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May 7, 2012

40th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2012-May-07 (PDF)

L048 - Mon 7 May 2012 / Lun 7 mai 2012

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 7 May 2012 Lundi 7 mai 2012

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS

ENERGY POLICIES

CONSUMER PROTECTION

MINING INDUSTRY

NURSES

AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE

SPECIAL EDUCATION

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

SKILLED TRADES

CONSERVATION

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGGREGATE EXTRACTION

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

AIR QUALITY

CONSUMER PROTECTION

CORRECTION OF RECORD

VISITORS

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

JAMES MARKER

CITIZENS’ AWARD

ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH

ORGAN DONATION

MAXXAM ANALYTICS

TOURISM

FOOD BANKS

THE HOSPICE AT MAY COURT

EMERGENCY IN DUFFERIN COUNTY

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

LABOUR RELATIONS

AMENDMENT ACT

(ONTARIO LABOUR

RELATIONS BOARD), 2012 /

LOI DE 2012 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LES RELATIONS DE TRAVAIL

(COMMISSION DES RELATIONS

DE TRAVAIL DE L’ONTARIO)

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

PETITIONS

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES

PUBLIC TRANSIT

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

PELEE ISLAND FERRY SERVICE

RADIATION SAFETY

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

DOG OWNERSHIP

WIND TURBINES

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

ORDERS OF THE DAY

STRONG ACTION FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2012 /

LOI DE 2012 SUR UNE ACTION

ÉNERGIQUE POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

CORRECTION OF RECORD

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Ted Arnott: Page Carley Maitland is doing a great job here as a page representing Wellington–Halton Hills, and I’m pleased to welcome her mother, Jill Maitland, and her aunt, Kim Peel, who are here today as well.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I’m delighted to welcome guests from the Tibetan Parliament in exile: Norbu Tsering, Tsering Youdon, and also with them is Lhawang Jongdong. Welcome.

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar: I would like to welcome to the Ontario Legislature today Amie Tolton, teacher, with her grades 11 and 12 senior photography and visual arts students from Stephen Lewis Secondary School, Mississauga–Erindale riding. They are here to showcase Breaking Silence, exhibiting mental health portraits, so I want to extend welcome all the students and the teachers from Stephen Lewis Secondary School, but I also want to encourage the members to see their exhibition as well.

Mr. John O’Toole: I’m pleased to introduce guests here today: Amy Phillips, who’s a former Queen’s Park staffer—welcome Amy; and a good friend as well, Christopher Sallie, also from my community of Bowmanville. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Reza Moridi: It’s my pleasure to welcome Mr. Mike McRae and his daughter, Marisa McRae. Marisa is a grade 5 student from Richmond Hill and she’s here to study governance. I also want to welcome my old friend Mr. Esmaeil Zahedi, the former president of the Canadian Society of Iranian Engineers and Architects. Please welcome them.

Mr. Monte McNaughton: I’m proud to welcome to the Ontario Legislature today family friends from the town of Bothwell, Bill and Barb McMaster and Cameron McMaster. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I would also like to welcome—I saw her in the hallway at Queen’s Park today—former Liberal member of provincial Parliament from my riding Maria Van Bommel. Welcome back to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Michael Chan: I would like to welcome Troy Young, the chair of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, and other members of the board. Please join us for a reception from 5 to 7 in the legislative dining room. To our guests, welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’d like everyone in the Legislature to give a warm welcome to my constituency staff that are down today, Bonnie Harrison and Donna Fournier. You can stand up, guys.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to members of Children’s Mental Health Ontario, who are here today at the Legislature in celebration of Children’s Mental Health Week. I look forward, as many other members of the Legislature do, to meeting with representatives from CMHO this afternoon to discuss the mental health needs of children and youth.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I’m pleased to introduce today my daughter Brooke and my bride of 35 years today, my wife, Dianne.

In addition, I would also like to welcome a former page from Chatham–Kent–Essex back to Queen’s Park: Oliver Campbell and his mother, Linda.

Hon. John Gerretsen: Speaker, would you please help welcome the Kingston Accommodation Partners who are here today. They are Murray Matheson, Heather Ford, Jeff Garrah, Rob Carnegie and Bill Swan, and they’re seated in the gallery over here.

Mr. Michael Harris: I’d like to welcome Jeremy Wittet today from Kitchener–Waterloo, a former assistant to the great Elizabeth Witmer. Welcome, Jeremy, to the Legislature.

Mr. Kim Craitor: I’m extremely proud to introduce the parents of Thomas Mingle. Thomas is one of the students who’s on the minister’s student advisory council. That’s Louisa and Tom Mingle, and they’re here in the gallery.

I also want to mention how talented our riding is, because I also have another student from my riding, Connor Bitter, who’s here with the Minister of Education’s student council, and his parents, Lisa and Clark Bitter.

Mr. Bill Walker: I’d like to welcome Shirley Wong, who’s in the visitors’ gallery. Shirley is a University of Waterloo accounting and business student currently volunteering in my office. Welcome, Shirley.

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I’d like to introduce the student advisory council and their parents and guardians who are all here today. Welcome.

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario joins us today, with Gary Masters, Bill Swan, Marie Lalonde and Murray Matheson. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Miss Monique Taylor: Point of order, Mr. Speaker: I believe we have unanimous consent that all members be permitted to wear ribbons in recognition of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton Mountain has asked for unanimous consent to wear the ribbon this week. Do we have agreement? Agreed.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m delighted to welcome the charming John Winston from Tourism Ontario, who is with us here today. Welcome, John.

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: I’d like to welcome a good friend to all members and to both sides of this House, the honourable Jane Holmes of the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I want to welcome my granddaughter here. She’s a former page: Rachel Rynard. She’s with us today too.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And by way of celebration, I would like to bring to the members’ attention, returning to the House, the member from Ottawa Centre after the birth of their first child. Congratulations.

It is now time for oral questions.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It has been pointed out that a tradition almost got broken, and it won’t. In the Speaker’s gallery is a former member. Maria Van Bommel is here, joining us. We welcome you.

A point of order for the member from Oxford.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Mr. Speaker, I’m just reminded, as you introduced the member in the gallery, that I just wanted to let everyone in the Legislature know that at 11:45 we’re having the flag-raising ceremony. The Dutch flag is being raised in front of Queen’s Park to recognize Dutch Heritage Month in the province of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s not a point of order, but it was a really good plug.

It is now time for oral questions.

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

Mr. Tim Hudak: My question is to the Premier. Premier, the elections yesterday in France, Germany and Greece risk prolonging the slow growth and recession in Europe and also could exacerbate the debt crisis. Your budget, which rests on some very precarious assumptions around a mandatory wage freeze and international economic growth, is now in jeopardy.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order.

Mr. Tim Hudak: Premier, you have had no actions since the downgrade from Moody’s, now two weeks ago. Let me suggest some action that will help us deal with growing international concerns. Will you support a mandatory, across-the-board public sector pay freeze to save us $2 billion?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I appreciate the question. There is, of course, good cause for us to remain optimistic about our future here in Ontario when it comes to our economy.

Not only is StatsCanada telling us that we lead the country when it comes to job creation, but they’ve just told us that we led the country in terms of building permits in March, at a value of $2.7 billion. That’s over twice that of the second-highest province. The construction industry in Ontario today is thriving. In the last two years, we’ve created 33,900 jobs, for a total of over 440,000 jobs in construction in Ontario. If there’s one indicator—if there’s one canary in the coal mine—that tells us about optimism for the future, it’s building permits: people making investments and creating jobs right here in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Sadly, the Premier’s Pollyanna approach on the economy seems not to have changed at all.

Premier, your budget rests on some very wobbly assumptions around achieving a voluntary pay freeze, which you’ve failed to do since you announced this policy in 2010, and international economic growth. It seems sensible to us in the PC Party to bring in a mandatory public sector wage freeze across the board. Whether you’re a doctor, teacher or firefighter, all of us should share in this. This will save $2 billion to the taxpayer and address an unfairness where private sector workers are paying more and more in taxes to the public sector that have wages and benefits beyond what is happening in the private sector.

So I’ll ask you again, Premier: Since your voluntary wage freeze has been a dramatic failure, will you endorse our approach, a mandatory public sector wage freeze, to save us $2 billion?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: No, we won’t, Speaker. We won’t endorse that approach. We have our own approach.

We made it clear in our budget in a very specific way that we will sit down with our labour partners; we will enter into negotiations. Our objective is to ensure that there are no increases in overall compensation over the course of the next couple of years, to begin. We’ve made it clear that should we not be able to achieve those objectives at the table, then we will take other measures. We made that very, very clear, but we feel a sense of responsibility. Furthermore, we feel obligated to follow the law set up by the Supreme Court of Canada when it comes to dealing with our public sector partners.

So we’re not going out there looking for a fight, as my honourable colleague opposite would have us do, but we will stand up for taxpayers to ensure that we hold the line—press the pause button for a couple of years.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: Through you, Speaker, to the Premier: This sort of weaselly use of the language—“other measures”—has not accomplished anything in the last two years. In fact, we’ve seen public sector wages and benefits accelerate way beyond what’s happening in the private sector under your government. It is the single, biggest driver of expenses—over 55% of the overall budget.

Speaker, if the Premier refuses to take action that is fair and reasonable, the Ontario PC caucus will take that action. In fact, Premier, if you refuse to act, we will bring in our own bill that will be a fair and reasonable mandatory public sector wage freeze across the board, to treat all of us equally and save taxpayers $2 billion. If you won’t act, will your members support the PC bill that will bring in a mandatory public sector wage freeze?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: My honourable colleague will know that we’ve been engaged in discussions, for example, with our doctors and our teachers. Undoubtedly, there will be more to come. We’re now in what I guess you’d call the short strokes—down to the short strokes—when it comes to our conversation with the doctors. I’m sure that my honourable colleague will want to be supportive of the approach that we are taking, although I’d like to hear him on this score.

Our intention is to secure a net freeze in terms of compensation—I mean a real freeze; nothing in between—to ensure that we can, in fact, as we invest more dollars into health care, put that into more home care, for example, and more community-based care, as opposed to compensation for our partners the physicians.

I expect that my honourable colleague will at some point in time express his public support for the approach that we are bringing in this regard.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Premier: Well, I have. We believe that the total compensation package should be frozen.

My question back to you, Premier, is, why don’t you believe that should apply to the rest of the broader public service? If you think it’s the right approach in this circumstance, why aren’t you doing it for the rest of us, whether that be teachers, whether it be firefighters, whether it be administrative staff or managers? It seems to be reasonable that we should treat everybody fairly and equally—an across-the-board public sector wage freeze for us all that will save us $2 billion.

Premier, why won’t you endorse a policy across the broader public sector that makes sense from the taxpayers’ point of view and gets us out of this fiscal mess?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I think we may have some common ground here. I think we share the same objective, but I would argue that we are going about the attainment of our objective in a more thoughtful, responsible and lawful way.

Speaker, we are obligated to sit down with our partners to make a determined effort to negotiate a settlement that meets the targets that we’ve set in our budgetary plan and honours our commitment to the people of Ontario, who want us to press the pause button when it comes to compensation for a couple of years.

Furthermore, I remind my honourable colleague that the Supreme Court of Canada has spoken out on these matters in a very definite way, as has one Don Drummond in his report, who we objectively approached, being recommended by my honourable colleague.

We are, in fact, working with all of our public sector partners, and we will secure what we need to do on behalf of the plan that we—

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: It’s hard, Speaker, to understand the Premier’s argument. Sometimes he says that the Supreme Court is an obstacle, then he says it’s in his favour—

Interjection: A lot of wiggle words.

Mr. Tim Hudak: —a lot of wiggle words from the Premier.

To me, the matter is clear. There should be a mandatory public sector wage freeze for all of us in the broader public sector, across the board.

Premier, your approach won’t apply to colleges and universities; it won’t apply to municipalities. Quite frankly, sir, you continue to kick this can down the road, and the can is growing bigger all the time—a $30-billion deficit we’re staring into.

The CFIB recently put out a report that said that a public sector worker is making 27% more in wages, benefits and pensions than the equivalent private sector worker. I don’t think that’s fair. A way of helping to address this in the world of a $30-billion deficit, Premier, is a public sector wage freeze across the board for the broader public sector. It’s too bad you won’t do it.

If you won’t act, we will, and we ask for your members’ support in making this a law in the province of Ontario.

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I say to my honourable colleague, he’s in a decided minority in the approach that he advocates. You might want to take a look at the approach being brought by all the other provinces, I believe eight out of nine of which are running deficits; and the federal government, which is also running a deficit. All of them have rejected the approach being advocated by my honourable colleague.

Why is it that they are doing that? Why is it that governments of all political stripes facing deficits have rejected the approach being championed by my honourable colleague? Because it doesn’t work; because we feel a sense of responsibility to sit down with our partners in the public sector, and we also feel duty-bound to honour the legislative requirements set up by the Supreme Court of Canada.

We will get there, Speaker. We will achieve our objectives, we will meet the targets we set out in our budget, but we’ll do it in a way that’s in keeping with our responsibilities.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: I’m sad the Premier does not have the sense of responsibility that says leadership means taking immediate action to address our fiscal crisis. You had a downgrade two weeks ago; you’re on credit watch. The Premier says, what about the other provinces? Premier, the deficit that you have dug is greater than the combined deficits of all the other nine provinces combined. That’s why we need action in Ontario. That’s why we need to take a courageous course that is right, reasonable and fair.

Premier, we’ve seen you wiggle off the hook before. You had a secret deal with OPSEU that gave wage increases after the election campaign. We have seen, between 2004 and 2009, that public sector pay went up 19% on average, way beyond the private sector, particularly families on fixed incomes.

It is the right thing to do. The time for action is now. Will you support our bill for a public sector wage freeze across the board and save Ontario families $2 billion?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: No, Speaker, I will not support the approach recommended by my honourable colleague. I am with Prime Minister Harper on this. I am with all the other provinces on this. I am with Don Drummond on this as well. And I’m with Ontario businesses and Ontario families on this. They want us to act in a responsible way. They want us to act in a way that’s going to guarantee that we’re going to achieve the result that we have to achieve.

My honourable colleague would have this tied up in the courts for years. He would engender all kinds of labour strife in Ontario. He likes to pick fights. We have a decidedly different approach. We’re going to sit down with our collective bargaining partners on a one-to-one basis. We will achieve the objectives because we have to.

GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Does the Premier agree that government appointments should be based on the ability to do the job and that partisan calculations by the Premier or those around him shouldn’t be a factor?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Yes.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, this weekend, people all over this province read unnamed Liberal sources claiming that the Premier bragged to his caucus about plans to force by-elections by offering opposition members government appointments.

Now, if we want to know why people are cynical about politics these days, Speaker, we don’t have to look any further than stories like that. People want to see politicians here work together to actually get things done for them.

Can the Premier tell us exactly what’s going on?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Speaker, we’re always looking for partners of any political stripe when it comes to moving ahead with a positive, progressive, balanced, thoughtful agenda. I say to my honourable colleague, as I said to those in the official opposition as well, if there are any people on those benches—and I want to be very public about this, Speaker—who want to come over and sit on this side of the floor, they will be welcomed with open arms and they will be treated graciously—

Interjections.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: This is very difficult for me to say, but there will be no exceptions. They’ll all be welcomed.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, people are looking for leadership from their government during tough times, and stories like this—and, frankly, behaviours like this—just turn them off. They’re concerned that a Premier would abuse the public appointments process for his own partisan needs. They’re concerned about the complete contempt that that shows for other MPPs.

And they’re most concerned because it means the Premier is more worried about his political challenges instead of the challenges that they face each and every day—challenges like looking for jobs, challenges like finding child care for their kids, challenges like caring for their aging parents. Those are the challenges they want us to be focusing on.

Can the Premier tell those people exactly what his priorities are?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Speaker, I don’t know how much credibility my honourable colleague attaches to unnamed sources, but I attach no credibility whatsoever.

What I can say is that if my honourable colleague is looking for a part when it comes to protecting health care, when it comes to protecting education, when it comes to creating more jobs, when it comes to ensuring that children growing up in Ontario today can look forward to their future with the same sense of optimism that we and our parents did before us, then she’s going to find a strong partner right here in the government of Ontario.

ENERGY POLICIES

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Over here, we’re focused on getting results because people are worried about jobs and the growing cost of living. They need results. We’ve been clear that we’re ready to offer positive alternatives for change, and one example is tackling the growing privatization and top-heavy bloat in our hydro system.

Is the Premier ready to work with other parties on change to bring price relief to consumers and businesses in this province, or is he going to offer more of the same old cynical politics?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I welcome the question. My honourable colleague will know that the Minister of Energy has spoken to this on a number of occasions and we believe that we have a responsibility to look for efficiencies as we rebuild what was a dilapidated and unreliable electricity system. In fact, we’re rebuilding 80% of it over the course of the next 20 years.

But we’ve got to look for internal efficiencies. That’s why we wanted to go ahead with the merger of a couple of our hydro entities. We’re also going to take a look at our local distribution companies to see if it makes any sense for us to combine the responsibilities that they’ve taken on. So again, the end result would be less pressure on hydro bills for Ontario families.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, we’ve put forward some pretty simple proposals. Start with a review that looks at the system and the role that public power could have in stabilizing prices, and make private power contracts like the ones for cancelled plants in Mississauga and Oakville public so that we know what we’re actually paying for.

Is the Premier ready to work with us to make affordable hydro available to businesses and households in this province, or is he focused on making life easier for his government?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Speaker, I know that certainly the slogan of public power hearkens back to an earlier time, in fact over a century ago. But the fact is, we have public power here in Ontario. We’re very proud of that. Ontarians own the electricity system that we have in place. It’s taken us a long time to develop that and it’s close to all of us, Speaker. But the fact of the matter is that it was unreliable. It was at risk when we first formed the government.

We have, I think, invested in some 9,000 megawatts of new generation to this point in time. We have rehabilitated, repaired or renewed some 5,000 kilometres of new transmission. That would take us from here to the Yukon. At the same time, we are shutting down our coal-fired generation, we are cleaning up our air, and we’re investing in an exciting new renewable energy industry, creating thousands and thousands of jobs.

I think that’s the responsible way for us to deal with public power for the people of Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: On the contrary, Speaker, hydro in this province is largely privatized, almost completely deregulated. We know that private companies are making all kinds of profits on the generation of power in this province. Even the green energy system is largely privatized, thanks to the way that this government decided to implement the Green Energy Act.

What we are ready to do over here is to roll up our sleeves and work with other parties on making life better for everyday people. The mess in our electricity system is a really good place to start. When rates for business are as much as $3 million more here in Ontario than in other provinces, we need some real change. Is the Premier ready to focus on challenges like these, Speaker, which are killing jobs and draining family budgets, or is he more concerned about the challenges that are facing the Liberal Party these days?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I appreciate the opportunity to engage in this with my honourable colleague, but I think, in fairness, that at some point in time the NDP need to tell us where they stand on power. We know that they oppose nuclear power. They oppose the development of new gas generation in Ontario. They oppose the development of renewable energy in Ontario. They oppose the shutdown of coal-fired plants in Ontario; at least I would garner from their refusal to consider new sources of clean energy that they would do that, Speaker.

I think what they need to do is, together with that slogan of public power, drag their policy development from beyond a century back, bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and tell us where they want to go when it comes to meeting the future demands of Ontarians when it comes to electricity in our province today and tomorrow.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Mrs. Christine Elliott: My question is to the Attorney General. The Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries was originally established in 1826 as a public trust for the people of Toronto. Today, the group remains a public trust, and in a letter dated October 12, 2006, from the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, it was confirmed to be “a charitable institution.” The letter also stated, “We will work with it to address this specific concern,” that had been repeatedly raised to that office about the operation of the group.

Minister, despite repeated requests for both financial and operational information, both to the public guardian and trustee and to your office, to whom it reports, nothing has been forthcoming for the past six years. Why are you refusing to take action with respect to this rogue organization?

Hon. John Gerretsen: I’d like to thank the member for the question, first of all. She well knows that the corporation was set up in the 1820s, which is a long time ago from now.

To the best of our knowledge, the Mount Pleasant Group has never received any public funding and has never been a crown corporation. It may be categorized as such by some organizations and some people, but it’s not. The initial funding that allowed for the establishment of the organization came from private donations.

I understand that discussions have been going on both within my ministry and the Ministry of Consumer Services on an ongoing basis with the Mount Pleasant Group, and it’s my understanding that some arrangement has been made whereby their records will be made more public—to the general public. We’re working on that, but it’s not a crown corporation and it has not received any public funding.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Christine Elliott: In no sense have we suggested that it’s a crown corporation, but, as the Attorney General will know, it is a public trust and has remained so since 1826; it’s also a charitable organization, which makes it subject to the Charities Accounting Act. As you know, the public guardian and trustee can request information from a charitable organization whenever they see fit.

Numerous questions have been raised by many groups about the operation of the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries, and shockingly it appears that despite all of these requests that have been made to your office and to many cabinet ministers, including the Premier, nothing has been done for six years. Minister, the public deserves to know what has been done with the money generated by the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries. Where are the profits, Minister, and where have they gone?

Hon. John Gerretsen: The member is a lawyer, and a lawyer in good standing, and the member well knows that when you’ve got a dispute between an organization or two different groups of people, we have a method in dealing with that, and that method is the court system in Ontario. The court system is highly regarded, and these kinds of disputes can be handled there. If there’s really such a grave concern, why isn’t the necessary action taken by whatever group feels that they are not getting the proper information? We’ll let a judge decide as to what should happen.

MINING INDUSTRY

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is for the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Cliffs Natural Resources is expected to make an announcement this week about the Ring of Fire following closed-door discussions they’ve with the Ontario government. A number of First Nations communities like Aroland, Marten Falls and Webequie are concerned that they have been excluded from this process.

I hope the minister would agree that for the Ring of Fire to work for everyone, First Nations can’t be put on the sidelines. Will the minister explain the status of discussions with Cliffs and whether any commitments have been made to date?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: We know one thing for sure: that the Ring of Fire offers incredible potential to the entire province, it offers incredible potential to our First Nations community in northwestern Ontario and it offers incredible potential to the communities in northern Ontario and all across Ontario. We take our duty to consult very, very seriously. We are committed to ensuring that consultation is on an ongoing basis because we realize that in this instance the Ring of Fire is an opportunity that we don’t want anyone to miss out on.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Mantha: Although Cliffs Resources may build a processing facility in northern Ontario, the company has indicated that it may only partially process ore here, shipping the semi-processed ore overseas to China. If our communities are going to get the most out of the Ring of Fire potential, we need resources mined in Ontario to stay in Ontario. Will this government make sure that all the resources mined in the Ring of Fire are processed in Ontario?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: The reality is, as we enter into this new era of opportunity for all of Ontario with regard to the Ring of Fire, we want to ensure that we maximize the potential for job creation for everyone across Ontario. If you look at the supply and services sector, you look at the processing sector, you look at the exploration and development sector, there are incredible opportunities. We want to make sure we maximize those opportunities for all the people of Ontario.

NURSES

Ms. Helena Jaczek: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Today is the first day of National Nursing Week, a time dedicated to acknowledging and thanking Ontario’s nurses for their invaluable contribution made to our health care system. As a physician myself, I’ve worked for years side by side with nurses as part of a health care team, and I’m grateful for all I that I’ve learned from them. Nurses work selflessly and tirelessly every day to keep Ontarians healthy.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister: What has your ministry done to ensure Ontarians benefit from nurses providing front-line care here in Ontario?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Thank you to the member from Oak Ridges–Markham for this important question. This is an opportunity to say thank you to all of Ontario’s nurses for everything they do for patients every day.

Today there are almost 13,000 more nurses working than when we took office in 2003, and 1,100 more nurse practitioners who are now able to diagnose, prescribe, treat and discharge hospital in-patients. They’re also now able to order lab tests and complete and sign death certificates. Twenty-one nurse practitioner-led clinics are now delivering care to more than 23,000 patients in Ontario, and these clinics will soon number 26. They’re made up of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses and other providers. When they’re fully operational, 40,000 Ontarians will benefit from nurse practitioner-led clinics.

Happy Nursing Week to all our nurses.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Helena Jaczek: Thank you to all the nurses for the hard work they do to support patients across the province.

Minister, as you’ve noted, nurses have an important role to play in our health care system and possess many skills to help patients in hospitals, at home and in community settings.

There is more we can do beyond hiring more nurses. Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister: Can you tell the House how the Ontario government is providing nurses the opportunity to expand their scope of practice based on their skills and knowledge?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: We know that Ontario’s nurses are the backbone of our health care system. They’re working on the front line. They play a crucial role in patient care. We need to get the most out of the skills and knowledge that nurses possess, which is why we’ve created five new nursing roles in order to do exactly that. One of those roles is the registered nurse surgical first assist, in which specially educated registered nurses work collaboratively with surgeons and operating room teams.

Of course, our action plan, Speaker, will ensure that patients have access to the right care at the right time and the right place. That means we need to help more seniors receive the care they need in their homes, where they want to be. That clearly means a bigger role for registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners.

AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE

Mr. Frank Klees: Speaker, my question is to the Attorney General. On Thursday of last week, I asked the Attorney General to refer very specific information concerning reports of illegal business practices by AgustaWestland to the OPP, the RCMP and to the United States justice department. Those reports included alleged kickbacks and bribes in a deal involving the sale of 12 helicopters to India by the same company that did business under similar contracts with Ornge. Can the Attorney General tell us today what he has done with that information?

Hon. John Gerretsen: First of all, of course, if the member has any allegations with respect to any suspected criminal activity, he should be notifying the OPP himself.

You and I know that the OPP is in the middle of an investigation right now surrounding various aspects relating to Ornge etc. That’s ongoing. I’m quite sure that the information that they have is being looked at as well. They’ll continue with their investigation, and they will take the necessary action in due course.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Frank Klees: Speaker, the Attorney General’s response to this question is very similar to the response that the Minister of Health gave me in April of last year when I first raised concerns about what was going on at Ornge. She listened, she defended, she folded her hands and did nothing. The Attorney General knows full well that his responsibilities on the executive council are to be the law officer of the executive council.

Yes, I will send that letter to the OPP as well as the RCMP as well as the justice department in the United States, because it’s very clear that this Attorney General will have nothing to do with passing on important information about, quite frankly, the worst scandal that this province has ever seen. I want to know why. I want to ask the Attorney General why he refuses to assume his responsibility as the law officer of this province and not pass on that information himself.

Hon. John Gerretsen: Speaker, we are very proud of the work that’s being done on a day-to-day basis within the Ministry of the Attorney General, and the member well knows that.

Any information that is received obviously goes to the policing authorities. We do not direct the police. They have their role with respect to investigations. They’re doing that right now. They will take all material that comes to their knowledge into account and, in due course, they will take the necessary actions that the situation demands. That’s what’s happening right now.

If the member has any particular information that he wants to share with them, either send it to them directly or send it to us; we’ll send it on to them.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is for the Minister of Education. People for Education reported that up to half of Ontario’s schools are facing board-imposed caps on special needs assessments. That’s as low as two students per year. That means many students are falling through the cracks.

Minister, why weren’t you aware of these board-imposed caps?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I want to thank People for Education for their report. They are such an important partner, and I look forward to continuing to work with them closely in this regard.

Making sure that every student can achieve their very best is the responsibility of all of us working together in education, and that’s why I look forward to the opportunity to work with People for Education and others in this sector to continue to build upon the successful investments that we have put in education, in particular in special education. Special education funding is up since our government has taken office—18% since 2003; 15% of Ontario’s students are receiving special education. We should be very proud that the students receiving special education services are succeeding. We are seeing grade 3 writing scores up by 30%. That’s something that we should all be very proud of.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, that was an extraordinary non-answer. The minister has effectively admitted she doesn’t know what’s going on in the education system, and the only people who actually know are citizen activists who are going out and getting the information.

Students with special needs need timely assessment. They need good, quality special education. The reality is that students in elementary schools are not being assessed. There’s been an increase in unassessed students by 50% in a year. Special needs teachers have seen their class sizes or their workloads grow by 30%.

Will the minister actually act like a minister and launch an independent public review of what’s going on with special education?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I have previously had an opportunity to speak directly with Annie Kidder and let her know that we look forward to working with People for Education to ensure that all of our students are getting the supports that they need in our schools, Speaker.

It’s very important to know that whether assessed or not, our expectation is that every student will get the special education supports that they need; in fact, the facts are that one third of students who receive special education programs are not formally identified.

This government has worked for many years now ensuring that students in our schools get the services they need. We’ve increased investments in children’s mental health; we’ve increased investments in autism services. We’ve ensured that special needs support in our schools remains, despite the fact that Mr. Drummond said that 70% of those folks who are not teachers in our schools should no longer be there. We know that they do important work. We’ve continued to make investments. We’re always looking for ways to make sure that our services are better, and that’s what we will do.

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Mr. Reza Moridi: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation. Ontario has always been known around the world for our prosperous auto industry and the critical role it plays in this major global industry. What is less known is the aerospace industry in Ontario. From a proud past, including the development of the Avro Arrow, to the world-class cluster that has developed in our province today, Ontario has been on the cutting edge in the global market when it comes to aerospace development.

Can the minister please inform this House of some of the notable achievements and strengths of Ontario’s aerospace sector?

Hon. Brad Duguid: I’m delighted to bring some light to some of the great things happening in our dynamic aerospace industry.

Ontario’s aerospace industry is growing. It’s worth about $6.5 billion and it’s employing 22,000 Ontarians. Ontario is in a unique position, with over 350 companies contributing to the sector, including 13 of the top 25 aerospace firms like Bombardier, Com Dev and Goodrich, who all have a very significant presence here in this province. Eighteen universities and colleges offer 36 aerospace-specific programs, including aerospace engineering at Carleton, Ryerson and the University of Toronto.

Ontario-made parts are used in virtually every passenger aircraft in the world, and we’re recognized as a world leader in several areas, including turboprop aircraft, business jets, turbo engines, landing gear systems and space robotics. There’s no question Ontario’s aerospace industry is fast becoming a global success story.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Reza Moridi: Mr. Speaker, it’s great to hear that Ontario has such a large and diverse aerospace industry. I would never have known that on almost every passenger flight, there is a made-in-Ontario product.

Minister, you mentioned that some 13 of the 25 industry-leading companies are located here in Ontario, specifically mentioning Bombardier. I have always known them to be a Quebec-based company, but through recent media coverage and their visit to Queen’s Park last month, I have begun to understand that they have a significant presence here in our province of Ontario.

Can the minister please elaborate on some of the exciting work coming out of Bombardier in Ontario?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Bombardier is a true global leader when it comes to the aerospace industry, and I’m very pleased to talk about some of the success that’s going on with Bombardier here in Ontario.

Just last week, Bombardier signed a contract to supply WestJet Airlines with 20 to 46 turboprop Q400 aircraft. According to the Globe and Mail, that’s an investment in our economy of $1.3 billion. It’s great news for the 4,000 workers at Bombardier’s Downsview plant and it’s great news, frankly, for workers right across the province.

Bombardier is making its mark in the green innovation field as well. In April, through Porter Airlines, Bombardier launched its first commercial flight using biofuel. In setting new environmental standards, the Q400 aircraft uses 30% to 40% less fuel—the Minister of the Environment is very happy with that—and produces 30% to 40% fewer emissions than its predecessors.

Bombardier is a global leader in the aerospace industry, another Ontario innovation and technology success story.

SKILLED TRADES

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: My question today is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Minister, currently a journeyman tradesperson here in Ontario pays $20 per year to have his or her certificate of qualification renewed. Your job-killing College of Trades is suggesting a massive increase in membership fees for all tradespeople in Ontario.

Minister, will you stand with Tim Hudak and the PC caucus and assure all journeymen tradespeople that they will not see another Liberal tax grab and see their renewal fees increased by the College of Trades?

Hon. Glen R. Murray: Woody Allen once said, “I never want to be a member of a club that would have me as a member,” for a whole lot of reasons.

Mr. Speaker, this is sort of comical. Again, a party that could never deliver more than 60,000 people in apprenticeships, a party that saw apprenticeships growing by 17,000 a year, a party that had been in power for 40 years that left, as part of its legacy, a complete lack of competitiveness in apprenticeships now wants to lecture this government.

We have 120,000 people in the trades, growing by 30,000 per year. We are ahead of our targets for 2025. We are meeting demand. One day, maybe my critic will stand up, apologize to the people of Ontario for their failure and congratulate this government on its success.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Minister, that is a pathetic answer for a question that is supporting our already overtaxed working men and women.

Remember, a journeyman tradesperson pays $20 a year now. The website of the College of Trades is proposing new fees of up to $200 annually for a journeyman. That’s a 1,000% increase for a tradesperson. This is completely scandalous. The college has had virtually no dialogue with the tradespeople of Ontario. Worse, we know your job-killing College of Trades is in bed with your Working Families Coalition.

Minister, will you stand with Tim Hudak and the PC caucus and once and for all kill this Working Families/ College of Trades boondoggle?

Interjections.

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

Minister.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: It’s interesting. Not only is the party opposite hemorrhaging members; it can’t even get along with his former caucus members.

Ron Johnson very clearly has put forward a very dynamic agenda there, one that I wish, in spite of our best efforts to collaborate—the member opposite, had he attended the reception here with the College of Trades, would have seen the incredible diversity of business and labour leaders and educators who make up the College of Trades.

It’s interesting. When the College of Trades sends out surveys and democratically engages the apprentices and the businesses and labour leaders and associations that work so hard to produce high-quality training, he criticizes that. When they come down to Queen’s Park, while 17 members of the party opposite said they were going to show up, not one showed.

If you want to be ignorant and not take any information, not participate in a process—you end up getting questions like that from the member opposite.

CONSERVATION

Mr. Jonah Schein: My question is to the Minister of the Environment. On Friday, I was in Brantford and Cambridge to meet with the Grand River Conservation Authority and Brantford citizens who are fighting to protect the environmentally sensitive Hardy Road area of Brantford, which is now at risk by proposed development. The city of Brantford wants this area protected from development as part of the waterfront master plan. Will this government support the elected officials of the city council of Brantford and protect this important piece of land?

Hon. James J. Bradley: I can tell you that our government is very much in favour of environmental protection. That’s why we have a Ministry of the Environment.

Whenever there are proposals that come forward to the Ministry of the Environment, we give very careful consideration to those proposals. We analyze them using the best information that could be provided to us. Our ministry staff, who are highly trained and highly educated, do a great assessment of all proposed projects, and then we provide the very best advice we can. We also take into account the views of the local people, particularly those who are the elected representatives in the area, and have our input when these decisions come forward to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

So you can be assured that we have a great concern in this area and will do what is appropriate.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jonah Schein: Back to the Minister of the Environment: I was very honoured to be given the tour of the Hardy Road area. It’s beautiful. It’s of huge ecological significance and archaeological heritage. It’s connected to Brantford’s main source of drinking water. It should be protected from development.

I’m proud to say I’m with citizens of Brantford who have fought hard and long to protect this area, but why won’t the government protect this provincially significant wetland area and support the elected officials in Brantford? Instead, why are you giving it over to the OMB to do this work?

Hon. James J. Bradley: I think the member would like to hear from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the procedure that is followed, so I’ll allow her to answer that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Just defer.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: On the specifics of this case, if there are issues that you’d like to bring forward to me or to the Minister of the Environment, we’d be happy to see them.

But what I would like to say is that the planning regime that we have put in place in Ontario, right from the provincial policy statement to Places to Grow to the greenbelt—all of those pieces of legislation and those plans have really changed the culture of development in this province, and the purpose of that change of culture has been to protect much of the sensitive land that certainly surrounds the GTA and to preserve agricultural land and preserve those sensitive areas.

So I’d be happy to look at the specifics of this case, but I think we need to remember that land that was not protected previously is protected because of the planning regime that we have put in place.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’ve got a question today for the Minister of Natural Resources. Constituents in my riding of Oakville have contacted me about your ministry’s three-year transformation plan. I understand that the 2012 budget proposes a series of amendments to nine pieces of legislation to protect our province’s natural resources. Some of my constituents have expressed their concern that the transformation may change MNR’s commitment to protect Ontario’s natural resources.

Minister, all of us have a role to play, obviously, in contributing to the government’s commitment to balancing the books by 2017-18, and I know MNR is doing its share. Minister, would you share with the House and with my constituents how your ministry plans to modernize itself while ensuring you protect Ontario’s vital natural resources?

Hon. Michael Gravelle: Let me thank the member for Oakville for that question; it’s an important one, certainly. Let me begin by saying that the Ministry of Natural Resources is very proud of our long and respected history of overseeing the management and conservation of Ontario’s natural resources. We want to be sure we maintain that commitment, which is why we’ve embarked on a three-year transformation plan to actually help us deliver our services more efficiently, to potentially streamline some of the permits, policies and processes that are in place but also, as I say, to maintain that commitment.

I am aware that some groups are raising concerns about our plan, specifically around the perception that there’s going to be limited opportunity for public consultation. I want to assure Ontarians that that is not the case. If the budget bill is passed, we will be consulting extensively on any proposed regulatory change. Any change will be posted on the Environmental Registry for public review and comment, and I invite all people who are interested and concerned to speak with us and sit down with us.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: People in Oakville will be glad to hear that response.

In 2007, our government introduced the Endangered Species Act, and since that time, it has gained much international acclaim. That was opposed by the official opposition. I’m pleased to note that today the act protects more than 200 vital species at risk. As you are well aware, there are questions being raised now specifically about the changes proposed to the Endangered Species Act that are outlined in the budget and how they are going to affect our good standing record on species at risk.

Minister, I know that our government’s commitment to the protection and the recovery of native species in the province is unwavering, but I want you to assure Ontarians and the members of this House and explain how the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act will affect native species in the province of Ontario.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: Again, I appreciate the question, and I certainly want to say that under our proposed changes, the Endangered Species Act will continue to be a North American leader in protecting endangered species.

The proposed changes also will maintain that necessary balance we often speak about for endangered species protection while at the same time reducing red tape and providing some greater certainty for business, which we know is important for them as well.

While I recognize that there are challenges ahead, I believe we are very much on the right course. May I also say that I’m encouraged, certainly, by the Environmental Commissioner, Mr. Miller, when he pointed out that our plan can be well done? What he really said was that “big-picture ecosystem management is superior to micromanaging individual species,” and we appreciate that.

Let me remind you again: Regulatory changes—anything proposed—will be posted on the Environmental Registry for public review and comment.

AGGREGATE EXTRACTION

Ms. Laurie Scott: My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, as you know, at the Standing Committee on General Government last Thursday, only 12 hours were set aside for public hearings on the aggregate resources review act—all in Toronto. Minister, I know you understand that aggregate extraction occurs in many communities in Ontario, with the exception of Toronto. Will the minister commit today to direct his Liberal colleagues on the committee to accept our motion for increased hearings and for the committee to travel to communities where aggregate extraction actually takes place?

Hon. Michael Gravelle: Thank you very much for the question. Certainly, we are very, very pleased that our motion passed and the all-party standing committee is working on the aggregate resources review—a very important one. We made a commitment to move that review forward; that has happened.

Certainly, we do understand, as I think everyone does, how important aggregates are, but we also understand that there is a need for us to look at how we can improve the legislation. It is the decision of the all-party standing committee in terms of those kinds of decisions.

As for public hearings, I want to encourage everyone who is interested in presenting to bring forward their thoughts and presentations. Also, there will be other opportunities, I know, through a variety of other circumstances, teleconferences as well, to bring their feelings forward. We’re very excited and very pleased that, indeed, the review is taking place and that the all-party standing committee is beginning their work today.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Laurie Scott: Again to the minister: Your Liberal members of the committee, as well as the NDP, blocked my suggestions to have extensive hearings—which you promised during the election—on the AR act. Many of the presentations that are scheduled are already booked with Toronto-based officials. In fact, public notice just went out today and the clerk’s phone is ringing off the hook. But so far, we have not yet booked a single municipality or individual. Without an extension of the review period and a commitment to travel to other locations, there will be little or no opportunity for input from communities who are most knowledgeable on what is working and what is not with the ARA.

Again I ask the minister, will you ask the Liberal members of the standing committee to agree to travelling hearings for the ARA review, to expand the number of hearings beyond the meagre 12 hours already scheduled?

Hon. Michael Gravelle: To the Minister of Community and Social Services.

Hon. John Milloy: The Progressive Conservative Party cannot have it both ways. I mean, on the one hand, they talk about the autonomy of committees and the ability of committees to set their own agenda and to decide what they want to study, and now they’re standing up and asking us to interfere in the work of the committee.

The simple fact is, it is our government that took the initiative to ask the committee to review the Aggregate Resources Act. We gave the committee the power to determine how to do it. They discussed it and decided to

schedule as has been outlined by the member.

I would point out, Mr. Speaker, we are in a minority Parliament. There are more opposition members than there are government members, so don’t stand here in the Legislature and try to blame the government for a decision that was made by the committee, based upon consultation and discussion and, as I say, a majority of the members, which outstrip the number of Liberals who were there.

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: My question is to the Minister of Community and Social Services. The community start-up and maintenance benefit has provided thousands of social assistance recipients with emergency financial support to avoid eviction and homelessness. The Hamilton Community Legal Clinic says that the government’s decision to cut this benefit by 50% and transfer the remainder to municipalities will “lead to more homelessness in Hamilton and in communities across Ontario.”

Why, we ask, is the McGuinty government making a decision that experts say will actually increase homelessness?

Hon. John Milloy: I thank the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, as I’ve admitted in this House before, we had to make some hard decisions when it came to the recent budget. At the same time, I would outline to the member that investments, going forward—there are really only three areas where the government is investing significantly. That is in terms of health care, education and the final one, social assistance, where we’re seeing an average increase moving forward of some 2.7% in my ministry and in that of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

In terms of CSUM, Mr. Speaker, it’s a housing benefit. As the honourable member is aware, we are right now in the process of finalizing a long-term housing strategy which takes a number of programs under my ministry and transfers them to municipalities, removing many of the rules and barriers which have not allowed municipalities to spend that money in a way that’s appropriate.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Again to the minister: The community start-up and maintenance benefit is the absolutely last resource many people have before being forced right out onto the street. It’s a homelessness prevention program. Now this program’s funding is being cut by 50%. How will the government ensure that municipalities actually use the transferred funds to help people avoid eviction and homelessness? We’d like some answers on this. And what guarantee will the government give that more people on social assistance will not end up on the street because of this very cut?

Hon. John Milloy: For a long time, housing advocates have recognized the fact that we have a variety of programs which are offered by my ministry, programs which are offered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, which have been very difficult for municipalities to administer. There had been tight rules around them and there had been barriers around them. We have situations where municipalities are spending literally thousands of dollars to support someone in a setting and not have that capacity to take that money and put them in a more appropriate setting and offer the support.

What we are talking about through this new program is giving municipalities the flexibility they need to start to plan, to start to work with their communities and use this money that’s aimed at keeping people at risk out of homelessness situations, and finding homes and supports for them and making sure that they can move forward. This is the approach coming forward. This is something that poverty advocates have long called for. This is something the municipal sector has wanted for a long time, and it’s going to mean a big difference for those in poverty—

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

AIR QUALITY

Mrs. Teresa Piruzza: My question is for the Minister of the Environment. Protecting the quality of air we breathe is a fundamental concern for Ontarians and is of significance in the Windsor area.

As temperatures begin to increase throughout Ontario, so too does the amount of outdoor air pollution such as smog. We know that smog-causing pollutants contribute to respiratory and other health problems for thousands of individuals every year. The traditional smog season in Ontario occurs between the months of May to September. However, they can occur at any time throughout the year.

Speaker, through you, would the Minister of the Environment please share with us what our government is doing to ensure Ontarians are properly informed about smog episodes?

Hon. James J. Bradley: There are many factors that affect how much smog we get in the province of Ontario.

The ministry, as you know, issues advisories when there’s a high probability of elevated smog levels occurring within the next 24 hours. During smog advisories, Ontarians are encouraged to lower what we would call smog-causing emissions by walking or biking to work instead of driving and are advised to avoid unnecessary exposure to smog by reducing outdoor physical activity.

In the past several years, our government has taken strong action to reduce smog in Ontario. We’ve shut down 10 of the 19 coal-fired electricity generating units and have reduced reliance on coal-fired electricity by more than 90% since 2003.

In 2008, 38,000 tonnes less of smog-causing pollutants were released due to the Drive Clean program, and our government remains committed to improving air quality in Ontario so everyone can breathe a little easier.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Teresa Piruzza: I know that the residents of Windsor are often looking for those types of initiatives to come forward.

I understand that our government has been working hard to reduce the smog at source, and in the past several years, we’ve seen a substantial decline.

On April 22 of this year, and in honour of Earth Day, the Ministry of the Environment released its 40th annual Air Quality in Ontario report. This report summarizes pollutant concentration levels measured at the ministry’s reporting stations and also highlights trends over time.

Speaker, through you, could the Minister of the Environment please provide the House with the findings of this report?

Hon. James J. Bradley: I’m pleased, Mr. Speaker, to note that the state of our air quality in Ontario is indeed improving. The report found that, overall, levels of air quality contaminants have decreased over the past 10 years and the number of smog advisories have declined in recent years.

Our government has taken many steps to improve air quality. We’ve moving away from dirty coal to clean, renewable energy. We also introduced new standards for industry with respect to outdoor air pollutants. These standards are among the toughest in North America.

Air pollution does not recognize geographical boundaries. Ontario is taking action locally, regionally and globally to protect the health and environment of its citizens now and in the future. So I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, that every time we take a specific action which is designed to improve air quality in the province, we see a measurable improvement, and we have certainly noted that since the year 2003.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Mrs. Christine Elliott: My question is to the Attorney General and, again, it concerns the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries. It has been recognized that the group is both a public trust and a charitable organization, and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. Numerous complaints have been made about the operation of the group over many years to that office and to your office, yet no answers have been forthcoming and no financial information has been produced over the past six years. You say, Attorney General, that you’re working on it. What exactly has been done over all these years?

Hon. John Gerretsen: It’s my understanding that both the Minister of Consumer Services and my own ministry have been trying to make this much more transparent than it has been in the past. But you should also know—and you probably know this already—that the group itself follows all the rules and regulations of the Cemeteries Act, which is really our responsibility.

Let me just finally say once again that if two groups of individuals do not like what’s going on in society, there is a method by which we can deal with that, and that is through our court system. We have a highly recognized court system that is extremely well regarded, and I would suggest, if the answers are not forthcoming as quickly as the group wants, that they take the necessary, appropriate legal action.

CORRECTION OF RECORD

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member for Toronto–Danforth on a point of order.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, I need to correct the record. In my question to the Minister of Education, I said words to the effect of, “There has been a 50% increase in the number of special needs students going unassessed.” It should have been “a 50% increase in the number of elementary schools who have special needs students not being assessed.”

Thank you, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is a point of order, and the member is allowed to correct his own record.

The member from Lanark–Frontenac–Lennox and Addington.

Mr. Randy Hillier: Point of order: Speaker, I respectfully request that members of the Tibetan Parliament in exile be recognized by this Legislature. Indeed, it behooves us all here in a free democracy to support those who wish the same while being oppressed.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s not a point of order, but we welcome our guests being here in the Legislature of this province. Thank you.

VISITORS

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Bramalea–Gore–Malton on a point of order.

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: Mr. Speaker, I’d ask all the members of the Legislature to join me in welcoming the family of page Ranbir Singh: his mother, Kulbir Singh, and brother, the future me, Jagmeet Singh.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): We always welcome our guests here at the people’s place.

There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1142 to 1300.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. John O’Toole: Earlier today, Monday, May 7, Peggy and I—our youngest daughter, Rochelle Trainor, and her husband, Jason, had our ninth grandchild. Congratulations also to Bob and Dianne Trainor of Sault Ste. Marie. Emilie Mollie Trainor was born at about 2 in the morning, I guess, at six pounds, five ounces, at the University College Hospital in London, England.

More miraculously, on May 7, 1982, Rochelle’s mother, Mollie passed away, on that very same day 30 years ago today. It is a miracle.

Congratulations to Rochelle and Jason.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I welcome our guests to the gallery.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

JAMES MARKER

Mr. Todd Smith: I’m sad to inform you that a great Canadian entrepreneur from eastern Ontario has passed away. Halloween just won’t be the same this year. James Marker, the inventor of Hawkins Cheezies, died last week at the age of 90.

In the mid-1940s, Mr. Marker, a young Ohio farmer, was looking for a way to preserve corn to feed his cattle year-round when he built a special device to turn the corn into porous sticks. That’s when Chicago-based confectionery giant W.T. Hawkins came along and the cheezie was created.

When the US company went broke, Mr. Marker moved in 1949 to lovely Tweed, Ontario. In 1956, that plant in Tweed burned to the ground and the company, 30 days later, was back in business in Belleville, where it continues to churn out the tasty treats today.

Jim Marker used to call the cheezie the greatest snack food on earth, and many kids all over Canada have pulled the familiar red, white and blue bag of Hawkins out of their treat bag every year at Halloween.

More than being just a successful entrepreneur, Marker helped found the Belleville Airport, served on the executive of the Belleville Rotary for more than a decade and was an active community citizen for generations.

Might I point out that up until March of this year, Mr. Marker would go into the plant, or have three bags delivered to his home that he would sample, just to make sure the product met the standards that he had set. And he lived until he was 90, Mr. Speaker.

He will be greatly missed by the president, Kent Hawkins, and the GM, Tony McGarvey, and all the staff at the plant in Belleville.

CITIZENS’ AWARD

Mr. Paul Miller: This Thursday, the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual Citizens of the Year Awards ceremony for outstanding community contributions in 2011. As expected, the recipients are an excellent cross-section of citizens and businesses who have made an extraordinary contribution to our community.

Linda Shuker is citizen of the year. Linda has headed the wildly successful annual Winona Peach Festival for many years. This weekend-long event includes arts, crafts, vendors, car shows, concerts, great local food and fabulous peach tastings and recipes.

Other “crickers” honoured this year are Amanda Cicero of Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, who is junior citizen of the year; McHugh Mowat Whitmore Ionico MacPherson law firm, the outstanding large business; Donald V. Brown Funeral Home, the outstanding small business; ArcelorMittal Dofasco, with the community recognition award; Bertram and Barry Insurance, with the legacy award; and Colin Heyens, Orchard Park Secondary School, receives the humanitarian award. It is particularly rewarding to see two young people honoured this year.

I am proud of the work done by groups like the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce in continuing this recognition of our local individuals and businesses that have made our community such a great place to live. I congratulate all the recipients and I thank each of them for their contributions to Stoney Creek.

ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH

This year’s theme for Asian Heritage Month is Advancing Democracy, Strengthening Canada. It is an appropriate theme, as this marks the 65th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act. This act was used to prevent Chinese immigrants from coming to Canada. Between 1923 and 1947, fewer than 50 Chinese immigrants were allowed to come to Canada.

By celebrating Asian Heritage Month, we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by people like internationally renowned architect Raymond Moriyama, Dr. Tak Mak, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Ryerson University Chancellor Raymond Chang, award-winning author and filmmaker Michael Ondaatje, and actress Sandra Oh, to name a few. It also provides us with an opportunity to appreciate the everyday contributions of Canadians of Asian descent.

At a time when some countries have denounced multiculturalism, Canada and Ontario stand alone as the envy of the world for its admiration and respect for diversity. I’m proud to live in a country which recognizes the contributions of Canadians of Asian heritage. I hope you will join me in acknowledging their valuable contributions in making Canada and Ontario the greatest places to live.

ORGAN DONATION

Mr. Rob E. Milligan: It certainly isn’t every day that members on all sides of this chamber form a consensus on any issue, but I am pleased to see that the important matter of organ donation is something about which we can all agree.

Two months ago I tabled Bill 58, in which I called on the government to make a very minor change to the process for issuing health cards and driver’s licences. The bill proposed that every applicant be asked whether or not they would agree to register on the Trillium Gift of Life organ donation registry. It was at that time, I’m sure, a pure coincidence that the government chose to make the announcement that they agreed with that suggested change on the very day my bill was to be debated for second reading. Regardless of how they chose the date, it was the right thing to do, and the minister should be congratulated for that.

I have only one criticism of the announcement made by the Ministry of Health. They have indicated that the questionnaire will be rolled out in only 91 ServiceOntario offices and the balance of the 300 offices won’t receive the questionnaire until 2013. Surely it won’t take a year for the ministry to photocopy 209 additional instruction sheets and accelerate the timetable for the province-wide adoption of the questionnaire.

The ministry should do everything in its power to ensure that the new questionnaire is implemented province-wide without further delay.

MAXXAM ANALYTICS

Mr. Bob Delaney: It’s time to congratulate a cutting-edge western Mississauga business for its forward-thinking co-op program for skilled immigrants. Maxxam Analytics launched a program in 2001 for skilled immigrants. That program offers the same training that other new employees and Canadian graduates receive.

Co-op students learn about basic health and safety in a Canadian laboratory, new tools and programs for sample testing, as well as the company’s own standard operating procedures. They get the Canadian experience that so many employers look for.

Maxxam Analytics tests environmental products, food and water samples. It has brought in some 400 co-op students since the start of the program and hired half of them upon completion of their co-op program.

In recognition of this program, Maxxam Analytics was awarded the Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration at the sixth Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council Immigrant Success Awards.

Our western Mississauga friends, neighbours and co-workers are building families, communities and careers through enlightened training programs such as this one at Maxxam Analytics. Congratulations to Maxxam’s CEO, Jon Hantho, and to all the employees at Maxxam Analytics. It is one reason why Mississauga has become such a magnet for skilled newcomers in Canada.

TOURISM

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: Tourism is a way for us and people from around the world to enjoy what Ontario has to offer. It is also a key industry, generating over $21 billion in revenues and supporting over 600,000 jobs in close to 150,000 businesses across Ontario.

In 2009, the province received $3.7 billion in direct tax revenue from the tourism industry. Nevertheless, this government is making decisions that will hinder tourism in Ontario. The HST increased the cost of rooms and numerous tourist events by 8%.

The proposal to close all three travel information centres in northwestern Ontario will hurt the north’s existing tourism industry and will create a barrier to expanding tourism in new areas.

The cancellation of the slots-at-racetracks program will decimate Ontario’s horse racing industry and a unique tourism draw for people visiting our province.

Worst of all, in none of these cases were members of the tourism industry consulted. In 2009, after consulting with the tourism industry, the government released its own report intending to make Ontario a prime tourist destination. Most of these recommendations have been ignored.

Today, we face fiscal disaster because of our growing debt. Our economy is becoming increasingly uncompetitive and our businesses are saddled with red tape and poor economic policies. Credit rating agencies are screaming that Ontario is going down the wrong path.

Our tourism industry is an economic driver in Ontario, and I would urge this government to change its focus. Look at our industry leaders to generate growth through economic activity instead of through increased taxes.

FOOD BANKS

Miss Monique Taylor: Unfortunately, my seatmate was unable to be here to do his statement, so I’ll take advantage of his time and tell the folks of the Legislature about an event that I attended this weekend.

It was quite the event. I slept outside in a box for hunger on Friday night. It was quite the experience, let me tell you.

The food bank in my riding is up 30% since this time last year, so there’s a huge need in my community to raise awareness and money to feed the shelves at the food bank.

It was definitely something. I mean, yes, we had the comfort of 30 other people out there doing the same thing, but at the end of the night I was alone in my box and it was cold, it was dark, it was windy, the tarp’s blowing around through the night. It just left a feeling of eeriness inside of me and something I will never forget.

I was really fortunate to have many great sponsors to help me out in this initiative and I was able to raise $2,100 for my food bank. Hopefully, other people will take up this initiative and be able to do the same thing in their neighbourhood, because we’re definitely hoping that next year we’ll be able to double the numbers of attendees at the event.

THE HOSPICE AT MAY COURT

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: It’s a great pleasure of mine to celebrate 10 years of the Tracy Arnett Realty Hike for Hospice, raising funds for the Hospice at May Court, a very special place in my riding of Ottawa Centre.

Yesterday, from 9 a.m. to noon, participants took a five-kilometre hike through the streets of Old Ottawa South, beginning and ending on the grounds of the Hospice at May Court.

Rob Clipperton, former host and producer of CBC radio in Ottawa, was master of ceremonies for the day.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the hike was “The Power of 10” campaign to raise $120,000, 10% more than last year and representing 10% of the total annual fundraising goal of $1.2 million.

The Hospice at May Court is a community-based charitable organization that offers palliative and end-of-life care services for over 600 patients and their loved ones each year in a supportive and peaceful setting. The services are provided at no cost, in part with funds raised in the Hike for Hospice as well as financial support from individual donors, service groups, corporate sponsorships, foundations and the provincial government.

Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers and staff at the hospice, particularly Jean-Pierre Soublière, the chair of the board; Todd Burke, vice chair; Charles Armstrong; Louis Auerbach; Margaret Bloodworth; Janet Dunbrack; Vince Gilpin; Janice Horne; Heni Nadel; Michael Pentland; Jeannie Thomas; and also Margie Howsam, The May Court Club of Ottawa representative; Dr. Pipa Hall, the medical advisor at the hospice; and David Hogberg, the executive director of the Hospice at May Court. Congratulations.

EMERGENCY IN DUFFERIN COUNTY

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I rise today to thank the Dufferin county emergency management services and all those who responded to a terrible rainstorm that occurred last Thursday on May 3 in my riding.

The equivalent of a month’s worth of rainfall accumulated in a 12-hour period. Many residents were affected by the storm, which included an intense downpour, high winds and hail. The damage is estimated to be as high as a million dollars.

As a result of the flooding, at least 20 people were evacuated from several homes and apartments, and some spent time in an emergency shelter at the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre. Family Transition Place, our community’s only women’s shelter, was also forced to evacuate because of flooding that damaged the electrical panel and flooded the facility.

The storm’s intensity was unexpected, and the efforts of the Dufferin county emergency management services as well as the town of Orangeville and all emergency responders deserve to be recognized and thanked. Norah Kennedy, executive director at Family Transition Place, and her staff, who worked very quickly to establish an alternative temporary shelter, also deserve our thanks.

Other organizations assisted evacuees by providing personal items, food and water. The Salvation Army, students at Orangeville District Secondary School and businesses like McDonald’s and Rexall Pharma Plus came to the aid of those who were displaced from their homes.

It’s the efforts of the first responders and all the volunteers who helped so quickly that made a difference. I want to thank them for their excellent work in the face of danger.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

LABOUR RELATIONS

AMENDMENT ACT

(ONTARIO LABOUR

RELATIONS BOARD), 2012 /

LOI DE 2012 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LES RELATIONS DE TRAVAIL

(COMMISSION DES RELATIONS

DE TRAVAIL DE L’ONTARIO)

Mr. Hillier moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 84,

An Act to amend the Labour Relations Act, 1995 with respect to the Ontario Labour Relations Board and other matters / Projet de loi 84, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1995 sur les relations de travail en ce qui concerne la Commission des relations de travail de l’Ontario et d’autres questions.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Mr. Randy Hillier: Speaker, this bill amends the Labour Relations Act, 1995, to remove the stated purposes of the act. The practice and procedure of the Ontario Labour Relations Board is no longer determined by rules made by the board itself but is determined by regulations made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under this act.

At present, a party affected by the decision of the Ontario Labour Relations Board has no right of appeal. This bill provides a right of appeal to Divisional Court in accordance with the rules of court. It also makes members of the board and other officers compellable witnesses in any appeal or judicial review of the board’s proceedings and makes the Minister of Labour and other ministry officials compellable witnesses before a court or tribunal.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I rise today to recognize Children’s Mental Health Week in Ontario, which is observed in the first full week of May each year.

Children’s Mental Health Week has two critical goals: to increase awareness of mental health and to decrease the stigma associated with mental illness. Mr. Speaker, we all need to talk about this very important issue in our families, in our communities and across this province. And we need to take action and give young people with mental health challenges the support that they need so that they can reach their full potential.

I’m proud to lead Ontario’s comprehensive mental health and addiction strategy, a joint initiative of the ministries of children and youth services, health and long-term care and education. The first three years of our strategy focus on children and youth because we know that one in five young people in Ontario—that’s about 500,000 children—are dealing today with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders. We also know that 70% of mental health and addiction problems begin in childhood and adolescence. So, Mr.

Speaker, how we invest in our children today will determine the quality of their lives tomorrow. That’s why, in the first three years of our mental health strategy, our government is focusing on children and youth with an unprecedented investment of $257 million.

Through our investments to date, approximately 20,000 more Ontario kids and their families are benefiting from quicker and easier access to mental health services and supports provided through community agencies, through youth courts and in schools.

At this point, I should mention that at noon today, I and my two critics from the opposition parties and others had the privilege of attending the photography exhibit here at Queen’s Park of students from Stephen Lewis Secondary School. They did this exhibit in recognition of Children’s Mental Health Week. It is an extraordinary exhibit, and I urge all members of the Legislature to visit the exhibit. They’re here for the duration of the week.

Because schools are often the first place where a young person with mental health needs is identified, that’s why we’ve invested in more than 400 child and youth mental health workers hired to work with students in schools, to work with mental health agencies and to work with courts to address important mental health issues faced by children and youth in this province. It’s why 144 new mental health and addictions nurses are being hired to work with schools to help students with mild-to-complex mental health or substance abuse problems. Over the next few months, we will continue to roll out services and supports targeted at children and youth with unique mental health challenges.

I know this is an issue which has both confronted and been important to all parties of the Legislature. I know that it’s important that we recognize that the efforts that have been under way in past years to confront these challenges and build a stronger mental health system to support children and youth and adults suffering from mental health needs. It has been an issue which has been driven by compassion and commitment to nonpartisan effort. I want to acknowledge that all parties, particularly the two opposition parties, have worked hard with the government on advancing this important subject.

Beginning this spring, new aboriginal mental health and addictions workers will also be hired to provide culturally appropriate direct services to aboriginal children and youth in high-needs aboriginal communities right across the province. We will also enhance and expand telepsychiatry services to provide more service to kids in remote, rural and underserviced areas.

This is not a problem that we can solve alone. We work hand in hand, as I mentioned, with all members of this Legislature and with partners right across the province. These partners include agencies, umbrella organizations, advocates, clinicians, workers and donors like Margaret McCain, the former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, who last month announced the largest private donation ever to child and youth mental health in Canada, a $10-million gift to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, CAMH. I was proud and honoured to be present for the announcement of Margaret McCain’s generous contribution.

So I want to thank all our mental health partners who are working diligently with us to support the mental health and well-being of our children and our youth. Together, we can and we will help change the lives of young people in communities across this great province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Responses?

Mrs. Jane McKenna: Thank you to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. I am pleased to rise today on behalf of our leader, Tim Hudak, and the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus to recognize Children’s Mental Health Week.

We know one in five Ontarians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime, and that 70% of those symptoms will surface during childhood and adolescence. That’s a population of around half a million young people currently wrestling with these issues.

Children’s Mental Health Week is about increasing awareness of children and youth mental health problems, decreasing related and promoting access to help. This week is not just about wearing a ribbon to show that you care; it’s about being honest about the progress we’re making and challenges we face on the issue of mental health for children and youth.

Tomorrow, the federal government will release its first-ever national mental health strategy, one expected to reinforce and, where necessary, repair provincial strategies.

I am proud of the work of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions, a comprehensive report that began with my PC colleague for Whitby–Oshawa, Christine Elliott. The report’s 23 recommendations had many recommendations calling for additional services for children and youth. Ontario has invested in prevention and early intervention at the expense of treatment, but trends indicate that we need both approaches. Researchers with the US Public Health Service have forecast that by the end of the decade, childhood mental health disorders will rise by over 50% worldwide.

Parents from Children’s Mental Health point out that despite the inroads that have been made in recent years, there is still a crisis in Ontario. Five in six children with mental health problems will receive no professional help at all.

In the shadow of the recent budget, we have seen this government squeezing efficiencies from our strained system and announcing plans to mothball various youth treatment facilities. We see this in events like the closure of facilities such as Thistletown Regional Centre, moves that have been undertaken without consultation or warning to the families that will be impacted.

Funding levels alone don’t tell the whole story, of course. We can make real progress by seeing clearly, thinking creatively and asking critical questions rather than believing that funding alone is a solution.

In the course of my stakeholder consultation on this portfolio, I have learned that there is, in fact, excessive funding overlap. Several agencies have nearly identical mandates and functions.

As well, as with so many things in this government, we’re obsessed with hitting targets in terms of inputs, rather than concentrating on clearly defined outcomes or objectives. The system should work towards common benchmarks, but we don’t have those.

We also need proper assessments so that individuals can be streamed into appropriate and effective programs. But we can’t have an effective system without well-trained specialists and professionals. There is a high need for clinical psychologists and psychiatrists—the average age of practising specialists is 62 in psychiatry, and 57 in psychology. This should be a warning bell.

We need more university spaces to train psychiatrists and psychologists who specialize in children and youth. The University of Toronto apparently has only two spaces open for child psychiatrists.

The focus right now is on psychiatry aimed at seniors. The problem and the solutions are staring us right in the face.

Do we care enough to act? Some certainly do, and so I would like to pay tribute to the professionals who devote their lives to the children’s mental health field, including the agencies in my riding of Burlington—specifically the dedicated people at the Reach Out Centre for Kids, or ROCK. Over the past 35 years, ROCK has grown to become a leader in providing innovative, family-centred mental health services. It helps infants, children, teens and adults live their lives through early assessment and intervention, prevention, treatment and therapy for those having or at risk of developing mental health problems or mental illness.

Organizations like ROCK help families across Ontario. I would ask that you support them as you mark Children’s Mental Health Week and continue to keep children’s mental health in the spotlight year-round.

Miss Monique Taylor: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize Children’s Mental Health Week.

All of us at times experience problems with our mental health. Often it’s because of the loss of a close friend or family member, or it’s as simple as a change in our employment situation. Thankfully, in most of these cases, these feelings are temporary and we work our way through it. But sometimes the feelings continue and they become overwhelming, and this can be a sign that there’s more going on that needs more attention. Perhaps there’s a previously undetected mental health disorder that needs to be treated.

Some of these disorders are more prevalent than others, and sometimes sufferers fall victim to more than one.

ASD, autism spectrum disorder, affects one in about 88 people. Anxiety disorders: About 6% of our children have anxiety disorders serious enough to need treatment. ADHD affects 5% of children. These are just some of the many mental health disorders. They can be caused by chemical imbalances, exposures to toxins or genetic influences. They can be a result of abuse or neglect. They can come from low self-esteem, poor performance at school, stress at work, severed or strained relationships.

This information and much more can be made available by Children’s Mental Health Ontario, and I would encourage all members to take the opportunity to meet with one of them or their 85 member agencies across Ontario.

These community-based mental health agencies are the backbone of Ontario’s mental health system for children and youth. They provide treatment to our young people with a range of social, emotional and behavioural problems. The agencies are staffed by many dedicated professionals who do wonderful, wonderful work for their clients. Unfortunately, due to the way that the system has developed, there is little uniformity in the delivery of the services and treatments across the province.

Their strong community-based focus has meant a lack of mandated programs or regulations of the sector. As a result, not every agency is able to provide the same levels of training. They cannot ensure the same treatment and coordination of services, and they’re found wanting.

In 2005, the government stated that the number one goal was for a child and youth mental health sector that is coordinated, collaborative and integrated at all community and governmental levels, creating a culture of shared responsibility. We’re not there yet, Mr. Speaker, and I know that Children’s Mental Health Ontario is keen to work with the government on system reform.

Last year’s budget provided $257 million over three years, but the previous two decades before that were marked by chronic underfunding that took years of toil onto the system. Throughout those years, agencies found efficiencies. They shared IT systems, they shared back office services with other agencies, and they used video conferencing to reduce their travel costs. They found efficiencies in clinical services such as the use of walk-in clinics and group work instead of one-on-one treatment, which we all know is very needed in this province, Mr. Speaker.

The changes also meant cuts to employee benefit packages, and some agencies are entirely without financial, administrative and supportive staff. On rare occasions when the government provided funding increases, none of that money was earmarked for administrative needs.

The dollars announced in June 2011 do nothing to address the lack of administrative, supervisory or travel costs available for these agencies. Yes—and you know that we’re strong on this, Mr. Speaker—we all know that we need to put money into front-line services, but without the funding to support the operations of the agencies, clients will continue to suffer.

As we celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week, let us rededicate ourselves to the collaborative approach that includes the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the education and children’s mental health agencies.

PETITIONS

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

Mr. John O’Toole: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s nice to start this week. You look great in the chair there. My petition from the riding of Durham reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the province unexpectedly announced it is abandoning years of preparation, study and the signed Flow agreement that included a commitment to build the Highway 407 east extension in one phase to Highway 35/115; and

“Whereas the province, without consultation with the municipalities, and nowhere” in hearings held in the public was this ever mentioned to be phased in, “is now proceeding with a two-phased approach, stopping at Simcoe Street North in Oshawa; and

“Whereas this two-phased approach will mean significant financial, quality of life, safety and environmental setbacks for Durham region and its municipalities and hinder economic development, tourism and job creation for all of southern Ontario; and

“Whereas this two-phased approach will ultimately mean higher costs for all provincial taxpayers;

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

“We, the residents and businesses of southern Ontario, oppose any decision to terminate Highway 407 east in Oshawa or Clarington, and request that the province proceed with the Highway 407 East extension project as planned and promised, in one phase, from Brock Road in Pickering through to Highway 35/115, with a completion date of 2013.”

I’m pleased to sign and support this and give it to William, one of the pages here.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And you look good in the chair.

ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES

Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition with respect to Bill 13, and it reads as follows.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“We, the undersigned citizens of Canada and residents of Ontario, draw attention to the following:

“Whereas, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, every Canadian citizen has the following fundamental freedoms: the freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; and freedom of association;

“Whereas the

preamble for Bill 13 makes no reference to protecting against bullying based on religious beliefs, political affiliation or any general association;

“Whereas Bill 13 removes freedoms of speech, religion and association by forcing the promotion of values, lifestyles and beliefs which a Canadian citizen may not agree with, which they are entitled to under the Canadian Constitution, and furthermore has the potential to lead to these freedoms being removed from private schools;

“Whereas Bill 13 will most likely remove the freedom of religion and freedom of speech by only allowing groups to rent space who will conform exactly to the code of conduct within each board;

“Whereas Bill 13 at a few points defines bullying in a very broad, subjective manner that leaves it open to wide

interpretation, with the consequences for such behaviour being student expulsion;

“Whereas Bill 13 appears to enforce and enshrine fairly new policies and procedures at the school board level, such as the Toronto District School Board’s ‘Challenging Homophobia and Heterosexism: A K-12 Curriculum Resource Guide,’ where the parental rights are removed around gender and sexual education beginning at the age of three;

“Therefore, the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to vote against Bill 13.”

It’s signed by a significant number of constituents in the riding of Kitchener–Waterloo.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Mr. Jonah Schein: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Toronto Transit Commission will have an estimated ridership of 503 million in 2012;

“Whereas the TTC received only $91 million from the province of Ontario for operations in the 2010-11 fiscal year with a total TTC budget of $1.5 billion;

“Whereas fare boxes account for 70% to 80% of total TTC costs, making it one of the highest fare-recovery ratios in North America;

“Whereas the TTC recommended another 10-cent fare increase to all riders again this year;

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

“That the province of Ontario pledge stable and long-term funding of the TTC and other municipally run transit authorities in Ontario and ensure that provincial funding be restored to 50% of the operating subsidy; and

“That transit authorities who accept that restored funding freeze or reduce their fares.”

I support this petition and sign my name to it and give it to page Safa.

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further petitions? The member from York South—

Mr. Mario Sergio: York West.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): West.

Mr. Mario Sergio: Yes. That’s okay, Speaker; no problem.

I have a somewhat lengthy petition here with respect to first-time drivers and Bill 71 which I would like to read to the House, as it is addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas new drivers, especially young drivers, face very difficult challenges in obtaining affordable automobile insurance; and

“Whereas the challenge is even greater when new drivers look to acquire their first vehicle, which is a huge expense in itself; and

“Whereas the difficulty is compounded when a new driver with no previous driving experience is penalized by paying thousands of dollars more, just because they happen to be new drivers; and

“Whereas new drivers should be given the benefit of the doubt and grant them with an accreditation of six years’ driving experience in order to make automobile insurance available and more affordable to thousands of new drivers; and

“Whereas this benefit is extended to new drivers that have completed an accredited driving school course in the province of Ontario or North America; and

“Whereas approval of Bill 71 would be extremely helpful and beneficial for thousands of parents, and their young sons or daughters as well;

“Therefore we undersign this petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and ask the members of all parties to support passage of Bill 71 and give all new drivers an opportunity to prove themselves.”

I support the content of the petition and will affix my name to it.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank the member from York West for his petition.

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

Mr. Bill Walker: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the horse racing industry employs approximately 60,000 people, creates $1.5 billion in wages and $2 billion in recurring expenditures annually; and

“Whereas the partnership that was created between government and the horse breeding and racing industry has been a model arrangement and is heralded throughout North America, with 75% of revenues going to the provincial government to fund important programs like health care and education, 5% to the municipalities and only 20% goes back to the horse business; and

“Whereas the horse business is a significant source of revenue for the farming community and rural municipalities;

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

“That the Ministry of Finance continue the revenue-sharing partnership with the horse racing industry for the benefit of Ontario’s agricultural and rural economies.”

I support this petition, I’ll affix my name and send it with Vincent to the clerks’ table.

PELEE ISLAND FERRY SERVICE

Mr. Taras Natyshak: A petition on behalf of residents of Pelee Island and the surrounding area:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is a critical issue going on regarding the ferry service to Pelee Island; and

“Whereas both ferries have been in dry dock undergoing maintenance work, leaving Pelee Island and its residents without transportation service, causing severe and undue hardship; and

“Whereas maintenance to the Jiimaan and the Pelee Islander should be done at the end of the season, not in the beginning; and

“Whereas both boats should not be serviced at the same time; as a result, the farmers on the island are losing the valuable spring planting season, and other businesses are losing business daily; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Transportation should be looking into alternate ferry boats to service Pelee Island. There are several options, which include: the ferry from Kelleys Island, McKeil Marine, Dean Construction and Nadro Marine, which have tugs and barges to transport farming equipment;

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

“Direct the Ministry of Transportation to explore all options in order to implement the heavy-transportation needs of the residents and businesses of Pelee Island. Further, to direct the service providers to put together a plan to prevent further disruption to the ferry services of Pelee Island.”

I agree with the petition, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll affix my name to it and submit it with page Talin.

RADIATION SAFETY

Ms. Soo Wong: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which states:

“Whereas subsection 6(2)8 of the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act identifies dental hygienists as persons deemed to be qualified to operate an X-ray machine; and

“Whereas dental hygienists need to be able to prescribe X-rays and to be designated as radiation protection officers in order to provide their patients and clients with safe and convenient access to a medically necessary procedure, as is already the case in many comparable jurisdictions;

“We, the dental hygienists working in Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To express support for the motion filed on April 17, 2012, by the member from Richmond Hill that asks the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to establish a committee consisting of experts to review the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act (1990) and its regulations and make recommendations on how to modernize this act and bring it to 21st century standards, so that it becomes responsive to the safety of patients and clients and the public and to include all forms of radiation that are currently used in the health care sector for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.”

I fully support this petition, and I affix my signature and send it with page Shaumik.

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I am petitioning on behalf of my constituents.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario horse racing and breeding industry generates $2 billion of economic activity, mostly in rural Ontario;

“Whereas more than 60,000 Ontarians are employed by Ontario’s horse racing and breeding industry;

“Whereas 20% of the funds generated by the OLG slots-at-racetracks program is reinvested in racetracks and the horse racing and breeding industry, while 75% is returned to the government of Ontario;

“Whereas the OLG slots-at-racetracks program generates $1.3 billion a year for health care and other spending, making it the most profitable form of gaming in the province for OLG;

“Whereas the government has announced plans to cancel the slots-at-racetracks program, a decision that will cost the government $1.1 billion per year and threatens more than 60,000 jobs;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Ontario Legislature as follows:

“Call on the government of Ontario to protect the $1.1 billion of revenue the government received annually because of the OLG slots-at-racetracks program; direct OLG to honour the contracts with racetracks and protect the horse racing and breeding industry by continuing the OLG slots-at-racetracks revenue-sharing program.”

Speaker, I affix my signature in support of the people of eastern Ontario.

DOG OWNERSHIP

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas currently the law takes the onus off of owners that raise violent dogs by making it appear that violence is a matter of genetics; and

“Whereas the Dog Owners’ Liability Act does not clearly define a pit bull, nor is it enforced equally across the province, as pit bulls are not an acknowledged breed;

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

“That the Legislative Assembly passes Bill 16, the Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, into law.”

I want to save dogs’ lives. A thousand have been killed. I’m going to sign it and give it to page Andrew to be delivered to the table.

WIND TURBINES

Mr. Jim McDonell: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas industrial wind turbine developments have raised concerns among citizens over health, safety and property values; and

“Whereas the Green Energy Act allows wind turbine developments to bypass meaningful public input and municipal approvals;

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

“That the Ministry of the Environment revise the Green Energy Act to allow full public input and municipal approvals on all industrial wind farm developments; and

“That the Minister of the Environment conduct a thorough scientific study on the health and environmental impacts of industrial wind turbines.”

Thank you, and I will be signing this.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Mr. Toby Barrett: A petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources intends to make significant changes to the Ontario Stewardship Program through the reduction of funding, and more importantly, direct staff support via a stewardship coordinator as currently supplied to stewardship councils since program inception in 1995;

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

“Formally request that Premier McGuinty intervene and ensure that the Ontario Stewardship Program, with their 46 individual MNR stewardship coordinators, remain working on the landscape. It is a value-for-money program that the grassroots taxpayer understands and appreciates. On average, the government’s investment is returned at a ratio of better than 5:1, with over 16,000 volunteers implementing 600-plus stewardship projects annually; thereby advancing the government’s mandates in a fiscally responsible manner.

“In our view, the stewardship program is, and should continue to be, the bedrock for the delivery of Ontario’s biodiversity strategy, 50 Million Tree Program and species-at-risk stewardship, as well as many of the important legislative initiatives your government has overseen.

“We would therefore respectfully request that you have Minister Gravelle and his management team reconsider the proposed changes to the stewardship program.”

I agree with the petition and affix my signature.

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY

Mr. John Yakabuski: A petition for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario horse racing and breeding industry generates $2 billion of economic activity, mostly in rural Ontario;

“Whereas more than 60,000 Ontarians are employed by ... horse racing and breeding industry;

“Whereas 20% of the funds generated by the OLG slots-at-racetracks program is reinvested in racetracks and the horse racing and breeding industry, while 75% is returned to the government of Ontario;

“Whereas the OLG slots-at-racetracks program generates $1.3 billion a year for health care and other spending, making it the most profitable form of gaming in the province for OLG;

“Whereas the government has announced plans to cancel the slots-at-racetracks program, a decision that will cost the government $1.1 billion per year and threaten more than 60,000 jobs;

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

“Call on the government of Ontario to” (1) “protect the $1.1 billion of revenue the government received annually because of the OLG slots-at-racetracks program;” and (2) “direct OLG to honour the contracts with racetracks and protect the horse racing and breeding industry by continuing the OLG slots-at-racetracks revenue-sharing program.”

I support this petition, affix my name and pass it down with the page Vincent.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have available for petitions this afternoon. I apologize to members; there’s a chance tomorrow.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

STRONG ACTION FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2012 /

LOI DE 2012 SUR UNE ACTION

ÉNERGIQUE POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 1, 2012, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 55,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various Acts / Projet de loi 55, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

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

Mr. Peter Shurman: It’s my pleasure to rise in the House today on behalf of the official opposition to begin debate on Bill 55, which is entitled the Strong Action for Ontario Act, subtitled Budget Measures.

Probably pretty well any time I’m putting something on the record that refers to the title of a bill brought by this government, I have to make this remark, and I’m going to make it again: Calling this budget Strong Action for Ontario doesn’t necessarily make it so. And I think the bulk of my remarks over the course of the next hour or so will underscore that fact.

Just for the benefit of people who might be watching us who are wondering why we’re debating the budget at this point, because there was so much publicity over the last several weeks on the budget motion and whether or not there would be an election and so forth in the province of Ontario, there are two different things here. One is the budget motion, which is where the finance minister moves that we adopt his budget, and that has been dealt with by this Legislature and passed. Now we’re into the technical phase of it, and what we’re talking about is Bill 55, which is a piece of legislation that, if passed, enables the budget to take place in the province Ontario.

So I thank you for the opportunity to speak to this.

I want to begin by talking about a little bit of my own history in the province of Ontario, because it speaks so much to what my expectations were and, I think, what the expectations of anybody arriving in this province would be. Before coming to Ontario, I was a Quebecer. I was a Montrealer, and I moved here with my then very young family—two young sons; I was a man in my 30s—in 1983, so 29 years ago.

It was kind of like the song New York, New York—you know the line, “If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.” I felt that way about moving from Montreal, which had been besieged by political change. I was moving to Ontario, which, there was no question at that time, was unarguably the engine of Confederation. This was where everything was made. This was where financial service business got done. This was where insurance products were invented. This was where homes were being built and condos were basically rising from the ground up. I thought about the lines from that song, and I wound up moving from Quebec to come and work in a big corporation.

The big corporation lasted a period of time, and I thought it might be appropriate to make the move to small business, because I saw how well my entrepreneur friends were doing. I thought that if they could do it, so could I, and I persevered and did so. I wound up in consulting and probably had the best year I ever had working as a consultant, because by then I had appropriated and assimilated all of this knowledge about how corporations work and then how small business works and I could advise other people. Indeed, my services were in demand and I got paid handsomely for doing that.

I wound up in media, which many people know. I spent some years on radio as well as running radio stations, and ultimately wound up in this place, dealing with the public good and public administration. That’s not necessarily the story of my life; it could be the story of anybody’s life. That was Ontario: opportunity for all, opportunity to use what was available to you, based on your experience. Indeed, I was able to do that, and I’m happy to be here today.

I wish I could be standing here to applaud a new way forward for Ontario, because goodness knows, Ontario needs that. I wish I could basically say today that this is a government that has heard the people, that has heeded the call, that has decided that maybe those times I described about what was happening in my life 30 years ago aren’t happening to that extent, or maybe not to any extent, anymore. Maybe people have lost some of that hope. Maybe they had believed that.

I wish I could be standing here today and saying that, finally, this government is on the road to a balanced budget which would at least in part re-create some of those times. Sadly, Speaker, I cannot stand here and say that any of those things have happened. Instead, I’d like to relate a story about another entrepreneur.

Over the course of the weekend, I spent some time with some people. The gentleman is a guy about my age, also an entrepreneur. He was the very first person to say to me—and he said it this weekend, within half an hour of my getting together with him—the first person to say to me, “Why are you people hurting me?” I said, “How are we hurting you?” He said, “Well, you’ve put a tax on people who make over $500,000 a year.” I know this guy, and I had no idea until he said that that he made over $500,000 a year. He said, “I have to pay a tax on that,” and I said, “Cry me a river.” I did.

I said, “How bad can it be?” He’s actually the first person who complained about it. But it made me think, on a couple of levels.

I’ll get into the nuts and bolts of the budget in a minute, but this very much relates. It made me think of what I had gone through. I never made $500,000 in a year, but it made me think of a time when I did make $300,000 or $400,000 a year—and I did—in private business. It made me think of him making that kind of money now, and it made me think about how you get to that point and what kind of an opportunity base you require in Ontario to get to that point. In my own situation, as with my friends, in small business you risk everything. You roll the dice. He did to get where he is today; I did.

I can tell you that his story parallels mine; mine, when I got into small business, was a situation where I had, when I first started my business, about two dozen employees, and by the time I sold it 15 years later, about 125 employees.

There was never an employee of my company, never an employee of my friend’s company—never—who failed to get a paycheque every two weeks. I can tell you that in my own case, as in my friend’s, to get down that path to those big dollars, I didn’t draw a salary for three years, the initial three years; all I did was write cheques. So it was my money, my family’s money, my family’s risk being taken that allowed for every single one of those employees to always get paid and never wo