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November 22, 2018

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2018-Nov-22 (PDF)

L053 - Thu 22 Nov 2018 / Jeu 22 nov 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 22 November 2018 Jeudi 22 novembre 2018

Orders of the Day

Access to Natural Gas Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’accès au gaz naturel

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Government accountability

Government accountability

Government accountability

Housing

Affaires francophones / Francophone affairs

Federal-provincial fiscal policies

Social assistance

Government accountability / Responsabilité gouvernementale

Protection of privacy

Public transit

Taxation

Public transit

Public transit

Public transit

Anti-bullying initiatives

Northern airports

Skilled trades

Holiday season

Visitors

Notices of dissatisfaction

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Child advocate

Community services

Abrigo Centre

Nepean

Volunteer MBC

Pak Pioneers Community Organization

Affaires francophones

Aaniin Community Centre and Library

Youth mental health

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

National Housing Day / Journée nationale de l’habitation

Visitors

Petitions

Employment standards

Public safety

Celiac disease

Animal protection

Automobile insurance

Public safety

Affordable housing

Long-term care

Injured workers

Employment standards

Private Members’ Public Business

Charter Rights Transparency Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transparence relative aux droits garantis par la Charte

International language studies

Cutting Red Tape for Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 allégeant les formalités administratives pour les commerçants de véhicules automobiles

Charter Rights Transparency Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transparence relative aux droits garantis par la Charte

International language studies

Cutting Red Tape for Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 allégeant les formalités administratives pour les commerçants de véhicules automobiles

Charter Rights Transparency Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transparence relative aux droits garantis par la Charte

Visitor

Orders of the Day

Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 visant à rétablir la confiance, la transparence et la responsabilité

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Access to Natural Gas Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’accès au gaz naturel

Mr. Bethlenfalvy, on behalf of Mr. McNaughton, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 32,

An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 / Projet de loi 32, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur la Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister care to lead off the debate?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, Speaker. I’ll be splitting my time with the member for King–Vaughan this morning.

It gives me great pleasure and honour to rise this morning to begin third reading of Bill 32, the proposed Access to Natural Gas Act. As I just mentioned, I’ll be sharing my time with Stephen Lecce, the member from King–Vaughan. Stephen is the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure and the Premier, as well as deputy government House leader.

I want to thank the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, Minister Greg Rickford, and his staff within that ministry for their assistance in developing this legislation, Bill 32.

In September, we introduced this legislation that, if passed, would allow government to develop a program to bring natural gas to more families and businesses throughout rural and northern Ontario. Our government ran on a mandate to provide the people of Ontario with much-needed energy relief, to put money back in their pockets and to open Ontario for business. The proposed bill would, if enacted, amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, to enable gas distributors to add a small charge to existing customers’ natural gas bills to help cover the cost of expanding access.

Since first introducing this legislation, this bill has proceeded through second reading and the Standing Committee on General Government. Throughout each debate and meeting, we have been encouraged by the positive feedback we received from so many people. And it’s no wonder people want relief. They want more money in their pockets, Madam Speaker. It’s something we pledged to do and it’s something we are doing. We said that help is on its way, and help is now arriving.

As we have talked about, in too many parts of rural, remote and northern Ontario, families and businesses still do not have access to natural gas. In southwestern Ontario, where a number of my colleagues in this chamber hail from, an estimated 40% of households still do not have access to natural gas. We need to do something about that, and we are. This proposed legislation that we’re here to see through today would enable the private sector to expand natural gas to up to 78 communities in the province of Ontario. That means nearly 35,000 new households in Ontario will be able to save up to $2,500 per year in energy costs.

Our government understands that people are facing high energy bills—in fact, we heard that throughout last spring and summer—especially if they must depend on more costly electricity, oil or propane to heat their homes. Our government is here to make life easier and more affordable for the people of Ontario. Madam Speaker, Bill 32 would help achieve this goal. Families across Ontario need access. For some, it could very well mean the difference between heating and eating. That’s not a choice that anyone in this province should ever have to make. And businesses need access to natural gas to improve their competitiveness.

For example, with natural gas our farmers have more opportunities to leverage modern technology to grow our food. A perfect example is in the booming greenhouse industry in southwestern Ontario. I had the pleasure of touring some of those hothouses in southwestern Ontario recently, and I’ve noted that Ontario’s hothouse cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are key exports for our agricultural sector. But without access to affordable natural gas, our greenhouse sector would not continue to grow.

Natural gas is also considered the cheapest fuel for grain-drying and animal welfare issues. This is why we’re looking at the most effective way to allow more people to access natural gas. We feel the best way to do that is by partnering with the private sector. The time to do this is now.

Mr. Daryl Kramp: Right now; you’re right.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Right now—thank you, colleague.

As Will Bouma, from the great riding of Brantford–Brant, rightfully pointed out in the House last week, “Access to affordable energy is vital to the future prosperity of our province. Families depend on natural gas as a more affordable source of energy to heat their homes, power their tools and keep their businesses open.... Natural gas is bountiful in Ontario, yet many Ontarians, especially in rural or remote parts of our province, do not have access to this commodity.”

Madam Speaker, Mr. Bouma asked the Minister of Infrastructure: What is the government’s plan to leverage the private sector to deliver natural gas to tens of thousands of Ontarians? Well, as you can see, it’s not just a plan. We have already taken definitive action and we will continue to work hard to make life easier and more affordable for the people of Ontario. By cancelling the cap-and-trade carbon tax, we have already acted to bring down natural gas prices by saving families on average $80 per year and small businesses $285 per year. Now we are taking the next step to ensure that the benefits of natural gas expansion are shared throughout the province.

We’re moving away from the previous government’s natural gas subsidy program. We have arrived at a critical decision point. We can go from a one-time grant program to a smart, sustainable one. It’s the difference between investing for now and investing for our future. This is part of our government’s plan to bring quality jobs back to Ontario and send a clear message that Ontario is open for business.

As we know, the economic benefits of natural gas expansion could extend far beyond the borders of the communities that gain expanded access to natural gas. Madam Speaker, what is good for one Ontario community is good for all Ontario communities. When done right, investments in infrastructure can help to lower business costs and attract more businesses across Ontario, and that’s good for the province as a whole. Access to natural gas is a key part of supporting economic growth in all our communities. If passed, this legislation is going to have an impactful benefit right across the province.

Minister of Finance Vic Fedeli spoke to this when, on November 15, he released the 2018 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, outlining the government’s plan to help people make ends meet and get ahead while making government more efficient. He highlighted one of the ways we’re putting more money back in the pockets of Ontarians: bringing home heating bills down by removing the cap-and-trade carbon tax from natural gas bills.

He also spoke to how our government is looking to challenge a federally imposed carbon tax. Seniors, families and small businesses have expressed concerns over the federal tax. As the finance minister said, Ontario is proud to join a growing coalition of Canadian provinces opposed to the federal carbon tax framework, one that includes Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick. The Premier has made it clear he intends to fight the carbon tax with every tool in his toolbox.

Madam Speaker, our government made two big commitments during the campaign. One was that Ontario was open for business, and the second was to lower energy bills for families, for businesses and for everyone across the province. I’m proud to say we are delivering on those promises.

I think it’s important to point out our proposed legislation is not a one-off approach, and it is not a tax. Rather, it would create a sustainable path to have the private sector participate in natural gas expansion right across the whole province.

Now, Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to deviate a bit before my colleague takes over. When done right, investments in infrastructure can help lower business costs and attract more business to Ontario. By leveraging the private sector and finding sensible solutions to deliver on infrastructure, we are showing again that Ontario is open for business.

Bill 32, the proposed Access to Natural Gas Act, can help make businesses more competitive and life more affordable for families. If passed, this legislation will lay the critical groundwork needed for expansion. We’re already on third reading, Madam Speaker, which is excellent progress. I’m personally excited for this proposed legislation to move forward; I hope you are too. I promise we will continue to do that, including through this proposed legislation.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the member for King–Vaughan.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Let me thank the President of the Treasury Board for his leadership on this file and for helping to restore economic prosperity in the province of Ontario. We’re very grateful for your leadership, sir.

It is a great pleasure to rise today to speak about Bill 32, the proposed Access to Natural Gas Act, 2018, and I want to thank the Minister of Infrastructure, Minister McNaughton, for all of his work in moving this proposed legislation forward. I also want to thank the Minister of Energy, Minister Rickford, and his staff for their work in developing this legislation in conjunction with our office.

The government introduced legislation in the form of Bill 32, the Access to Natural Gas Act, to develop a new, more effective natural gas program. Madam Speaker, our government ran on a mandate to provide the people of Ontario with much-needed energy relief. We promised to put money back into the pockets of working people and open Ontario for business. Any charges for consumers, as we’ve noted, would be minimal compared to the savings families and businesses are already receiving from our government’s decision to remove the costly and ineffective cap-and-trade carbon tax from their natural gas bills.

I want to thank all of those people across Ontario who have written and phoned our offices and thanked us for introducing this legislation and for letting us know the importance of expanding natural gas in their communities.

I also want to thank many of you in this chamber who voiced your support or raised important considerations, including the Speaker herself, as we work through the details of this proposed legislation.

I want to cite a few examples, in a multi-partisan spirit this Thursday. I start with my colleague the member from Cambridge, Belinda Karahalios, as she was reflecting during the second reading debate. She noted the importance of access to natural gas for those forced to heat their homes all day during the winter: the mothers and fathers who stay home with their kids, and seniors who don’t go to work.

Michael Mantha, the member for Algoma–Manitoulin, mentioned the Ontario Mining Association—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I’m sorry to interrupt the member. This morning, we’ve been hearing a lot of names as opposed to ridings. I would encourage all members to refer to folks by their ridings or titles. I apologize for interrupting.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Not at all, Madam Speaker.

The member from Algoma–Manitoulin mentioned that the Ontario Mining Association was very encouraged about the potential opportunities that natural gas expansion could bring to that important sector of our economy.

And who could forget the story that the member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan shared? She knows a woman who chops her own wood at 80 years old.

As many MPPs in this room know, something needs to change for these people and for their children. We believe this legislation is a step in the right direction to help every single one of those citizens I cited briefly, in order to save more of their hard-earned money.

As we’ve talked about, in too many parts of rural, remote and northern Ontario, families and businesses still do not have access to natural gas. No wonder, considering that the previous government showed such contempt for natural gas that they even entertained the possibility of getting rid of it altogether.

Our government understands that people are facing high energy bills, especially if they must depend on more expensive or costly electricity, oil or propane to heat their homes. There’s no reason why communities in our province should have to resort to that. Access to natural gas is not just a question of convenience. For many, it’s a choice between heating and eating, and as we enter the winter season, we should be reminded of how much people in Ontario depend on access to heating. The flexibility of natural gas is, therefore, also a key reason for investing in natural gas expansion.

According to an

article posted earlier this week by Vancouver-based Natural Gas World, the flexibility of natural gas is “crucial ... because of its ability to seamlessly balance the increasingly variable grid demand, efficiently heat homes and businesses when the cold strikes, as well as to fuel many other parts of the economy, from industry to transport, and to do so without polluting the air and at low GHG emissions.”

The

article goes on to say, if I may continue, “Because of its versatility, natural gas is required to continue to seamlessly fuel our communities for the current planning horizon, and continued investments in its infrastructure are imperative, if energy security is still a priority for the policy-makers.”

And it is for our government, because the proposed legislation we’re seeing through today is also about finding the right, sensible methods to delivering natural gas to the people. As you know, under the previous government, private sector companies were limited from participating in natural gas expansion, portions of which were instead managed by taxpayer-funded programs. That program would have only granted access to a few select communities, limiting expansion.

As a matter of fact, the previous Liberal government entertained outright hostility toward natural gas in this province. As you will recall, Speaker, and other members of this House from committee, where we cited the “secret memo” of years ago where the real agenda of the Liberal Party was to phase out natural gas as an affordable heating option for the people of Ontario.

We know that not only is that incompatible with the economic needs of our province; it only speaks about the real agenda of the Liberals to make it more expensive for people to heat their homes: a punishment on those who want to have the great luxury of having a warm home in the winter; the luxury of driving their children to school; and the ironic luxury, just to be clear, of being able to get to work every morning. Madam Speaker, these are not luxuries; these are the necessities of life, and we stand with the people as they pursue their day-to-day aspirations in work and with their family.

This program would have, as I mentioned, granted a few communities. In contrast, we’ve taken action to develop an innovative partnership of local communities and the private sector to expand natural gas to families and businesses throughout rural and northern Ontario. Instead of a one-time program, our government believes in a long-term, predictable, sustainable approach. The proposed natural gas expansion, if passed, would encourage more private sector distributors to partner with communities to develop projects with communities to access affordable and efficient natural gas.

This in turn could deliver decades of benefits to potentially dozens of communities across Ontario, and—Madam Speaker, this is so important for all members—at no additional cost to taxpayers, while keeping existing natural gas costs low.

This government is a strong supporter of developing partnerships with the private sector. In fact, our disposition as a government is to support the private sector, to leverage the talent, the ingenuity, the human potential in the private sector to help with public aims. In this case, we believe that the synergy between the private and public sector is strong and it is for the benefit of taxpayers who want affordable access to this energy commodity.

This government is a strong supporter of that partnership. Our ability to strategically partner with the private sector is a differentiator that sets us apart. It helps us get the job done for the people of this province. The Minister of Infrastructure is a great leader, by example, in how he believes, principally, that the private sector should be part of the solution when it comes to energy expansion in the province, so long as the taxpayer or the ratepayer is better off.

We believe that a market solution, a private sector alternative, can keep more money in your pocket instead of always turning to taxpayer programs to develop and deliver services for the government of Ontario. For some, this is quite a dramatic cultural change, and I get it. This is a new government. This is a new commitment, a new spirit of entrepreneurship—

Mr. Michael Parsa: Modern.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: —and modern government, a Progressive Conservative government that is determined to unleash the economic potential of this province.

For some, this change is opposed. I know that leveraging private talent is something, amongst the parties in this House, that will ideologically divide us, but we should be united when it comes to providing an energy source at a more affordable cost. This should not be a matter of ideological principle or divide. The bottom line, the metric, of our voting determination should be based on what is going to make life more affordable for the people. Conservatives in this House are determined to support this legislation because we believe it will bring affordable energy to the people.

While that change may be radical to some, for us it is just common sense. We are economically prudent and we respect the taxpayer of this province. Based on the feedback we have received so far, our approach is—

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): The member will come to order.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: —largely supported. It’s supported by the members across York region and by my neighbouring colleagues, who feel very strongly about this bill. Look, I pardon the enthusiasm of this House, but we’re fired up to talk about natural gas this morning, Madam Speaker—

Interjection.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: —because we believe that it’s about time that we have a government that is putting money back in the pockets of working people, and so I share the enthusiasm of my very honourable colleague.

Based on the feedback we’ve received—not just from legislators but from working people, from stakeholders, from small businesses, from the Ontario chamber, from organizations across Ontario, from members opposite—we believe our approach is largely supported. This includes some of the stakeholders I had the opportunity to meet with during our Standing Committee on General Government—in a former capacity, and I was joined by the whip—where members of this Legislature asked, I think, some very important, difficult questions to those stakeholders who deputized before us.

There are a few of them I’m going to quote, if I may, Madam Speaker, but one that came to mind was Michelle Eaton, the new vice-president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. She said something very interesting: “The ask for expansion has been something that we’ve heard year after year, loud and clear. So we welcome the introduction of the bill.”

Mr. Pat Jilesen, director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, was pleased to hear about our progress on the natural gas file. Allow me to quote him: “Ontario needs this smart investment for smart expansion.” And, “We commend this government for its commitment, through Bill 32, to bring energy cost relief to rural Ontario....”

Anne Eadie, the mayor of the municipality of Kincardine, was pleased with the focus on rural Ontario. She said, “We want to have equal access to the more affordable benefits of natural gas for our residents, businesses, municipal buildings, schools etc.... We are very pleased that the Ontario government wants to support rural Ontario.”

Clearly, the benefits of Bill 32 will extend to various sectors of our economy.

Joe Vaccaro, the CEO of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, said, “The decision to extend natural gas services will support future housing supply and choice in rural and northern communities, while providing homeowners and businesses with an affordable and reliable heating option that will keep their everyday costs down.”

He continued: “Make no mistake: The government’s approach to natural gas expansion is a clear sign that Ontario is open for business and that this government is looking to attract business investments across Ontario.”

Stephen Hamilton of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association agreed. He stated, “The natural gas announcement ... signals that Ontario is open for business.”

In his comments, Mr. Ian Nokes, the research analyst of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, focused on the benefits to those experiencing financial challenges. He said that “a lot of people retire or move to rural areas, are on fixed incomes, and we’ve heard that they struggle with electricity costs and heating costs. It’s almost, I would say, vital and critical that we provide this abundant source of affordable fuel to these people.”

Mark Rodger, partner at the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais, representing the municipalities of Kincardine, Huron and Elderslie, said, “Bill 32 inherently recognizes the unfairness and the adverse economic impact of having our part of southern Ontario having no access to” natural “gas. Our project will not succeed, in all likelihood—or proceed—without this legislation....

“It’s critical that this legislation happen.... When we’ve held public meetings over the years, the biggest question we get from the public is, ‘How fast can the natural gas start flowing?’”

George Gilvesy, chair of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers—and I want to apologize to George in advance for no doubt bastardizing his name; he’s a very decent man—had an opinion that is worth sharing in this Legislature. He said, “Anything the government can do to help us keep those costs in check is going to go to helping the consumer as far as the price of food.”

Kimberly Earls—I got that one right, Madam Speaker, in case you were concerned—representing the South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corp., focused on the agricultural benefits. Ms. Earl said, “The expansion of the natural gas program has been something that is largely impacting our agricultural businesses and our farm communities in our area. Having the private distributors as a partner would also, we feel, facilitate job creation in the area and provide us with competitiveness both locally and abroad.”

She also said, “Having the investment in the natural gas expansion bill and having those dollars back in our business communities and our agricultural communities—our farmers and our manufacturing sector are hard working. I think 78% of our business community is small business enterprises, so certainly, every dollar that they’re able to invest in the growth of their business, in job creation is absolutely appreciated in the end.”

Now, I consider these to be ringing endorsements from a wide variety of stakeholders, representing a variety of sectors of our economy.

Our government made a commitment: We made a promise to put people first and to make life affordable, make it easier for families and businesses in this province, while sending a message, a clear message, as the minister enumerated, that Ontario is open for business.

That is what we are doing by leveraging the private sector to enable more communities, more people, more small businesses to have access to, in this case, natural gas. I’m very proud that our government is looking at a no-cost solution for delivering a commodity that is vital to our communities in our province.

I also would like to talk about the wider range of economic benefits that this legislation will bring. A bill which will provide greater access to natural gas also allows for greenhouse development, which would create new jobs as well as provide relief to households that may be relying on other, more expensive heating sources.

I want to take a moment to talk a bit about the greenhouse industry. Pardon the pun, but the greenhouse industry is no small potato to Canada’s and Ontario’s economy.

Interjection.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: No, Madam Speaker? Okay. Just let the record say that I’m trying to bring levity to this House, but I failed.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website, “The Canadian greenhouse vegetable sector is the largest and fastest-growing segment of Canadian horticulture.”

I’m very proud of this, because in the great riding of King–Vaughan, and particularly in the township of King—I share the Holland Marsh with the Attorney General of this province. It’s principally in her riding, but maybe 15% to 20% is in mine. We’re proud of our producers. We’re proud of those who grow in Ontario, the people who work hard—family farms, intergenerational farms. These are people who simply want to carry on that tradition, the proud tradition, of growing and producing the best food in the world in this country.

Greenhouse farming, as we know, produces products in self-contained, controlled environments with systems supplying heat, water and nutrients, and often using artificial lighting in addition to sunlight. It supplements it to nourish the plants. This method of farming requires investment in infrastructure and a strong understanding of the technology.

Canada’s greenhouse industry produces tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, green beans, eggplants, various herbs and microgreen vegetables. Of these commodities, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are the main greenhouse vegetable crops grown in Canada. In 2016, Ontario continued to lead the greenhouse vegetable sector, representing 70% of the total harvested in Canada, followed by BC and Quebec with 20% and 6%, respectively. So we really lead in this respect.

Given that natural gas is cheaper than other energy sources, greenhouses with access to natural gas will significantly reduce operating costs. The same goes for other agricultural businesses.

This is so vitally important, Madam Speaker, because our government was elected on a promise to make Ontario open for business. That means finding the right, sensible solutions that will help our agri-food sector. That means supporting our rural communities and helping their economies in whatever way we can. This legislation, if passed, will help do that. It will help do that in parts of this province that need it so much.

Being open for business means being open for everyone. According to a 2016

article by Tyler Brooks in the Public Sector Digest, “Rural Ontario requires the expansion of natural gas infrastructure to provide affordable and reliable energy, which in turn, will drive economic development and expansion.”

The

article states: “Having competitive energy will significantly reduce operating costs for heating barns, providing hot water for dairy operations, drying grain and running greenhouses and other facilities. Over 500,000 rural families and 30,000 farms and small business will have money to reinvest in local rural job creation. Hundreds of millions of dollars in new disposable income will be made available across rural Ontario,” helping those businesses to reinvest in their vibrant economy and community.

Let me repeat, Madam Speaker: “Hundreds of millions of dollars.”

The

article continues: “Agriculture has a significant impact on the provincial economy, driving economic growth, providing jobs in food production and processing, and reinvests spin-off benefits to rural and local communities. Planned and strategic infrastructure investment from government will keep our communities and our industries thriving.”

So you can see, Madam Speaker, that expanding access to natural gas will have a domino effect in Ontario and beyond.

In southwestern Ontario, where a number of my colleagues, including the Minister of Infrastructure, hail from, an estimated 40% of households still do not have access to natural gas. That means approximately half a million dwellings do not have access to affordable natural gas. We need to do something about that, Madam Speaker, and I’m proud to confirm we are.

If 520,000 dwellings benefit from access to clean, safe, affordable natural gas, imagine how much those communities can reinvest in the local economies just by making that switch.

Of course, it’s not just Minister McNaughton’s riding that lacks access. Families across Ontario need access. For some, it could very well mean the difference between heating and eating. That’s not a choice anyone in Ontario should have to make.

It should be something that brings this Legislature together, to help those lower-income and, increasingly, middle-income people who feel the pinch because of increasing taxes, increasing energy costs, increasing user fees, increasing federal Liberal taxation, and now a debilitating, job-killing carbon tax that, as we know, will raise the prices of natural gas, of home heating, of gasoline. That is an unacceptable proposition which this government, under the Premier’s leadership, is going to oppose every step of the way.

Families across Ontario need access. For some it could mean, as we mentioned, the choice between heating and eating. I find it so shameful that in 2018, in one of the most prosperous industrialized economies in the world, in the best democratic society in the world, we have this choice among us, among so many people we all know. Some of them are our friends, some of them are our neighbours, but no doubt they are all our constituents.

Businesses need access to natural gas, just like those families, to improve their competitiveness. For example, with natural gas, our farmers would have more opportunities to leverage modern technology to grow our food. As I mentioned, a perfect example is the booming greenhouse industry in southwestern Ontario. Ontario’s hothouse cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are key exports for the agriculture sector. Without access to affordable natural gas, our greenhouse industry would not continue to grow.

Natural gas is also considered the cheapest fuel for grain-drying and animal welfare issues. Minister McNaughton had the chance to speak to local farmers in Fergus, Ontario. One individual told him that her neighbour, a poultry farmer, is saving $40,000 per year just from switching to natural gas—$40,000 in the pockets of that family and that farm. That is an incredible saving; wouldn’t you agree, Madam Speaker? This is why we are looking at the most effective way to allow more people, like this poultry farmer in Fergus, to access natural gas, and we feel the best way to do that is through this legislation.

We heard from people across Ontario that natural gas is important in order to grow businesses, create jobs and compete. Unfortunately, these people have had to deal with 15 years of Liberal mismanagement. For many people, this meant unaddressed energy poverty, only exacerbated by the costly and ineffective cap-and-trade carbon tax. I’ve outlined many of the difficulties faced by the people of Ontario with energy costs. Instead of easing the burden, helping local economies and putting this province back on track, the previous Liberal government imposed extra costs, a tax on everything.

When we got elected, in our first 100 days, Madam Speaker, you will recall that we made a commitment to the people that we were going to scrap the cap-and-trade carbon tax. The Minister of the Environment, who is in this House, deserves a significant amount of credit for his leadership. The honourable member will remind me that it is both job-killing and punitive. Let the record say that, because I don’t think it has been said in this House before. We need to be aware that if not for the leadership of the Premier and this minister and this caucus, people in Ontario would continue to face those energy costs that were unachievable for so many of us.

To contrast the choices of the other parties, who call for higher energy costs, higher taxes, carbon taxation on workers and middle-class families, this is what we’re doing. Let the contrast be clear. Let us reflect upon this in three and a half short years when the choice is before the people of this province, when we have a political party that is absolutely committed—the singular vehicle in this Legislature for affordability is housed by Conservatives who are acting decisively, immediately, in the first not even 100 days.

I think it was 30 days that we took action, and the minister, leading by example, took action, to scrap the carbon tax, saving families, on average, $80 per year and small businesses $285 per year, by eliminating this tax. That’s on natural gas alone, Madam Speaker.

We’re taking the next step to ensure that the benefits of natural gas expansion are shared throughout the province, and we’re moving away from the previous government’s natural gas subsidy program, a band-aid solution. It’s not what’s going to help this province. We’re dealing with the aftermath of energy poverty. This is something that has to be addressed with a sustainable, long-term solution. We’ve arrived at a critical decision point. We can go from a one-time grant program to a smart, sustainable one. It’s the difference between investing for now and investing for our future.

Having access to natural gas makes life affordable. It puts more money in the people’s pockets, where it belongs. And lowering the cost of living gives people more money to reinvest in our economies.

Expanding natural gas would also make Ontario communities more attractive for job creation and new business. Madam Speaker, I’ve mentioned this before in the Legislature, but we have to be informed by what our trading partners are doing around us. We do not live in isolation. We’re not an island in and of ourselves. We are an interconnected economy, with a harmonized economy with the United States, with a trading relationship that moves businesses outbound if we do not create a competitive advantage for our small business and medium-sized enterprise in this province.

So when you have provinces and states that have lower labour costs, lower energy costs, lower taxes, a much lower corporate tax rate, a GDP level that is much more in line with market norms, when you have every single economic indicator suggesting that it is better to invest, more economical to invest in another jurisdiction, we must accept that industry and jobs will flow outbound unless we do something about it.

The open-for-business mantra is much more than a sign; it is a signal to industry, domestic and international, that we are providing them with an incentive—we’re incenting the marketplace—to invest in this province with competitive energy, a competitive tax regime, and also a regulatory regime that doesn’t punish them and delay and impede progress, taking 10 years to get investment from inception to completion. We want to move the yardstick forward and expedite the delivery of jobs in this province.

Expanding natural gas, as I mentioned, will make it more attractive to invest in those jobs, to create those jobs. It’s part of our government’s plan to bring quality jobs, better jobs for the people to this province. We know the economic benefits of natural gas expansion could extend far beyond the borders of the communities that gain access to natural gas. Keep in mind that rural Ontario is a significant driver of our economy. In fact, it contributes $106 billion to this province’s GDP. It supports more than 1.2 million jobs. The data from Statistics Canada is based mainly on wages and salaries.

Further to the point, the agri-food industry—everything involved in bringing people food, from the farm to the plate—employs about one in eight Ontario workers. Ontario has almost 50,000 farms producing more than 200 commodities. So you can see how critical it is to help to lower costs for this sector at large.

And of course, just as important is northern Ontario and its transportation and mining industries. For example, establishing more natural gas fuelling stations could enable regional bus fleets, commercial trucking, tractor-trailers and long-haul trucking fleets to switch from diesel to cheaper, more affordable compressed natural gas.

As you know, Madam Speaker, transit projects across the province are a big priority for our government. It is this Premier who is determined to get projects done. It is this parliamentary assistant in transportation from Etobicoke Centre working to get things done for the people: Get projects done; get shovels in the ground and help reduce the gridlock that has a massive cost, not just to the productivity of our economy, the competitiveness of our economy, but to families who can’t get to work, for businesses that can’t get their product to market. So we have to be determined to do this and we are; we are, Madam Speaker.

Our current infrastructure agreement with the federal government provides around $11.8 billion in infrastructure investment across the province through the bilateral agreement that was signed, including $8.3 billion for public transit. So expanding access to natural gas could help support our focus on transit projects as we deliver on our promise to get Ontario moving. Giving communities, businesses and households the freedom to choose more affordable access to energy, we know, will give more freedom to invest in their local economies.

With regard to the mining sector, I mentioned this—the member opposite proudly hailing from northern Ontario mentioned the importance of the mining sector. We know that mineral production in Ontario represents and supports about 26,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs associated with mining, manufacturing and processing. Mining is the second-largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in this province—in this country; 25% of mining jobs in Canada are in Ontario. What is good for one Ontario community is good for all Ontario communities.

When done right, investments in infrastructure can help to lower business costs and attract more businesses across Ontario, and that’s good for the province as a whole. That’s good for the people of this province. Access to natural gas is a key part of supporting economic growth in all of our communities and it is an important focus for our government. If passed, this legislation is going to have a lasting impact across the province.

As mentioned, the Minister of Finance set out a concrete outline of our government’s plan to help people make ends meet and get this province back on track. The benefits of scrapping the provincial cap-and-trade carbon tax cannot be understated. We’re also working hard and using every tool in our toolbox to make sure that the federal Liberals do not impose a carbon tax and that it does not become another burden on the taxpayer. Seniors, families and small businesses have expressed concern over the federal Liberal tax.

I think it’s important to point out that the proposed legislation is not a one-off approach. It is not a tax. Rather, it would create a sustainable path to have the private sector participate in rural gas expansion across our province. This way, we can ensure the proper delivery of natural gas access today and for years to come. We’re creating sensible, effective models for providing people with that energy relief.

We know about the benefits that infrastructure enables and the challenges of balancing infrastructure investments with other priorities. We want to continue to work with the private sector in order to provide vital infrastructure. For example, Minister McNaughton recently visited construction sites for the Groves Memorial Community Hospital near Fergus and the West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto. I think the member from Etobicoke Centre was at that event as well.

Mr. Paul Calandra: So busy, that member.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Just so busy, that member, I’ve got to say.

With both these hospital projects, Madam Speaker, we have used the public-private partnership approach, or P3 model, an approach which I strongly support. Our agency, Infrastructure Ontario, has demonstrated the value of partnering with the private sector to get these projects done while protecting taxpayers from the added costs that are common in these large and complex projects. The government is a strong supporter of that model. Having the flexibility to use both the P3 model and the more traditional approaches to deliver infrastructure, such as hospitals or roads and transit, is, we know, critical. It’s simply about using the right tool for the right job.

Working strategically with the private sector on these types of projects will stimulate growth and prosperity across our province, and also create and support good jobs in all sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, construction and those within the high-tech industries. This approach not only demonstrates the importance of infrastructure, but provides stability for large projects that support our communities. That’s why we’re looking for opportunities to engage the private sector, to leverage the private sector even more, much as we’re doing to expand natural gas to more communities.

It demonstrates that our approach goes well beyond just natural gas. It includes getting our highways, our roads and our bridges back into working shape for families, workers and businesses who use them every day; making our hospitals state-of-the-art, as we see in the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital in Vaughan, the first smart hospital in this province being built and supported and funded by our government, operationalizing that funding by our government—we’re very proud of that; the Deputy Premier supported that announcement just weeks ago—and modernizing our schools to be safe and effective places for learning.

Our government also recognizes that whether you live in our province’s biggest cities or in our smallest towns or hamlets, investing in infrastructure both grows the economy and protects critical assets. We believe that delivering vital infrastructure is important. It’s part of the mandate of this government. We also believe that ensuring that we can bring prices down for consumers and businesses is at the very core of what this government is here for. Infrastructure is so much more than bricks and mortar, a pipeline, a road, or a bridge. It enhances community. It helps build businesses. It helps support families.

We recognize that if we can provide better access to natural gas and not have to impose additional costs to the taxpayer, that is a win-win. It is good for industry, which wants a cheaper alternative to the other, more conventional methods of power, the more expensive methods of powering their products and machinery. It’s also good for consumers, who in many cases don’t even have that choice.

This government is being economically prudent, ensuring taxpayers’ dollars are wisely spent and wisely invested, but at the same time we’re moving ahead systematically with many critical infrastructure projects that make sense and that are vital to the communities of this province. We’re working with IO, Infrastructure Ontario, to develop a robust pipeline of approved projects that will reflect our government’s priorities and commitment to investing in important public infrastructure. More information about this pipeline will be announced in the coming months.

We know that investing in infrastructure has a direct and indirect impact and benefit to this economy, and this benefits the people. Ultimately, Madam Speaker, isn’t that the point: for government to make life better for the people, to put more money in the pockets of workers, to provide energy relief to families, to provide them with the vital services that they need every single day?

To realize many of these benefits, it’s important to ensure we invest in the right infrastructure at the right time and in the right place. When done right, investing in infrastructure can help lower business costs and attract more business to this province.

We saw earlier this month, when the Minister of Finance tabled the 2018 economic outlook and fiscal review, quite the contrast with the federal economic update, which has now seen a $2-billion increase in the deficit because of reckless Liberal spending. But our government, as a healthy contrast, is committed to expanding natural gas and broadband networks while living within our means, with a credible plan to return to balance while also returning tax dollars to the people of this province.

Expanding natural gas and broadband would help promote job creation and economic competitiveness across the province. The province will release a broadband and cellular strategy in early 2019, outlining an action plan to expand broadband digital services and cellular services in unserved areas. We believe that broadband, in conjunction with natural gas, will truly help unleash the true economic potential, as I said earlier, in rural and remote parts of this province that are impeded both by expensive energy and not having access to reliable high-speed Internet.

The Minister of Energy takes this very seriously. I was with him, along with our entire caucus, at AMO, where we met with dozens and dozens—in infrastructure’s case, the minister and I met with over 100 delegations, and the message was clear: Get broadband funding delivered, help expand this modern mechanism that will help businesses, farmers and individuals, self-employed people, get their products to market and ultimately create better jobs in the province of Ontario.

While we’re at it, it was great to see the finance minister, in that update, talk about cutting red tape. As the minister said, we need to create an environment where anyone can start to grow a business and help to create a job. Under the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, our government is looking at the next steps. The Minister of Finance said that Ontario is currently burdened with approximately 331 statutes and more than 380,000 regulatory requirements. In comparison, in New Democratic British Columbia, it’s less than half of that.

What is going on in the province when we have more regulations than the state of California? There is something wrong. It was a government out of touch, the former government, out of touch with the everyday concerns and challenges facing business in this province in a globalized economy.

Our government has committed to further reduce red tape for business by 25 points by 2022. He spoke about how prosperity must reach every corner of our province, including communities in rural, remote and northern Ontario. I have to tell you, that is music to my ears. In my riding, particularly in the community of King, at the centre-northern part of York region, we still have a very robust agricultural sector, as I mentioned—many dairy producers, a horticultural sector and, as I noted, the Holland Marsh. Businesses in these communities need natural gas and broadband to effectively compete.

This legislation, if passed, helps rural and agricultural communities and provides support for our booming greenhouse industry right across Ontario.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, as well as my colleague the Attorney General, the MPP for York–Simcoe, and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It was fascinating to hear from them on how we can better position them to compete.

Quinton Woods, the Gwillimdale Farms sales operating manager and the chair of the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, whom we met with in his capacity as chair, said that it’s negatively affecting the way they can operate when it comes to not having the right technology and affordable energy products.

Other issues brought up in that meeting included a lack of infrastructure, such as high-speed Internet, soaring energy rates, and access to electricity and natural gas. Quoted in barrietoday.com, Mr. Woods said, “Our biggest competition ... is Quebec.” They have “‘cheaper electricity, tax rates. We’re falling behind in competition to them,’” he said, adding customers sometimes ask Ontario farmers to price-match Quebec growers, which cuts into their profit margins.”

When you hear stories like that directly from the source, something that I think we can all agree on is that we have to do better to help these businesses compete, particularly the family farms of this country. As I think we can all agree, small businesses are the engine of our economy. Over eight in 10 jobs in this country depend on their success. Someone who would know that well is the parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, who is a champion of small business, who has been listening to small business in every region of this province and consulting with them on how we can truly make Ontario open for business.

As I’ve said before, we should be united in the defence of these industries because people in our communities—in our villages, in our towns, in our cities—depend on their success. We, this government, this party and this Premier are determined to stand up for these communities every step of the way to enable their success.

I also want to add Minister McNaughton’s point about the province’s stance against a carbon tax. He’s mentioned this before in this House, in the last reading of this bill. In addition to our removal of Ontario’s carbon tax from natural gas bills, I am proud that this government is actively exploring a full suite of transparency measures that will ensure every single person in Ontario is informed of how much they’re paying in the federal carbon tax every time they pay a home heating bill or every time they fill up their car. Just like we did when we removed the Ontario carbon tax from natural gas, we know we’re going in the right direction on natural gas expansion as well.

All of the extensive feedback underlines loud and clear what this government needs to do. Our government made a promise to provide the people of this province with relief for their energy costs and to provide energy which is affordable, accessible and can benefit everyone in the province. Since day one, we’ve been working to help keep that promise, to ensure we deliver on our word.

From addressing governance at Hydro One, to terminating unnecessary renewable energy contracts, to listening to what people told us was wrong with Ontario’s electricity system, we have taken immediate action to correct these very issues. In the end, the process has to make sense for the people of the province. It has to make sense for municipalities, for First Nations, for communities, for businesses and for other stakeholders and people in the region.

The sign, one of a series that will be unveiled near land border crossings throughout the province, will send a clear message to the world, matched by our actions, that Ontario is a business-friendly province that can again be the economic engine of our Confederation.

Speaking near the Blue Water Bridge, one of Canada’s busiest border crossings—billions of dollars of trade go across this corridor every week—the Premier said, “Businesses tell us that job growth starts with cutting the burdensome, job-killing red tape that drives investment and jobs out of Ontario. If you’re prepared to work, then we believe you deserve a shot at a job.”

If you haven’t had a chance yet to see the sign, I recommend driving by Blue Water Bridge, Madam Speaker. It is the second-busiest commercial crossing between Canada and the United States, seeing over 4.6 million crossings in 2017 alone.

The bottom line is, we want this province to thrive, to remain competitive and to create good jobs. We want all families to get ahead. In Bill 32, the proposed Access to Natural Gas Act, we’re taking another significant step forward in our commitment to the people. We are a government for the people. We are committed to making life affordable for families, for businesses, for seniors and for students, and to sending a message that this province remains open for business. That includes enabling private sector participation in natural gas in this province. This government, our government, will be responsible and pragmatic as we deliver on this mandate.

Allowing private capital to build new natural gas networks could reduce gas bills over time for the people of this province, and gas would get to more communities faster. As we’ve already committed to, we will take into consideration the needs and interests of communities, and projects that were approved under the previous program, as we move forward with the design of the new natural gas expansion. We’ll continue to work with communities to find out what their priorities are and to get this right.

For people in remote parts of this province, rural parts of this province, for our agricultural sector, for our industries in Ontario that in part rely on natural gas, we know there’s more to do in this respect, Madam Speaker.

We keep hearing over and over that the cost of living is too high, that it is too difficult for families, and businesses that rely on natural gas to do their business, and we’re losing our competitive advantage in this province as a result. While 3.5 million homes and about 130,000 businesses across the province have access to natural gas, there are many, many in Ontario that don’t, and many of them are in rural, remote and First Nations communities in this province.

We want access to natural gas to save money, yes, to grow businesses, to create jobs, but also to compete in a global economy. The proposed program will help families switch off costly electricity, propane and oil, and access this affordable fuel that they deserve. We already know that there is an abundant supply of natural gas available; that’s one of the reasons it’s so affordable.

As mentioned during second reading, according to Union Gas, “New, massive deposits of natural gas in North America accessed through advanced technology have translated into record-low gas prices.

“Natural gas is more affordable now than it was a decade ago and experts agree that natural gas will continue to be competitively priced well into the” future.

We believe that this legislation, should it pass, along with our broader economic reforms, will stimulate growth, will ensure prosperity in Ontario and create good, value-added jobs for the next generation.

Bill 32, the Access to Natural Gas Act, proposes that the government will work with the Ontario Energy Board to develop programs, specific criteria and regulation to enable the program. More details of the timing will become available as that work proceeds.

If the proposed legislation is passed, the government will work with the Ontario Energy Board to develop program criteria and regulation to enable the implementation of this program. The exact details, including which customers will be eligible to receive support, would be set out transparently in those regulations.

With it now being late November, it’s getting colder, and, by the end of the month and the month after, colder still. Those of us lucky enough to go home to a heated home with an affordable energy source know the comfort of cozying up in the winter. But those who can’t afford to heat their home or who struggle to pay their bills due to unnecessarily high energy prices know the bitter hardship.

We have an opportunity to work to change that by developing an affordable energy system that accesses more people in this province. By making a small investment today, we know it will have a long-lasting impact in communities across our province. I know that there are thousands of people in Ontario anxiously awaiting the debate of this legislation and, if we’re successful in passing this legislation, for us to be able to expand natural gas to their community.

It’s going to make the quality of life better for business and families, for those living in rural and remote parts of this province, and for Indigenous communities. This is going to be a new lease on life for many people and make life more affordable—as I said before, a savings of up to $2,500 per year. The money could be spent at local stores, to help their families, for retirement, or to help their kids go to school. It’s going to grow our economy. It’s going to create good jobs in this province. I know that there are almost 80 communities and 33,000 people who are going to be very much better off together if this bill passes.

We believe that taxpayers’ money should be spent prudently and managed properly. This government will always listen. We will always respect the will of the people. We have been entrusted with government to respect their tax dollars, to recognize that every dollar the government spends belongs to the people. Our government will be working harder, smarter and more efficiently, to make life better. I promise that we will be doing that, including through this proposed legislation.

I’m thrilled to be here today to help move this proposed legislation forward on behalf of the very able Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Energy. We need, as a government and as a Parliament, to put more money back into the pockets of working people in this province and, Madam Speaker, I could confirm to you today that if this bill passes, we will do just that.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Questions and comments?

M. Guy Bourgouin: Je peux vous dire ce matin, c’est intéressant qu’on parle du Bill 32 puis de l’accès au gaz naturel, puis aussi d’entendre le gouvernement dire : « C’est innovateur. On va faire des choses différentes. »

On n’a rien qu’à regarder ce qu’ils ont fait quand ils étaient au pouvoir le dernier coup, avant les libéraux, quand ils ont pavé le chemin pour vendre Ontario Hydro, ce que les libéraux ont continué, puis on a vu toutes nos primes augmenter, puis on paye des prix exorbitants. Puis là, aujourd’hui, ce matin, ils disent : « Hé! c’est innovateur. » Toute une innovation : on prend un programme rouge, on le peinture en bleu, puis on dit que c’est innovateur. Tu sais ce que je veux dire?

Ce qui fait que là, aujourd’hui, on se fait dire qu’il va y avoir de l’expansion. Je peux vous dire que l’expansion ne sera pas dans le nord de l’Ontario. La seule affaire qu’on va avoir, c’est la même affaire qui est arrivée aux « bills » d’hydro : nos « bills » vont augmenter. C’est nous autres qui allons payer encore.

On n’a rien qu’à prendre, par exemple—j’ai parlé à un de mes commettants, M. Potvin. M. Potvin, il reste à Lac Ste.-Thérèse, à Hearst. Il travaille pour la ville de Hearst. Il a demandé d’avoir l’extension à sa demeure. Puis la compagnie de gaz a refusé et a dit : « Bien, premièrement, il n’y a pas d’industrie qui se rend là. » Mais M. Potvin, en réponse à la compagnie, a dit : « Non, il y en a deux. Il y a Rheault Distillery et puis Villeneuve Construction. » Ça aurait amené l’accès au gaz naturel à 109 domiciles.

De dire aujourd’hui que le nord de l’Ontario va avoir beaucoup d’expansion—aucune mention de Premières Nations, à part de ça, aucune mention dans le projet de loi. C’est pour ça que je vais voter contre, madame la Présidente.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the member for Peterborough–Kawartha.

Mr. Dave Smith: It’s interesting that the member opposite talked about the cost of hydro going up as a result of privatization of hydro when, really, the cost of hydro went up the biggest amount because of the Green Energy Act. It was only 10% of electricity being generated by green energy, but it made up 33% of those costs. So I’m not sure exactly where he has come up with what he’s talking about.

The reality is, the expansion of natural gas is going to be something that’s going to be good for this entire province. I live in a rural area. I grew up in Prince Edward county—Wellington, actually. Some 750 people lived in my community when I grew up there. When I moved to Peterborough to go to university, there were actually more people in my residence than there were in my town. Knowing what it’s like to live in that rural area—it’s something that I grew up with. It’s a big farming area in Prince Edward county, as well. Now that I’m in Peterborough, I’m lucky enough that I have a mix: I have urban and rural.

I’d like to touch on something that the member from King–Vaughan said. Over 30,000 farms in rural parts of this province are going to see the benefit of natural gas. I met with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and that was one of the things that they were clamouring for. Access to natural gas would open up so many more markets for them.

We’ve just recently seen, with the USMCA changes—it’s not making the agri-food business in Ontario that much easier, but access to natural gas is one of the ways that we can. It will give that competitive advantage to our farmers. It will allow them to access things, like drying their grain in a much more efficient way, a much less costly way. All of that is going to be reflected in the cost of food for everybody in this province.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further debate?

Mr. Jamie West: We seem to be having the same debate every time we discuss this. The President of the Treasury Board, the member from Pickering–Uxbridge, talked about being encouraged by positive feedback. The member from King–Vaughan echoed this. The member opposite just recently said the same thing, how it’s good for rural and remote communities. The problem, and the thing we keep saying on this side, is that it doesn’t specifically say that this is only to be used for rural and remote northern Ontario communities. What we are saying is, put it in writing.

The member from Mushkegowuk–James Bay made a joke and reminded me of the good sense of humour that people, especially the francophone people, in northern Ontario have. One of the expressions they have is, “That carrot is plastic”— it looks good, but it’s plastic.

One of the phrases we heard was that up to 78 communities will have natural gas, and over 30,000 farms—it sounds like the government has a plan. That indicates a plan to me, so why not share the plan with the people of Ontario? The government for the people—share it with the people of Ontario. Let them know what the costs are going to be, because the costs are going to be borne by the ratepayers. Give them an idea of what they’re getting into.

We had a good conversation. The government talks about listening. At committee, the 18 amendments were brought forward. They discussed them for three and a half hours. The 18 amendments were rejected. This can’t be a perfect bill, especially if it’s a rural, remote bill towards natural gas and it doesn’t say that anywhere.

The member opposite talked about it not being small potatoes and made the potato pun. It reminded me of another expression when it comes to vegetation. It’s about mushrooms. Politely, what it says is: Sometimes you’re treated like a mushroom; you’re kept in the dark and you’re covered with manure. That’s what it feels like.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further debate?

Mr. Daryl Kramp: Sometimes in this Legislature, we’ve seen occasions where there has been a definitive lack of common sense on some of the actions and reactions that we see in the House, and yet there are some things that just are almost de facto a matter of fact.

We have a situation in Canada where we are absolutely energy-rich in potential. There are some people who suggest that natural gas is not necessarily a real asset. Well, maybe I’ll just try to put it into perspective. We have over 1,100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas availability in this country—literally a world leader, good enough that if every bit of energy that we used in this country was powered by natural gas, we would have enough time that none of the members here or even their children or grandchildren or grandchildren beyond that would ever run out.

We have enough fuel, if we were exclusively using natural gas, to provide over 300 years of energy. For us not to take advantage of a product like this is literally the next thing to insanity.

This government realizes that. We are focusing on that. We will do exactly what we said we would do: We will deliver more services to rural, to remote and to Indigenous communities. Quite frankly, that is why the people put us here: to do that.

I could speak at great length, Madam Speaker, on the success I have seen already in rural communities, and I’m looking very, very much forward to seeing this government not only put its plans in place but put action into place, which will happen shortly.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Seeing the time on the clock, this House stands recessed until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1012 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would like to introduce some special guests we have with us today in the Speaker’s gallery: Mr. Gregoire Bostajian, the honorary consul of Lebanon in Toronto. He’s accompanied by his wife, Desiree, and by leaders from the Lebanese community. They are here to celebrate Lebanon’s independence day with a flag-raising ceremony that will be held on the lawn after question period. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislature.

Also in the Speaker’s gallery is natural resources and forestry ADM Rosalyn Lawrence and her executive assistant, Samantha Wilson.

Rosalyn Lawrence will be retiring tomorrow after working in the Ontario Public Service for 32 years. She began her OPS career in the Ministry of Skills Development, later moving to the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, where she eventually became assistant deputy minister. In 2008, she moved to natural resources and forestry as an assistant deputy minister in the natural resource management division, now known as the policy division, that she has been privileged to lead ever since.

Thank you, Rosalyn, for your service over the years. Happy retirement, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Also in the Speaker’s gallery, we have Louie Violo, Brian Scheele, Robert Sloan and Cameron Hann, here from the Ontario Electrical League. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

And we have a good friend of mine, Dave Adsett from the Wellington Advertiser, here with the Ontario Community Newspapers Association. I’m told Dave is celebrating his birthday today as well—happy birthday. It’s great to have you here.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I’d like to introduce one of our legislative pages, who’s from the riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas: Ella Jazvac. Ella attends St. Ann’s school in Ancaster, and she will be serving as a legislative page. She’s joined in the gallery today by her family. I’m pleased to welcome Ella’s parents, Christian and Christine; her sister, Sofia; and her aunts, Sandra as well as Melanie Skrlac, who also, in fact, served as a legislative page, just like Ella. Welcome to the Legislature.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I would be remiss as the Minister of Natural Resources if I didn’t echo the congratulations and thank you to Rosalyn Lawrence for her 32 years of dedicated service to the people of Ontario, and also to welcome her executive assistant, Samantha Wilson, to the House as well today.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Amongst us, from across Ontario, people from the Ontario newspaper association are here for the day to lobby us. We’d just like to welcome all to Queen’s Park.

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: I also would like to express my deep gratitude to Rosalyn for having been such a wonderful person to work with at the MNRF. Merci, Rosalyn.

I want to thank also and welcome to Queen’s Park Cameron Hann and Lawrence Pearson, who are from the Ontario Electrical League. I had the pleasure of meeting with them this morning. Thank you very much for being here.

Ms. Christine Hogarth: It is my pleasure to introduce one of my constituents, Rob Sloan. He’s here with the Ontario Electrical League and is a constituent of mine. His business is Langstaff and Sloan in New Toronto. Welcome to the Legislature.

Miss Monique Taylor: It gives me pleasure to welcome some guests from the community newspapers association. Today we have Gord Cameron, who is the group managing editor of the Hamilton Community News; and Caroline Medwell is the executive director of Ontario community newspapers. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I’m thrilled to welcome to the Legislature today a school that is visiting from my great riding of Scarborough–Guildwood: Cedar Drive Junior Public School. Please welcome them when you see them touring the building.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: It’s a pleasure to introduce the family of Hannah Van Boekel, our legislative page from the great riding of Oxford, who is here as the third member of the family being a page. She’s done a wonderful job.

Please join me in welcoming her parents, Mike and Jennifer; brother Greg; and grandparents Gerry and Thea Van Boekel and Betty Hampson. They’re all here to congratulate her on being the page captain today, and we collectively want to welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: It gives me great pleasure to introduce Dermot O’Halloran from my great riding, Toronto–Danforth. Thanks for being here, Dermot.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I wanted to introduce the students who are here with us in the gallery today from Nantyr Shores, from my riding of Barrie–Innisfil.

As well, I wanted to recognize members from my riding who are here from the World Lebanese Cultural Union: Elias and Hanan Kassab. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Jamie West: I’m sure many of us are going to be welcoming members from the Ontario Community Newspapers Association. I want to make sure to welcome Abbas Homayed from Sudbury Northern Life, or sudbury.com. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to welcome Alicia McCutcheon from the Manitoulin Expositor, a fabulous paper from Algoma–Manitoulin. She’s here on behalf of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association, meeting up with many of the MPPs here today.

Mr. Joel Harden: It’s a great honour to welcome Mr. Michael Wollock, who is here from the Ottawa Community Voice.

I also want to sa,y to my friends from the Lebanese community, greetings from Ottawa Centre, but also greetings from the Assaly family, of which I’m very proud to be part. Thank you for being here.

Mr. Aris Babikian: It is my great pleasure to welcome the World Lebanese Cultural Union to Queen’s Park. With their delegation, I have Mr. Elias Kassab, Elie Gideon, the rest of the delegation and also the honorary consul of Lebanon in Toronto, Gregoire. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

A little bit later, we are going to have a flag-raising ceremony and, after that, a reception. I would encourage all my colleagues to join us for either of the two events.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I’d like to introduce the community newspapers association, which is here today, and two people, Zach Shoub and Ray Stanton, from London Publishing. Thank you and welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Again, it’s already been mentioned in the House, but I’ve been very close to the Lebanese community over the last three and a half years, so to my friends from the Lebanese community: Marhaba and es salaam aleikum.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’m just going to stand up and say that I was proud to sponsor, in opposition, the new law, which is Lebanese Heritage Month. Welcome.

Oral Questions

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my first question is for the Acting Premier. Can the Acting Premier tell us if the Premier has spoken with Dean French, his chief of staff, concerning the Toronto Star report that he attempted to order police arrests, and the Globe and Mail report that he personally intervened to have Alykhan Velshi fired from Ontario Power Generation?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: I am truly looking forward to questions from the official opposition today, Speaker. That we can talk about the substance of our fall economic statement and our plan for the people—I truly look forward to it.

I know the NDP don’t want to talk about that, because it brings relief. It brings relief to 1.1 million low-income people in the province of Ontario, our LIFT program, and I understand why they don’t want to talk about that, because it is a program that brings true relief. If you earn $30,000 a year or less, you will no longer pay provincial income tax in the province of Ontario. Speaker, for the families in Ontario that we’re caring about, relief is here.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the government might not want to answer questions on this matter, but the people of Ontario have a right to know.

The Integrity Commissioner has indicated that he may conduct an inquiry on these issues, but by law, he is only allowed to report his findings to the Premier. Will the government commit to making those findings public, Speaker?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, once again, I can tell you that when we inherited a $15-billion deficit from the Liberal government—sadly, supported 97% of the time by the NDP, which is how we got into the mess that we’re in—we brought three things to bear. Number one, we looked for efficiencies and found $3.2 billion in efficiencies through the great work of people like our President of the Treasury Board and all of the accomplished members who contributed ideas. And we turned around and delivered $2.7 billion of that back into the pockets of the people of Ontario. You would think the NDP would be celebrating something like that, as opposed to criticizing it.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Order.

Start the clock. Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Ontario’s numbers man should know that they actually supported the Liberal government 49% of the time and the New Democrats did 53% of the time—a whole 4% difference, Speaker. That’s what Ontarians deserve to know.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: It was 97% of the time, and you kept them in power for two and a half years.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: However, the Premier earlier this month stated that he would always encourage his staff to speak truth to power—

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I don’t remember a time when you didn’t vote with them.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: —yet multiple media reports this week indicate that government staff are—

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: You didn’t vote against them. You sat on your hands.

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

I will give you extra time. Sorry to interrupt.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: —yet multiple media reports this week indicate that government staff are berated and fear losing their jobs when they raise any facts that challenge the Premier or the Premier’s chief of staff.

If government staff are encouraged to speak truth to power, as the Premier did, why are so many of them telling reporters that they would lose their jobs if they did that?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much for the question. Let me tell you a little bit about the great work that our staff, our caucus, our cabinet and our Premier have done.

Today, with not accepting the Liberals’ surtax, we have individuals who claim tax credits now such as seniors, those with disabilities and those who claim Ontario’s medical expense tax credit, who would have suffered under the NDP-backed Liberal plan of these tax increases in January. We said no, and as a result, 150,000 filers with allowable Ontario medical expenses, who would have paid $320 more in January, will not be paying that. That’s what our staff have developed: a plan for the people.

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: To the Acting Premier, Speaker: Can the Acting Premier explain why Ken Bednarek is no longer serving as chief of staff to the minister of public safety?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much. Let me continue talking about our plan for the people. I can tell you about the great staff that we have, the great caucus that we have assembled that the people of Ontario voted to send here to Queen’s Park, the great cabinet that Premier Ford has put together, and a great leader in Premier Ford himself.

With that tax credit I spoke about just a moment ago, that puts $35 million back in the pockets of families who need it most—seniors, those with disabilities and those who are collecting a medical expense tax credit. That’s $35 million they were about to be taxed by a Liberal tax that the NDP supported. That is the reality. That is what they don’t want to talk about. I’m not afraid to stand up here and tell the people all about the relief that’s coming their way.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Order.

Start the clock. Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Reports indicate that Mr. Bednarek was one of the few brave staff who challenged Dean French, the Premier’s chief of staff, when he made the completely inappropriate demand that police be ordered not only to make arrests, but to time those arrests so that they would make it onto the noon news.

Can the Acting Premier confirm or deny that Mr. Bednarek lost his job after speaking out against the inappropriate direction coming from the Premier’s office?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: What I can tell you about our cannabis plan, designed by our Premier, our cabinet, our caucus, our whole team, all of our staff, is that it’s a plan to protect children, a plan to keep our streets safe and a plan to curb illicit activity.

I realize the NDP may not have bought into that plan, the plan that is going to be a thorough and proper sale of cannabis through Ontario. They’re more interested—as I said yesterday, they deal in chaos. We deal in confidence. The NDP deals in resistance. We will deliver results.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Can the Acting Premier tell us how much public money went into paying for the severance of Mr. Bednarek and other staff who may have been dismissed for speaking out?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: I can tell you that there’s $500 million of public money being put back into our LIFT program, the Low-income Individuals and Families Tax Credit.

Now, I realize the NDP don’t want our low-income people to get a lift, because here’s what they said. This is a quote from the NDP member from Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas. She says, “You’re talking about people who earn so little that they in fact don’t need a tax break.” Well, Speaker, I think our low–income families do need that $500-million tax break we’re giving. Those are the numbers they don’t want to talk about.

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Acting Premier. But what low-income people don’t need is a government that rips them off by two grand by cancelling their $15 minimum wage increase. What they don’t need is a government that spends $300 million on tax breaks to the richest Ontarians. That’s what people don’t need.

The Acting Premier is part of a government team, and he must know that it’s not appropriate to intervene at Ontario Power Generation and fire executives, triggering a half-a-million-dollar severance—another thing the people of Ontario don’t need—or to order police to make arrests that look good on the noon-hour news—another thing Ontarians don’t need.

Has he personally raised any of these concerns or issues with the Premier?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: This government, our Ford government, we are bringing relief to families. We’re bringing relief to individuals. We’ve talked about those.

But let me talk about the relief that we are bringing to the business community, because they were about to receive a surtax that would cause them yet again to have fewer employees. What we are doing is, 7,900 businesses will not have the increase that the Liberal government was bringing in September. That will save up to $40,000 per business that they can reinvest.

Speaker, I’m a lifelong businessperson. We know that when business can find a dime, we invest it in our companies. We hire more people. That’s all we business people have ever done. That’s what we do. Taking that $40,000, they will be reinvesting it in their business and hiring more people in the province of Ontario.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Members, take your seats.

Start the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: People expect a government that sets high standards and actually governs in the public interest. Instead, the Premier and Dean French, his hand-picked chief of staff, seem to think that their titles mean that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, whether it’s ordering police to arrest people in time for the noon-hour news or paying someone half a million dollars for a single day’s work and sticking the people of Ontario with the bill because the Premier just didn’t like that guy.

Does the Acting Premier think that this is an acceptable way to behave?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: The Canadian Federation of Independent Business talked about our LIFT program; the NDP won’t. They said, “CFIB was particularly pleased to see that the government is helping low-income earners while providing some relief to employers from this year’s 23% minimum wage hike. The LIFT Credit will keep more money in employee pockets without threatening jobs.” That’s what they had to say.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said about LIFT, “Low-income workers across Ontario will benefit from the tax cut announced today, which will save individual workers ... $850 per year. Letting the 1.1 million low-income workers in Ontario keep the” money “they earn is the right thing to do.”

The chamber of commerce said, “Combined, these are ... steps towards a more competitive and prosperous economy. Ontario is strongest when industry and government work together, and we look forward to working with the government....”

Speaker, it’s obvious: Ontario is open for business.

Housing

Miss Kinga Surma: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Minister, today we mark National Housing Day. We know that for the past 15 years, the previous Liberal government failed to listen to the concerns of Ontarians. There have been countless calls for increased housing supply. There have been countless calls to create more community housing for the most vulnerable. I know that I’ve heard that from my very own constituents. Both those calls, however, were ignored.

Mr. Speaker, we are now in the midst of a housing crisis. Can the minister please explain the importance of National Housing Day and tell us how he and our government for the people are going to fix this?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for this important question and for highlighting this urgent issue. National Housing Day is a day to acknowledge and call on all levels of government to do more to provide housing that is affordable, not just across our great province but across the country.

As it currently stands, we need more housing. Our government has acknowledged this, and we’ve taken immediate steps to address the crisis. I’ve been working with my ministry to find ways to cut red tape and to speed up the system and increase housing supply. This is a top priority for myself and our government for the people, and I look forward to working with the people of Ontario on providing more housing supply.

Miss Kinga Surma: Thank you, Minister. I know that you’ve been working tremendously hard on this file.

We all know that housing is incredibly important. It is often the first step to bringing people out of poverty and getting them back on their feet. While our government for the people is putting great efforts into resolving this crisis, housing requires the collaboration of all levels of government and stakeholders. Can the minister please expand on how he is working with other levels of government and stakeholders so that we can create more housing that is affordable and create more community housing for those who need it the most?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for that great question. The lack of housing is not an issue that was created overnight, nor is it an issue that can be fixed with one solution. It requires, as the member says, help from all levels of government and stakeholders alike.

That’s why, since I took office, I’ve been speaking to hundreds of housing and development stakeholders to find a solution to start building more housing and increase that supply that is just so vital in our province. I’ve also spoken with different levels of government to try to find a way that we can all work collaboratively, to streamline building and repairing our community housing.

I welcome all suggestions on how to improve housing across this province, and I would encourage constituents to go to ontario.ca/housingsupply to contribute to our consultation.

I look forward to continuing the conversation. I want to thank the member—you’re an excellent member for your constituents. Thank you for your question.

Affaires francophones / Francophone affairs

M. Guy Bourgouin: Ma question est pour le premier ministre par intérim. Hier, on a su que les coupures de votre gouvernement vont aussi toucher la culture francophone. Hier, on a reçu la nouvelle que les conservateurs ont décidé d’annuler une subvention de 2,9 millions de dollars pour La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, un centre d’arts de la scène francophone d’Ottawa. C’est absolument irresponsable de votre part. Monsieur le Ministre, n’est-ce pas suffisant pour vous d’éliminer le bureau qui défend nos droits constitutionnels et d’annuler ce qui devrait être notre université?

Ma question est très simple : pourquoi êtes-vous si déterminé à attaquer la communauté franco-ontarienne?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you for the question. First of all, I’d like to say that our province has a unique cultural fabric and that francophone language and culture are an integral part of Ontario’s rich culture.

We would never make a decision solely to harm the francophone community. This was a decision made out of fiscal responsibility. The former Liberal government announced $2.9 million for a project to help with debt repayment at the La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins theatre building, even though no project proposal or implementation plan had been made available. It is actually sad to see that this question is being asked, given that the Liberals were giving money away with no details provided.

Depending on eligibility, there are funding avenues—

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

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: Minister, it seems that our constitutional rights, our education and, now, our culture are for you but a mere financial affair.

Minister, it is more than clear that the Conservatives have no interest in assuming that they have left Franco-Ontarians like myself behind, as if we and our rights, education and heritage were unimportant to you. Minister, are you going to support this motion?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: As we’ve said, and as I’ve said as well, the francophone language and culture are an integral part of who we are as Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, we were elected to restore trust and accountability. The Liberals saddled us with over $347 billion in debt. Making promises to many people is not the way that you get out of a fiscal mess. You get out of a fiscal mess by being responsible. Our government is committed to making fiscally responsible decisions on behalf of all Ontarians.

La Nouvelle Scène is welcome to work with us to find funding for a solution, and that is something that we will do. Whether it be through the Trillium grants or other sources, we will work to ensure that the facility is kept open.

Federal-provincial fiscal policies

Mr. Dave Smith: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Ontario’s economy has struggled for the past 15 years under the Liberal government. According to the Fraser Institute, we even had a decade where it was the worst performance in Canada. We all know the Liberals left our province saddled with debt and uncompetitive on the world stage.

Our government was elected to turn things around. Last week’s fall economic statement proved to Ontario that we’re committed to fixing the mess the Liberals left behind. It also proved to Canada that we’re determined to once again make Ontario the economic engine of our country. We called on the federal government to take decisive action in their own economic statement this fall to support businesses in Ontario and across Canada.

Could the minister please share his reactions to the federal government’s fall economic statement from yesterday?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you to the member for Peterborough–Kawartha for the question. Premier Ford’s leadership to restore business competitiveness in Ontario led to the measures announced yesterday in the federal fall economic statement. We welcome the federal measure to allow businesses to accelerate the expensing of many depreciable assets.

However, the Premier also took a stand for families and asked the federal government to be honest about how much their job-killing carbon tax will actually cost. We’re disappointed the federal government chose to continue ignoring the damage their federal carbon tax will do. We have made it clear that we intend to protect Ontario families and businesses from being punished by this discriminatory carbon tax.

While Premier Ford has been successful in making Ontario more competitive, we will continue to fight to ensure Ontario remains open for business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you to the minister for his response. I agree, we are disappointed the federal government did not match all the US tax relief measures to make Ontario, and Canada, fully competitive. It’s important that we make Canada, specifically Ontario, competitive on the world stage. For too long we’ve watched business and investment flow out of this province and this country. It continues to be concerning that the federal Liberals will not yet tell Ontarians just how much their job-killing carbon tax is going to cost us. But we know there’s more work to be done. We’ll continue fighting for Ontario’s families and businesses.

Could the minister please explain what action will be taken following the federal government’s fall economic statement?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: We are pleased to announce that Ontario will match the federal government’s measure to accelerate the expensing of depreciable assets. Our government has advocated for this change over the past months, and we are excited to provide businesses with the incentive to make these new investments in Ontario’s key industries.

Our own fall economic statement last week took this possibility into account. We are prepared to implement this change immediately and without any additional impact on our financial position.

At the same time, we will pursue ways to make sure that every person in Ontario knows just how much the federal carbon tax will cost them. We will do everything in our power to protect people from being punished by a discriminatory federal carbon tax. Speaker, after 15 years, Ontario is finally open for business and we plan to keep it that way.

Social assistance

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Conservatives have a lengthy record when it comes to cuts that hurt the most vulnerable Ontarians. The last PC government slashed social assistance by 21%. In eight years in office, not once did they raise the minimum wage from $6.85 an hour. We’ve seen much of the same from this PC government: scrapping the Basic Income Pilot, a 50% cut to social assistance rate increases and a rollback of minimum wage.

Can the minister confirm whether today’s social assistance announcement will be more cuts, more austerity and more suffering for vulnerable people?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thanks very much for that question. You’re going to be so surprised this afternoon when we have a plan, for those who can work—a plan that offers a path out of poverty. We are going to, for those who cannot work, build in more and better and compassionate supports. I am so proud of this government and the team that we have built together over the past 114 days as we’ve looked at that $10-billion budget that is supporting almost one million people. But still, one in seven are living in poverty.

I am so proud to be part of this government that’s not only for the people, but for the most vulnerable people in this province. We are going to continue to stand up. I am going to be proud of this announcement today. I will—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Once again, I will inform the government side that I had to stand up because I couldn’t hear what the minister was saying because of the noise of the standing ovation.

Start the clock. Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Back to the minister: Many recipients of Ontario disability and Ontario Works have been anxiously awaiting this afternoon’s social assistance announcement—and I mean anxiously. Some recipients have shared stories of heightened anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts during this distressing period, while this PC government decides their fate.

Since such little information has been made available and there was zero public consultation, we only have the PCs’ record of cuts and austerity to go off of when anticipating the results.

Can the minister confirm whether she intends to follow the lengthy PC trend and continue to make life harder for our most vulnerable Ontarians? And I suggest you don’t laugh after my question this time.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: If her questions weren’t such a joke, maybe I wouldn’t laugh.

But, Speaker, let me tell you something. The previous Liberal government—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I ask the minister to withdraw.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Withdrawn.

For the past 15 years, the previous Liberal government consulted. We used those consultations. We consulted with people right across Ontario. In fact, I want to read this to the member opposite: “Ministers MacLeod and Smith seemed to genuinely engage in the conversation and expressed appreciation to all who attended. We were encouraged by Minister MacLeod’s final comment, that her ministry is the ‘heart’ of the government and she is resolved that the province will not reduce its deficit on the backs of its most vulnerable citizens.” That is from Ed Bentley of the Poverty Roundtable of Hastings Prince Edward.

Let me be perfectly clear: Today, when we announce our path forward on social assistance, we will lift people up. We will instill compassion into the program. We will make sure that those who can work will be working, and those who can’t will have the supports they need.

Government accountability / Responsabilité gouvernementale

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Acting Premier. It has been a banner week for accountability in the Ford government. The Premier refuses to hold his chief of staff accountable for his actions. The finance minister opens the backroom door for union and corporate donations in his fall economic statement. More critically, the attack on independent officers of this Legislature is unprecedented.

Speaker, through you: Why is this government so afraid of accountability?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much to the member for the question. It’s obvious that he missed pages of the fall economic statement, or missed the odd line, because it’s very clear that with respect to fundraising—I realize the Liberals were caught in a fundraising scandal and it caused many changes to come, but what he is mentioning, what the member is mentioning about union and corporate donations is absolutely incorrect. It’s categorically wrong. That is not included in the fall economic statement.

In fact, what is included is the fact that we will be closer mirroring the federal regulations, which absolutely do not allow for corporate or union donations. It’s unfortunate; I’m very worried that he missed a lot of the other good things in the fall economic statement, which I hope to add to in the response.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. John Fraser: You must have forgotten that you removed the attestation about “own funds.”

The minister can say whatever he wants about us, okay? But we didn’t run around silencing our critics. It’s pathological with these folks—pathological. The decision to eliminate the child advocate is wrong too. The child advocate is an independent voice for very vulnerable children in this province, children whose voices are the hardest to hear. I know that the minister of children knows in her heart that it’s the wrong thing to do.

The government has also secretly moved to exercise the power of hiring and firing independent officers of this Legislature based on their opinion, and if that’s not an attack, I don’t know what is.

Back to the minister: What is it you’re so afraid of?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, where do you go with that?

I can tell you that the Liberal government did run around creating, as the Auditor General called it, bogus financial documents. That’s what the Liberals were busy doing.

It’s obvious that the member has missed certain key pieces of the fall economic statement, so for that member, I will remind that in our fall economic statement, we are bringing relief to 1.1 million individuals in the province of Ontario. Anyone earning $30,000 or less will no longer pay provincial income tax. That is $500 million that is being returned to the pockets of the people of Ontario. When Premier Ford and our team were elected, we said, “Relief is on the way.” For those millions, relief is here.

Protection of privacy

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. We recently learned the disturbing news that Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has brought in access to the personal financial information of Canadians through Statistics Canada without any consent. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada wasn’t even aware of this and expressed grave concern.

Mr. Speaker, the fact that the federal government proposes collecting this sensitive data is very concerning. It’s important to recognize that their intention is to collect this data without even informing Canadians. It was only revealed by the media. This is no way for a federal government to treat Ontarians and is a violation of their privacy.

Last week, I introduced the Safeguarding our Information Act. Can the minister inform us how this bill will protect Ontarians’ private information?

Hon. Bill Walker: I would like to thank the honourable member from Oakville for this excellent question and for bringing this piece of legislation forward in this House.

I’m sure all members of this House have heard by now that Statistics Canada was gathering the private financial information of Canadians without their knowledge or consent. Simply put, this is unacceptable. No level of government should be able to collect highly sensitive information like this without, at the very least, informing citizens of their actions. Instead, Mr. Speaker, what we’ve seen from the federal government is smoke-filled backroom decisions and data collection that would make Big Brother blush.

We’re not going to stand for it, Mr. Speaker. If Justin Trudeau isn’t going to do something, we will.

The Safeguarding our Information Act, introduced by the member for Oakville, will require that the government institution that is requesting personal information of citizens may only disclose information with the consent of the citizen.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I would like to thank the minister for the response and congratulate him on the action we are taking to protect Ontarians from federal overreach.

We in this House know that when consumers enter into credit agreements with banking and financial institutions, they disclose sensitive personal information. That information affects your credit score and affects your ability to get everything from a credit card to a mortgage to purchase a house. The federal government, in its decision, has overstepped into a realm of private data collection which no previous government has felt necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Government and Consumer Services to explain how this legislation will protect consumers and how this will prevent the abuse from the federal Liberal government of sensitive information of Ontarians.

Hon. Bill Walker: Again, I would like to thank my honourable colleague for the question.

We know this is an important issue for Ontarians and Canadians generally. A recent Nanos poll found that 75% of Canadians are opposed to Statistics Canada accessing their personal records without their consent, and 57% wouldn’t be comfortable consenting to giving up this personal information.

Mr. Speaker, we won’t allow the federal Liberal government in Ottawa to track purchases and credit scores of Ontarians without their consent. If the Safeguarding our Information Act is passed, it will put the protection of consumers first. Government will need their consent before sharing this information. This is a necessary step in protecting the information of all Ontarians and will fill regulatory gaps that allowed Justin Trudeau to pull data without citizens’ knowledge or consent.

I’m proud to stand in this House and support this legislation, and I’ll be proud to stand up for it when the bill is debated at second reading next Thursday, November 29.

Public transit

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. The fall economic statement cut $1.4 billion for transit infrastructure compared to what was in the last budget, but the government failed to specify where these cuts are coming from and what transit projects could be on the chopping block. Can the minister explain what transit projects are in jeopardy because of this $1.4-billion cut?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks very much for the question from the member opposite. I appreciate having this opportunity to respond to you.

Look, what we did mention, and I announced earlier this week, is that we’re going to be moving forward on working with the city of Toronto in uploading the TTC to Metrolinx. We will be going forward, after we work out a deal with the city of Toronto, at building, planning and designing new subways and also maintaining the track. The city of Toronto, of course, will continue to run the subways and keep the fares that are collected.

By doing this measure, we are creating efficiencies in our budgeting system which will allow us to actually invest more as we grow and build the transit system across the entire GTHA region.

Thanks again you for that question. I look forward to your supplemental.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Before the election, the Premier promised to maintain funding for the Hurontario LRT, which is scheduled for completion in 2022, but the fall economic statement did not mention the Hurontario LRT at all, and last week the government refused to confirm the project would be moving forward.

Can the minister tell us, yes or no, will he be maintaining funding for the Hurontario LRT so that it can be completed by 2022, as planned?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks again for that question. We’ve had numerous discussions in the ministry, reviewing all the projects going forward, and I can tell you that we will be making the best decisions on behalf of the people of this province.

We have inherited a $15-billion deficit and over $300 billion in debt. We have to make sure we’re making decisions that are going to work for the people of the GTHA.

As I said, as we’re uploading the TTC, we are going to be creating a regional structure across the GTHA. Under the leadership of Metrolinx, we are going to be making some good decisions for the people of this province and we’re going to be expanding the transit opportunities.

The Hurontario LRT is still having a great discussion within our ministry, and we look forward to having a great announcement with you in a short time forward.

Taxation

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Our government ran on a commitment to put more money in people’s pockets. Premier Ford made it clear that people in Ontario pay enough taxes already. Unfortunately, this is not something the previous Liberal government understood. We have been doing everything we can to bring relief to the people of Ontario from 15 years of Liberal tax-and-spend policies. We have taken action, like stopping the hike on driver’s licence fees. We have taken action, like scrapping the punishing cap-and-trade carbon tax. The point is, every dollar counts.

Can the minister please explain the steps taken in our fall economic statement to provide further tax relief to the hard-working people of Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you to the member from Scarborough–Rouge Park. The previous Liberal government raised our taxes every single chance they got. The Liberals’ 2018 budget planned to further punish the hard-working people of Ontario with changes to the rates, brackets, surtax and credits for Ontario’s personal income tax.

We made it clear during the election that we would not implement these Liberal tax increases. As a result, seniors, those with disabilities and those who claim Ontario’s medical expense tax credit will benefit the most. Our government’s decision will save about 150,000 people with allowable Ontario medical expenses $320 on average. Our decision will save these taxpayers $35 million. That’s money that will stay in their pockets.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: Thank you to the minister for his response. We are so happy that the days of unfair Liberal tax hikes are over. The people of Ontario deserve a break, especially seniors and those living with disabilities, as the minister mentioned. While the Liberals were too focused on funding their out-of-control spending and waste, our economic fall statement turned the page on 15 years of mismanagement.

Our decision not to proceed with the Liberal tax hikes is just one of the ways we are letting Ontarians keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. But we are also cutting taxes for those who need relief the most. Could the minister please explain the tax relief we are bringing to the people of Ontario who need it the most?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Our legislation, if passed, would introduce one of the most generous tax cuts for low-income workers in a generation: the Low-income Individuals and Families Tax Credit, or LIFT. Premier Ford proposes that anyone earning $30,000 or less a year should pay no personal income tax in Ontario. This change, if passed, would provide tax relief to 1.1 million people.

Unfortunately, the NDP do not want to talk about this much-needed relief. In fact, as I said earlier, the NDP MPP from Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas thinks we are “talking about people who earn so little that they in fact don’t need a tax break.”

I’m talking about $500 million they don’t want to share with the people. We will never back down from bringing relief to the people who need it most.

Public transit

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. The Premier promised the people of Niagara that he would deliver all-day, two-way service to Niagara Falls, but the word “Niagara” is completely missing from the fall economic statement. What was there was a $1.4-billion cut to transit infrastructure.

The Premier of Ontario has committed to expanding GO rail service to Grimsby and St. Catharines and all the way to Niagara Falls by 2023. Will the minister confirm that the Premier will live up to his commitment to bring all-day, two-way GO rail service all the way to Niagara Falls, as planned?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you very much for that question, to the member opposite. I do appreciate receiving the questions today. It’s nice to have this conversation in the Legislature.

We’ve made a promise to improve two-way GO service across this region and we’re living up to that plan. We have implemented the largest GO train service increase in over five years and we’re reducing congestion throughout the GTHA. In fact, there are already 220 new trips per week on the GO Lakeshore corridor. That’s an increase of almost 15%.

By enhancing transportation across this region we are starting to kick-start the economy. We’re moving people. We’re going to be moving goods. Ontario truly is open for business under the PC government, led by Premier Doug Ford.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary? The member for Waterloo.

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is also to the Minister of Transportation. Before the election, the Premier promised to deliver two-way, all-day GO service to Kitchener as quickly as possible, but since the election we have heard nothing. The words “GO Transit” and “regional express rail” were completely missing from the fall economic statement. What was there was a $1.4-billion cut to transit infrastructure spending, despite the fact that transit is an economic driver.

When will the minister deliver two-way, all-day GO service to Kitchener? They have waited long enough.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you very much, again, for that question. I really do appreciate discussing policy here. It’s not too often we get great questions on policy.

I do have to call out my colleagues in the PC caucus: the member from Niagara West, the member from Kitchener–Conestoga and the member from Kitchener southwest—

Interjection: Kitchener South–Hespeler.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Kitchener South–Hespeler; excuse me. They have been strong advocates for improving GO Transit across this province, particularly in their regions. And do you know what?

Interjections.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Mr. Speaker, this is an issue the whole House agrees upon. We need to get Ontario moving again, and that’s what we’re going to be doing. Stay tuned; that’s all I can tell the members opposite. Stay tuned, because good things are happening in Ontario, and Ontario is open for business as we go forward.

Public transit

Mr. Roman Baber: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Congratulations on your new portfolio, Minister.

Yesterday, the minister delivered remarks at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on our government’s plan for transit, and we couldn’t be more excited. Our government for the people understands the vital service that the Toronto Transit Commission provides. The TTC subway is the third-largest system in North America, with over half a billion riders in 2017. I’m proud to be one of those riders.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve got to get moving on the TTC. Or, more importantly, we’ve got to get riding. Can the minister please tell the House about our government’s plan to revitalize the TTC subway system for the people of Ontario?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks for that question from the member for York Centre—another strong voice in our caucus.

I omitted the member from Cambridge. I couldn’t tell you how many times she has advocated for expanded GO Transit into the Kitchener area. I’m sorry for doing that.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Toronto Region Board of Trade for inviting me to speak to them yesterday. I’m really happy that my parliamentary assistant, Kinga Surma, was with me at that time. Thanks very much, Kinga—another strong advocate. I want to thank my co-ministers, Minister McNaughton and Minister Clark, for also attending.

Our government for the people has been clear in its commitment to improve transit and transportation experiences in the city of Toronto by asking ourselves these questions:

How do we make life easier for commuters?

How can we get tourists and transit users moving faster?

How do we achieve the best value for our customer, the Ontario taxpayer?

We will be uploading components of the TTC to the province because our government for the people is committed to treating the subway like the vital service that it is.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

But unfortunately, the current approval process in the city, and despite what my friends in the no-development party say—the current plan by the city does not work. It’s timely, costly and ineffective. Take the Spadina extension, for instance, in the great riding of York Centre: over budget and over time by about four years. This is not a way for us to do business. This is not the way our government is going to approach transit in this province.

Can the minister please expand on our government’s plan to upload the TTC subway system?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you again for that question to the member opposite. As the member stated, the current planning and approval process is far too onerous and costly, and it’s failing to provide Ontarians with the best and most efficient subway system they deserve. Fixing this was a key election promise from our party, and the people of Ontario answered that promise by electing a PC majority government in this province.

That’s why we have now crafted a solution: to upload components of the TTC to the province. Our government has a greater capacity to fund these projects, which will facilitate development of our transit projects. One of the first steps of this process was in last August, appointing special adviser Michael Lindsay to work to determine the best approach for this upload.

Looking ahead, we’re looking forward to working further with the city of Toronto to develop the plan and implement it in the new year, to upload the TTC and provide the regional transit planning and operations and implementation that we can do.

Public transit

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is also to the Minister of Transportation. The Premier promised to deliver two-way, all-day GO service to the fine folks of Bowmanville, but since the election we have been told that all transit projects are under review, including projects that the Premier had specifically promised to deliver.

The fall economic statement showed an unexplained $1.4 billion in cuts to transit infrastructure expenditures, so I’m hopeful that the minister will please reassure those fine folks in Bowmanville and the Durham region and answer: When will the minister deliver two-way, all-day GO service to Bowmanville?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you again to the member from Oshawa for that question. I have missed sitting on committee with her like we used to, back in the last session, so it’s appreciated to get the question. I’m feeling a little bit like the Minister of the Environment today, getting lots of questions, so I’m appreciative.

Listen, we are doing a review of all the projects going on in the Ministry of Transportation. We’re starting to focus on the upload of the Toronto TTC, which will enable us to have more funding available for transit across the region and Ontario as a whole.

We’ve already had some expansion with the GO service, and we’re looking forward to continuing to see how we can expand GO service, and not only GO service but regional transportation across the region, to make sure that it’s integrated, to make sure that the fares are coming closer in line.

Mr. Speaker, this is going to be a great four years for the PC Party and the government of Ontario and for the province of Ontario as a whole. I’m really looking forward to the next four years.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary? The member for Ottawa Centre.

Mr. Joel Harden: Back to the minister: In 2016, the provincial government committed a billion dollars in funding for phase 2 of the Ottawa LRT. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, but the fall economic statement makes absolutely no reference to the project. In fact, it only predicts a $1.4-billion cut to transit infrastructure spending.

Will the minister confirm that the province will fund the billion dollars towards the sec