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April 30, 2015

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2015-Apr-30 (PDF)

L077 - Thu 30 Apr 2015 / Jeu 30 avr 2015

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 30 April 2015 Jeudi 30 avril 2015

ORDERS OF THE DAY

Hispanic Heritage Month Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur le Mois du patrimoine hispanique

2015 Ontario budget

Introduction of Visitors

Wearing of pins

Oral Questions

Winter highway maintenance

Government advertising

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Government advertising

Child care

Hydro rates

Winter highway maintenance

Hospital services

Gasoline tax

Ontario film industry

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Hospital services

By-election in Sudbury

Deferred Votes

Protecting Child Performers Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur la protection des enfants artistes

Ryan’s Law (Ensuring Asthma Friendly Schools), 2015 / Loi Ryan de 2015 pour assurer la création d’écoles attentives à l’asthme

Hispanic Heritage Month Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur le Mois du patrimoine hispanique

Visitors

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Winter highway maintenance

OPP helicopter base

Mosque in Oakville

Minto Rural Health Centre

Winter highway maintenance

Agincourt Collegiate Institute

Marketing competition

DeafBlind Ontario Services

Cancer Awareness Month

Correction of record

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on General Government

Introduction of Bills

Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services in Ontario Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur l’amélioration des services de santé mentale et de lutte contre les dépendances en Ontario

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Cancer Awareness Month / Mois de la sensibilisation au cancer

Petitions

Hydro rates

Hospital funding

Student safety

Pesticides

Lyme disease

Student safety

Trespassing

Prix de l’essence

Firearms control

Hydro rates

Alzheimer’s disease

Student safety

Wind turbines

Private Members’ Public Business

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Gasoline Tax Fairness for All Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur l’équité pour tous à l’égard de la taxe sur l’essence

Child care / Services de garde d’enfants

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Gasoline Tax Fairness for All Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur l’équité pour tous à l’égard de la taxe sur l’essence

Child care / Services de garde d’enfants

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Gasoline Tax Fairness for All Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur l’équité pour tous à l’égard de la taxe sur l’essence

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015 / Loi de 2015 pour favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Order of business

Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015 / Loi de 2015 pour favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

Hispanic Heritage Month Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur le Mois du patrimoine hispanique

Mrs. Martins moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 28,

An Act to proclaim the month of October as Hispanic Heritage Month / Projet de loi 28, Loi proclamant le mois d’octobre Mois du patrimoine hispanique.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Mrs. Martins.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today for the third reading debate of Bill 28,

An Act to proclaim the month of October as Hispanic Heritage Month.

As many of you know, this is something I have been working on for some time now. I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make this day a reality, and a special thank you to my staff, Michael Paolucci and Celso Pereira, who are joining us here today in the House, as well as Matt Iannucci. I’d like to thank all the House leaders for seeing the importance of this bill and for pushing it through to third reading.

Before I start, I’d like to point out that we have a number of members of the Hispanic community who will be joining us here for this important day. These are prominent individuals who publish newspapers, run cultural centres, and work in banks and posts in public service, all of whom contribute to shaping the lives of countless Ontarians.

I’m happy to say that we also have with us those who have signed petitions calling on this Legislature to pass Bill 28. I want to reserve special thanks for members of the community whom I have been consulting with at every stage of this bill: Fernando Valladares, Oscar Vigil, Claudio Ruiz and Claudia Montoya. I’m happy that they’re all here, bright and early, listening to this historic debate in the Ontario Legislature.

Unfortunately, not in attendance today is Margarita Feliciano, professor emerita at Glendon College’s Hispanic Studies department. Professor Feliciano does tremendous work within the Hispanic community and organizes the annual Festival of Images and Words.

Simply put, this bill provides our province with an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the Hispanic-Canadian community here in Ontario. Our province must pay tribute to the culture that binds Spanish speakers together, and this bill does just that.

The strong influence that peoples of Hispanic origin have had on our world is evident. As I mentioned in our second reading debate, individuals like Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí and Gabriel García Márquez possess a unique influence over art and culture in our world. The rich contributions of these giants of the Hispanic community are well known. However, we must recognize the outstanding achievements and lasting influence of the Hispanic community right here in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to discuss the history of this fantastic community in this great province of ours. As pointed out in the

preamble of this bill, the Hispanic community in Canada was established by a few thousand Spanish migrants in 1914. The first significant surge in immigration came during the 1970s, which was a time of great socio-economic and political turbulence across Spanish-speaking countries. In the 1980s, armed conflict prompted a further influx of immigrants. Most recently, since the 1990s, immigration from the Spanish-speaking world has been characterized as a “professional wave” of individuals travelling to Canada to study or work.

For those who came during the early waves of immigration, life in Canada was often challenging. These early immigrants experienced unemployment and, in many cases, racism and discrimination.

Despite immigrating from a number of nations, each with its own distinct culture, Spanish speakers developed a shared community and gathered in certain hubs around the country, such as in Toronto’s Kensington Market.

The Hispanic community has recently grown significantly in size and has now become one of the most prominent communities in the country. There are approximately half a million Canadians of Hispanic origin, but this number is substantially higher when we include non-citizens and permanent residents. Not only this, but the Hispanic community is also one of the fastest-growing populations in the entire country.

It’s hard to argue with the fact that the influence of this population on our province is immense. In my riding of Davenport alone there are approximately 10,000 citizens of Hispanic origin. The Hispanic community continues to make such a tremendous impact on my riding. By just walking through Davenport on any day, anyone can see these contributions are very tangible. It’s hard to dismiss the beautiful Lula Lounge on Dundas West, which has established itself as the premier venue in this city for Latin music and dancing.

Club Amistad, located at the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre, is a wonderful social and recreational group for Spanish-speaking men and women from various Latin cultures. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Villa Las Flores, the non-profit housing complex located off St. Helen’s. The founder of this charitable organization is the very strong community leader Fernando Valladares. Every September, there is also the wonderful Viva Mexico festival, hosted at Earlscourt Park.

The immense contributions of Hispanic Canadians are clearly not just felt in Davenport, or even just in the GTA. I have to say that during our second reading debate, I really enjoyed the very eloquent remarks from other members about the impact of the Hispanic community within their own lives and in their ridings.

One that immediately comes to mind are the very emphatic remarks from the member opposite from Timiskaming–Cochrane, on his constituent Martin Melendez, who brought his expertise of cheese-making from El Salvador to our province. The minister responsible for seniors spoke about the vibrant Spanish-speaking community he has in his riding of York West; of course, to showcase the Plaza Latina on Milvan Drive. And the member from York South–Weston, who will be joining this debate shortly, spoke about the great organizations in her siding, such as the York Hispanic Centre.

Mr. Speaker, it is no coincidence that all of us here in the Legislature can speak so highly of the valuable contributions that Canadians of Hispanic origin make within all of our communities.

Last time I rose in the Legislature I told the story of Alberto Guerrero, an individual who embodies these rich contributions of the Hispanic community in our province. Alberto Guerrero was a leading figure in the vibrant Chilean music scene. Moving to Toronto in 1918, Guerrero single-handedly brought the music of modern, 20th-century composers to Canada. In time, he became the most important music teacher in the country. Mr. Speaker, he mentored young Canadian pianists, including Glenn Gould, arguably Canada’s most celebrated classical pianist. I believe that this is such a fantastic story that embodies the real, tangible influence of the Hispanic community on our province.

Today, I’d like to speak on a more local level about a constituent of mine who I think embodies these characteristics. Severino Centritto, who lives in the beautiful Regal Heights neighbourhood in my riding of Davenport, I think deserves a lot of praise for his community service. Mr. Centritto originates from Argentina, and for 15 years he has been working to make our community the best it can be. He was a member of the Regal Heights Residents’ Association and has provided great assistance for the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre. He was also a member of the Toronto Seniors’ Forum to serve as a voice for senior residents in our community.

I first met Mr. Centritto at the Regal Heights Residents’ Association community cleanup, and I’m happy to say that he and his wife, Hilda, are watching today, this momentous day. I’d like to give him a round of applause for all his hard work. Gracias, Severino.

Applause.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: It is precisely these individuals who make it important to declare October Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will allow us as a province to recognize the rich contributions Hispanic Canadians have made to the province’s social, economic, political and multicultural fabric.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. In 2015, it can be easy to accept our province’s multiculturalism as a foregone conclusion. If you think back even 20 or 30 years, it’s impressive to see how far we’ve come. But there is still more work to be done. We have to recognize that in Toronto, a city of nearly three million people with a substantial Hispanic population, councillor Cesar Palacio is the only elected official of Hispanic origin at any level of government. Not one of us here in the chamber comes from a Spanish-speaking background. That makes it so much more important that we proclaim October as Hispanic Heritage Month.

If this bill passes today, I encourage all members of this House to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community within their ridings, in preparation for the celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month. With the Pan/Parapan American games coming to Ontario in just a few months, an occasion in which we will be welcoming so many delegations from Spanish-speaking countries, I can’t think of a better time to do this.

I want to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to speak, and I hope that you all join me in supporting this bill today.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Mr. Steve Clark: Buenos días.

I want to first of all thank the member for Davenport for her motion. This is a very historic day. For those who were following the debate yesterday, we had exceptional debate for Mr. Miller’s child actors bill, Bill 17. And I know Mr. Yurek is in the media studio with some of his constituents, celebrating the debate that took place yesterday for Ryan’s Law.

I’m pleased to speak, as House leader for the official opposition, in support of Bill 28. I happen to believe that motions and bills like this, celebrating our cultural heritage, are very important in helping communities within our ridings be recognized and give them a chance to celebrate their heritage, but also it gives us an opportunity to shed light and raise awareness on the history and achievements that the Hispanic community have in all of our ridings. This is going to be a great chance for us to celebrate the over 400,000 Canadians of Hispanic heritage and origin throughout our province.

As you know, Speaker, Spanish is a very important international language and is increasingly important to speak and understand to function in our globalized world. Throughout my riding, I have a number of young students participating in Spanish clubs at our elementary schools, gaining a really important introduction into the language and into the Hispanic culture which I hope will carry them for many years to come.

I also want to recognize a couple of schools in my riding: first, Thousand Islands Secondary School, where Spanish is offered as part of their international studies program. They have a number of students who travel on an annual basis to Nicaragua for a comparative study trip in which they experience cultural immersion by living at a Nicaraguan family member’s home. At Saint Mary Catholic High School they have an annual trip to Mexico, where the students gain knowledge about a specific issue that faces the area they visit. It helps create understanding for that part of the Hispanic community.

Let’s face it, Speaker: In my riding, I only represent probably a couple of hundred constituents of Hispanic heritage, but no matter whether it’s a couple of hundred or a couple of hundred thousand, I think it’s very important that all three parties support this bill. I want to thank the member from Davenport for fostering this bill and fostering this debate today.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention an event that starts tomorrow in my riding of Leeds–Grenville. It’s the 34th Annual Multicultural Community Festival. It happens every May. I was there when the festival began, when I was mayor of Brockville back in the early-1980s. I have to tell you that it’s just a wonderful event in my riding that brings together and highlights our diversity and all the cultures that make Leeds and Grenville such a wonderful place to live in.

This year, representing the Hispanic community, there will be performances by a Spanish folk dance troupe, a Venezuelan performance group and Mi Peru. There will be booths from Costa Rica, Peru and the Caribbean. In the past, we’ve had booths from constituents who find their origins from Mexico, Columbia and Argentina. It’s a joy to watch those performances. I am going to be there on Friday night to help open the Multicultural Community Festival.

I want to close by saying to the member for Davenport: This is an exciting day for you. I’ve had private member’s bills that go through this process. It’s great to see that all three parties have agreed and have moved this forward. I want close by saying to the member for Davenport: Nos vemos en octubre.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: It’s always an honour to rise in this House to speak on behalf of the people we represent in our various ridings. But it’s a pleasure to participate in a debate on a legislative initiative that has such broad support from all members of the House; really meaningful support and authentic support, because I think that all of us have Hispanic constituents, and all of us recognize the importance of celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of the Hispanic community to Ontario’s success.

I want commend the efforts of the member from Davenport in bringing this bill forward, the consultation she has conducted on the bill, the input she has gotten and the support she has generated around declaring October as Hispanic Heritage Month. This is a proud moment for me, as the member for London West, because a large number of my constituents are Hispanic—in particular, from Colombia.

As a nation, Canada is really built on the value of not just acknowledging but celebrating our rich cultural diversity and the heritage, traditions and values that newcomers—immigrants—brought to this country and made as Canadians. The bill before us today recognizes in particular the contributions of Hispanic Canadians to our social, economic, political and cultural fabric, and speaks to those core fundamental values that really define us as Canadians.

As stated in the

preamble to the bill, Ontario is home to more than 400,000 first-, second- and third-generation Canadians of Hispanic origin. We know that as early as 1914, Canadians who originated from the 23 Hispanic countries began the wave of immigration to this province, and today the Hispanic community is one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in Ontario.

“Hispanic origin” means an immigrant from any Spanish-speaking country, so it can encompass a broad range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. These countries include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and, of course, Spain.

When you look at all of those diverse countries, you see the kind of richness of the Hispanic cultural heritage that Ontario benefits from when Hispanic Canadians come to our province. In fact, some broader

definitions of “Hispanic” would also include former colonies that are Spanish-speaking but not ethnically Spanish, such as the Philippines, which makes that diversity even richer and broader.

As I mentioned, my community of London, and actually London West specifically, is home to many Hispanic immigrants. That makes the profile of immigration in London quite unique compared to the rest of the province. In Ontario overall, Latin American immigrants make up about 5% of all newcomers, but in London, 17% of our immigrants are from Latin America. Also, as I mentioned earlier, they are from Colombia in particular.

For more than a decade, London has been the go-to spot for many Colombian refugee claimants. In fact, this has earned the city of London the nickname of “Londombia” because of the number of Colombian immigrants or Colombian refugees who have settled in our city. This gives Londoners access to experience the richness, the wonderful food, the music, art and culture in our community. You can frequently hear Spanish being spoken on the streets of our city.

The current influx of Colombians to London began in the late 1990s. In 1997, there were just 16 Colombians who came to our community. The following year, 1998, there were 43 Colombians who came, and the following year, there were 126. As Colombians came, they felt welcomed in our community. The word spread back home and we saw more and more Colombians coming to London. In 2000, there were 395, and the numbers have continued to grow. More recently, we have also seen refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala who have begun to join Colombians in seeking refugee status and settling in our city.

Colombia remains number three, actually, on Canada’s list of the top 10 source countries for refugees to London. Today, the numbers vary, but there are approximately 15,000 Colombians who are currently living in the city. As I mentioned, their presence has helped to diversify the local economy. We’ve seen many Spanish businesses, grocery stores, Latin American-style restaurants and a Spanish church being established all across the city.

Among all of the immigrants who currently live in London, Colombians make up the third-largest immigrant community. Again, this is quite different from the profile of immigrants both in Ontario and in Canada. Colombia does not even appear among the top 10 countries of origin for immigrant communities when you look at the census data from Ontario and Canada.

The other notable aspect of Colombian immigrants is that they are overwhelmingly the largest number of recent newcomers to the city. London welcomed about 2,000 Colombians in total between 2006 and 2011, which was almost three times as many as the next-largest number of immigrants, which was from the Chinese community, to our city.

We see this in our schools and we see this in our workplaces. We see this in the businesses that are being established and launched across our community, and in the services that are being developed to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic community in London. We had our first Spanish-language phone book created in 2007. This was obviously needed because of our exploding Latin community.

I just want to take a moment to recognize some of the individuals who have contributed so much to London’s prosperity and cultural landscape through the Hispanic traditions that they have shared with our community.

Jose Rey is publisher of Latino, a second Spanish media. He has been creating and distributing Spanish-language media through this bi-monthly newspaper, Latino! He has also created Latino!TV. It’s a weekly television program on Rogers cable.

In addition, he has established an annual recognition evening to salute Spanish-speaking people in our community across 10 categories, because the achievements of the Hispanic community in London are significant and also broad. He recognizes achievement in business, sports, community work and arts and culture.

I also want to recognize Felipe Gomes, who is the owner of Aroma restaurant, which was established in 2001 in London and has been delighting Londoners and tourists to our city for many years with their Mediterranean specialty dishes.

Finally, there is the incomparable Alfredo Caxaj, who is the founder and artistic director of Sunfest, the second-largest music festival in Canada and a showcase of the world’s best musicians. Last year, Alfredo was named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians by the Canadian Hispanic Business Alliance.

Sunfest has been around in London since 1995, and it has grown to become one of London’s largest attractions. It has become deeply embedded in London’s cultural and civic identity and enjoys ongoing support from a range of corporate and government sponsors. It is a world music festival, but Alfredo, who comes from Guatemala, has always made an effort to ensure that there is good representation from Hispanic musicians and performers.

With this wave of immigration, there is also clearly a strong economic impact from the growing Spanish-speaking demographic in our community. In 2009, the London Chamber of Commerce launched the Hispanic Business Opportunities Task Force, the first of its kind, to help grow London’s economy by determining how best to meet the needs of the Hispanic business community.

The purpose of the task force is to identify the tools and skills needed by Hispanic business owners to make a positive, sustainable contribution to the local economy, and to assist in learning how to integrate Hispanic businesses with the larger business population in London. More recently, the task force has turned its focus to developing new business relationships in Latin America.

As the member for Davenport mentioned, the Hispanic community is highly educated. They bring incredible professional qualifications and skills that can certainly be leveraged to support our economic well-being both in London and in the province.

Before I move to the bill, Speaker, I also did want to acknowledge the contributions of Hispanic Canadians to the labour movement and standing up for workers’ rights. Many Hispanic Canadians arrived in Canada after fleeing countries like Mexico, or in South America, where they were arrested or tortured for exercising their rights to unionize.

The Hispanic community has also made a tremendous contribution in my riding through organizations such as LACASA, which stands for the Latin American-Canadian Solidarity Association, which works specifically on issues of social justice. They have done a lot of work in solidarity with indigenous people to raise awareness of the challenges—the threats—facing indigenous people worldwide and in Canada. They have organized for peace, and they have spoken out strongly on poverty and climate justice.

As I said, our caucus is very much in support of this legislation. Bill 28 designates October as Hispanic Heritage Month because of the significance of the month for the Hispanic community worldwide.

We know—everyone knows—from our days in elementary school that Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492, so October has significance from that historical fact alone. But as shown by the bill’s references to indigenous resistance and cultural diversity, a number of holidays have been established that celebrate the arrival of Columbus to the Americas, but also offer an opportunity to reflect on the devastating impact of this arrival on the indigenous people who were already here in this country.

In appreciation to many of the Hispanic communities who have organized events in October, they have shifted from focusing on the celebration of conquest to celebrating cultural diversity. And so, each year around the world during the month of October, we see a number of significant celebrations, such as Hispanic Day, Day of the Cultures, Day of the Race, Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity, Day of Indigenous Resistance, and the commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month in North America.

In closing, I want to say that we’re very appreciative of the efforts of the member for Davenport to bring this bill forward. We’re appreciative of the opportunity to speak in support of the bill on behalf of people in our ridings who are of Hispanic ethnocultural heritage, but also in recognition of the number of Hispanics across this province and the contributions that they have made to our province and to enriching Ontario’s cultural environment.

This bill is important. I really like the part of the bill that talks about not just celebrating Hispanic culture but also allowing us and future generations of Ontarians to learn more about Hispanic history, Hispanic culture and the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic Canadians to Ontario’s economic and social well-being.

So October as Hispanic Heritage Month, which I hope we could be celebrating as early as October 2015—I am sure it will be a wonderful, fantastic opportunity to recognize the achievements of the Hispanic population that, one hopes, will just continue to grow and to enrich Ontario and make us, as a community, stronger.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Mrs. Laura Albanese: Buenos días. Good morning. I am very pleased to join the debate this morning here in support of the MPP from Davenport and her bill. It’s great to be here to work together to ensure that October will be the month that will recognize the Hispanic community in Ontario, whose ancestors, as we heard, came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

Canada’s Hispanic community has grown from a tiny group of pioneering Spanish and Latin American immigrants to a very vibrant community. Ontario is the province that has the largest amount of Hispanic descendants. In the riding of York South–Weston, which I have the privilege to represent, I am very honoured to have a very passionate community of residents, businesses, small businesses, restaurants, cafés and local organizations.

A number of community organizations in our riding, such as, for example, the York Hispanic Centre, which the member from Davenport mentioned, the Community Action Resource Centre, the Jane Street Hub and the Learning Enrichment Foundation, all provide services to the Hispanic community that include settlement, for example, for those who are still newcomers, but also translations, educational workshops, student and volunteer placement, and legal aid.

The Hispanic migration contributes to the growth of our province through their continuous contribution toward our economy, and we are very enriched by their culture, their music, their food, the sports, which we all enjoy, and the language. It’s so musical and so sophisticated. I always wish that I could be fluent in Spanish. It’s one of the languages that I enjoy the most.

The Hispanic contribution in the province of Ontario is clearly visible in various ways. We have many examples of personalities, of people who have really become successful. For example, just in sports, one could mention Raphael Torres, who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks, in the NHL, and a Team Canada hockey player who was born and raised here in Toronto but his dad is Mexican and his mom is from Peru. Then we have Miguel Cañizalez, an El Salvadorian soccer player who was also raised in Toronto and who made several appearances in the Canadian national team.

In the musical field, I think of Carlos del Junco, a Cuban Canadian harmonica musician; and José Miguel Contreras, vocalist of the Toronto-based rock band By Divine Right. But it’s also important to remember members of the Hispanic community that have made and continue to make a contribution to our political life.

One person who was not mentiond is the Honourable Sergio Marchi, former MP for York West, former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Canadian ambassador. Now, he’s contended between two communities because the Italian community will claim that Sergio Marchi is of Italian descent, and that’s where his parents or grandparents were from. But he was born in Argentina and moved to Canada in his early years, so he is of Hispanic background.

Toronto’s city councillor for Ward 17 Davenport, Cesar Palacio, who was already mentioned by the member from Davenport, is the first Hispanic person elected to Toronto city council. He was born in Ecuador. He still holds that right of the first person elected—and the only one—at Toronto city council.

Mr. Speaker, proclaiming Hispanic Heritage Month here in our Legislature would provide the opportunity for the Hispanic community to celebrate their unique history and culture, but it would also give us—all Ontarians—the opportunity to recognize their contribution to our province and to our country. As we’ve heard, October is a significant month for the Hispanic community. That’s when people of Hispanic origin around the world come together to celebrate their shared culture.

This is truly a shared culture. This is not a monolithic community. We have heard that they come from different nationalities. Two things unite them: One is their shared language, and the second is the determination to build a better life—a better life for themselves, for their children, for their grandchildren.

So I’m really glad that we have all come together here in agreement to help proclaim October heritage month for the Hispanic community.

Thank you; gracias, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Ms. Laurie Scott: It’s truly my pleasure to stand today and speak for a few minutes on Bill 28,

An Act to proclaim the month of October as Hispanic Heritage Month. I know the member from Davenport has worked very hard on this. I appreciate that and thank her for this. It must be a good day that it is going through the next process of our Legislature and then the final stamp that may come forward.

I’ll say “buenos días,” and that will be about the extent of my Spanish. I really apologize for that. I’ve been learning some more words as I’ve been sitting listening to the debate this morning, and also about the Hispanic culture. I come from a predominately rural riding in Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock. I’m always pleased to be exposed to different cultures, not only as I’ve travelled but within the city of Toronto I hear much Hispanic culture. Also, the member from London was explaining the extent of the Hispanic culture there. I will definitely, when I go to London, be checking that out and enjoying that.

As has been said in the Legislature, Ontario has been long home to this thriving Hispanic community. Over the years members in the House have supported motions and presented petitions to recognize this vital cultural and economic role that this community plays. As I say, I’m happy to lend my voice to theirs today, supporting this final formalizing of the recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month in Ontario every October.

Spanish-speaking communities around the world have adopted October as a time to celebrate their heritage. It’s about time that Ontario joined in these celebrations too. Originally, when it was brought in, I believe that they were looking at April. October seems to be the month that is more in line with the rest of the world and some of the municipalities, which I’ll get to.

When the member from York South–Weston mentioned the many celebrities in arts, culture and sports with Hispanic community names, they start to ring bells and I’m like, “Oh, yes, that’s correct. They do have that heritage.” Ontario is a diverse province and the Hispanic community is part of that success.

There are 400,000 to 500,000 people of Hispanic origin in the province—that’s first-, second- and third-generation—and they’ve made a great contribution. I did not know until this morning that it’s one of the fastest-growing populations in the province.

There was the time when April was brought in, as I said before, but October being more in keeping—I should keep to my notes so I don’t get myself mixed up. The bill would enshrine in law the recognition and celebration of the contributions made by Canadians of Hispanic origin, but moving it to October makes sense.

I mentioned municipalities, so I’ll say that just last year Toronto city council declared that October would be Hispanic Heritage Month as well. That brings us in line with what the city has declared. I always like it when we’re keeping in the same line. Sometimes that doesn’t happen all the time in politics and laws.

With the Hispanic population of Toronto among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the city, representing over 20 Spanish-speaking countries in the world—which, thus, I should have learned Spanish—the city of Toronto has a formal friendship agreement with the city of Quito, Ecuador. Hopefully I’m pronouncing that correctly, but Hansard will get the correct spelling.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated throughout the world in October as the “Month of the Race.”

October is a month that strongly symbolizes and celebrates the Hispanic heritage by encouraging and promoting all its traditions, cultural influences and enriching ethnicity of all Latin roots through North, Central and South America, and Spain. As all the Hispanic independence festivities conclude by the month of September, the idea of changing it to October will be represented as a closing ceremony for all the Hispanic independence days worldwide.

The concept of Hispanic Heritage Month and moving the celebration from April to October is supported in principle by the Hispanic Development Council, the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples, the Canadian Hispanic Congress, the Toronto District School Board, and a large number of Hispanic community leaders and community organizations.

I’m certainly pleased to support—as I know we’ve heard all parties are—this bill moving forward this morning. I think it gives an opportunity for all of us to go and enjoy this great Hispanic culture that we have been able to have both in, mostly, our urban centres, but I’m sure it’s rolling out.

In some of the high schools I know the kids are interested in speaking Spanish. It is a great thing as our kids in high schools have the opportunity of exchange programs and learn to speak Spanish, and go to those Spanish-speaking countries.

I’m more than pleased today to speak in favour of this bill and to thank the member from Davenport for continuing the push. I know she’s a new member of the Legislature, and not quite a year that she’s been here, so well done. I hope you enjoy the Legislature as well as the celebration of your private member’s bill moving forward today.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Mr. Yvan Baker: It’s an honour to stand and rise and speak to this important bill. I’d like to start by congratulating the member for Davenport for this wonderful initiative and her leadership for bringing us together around this important piece of legislation.

I have to say that yesterday I was speaking with the member for Davenport and she was talking about how honoured she was to have all-party support. I’m almost as honoured to have an opportunity to speak to this bill. I’d like to tell you why that is and what this bill means.

I know a number of the members from all sides have spoken to the importance of this bill. They’ve spoken to the contributions that the Hispanic community has made to our province and to our country. They are certainly absolutely correct about that.

I’m not of Hispanic heritage but my grandparents—like many of Hispanic heritage—came to Canada and immigrated to Ontario hoping for a better life for themselves and for their families. My grandfather, in particular, spent a lot of time with me when I was a young boy teaching me about my heritage, sending me to Saturday school, doing homework with me, sharing his history and sharing his culture with me.

I remember after Saturday school we would sit down and he would help me do my Saturday school homework. We would be studying things like history, culture and language. At the time, I maybe didn’t appreciate it as much as I do today, how important that was. I remember this one particular occasion where I was frustrated and struggling with my homework, and I said, “Grandfather”—Dido, I used to call him—“can we stop? I’ve had enough. Why do I have to do this?” He said, “You can’t stop, and I’ll tell you why.

It’s not only important that you learn this because it’s important that you learn about your own heritage and your own culture and where you come from; it’s important because you need to learn about the people who came before you, who made this country—Canada—the great country it is.

To me this bill is, of course, about celebrating Hispanic heritage and Hispanic culture, but it’s also about celebrating the people who came before us of Hispanic heritage, who have helped to build this great country we live in today. That’s what this bill means to me and why I’m so honoured to stand here today.

As someone who is the son of immigrants—my mom was an immigrant—and the grandchild of immigrants, I know that when we celebrate our heritage, we maintain our ties, and we show an appreciation for the trailblazers who came before us, including those in our families but also those beyond, in our broader community. Hispanic culture has, for a long time, been an important component of our collective identity in our city of Toronto, in Etobicoke Centre, the community that I represent, and in our province more broadly.

Mr. Han Dong: Trinity–Spadina.

Mr. Yvan Baker: Even in Trinity–Spadina, absolutely.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: We have lots in Kitchener Centre—

Mr. Yvan Baker: In Kitchener–Centre and all across our province. That’s what that speaks to, and others have spoken to that.

While the Hispanic community has a very rich heritage and gives us much to celebrate, this bill aims to recognize not only the cultural contributions of the past but also those of the present and those that will come in the future. You know, when I think about some of the celebrations—and so many of them have been named; I don’t need to name them all. I think of the Hispanic Extravaganza, Salsa on St. Clair, the Mexican festival, Hispanic Heritage Week in Hamilton, and this, of course, just to name a few.

The contributions that the Hispanic community has made, as I mentioned, span our province, and they’re reflected in many ways in our economic, in our social, in our political and cultural life. But I want to go back to the point I made at the beginning, which is that Hispanic Canadians have played an important role in the development of our province and the development of Canada. They’ve helped make our province and our country one of the most desirable places to live: As my grandfather used to say, “Canada is a paradise.” Hispanic communities played an integral role in making that happen.

In Etobicoke Centre, in my riding, I’ve had the fortune of getting to know many members of the Hispanic community. I look forward to getting to know many, many more in the months and years to come, to learn from them, to learn about their culture and to learn more about the contributions that they’ve made.

I’m thrilled, I’m honoured, to be speaking to this bill. I’m so glad we have the support of the members from all sides on this. I look forward to this bill being the foundation of celebrations in the years to come, not only of the contributions of the past and Hispanic culture of the past, but the culture that we will celebrate together and the contributions that, together, the Hispanic community will make to our great country in the future.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Further debate?

Mrs. Gila Martow: Buenos días, Mr. Speaker.

I’m honoured to rise today to recognize the designation of October as Hispanic Heritage Month. Ontario is fortunate to count over 400,000 individuals of Hispanic descent who trace their roots to over two dozen nations on three continents, as well as the Caribbean. Many came in search of a better life or to flee war, dictatorship or natural disaster.

We have to sometimes wonder about the weather; I don’t think that they were moving here necessarily for the weather, since we all like to vacation so often in their home countries.

Our province is blessed to enjoy the fruits of the Hispanic community’s incredible contributions in the realms of education, medicine, commerce, the arts, culture and, of course, sports. In formally proclaiming October as Hispanic Heritage Month, our province will recognize and honour these commitments and provide an avenue for those of Latin heritage to share the richness of their cuisine, language and way of life with all Ontarians.

We’re also blessed to have a variety of delightful events that detail the rich culture of Hispanic people. This summer, the sensual sounds of bachata, merengue and reggaeton, as well as the sizzling scent of churros—I think I’m saying that right; I hope so—will fill Mel Lastman Square and dazzle visitors and tourists alike. The date is September 4 to 7, and I have a feeling in future years they might move it to October, weather permitting. They’re going to have to decide, because this is an outdoor festival. I’m inviting everybody to join that Hispanic Fiesta for colorido, cultura, música and just a lot of fun and making some new friends, as we just heard.

There are obviously a lot of Hispanic clubs across the province. I think that we’re just going to see more community groups and more events as the communities continue to grow.

As the member from London West told us, she has a huge Hispanic population in her riding. I think we’re all going to have to go visit, and I’m sure there are some fantastic events and restaurants, and people to visit and people to meet, to learn a little bit about the different heritages that comprise the Hispanic population.

From 2001 to 2011, the Ontario Latin American population jumped 62%, from 106,835 to 172,560. I’m not sure how they get their census numbers, but I think that it speaks for a very growing population. The Hispanic community is the single largest minority in all of North America. That’s evident in some of the cultural changes we’re seeing through the decades in our lifetime in terms of TV shows and a presence in the movies and things like that, in terms of culture.

Yesterday, we were celebrating Jewish Heritage Month. As the only Jewish member of the PC caucus, I guess I’m an unofficial critic for everything to do with the Jewish community.

It’s interesting that the people who joined me to attend the event—one of the sponsors was the member from Davenport, who is bringing forward this bill, so maybe she’s going to be the critic of culture over there. Of the individuals who joined me, there were over a dozen from what is called the Sephardic Kehila Centre in my riding of Thornhill. They are basically what we consider to be French-speaking or Latino Jews from countries like Morocco—and Tangier—and France. They bring their own culture—not just language but, really, culture. It’s a very rich, lively, happy community that is definitely growing in my riding.

A couple of people who joined—one was Samuel Keslassy, who was born in Tangier. His wife is Gracia. They have three children and 13 grandchildren. I believe most of them are in Thornhill. Samuel is the vice-president of the Sephardic community in Toronto, and he’s very active on Spanish TV, which is Telelatino. He’s a real estate agent.

I think that something we all have to consider is that with all of these communities, they look for services in their languages. That just facilitates their adaptation to the country if they can find a real estate agent who maybe knows some of the cultural community that they’re looking to locate, where they’re looking to purchase a home, perhaps, or to start a business and to rent a place for that.

I really applaud people who move to our country but look for diverse professions that can also help serve their community and be active—on a volunteer basis sometimes, even—in their own community.

Joe Elmaleh was also here yesterday. He’s also a member of the Thornhill community and is of Spanish heritage. He has five children with his wife, Shully. His business is Tiara Culinary catering, which is a kosher catering company that provided the food for one of my swearing-ins here at Queen’s Park. Again, if we’re inviting people from a certain cultural or religious community, we often provide the food for that community as well. I think that we’re all aware that we enjoy all the different foods from all the different communities so often in downtown Toronto.

We’re very lucky to live in a diverse community, because that’s part of what it brings. It brings that diversity in terms of culture and in terms of cuisine.

We see a real overlap. We’re talking about all these heritage months, but there is a lot of overlap between all the different communities, and I guess what I’m trying to say is that within the Hispanic community there are many different religions and many different ways of celebrating their culture. I think that it behooves us all here to learn as much as we can about all the different communities so that we can understand their needs and provide for them.

When I was carpooling my kids—and they were a lot younger, obviously—a new family moved from Mexico City to Thornhill, the Gutfrajnd family. I started to carpool with the wife, Liza; and the husband was Moises. It was sort of cute to me because her three children, I felt like—they weren’t triplets, but their names were sort of how you would see triplets’ named: Ariela, Daniel, and Gabriel.

It was wonderful. I still remember the first time I showed up to pick up the kids. Usually the mother comes out that first day and you talk for a minute. As I was putting the kids in the car and I waved to her and she went back in the house, she said, “Hola!” That sort of said it all.

I really have to applaud Liza and the whole Gutfrajnd family because they came to a really new community, all on their own. They didn’t come with any family members or friends. They quickly got themselves established. Their kids, that very first year, put on skates and learned how to skate. They’d never seen snow before. They were quickly learning how to ski. I don’t know how I would have handled a transition without family members, without friends and all those supports in such a different climate—the language challenges. It’s really a testament to the parents when the kids are so well adapted.

I’m just going to say to all of those who come to Ontario and Canada to establish a new life, welcome and hats off to you, but don’t be shy to say to your neighbours, “Where can I find a dentist? Where can I find a doctor? Where can I buy certain things?” Just ask for help. Obviously the neighbours—in the old times, people would bring over something new to the neighbours. In many communities, I hear that’s still going on, but too often it doesn’t.

Just yesterday we heard on the news about a Catholic school that wanted to offer Spanish as one of the core courses. Basically, what they’re suggesting is that we could teach geography in Mandarin and we can teach Spanish for history. We all know that children are sponges and they pick up languages so quickly. I really applaud anybody who makes that effort to teach their kids songs in other languages when they’re toddlers, because that’s really how they begin to learn the accent, and not just celebrate their own heritage but celebrate the fantastic heritage and culture of others in our community.

I look forward to celebrating many events for Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s going to be a lot of fun for all of us here in the Legislature if we could do something here.

Gracias to the member for bringing this forward.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Thank you very much.

Pursuant to the order of the House dated April 29, 2015, I am now required to put the question.

Mrs. Martins has moved third reading of Bill 28,

An Act to proclaim the month of October as Hispanic Heritage Month.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

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

All those opposed to the motion will say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, it will be deferred until after question period today.

Third reading vote deferred.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Orders of the day.

2015 Ontario budget

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 29, 2015, on the motion that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): I recognize the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Thanks very much, Speaker. It’s a very distinct honour for me to have the chance to stand in my place this morning to lend my voice in very strong support to Ontario budget 2015.

With the time that I have on the clock, Speaker, I’m going to do my best to cover off a number of areas.

I think that everyone in this Legislature, and beyond, would know that over the last number of weeks, as a result of the leadership shown by Premier Kathleen Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and a number of colleagues of ours on this side of the House, we are moving forward with a very ambitious plan. One of the core fundamental elements of this year’s budget, as it has been in past years’ budgets, was that determination to move forward with what we call the Moving Ontario Forward plan.

This is $31.5 billion that will be invested across the province of Ontario: roughly $15 billion for transit, transportation and other forms of critical infrastructure outside the GTHA, and also about $16 billion to be invested over that same decade in transit projects inside the GTHA.

We’ve seen evidence over the last number of days—in the run-up to the budget itself, around budget day and certainly following budget day—of a continued commitment on the part of this Premier and this government to make sure that we deal with those issues, particularly here in the GTHA, relating to gridlock, but also those issues outside the GTHA as they relate to making sure that we continue to invest in expanding and building out our highways, supporting our municipal partners with their infrastructure needs, and moving forward, for example, on natural gas initiatives and so many others.

I’ve had the real privilege over the last few days to be in places like Mississauga—not that many days ago—to announce that our government is moving forward with the $1.6-billion Hurontario-Main LRT, which will assist Peel region residents, those living in Mississauga and Brampton, with connecting to GO regional express rail, which I’ll talk about in a second, and also having that option to leave their cars at home.

Again, not that many days ago, I was in Etobicoke, standing alongside the member from Etobicoke North and the member from York West—the minister responsible for seniors—to announce that the government is moving forward with the $1.2-billion Finch LRT, which will connect Humber College with the new Keele-Finch West station that’s being built as a result of the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension right at the edge of York University, connecting two post-secondary institutions through to priority neighbourhoods, to give that kind of economic uplift to that part.

Also, the Friday before, the Premier and I were in Barrie—represented, of course, very capably by our friend and colleague the member from Barrie—to announce the government’s 10-year plan: GO regional express rail, a $13.5-billion plan that will literally transform GO—the entire GO network—into a fast and frequent regional rail service. What that means is that in core areas, we’ll be running electrified, two-way, all-day GO service on most of our corridors at up to 15-minute intervals, and we’ll be dramatically increasing the frequency of train trips across all of our corridors.

Communities from Kitchener-Waterloo to Richmond Hill to Stouffville to Barrie to Newmarket to Aurora to Bradford—and the list goes on—will benefit from these investments. I’m very proud to be participating in all of these.

When I talk about the GTHA—and I will talk a little bit more about outside the GTHA in just a quick second, including the Highway 407 East extension, of which I was very proud to announce phase 2, and $1.2 billion, to support our friends in Durham region and Peterborough and elsewhere with respect to making sure we have that highway built.

By the way, Speaker, Highway 407 East, the highway that the tolls are collected from—we will make sure that it remains in public hands, not like what we all know occurred the last time. Another government, a Conservative government, decided to sell the original 407 ETR to the private sector.

When I think about the investments that we’re making in transit infrastructure in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area—and this list goes on; there’s more that I could mention—what I think about is an individual living in the 905, as do I right now, someone who spent his entire life in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area. I think of the options that we’re going to be providing to people like my own daughters, and my seven-year-old daughter, in particular.

I think of a 10-year investment time frame for these projects, and I say to myself and to my wife that our daughter, Talia, who is seven years of age right now—in a decade, what will these investments mean for her and for people of her cohort? It will give them, because of these investments, because of the leadership of the Premier, so many additional options with respect to connecting across this network. Whether she ultimately chooses to live—or go to school—in the GTHA or in other parts of Ontario, she will have a wide array of options at her disposal.

We are making these decisions today to, yes, deal with congestion and gridlock on our roads today, but we are also making these decisions because they will provide a brighter future for people like my daughters, the children who live across this region right now, and for so many others as well.

Speaker, I don’t have much time left on the clock. I do want to mention that as part of this budget as well—I think of communities like Ottawa, the fact that we are supporting phase 1 of their LRT and will be at the table for the discussion around phase 2. I think of the LRT that is currently being constructed, phase 1, in Kitchener-Waterloo, the ION. We’re there at the table for phase 1; we’ll be there at the table for phase 2. I think of future transit opportunities that will be existing in cities like London that we’re going to be there for.

Not that many days ago, I was up in Sault Ste. Marie with two of my colleagues to announce that we are re-establishing a stand-alone Connecting Links fund to support nearly 80 communities across this province. When I think of highways in the north that need to be four-laned, including the highway from Kenora to the Manitoba border, it remains a priority for this government to make sure that we accomplish it over the next number of years.

None of these projects could proceed without the leadership shown by Premier Kathleen Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and the Ontario Liberal government, embedded in this year’s budget. I call on everyone to support this budget and help us build Ontario up.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Thank you.

Debate deemed adjourned.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bas Balkissoon): Seeing the time on the clock, this House stands recessed until 10:30 a.m.

The House recessed from 1010 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’m pleased to introduce, from the Canadian Cancer Society, the Peterborough chapter, which also represents my riding of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, Anita Record and Mark Donohue. If you’re in the Legislature somewhere—there you are—please stand up. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Monte Kwinter: Page captain Joshua Rosenberg’s mother, Dr. Marsh Rosenberg, is in the private members’ gallery. I’d like to welcome her to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Bill Walker: I’d like to introduce Lera Ryan from the great riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for all her work with the Canadian Cancer Society, and all of the people in the gallery from the Canadian Cancer Society. Welcome.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Today is Girls Government from Parkdale–High Park. We’ve got Shannon Gill, Phoebejade Nuqui, Katie Delay, Maya Olszewska, Micah Joyce Marcelino, Heidi McIntyre, Elizabell Efrem, Eesha Manahil, Afia Lodhi, Sumaiya Uddin, Scout Collins, Ekshitha Gade, and Ms. Demmings from Holy Family school and Ms. Clarke from Queen Victoria, all here to see the House in session.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’d like to introduce to the House today a very active member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Mike Newell. Accompanying Mike today is Mike’s nine-year-old son from St. Luke’s in Clearview, Liam Newell. Please welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Speaker, I have quite a number of guests here today for the passing of Ryan’s Law. We’ve got Sandra Gibbons, Judy Legg, George Habib, Chris Yaccato, Peter Glazier, Logan Glazier, Ayden Glazier, Kari-Anne Forsythe, Andrea Stevens Lavigne, Nicola Thomas, Lori Pallen, Sherry Zarins, Carole Madeley, Noah Farber, Rob Oliphant, Kate Wallace, John Chenery, Darren Fisher and, from my riding of Elgin–Middlesex–London, for the cancer society, Carole Watson.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: It is my pleasure to introduce and welcome friends from the riding of Essex, Windsor-Essex and the surrounding areas who are here with the Canadian Cancer Society: Emily Brett, Eillish Coughlin, Samantha Girard, Alysha Rosaasen, Kamal Mann and Kelly Rosaasen. Today they were here—myself and my colleague from Windsor–Tecumseh met with them. We had a great meeting. Thank you so much for taking

part in all the work that you do. Thanks so much.

Mr. Chris Ballard: Speaker, I’d like to introduce to the House my brother Michael Ballard, who’s here to keep an eye on me today, from the great riding of Willowdale.

Mr. Todd Smith: I’d like to welcome some very strong advocates for the Canadian Cancer Society from the Quinte region: Amy Doyle, Tracey Reid and Karen White. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I’m very happy to announce that we have in the gallery with us today city of Toronto councillor, and chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, Josh Colle.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to make the commitment that all introductions will be done. You know that I try to do that. But just as a reminder, there is no wearing of the badges until unanimous consent comes, please. It’s simple, not complicated.

The member from Dufferin–Caledon.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, I would like you to help me introduce and welcome from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Bolton the students who are joining us at Queen’s Park.

Mr. Paul Miller: There are too many to read, but we have a lot of famous Canadian actors and actresses here with us. Some are up there; some are in other places. Welcome to Queen’s Park. It’s going to be a wonderful day.

Mr. Granville Anderson: I would like to acknowledge Clarington fire chief Gord Weir and Chris Ostler, who are here today with the Canadian Cancer Society. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Steve Clark: I want to welcome Leanne Waddell from the cancer society here to Queen’s Park. I only wish that the Premier and half of her cabinet were here.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. As the member does know—not should know—that’s highly inappropriate and unacceptable. He has not done himself a favour for today.

The member from Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: It is my pleasure to also introduce people from the Canadian Cancer Society, starting with Pam Patry, who is from Sudbury. We also have people that I admire very much: Joanne Di Nardo, Kelly Gorman, Nicole McInerney and Elizabeth Harvey. Welcome to Queen’s Park. It’s always good to work with you.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: It gives me great pleasure to introduce to the House today Severino Centritto, Duberlis Ramos, Mauricio Ospina and Monica Linares, who are here today to hear third reading of Bill 28, Hispanic Heritage Month.

I’d also like to introduce my parents, José and Arminda Bento, in the gallery.

Mr. John Yakabuski: It’s my pleasure to welcome from the Canadian Cancer Society, from my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, our representative here today: Roger Martin. I hope that he enjoys the proceedings.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I’d like to welcome all those from Timmins–James Bay who are here with the Canadian Cancer Society and wish them well. I hope I can meet you back in the riding. I can’t do it today—House leaders meetings and all that, I’m a bit busy.

Hon. Jeff Leal: I’d like to welcome Anita Record and the team from the Peterborough office from the Canadian Cancer Society. I couldn’t make the breakfast this morning.

I’d also like to welcome Peggy and Elizabeth Shawnessy and Leonard Hall, who are in the east members’ gallery. They’re joining me today because they won lunch with an MPP.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I too would like to welcome the members from the Canadian Cancer Society in North Bay: Mr. Gil Pharand, the manager; “The Debster” Deb Marson; and Carly Brown from the Soo.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I am pleased to welcome some dear friends of mine: Dr. Chris Richardson and lifelong friend Kirsten Richardson, who are visiting today at the Legislature.

Hon. David Orazietti: I’m pleased to welcome to the gallery Mary Lou Tims, who is the mother of my legislative assistant Jeff Costen, and his brother, Sean Costen. Welcome to the gallery.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: I’d like to welcome teacher Chris Ford and his politics class from St. Joan of Arc in Barrie today.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m delighted to welcome my former staffer Jon Feairs to the gallery today. Welcome.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I’d like to introduce two good friends here today: Carole Paikin-Miller is here, as well as Margo Duncan. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: On behalf of my colleague Minister Chan, I’d like to introduce a page from Markham–Unionville. Today, Jae Min Han is our page captain.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome over 90 Canadian Cancer Society volunteers and staff from across the province, who are here at Queen’s Park today to raise awareness about cancer control with all of us. Welcome to the Legislature. In the members’ gallery, we have with us Joanne Di Nardo, Kelly Gorman, Florentina Stancu-Soare, Julie Datta, Nicole McInerney, Shadi Nia, Kalaisan Kalaichelvan and Christie Liang.

Wearing of pins

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on a point of order.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent that all members be permitted to wear yellow daffodil pins in recognition of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month and MPP education day at Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care is seeking unanimous consent to wear the daffodils. Just to make sure that everyone has access, both galleries have got them, and I saw that there was a rush to put them on as quickly as possible.

Do we agree? Agreed.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Yes, I know. I noticed that.

It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Winter highway maintenance

Mr. Michael Harris: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, yesterday’s AG report makes it clear that your dogged refusal to hear ministry staff warnings about the severe impacts of your cost-cutting winter road maintenance contracts led to serious injury and even death. The auditor is calling you out on your careless decisions to save a few bucks on the backs of Ontario motorists. You toyed with the lives of Ontarians. You weighed the potential for $36 million in savings versus the potential for injuries and fatalities, and you ran straight for the cash.

Now the auditor tells us that your inaction has led to hundreds of lawsuits, and this report will likely mean many more on the way. Deputy Premier, given the injuries and fatalities—as well as, now, the hundreds of lawsuits—could you tell us if the $36 million in savings was actually worth it?

Interjections.

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

I’m going to immediately jump on anyone who, when I’m standing and getting quiet, starts talking. They will get it.

Deputy Premier.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to begin by thanking the member opposite for that question today. Of course, it’s a very important issue.

As I said yesterday in response to the auditor’s report, we do thank her for the work and for the work of her team with respect to this thorough and thoughtful review. As was noted in her report, the Ministry of Transportation accepts all eight of the recommendations that the auditor has brought forward. I’m sure I’ll have a chance to talk a little bit more about that in a second.

But I should also point out, Speaker, that in 2013, before the auditor was asked by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts—

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Five years after you let this happen.

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

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Before the public accounts committee made the request to have the AG come in, the Ministry of Transportation conducted a comprehensive review of the winter maintenance program. As a result of the work that the ministry undertook since 2013, we’ve added 55 pieces of equipment in northern Ontario, 50 pieces of equipment in southern Ontario, 20 area co-ordinators, a new director of maintenance and five area engineers to build in the oversight that we know is required in this program.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Harris: Minister, the warning lights were everywhere, and your government turned a blind eye. Your own ministry officials were sounding alarm bells, and you covered your ears. Opposition members were calling on the government to throw this into reverse, but you stepped on the gas, ensuring that faulty contracts you introduced in 2009 would give you the savings you needed, and to heck with the consequences. Meanwhile, our highways were littered with pileups, closures and fatalities, calling out for attention and immediate action.

In the last year alone, Minister, we’ve seen every major highway—the QEW, the 401, the 400 and countless in the north—hit with pileups, gridlock and, sadly, fatalities.

Minister, what do you say to those motorists, to those injured, to those families who lost loved ones? At the very least, you owe them an apology.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I thank the member opposite again for his follow-up question.

As I said yesterday, I am quite determined to accept full responsibility for making sure that, following up on the auditor’s report, we do take the action required to make sure that Ontario drivers, for next winter and for all winters beyond, have confidence in the system—as they certainly should.

In addition to accepting all eight recommendations, and in addition to the concrete action that we took following our own comprehensive review in 2013, by next winter season, the Ministry of Transportation will have 28 additional roadside cameras to monitor road conditions, a pilot project in place for the public to track the location of the plows, more roadside weather stations to update changing weather, and a revamped 511 website that’s easier to read and will have time-stamped information moving forward with respect to real-time display—

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

Final supplementary.

Mr. Michael Harris: Minister, invest in the roads, not the bureaucracies.

Minister, your refusal to apologize shows a breathtaking, shameful lack of empathy, especially given legislation on the books allowing for proper acknowledgement and apology in exactly these types of situations. Yet yesterday, as the Toronto Star reported, you as transporttation minister refused to apologize.

Minister, where I come from, if you do the wrong thing and you’ve hurt someone, you say you’re sorry. The AG report right here makes it clear that your government mishandled winter road maintenance. People were hurt. Do the right thing today, Minister, and apologize to Ontarians.

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Thanks very much, Speaker. Of course, what the member opposite, not surprisingly, would refuse to acknowledge in this House is that that same Auditor General’s report acknowledges—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings—second time.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: —that over the last 13 years, Ontario has ranked first or second in North America for highway safety.

That same auditor’s report would also acknowledge that from 2003 until 2012, the number of deaths on Ontario highways relating to winter conditions had reduced. That same auditor’s report acknowledges and praises the Ministry of Transportation for the concrete action that we took, following our own—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Nepean–Carleton will come to order—second time.

Carry on.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: As I was saying, Speaker, that same auditor’s report acknowledges and praises the Ministry of Transportation for the concrete action we’ve taken since our internal review.

Do I accept responsibility for getting this right? I certainly do, Speaker. I’ll keep working hard to make sure we deliver an outcome the people—

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

Interjections.

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

New question.

Government advertising

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is for the Deputy Premier. Amidst all the noise you manufactured about last week’s budget, you tried to quietly slip past the public some very important changes, but yesterday, the Auditor General called you out. She said that your proposed changes to the Government Advertising Act would allow you to put out a bunch of self-congratulatory ads, all at taxpayers’ expense.

To make matters worse, when asked why you were making the changes, you pointed the finger at the Auditor General, even though her office has rejected less than 1% of your proposed ads.

Deputy Premier, why are you once again attacking the integrity of the Auditor General to cover up your own partisan political moves?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this. We introduced legislation in 2004, the Government Advertising Act, that would ban the partisan ads that we saw over and over and over again, starring none other than Premier Mike Harris. Those ads were a complete misuse of taxpayers’ money. They were partisan ads. We wanted to ensure that would—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): If there’s any doubt that I’m going to attempt to try to get some décorum—don’t doubt.

Minister of Agriculture—second time. Member from Nipissing, and the member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry—in case you didn’t think I heard.

Please finish.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: We wanted to ensure that taxpayer dollars would never be wasted on that kind of partisan ad again, and that principle will be maintained in the amendments to this legislation that clarify—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You’ll have a wrap-up sentence.

The member from Simcoe North and the member from Dufferin–Caledon, come to order.

Carry on.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: This legislation expands her oversight of our advertising, and it clarifies what is in fact considered partisan.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jim Wilson: That answer is insulting to the Auditor General, and it’s insulting to Ontarians. Your proposed changes would threaten the credibility and reputation of the Auditor General.

Yesterday, Ms. Lysyk basically said her office is not going to play the part of patsy for you. She called your proposed changes “free campaign advertising.” You can’t get much clearer than that.

Deputy Premier, will you heed the Auditor General’s warning and withdraw the proposed changes to the Government Advertising Act?

Interjections.

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

Deputy Premier.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Our goal with the original legislation was to put an end to those Mike Harris-style ads. Now we find ourselves colouring red bricks brown. We maintain our commitment to restrict advertising. This strengthens and expands the oversight.

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

Mr. Jim Wilson: Back to the Deputy Premier: We know this government is desperate to control the damage to its reputation. For the first time—

Hon. Charles Sousa: That shirt looks a bit too blue. Maybe that’s an ad.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Finance, second time.

Mr. Jim Wilson: —we see a sitting Premier being interviewed by the OPP in a criminal investigation. It’s no wonder that this government is looking for any means to repair that damage, particularly when they can get someone else to pay for it—that someone else being the Ontario taxpayer.

Deputy Premier, your proposed changes to the Government Advertising Act are fooling no one, especially the Auditor General. Why are you asking taxpayers to pay for your partisan campaign-style ads? Smarten up. Be honest with the people. Do the right thing and withdraw these amendments in your budget bill.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I think people will be interested to know that the entire PC caucus voted against the original Government Advertising Act. I think people will also be interested to know that we are looking at third-party advertising, which is a request that the Progressive Conservative Party has made. We are looking at third-party advertising.

But let’s look and see what the federal Conservatives are doing. They spent $52 million—

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Government and Consumer Services, come to order.

Please finish.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, methinks I have touched a nerve.

The government spent 52 million taxpayer dollars advertising the economic action plan in 2009 and 2010 alone; another $21 million in 2011-12; and $14.8 million—

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

New question.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Deputy Premier. The Premier’s sell-off of Hydro One will pay for less than 3% of her transit infrastructure promises. You don’t need to sell Hydro One to build transit or infrastructure in this province. The only people who are going to benefit from the sale of this hydro asset are a small group of bankers and consultants, and it will leave families and businesses with higher hydro bills.

The plan is bad for Ontarians, plain and simple. Will the Liberals stop their wrong-headed sale of Hydro One?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Before I go—the member from Beaches–East York will come to order. The Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, come to order—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): —and if I hear another one, he’ll get warned immediately.

Carry on.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, I think only the NDP could pretend that billions of dollars was something to sniff at. We’re estimating that the sale will be about $9 billion. That is an enormous amount of money in assets owned by the people of Ontario that will be converted into assets owned by the people of Ontario.

The NDP pretends that they want to build infrastructure. Every time we have moved forward on an ability to build that infrastructure, they have stood in the way.

We are moving forward with our plans to build the much-needed infrastructure, and we will bring our resources to the table to make sure that happens and it happens soon.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Since Monday, almost 15,000 people from across Ontario have sent the Premier the message that they don’t want to pay for another one of her wrong decisions. Families don’t want to see their hydro bills going up. Families don’t want to lose control of the future of our energy system in this province—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Economic Development, second time.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Will the Liberals listen to Ontarians and pull the plug on privatizing Hydro One?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: The third party is very, very good at saying what they don’t want us to do. We would welcome their advice on how to accelerate investments in infrastructure.

Let’s look at what we’re doing when it comes to building much-needed infrastructure—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Deborah Matthews: We’re talking about the largest infrastructure investment in the history of this province, $130 billion to build roads, bridges, transit and other badly needed infrastructure across the province. That’s over 100,000 jobs each year that we are creating with this investment.

The third party has no plan. If they develop a plan, we’d sure like to hear it.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier is ignoring the people of Ontario. They do not want her to sell their Hydro One. It is bad for families, and it is bad for business and our economy. The only people it’s good for are consultants, bankers and Liberal insiders.

Why are the Liberals more interested—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Trinity–Spadina, second time.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: —in helping out a handful of their friends than they are in listening to the people of Ontario?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, that’s kind of a stunning assertion, because the people of this province will benefit from the infrastructure we will be able to build as a result of this decision.

I think people who are looking forward to 15-minute service from Union Station to Bramalea would actually say they benefit from this. I think people benefitting from the Northern Highways projects will benefit from this. I think people in communities across this province will benefit from the Connecting Links program. I think people in London are delighted that we are moving forward on the environmental assessment for high-speed rail.

This is about benefitting the people of Ontario. It’s about bringing our assets to their highest use.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My second question is back to the Deputy Premier.

Selling Hydro One is going to mean higher bills. I haven’t talked to a single Ontarian who wants higher bills. It’s going to mean giving—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The Minister of Children and Youth Services will come to order, as will everyone.

Please finish.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s going to mean giving away control of a strategic asset that supports jobs, innovation and growth.

Selling Hydro One might be the right decision for bankers, consultants and Liberal insiders, but it is the wrong decision for the people of Ontario. Whose corner are the Liberals in?

Interjections.

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

Deputy Premier?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, as I have said, the people of this province are going to benefit enormously from the investments in infrastructure made possible by this and other decisions. I think former NDP cabinet minister Frances Lankin understands why this is a benefit to Ontarians. This is not about ideology; this is about making those new investments that are critically important to the prosperity of this province.

Maybe Don MacKinnon, the president of the Power Workers’ Union, could convince the leader of the third party that this is good news. He says, “The Power Workers’ Union welcomes and supports the decision by government to keep Hydro One whole in an IPO process that would, in partnership with government, broaden the ownership structure in Hydro One. This will position the company to grow and provide further high-skill quality jobs” for Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier’s plan was sneaky. She kept Ontarians in the dark. People don’t like the Premier’s plan to sell Hydro One. Almost 15,000 people have sent that message to the Liberals in less than four days.

The city of Toronto will be debating a motion that says stop the sale of Hydro One. That motion was actually seconded by Shelley Carroll, who endorsed the Premier during the Liberal leadership.

Are the Liberals ready to listen to the people of Ontario and pull the plug on this plan?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: The member of the third party might call this “sneaky,” but what that really tells us is that she hasn’t been reading the budget, she hasn’t been reading the economic statements, because we have been very, very clear, open and transparent. The 2014 Liberal platform and the 2014 budget, which outlined the fiscal plan that the NDP ran on, mentioned very clearly—I’ll happily pass over the 2014 budget for the leader to remind herself what’s in there.

In October, the advisory council released their interim report. The report was made public before the budget. We’ve been debating this issue in the House for months. That will continue and the legislation will be subject to public hearings and debate. The council has consulted widely on this. We believe the right decision for the people of Ontario is to move forward. The NDP is stuck in their ideology.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier doesn’t seem at all interested in hearing from anyone other than her handpicked insiders. She doesn’t want to hear what the auditor has to say about wasted billions and about partisan advertising. She doesn’t want any public Ombudsman oversight, auditor oversight, freedom of information oversight or Integrity Commissioner oversight at Hydro One. She certainly doesn’t want to hear from the most important people of all, the people of Ontario, the voters of Ontario. Her plan is arrogant and it leaves people paying the price for another bad Liberal decision.

Will the Liberals do the right thing, stop listening to their hand-picked insiders and listen to the hard truth that selling Hydro One is the wrong thing for the province of Ontario?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I think we’re hearing loud and clear that this is about ideology, that they just believe it’s the wrong thing, without being able to back that up with any kind of evidence. Their assertion that rates will rise is completely false. They have nothing that will back that up. In fact, the experts are saying that this will put downward pressure on electricity rates. There is a huge potential in Hydro One. I look forward to seeing what will happen to Hydro One as it gets more efficient.

Something that we haven’t talked about much in this debate is that we’re facilitating local distribution companies to actually consolidate—again, improving their efficiency and reducing, putting downward pressure, on those rates.

When it comes to oversight, the member opposite, although she is very clear about not trusting the private sector at all, which is kind of astonishing in itself—

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Oh yes, you will.

New question.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Speaker, I’m going back to the Deputy Premier.

Last summer the government quietly released a report from pension expert Jim Leech about hydro pensions. It was quite scathing, actually. The government report stated that hydro workers in Ontario were getting $5 of taxpayer money for every $1 that they put in.

Now you’re claiming and your government is claiming a net-zero solution by giving workers shares of Hydro One, which you’re selling, and confusing it even more as you’re giving OPG hydro workers these as well in exchange for reducing their gold-plated pensions. If the value of the shares and the value of the pension changes are equal, as you suggest, then the province hasn’t saved a single dollar.

Minister, will you admit that the pension mess you’ve created in hydro is being put directly on the backs of ratepayers in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: We are very pleased that a tentative agreement has been reached with the Power Workers’ Union. It is a net-zero deal, but it is out for ratification. I’m not going to comment on a deal that actually is before the members of that union so they can make their decision about ratification. I’m going to respect that process.

But I am very, very pleased that the leadership of the Power Workers’ Union has expressed support. I’m actually very excited that workers who work in Hydro One are demonstrating that they may be interested in being owners of that—partial owners. I really believe when workers own part of the company they’re working for, that makes for a stronger company.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Deputy Premier, that concerns me very much, the response that you just gave me, for two reasons. The first is, you’re plugging one leak by starting another. Yesterday we talked about your mandate letter and your failure to meet it. Today you’re just suggesting again that you’re not prepared whatsoever to have any efficiencies in government or reduce the bottom line in this province. Your net zero really means this is going to go on the backs of the ratepayers.

This second thing really concerns me: The Premier has consistently said the selling of Hydro is going to invest in infrastructure, but now we know what’s really on the books: Your plan to sell Hydro One is to pay off pensions. That concerns every single ratepayer in Ontario who is going to have to foot the bill for this so-called solution.

You can’t even execute a fire sale properly. Will you admit to the ratepayers of this province that you are actually selling Hydro One in order to pay these pensions?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry—as I threatened and warned—is warned.

Deputy Premier.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, as I said earlier, I really do want to respect the process. This is a tentative deal that has been reached. It is in the hands of members for ratification. I can assure the member opposite that it is a net-zero deal. I am delighted about that. It is a deal that moves us in the right direction when it comes to addressing the pension issues raised in the Leech report.

Speaker, we were the ones who commissioned the Leech report, and we are the ones who are acting on it.

Government advertising

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Yesterday, Ontario’s independent Auditor General said the Liberal government is trying to gut the rules that stop public dollars from being spent on Harper-style partisan advertising: “These proposed changes would allow the government to spend public dollars on partisan advertising with little of the current independent oversight.”

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Deputy House leader—second time.

Ms. Catherine Fife: “The government could flood the province with self-congratulatory and self-promotional advertising that would be of little practical use to the citizens paying for it.”

Why are the Liberals taking a page out of Stephen Harper’s playbook so that they can spend public money on these partisan advertisements instead of spending money on schools, on health care or even on transit infrastructure?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Speaker, what we are doing is expanding oversight of the Auditor General, at her request, to include kinds of advertising that are not currently covered in the legislation. As I say, that was at her request, so we are moving forward on that.

We are also looking at how the act is being implemented. What we have seen is legislation that was intended to prevent any government ever again running the kind of wasteful ads that Mike Harris ran. What we are doing is, we are clarifying what we mean by “partisan.”

We remain absolutely committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not spent on partisan ads. This amended legislation will do exactly that.

I would like to comment, Speaker, that Ontario is the only jurisdiction in the country—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Simcoe North—second time.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: —that has any legislation restricting that kind of advertising.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Catherine Fife: I just want to say we trust the Auditor General more than we trust what’s coming out of the Deputy Premier’s mouth, any day of the week.

It’s important to also remember that the Deputy Premier sang a different tune when she was speaking to legislation that restricted partisan ads in the past. In 2004, in this Legislature, she spoke about some constituents who told her, “Please remember that when you spend money, you are spending our money.”

Those constituents inspired the Deputy Premier to then add, “It’s just outrageous to me that governments spend money on what are, in essence, political pieces.”

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Justin Trudeau, the leader of the third party, says he’s got a problem with public dollars being spent on partisan ads. But in Ontario, the Liberals are gutting the rules so she can use public dollars to run their own partisan ads.

Can the Deputy Premier explain why the Liberals think Ontario families should pay for Stephen Harper-style partisan advertising that promotes the interests of the Liberal Party of Ontario?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: We are very, very clear: In fact, we are world leaders when it comes to restricting partisan government advertising—

Laughter.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: The members opposite may laugh at that, Speaker, but there is no other jurisdiction in this country—in fact, I think you’d have to go to Australia to find the closest jurisdiction that has anything like this kind of legislation.

Let’s be clear about what we’re doing. We’re expanding oversight to include other forms of advertising. We’re providing a clear definition of “partisan” advertising. We’re requiring the government to submit a preliminary review of the ad to the Auditor General, and we’re reinforcing rules around government advertising during elections.

We are also moving to strengthen third-party advertising regulations, because we heard from the Chief Electoral Officer and we believe that we need to do something on this front. We are making changes that will strengthen the legislation—

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

New question.

Child care

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: My question is the Minister of Education. Child care provides a strong foundation for our youngest learners, and we are committed to modernizing child care in Ontario. Giving children the best possible start in life and ensuring that families have access to safe and modern child care is a top priority for our government. I know that for the constituents of my riding of Barrie, access to safe and modern child care is a very important issue. As a former teacher, I know how important it is for families to know that their children are cared for and safe when they are left in the care of others.

Minister, can you please tell us how we are ensuring we are giving children the best possible start in life?

Hon. Liz Sandals: Thank you to the member from Barrie for her advocacy for children. Since 2003, licensed child care spaces have increased by 70% to 317,868 spaces, providing more than 130,000 additional children with safe and reliable care. Since 2004, child care funding has increased from $532 million to over $1 billion. That’s a 90% increase. Just yesterday, our government announced that we are creating approximately 4,000 new child care spaces for Ontario families. We announced that over the next three years, $120 million in new funding will be dedicated to building safe, high-quality licensed child care spaces in schools all across Ontario, another milestone—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Thank you, Minister. We know that our government recognizes the importance of investing in our children’s future. We recognize the role that schools can play as a location for these programs that benefit children, families and the community. Increasing child care spaces in local schools is an important component of our government’s commitment to community hubs. Our government wants to improve coordinated planning among the school boards, the municipalities and the community organizations.

Minister, I know that constituents in Barrie will be pleased to hear about the investment of $120 million in new funding to create new child care spaces for Ontario families. Can you please tell this House how my community will be eligible to access funding to meet the demand for affordable child care in our community?

Hon. Liz Sandals: Our government is proud to invest in families by supporting a modernized child care and early years system with more capacity to care for our youngest learners. Adding approximately 4,000 child care spaces for pre-schoolers in local schools is an important step toward building Ontario up.

School boards and Consolidated Municipal Service Managers, or CMSMs, in southern Ontario, or District Social Service Administration Boards, or DSSABs, in northern Ontario, will work together to identify eligible schools that meet the criteria, and what we’re particularly looking for is underserviced areas—to support local need and apply through future rounds of the Ministry of Education’s capital priorities and school consolidation capital. I believe that in Barrie, the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager is the county of Simcoe, so the Simcoe—

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

New question.

Hydro rates

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Acting Premier. I believe that honesty is the best policy, and the people of Ontario deserve honesty from their elected officials. That’s why so many were shocked to learn of your government’s plan to sell off Hydro One as a quick fix for your spending addiction, without any mention of this radical plan during the election. On-peak hydro rates have gone up by over 49% since October 2011. This decision will drive hydro costs even higher. People deserve to know what’s coming so they can get ready as best they can.

My question, Acting Premier, is simply this: Just how high will hydro rates soar to pay for your broken Green Energy Act and countless other boondoggles?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I, too, believe that honesty is the best policy. That’s why we were very honest in the 2014 budget. Let me read from the 2014 budget: “The government will look at maximizing and unlocking value from assets it currently holds, including real estate holdings as well as Crown corporations such as Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.”

That was in the 2014 budget. That was repeated in the second 2014 budget. It was repeated in the fall economic statement. It was repeated in the 2015 budget. There is nothing that has been hidden from the people. It was also in our platform.

I look forward to the supplementary to talk about that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Back to the Acting Premier: The people of Chatham–Kent–Essex and those throughout the province cannot plan their budgets based on platitudes. My constituents have been inundated with over 600 industrial wind turbines but have not seen any relief on their bills whatsoever.

Just yesterday, an elderly constituent of mine showed me his Hydro One bill. He’s paying far more in delivery fees than he is on hydro.

The over 18,000-plus people in Ridgetown and other areas surrounding Chatham-Kent not being serviced by Entegrus deserve lower rates. They need a better hydro provider choice where they can have lower and more stable rates, especially for those low-income families and those on fixed incomes.

Seniors have budgeted for their retirement but they didn’t budget for this government’s reckless hydro abandon.

Acting Premier, my question is simple: Will you allow these residents to change their local distribution company provider before you sell off Hydro One so that they can afford their hydro bills?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m glad to hear the member opposite talking about the burden of energy rates on, particularly, low-income families. This is a challenge that we are really concerned about as well, which is why we are introducing programs—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Renfrew, second time.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: —to help those low-income families who are struggling with their hydro bills.

I’m glad to know that the member opposite, and I assume his party, will support our initiatives to reduce energy bills for those with lowest incomes.

Winter highway maintenance

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Acting Premier. Yesterday, as the government planned its Hydro One fire sale, the Auditor General released a report which showed that, once again, yet another Liberal privatization experiment has failed. The report shows that Liberal privatization has made our winter roads unsafe.

The NDP has raised this issue countless times and the government keeps saying, “Trust us. We know what we’re doing. Things will get better.” But they never do.

In light of the failures of this plan and the increased danger of Ontario roads in the winter, will your government admit that the privatization of the winter maintenance program has failed and apologize to the residents of Ontario for making our roads unsafe?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to thank the member from the NDP for that question. As I said earlier today, we certainly do take the auditor’s findings very seriously, as it relates to the winter maintenance program.

One of the reasons that we launched the internal review back in 2013 at the Ministry of Transportation was because we understood that there were questions being asked. As a result of that review—I mentioned this earlier today—after the 2013 winter, 105 pieces of equipment were deployed both in southern and northern Ontario. Those pieces of equipment helped with truck climbing and passing lanes in the north, and they helped clear ramps and shoulders more quickly in the south.

Not that many weeks ago I had the privilege to attend, alongside many colleagues in this House, the OGRA/ ROMA conference. At that particular gathering, I heard directly from municipal leaders representing communities like Red Rock, Red Lake, Terrace Bay, Ear Falls and others, who told me that following the action we took as a ministry following our review, they noticed a discernible improvement in winter maintenance in their communities.

It doesn’t mean our work is done. As I said earlier today, we accept all eight recommendations from the auditor. We will keep working hard and we’ll get it right.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Wayne Gates: Minister, the contractors should have had the equipment when you awarded them the contract. Taking responsibility isn’t an apology.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier was transportation minister when many of these winter road maintenance contracts were signed. She agreed to let contractors decide for themselves whether they felt like ploughing the roads after a snowstorm. She thought it was a good idea to put contractors in charge of policing their own performance, while keeping any performance penalties secret. Even today, her government refuses to release these contracts, the inspection records and the penalties. Will this government stop protecting these private contractors and start protecting the public by releasing these documents today?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: One of the things that I didn’t have the chance to mention earlier is that just last week, in budget 2015, measures were included that, if that budget is passed, will permit the Ministry of Transportation to provide dedicated funding to increase, for example, the use of what are called de-icing liquids before the start of a storm in winters to come. In addition, we’ll be able to work with our contractors as a result of budget 2015 to add dedicated spreaders for sand and salt in select northern communities and also in congested urban areas.

The other thing that I said yesterday in response to the auditor, Speaker, is that because I have confidence that we will get this right, and because I also believe it’s important for us to be held accountable, I have written to the auditor and I have asked her to come back in and provide a progress update following winter 2015-16. That’s the accountability this government deserves to put forward to the people of Ontario.

Hospital services

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. After learning that the Leamington District Memorial Hospital intended to close its obstetric services, many in the community began expressing their concerns through letters, media interviews, news reports and petitions. Concerns were expressed by Ontarians over the potential risk of having no birthing choice but travelling to Windsor. Having worked as a nurse, I understand the need for patients and mothers-to-be in emergency situations to have access to care close to home. It’s much different in a large city, where alternative services are more readily available.

Hospitals in small towns like Leamington are important employers, playing a significant role in the local economy, helping to attract new residents and encouraging others to stay.

Through you, Speaker, can the minister tell this House, what is our government doing to ensure that the voices of the community of Leamington are being heard?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Thank you to the member from Cambridge for this very important question. When I first heard about this issue in Leamington, in October, I immediately reached out to the Erie St. Clair LHIN, the local health integration network, and to the hospital as well. Mr. Speaker, our government understands the unique role that hospitals in small towns and small communities play across this province. That unique relationship is part of the reason why I asked the LHIN to press the pause button before any decision was made.

It was important to me and to the LHIN that more time be taken to consult with members of the community and to hear their thoughts and concerns before any decision was made.

Our government provided financial support to allow the hospital and LHIN time to consider all possible options. The LHIN created an expert panel involving municipal leaders, community members and clinical experts to review the situation.

I’m proud to say that we released the expert panel’s report yesterday. Now that the report is complete, it’s time for the community to provide their—

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

Supplementary?

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: Thank you, Minister, for the great work being done to address this issue for the community of Leamington.

I’m really pleased to hear that the expert panel considered the content of all consultations and considered the views expressed by many who wrote to the hospital about the planned closure of the obstetrics unit.

I know how important hospitals are to communities, as my own constituents know how important it is to have quick access to the right care at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital. After many years of advocacy and work with our local LHIN, residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries saw the start of an expansion project that will bring new and expanded services, including an updated obstetrics unit, to Cambridge. In fact, the minister was with me to see the ground-breaking last fall.

I hope the public continues to be engaged and speak up for the community. Speaker, through you to the minister, how can the public continue to engage on the planned closure of the Leamington obstetrics unit?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Mr. Speaker, I am certainly proud of the process that has been undertaken so far. This is the community’s turn, so I don’t want to prejudge their reaction to the expert panel’s report, but the expert panel does recommend a very innovative solution that will in fact allow live birthings to continue to take place at the Leamington hospital and support that community.

The public can visit the Erie St. Clair LHIN’s website and provide direct feedback to the report already. There’s also a public meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, May 5, at the Roma Club in Leamington, where the expert panel will present their report to the public and to the Erie St. Clair board. They’ll be there. Following that, the public will have a 30-day period to provide additional feedback directly to the LHIN.

I want to applaud both the LHIN and the Leamington hospital, and particularly the community, for coming forward—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —with their advice, with some very innovative solutions and proposals as well. I’m confident that by working together—

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: —closely together, we’ll have—

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

New question.

Gasoline tax

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is for the Deputy Premier. Earlier this year, your government once again showed its disdain for rural Ontario by bringing in your cap-and-trade tax on everything, which is going to drive up the price of gasoline and motor fuels in my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke and all across rural Ontario.

The price of fuel, according to you, is going to go up about three cents a litre. If the Liberal record is the way the Liberal record always has been, it will probably be about eight.

You had a golden opportunity in your budget to at least share the gas tax rebate with all municipalities, like the federal government does. You chose not to, so as a result, I’m bringing back my gas tax fairness bill this afternoon.

I ask you, Deputy Premier: On behalf of your caucus, will you show some respect for rural Ontario and stand up and support it by voting for my gas tax fairness bill?

Interjections.

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

Hon. James J. Bradley: Less money for North Bay.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The deputy House leader is warned.

Deputy Premier?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: The members of the opposition are talking about taxes. It’s astounding to me that they’re now suggesting we should increase taxes or dedicate taxes or even have any taxes, Mr. Speaker.

The problem is, we want to make it a very dynamic and competitive business climate. The budget does not talk about—

Mr. John Yakabuski: Charles, you’d better get some better notes. The tax is there.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Don’t throw him under the bus.

Finish, please.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Speaker, what we already have is dedicated gas taxes to our municipalities to support infrastructure. We actually do support our municipalities and will be continuing to do so.

I will defer the supplementary to the Minister of Transportation, who can reinforce the excellent work that we’re doing to support our municipalities—something that we’ve done as a result of the mistakes they made in downloading to municipalities.

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

Supplementary?

Mr. John Yakabuski: I was there to meet the Premier when she came up to visit Wade and Anne Schroeder’s farm to meet with farmers a couple of years ago. Neither one of us got there by the subway. There is only one way to get there, and that’s by driving a vehicle.

She likes to grouse about how the feds don’t do their job, don’t pull their weight. Well, the federal government will put $2.5 million of gas taxes into my riding this year—$2.5 million. Only those with a public transporttation system get anything from you.

So I’ll ask you one more time: Will you show respect for rural Ontario, like Stephen Harper and the federal government does, and support my private member’s bill?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Finance?

Hon. Charles Sousa: To the very well-respected Minister of Rural Affairs.

Hon. Jeff Leal: Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you one thing: This government won’t shift problems to the grandchildren in Barry’s Bay, Ontario.

Here’s what we’re doing—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You never know.

Finish, please.

Hon. Jeff Leal: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. A couple of initiatives in our budget: We’ll be investing $15 billion in rural infrastructure for the province of Ontario. We also made—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Huron–Bruce, come to order.

Hon. Jeff Leal: Mr. Speaker, we also instituted, on the advice of our rural municipal partners, $100 million for small community infrastructure in the province of Ontario—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Jeff Leal: —$50 million of that will be allocated by a formula, which was the suggestion of our rural leaders from across the province of Ontario—

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

New question.

Ontario film industry

Mr. Paul Miller: My question is for the Acting Premier. This government talks a lot about making Ontario competitive in global markets, but in their budget they’ve cut the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit, which supports the Ontario film and television industry.

This budget will make BC more competitive than Ontario. Domestic and foreign producers in Ontario will suffer from the immediate implementation of these cuts, and they’ve warned they will make an immediate impact on jobs. They employ tens of thousands of skilled, experienced actors and crews, not to mention all the residual businesses—caterers, coffee shops and local shoots.

Why does this government want to take us from Hollywood North to Hollywood not?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Michael Coteau: I just want to start by saying our government is proud of our record when it comes to the creative cluster here in the province of Ontario. In comparison to the rest of the country, we have the most generous tax credits for the creative cluster in Canada. When you compare us to Quebec and BC, we are the most competitive jurisdiction. In fact, we compete with New York and Los Angeles.

With the change in the Canadian dollar, we’re well positioned to change our tax credit. The dollar being low, it gives us a competitive advantage. We have been building a sustainable tax credit here in the province of Ontario, and we continue to draw companies into Ontario to provide the type of support we want for the economy by creating jobs. We’re quite proud of the record we have as a government.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Paul Miller: The Canadian Media Production Association says that it is the stability and availability of film incentives as well as Canada’s talented crews that attract the producers. But what the government has done has changed the game for producers already filming here now. It jeopardizes current and future production and makes us an unreliable jurisdiction for them.

A producer in Hollywood knows what incentives there are in Ireland, Hungary, New York, LA and Vancouver and will go where it’s competitive and predictable. Instead of X-Files and X-Men, the budget could leave us with ex-industry.

Will this government work with these valuable stakeholders to rectify this situation?

Hon. Michael Coteau: In our proposed 2015 budget, we are continuing to support the creative industries through—and I want the member to listen to this. The Ontario Music Fund now receives a permanent $15 million per year. There’s more than $439 million in 2015-16 for cultural media tax credits that’s going out, and $6 million in 2015-16 and $10 million a year starting in 2016-17 to the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working with the creative cluster here in Canada, Ontario remains the number one competitive jurisdiction and the most generous.

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. As we all know, investment in transportation infrastructure is very, very important for the health and strength of our communities. Last week, I was thrilled to be joined by my colleagues from Mississauga and Brampton when the Minister of Transportation made the fantastic announcement that our government would commit $1.6 billion for the Hurontario-Main LRT. This is great news for the riding of Mississauga–Brampton South and Peel region.

However, having a federal partner when it comes to infrastructure funding is equally important. The federal government has released its 2015 budget. Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister: Is the federal infrastructure funding announced adequate for the province of Ontario?

Hon. Brad Duguid: I’m really happy that the member has asked this question, because I think it’s important to put the federal commitment to infrastructure into perspective. Over the next two years, all they’re increasing their infrastructure spend by is $750 million, and that’s across the entire country. This brings their infrastructure spending up to what sounds like a lot—$81 billion—but that’s over 10 years, and that’s right across Canada.

By comparison, here in Ontario, this government is investing a record $130 billion over the next 10 years in our roads, in our bridges, in transit and in other important infrastructure. What that means is, this Ontario government is investing three times more than the federal government in infrastructure in the province of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I would conclude by saying there’s no question that the federal government is abdicating their responsibility to help us build Ontario and Canada up through these investments.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Amrit Mangat: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I agree with you. While our government is making historic investments in the GTHA, the federal government has been absent.

Peel region is growing at an incredible rate. We need a federal partner when it comes to funding our growing infrastructure needs. That is why, this afternoon, I will be debating a motion calling on the federal government to provide long-term, reliable and stable infrastructure funding to build Ontario up.

For too long, the federal government has abdicated its responsibility. For too long, they have been giving tax credits to those who need it least, while the congestion in my community has gotten worse and worse.

My question, Mr. Speaker: Given the federal government’s lack of infrastructure funding, Minister, can you tell Ontarians what our government is doing to build Ontario up?

Hon. Brad Duguid: I want to commend the member for her motion that she’s bringing forward today, to make sure that the voice of Ontario is heard across this country, and to give all members of the Legislature a chance to stand up for Ontario in the efforts we’re making to build Ontario up, because that’s important: We need to stand up for Ontario.

Something that I think really drives all of us a little bit crazy in this province is when people stand up, the politicians stand up, and say they support infrastructure; they support transit; they support building roads and bridges across this province, but they say nothing about how they’re going to fund it.

We’re making the tough decisions to fund public transit, because we need to build Ontario up. We’re creating 110,000 jobs across our province by doing that. If only we had a strong federal partner, like the member is suggesting, we could do even more.

Hospital services

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. In February, my colleague from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound and I asked you to visit the Chesley Restorative Care U