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June 6, 2016

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2016-Jun-06 (PDF)

L182 - Mon 6 Jun 2016 / Lun 6 jun 2016

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 6 June 2016 Lundi 6 juin 2016

Introduction of Visitors

D-Day anniversary

Oral Questions

Government contracts

Autism treatment

Autism treatment

Election finances

Autism treatment

Autism treatment

Correctional services

Human trafficking

Government advertising

Air-rail link

Hospital funding

Hospital funding

Community services

Notice of dissatisfaction

Committee sittings

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Nurses

Hospital funding

Muhammad Ali

Earl Shuman

Post-secondary education

Seniors’ Month

Ramadan

Commemoration of events

Men’s health awareness week

House sittings

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Deafblind Awareness Month / Mois de sensibilisation à la surdi-cécité

Affordable housing

Deafblind Awareness Month

Affordable housing

Deafblind Awareness Month

Affordable housing

Petitions

Hydro rates

Autism treatment

Curriculum

Education funding

Gasoline prices

Water fluoridation

Highway ramps

Caregivers

Curriculum

Long-term care

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Electronic cigarettes

Orders of the Day

Municipal Elections Modernization Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 sur la modernisation des élections municipales

Alternative Financial Services Statute Law Amendment Act, 2016 / Loi de 2016 modifiant des lois concernant les services financiers de rechange

The House met at 1030.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Good morning. This week, the House will be paying tribute to a deceased former member, Clifford Pilkey. I ask that members have him in their memory, in their minds, during prayers today.

Please join me in prayer.

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): In the members’ gallery today is the former member from Kitchener Centre in the 38th, 39th and 40th Parliament: Mr. John Milloy. Welcome, John.

Mr. Bill Walker: In the members’ gallery, former member Johnny O’Toole, and his son, Erin O’Toole, will be joining us later today.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I missed that one. The member from Parkdale–High Park.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: On behalf of the member for Welland, I’d like to welcome page captain Mélina Dubé; her mother, Michelle Gagné-Dubé; father, Francis Dubé; sister, Alia Dubé; grandmother, Marielle Dubé; and grandparents Lisa and Ray Gagné. Welcome.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I’d like to introduce two friends and former colleagues: Gerri Gershon, who is a school board trustee with the Toronto District School Board, and Judi Codd, with whom I served as a school board trustee. But most importantly, Gerri Gershon is the grandmother of page Nava, which is why they are here this morning.

Mr. Jack MacLaren: I’d like to introduce three guests: two staff people from our constituency office, Michael Bailey and Billy Morrison, and also staff here in our office at Queen’s Park, Ashley McIntosh.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome a number of people who are users of eSight who have come to see the proceedings at Queen’s Park. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: There are two people here I would love to introduce. The first is Jeff Regan, from London. The brother-in-law of my executive assistant, Jeff Regan is one of the eSight people who are here. Welcome. I’d also like to welcome Landon Tresise. Landon has been a long-suffering and long-serving staff member of mine. Welcome to question period, Landon.

Mr. Patrick Brown: We are joined here today by D-Day veterans, including Honorary Lieutenant General Richard Rohmer, Allan Dick, Scott Brown and Andy Irwin. We also have veterans of the Second World War John Leitch, Joe Duffy, Fraser McKee, Gordon Casey, Jerry Rosenberg, Sheila Kingsley, June Rudd, Arthur Burford and other veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome.

The leader of the—oh, sorry.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, if I could also introduce, we have, from the Oro Chamber of Commerce, Greg Groen and Nadia Fitzgerald, and, from the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, my good friend Rod Jackson, Gaggan Gill and Victoria Stevenson.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Thank you, Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce and welcome Sarah Lowe and Kevin Simms, who are staff at my constituency office in Hamilton and doing great work for the people of my riding.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School will be visiting this afternoon from Pickering. I’m looking forward to meeting with them, and I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’d like to introduce Kristen Ellison, Candace Ellison, Alan Legault, Rachelle Mackay Parker, Jennifer Taylor, Venette Gerden Purcell, Brooke Froese, Sharon Gabison, Rhonda Dobson, Erin Lippens Syers, Tina Mack and Mieszko Filipowicz, here for the rally for autism.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’d like to introduce Stela Trudeau, who is here from my riding with eSight eyewear today to show us this incredible technology. Welcome.

Mr. Glenn Thibeault: I’m pleased to welcome today our page captain today, Colleen Gauvreau from the great riding of Sudbury. With every captain comes a great team: Mother, Mary Sabo, is here today; father, Sam Gauvreau, who I believe was a page back in 1982; sister, Megan Gauvreau, who was also a page a few years back; grandmother, Antoinetta Sabo; and Anne-Louise Sabo. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m pleased to welcome some university students who are gung-ho to learn about politics. Sitting with former MPPs John O’Toole and Rod Jackson are Matthew Cressatti, Arian Moshimi, Alex Simakov and Julian Sconza. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Miss Monique Taylor: I’m honoured to welcome parents of children with autism back to Queen’s Park. Some of them are already said, but the list is long: Venette Gerden, Brooke Froese, Rebecca Haight, Sara Haight, Gwen Seymour, Jennifer Taylor, Kristen Ellison, Candace Ellison, Jennifer Lalonde and Rachelle Parker. Welcome back to Queen’s Park.

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

Hon. Liz Sandals: Me?

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

Hon. Liz Sandals: Thank you. Sorry about that—a bit of miscommunication there.

I’m pleased to introduce two constituents, Cathy Beitz and Hugh Montgomery, who are both legally blind and are here with eSight today.

Mr. Todd Smith: Good morning. I’d like to welcome, from the beautiful village of Stirling, Vickie Bateman and her mother, Clara Bateman, who are here for the tribute to the Battle of Normandy.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I would like to welcome Jeff Regan, who is an electrical engineer from London West and here today as part of the eSight delegation. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Bob Delaney: On behalf of the member for Brampton West and page captain Sahil Bhagat, I’d like to welcome his mother, Sonal Shah; his father, Akhil Shah; and his aunt, Kalpana Pariek. They’ll be in the members’ gallery this morning.

Mr. Michael Harris: I’d like to introduce Amy and Kenner Fee, Donna Baldwin and Jim McLean from the region of Waterloo. Also joining them are their service dogs Ivy, Jensen and Elvis. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I’m very happy to introduce a very good friend of mine, Jenn Phillips, who is visiting Queen’s Park today. Most importantly, with Jenn and her husband, Lucas, who works with me here at Queen’s Park, is their son Bruce Malinowski, visiting Queen’s Park for the very first time. He’s all of five months old, and we welcome him to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I would like to introduce the vice-president of Campaign Life, Jeff Gunnarson; and, in the interest of time, nine summer interns.

Mr. Han Dong: I would like to introduce two young gentlemen that are doing a great job in my office: Mr. Robert Zhu and Mr. Roy Zhang.

Mr. Steve Clark: I want to introduce to members of the Legislative Assembly constituents of my riding from Leeds–Grenville who are here supporting the Ontario Autism Coalition: Sean Timmons and Carol-Anne and Tom Brandow. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Reza Moridi: Please join me in welcoming Brian Mech, CEO of eSight, who is here with us with the staff as well as users of eSight.

Mr. Jim Wilson: I’m pleased to welcome to the Legislature today General Richard Rohmer, distinguished veteran in the Second World War, from my riding of Simcoe–Grey.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: It truly is remarkable today to welcome Mariette Ackermann, who is here to watch us at Queen’s Park today with the eSight folks who have joined us.

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’d like to introduce Catherine Bruner to the Legislature. Welcome, Catherine.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: You mentioned former MPP from Kitchener Centre John Milloy. He is here with a class from Wilfrid Laurier University: Professor Debora Van Nijnatten and students—just the first names—Berivan, Kanwar, Jozsef, Karyn, Abdi, Lucy, Jamieson, Brendan, Adriana, Chris and Emma-Lee. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Good morning. It’s my pleasure to introduce in the assembly today Shawn Brown. He’s a constituent of mine in Nepean–Carleton. Shawn has ocular albinism, and it results in very little vision for him. However, he’s here with eSight today to meet with various MPPs to discuss new technologies.

Mr. Paul Miller: I’d like to introduce Yvonne Felix from eSight Hamilton.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: It gives me great pleasure to introduce four individuals from the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee: Rachel Chertkoff, Jaime Reich, Piper Riley Thompson and Molly Harris. I look forward to meeting them after question period.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Please join me in welcoming Diana Rojas, Alfredo Marrello, Simone Burgher and Christina Charalambous. They’re here for the rally and autism.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: I’m very pleased, if not a bit excited, that two of my sisters are visiting Queen’s Park, and my brother-in-law: my sister Susan Houghton, who’s been here many times before—Susan, please wave—and my sister Sarah Gravelle MacKenzie from Winnipeg is visiting. Glen Murray, remember that. She loved—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Ahem.

Hon. Michael Gravelle: —and my brother-in-law Howard MacKenzie. Susan, Sarah and Howard, welcome.

Mr. Arthur Potts: It’s a pleasure to introduce a constituent, Meagan Gilmore, who is also a technology pioneer using eSight to help her navigate.

I have two other constituents: Anette Chawla and her daughter, Ellen, who are here to have lunch with me today. I’m looking forward to that.

Let me also remind the members that we have Ontario Racing in the legislative dining room for a reception from 5 p.m. on.

Hon. David Zimmer: I would like to introduce and recognize Judi Codd, who is the president of the Willowdale Provincial Liberal Association.

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I’d like to introduce somebody who is well known to you, in the members’ east gallery: Chris Yaccato is here on behalf of the Ontario Lung Association. Welcome, Chris.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): As is the tradition of this Speaker, I apologize for earlier missing these gentlemen: From the 36th to the 40th Parliaments, the former member from Durham, John O’Toole, is with us today. Thank you, John. John, I’m going to blame the pillar, because I can’t see you.

Also from the 40th Parliament, representing Barrie, former member Rod Jackson. Rod, thank you.

D-Day anniversary

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): A point of order, the member from Simcoe–Grey.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Mr. Speaker, on this anniversary of D-Day, I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to pay tribute to our veterans and the brave Canadians who fought and died in this campaign, with a representative of each caucus speaking for up to five minutes, followed by a moment of silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Simcoe–Grey is seeking unanimous consent to pay tribute and provide a moment of silence. Do we agree? Agreed.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Today, we honour the brave Canadians who fought and died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. We do this to reflect on how much we owe our war veterans, the greatest generation, and to teach future generations about the importance of this act of remembrance.

I remember, growing up, hearing stories from my grandfather, who was in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. My grandmother, who I introduced last week, the one who had just turned 102, gave birth to my father during a bomb raid during the Second World War. I think every family has stories they hear from loved ones, these stories about heroism, the struggle that they shared, and how it resonates with all of us. I strongly believe that it is our responsibility to share these stories with fellow Canadians so that they too know the cost that was paid for our freedom.

So it is my privilege to stand here to express my sincerest gratitude to the veterans who are among us, and to those who have since passed away, for the sacrifices that they made for the cause of justice and liberty. We know that without this sense of duty and responsibility, our world would be a much darker place today.

There can be no doubt that the D-Day landings, which took place exactly 72 years ago, stand as one of the most important historical turning points of the 20th century. Not only were the D-Day landings among the most complex and challenging military engagements in history; they were also a defining moment for our country and the beginning of the end of a brutal and horrific war.

We now know that the success of Operation Overlord, by no means certain at the time, would seal the fate of Nazi Germany. We also know the special responsibility that was placed on Canadian shoulders during the operation. Our allies tasked Canada with taking Juno Beach. It was a task that our air, sea and land forces took with valour and determination.

The Royal Canadian Air Force bombers participated in the extensive bombing campaign in the hours leading up to the invasion. The Royal Canadian Navy deployed over 100 warships, manned by 10,000 Canadian sailors, to support the efforts on D-Day. This included minesweepers that cleared the paths to allow landing craft to reach Juno Beach, all while under constant attack from German shore guns.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade then landed at Juno Beach, where they faced a formidable enemy with superior tanks and weapons. But they broke through the Nazi defences, establishing a beachhead. They pushed further inland than any other Allied army that attempted to land during D-Day.

As American historian Stephen Ambrose noted, “Insofar as the opposition the Canadians faced was stronger than at any other beach save Omaha, that was an accomplishment in which the whole nation could take considerable pride.”

Ultimately, our forces suffered 5,500 casualties during the Normandy campaign. By the end of the first day, 359 Canadians had lost their lives on Juno Beach, 574 were wounded and 47 were taken prisoner. We honour their sacrifice.

Canadian soldiers would go on to fight throughout western Europe, helping liberate the Netherlands and Italy. Indeed, Canadians went on to fight alongside our allies until the final victory was achieved, and returned home having secured Canada’s reputation as a courageous country and a reliable friend.

Many of our veterans returned home to Ontario and laid the foundations for the growth and development that our province would experience over the next several decades. Today, the Legions they helped establish continue to be important gathering places for veterans and the community.

Without the dedication of our veterans, it is clear that Ontario would not be the same great place that it is today. Please know that your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Once again, I extend my sincerest thank you to the veterans who are here with us today and who took the time to travel to Queen’s Park. Thank you for your sacrifice, your courage and your bravery. Your service has made our province and the world a better place. We shall not forget.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute?

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: It’s my tremendous honour to share my thoughts on this very important day on behalf of our leader, Andrea Horwath, and all New Democrats.

June 6, 1944: Today is the 72nd anniversary of this very pivotal moment in this very important part of our history. The event is also known as D-Day. It marks one of the largest seaborne invasions in the history of the world, and as has already been said, it was the turning point in this battle.

It is important to note that Canada had a tremendous participation in this action: 14,000 Canadians went ashore on Juno Beach. Put in perspective, a country of only 11 million had contributed one million soldiers—men and women—in uniform. It’s a mark of our spirit as Canadians. It’s a mark of our ability to punch well above our weight.

Canadians suffered great loss; there was terrible suffering. We must remember this great loss and this terrible suffering, but we have to remember the legacy that Canadians left. Canadians are known around the world for their tremendous fighting spirit—their indomitable spirit—and it’s something I am truly honoured to be here to share with you. I have to share with you, as well, that we are tremendously honoured that our veterans are here today, and we acknowledge them and thank them so very deeply for their sacrifice.

It’s important to keep in mind that Canadian soldiers, and all Allied soldiers, weren’t fighting a war of conquest. They weren’t fighting a war to expand territory. They weren’t expanding their domain. In fact, this was a war based on three very powerful principles: Those who gave their lives gave their lives for the protection of democracy, of freedom and of justice. That is the legacy our Canadian soldiers and all soldiers left behind, a legacy of making their contribution to defending those principles in the face of fascism; in the face of the horrible actions of Nazi Germany. This was our stance in defence of these very powerful principles, which are Canadian principles.

The veterans and soldiers who gave their lives fulfilled their duty to support these very powerful and important values. Our duty is to remember their sacrifice, their great loss, their indomitable spirit, and the cost and value of our important beliefs. We have a duty to remember. That is our duty that we must fulfill.

Moving forward, it is even more important that, like those who can tell their real-life stories of what they faced, what they suffered and their great victories, we have an even more important responsibility to keep their memories alive. Personally, my great-grandfather fought in both World Wars as part of the Sikh regiment in the British army. My father tells me stories about his sacrifice and the great commitment of people around the world to fight for justice, freedom and democracy.

The actions that were contributed by Canadians reverberate to our current day. Those who gave their lives made our society stronger, more vibrant, more free. They fought in the face of hopeless odds, and that is one of the elements that makes the Canadian story so powerful: The losses suffered by Canadian regiments are among the most in the entire British component of the forces that attacked. They show that spirit, that dedication to the important principles we all hold so dearly, and they gave their lives to defend those values.

So, at the minimum, we must come together every year to remember their sacrifices, to remember their commitment, to remember their dedication. It is truly an honour for all of us in this House to share our thoughts on this important day to commemorate their sacrifice and to commemorate those lives. I’m truly honoured to be able to share my thoughts today on behalf of our leader and all New Democrats. Lest we forget; we must always remember.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further response?

Hon. Ted McMeekin: The Tragically Hip is not the only great band to come out of Kingston. One of my favourite songs, growing up, was sung by the Kingston Trio. You may remember it:

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time passing.

Where have all the flowers gone

Long time ago

Where have all the flowers gone

Young girls that picked them, every one

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

I rise today, both humble and grateful, to pay tribute to an important moment in time, June 6, 1944: D-Day and the pivotal invasion of Normandy.

It was a day of extreme bravery and tremendous loss. It was a day that would ultimately lead to the end of a terrible war and the destruction of a tyrannical empire that threatened the peace and stability of the entire globe. Fourteen thousand men of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division hit Juno Beach as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history. Many were seeing their first combat action of the Second World War. They represented all regions of Canada, the east and the west.

On the eve of D-Day, General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, commander of the Canadian army, conveyed this message to assault forces preparing for battle: “I have complete confidence in our ability to meet the tests which lie ahead. We are excellently trained and equipped. The quality of both senior and junior leadership is of the highest. As Canadians, we inherit military characteristics which were feared by the enemy in the last Great War. They will be” even “more feared before this war terminates.”

General Crerar, who was born and raised in my beloved Hamilton, was right. No one who considers the events of the first hours of D-Day can fail to be impressed by the accomplishments of the Canadian assault battalions. Due to overcast skies that morning, most of the elaborate support fire failed, leaving infantry combat engineers and armoured troopers to overcome the enemy by direct fire. It took incredible courage just to keep going. Words cannot do justice to the individuals who rose to the challenge and led assaults on deadly enemy positions.

Despite landing last and facing heavy resistance, Canadian forces reached further inland that day than any other nation participating in the D-Day assault. But let us pause for a moment and imagine those solemn minutes right before the landing craft gates opened on the beach sectors dubbed Mike and Nan. With the sounds of bombs exploding and bullets deflecting off armour, imagine that moment when a man must reach deep inside his soul, come to terms with fate and make the decision to run into a hail of enemy fire, ready to lay down his life for the betterment of future generations.

Three hundred and forty Canadians died that day, June 6, 1944, with the Queen’s Own Rifles from Toronto suffering the most casualties.

In the days and months that followed, at Caen and onward to Falaise, 5,000 more Canadian men would make the ultimate sacrifice. The men who died were more than just uniforms with names; they had stories, loved and were loved, and had plans for their lives after the war.

We stand here today a free nation, these privileges earned by the soldier and donated to all of us. They traded their tomorrows for our todays. It’s impossible for us to comprehend the sacrifices made, not just by those who perished on foreign battlefields, but by those who survived and came home. Thank you.

As the sands in the hourglass leave us standing here today with fewer and fewer of our brave heroes left to honour and thank, what can we do? What must we do? What I believe it is our duty to do is to never, never forget, and to learn. The comfort we grant our veterans is the assurance that we recognize the sacrifices made and our vow to let no generation of Canadians ever forget, for it is only by accepting the advice of our veterans that there is no glory in war, only sacrifice and suffering, that we can avoid another generation paying the same price.

I’ll leave you with another quote from General Crerar, who said, “War is so very truly hell, and this yard-by-yard fighting finds it at its worst. The gains are so small when it comes to distance—it just resolves itself into a case of counting corpses; if we have fewer than they, it’s a ‘victory.’”

That’s one hell of a measuring stick, isn’t it?

To those D-Day veterans joining us today, thank you.

Back to flowers: May the flowers of remembrance and appreciation for all who served in the name of freedom continue to bloom in our hearts, for that would be truly the most important victory of all.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I thank all members for their heartfelt comments. I would ask us to rise for a moment of silence in order to honour those that perished, those that survived, and all family members in celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Normandy.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Government contracts

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. Not much this government does surprises me anymore, but when I learned that reporter Brian Lilley had an FOI that showed the Premier handed out two contracts worth nearly $1 million to David Herle and his company, the Gandalf Group, I was shocked.

Let’s not be mistaken. This is the same David Herle who co-chaired the Premier’s election campaign, and that is the same Gandalf Group that is the Liberals’ personal and preferred polling company. David Herle is being rewarded for his political work with nearly $1 million of taxpayers’ money.

Does the Premier have an ounce of ethics left? Does the Premier think it is acceptable to hand out $1 million worth of contracts to her Liberal pals and cronies? Does the Premier think that’s acceptable?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The member opposite will know that market research and polling companies have been used by governments traditionally. In fact, there are at least six other companies that have contracts. Forum Research, Ipsos Reid, Strategic Counsel, Ekos Research, Environics and Harris/Decima all have contracts with government.

All of that market research and public opinion research conducted by the government is procured through a fair, transparent and competitive process. Every company has to be qualified, has to be a vendor of record and has to compete for a project with no fewer than five competitors. The final decision about which vendor is best suited for a project is made by a committee of at least three non-partisan public servants. That’s the process that all companies undergo.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The Liberals and this Premier will do absolutely anything to hold onto power. The only thing the Liberals care about is their own political survival.

The FOI showed that there was one contract—one contract—that towered above all others. That was the contract to David Herle and the Gandalf Group. This wasn’t a normal government tender. The money came directly from the Cabinet Office, essentially the Premier’s personal slush fund. This information was only revealed because of an FOI.

I shouldn’t have to ask, but I will: How many other of these contracts are there? How many more contracts is the Premier hiding? Can the Premier tell this Legislature how many contracts her government and all the ministries have given to David Herle?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: As I said, there is a process whereby any polling or marketing research is procured. All governments, including former NDP and PC governments, have conducted market research. It’s market research that allows us, for example, to understand the impact of a campaign like the Who Will You Help? campaign, the ad campaign that is demonstrably changing attitudes about sexual assault and violence.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I may have to move quickly if I’m not going to get a response when I ask for generic order. I might move to individuals very quickly.

Carry on.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Just on that campaign, we know that before the campaign, 37% of Ontarians felt they had an obligation to intervene when witnessing—

Interjection.

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

Carry on.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Thirty-seven per cent felt they had an obligation to intervene when witnessing sexual harassment, but Ipsos Reid did a survey and now we know that that number has increased to 58%. So we understand that there actually has been an impact. That’s the kind of market research that has been done.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: There’s about a million reasons why no one in Ontario is going to believe this spin. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has no cabinet minister to blame for this. The Cabinet Office is under her direction. David Herle is her precious friend. This was her decision to make.

The Cabinet Office shouldn’t be the personal piggy bank for the Premier’s cronies, even if you call it a process. The Premier can’t hide behind—this was not an open and transparent process. According to Brian Lilley, senior Liberals who know how the Cabinet Office works disputed the idea that this process was completely non-partisan and not subject to political direction directly from the Premier. So that means the Premier directed nearly a million dollars to her friend. Look up at the parents today, Madam Premier. That money could have gone a long way to help the children with autism.

This might just be the tip of the iceberg. I repeat: How many other contracts like this are there? It is—

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

Interjections.

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

Be seated, please. Thank you.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Governments do market research. Governments do market research to discover and find indications of the impact of their policies.

Forum Research has contracts across government of more than $2 million; Ipsos Reid, nearly $2 million; Strategic Counsel, $373,000; Ekos Research, $172,000; Environics, $164,000; Harris/Decima, $122,000.

The fact is, governments of all stripes do market research. It’s responsible to do so. Those decisions are made in terms of a process that is competitive. There have to be five vendors. A choice is made by public servants. It’s not a partisan process, and, as I say, governments across all political stripes do market research.

Autism treatment

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: The government can heckle all they want, but I was disgusted when I heard the member from Mississauga–Streetsville heckle last week and say that Melanie Palaypayon should have answered the phone. To blame his slow-motion apology on Melanie Palapayon not being able to answer the phone is absurd. Did the member consider for even a second that Melanie was with her son, who has autism, instead of waiting by the phone for this slow-motion apology? Did he consider that Melanie might have had to take care of her son, Xavier, with therapy, or that she simply needed to be with him?

None of this—none of this—is Melanie’s fault. In the end, responsibility rests with two people: the member and the Premier. Mr. Speaker, one of those two people has belatedly apologized. Will the Premier apologize to Melanie Palaypayon?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I’ve been very clear that our job, as members of this Legislature, as representatives of community, is to work with our constituents, to talk with our constituents. I apologize to constituents who feel that they have not been able to access a member.

But we have, on this side of the House, been talking to parents consistently. The member has apologized for this particular incident. My understanding is that he is working to set up a meeting with the family.

The changes that we are making, the additional $333 million that we are putting into the autism program, is to help children who have been sitting on waiting lists, who have not been getting service, to go through a transition. We want every child in the province who has autism to have the service that they need, to have the intensity of service that they need, and to have that in a seamless transition.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier: I want the Premier to think about Dallas from Barrie. She is the mother of Mitchel, who has autism. Dallas’s life is consumed by taking care of Mitchel and her other kids. There is nothing she loves more. But her dedication means that Dallas can’t work and therefore hers is a one-income family trying, struggling, to get by. They do their best to help Mitchel and her other children, but it has led to some tough decisions. For the last month, they’ve had to shut off the gas at their house. That means no hot water, no warm showers.

Mr. Speaker, I still don’t understand how the Liberal government can turn their backs on these families. How can Liberals do this to Dallas and families like hers?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, the entire reason that we are investing more than $330 million—additional dollars—into the program is to make sure that kids who are sitting on a list not getting service will get service. So all of the Dallases and the Mitchels in Ontario are exactly the people that we are working with to try to make sure that they get the service they need.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Leeds–Grenville, second time.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: So far, 545 of 900 families have had a meeting with their service providers to work through the transition, to make sure that they are moving into service that previously they would not have been able to access.

That is the point of the transition. I understand it’s a change. I understand that it’s a challenge. That’s why every family is going to be working to make sure that they’re getting the service that they need and they go through a transition, so that their children aren’t sitting on a waiting list not getting service.

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

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier: The new money is a shell game. This is a cut: 2,200 kids are kicked off the list. And there may be new money two years down the road?

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Etobicoke North.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, this new money hypothetically might kick in two years from now. The families are out of luck today.

But it’s not too late. Look at the parents of these children here today. Some 93% of the children currently getting IBI treatments are older than five years old. Now they’ll have their treatments taken away. Many of those children and their parents will be outside, protesting those cuts.

The Premier knows autism doesn’t end at five; neither should the IBI treatment. Mr. Speaker, today the Premier can make a difference to thousands of families. She can do the right thing. A very clear question: Will the Premier announce today that she will reverse the cuts and honour these families, do the right thing and fund IBI?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. I’m now ready to move on to warnings, if that’s what you want.

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: These are some of the most vulnerable kids in the province, and we know that. That’s exactly why it is so important that all of these kids get the service and the treatment that they need. It is so important for these families. That’s why the meetings with the families and the work on the transition are happening right now.

I need to make sure that the Leader of the Opposition understands that this is a new $330 million-plus. This is money on top of $190 million that is already in place. This kind of investment is the kind of investment that his party consistently votes against.

But we know that it’s very important that we make these investments now, because there are children who have been sitting on waiting lists while the biological window closes for intensive treatment when it’s most effective. We need to get that money to the kids to get the service now and help the families through the transition, so that those kids can flourish. That’s what this is about.

Autism treatment

Ms. Andrea Horwath: To the Premier: IBI therapy can change a child’s life. It can mean the difference between a child with autism being able to communicate with the world around them or not. Autism doesn’t end at five, and neither should IBI therapy.

Parents are making their fourth trip in four months to call on the Premier to stop her cuts to autism therapy. Will this Premier listen to those parents this time?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Investing a new $330 million-plus is not a cut. That is additional funding. It’s a huge investment. We know that autism doesn’t end at five. We know that it is extremely important that children get tailor-made programs that meet their needs.

I look up into the galleries and I see families who are dealing with kids with autism, who love those kids and want to make sure that they get service. That’s exactly why we’re putting this new money into the system.

I also see providers in the gallery who understand how important it is that you have a tailor-made program for children. That’s what this is about. That’s what this transition is about. That’s why more than $330 million is being invested, so all of those kids can get the service they need.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’m sure that most of the parents here at Queen’s Park would rather be at work, would rather be with their kids or engaged in their normal day-to-day activities. But instead, they’ve travelled to Queen’s Park from all across Ontario for the fourth time in four months to fight for their kids and their kids’ futures.

For showing dedication to their children, they have had the police called on them by the member for Mississauga–Streetsville and, again, this weekend, by the Liberal Party of Ontario at their nomination meeting in Scarborough.

The Premier forced her MPP for Mississauga–Streetsville to apologize to these parents. Will she now do the right thing, as the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, and issue an apology to the parents of children with autism who had the police called on them yesterday by her party?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It’s very important to me that people who have something to say publicly have the opportunity to say it. I asked the question this morning, whether the Liberal Party had called the police during the nomination meeting. That was not the case. It was just not true.

There was a traffic control and crowd control issue. When there are large gatherings, it often happens that police need to be involved. The point is that the parents who felt that they needed to express themselves had the opportunity to do so as people went into the nomination meeting.

In terms of listening to parents, it is extremely important to me that the parents in the audience understand that we have been doing that, and I’ll give a perfect example. The whole issue around direct funding, which has come up in all of the meetings that I have had with parents—and that the minister has had, and that I know many of my members had—we are looking at direct funding as an option, as something that we need to do more of. I’ll say more about that in the supplementary.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Children across Ontario should be getting the supports they need so that they can succeed, so they can express themselves and be fully engaged in their families and in school, and be able to grow up and achieve their goals. As one mother said when she visited Queen’s Park, without this therapy that her son needs, “I will never know what his true potential was or what it could have been.”

Autism does not end at five, and the need for IBI therapy for some children does not end at five either, regardless of what the Liberals are trying to tell parents of children with autism today and have been telling them since they brought the new program forward. IBI therapy simply should not be arbitrarily ended at five by this government or any other government, Speaker.

Will this Premier do the right thing, stop calling the police and, instead, ensure that children with autism have the therapy that they need to reach their full potential?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: That’s exactly—

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: That’s exactly why we’re making this investment, Mr. Speaker. That’s exactly why children need to go through an assessment.

As I said in my previous answer, as we talk with parents, as we talk to the coalition and the alliance, it’s clear to me, as we look at the options, that we need to look more carefully at the direct funding option, the $8,000 that is going to many parents to go through this transition. That is a form of direct funding, and we need to look at continuing that as one of the options.

Of course the need for intense treatment like IBI doesn’t end for some children, but that’s why we need to have an assessment. As Dr. Peter Szatmari said, who is the chief of the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative between CAMH, SickKids and U of T, it is so important to personalize intervention services for children with ASD. That is the point: personalizing it and putting more money in, so that more children can have the service that they need.

Election finances

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. It took several weeks of pressure by opposition parties, editorial writers and experts, but the Prime Minister of Canada has listened and agreed not to ram through changes to Canada’s election laws using his parliamentary majority.

Will the Premier of Ontario follow the Prime Minister’s lead and agree not to use a parliamentary majority to ram through changes to how Ontario’s democracy is funded, and agree to a committee structure similar to the one approved in Ottawa?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the leader of the third party knows that there is a difference between these issues. On the one hand, you’re dealing with an issue in terms of electoral reform where there is no consensus, where it’s highly contentious. There are no models that there’s a consensus on across the country. When we talk about fundraising reform, there are models. There’s a large degree of consensus. We can look at the federal model, we can look to other provinces and we know where that consensus is.

Now we want to go out and consult on the draft legislation and make sure that we get input. We hope that the third party will take

part in that process in a full and collaborative way.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: In Ottawa and here in Ontario, Liberal governments are changing how our democracies work. In Ottawa, the Liberals agreed that the committee changing the rules would have to work collaboratively and that no party could make any unilateral changes. Apparently, the Prime Minister of Canada understands the fundamental making of a democracy and how important it is for all parties to be engaged.

Will the Liberal government here at Queen’s Park follow the lead of the federal Liberal government, put aside the interests of the Liberal Party of Ontario, and agree that one party shouldn’t be able to make unilateral changes to the basics of our democracy?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The leader of the third party will remember that when we went through the electoral reform process here in Ontario, there was a select committee, there were citizens’ assemblies held across the province and there was a referendum in which the entire population of Ontario took part, because on that issue there was not consensus. There was a high degree of contention around different models. We determined that that was the process that needed to be undertaken, and it was.

There is a broad consensus across party lines and across jurisdictions on fundraising rules. We are now working to reform the fundraising rules—to catch up, in fact, to other jurisdictions. We look forward to all of the input that we’ll get in the consultation around the province. And as I say, unlike to this point, we hope that the third party will take part and will do so in a collaborative manner.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier and the government seem intent on a reform process that will serve the best interests of the Ontario Liberal Party rather than the people of Ontario, a process that will have little credibility outside the Liberal caucus room. We can actually change that, Speaker. It is never too late to do the right thing.

New Democrats are putting a motion forward this afternoon offering a constructive solution: a committee made up of four Liberals, three Conservatives, two New Democrats and one Green Party member. That structure actually reflects the popular vote in 2014 and would ensure that any amendments at committee would have to have the support of at least two parties in order to pass.

Will the Premier of this province keep the deck stacked in favour of the Liberal Party or will she actually do the right thing and agree today to making our democracy more democratic?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: This is nothing but deflection on the part of the NDP, because one thing has become very clear out of this entire process: There is one party that is definitely entrenched in protecting the status quo, and that is the New Democratic Party of Ontario. At every stage of the process, they have thrown more hurdles, more objections, than anybody else. They refuse to engage. They refuse—

Hon. James J. Bradley: And she’s running more fundraisers.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The deputy House leader will stop taking advantage of a turned-on microphone, second time.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I can’t believe that you’re talking while I’m standing.

Carry on.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, the NDP refuse to engage in a democratic process by which we have an opportunity to consult with Ontarians. They voted against a motion that would allow members of this Legislature to work all through the summer and to visit as many towns and cities in this great province to hear from Ontarians as to what kind of electoral financing reforms we need to do.

The NDP needs to leave the status quo behind, stop doing private fundraisers and engage in the consultative process so that we can reform—

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

New question.

Autism treatment

Ms. Sylvia Jones: My question is to the Premier. As of last month, Kelly McDowell’s daughter has been kicked out of IBI therapy and is now on a waiting list for ABA. Let me repeat: Kelly’s daughter has been kicked off of IBI and is now on a waiting list.

Kelly’s daughter and thousands like her will have to wait for the minister’s new program, using a service that is known to be not as effective as IBI. After almost 40 questions, four rallies and numerous debates, will the minister reverse her decision and allow children over the age of five to access IBI therapy?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I want to thank my critic for the question. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the parents who are here and folks from the alliance and the coalition. It has been very valuable and important to hear their voices as we move forward, as the Premier and I have indicated. There is room for input and ideas in moving the new program forward.

We are taking action on a number of fronts, including establishing the autism implementation committee. That is a very important advisory committee, where the voices of parents, clinicians and advocates—and I want the voices of youth there, either directly or indirectly, working with our child advocate to make sure that we get this right.

When it comes to children who have been in IBI therapy, we know that it is the decision of a clinician to determine the plan going forward. We will make sure—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton Mountain, second time.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: —that families have the right support, whatever that clinical assessment is.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Your idea of support is putting children back on wait-lists. It’s not working. The experts don’t believe you. The parents don’t believe you. The children don’t believe you. The child and youth advocate doesn’t believe you. Do the right thing, Minister.

One concerned parent wrote to the minister and the Premier. She said, “You say you have a new program that will be up and running in 2018, so why is it our children can’t remain where they are until that program is up and running? You say your MPPs and the agencies are giving parents all the information that will make this transition as smooth as possible.... If you honestly think we are getting the information then you truly do live in a world of fantasy.”

Parents want to see a real plan, not one that leaves them stranded until 2018. I ask the minister again: Please, reverse your decision and allow children over the age of five access to IBI. Just do it.

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Speaker, it’s important to mention that every single family affected by this transition is receiving communication from their service providers. The Premier already mentioned that over 545 affected families have had those meetings. The things they are talking about include the go-forward treatment plan, what services to use and how to use their direct funding, if they’re eligible for that.

It’s also important to know that families can continue to access a range of programs that have already been in place, whether that is rehab services, respite services, March and summer break camps or other programs offered through Autism Ontario.

Once families whose child has come off the IBI list have exhausted the direct payment of $8,000, we are going to work very hard to make sure they move quickly into directly funded—

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

New question.

Autism treatment

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Premier. Parents of children with autism have come to Queen’s Park yet again, begging this government to listen to their concerns. The government continues to say that no child is being removed from service and therapy and that every child will move into immediate service. I just want to be clear: Just because you say something over and over and over again, it doesn’t make it true.

Speaker, we have seen the discharge letters—

Interjections.

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

Finish, please.

Miss Monique Taylor: We have seen the discharge letters. On this side of the House, we know that every child matters and that all children, regardless of age, should have access to services that we know they need to thrive.

Will the Premier listen to a coalition of voices coming out against her plan to remove children over the age of five from IBI therapy and the waiting list?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, our plan is to move children into the service that they need. Our plan is to help kids who are not getting service to get service. Our plan is to have 16,000 children who are not getting service, get service.

I understand that we are in the midst of a transition right now. I understand that children and families are being asked to go from one process to another. But our plan is to help kids who are not getting service to get the service they need, and our plan is to make sure the children who are getting service continue to get the intensity of service they need.

That’s our plan. That’s why $330 million-plus is being put into the system: to make sure that children across province get the service they need.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Miss Monique Taylor: She can call it whatever she likes, but her government made a mess of this plan, and parents are here to tell it to you again.

Speaker, this is about priorities. Internal documents reveal that almost 80% of the Liberals’ so-called historic investment won’t happen until after the next election. The sham of this government’s new autism program is that it promises more money, but it actually delays the investment while forcing thousands of families to sacrifice their children’s future. This government is actually taking away service from children over the age of five while having no plan to make substantial investments until after 2018.

It’s not just the opposition that is begging you to listen; it’s a broad coalition of voices. Please, Premier, please do the right thing. Please make the decision to grandfather these kids. Give them the service they so desperately need.

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: To me, the current wait times are unacceptable. The long spaces, the wait times for therapy: that’s unacceptable, Speaker. We are taking children off wait-lists, that are going to grow to about five years by 2018, and getting them some immediate therapy support.

We are looking at our options going forward, whether that’s direct funding or other services, and we are very appreciative of those voices that have come forward. They are actually helping us and offering to be part of the autism advisory implementation committee. That’s going to happen very soon.

Meanwhile, my commitment is to all the families with children with autism who are affected to make sure they get the information they need from their service provider and from this government so that those children feel well supported as they move through this transition.

Correctional services

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Minister, I know that you’re hard at work on the transformation of corrections in Ontario. Adding X-ray body scanners to every institution over the next two years, hiring more staff and developing new mental health training for correctional officers are all important steps that will improve conditions for staff and inmates.

Last year you announced the construction of a regional intermittent centre at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre designed to house intermittent offenders, which, when operational, will add new capacity to the correctional system.

After the success of the Toronto intermittent centre in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore in reducing contraband and improving security at the Toronto South Detention Centre, I’m pleased to see that the government is moving ahead with the building of this intermittent centre in Elgin–Middlesex–London.

Mr. Speaker, through you, can the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services please provide an update on the work that’s taking place at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I thank the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore. Speaker, my most important priority as minister is the safety and security of our staff and inmates. That is why, as part of our transformation of corrections, we have been constructing a 112-bed regional intermittent centre on the grounds of the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in London, Ontario. This new centre builds on the success of the Toronto intermittent centre and is the next step in our strategy for intermittent offenders who are serving 90-day sentences, typically on weekends.

Housing intermittent offenders in their own facility will help to continue to improve conditions at EMDC. For example, it’s an efficient and dedicated way to address capacity pressure by increasing the number of available beds, cutting down on overcrowding and improving staff and inmate safety.

Also, a separate facility will help prevent contraband from being introduced into the main facility by intermittent offenders who return to their communities during the week.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn: Thank you to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services for the answer.

I know that all Ontarians, specifically those in southern Ontario, will be happy to learn about this new facility being built at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre and that it will be soon operational. This will be an important step in continuing to improve conditions in our institutions related to capacity and also, along with the addition of an X-ray body scanner, will help reduce contraband.

But, Minister, I’ve heard you say in the past that the transformation of corrections can’t be about building more jails, that it needs to be about finally breaking the cycle of reoffending. Members of my community and Ontarians across the province know that that is what will make our communities safer places.

Mr. Speaker, through you, can the minister please provide an update on what he is doing to transform corrections in Ontario?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: The member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore is absolutely right: Building safer communities across Ontario can’t be about building more jails. It needs to be about actually reducing the demand for our jails. That means we need to work closely together with all of our corrections partners to look at evidence-based solutions to the improvements that need to be made.

Putting “correctional” back into the correctional system means working to break the cycle of reoffending. That is why we are focused on increasing rehabilitation programming in our correctional facilities. We are also working closely with our community and correctional partners to deliver this important programming. That is also why we are conducting a thorough review of our segregation policy to ensure that segregation is truly used as a last resort.

These are transformational changes, and they will not happen overnight, but I can say that we are working closely with all of our corrections partners to improve our system and build safer communities for all.

Human trafficking

Ms. Laurie Scott: My question is for the Premier. Week after week, there are human trafficking instances reported across the province. In 2011, this government touted a paltry investment of $1.95 million over three years, but an FOI revealed that, of the $1.95 million, the Ministry of the Attorney General only invested $190,000 in community agencies between 2011 and 2013 specifically for victims of human trafficking. In 2011, Manitoba invested $8 million in its anti-trafficking programs. It is shameful that this government barely invested $200,000, which is less than what a trafficker can profit from just one victim in a year.

Will the Premier now admit that the insulting amount that was promised was actually never even spent?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister responsible for women’s issues.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: I know one of my colleagues will want to share the supplementary with me. But I do appreciate the question because, as the member opposite knows, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and I are bringing forward a human trafficking strategy this month. It is very important we do that because of the serious nature of this issue and the complexity of it. We have held a number of consultations on human trafficking across the province.

We’ve looked at what we’re investing already in terms of human trafficking. We do that at the community level. We do that at the provincial level. I know the Minister of Community and Social Services and the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services have a number of programs that they already invest in, as does the Attorney General, in terms of supporting victims of human trafficking. I’m very pleased that we’re going to bring this forward. It’s going to be very survivor-focused, and we are going—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Laurie Scott: A trafficker preys, manipulates, drugs and assaults their victims, who are on average 14 years old. That’s the reality. They are our children. It’s the largest-growing crime. It’s more profitable than guns or drugs. The girls next door are reusable commodities, and make no mistake, they are brutalized over and over.

If past history predicts future behaviour, it’s clear that the government strategy will not have any meaningful investment. The 2016 budget confirms that there is no new money. It is not building Ontario up; it’s tearing the lives of our children apart.

How much longer will our girls continue to be abandoned by this government?

Interjections.

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

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: To the Attorney General.

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: Human trafficking is a tragedy. My ministry takes it very seriously, so we have invested. In 2011, my ministry committed $1.75 million over three years as part of an initiative to combat human trafficking. Funding went towards programs that support victims of human trafficking and to the development of a province-wide online training program for front-line service providers working with victims of human trafficking. The remainder of the funds were used for existing victim support programs and services and to ensure that these services are available to victims of human trafficking.

This government is investing and will continue to invest, contrary to what they had done when they were in power.

Government advertising

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. Public dollars are being used for partisan advertising in this province. The Auditor General saw a recent ad and said that she had concluded “that the primary objective of this ad is to foster a positive impression of the government. This ad would not have passed” her “review prior to the act’s amendment on June 6, 2015.”

This Premier is planning to restrict political advertising on just about every issue in the six months prior to the election campaigns going forward. Why is partisan government advertising the exception?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, Mr. Speaker, I will remind the member opposite, actually, that we’re the government that brought in legislation around partisan advertising, and we brought it in because of the practices of the previous government, where the Premier of the day was front and centre—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: —where the Premier of the day was front and centre in ads.

We are, it is true, giving people information about what this government is doing. The climate change ad is an extremely important piece of public information. I think it would be hard to argue that action on climate change is a partisan issue. If the NDP wants to argue that taking action on climate change is a Liberal initiative, so be it. It’s the greatest threat that’s facing mankind.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Catherine Fife: I’m glad the Premier mentioned climate change, because if a group of concerned citizens wanted to run an advertisement six months before an election saying that all parties need to do more about climate change, they would face significant restrictions by her government. If a group of parents wanted to run advertisements months before an election saying that children with autism need better supports, they would face significant restrictions. But if the government runs ads that the Auditor General says are essentially self-promotion, they can spend as much as they want, completely drowning anyone else out.

This seems like it is more about shutting down anyone criticizing the Liberals than it is about election fairness. Why does this Premier plan to clamp down on non-partisan advertising by advocacy groups and citizens of this province while she will continue to allow the government to spend as much as it wants on partisan advertising?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Mr. Speaker, it’s very interesting how the NDP is choosing to debate the draft legislation that is before the committee for public hearing here in the Legislature while they have refused at every stage of the process to engage and participate and give their feedback when that draft legislation was written.

That is why we have taken the unprecedented step of taking the draft legislation and have referred that legislation to the committee after first reading—it has not yet even been debated in the House, Speaker: so that we can hear from Ontarians across the province and be able to improve upon the legislation, the draft bill.

I urge the member that I hope she stops worrying about her vacation planning, which she has been talking about in the committee, and actually take the time and travel the province, listen to experts, listen to Ontarians so that we can amend that bill, we can make it stronger and bring it back here in September for second reading debate.

Air-rail link

Mr. Han Dong: Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. Last year today, our government announced the Union Pearson Express, the first of its kind in Ontario. The UP Express has been providing reliable and efficient service for those looking to travel between Union Station and the Pearson International Airport.

Since its launch date, however, we have received some criticism from media and the opposition members about the services. Some have been concerned about the price of fares, some have been concerned about the low ridership, and still others have been concerned about the use of the service more generally.

Mr. Speaker, with today marking the first-year anniversary of launching the Union Pearson Express, can the minister please provide members of this House with a ridership update?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to begin by thanking the member from Trinity–Spadina for that wonderful question.

Today does mark the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Union Pearson Express, a service that our government is rightly very proud of. This is a service, to remind the House, that was delivered both on time and on budget. Since the Union Pearson Express launched in 2015, it continues to offer passengers predictable and reliable service to and from the airport, with stops along the way.

Speaker, members of this House will recall that we announced a new fare structure earlier this year, and we are already seeing positive results with this change. The ridership doubled in the first few weeks following the announcement of the new fare structure, tripled within six weeks, and now, more than three months later, we are seeing averages of 8,200 riders per weekday on the Union Pearson Express.

Ridership continues to increase week over week, thanks to the action that we’ve taken and thanks to the advocacy of a number of members on this side of the House.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Han Dong: I want to thank the minister for his response. Those living in my community of Trinity–Spadina will be very happy to hear that 8,200 people a day are choosing to use the UP Express.

I know that the UP Express was originally launched to provide air travellers with efficient service to the Pearson airport. However, last week, due to some TTC service issues, many in my community chose to take UP Express to get to work on time.

Now that the fares for stops between Pearson and Union are better aligned with existing GO fares, I believe that more and more commuters are using the service.

Can the minister please tell the members of this House, especially the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, more about the commuters using the UP Express?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to thank the member from Trinity–Spadina for the follow-up question. I also want to thank the opposition members, Speaker. You hear the excitement and the energy and the support that’s coming from those on the other side of the Legislature for the Union Pearson Express.

The member from Trinity–Spadina is 100% right: Following some technical issues on the TTC just last week, we saw many riders jump onto the Union Pearson Express to get to their destinations on time. Because the UP Express is faster, more reliable and less expensive than other direct airport-to-downtown modes of transportation, we are actually seeing commuters using the UP Express on a more regular basis. In fact, just over 20% of the UP’s ridership base is commuter-driven.

We are pleased to see both commuters and air travellers taking advantage of the service, but we know that our work is not yet done. We’ll continue to work with Metrolinx to build ridership by improving wayfinding and building awareness.

But over the last year, it’s clear to us that people who use the Union Pearson Express fall in love with it. I would encourage every member on all sides of this House to—

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

New question.

Hospital funding

Mr. Michael Harris: My question is to the Premier. Waterloo region has been long blessed with some of the best health care this province has to offer. Yet government foot-dragging on a four-year-old funding promise to St. Mary’s hospital is forcing cardiac care patients to make alternative arrangements. The quality of care at St. Mary’s has long drawn patients to Kitchener, but without promised funding improvements, they’re at a crossroads.

Back in 2012—yes, 2012—this government promised funding to build an electrophysiology suite, and yet St. Mary’s continues to wait. It has been four years. As government spends millions on TV ads to boast about health care investments, demand for cardiovascular services at St. Mary’s has soared by 25%.

Will the Premier tell us if she will continue to neglect the people of Waterloo region and St. Mary’s hospital in denying them their long-promised EP suite?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I appreciate the question. It’s information that I had received, and I had a good discussion with the member from Kitchener Centre, who has expressed the same interest in moving forward with this important cardiac development.

I have to indicate that my ministry is looking closely at this issue, working with the hospital, working with the local LHIN. It’s great to see a strong advocate as well in the gallery, John Milloy, who has advocated for quite some time for these increases in services.

Mr. Speaker, I’m happy to follow up with the ministry. I’ll follow up with the members who have engaged me, including in question period this morning, with regard to future developments for this important service.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Harris: Yes, and as the minister mentioned, the former member for Kitchener Centre had actually made that announcement—he’ll remember—but it was four years ago—four years ago—he did so.

While they’ve waited to deliver their promised funding, St. Mary’s cardiac care wait times have become the highest in the province for some procedures—almost double that of other facilities. Patients are being forced to head elsewhere for treatment. Cardiac care physicians recruited by St. Mary’s for this specific program are tired of waiting, and they’re heading for the exits. Government delays are having a direct impact on the health care treatment in Waterloo region, and government doesn’t seem to care.

Speaker, our patience has run out. Government has had four years. Will the Premier commit today to end the waiting game and deliver the cardiac care funding that was promised four years ago?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I have to say that I’m surprised, because with this question I would have expected at least the member opposite, if not his party, to have supported us in the budget. The budget contained elements that precisely respond to these sorts of questions and these sorts of requirements, not just on the immediate maintenance and renovations, which we’ve spoken about over the last couple of weeks and which we’ve increased to $175 million annually, but the $12 billion in capital investments over the next 10 years to allow us to make these sort of investments, which I know are important for St. Mary’s.

And there are other hospitals in the area that we’ve been working with as a ministry, through the LHINs, looking at their cardiac programs as well.

Again, this is an issue that has been discussed between myself and the member from Kitchener Centre. I know that it’s an important issue for her. I’m glad that the member opposite has also had the opportunity to raise it—not with me directly, but here in question period—and I’m happy to follow up with him.

Hospital funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. On Saturday, I met with front-line health care workers and patients in North Bay. Liberal cuts have forced the North Bay Regional Health Centre to lay off over 350 nurses and hospital workers in recent years, to close beds and to cut services. It means patients leave hospital quicker and go home sicker. The hospital is understaffed, and nurses and hospital workers are stressed and overworked. The people of North Bay are paying the price for four straight years of Liberal hospital funding freezes.

How can this Premier defend her record of cutting 350 workers from the North Bay hospital?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: First off, I want to address the opposition claims that they’re having 350 nurses and health care workers being cut. This number actually reflects staffing changes dating all the way back to, and including, the amalgamation in 2011 that resulted in a brand new hospital. So the figures that she’s representing actually reflect a period of almost six years. Many of the staffing changes, as a result of amalgamation, were a result of positions no longer required, including many administrative roles.

In fact, since 2011, the number of layoffs that have occurred at the North Bay Regional Health Centre amount to 21.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This is a brand new hospital that was built with fewer beds than existed before it was built. That’s why there are fewer staff. Over three years, this government has been cutting 350 people out of the health care needs of the people of North Bay. It is the silent—

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Government and Consumer Services, come to order. The Minister of Education, come to order.

Carry on.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Health care is the silent crisis of this Liberal government. The Liberals are forcing hospitals across Ontario to cut patient care, to close beds, to lay off front-line workers, all because the Liberals refuse to fund our hospitals properly.

North Bay knows what that looks like. The CEO of the hospital says that he’s been forced to cut $35 million in just over three years and that the hospital will face even more challenges this year because funding is not keeping up with inflation, population or growing costs.

Patients and families are paying the price for the Premier’s cuts to health care. When will this Premier start listening to the people in North Bay and across Ontario and stop the deep Liberal cuts to hospitals and our health care?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, I can think of few things worse and not demonstrative of leadership than unnecessarily and incorrectly creating anxiety among patients in North Bay. If she cared so much about—

Ms. Andrea Horwath: You should talk to those people, Eric. It is a disgrace.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. The leader of the third party will come to order.

Interjection.

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

Finish, please.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Last week, it was the member from Nipissing who erroneously spread a rumour, claiming that the cancer care centre at that hospital was going to close and the hospital is in crisis mode. If the third party cared so much about the hospital in North Bay—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Leeds–Grenville is warned and the member from Nipissing, second time.

You have a wrap-up, please.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: If she cared so much about the hospital, why didn’t she even bother to call or visit the hospital when she went to North Bay?

That hospital has an emergency department with wait times of less than half the national average, a lower medical readmission rate than the provincial and national averages, an 86% occupancy rate, over 3% of patients—

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

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Start the clock. Order. Minister of Health, come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Hamilton Mountain is warned. The leader of the third party, second time.

New question.

Community services

Mrs. Cristina Martins: My question is for the Minister of Education. Our government recognizes that schools are the hubs of our communities across Ontario. They are places where children gather to learn and play.

Since 2003, our government has invested about $13.5 billion in school infrastructure, including 758 new schools and more than 735 additions and renovations. In addition, last April our government announced $120 million in new funding, dedicated to building safe, high-quality licensed child care spaces in schools across the province. I understand that so far, $90 million has been allocated, resulting in almost 3,200 new licensed child care spaces coming soon to communities across Ontario.

Minister, I was pleased to join you during Education Week to make an important announcement at the Waterfront School, a vibrant community hub here in Toronto. Speaker, through you to the minister—

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

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Please tell this House how our government—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I stand; you sit.

Minister of Education.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I want to thank the member for her important advocacy for community hubs, including the Bloor-Dufferin site in her riding.

Our government is committed to supporting the use of schools as community hubs, which integrate a range of needed services under one roof to better serve the communities. This year, Ontario is investing nearly $90 million to expand child care and child and family support services in schools and to create spaces in schools for community use.

As part of this investment, our government will provide $20 million to create spaces for new child care and family support programs in schools; $18 million to retrofit existing space within schools to open up more child care; and $50 million to renovate our surplus school space to make it available for new community hubs.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Minister, it is great to hear that our government continues to improve community access and increase services offered in schools.

Ontario’s nearly 5,000 schools offer the ideal location for community hubs as many of them are the heart of their community. As the minister referred to and mentioned, the Bloor-Dufferin site in my riding of Davenport is a great example of a great location for a vibrant community hub—and the one that we visited during Education Week, the Waterfront School, a vibrant community hub that also includes a neighbourhood centre, school and child centre all in one location.

All these investments are part of our government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number one priority: growing the economy and creating jobs. Minister, can you tell us, including my constituents in Davenport, how our government is making it easier for community partners to create community hubs in schools?

Hon. Liz Sandals: One of the things we’re doing is, we’re expanding eligibility for school capital funding to include building replacement space for community partners in new schools or additions if the original school where their community hub was located is closed.

Some of other things we’re doing, Speaker, is making it easier for community partners to create community hubs by giving them additional warning if they could have a future opportunity to purchase or lease surplus school space. We’ve added to the list of people who will be notified. The list now includes local health integration networks, children’s mental health agencies, First Nation and Métis organizations, and in northern Ontario, district social service administration boards. They told us that only municipalities were notified, and we’ve added the DSSABs at their request.

We’re also making sure that they have longer to respond. All these organizations will have an additional 90 days so that they have longer to try and work out arrangements with the school board.

Notice of dissatisfaction

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member from Kitchener–Conestoga has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care concerning St. Mary’s hospital. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Committee sittings

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

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Thank you, Speaker. I believe we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice with respect to private members’ public bills.

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

Government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I move that, notwithstanding the order of the House dated Monday, May 30, 2016, the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be authorized to meet on Monday, June 6, 2016, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for clause-by-clause consideration of Bill 149,

An Act to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations on the jury recommendations made in the inquest into the death of Rowan Stringer; Bill 180,

An Act to proclaim a Workers Day of Mourning; and Bill 182,

An Act to proclaim Ontario Down Syndrome Day.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Mr. Naqvi moves that, notwithstanding the order—

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Dispense.

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

Do we agree? Agreed. Carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1207 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s my pleasure to welcome Carly Pettinger to Queen’s Park. She’s from Conestoga College. Welcome, Carly.

Members’ Statements

Nurses

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: With not even a moment’s notice, any of us could suffer a stroke. When that happens, our life literally depends entirely on a team of professionals who can respond quickly and capably.

On May 24, I participated in Take Your MPP to Work day, an initiative of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. It was a valuable opportunity. We followed the path of a typical stroke patient from the time they enter the emergency room door to the time they’re in rehab and every stage in between. Speaker, at every stage, we depend on RNs, the people with the right skills, to be there for us at the right time. And time is of the essence; as the nurses often say, “Time is brain.”

I want to thank Catherine Walsh, Tasha Vandervliet, Anita Gras and all the nurses at the Stratford General Hospital whose work is making a difference in the lives of patients. I also want to recognize the nurses at all our hospitals in Perth–Wellington. We are so fortunate to have their care and expertise in every corner of our riding.

To the government, I say: Let’s listen to them. Let’s work to address their concerns. Let’s hold on to the RNs we have and hire the new ones we need. The future of health care depends on it.

Hospital funding

Ms. Catherine Fife: Last week, my office learned that St. Mary’s hospital, which has a record of nearly 100 years serving the people of Kitchener–Waterloo with excellent care, has been trying to secure capital funding for its hybrid EP cath lab for surgery and diagnosis. This concept was approved four years ago both by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ministry of Finance, but despite this, the funding has not materialized. The room for this lab has been sitting empty.

There are 11 full-service regional community hospitals in Ontario. St. Mary’s is the only one of those 11 that is left waiting for this critical lab. In less than two years, Barrie was able to apply for, be approved for and receive funding for their cath lab. At St. Mary’s, the diagnostic catheterization wait-list is between six to eight weeks, while other communities have same-day service. The people of Kitchener–Waterloo shouldn’t have to suffer because of this kind of service disparity.

I know the member from Kitchener Centre has been fighting hard to get some commitment from the ministry. I know the member from Kitchener–Conestoga is supportive of this important regional service.

We are simply asking for what every other cardiac regional program in Ontario already has. Volume has consistently increased by 10% to 20% each year, and we need to catch up with the rest of the province.

I worry that this hospital is currently stretching human capital resources. Physicians in the area have expressed concerns that, if this continues, patient care will be compromised.

I’m asking today, on behalf of St. Mary’s, that the ministry release the funding that was committed four years ago. Let’s get this done. Our community cannot afford to wait any longer.

Muhammad Ali

Mr. Lorenzo Berardinetti: As I’m sure we’re all aware by now, the world lost a giant this past weekend. Muhammad Ali, considered by many, if not most, to be the greatest boxer of all time, passed away at the age of 74. It’s nearly impossible to overstate the global impact that Ali had. He meant so much to so many people.

He was a beautiful boxer, where he cemented his legacy with memorable bouts like the “Fight of the Century,” the “Rumble in the Jungle” and the “Thrilla in Manila.” I even recall doing a class presentation in third grade on Ali’s first fight with Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Even though I was really too young at the time to understand it’s importance, I vividly remember everyone making a huge deal about it.

But, really, it’s what he did outside the ring that will leave an impact on the world. He was a civil rights campaigner, a poet and a fierce advocate for world peace; a truly iconic figure who transcended the boundaries of sport, race and country; and an inspiration who stood up for what he truly believed, even when it meant sacrificing nearly everything he’d worked for in his life to achieve.

His combination of talent, charm, intensity, competitiveness and compassion captivated the world in a way that won’t ever be seen again. He was and always will be the greatest.

Earl Shuman

Mr. Jim McDonell: I rise today to pay homage to a staunch advocate for transparency and consumer rights who passed away on Friday, May 6. Dr. Earl Shuman, as did many Ontarians, invested in the purchase of a new home. His investment, however, gave rise to claims with Tarion Warranty Corp, the monopoly provider for new home warranties in Ontario.

Throughout the years, Dr. Shuman advocated for things many Ontarians take for granted. He demanded that the laws related to building new homes be respected. He sought to have those laws enforced. He fought to ensure consumers could be confident that their family’s largest purchase was secure and would serve them well throughout the years.

Dr. Shuman’s efforts also highlight the spirit that makes our province a great place to live and settle. He used his experience with Tarion and the Licence Appeal Tribunal to help other homeowners facing the same struggle.

I am confident this House will agree, Speaker, that the spirit of diligence, perseverance and aiding others is an inspiration to Ontarians from all walks of life. Dr. Shuman’s tireless advocacy for transparency, dependability, accountability and consumer protection should inspire us all to do better by consumers in Ontario and to always keep their interest at heart.

Dr. Earl Shuman, thank you, and may you rest in peace.

Post-secondary education

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: Brampton is the ninth-largest city in Canada and desperately needs a university. Universities have been proven to have an amazing social impact on cities. They are innovators for developing greater culture and arts. They’re able to have a very powerful economic impact. They also encourage innovation and investment.

Now, universities are well proven as city builders. They encourage the growth and revitalization of a city. As the ninth-largest city in the country, Brampton certainly needs a university. Sheridan College is on its path, it’s on its way to becoming a university and we encourage that development. But Brampton needs a stand-alone university as well.

My personal story is that I wouldn’t be here today as a deputy leader of a political party in Ontario but for my education. But it wasn’t just the degree that I received; it was all the academic activities around my studies, the clubs that I was a part of and the activities that I participated in. I don’t want other students to have a barrier to accessing education. In Brampton, sometimes it can take up to two hours to commute to the nearest university. There are costs associated with living in residence.

We need to ensure that students don’t see a barrier to accessing education. It’s such a large and vibrant city. We need to ensure that our students have access to education not only for the students but for the growth of the city. I encourage this government to work towards building a university in Brampton.

Seniors’ Month

Ms. Soo Wong: June marks the 32nd anniversary of Seniors’ Month in Ontario. This year’s theme is “Seniors Make a Difference.” I’d like to recognize seniors who make a difference every day across this province. Seniors are valuable members of our communities through their knowledge, experience, skills and energy. They volunteer extensively in organizations like Scarborough Hospital, St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Centre, the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services, the Agincourt Community Services Association and the Agincourt Rotary Club.

They also give generously. Research shows they make more charitable donations than any other age group. In my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt, there are many great agencies like the North American Muslim Foundation, Villa Elegance, Senior Guyanese Friendship Association, Carefirst and the Toronto Jinqiu Seniors’ Association that provide quality care and services that keep seniors healthy, active, safe and independent.

June is one month when we can all recognize seniors province-wide. They make a difference in our community by being leaders, mentors, volunteers and engaged citizens. As we celebrate our seniors, we need to recognize and appreciate the contributions they make and continue to make in our families, workplaces and communities. Let us all take the time to celebrate and honour seniors for everything they do in making a difference in this province.

Ramadan

Mr. Rick Nicholls: The Muslim community plays an important role in the shaping and building of the free, peaceful and pluralistic province we all have the privilege to live in. Inshallah, the Muslim community does amazing work to enrich our beautiful province and I commend their continued efforts to promote cultural understanding and harmony.

Today we are entering the month of Ramadan, when Muslims all over the world are celebrating this blessed time with family, friends and the community. Ramadan is a blessed month of fasting, charity and doing good deeds for Muslims across the globe, and it’s a beautiful glimpse into the lives of many Canadian Muslims.

It’s inspiring to see everyone come together with the unity that this month brings along with it. This is a wonderful opportunity for Ontario, as well as many other Canadians across the globe, to learn and join in this holy month of purification and celebration.

May this month be filled with love and happiness and good health for all of those partaking in Ramadan.

On behalf of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus and my colleagues here in the Ontario Legislature, I wish all of you a happy and blessed Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak. Shukran. Thank you.

Commemoration of events

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: It is my pleasure to rise in the House today and share several important occasions we are marking today.

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who fought for our freedom 72 years ago today at the Battle of Normandy. What has now gone down in history books as D-Day, June 6, marks an important turning point for Allied forces in ending World War II. This day is especially significant as my father fought for the Polish navy on a British battleship and was present during that historic battle. While he was very lucky to come home safely, so many perished in the line of fire, sacrificing their lives for freedom.

Today is also the anniversary of the death of Sir John A. Macdonald, who passed away 125 years ago, on June 6, 1891. His passing is being commemorated today in my riding of Kingston and the Islands at the national historic gravesite at Cataraqui Cemetery.

Finally, I would also like to mention the wonderful celebration of the 47th annual Lviv Ukraine Folklore Festival. This event always offers the residents of Kingston and the Islands an unparalleled insight into the enchanting Ukrainian culture. Every year they ignite our senses with delicious cuisine, beautiful artwork and lively music. As a child, I remember watching the beautiful Maky dancers with wide-eyed wonder. A special thank you goes out to Nadia Luciuk, the chair of the Ukrainian pavilion, and her brother Lubomyr.

Without them and their outstanding energy, this event would simply not have been possible to keep going for all of those years. Kingston and I are indebted to them for their passion in preserving Ukrainian culture and traditions.

Diakuju. Merci. Meegwetch. Thank you.

Men’s health awareness week

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further members’ statements? The member for Beaches–East York.

Mr. Arthur Potts: Thank you, Speaker. Ramadan Mubarak to you and to the House.

I’m here to rise in support of men’s health awareness week. As you’ll remember, this is the subject of my most recent private member’s bill, where we want to celebrate the week immediately preceding the third Sunday of June as men’s health awareness week. June 19, which is the third Sunday, is of course Father’s Day, so I’d like to take an opportunity to say happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. I’ll be thinking of my own father on that day when the time comes.

I had hoped that the House leaders would be able to get together and adopt men’s health awareness week in this session before we recess this week. That hasn’t happened. But, like any MPP here who could be disappointed with a private member’s bill, I will persevere and maybe next year we can celebrate it.

For now, Speaker, I want to say that next week, which would be men’s health awareness week, will be celebrated across the province. Brendan Shanahan, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs club, has sent a letter in support of men’s health awareness week to the Premier of Ontario, also noting that in the federal government they’ve given $4 million over four years to help promote it. The BC government has given $5 million over five years to help promote men’s health awareness week.

And Justin Trudeau is releasing a video today where he talks about the few small things that men can do in their lives to make positive change, like using the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation’s YouCheck tool. Answer a bunch of questions about what’s going on in your life, and it will make very positive recommendations about how you could change your life for the better.

Speaker, I will be celebrating men’s health awareness next week because it’s important, as we raise families and look after our businesses and friends, that every now and then we take a moment to think about ourselves, because quite frankly, we’re worth it.

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

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order.

Point of order, the member from Timmins–James Bay.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to move a motion without notice in order to create a non-partisan select committee on the changes to the Election Finances Act.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Mr. Bisson is seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? I heard a no.

House sittings

Hon. Liz Sandals: Pursuant to standing order 8(e), I rise to indicate that no business is to be called during orders of the day tomorrow morning.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The minister’s announcement indicates that we will not be meeting until 10:30 tomorrow morning.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Deafblind Awareness Month / Mois de sensibilisation à la surdi-cécité

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I rise in the House today to recognize June as Deafblind Awareness Month. Je prends la parole aujourd’hui à l’Assemblée pour souligner que le mois de juin est le Mois de sensibilisation à la surdi-cécité.

In the year 2000, June was proclaimed Deafblind Awareness Month across Ontario, so I was pleased that last year the federal government extended Deafblind Awareness Month to the whole of Canada. In fact, on June 2, the CN Tower was lit up red and white in honour of Deafblind Awareness Month. The month of June is chosen in part because it is the birth month of Helen Keller, who was a champion to people who are deaf-blind around the world. Her courage and determination were an enduring example of how, despite enormous challenges, all individuals can achieve great things.

Closer to home, we have our own pioneers in the deaf-blind community. In 1972, Mae Brown became Canada’s first deaf-blind university graduate from the University of Toronto, and she accomplished that with the support of a remarkable woman, Joan Mactavish, who taught herself how to be an intervenor. Together, they accomplished great things.

Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of agencies that provide services and supports to people who are deaf-blind, such as the Lions McInnes House in Brantford and the Bob Rumball Associations for the Deaf in Milton. I’ve met with staff and I’ve seen first-hand the care and personal attention individuals working in the sector provide to clients each and every day. The services and supports being provided to people who are deaf-blind are critical to their well-being, their daily activities and their future goals.

Les services et les soutiens offerts aux personnes sourdes et aveugles sont essentiels à leur bien-être, à leurs activités quotidiennes et à la réalisation de leurs objectifs d’avenir.

At my ministry, we have made progress in the past few years to improve the intervenor services program. Intervenor services enhance communication between individuals who are deaf-blind and their community, using their preferred method of communication to assist them to live as independently as possible in their daily living activities. Since 2004, we have tripled funding for the program, and we have worked with the sector to establish a policy framework to define strong program principles, objectives, eligibility criteria and the scope of intervenor services.

We are now focused on working with the intervenor services sector to develop a more consistent, fair and accountable approach to funding.

We have also forged a strong partnership with the sector through our Intervenor Services Human Resource Strategy, launched in 2014. Two weeks ago, I attended the second Intervenor Services Human Resource Strategy annual conference. The strategy is a broad, sector-led human resources project designed to increase recruitment and help develop the talent and the skills of intervenors and agency management staff.

For someone who is deaf-blind, communication barriers can seriously limit access to activities most of us take for granted, such as going to the bank or visiting the doctor. By breaking down these barriers, we’re helping build a more inclusive Ontario, one in which all Ontarians have better access to their community. En éliminant ces obstacles, nous contribuons à bâtir un Ontario plus inclusif qui favorise l’accessibilité pour toutes les Ontariennes et tous les Ontariens au sein de leur collectivité.

In closing, I encourage all honourable members to participate in the activities of Deafblind Awareness Month, and to join our government in building a province where people of all abilities can participate to their fullest potential.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further ministers’ statements? Statements by ministries? The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Affordable housing

Hon. Ted McMeekin: I almost missed that, Speaker. Sorry. I was waiting for the opposition to respond to my ministerial colleague, but I know now it doesn’t work that way.

I rise today to speak about the proposed Promoting Affordable Housing Act, which would amend the Housing Services Act, the Residential Tenancies Act, the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act.

Our proposed package of reforms would, if passed, help us to realize our vision of an Ontario where every person has access to an affordable, suitable and adequate home.

Housing and homelessness in this province is more than just about the bottom line. Decent housing is more than shelter. It provides stability, security and dignity. Housing isn’t the problem; it’s the solution.

Last week, the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association released its annual report. I want to take this opportunity to thank the ONPHA for their work and their advocacy for our most vulnerable. They, along with housing and poverty advocates across the province, have been telling us very clearly that the status quo is not working. Speaker, I want every member in this House to know that it is unacceptable if even one person has to wait for housing in this province. I believe that.

We know that there is a need for more housing. That’s why we introduced the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy in 2010. It transformed the existing system to achieve better outcomes for those in need of housing.

This past March, I was honoured to announce our updated Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy. The update is bold and transformative and invests 178 million in new dollars over three years. It focuses on increasing the supply of affordable housing, supporting people, and ending chronic homelessness. It relies on partnership with the private sector, our municipal partners and the federal government.

Since I became minister, I have made it a priority to build strong relationships because I believe that we will achieve much more working together than we would apart. I believe the private sector can and must play a much larger role in providing affordable housing. We don’t have a wing at the end of my office with electricians and bricklayers who answer the phone and say, “Three hundred units? Great, we’re on our way.” It’s the private sector that delivers. We can leverage things, we can set up a climate that’s positive for this, we can even find some ways, occasionally, to incent these things to happen, but government doesn’t do it themselves. They rely on others.

During our consultation, we heard about the need to foster diverse, inclusive communities. To help reach this goal, we provided a range of planning and financial tools to help municipalities create more affordable housing. Today we are proposing changes to the Planning Act that would enable municipalities to use a new tool called inclusionary zoning. Inclusionary zoning could be used to require developers to set aside a number of units as affordable housing.

I want to thank a couple of members: the member from High Park—

Interjection: Parkdale–High Park.

Hon. Ted McMeekin: Parkdale–High Park—who has been an advocate. Also, I know the member by name very well, but the riding is Etobicoke–Lakeshore—Peter Milczyn, who has been so supportive of this. Peter, thank you. I’d thank you too, Cheri, if you were here, but you’re not.

According to the city of Toronto’s chief planner, Toronto could have built 12,000 affordable housing units in the last five years had inclusionary zoning been in place. They also could have used

section 37 if they had wanted, but that’s a little trickier. They chose not to do that.

We want to help municipalities ensure that they have a range of housing that will give their citizens better affordable housing choices.

Inclusionary zoning is just one of the many tools that the province is moving ahead with to increase the supply of affordable housing. Now, we know that different sectors have different perspectives about how inclusionary zoning should be tailored in Ontario. So, in the coming months, we will continue to consult with our stakeholders on the framework to support inclusionary zoning. That includes the development sector, municipalities, the federal government and other key ministry stakeholders as well.

We’re also proposing changes to the Development Charges Act to exempt secondary suites in new homes from development charges at all. That’ll make it possible for a young couple, maybe each earning $40,000, who can’t afford a $600,000 or a $650,000 house to acquire that home, sufficient in the knowledge that they have a projected revenue stream of $17,000 to $20,000. They could become homeowners. There would, as a result, potentially be a ripple-up effect. Secondary suites are a source of affordable rental units for many low- to moderate-income renters. These proposed changes would help to increase the supply and range of affordable housing options in Ontario communities.

Our proposed reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act and the Housing Services Act would, if passed, also help to modernize social housing. They would support vibrant, mixed-use communities and encourage a more healthy mix of rent-geared-to-income and market rent tenants.

By recognizing new and innovative forms of municipal housing assistance and increasing local flexibility to manage housing assets, we would empower our dedicated service managers who have all done 10-year housing plans, which is helpful, to provide assistance in a way that best meets their diverse needs.

Our proposed changes would also help to make rent-geared-to-income rules simpler and fairer. For example, tenants could not be evicted when they cease to be eligible for rent-geared-to-income assistance after paying market rent for 12 months or more. Currently, Ontarians in need of rental assistance rely on various programs across the province, many of which are tied to specific units. So if you get a job somewhere else, you’re almost in a prison; you can’t leave because if you go somewhere else, you fall to the bottom of the list. This way, we’re hoping to build a credit that is portable to people directly. Currently, that’s the situation.

Over the coming months, we’ll also be working with our municipal partners to develop a framework for a portable housing benefit that would allow people to have more freedom to choose where they live—closer to family, social support networks, schools and employment opportunities—because housing benefits should be paid directly to the tenant, with subsidies tied to the person and not to the unit. We believe this is the way to go.

These are just some of the reforms we are proposing to improve access to stable housing for our citizens. For the first time in a long time, I think all three levels of government have a shared sense of purpose. The stars are lining up, but there are still a few clouds in the sky that we’ve got to clear away. We do that by working together, talking together and scheming together, and giving expression to that shared sense of purpose together, so that we can serve the people who, on a good day, are really what it’s all about for us.

We’re going to work together. We’re going to take meaningful actions to transform Ontario’s housing system and end chronic homelessness in 10 years—now nine years, because it has been a year that we’ve been working on it, right?

Mr. Speaker, this panel of reforms will indeed help to achieve these goals. It’s not the whole answer; we’re still working on the whole answer. That takes a whole-of-government approach, and we’re taking that approach to get this situation sorted out to the betterment of Ontario.

I urge all members, please, to support this bill. Thank you very much.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It’s time for responses.

Deafblind Awareness Month

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I’m pleased to rise today to mark Deafblind Awareness Month. For 16 years, we have recognized Deafblind Awareness Month in Ontario to raise awareness about deaf-blindness. June is especially significant: It is the birth month of Helen Keller, one of the most famous deaf-blind individuals and a true inspiration.

I’ve been a member of the Lions organization for 30 years, and I well know the story of Helen Keller, who asked the Lions to become “knights of the blind” back in 1925.

Deaf-blindness combines varying degrees of both hearing and visual impairment. Individuals who are deaf-blind can experience challenges with communication and mobility. Many individuals are paired with intervenors, who are specially trained to act as a person’s eyes and ears. Intervenors are such an important resource and help individuals with deaf-blindness understand and navigate their environments. I would like to recognize the many organizations committed to improving the lives of individuals who are deaf-blind. Your work is appreciated.

As we mark Deafblind Awareness Month, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the thousands of deaf-blind Ontarians. Their determination and contributions to our community are admirable.

This week, I urge everyone to learn more about the abilities and struggles of deaf-blind individuals. Let’s commit to ensuring our communities are accessible for those with hearing and vision impairments.

Affordable housing

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Ontario is facing a housing crisis. I do want to commend the minister for at least recognizing that point, but thus far, his approach hasn’t worked.

Every year the wait-list for social housing hits a record high. There are now 171,000 Ontarian families waiting for affordable housing. Since the government released the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy in 2010, the list has grown by approximately 20,000 families. There are units boarded up because they need so many repairs they are unlivable, and housing money has been diverted to pay for trips all over the world. Clearly, the plan isn’t working.

The government continues to create policies that increase the cost of living in Ontario, including the cost of housing. Families that were barely able to get by now can’t make ends meet without assistance, seniors are being forced out of their homes, and now the government has introduced a bill which proposes to put the cost of affordable housing on renters and new homeowners.

In other jurisdictions, inclusionary zoning has included government incentive programs to ensure that the increased cost isn’t just piled on to the neighbours, but this government still doesn’t know if there will be programs here or what they will look like. The government doesn’t know who will be eligible for the units or how the price will be determined.

This bill says inclusionary zoning will be mandatory for prescribed municipalities, but the government doesn’t think they will use that

section and they can’t say who would be prescribed and who wouldn’t. They don’t know what the standards for these units will be or even whether they will be up to the municipalities or the province. In fact, the government started consulting on these major issues after they introduced the bill.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, Ontario is already facing an affordable housing crisis. We can’t afford to get this wrong. The 171,000 families waiting for social housing can’t afford it, and neither can those Ontario families who are barely making ends meet. Housing affordability is a complex problem, but we need to take the time to consult and get it right.

Deafblind Awareness Month

Miss Monique Taylor: It’s my privilege and honour to rise today on behalf of the NDP caucus to speak on Deafblind Awareness Month.

We are social beings. Our communication with others and the world around us helps us grow as individuals. We participate in our communities and we forge a life for ourselves that makes us what we are. Throughout it all, we rely very heavily on what we see and what we hear, and in truth, we take much of that for granted.

That is why it is important that we recognize June every year as Deafblind Awareness Month—June being chosen, of course, as we’ve heard previously from other members, to coincide with the remarkable life of a deaf-blind woman, Helen Keller.

Deaf-blindness is a unique condition. The Canadian Deafblind Association and the Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind estimate that it occurs in one in every 10,000 Canadians. According to DeafBlind Ontario Services, 7,000 Ontarians are deaf-blind. We should reflect on that, Speaker. Imagine for a moment the impact the loss of both sight and hearing would have on each and every one of us; 95% of what we learn comes through our eyes and our ears. That is the world that 7,000 Ontarians live in.

But thanks to the work that was started about 25 years ago by a group of parents of deaf-blind children, there is a network of supports that strives to ensure that all people who are deaf-blind live rich and meaningful lives. Key to this is the work of the intervenors, professionally trained individuals who mediate between the deaf-blind person and his or her environment to enable him or her to communicate effectively with and receive non-distorted information from the world around them.

Each deaf-blind person will have their own degree of deafness or blindness. As such, the work of the intervenor varies from person to person. Naturally, other senses, such as smell and especially touch, become much more important and facilitate effective, meaningful interaction. With ever-improving technologies, such as tablets and smart phones, intervenors are able to open up many more opportunities.

I want to recognize the excellent work done on behalf of deaf-blind individuals, particularly the families and the organizations that provide advocacy and the support of over 200 trained intervenors.

Affordable housing

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Good afternoon. I’m pleased to rise on behalf of the Ontario NDP caucus to respond to the statement from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the update to the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy.

I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone in this chamber that we have an affordable housing crisis in this province. We’re long overdue to be doing something about it. In the six and a half years since the first strategy was initiated, the number of families in this province waiting for safe and affordable housing has grown to more than 170,000.

Look, I get it. Developers don’t see the need or the profit in building affordable housing units. They can make more money constructing condos or townhomes or mini-mansions. They need a willing partner at Queen’s Park to make incentives available.

There’s nothing new about inclusionary zoning. We’ve been talking about it for years. The member for Parkdale–High Park has brought it forward five times.

I think it’s appropriate at this point to read a poem called Homeless Eddie, written by Bill Mahoney from Steelworkers Local 1005 in Hamilton:

Your brother’s sleeping on a grate

You rush on by, can’t hesitate;

You say you’ll never be that way

And that the poor are here to stay.

I’m telling you, you better pray,

Because poverty’s one job away.

You’ve never been down and out

Been so poor you want to shout;

I just can’t take it anymore

As they throw you out the door.

Eddie came from the east coast,

Was doing well he used to boast;

Till Stelco took his job away,

He’s hoping to go home someday.

Jack was working on a farm

Till he slipped and lost an arm;

Now he’s in a private hell

Sleeping in a damn stairwell.

Bob can’t read or write

For every scrap he’s had to fight;

He sleeps in the park at night.

Shouldn’t housing be a right?

Mary’s trying to ease the pain

Of the demons she can’t name;

She hears echoes in her mind

Of things better left behind.

The working class must not retreat

Or we’ll all be living in the street;

And each would have a tale to tell

Of what it’s like to live in hell.

Speaker, that was written by Bill Mahoney, Steelworkers Local 1005, poet laureate from the city of Hamilton.

Petitions

Hydro rates

Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and it reads as follows:

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

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

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

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

“Whereas the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants costing $1.1 billion, feed-in tariff (FIT) contracts with wind and solar companies, the sale of surplus energy to neighbouring jurisdictions at a loss, the de