure.

I’ll leave you with one last quote, Speaker. Sir Adam Beck knew that the profiteers, the vulture capitalists, were going to be coming for this massive entity that distributed power at cost, non-profit. He knew it. He saw it. He had the foresight to understand that this thing could make a huge amount of money, and the banks and the profiteers were just circling like vultures; they were ready. But Adam Beck knew that it was for the benefit of the people that we maintain this as a public asset.

He knew it, and he left us with a quote that I hope is ingrained, and should be ingrained, in every member of the Kathleen Wynne Liberal government. I’m going to leave you with it. Maybe the member from St. Catharines already knows it. He has encyclopedic knowledge of many of the great performers in this House.

I quote Adam Beck: “I wish I could live long enough to build a band of iron around hydro, to keep it safe from the politicians.”

If I might add, “to keep it safe from the profiteers that have made their way and infiltrated their way into the Liberal government.”

Speaker, I am honoured to have the privilege to speak today, and I thank you for your time.

Debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): It being 10:15, this House stands recessed until 10:30 this morning.

The House recessed from 1015 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Michael Harris: Here today to watch their daughter and sister, page captain Amy Elder, are her mother, Joanne Weston, and her sister, Emily Elder. They’re in the public gallery. Thanks for joining us today.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I’d like to welcome to the Legislature, from Accerta, Kathy Rabideau, vice-president and CFO, and Caitlin Zupet, business development manager; and two of my constituents who are here on behalf of the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation for IPF Awareness Day, Jim Gillies and Barbara Barr.

Mr. Jack MacLaren: It gives me great pleasure to introduce guests this morning from my riding. They are the parents and grandparents of page Victoria Bailey. Her mother, Erin Bailey, is in the members’ gallery, and grandparents Colleen and Dave Robertson. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome.

Hon. Michael Chan: I want to welcome a great constituent of mine, Robert Davidson, who is with us at Queen’s Park with the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation for IPF Awareness Day today. They have a reception starting at 5:30 p.m. today.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I would indulge the House and introduce a small branch of the Jones family—three generations: my nephews Colter and Carson; my brother Chris; my dad, Brian; and Dianne. My father, Brian, taught me everything I needed to know about asking the right questions.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I would like to welcome two long-time friends of mine from high school, actually: Colleen Lyons and Susan Turner, who are visiting Toronto today and have dropped in to Queen’s Park. Welcome.

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I’d like to welcome Mr. Jeff Beairsto, father of page Jesse. Welcome.

Mr. Patrick Brown: It’s my pleasure to recognize the mother of one of the new pages, Matthew Maurice. His mother, Carol Ellis, is here, and his stepfather, Don Knight, all the way from Simcoe North.

Mr. Paul Miller: From my riding, I’d like to introduce page Tegan Elliott from Glen Brae school and also to welcome her mother, Christy Cowan, and her grandmother Sandra Cowan.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’d like to welcome the parents of page captain Cameron Miranda-Radbord, who are here with us today in the gallery: Joanna Radbord and Maretta Miranda.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further introductions? The associate minister—oh, the minister of—

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: Tourism, culture and sport.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Go ahead.

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: I still have days myself. Thank you, Speaker, for that kind introduction.

I’m pleased to welcome to Queen’s Park today the delegates from the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation who are having a reception this evening: Robert Davidson, Barbara Barr, Malcolm Haylock, Jim Gillies, Larkell Banyamin and Andrew Retfalvi. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It took me a while to come into my head. I’m sorry.

Legislative interns

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): With us in the Speaker’s gallery today are the 10 interns from the Ontario Legislature Intern Program, who are going to interview and hire MPPs today. Please welcome them, and also please welcome the academic director, Dr. Peter Constantinou.

The OLIP interns will spend the next 10 months working with various MPPs. We are thrilled to have them here today in the assembly. I urge all eligible members to participate in this exceptional program.

We welcome the interns with the thought that maybe even the Speaker gets an intern from time to time, but I’m not too sure about that. Welcome to our interns. We’re glad you’re here.

Wearing of pins

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport on a point of order.

Hon. Eleanor McMahon: I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent that members be permitted to wear pins for the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Kiss IPF Goodbye campaign.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The minister seeks unanimous consent to wear pins. Do we agree? Agreed. Carried.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): At this time, I would ask all members to join me in welcoming our new group of pages for the 41st Parliament. Could you please assemble?

From Mississauga–Streetsville, Adam Holan; from Algoma–Manitoulin, Amelia Spacek; from Kitchener–Conestoga, Amy Elder; from Ottawa–Orléans, Anna Hiemstra; from Ajax–Pickering, Brendan O’Donnell; from St.

Paul’s, Cameron Miranda-Radbord; from Beaches–East York, Declan McPherson; from Essex, Gideon Spevak; from Kingston and the Islands, Jack Mason; from Northumberland–Quinte West, Jesse Beairsto; from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, Makayla Bergeron; from Simcoe North, Matthew Maurice; from Whitby–Oshawa, Nicole Vaxvick; from Bramalea–Gore–Malton, Om Patel; from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, Paul Grein; from Scarborough–Guildwood, Ryan Betts; from York West, Sarah Roposa; from Burlington, Simone Flannery; from Windsor West, Sophia Costa; from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, Tegan Elliott; from Carleton–Mississippi Mills, Victoria Bailey; and from Kitchener–Waterloo, Zoe Suderman.

Welcome.

It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Energy policies

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. Yesterday the Premier said in the Legislature that “we know full well” that as Ontario sells power to other jurisdictions, “that is a profit to the province of Ontario.” That is simply astonishing. It’s Liberal math striking again.

So let’s pose this question I found on a Liberal math test. If you pay 8.55 cents a kilowatt hour to produce energy in Ontario and you sell that energy for 2.65 cents a kilowatt hour to New York, Minnesota, Manitoba and Quebec, how much profit does that make for Ontario, and what PR spin should the Liberal government use to try to fool the people of Ontario?

It is unacceptable. Will the Premier justify this sale?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thank you very—

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The indicators are that my standing doesn’t seem to stop people, so I might have to ratchet up right away, and I’ll do so.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Leader of the Opposition would like to take just one moment in time to make his point, but this is a market, and the point I was making yesterday was that overall, when you take into account all of the back and forth—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Okay. That last round indicated that you want me to go, so I’m moving to warnings. If it starts, we’ll do it right away.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Overall, there’s a net profit to the province of Ontario. That is the point that I was making.

But what I’d like to talk about is the energy system in Ontario and where we have come from. When we came into office, we inherited a badly neglected system. We’ve made investments in that system and we have upgraded that system.

Interjection.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): If I knew who just did that one, they would get warned too.

Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The Premier said it was just a momentary blip when they had to give away energy—“a moment in time,” as the Premier said. Let’s talk about more than a moment in time; let’s talk about the last three years. In 2013 and 2014, Ontario gave away $1.2 billion worth of energy. If this government is on pace, it looks like in 2015 it’s another $1.1 billion.

To sum up, this isn’t a momentary mistake; this is $3 billion in three years. It’s unbelievable. It is ridiculous to be giving Ontario energy away, giving hydro away, to subsidize our competitors. How can you justify this? This is three years of incompetence.

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I suspect that somebody doesn’t trust my words. I’m finding it difficult to move to any side when the question is put and people on your own side are making comments while the question is being put. I am still not happy with the fact that I have to do this. If you think that it doesn’t mean anything, I might move to naming. I’m making a point, and if you’re not getting it, I’ll move to the next level.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I think the Leader of the Opposition has actually answered his own question. He talked about generating revenue. That’s exactly what we do. It is a market, there is a back-and-forth and we generate—

Mr. Steve Clark: I’d like you to answer a few questions.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Leeds–Grenville is warned.

Carry on.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: And we generate revenues in that market.

But the genesis of these questions is the electricity system. We inherited a neglected system. We have upgraded that system. We have worked to remove billions of dollars of costs by shutting down the coal-fired plants—$4 billion in costs in terms of health and other costs. We are now working to acknowledge that there’s a cost associated with those upgrades that we have—

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: You’re making America great again.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nepean–Carleton is warned.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’ll keep going.

Finish, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: And as the member knows, we have in the throne speech put in place initiatives that will help people with those electricity costs. But we have a clean, reliable grid, which we did not have when we inherited the system that had been broken by the previous government.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: No one is buying this Liberal spin that it’s all right to give away $3 billion of hydro to our competitors. As Matt Gurney pointed out in the National Post, these Liberal “contracts require Ontario to buy the green power at a premium price ... only to dump it ... at a loss, into the grids of neighbours, such as New York and Pennsylvania.” We are paying huge money for energy in Ontario that we will never use. We are giving energy away, costing the people of Ontario billions of dollars. We need the Premier to stand up for Ontario and stop her part-time job as the minister—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Finance is warned.

Please finish.

Mr. Patrick Brown: It is absolutely absurd that the Premier continues to sign these contracts for energy that we are only going to give away.

Will the Premier show some real leadership? Will she promise to stop signing these contracts for energy we’ll never need?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m very happy to rise and answer this question as the Minister of Energy for the first time.

I’m very pleased to be able to stand and reiterate what the Premier has been saying all along. Revenue from electricity exports reduced costs for Ontarians by almost $230 million in 2015. That’s estimated by the province’s independent system operator. Electricity trading provides additional grid reliability and helps cover system costs that otherwise would have been paid by Ontario consumers. This actually helps with downward mitigation on rates.

The electricity system is planned to meet peak demand, which can from time to time—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: From time to time, it will actually lead to excessive supply during unexpectedly low demand periods. What we do to ensure—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: —we keep the downward rates going, not like what they did and leave a crumbling system.

Interjections.

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

Be seated, please.

Hydro rates

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. The scandal, waste and mismanagement by this government are astounding. Billions and billions wasted, all paid for by the people of Ontario. And now, again, I say this HST rebate is too little, too late.

It’s too little for Lindsay. She’s a mom from Sault Ste. Marie. Lindsay and her four children are forced to sacrifice food just to keep the lights on in their home. They’ve had as little as $200 a month to spend on food for their entire family.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier tell Lindsay and her kids what this 8% rebate will do to help their family keep the lights on, when another increase is coming on November 1?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I think I have said many times that we recognize that there are people in the province who are struggling to pay their electricity bills. We have made changes in the past. We have put in place the Ontario energy support program and we’ve put in place property tax credits. We recognize that there needs to be more done. That’s exactly why—exactly why—we’ve put the initiatives that we did in the throne speech.

As I said, we inherited a degraded electricity system, Mr. Speaker, a dirty, unreliable grid. There have been no brownouts or blackouts this summer, despite record temperatures. There have been no brownouts and blackouts, and no smog days because of the shutdown of the coal plants.

We’ve made investments. We recognize that there are costs associated with that and that’s why we’re working to help people who are struggling with their electricity bill.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier: This band-aid solution is also too late for Matt from Peterborough. I was watching Global News, and hopefully the Premier had a chance to watch their story on Hydro Horror Stories. Matt is a Canadian Forces veteran. Matt’s hydro bills have been $1,000. His hydro was cut off on Remembrance Day, while he was at a service. Despite the fact the banks were closed, he managed to pay the bill that day. But his power wasn’t turned back on for two days. No one deserves that treatment, let alone a veteran on Remembrance Day. And it’s not just Matt. There are 567,000 Ontarians who were in arrears at the end of 2015 because of the hydro crisis.

Will the Premier stop turning her back on Matt and the 560,000 families in Ontario who can’t pay their hydro bill?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I know that local distribution companies work with consumers who are in distress. I don’t know the full story, but I am quite sure that in Peterborough, there would be support, and I hope that they were able to support this gentleman.

But again, the Leader of the Opposition somehow doesn’t believe that I understand that people are struggling. That’s exactly why we put the initiatives in place. I haven’t actually heard a suggestion from him about what he would do. All we know is that he believes—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: All we know is that he doesn’t support the phase-out of coal, he doesn’t support green energy and he knows that people are struggling. Well, so do we. That’s why we’ve taken action.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Boy, Mr. Speaker, if the Premier wants to know what we would do differently, we would stop signing contracts where we give away $3 billion. We would stop the fire sale of Hydro One.

Maybe the Premier needs to hear another story, because she’s not appreciating that people in Ontario are in pain. Let me tell you the story of Kip Van Kempen.

Kip had his Hydro One disconnected, and they were unable to repair the line because of red tape and logistical issues. So you cut the hydro of Kip Van Kempen’s family. Then they got a bill for having no hydro. They had to pay hundreds of dollars for getting no hydro. No power is being delivered. They can’t get their line repaired. That’s hydro services in Ontario under this Liberal government.

My question to the Premier is, is this acceptable? Is it acceptable to charge Ontarians huge, astonishing bills for receiving no hydro?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It is unacceptable that people would have to face those kinds of challenges. Again, I don’t know the specifics of the situations and I don’t know what the interaction with the local distribution company was. My hope would be that they would be able to work with Hydro One.

One of the benefits of the broadening of the ownership of Hydro One is that it is a more professionally run company. It’s a better company than it was and it will continue to improve. That was one of the motivations behind the changes that we’re making.

I recognize that there are people in the province who need support around their electricity costs. I recognize that there are people who need support in their lives on a day-to-day basis. This morning, I was at Central Technical School in Toronto and we were talking about the Ontario Student Grant—so that young people who want to go to post-secondary from low- and middle-income families will have free tuition—

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

New question.

Energy policies

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. People want to believe in Ontario, but they’re losing hope. Creating a bright future is going to take action in this province and it’s going to take action now. Monday’s throne speech, sadly, was a missed opportunity. Instead of action, Ontarians got yet more disappointed by this Premier and her government.

People deserve opportunities for better jobs, a life that they can afford and services that they can count on. Why won’t this government start focusing on the priorities that matter to the people of this province?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, our plan is 100% about growing the economy and creating jobs so that people can have access to those resources that they need so that we, as a government, can reinvest in the people in this province.

Ontario is one of the leading jurisdictions in the country in terms of economic growth. In the last two years, there was 6% growth. We’re projecting 2.5% and 3% growth over the next couple of years. Our unemployment rate is below the national average. Since I’ve been the Premier, we have been part of creating 200,000 jobs in this province.

The success story that we’re seeing right now is because of the investments that we’ve put in place. It’s because of the plan that we have been implementing. We’re on track to balance the budget, and what that means is that we are able to make investments and help people in their lives every single day, including—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: People across Ontario say that privatizing Hydro One is something that they expected the Conservatives to do. They expected that to come from a Conservative government, Speaker. It’s not what they hoped for from this Premier.

On Monday, the government said it was “dedicated to reducing electricity costs....” That means stopping the privatization of Hydro One, plain and simple. Will the Premier do the right thing and stop any further privatization of Hydro One?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I said, the plan that we have put in place is working. We are seeing the results of the investments that we are making.

Mr. Speaker, I have acknowledged many times that we have had to make difficult choices. We’ve had to make difficult decisions in terms of making the investments that are necessary. But unlike the ideological position that the leader of the third party is holding on this, we understand that in order to be able to invest in transportation infrastructure in this province, we need the funding. To be able to do that, we need those resources, and so we are making those investments.

We are taking an asset that has been owned by the people of Ontario and continuing to control and regulate that, but recycling that asset so that we can make the investments that we know people need, so that the transit, the roads, the bridges—that they have those in place now so that their economies can thrive and so that they can have the future that they deserve.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, I didn’t realize that 80% of the people of Ontario share my ideology. That’s fantastic.

In fact, what 80% of the people have is a shared value. That value is the value of having Hydro One as a public asset that operates in the public interest. It’s about knowing what your values are and sticking to them. That’s what it’s about.

On Tuesday morning, the Premier was asked how long Ontarians can count on her new rebate for hydro. She said that this is a change that they’re making permanently. But then on Tuesday afternoon, the Minister of Finance was asked the same question, and he wouldn’t give an answer. That actually doesn’t really give us very much confidence and doesn’t give the people of this province very much confidence.

So the question is this: Why doesn’t this Premier just clear things up and actually take the HST off the hydro bills once and for all?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: On the one hand, the leader of the third party wants to move quickly, and on the other hand, the process she puts forward would take months and months and months to accomplish.

We’re bringing in legislation that will do exactly the same thing. It will take the provincial portion of the HST off of people’s bills. I would hope that the leader of the third party and her team would not stand in the way of that legislation, but would work with us to get that legislation passed so that we can, on January 1, 2017, make sure that the provincial portion of the HST is taken off of people’s electricity bills.

Government policies

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is for the Premier, but I suggest she just call a friend. If she’s so worried about the timing, she can call her friend in Ottawa and get that change made lickety-split for the people of Ontario.

People see that life is becoming much more unaffordable. Instead of permanently taking the HST off hydro, the government is proposing a temporary rebate that people cannot count on.

The government is promising child care spaces, but as parents and experts are saying, the problem is that there is nothing there to make child care more affordable for families.

Whether it’s soaring hydro bills or whether it’s unaffordable child care, young families are at a tipping point in this province. Why won’t this government take action now to make life more affordable?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The changes on the electricity bills vis-à-vis the provincial portion of the HST are permanent. We are bringing in legislation. We have said quite clearly that this is a permanent change, and no matter the spin that the leader of the third party wants to put on it, we are making this a permanent change.

In terms of the 100,000 licensed child care spaces, we understand that along with those child care spaces, there have to be subsidy dollars. There has to be a way of funding those, and that is part of the plan to put those 100,000 child care spaces in place. We recognize that those zero-to-four years are incredibly important, and at this point, only about 20% of families have access to licensed child care. That’s why we are going to put 100,000 more spaces in place over five years, starting next year, including the resources so that there will be subsidies available.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, unfortunately those subsidies are going to go to the private sector, because that’s who’s providing child care in this province under the Liberals’ watch, instead of not-for-profits and the public sector. It’s a shameful situation.

In 2018, people in Alberta are going to be paid a minimum wage of $15 an hour, while Ontario’s minimum wage is going to be about $11.71. People in Ontario need good jobs with decent wages, but the minimum wage was not even mentioned in the throne speech.

Albertans can count on their NDP government to take action. Why can’t Ontarians count on their Liberal government to take action?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We’ve moved to put in place a very objective and transparent process around the minimum wage. I know that other provinces are working to catch up and to phase in increases in minimum wage, but we’re leading the country. I’m very, very proud of the process that we went through, bringing in people from the business community, from poverty activism, from across the spectrum to give us advice on how to take the issue of minimum wage out of the hands of politics and put it into an objective measure. So that’s what we’ve done.

But let’s talk about what we are doing as a government to help people in their lives every day. We’re making average college tuition and university tuition free for students with financial needs. We’re expanding access to the low-income seniors’ drug benefit—30,000 more seniors every year will have access to the drug benefit.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: At the Liberal rate, it will be close to 2030—or later—before $15 is the minimum wage in the province of Ontario. The Premier says that the Liberals here in Ontario are leading the country. I hope she’s listening to what she’s saying, because everybody knows that that is definitely not the case when it comes to the minimum wage.

People actually want to build a good life in this province, and they should be able to. They want the next generation to have a great future here in Ontario, but it is getting harder, and people are losing hope. If Ontario stays on this path—the path in the throne speech, the Liberal path—it is only going to get tougher and tougher for people.

This is the time for action. Why doesn’t this government get it?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I think if you look at the economic situation that Ontario is in right now, compared to three years ago, four years ago, economic growth has increased.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Look at Alberta. They can do it and you can’t.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: You know what, Mr. Speaker? The member opposite says to look at Alberta. Actually, Alberta is struggling, and we feel a lot of compassion for the situation that Alberta is in right now. But what we know is that Ontario is leading in terms of economic growth in the country. We’re leading in terms of unemployment rate. We’re below the national average, and that is because we have made some very strategic decisions about investments: for example, putting in an extra $250 million over two years to help 150,000 young Ontarians develop skills and have a work experience.

That is the kind of decision that allows businesses to have talented, skilled young people, and that’s the kind of decision that’s fuelling our economy.

Government’s record

Mr. Todd Smith: My question this morning is for the Premier. The Premier is being sued again, this time by CUPE. At this point, there are so many investigations and depositions that you actually need to buy a program to keep track of them all.

So why is the government being sued by CUPE today? Because, the lawsuit alleges, they crossed an ethical line when they tried to use the Hydro One sale to raise money from the big banks who sold it off.

Speaker, will the Premier reprimand these ministers for crossing an ethical line, or will she admit that they were acting on her own orders when they used the very unpopular Hydro One sale to bankroll for the Liberal Party of Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m very happy to rise to answer the member’s question. I think it’s important to recognize that now that there’s a legal process under way, we’re going to let that process unfold. We can’t comment on that directly, but what we can comment on is that the Integrity Commissioner has already looked into this and recently confirmed that there was no wrongdoing.

What we’re going to do now as a government, Mr. Speaker, is focus on building Ontario up and helping people in their everyday lives. Broadening the ownership of Hydro One is a crucial part of that plan. Just these past few weeks, I’ve been going through Ontario, making announcements: in Kapuskasing, of over $2 million for infrastructure; in North Bay, of over $5 million for infratructure. That’s great news for the people of Ontario. These new infrastructure projects will lead to new jobs, new investments and more economic activity for this province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. Todd Smith: We had such high hopes for the new minister, but it looks like he’s gone from drinking a jug full of orange Kool-Aid to the red.

This government, Mr. Speaker—they fight with the doctors and they get sued. They fight with the teachers and they get sued. They sell Hydro One and they get sued. Cancelling gas plants, offering appointments in Sudbury and turning the province’s air ambulance into a mess all got them investigated by the OPP—five OPP investigations. At this point I think part of the deficit is just going to go to pay the legal bills for cabinet ministers.

My question for the Premier is a simple one: Why does it always take a deposition or a police investigation for us to get the truth? If this is the most transparent government, as the Premier always claims, why do they only provide information after they get a court order?

Interjections.

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

Minister.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Once again, it’s always an honour for me to be able to rise and answer the honourable member’s question. As I mentioned earlier, because there’s now a legal process, I’m not able to talk about that, but what I can talk about are more of the great things that are happening with the broadening and the sale of Hydro One. We’re on track to realize our budget target of approximately $9 billion generated through the IPO: $4 billion for infrastructure investment and $5 billion for debt repayment. This is allowing us, Mr.

Speaker, to make investments without corresponding increases in debt, deficits or cuts to other programs and services. We still own 70% of Hydro One shares and have generated a large portion of our target revenue. With 30% more shares to offer, we are on track to ensure the best possible value for the people of Ontario.

Minimum wage

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, I asked the Premier if she would stand up and commit to a $15-an-hour minimum wage. Incredibly, in his response, the Minister of Labour said, “Ontario is leading the way when it comes to the minimum wage....” Wait a second here: It was yesterday that the government of Alberta was leading the way by announcing that it was bringing in a $15-an-hour minimum wage in 2018.

My question is very simple: Will the Premier follow Alberta’s lead and increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The Minister of Labour.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: It gives me great pleasure to answer that question because I think it really gives us an opportunity to illustrate how Ontario has led the way in this regard. Certainly, it was unpredictable in the past. Business couldn’t rely on it. There was no stability. Those people who were earning the minimum wage didn’t know if they were going to get an increase from one year to the next. In fact, between 1996 and 2003 there were no increases to the minimum wage for that period of time. We brought in a system that’s predictable, that’s fair—and, yes, Speaker, we are leading the way when it comes to a system that’s predictable, that’s fair.

Other provinces are looking to Ontario as an example of how you can bring in a system that allows for predictable increases, allows for those increases to take place and yet allows for business to have the stability that it needs. It’s an excellent system. It’s up for review. In two and three years, we’ll be taking another look at it. So while other jurisdictions have said they may do something someday soon, we’ve done it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: One in 10 Ontarians earn the minimum wage, and that’s overwhelmingly young people, women and new Ontarians. Whether they’re in Brampton, Scarborough, Hamilton, Toronto or Windsor-Essex, we’ve listened to them. It’s not enough. They were left out of the speech from the throne.

Will the Premier commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Ontario has one of the highest minimum wages of any province in this country. It’s $11.25 today. As of October 1 this year, it will be increasing again to $11.40. It increases on a rotating, predictable basis.

Now, we went out and got advice. We asked everybody in the province who had an interest in this. Remember that word, Speaker, “interest.” We had poverty advocates come forward. We had employers come forward. Trade unions came forward. Organized labour came forward. The NDP made not one submission to that panel. When we were talking to people about the minimum wage, the NDP made not one submission.

Now, Speaker, we get the crocodile tears as to “We need a better system.” Where were you when we needed you? Where were you when we needed the advice?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

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

New question?

Access to information

Mr. Han Dong: My question is to the President of the Treasury Board Secretariat. I know that public access to data is a key aspect of fostering an accountable and trustworthy government, as well as a means for local problem-solvers to develop new and innovative ways for Ontarians to navigate information. Time and time again, I am amazed by the cutting-edge technology developed by start-ups within and around my riding of Trinity–Spadina, many of whom use the data that is freely provided by our government.

One such example of an information technology leader that utilizes government open data is the real estate service, MapYourProperty. MapYourProperty is an all-in-one platform that streamlines development planning in Toronto and York region for urban planners, developers and engineers.

Can the President of the Treasury Board Secretariat tell the members of this House how our government continues to make information open, transparent and easily accessible—

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

Mr. Han Dong: —and how companies like MapYourProperty—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I stand, you sit. President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Thank you to the member from Trinity–Spadina for his great question.

We continue to go to great lengths to open Ontario’s data. As of today, we have publicly released over 500 datasets and are in the process of developing a catalogue which publicly discloses all of the datasets Ontario actively maintains. This data helps to power one of Ontario’s most rapidly growing sectors, the interactive digital media, or IDM sector. In fact, the Entertainment Software Association of Canada reports that the IDM sector contributes $3 billion annually across Canada and has grown by 31% since 2013.

We believe that by opening up government data, we make decision-making more transparent to everyday Ontarians and have provided IDM companies the opportunity—

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

Mr. Han Dong: I want to thank the minister for the answer. It’s always encouraging to see how creating a transparent government has led to a more competitive Ontario.

As the follow-up question, I would like to ask the minister how our government is continuing to open up information and use input from Ontarians to shape decision-making. Our government has a strong record when it comes to making Ontario a more open and transparent province.

We post ministers’ mandate letters outlining priorities online, and we release reports on their progress which detail how we have delivered on these priorities, with the most recent in January. We have also increased transparency for government agencies by requiring expense and governance documents to be publicly accessible. This past year, we unveiled a new platform of public participation, resulting in over 53,000 Ontarians voting on 1,700 budget ideas.

Minister, how is our government continuing to engage Ontarians in a dialogue to make our province more open?

Hon. Liz Sandals: The member has highlighted our record on transparency and openness. I’m proud to say that Ontario is an international—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It’s never too late to get warned.

Hon. Liz Sandals: Ontario is an international leader when it comes to making information free and accessible. In fact, Ontario was selected as one of 15 subnational governments from all around the world to join the Open Government Partnership—the only jurisdiction in Canada to be selected. Using that as a launch pad, our next step towards opening up government will entail new commitments co-created with Ontarians.

In August, we invited the public to submit their ideas to help our government become the most digitally connected government in Canada. Final commitments will be chosen at a public workshop coming up soon.

Fundraising

Mr. Randy Hillier: My question is for the Premier. We hear that the Liberals will be banning MPPs from attending fundraising events, but we know their cash-for-access scheme continues, with some new twists and turns. I understand that recently there was a high-powered, big-money Liberal fundraiser, but this time no ministers were there. Instead, they had their proxies: Andrew Bevan, the Premier’s chief of staff; Andrew Teliszewsky, chief of staff to the Minister of Energy; and senior energy adviser Matt Whittington were all there. Apparently, employees of the public service are now tasked to be the Liberal Party bagmen and intermediaries to enrich the Liberal Party and exchange influences.

Speaker, they refuse to stop even after being caught red-handed, even after being shamed into action by the media. They just cannot—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is warned, and the Minister of Economic Development and Growth is warned.

Finish your question, please.

Mr. Randy Hillier: Will the Premier stop doing through the back door what she says is inappropriate to do through the front door?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Attorney General.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I thank the member for the question. We on this side of the House are very proud of the bill that we tabled, Bill 201, now Bill 2, which really changes the way fundraising will be done in the province of Ontario. Speaker, as you know, we did a very rare thing, which was to take the bill for public consultations right after first reading, something that, at least in my time here at this Legislature, has never been done.

I really want to take this opportunity to thank all members of the standing committee who worked throughout the summer by travelling the province, listening to Ontarians and experts, people like the Chief Electoral Officer and other experts, making a remarkable impact on further improving that piece of legislation. I’ll talk a little more about the legislation in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Randy Hillier: Again to the Premier, not her proxy: The entire process they put together on election financing has been disingenuous from the start. Introducing legislation—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member will withdraw.

Mr. Randy Hillier: I withdraw.

Introducing legislation and amendments through press releases completely alters and distorts how our democracy must operate. They continue with their cash-for-access activities. It’s clear that this government’s priorities start and end with only themselves.

We know that Bill 201, now Bill 2, along with the committee process, has been dishonest. It’s been nothing but a—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to ask you to withdraw.

Mr. Randy Hillier: Withdraw.

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

Mr. Randy Hillier: It’s only been a sleight of hand—oily and slippery hands. Bill 2 ought to be renamed “the lubricious act to create Liberal Party bagmen and proxies.”

Speaker, will the Premier wash her dirty hands of this—

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

Interjections.

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

Start the clock.

While I have everyone’s attention, the member will withdraw.

Mr. Randy Hillier: Withdraw.

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

Attorney General?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, on this side of the House, we’re very proud to bring forward a bill that is going to make sure that we ban corporate and union donations in our province, that we’re going to put much lower limits on how fundraising is done, not to mention regulate third-party advertising as well.

It is this Premier and this government that are not engaging in stakeholder-specific fundraisers,

whereas the opposition party continues to do so. They are holding all those fundraisers and are meeting with stakeholders. In fact, they’re also advertising positions for fundraisers, who will then convert private members’ bills into fundraising activities. So I would urge the member opposite to be careful in the allegations he makes in this House.

We look forward to working with the opposition parties in making sure that Bill 2 is a strong piece of legislation so that we really change the way fundraising is done in the province of Ontario.

Education funding

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. Schools across the province are crumbling and they have reached a tipping point. There is a $15-billion repair backlog—$3.4 billion in Toronto alone. Students and education workers have been in sweltering-hot classrooms and will have to wear winter jackets in the classroom in the winter.

To make matters worse, Ontario’s teachers are being forced to load French and music lessons onto carts and transport them from classroom to classroom because of Liberal cuts to education.

Interjection.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: The Premier can shake her head all she wants, but even the boards are speaking out.

Will the Premier admit that her misplaced priorities are forcing our young people to pay the price?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I was only shaking my head because it is the reality that core French teachers and music teachers for many, many years in this province—itinerant music teachers—have not necessarily had a dedicated classroom. It has worked very, very well that teachers have moved from classroom to classroom. Certainly, my three children who went through the publicly funded education system in Toronto had exactly that situation, and it’s not unusual.

I think sometimes what happens is that when there has been a school where there has been a dedicated classroom, and then enrolment may go up or there may be a change, and then that changes so that the core French teacher is moving from classroom to classroom, that can cause an adjustment in the school. But it’s not an unusual practice, and the kids get very, very good education in that way.

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

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Back to the Premier: Premier, there are classrooms that are being closed and the teachers are being moved out of those classrooms. If you think it’s working, maybe you should actually talk to the education workers delivering the curriculum.

Recently, a school in Thames Valley had to close because of health concerns related to a lack of air conditioning. Our schools are in crisis. A teacher in Toronto was forced to spend $500 of her own money to install an air conditioner in her classroom because students were feeling faint and lethargic and she felt the environment was unsafe. Our children should not be trying to learn in classrooms without windows—I’m sure the Premier has windows in her office. They should not be in classrooms with poor air quality.

Will the Premier immediately ensure that the repair backlog for schools across the province is remedied? And I’m talking about $15 billion.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, we acknowledge that there needed to be an increase in funding in terms of the repair and renewal of schools. We added a historic $1.1 billion on top of an existing $1.6 billion. We have acknowledged that there is a need to continue to fund the renewal of schools. We will continue to work with school boards. The $1.1 billion that we put in on top of the $1.6 billion is funding projects around the province—it did over the summer and continues to.

School boards make the decisions about how they use those funds. School boards have priorities. They take those funds and they apply them to the priorities.

We understand that there’s a need, Mr. Speaker, and that’s why we put in over a billion dollars on top of the billion dollars that was already there.

Immigration and refugee policy

Ms. Daiene Vernile: My question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Let me start by offering her my congratulations on her recent appointment to cabinet. She is a tireless worker in our caucus and we’re pleased to see her taking on new responsibilities.

Ontario has been a destination for people fleeing war, famine, persecution and other tragic circumstances. They come here, as my family did, to build a new life for themselves and their families.

As of early August, Ontario has received over 12,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict, and Kitchener–Waterloo has welcomed 1,200 of those refugees. During the 2016 Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, the minister met with Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Waterloo mayor Dave Jaworsky to talk about settlement services.

Could the minister please tell us how the province is committed to supporting local municipalities that are settling Syrian newcomers?

Hon. Laura Albanese: I want to thank, first of all, the member from Kitchener Centre for this valuable question.

Our government has partnered with the federal government to support the resettlement of thousands of refugees who fled the Syrian conflict during the past year.

During the most recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, I did meet with the mayors of Kitchener and Waterloo, who asked for reassurance that the province would continue to support local settlement services within their municipalities during the integration process of the refugees. Helping refugees, Mr. Speaker, is not only the compassionate thing to do; it’s the right thing to do.

I would like to thank all municipalities, private sponsors and volunteers for helping refugees feel safe, welcomed and supported in our communities.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Daiene Vernile: I want to thank the minister for her response, Mr. Speaker. It’s very encouraging to see that our government is doing everything it can to ensure that refugees can settle and integrate into our communities with success.

In my riding, many of the constituents rely on the programs and services provided by local settlement agencies. It’s very important to my constituents and to all Ontarians that these programs and services are safeguarded.

I’m sure that the minister would agree that the work of the local settlement agencies and integration services in communities is critical to this process, and I can tell you that the settlement agencies in Waterloo region have done an excellent job.

Speaker, could the minister please tell us how the government of Ontario is enhancing support for local settlement agencies so that they can continue the very important work that they are performing?

Hon. Laura Albanese: Once again, thank you to my friend and colleague the member from Kitchener Centre for her question.

I also want to say that last August 25, our ministry did announce funding of $3.8 million to enhance 26 settlement agencies and integration services within the 12 cities and towns across the province that welcomed the majority of Syrian newcomers.

I thank all settlement agencies for their crucial work, as they have been at the forefront of the largest refugee movement in Canada in a generation.

The member will be pleased to know that one of these agencies is the Kitchener–Waterloo Multicultural Centre. The centre will be receiving up to $165,000. The funding announced last month will support local settlement programs and integration services; support programs for refugee women and youth; and provide training on refugee mental health for front-line settlement workers and school-based summer programming for students.

Highway construction

Mr. Michael Harris: My question is to the Premier. I can remember this Premier committing that her government be would be accountable and transparent and open.

Applause.

Mr. Michael Harris: But after five OPP investigations—you may not want to clap there for that one—we know that she is not accountable, and this summer provided more evidence that she’s not open, or transparent either.

After a decade of study, consultations and planning for the GTA West highway that many are depending on, her government slammed on the brakes last December. Now they’ve gone a step further, closing the doors and leaving the decision-making to an unnamed secret panel nobody’s heard of because her minister refuses to tell us who they are. It’s neither transparent nor accountable.

Will the Premier report what happened to her commitment to transparency and tell those left in the dark just who she’s designated to determine the future of their highway?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I thank the member opposite for the question today. This is an issue, obviously, that we have been dealing with at the ministry specifically over the last number of months, as that member would know.

Last December, as I’ve said in the past, we hit the pause button with respect to the environmental assessment work that has been undertaken for this project. I said at the time and I’ll repeat here today, that, of course, is because over the last more-than-10 years since this project started as a conceptual highway through this particular part of the GTHA, the world of transportation has been changing dramatically.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: You still froze the lands for 10 years.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: One of the member opposite’s colleagues makes a point about frozen lands. The other commitment that I made at the time to municipalities, landowners, the private sector and all those who participated in the process since day one was that we would move through, via an internal working group working closely with the ministry on this process, as quickly as we could, and the report, when finalized, will be made public.

I’m happy to provide more information in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Harris: Area municipal councils have passed motions calling on this government for answers on the highway’s future. Residents and motorists are also looking for direction. Her minister is moving this process behind closed doors.

When I made a very basic request to the minister’s office in August, following the panel’s announcement, I was told, “The panel members will remain unnamed.” Speaker, this is a public project involving billions of public dollars. Continued secrecy only fuels further questions: Who selected them and why, and have they ever paid for access to the minister? A fair question.

Will the Premier end the speculation and simply provide the names of her minister’s secret GTA West panel?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: As I said in the initial answer to the member on this particular question—and I do understand where the municipalities are coming from. Virtually every municipality in the affected area has had the chance to speak with me about this particular issue. I made an ironclad commitment about the fact that we will not only provide them with the opportunity for additional consultation, but we will try to clarify what’s taking place with this just as soon as we possibly can.

I understand the importance. I will tell people here that this is a part of the GTHA which includes the community that I’m proud to represent, so I get how important this work is. As I said in my initial answer, when the report is completed, it will be made public.

I’ll close off by saying, though I do have respect for that member who has asked the question today, given the history of the Conservative Party and highways in this province with the sale of the 407, I will not take advice from that member or from that party when it comes to highways in the GTHA.

Interjections.

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

New question.

Disaster relief / Secours aux sinistrés

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le ministre de l’Environnement et de changement climatique.

It has been 18 months since a CN train derailed, caught fire, exploded and spilled a million litres of crude oil in the Makami River in Gogama. CN spent all of last summer and fall trying to remove the oil from the water until the river froze over. Come this spring, it became obvious to everyone but this minister that there is still a lot of oil in the water.

The people of Mattagami First Nation and Gogama were promised that their natural environment would be brought back to what it was like before the derailment.

When is this minister going to order CN to get back to work and remove all of the oil from the water and soil?

L’hon. Glen R. Murray: Merci pour la question. Notre département, nos officiels, continue de travailler avec le centre de santé publique à Sudbury, qui est une équipe avec le gouvernement fédéral et l’équipe du CN. Ils continuent de faire des études de la qualité de l’eau et des conditions dans les rivières et dans les lacs. Ils continuent de découvrir les sources de pollution des huiles dans l’eau.

The work is continuing. There is a newsletter that went out, which we shared, that was three pages long and introduced about 25 different measures that either we, CN or the health department—I share the concern. There has been the discovery of more oil in some of the sediment. That work is being done to remediate that. I’m happy to continue to work with the member and get her a briefing on what the next steps are in cleaning it up.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: It makes no sense. All that’s going on in Gogama is that they are monitoring. But it doesn’t matter how much oil we find; what’s the next step? We monitor some more.

All the government has to do is to order CN to come back and continue the cleanup. It doesn’t cost the government a penny. It is CN who pays for it. We were promised clean water. The water is not clean. We can see oil. We can smell oil. We can see dead fish everywhere. The environment was not like that before. It was beautiful.

Why isn’t the minister doing anything? I know that the people of Mattagami and Gogama will never make the donations to the Liberals that CN is making, but they deserve a government who looks after their interests. They deserve a government who cares about the environment like they do. Why don’t they order CN to clean it up before the water freezes over? You know what, Speaker? Water is life.

Interjections.

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

Minister?

L’hon. Glen R. Murray: Mes chers amis, notre réputation est très importante. Je te respecte. Je vous respecte. Je n’ai pas reçu de—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Through the Chair, please.

L’hon. Glen R. Murray: —ou des choses comme ça. J’espère que vous me respectez aussi.

Let me just read from the newsletter about what is happening and what CN is doing just as recently as only a couple weeks ago. On August 26, CN’s consultant completed a survey of the Makami River and the Minisinakwa Lake with the Gogama fire chief and a member of the Mattagami First Nation to identify all the areas where residents feel or have identified that contaminants remain. They’re working now on an action plan with the community and the First Nation.

Starting on August 29, CN’s consultants have been undertaking additional sediment benthic monitoring. I can go on, Mr. Speaker. There are about 20 things going on with removal of sediment.

Interjections.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: The Leader of the Opposition seems to have all the answers so I guess I don’t need to answer the question.

Electric vehicles

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: It’s nice to be back with everybody.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. We know that we all have a role to play in the fight against climate change, and at the same time we also know that Ontarians need to get from point A to point B, from school, to work, to shopping or wherever they need to go with their families, safely and efficiently. That’s why it’s important for our government to help Ontarians achieve both of these goals through investments in environmentally friendly transportation options.

One option that’s growing in popularity among Ontarians, and certainly among residents in my community of Etobicoke–Lakeshore, is electric vehicles. You see it on the streets. I see those green plates in various locations, and those people want to know whether the minister can advise members of this House on what the government is doing to help Ontarians go green and purchase their own electric vehicle.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Of course I want to begin by thanking the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore not only for his question today but for being an extraordinarily hard-working member here in this Legislature for the people of his community.

I will also say that I know, speaking for myself, that I was really delighted to be in Etobicoke–Lakeshore a number of months ago to announce additional details with respect to some of the incentives that we’re providing around the charging infrastructure related to electric vehicles. I want to thank that member for hosting us that particular day.

With electric drive week upon us, it is the perfect opportunity to take a moment and reflect on our government’s commitment to expanding access to electric driving options across the province. Our government’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Program is helping more Ontarians make the crucial move to electric vehicles.

In February, we also modernized the program to make purchasing an electric vehicle even more affordable. Our plan is working. There are over 7,000 electric vehicles on Ontario’s roads. And as the member has stated, we all have a role to play with respect to fighting climate change.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: Thank you to the minister for that response. It’s clear that electric vehicles play a key role in achieving our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

An investment in electric vehicles only means so much if Ontarians are not only able to charge their vehicles to get where they need to go, but know that there are more facilities where they’re going. Ontarians want to know that owning an electric vehicle is not only a green choice but a practical choice as well.

As the minister stated, I was very proud to host the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change in Etobicoke–Lakeshore for an important announcement about the expansion of electric charging facilities across the province. Can the minister please provide more information to members of the House on what our government announced in Etobicoke–Lakeshore this past July?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I want to thank the member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore for his remarkable leadership in his community on electrification, and the Minister of Transportation. But I just want to go back: What we announced was EV charging in a partnership with Ikea and other retailers that is putting Ontario in a leadership role.

I want to go back to the answer that the Premier had earlier. What are we going to do about overnight electricity, and how are we going to make life more affordable for Ontarians? That overnight energy is about to become very low-cost and, in many cases, free fuel for their cars. We have a plan that overnight energy is going to