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March 25, 2019

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2019-Mar-25 (PDF)

L081 - Mon 25 Mar 2019 / Lun 25 mar 2019

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 25 March 2019 Lundi 25 mars 2019

Introduction of Visitors

Wearing of ribbons

Oral Questions

Government accountability

Government accountability

Government accountability

Environmental protection

Government accountability

Public transit

Curriculum

Curriculum

Long-term care

Autism treatment

Automobile insurance

Energy policies

Job creation

Social assistance

Child protection

Labour dispute

Visitors

Notice of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Supply Act, 2019 / Loi de crédits de 2019

Supply Act, 2019 / Loi de crédits de 2019

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Children and youth

LifeLabs

Indigenous economic development

Helen Moffat

Sikh community

Événements divers à Orléans / Events in Orléans

Bruce Power

Workers’ compensation

GO Transit

Volunteers in Whitby

Introduction of Bills

Planning Amendment Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 modifiant la

Loi sur l’aménagement du territoire

Petitions

Pharmacare

Veterans memorial

Injured workers

Fish and wildlife management

Affordable housing

Municipal government

Health care

Animal protection

Autism treatment

Autism treatment

Orders of the Day

Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 sur la refonte complète des services de police de l’Ontario

Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 visant à rétablir la compétitivité de l’Ontario

The House met at 1030.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Let us begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): In the Speaker’s gallery this morning is Adam Lightstone, MLA for Iqaluit–Manirajak. He is joined this morning by his father, Mike Lightstone, visiting from Kingston. Welcome to Queen’s Park. We’re delighted to have you here.

Mr. John Vanthof: On behalf of the leader of the official opposition, Andrea Horwath, and my NDP colleagues, I would like to welcome the Ontario Chamber of Commerce here today and all their chamber members from across the province for their advocacy day.

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Intact Insurance representatives are here today to discuss their Ontario operations and the province’s auto insurance marketplace. Intact is interested in eliminating red tape and fraud that drives up costs in Ontario’s auto insurance marketplace. Further, Intact will be holding an evening reception from 5 to 7—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Once again, I need to remind members we have to make the introductions as brief as possible because we have other business to get to.

The member for Spadina–Fort York.

Mr. Chris Glover: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and just following up on your introduction of Adam Lightstone, the MLA from Nunavut, he will be joining us in the dining room for lunch, so if anybody would like to learn about the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, you’re welcome to join us.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I am pleased to welcome representatives here from Intact Insurance whom I met with today—Mike Kosturik, Pascal Dessureault and Jonathan O’Brien; Domenic Naccarato, who is from belairdirect; and Gabriela Gonzalez from Crestview Strategy.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to introduce today two of my constituents who I flew in with and drove in with today: my long-time friend John Baizana, as well as Bill Davis, who are here from Nepean today.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I’d like to introduce Charla Robinson from our Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Charla.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I would like to welcome three residents from Mississauga–Lakeshore: Joanne Becke, Deb Stephensen and Kathleen Henning. Thank you for being here.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’d like to welcome Jamie Stuckless, executive director of Share the Road Cycling Coalition, to the House today.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: On behalf of the Green Party, I’d like to welcome all the members of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce who are here today. I’m looking forward to meeting with you later this afternoon.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: I want to welcome two great friends from the city of North Bay and our chamber of commerce: Peter Chirico, who served with me on council as deputy mayor of the city of North Bay, and Charles Elliott.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I am also pleased to welcome folks from the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. I welcome our president, Jeff Robinson, and our CEO, Nancy Shaw. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Jane McKenna: Today I would like to give a warm welcome to our president, Keith Hoey, who is actually finishing as president for Burlington. He’s the best darn president the chamber of commerce could ever have. Nice to see you, Keith.

Ms. Sara Singh: I would like to introduce Manpreet Mann, who is visiting. He is the chair of the Brampton Board of Trade. Thank you for being here, and welcome.

Mr. Parm Gill: I want to welcome Scott McCammon, president of our Milton Chamber of Commerce. I see him in the members’ gallery. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Daryl Kramp: I am pleased today to be here on a chamber of commerce day to welcome, from the good riding of Hastings–Lennox and Addington, Bancroft chair Mr. Greg Webb.

Hon. Bill Walker: I would like to welcome Peter Reesor from the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Peter.

Hon. Todd Smith: I would like to welcome some chamber folks from Bay of Quinte. We have Suzanne Andrews from the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce; Lesley Lavender and Sandra Latchford from the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce; and from Belleville Chamber of Commerce, Jill Raycroft and Peter Kempenaar. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. David Piccini: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to one of the finest presidents the Port Hope chamber has ever had: Brenda, who’s here, and Maria, as well, who has joined her. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and thanks for coming down from Port Hope.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I want to welcome all our chamber friends, especially, from the Richmond Hill Board of Trade, Karen Mortfield, the president and CEO, as well as a board member, Jason Cherniak. Welcome to the Legislature.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I wanted to welcome my good friend Natalie Weed to the Legislature today, and the executive director for the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, Richard Brooks. Welcome.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome Michael Macnamara, the chair, and Bryan Welsh, the first vice-president, as well as Debbi Nicholson, from the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. John Fraser: I would just like to welcome all the members of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and their affiliates here today to Queen’s Park. They have a reception here tonight; everyone’s welcome.

Mr. Dave Smith: I would like to welcome two members from the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce: Sandra Dueck and Stu Harrison.

Ms. Jill Dunlop: I have representatives here from Oro-Medonte Chamber of Commerce, Greg Groen and Nadia Fitzgerald, as well as Orillia Chamber of Commerce, Allan Lafontaine. Thank you for being here today.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I have the great privilege of welcoming to the Legislature today Hugo Chesshire from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Belinda Karahalios: It is my pleasure to introduce, in the members’ gallery, the long-standing, hard-working president and CEO of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Greg Durocher, and Nicole Pereira, our fabulous board chair, also from the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I would like to welcome my good friends from the Timmins Chamber of Commerce who are here today in order to participate in this wonderful day of what they do here best.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I am really honoured to introduce the president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Rocco Rossi, who is here today watching question period, as well as two members from chambers in my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex: Kathy from the Strathroy and District Chamber of Commerce, and Gail from the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ian Arthur: It’s my pleasure today to introduce Karen Cross from the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Piccini, it is truly greater.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure this morning to introduce to the Legislature two friends of mine: Bruce and Judy Duncan from the great city of London; as well as, from the thriving metropolis of Leamington, the general manager of the chamber of commerce, Wendy Parsons; and from the even greater metropolis of Chatham-Kent, Gail Hundt, president and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce. Welcome.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: On behalf of Andrea Horwath, the Leader of the Opposition, and all the area MPPs from Hamilton, I would like to welcome the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of Keanin Loomis. I look forward to speaking with them later on this afternoon.

Ms. Donna Skelly: I also would like to welcome all the members from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and from the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce—Matteo Patricelli, who is also here, one of the best directors of all the chambers.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I would like to welcome the fantastic Brian Shifman from the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Brian; nice to see you.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have available for introduction of guests.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Timmins on a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: On a point of order, I seek unanimous consent to move a motion to allow the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to review all issues related to the appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins is seeking unanimous consent to move a motion to allow the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to review all issues related to the appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner. Agreed? I heard some noes.

Wearing of ribbons

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the member for Davenport has a point of order.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I seek unanimous consent to allow members to wear yellow ribbons to commemorate Endometriosis Awareness Month.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Davenport is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear a yellow ribbon to commemorate Endometriosis Awareness Month. Agreed? Agreed.

Oral Questions

Government accountability

Ms. Sara Singh: My question is to the Acting Premier. Overwhelming evidence in the Integrity Commissioner’s report highlighted the flawed process by which Ron Taverner was installed as OPP commissioner. However, the government continues to tout this process as an open and transparent one. A hearing at the standing committee on justice would give them an opportunity to prove these claims and prove to the people of Ontario that they have nothing to hide.

Why is this government blocking efforts to let the justice committee examine the process they claim to be so proud of?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Through you, Speaker: Our government has proudly and consistently stood with the people who stand behind our police. The NDP can choose to chase headlines. We are going to respect the police and we are going to make sure we have an OPP commissioner in place who’s going to serve the people of Ontario, and I’m proud of the choice we’ve made. Thank you.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Sara Singh: Mr. Speaker, if the Ford government is truly confident in the process, they should be thrilled at the opportunity to let the people of Ontario hear from the backroom operators who worked overtime to deliver the appointment the Premier wanted.

This is an opportunity for the government to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and to the people of this province. Why won’t they take it, and what are they hiding?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: It’s a shame that we have to continue to speak to this matter after it has already been decided by the Integrity Commissioner of the province of Ontario. It’s shameful that the NDP have now resorted to attacking those independent commissioners because they don’t accept the results of the investigation that came from his office. The report made it pretty clear last week. We said from the beginning that this complaint was frivolous and it was without merit, and the independent officer of the Legislature, the Integrity Commissioner, confirmed that last week.

This is the same party, Mr. Speaker, the NDP, that used to actually defend the independent officers of the Legislature when the Liberals used to attack those independent officers. What hass happened to the NDP? Are they just simply concerned about politics? Because there’s nothing with this line of questioning.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: The fact is, the commissioner revealed that the process by which—and I’m going to reiterate that it’s the process we’re asking about; we’re not attacking anyone here. The process by which Mr. Taverner was appointed was flawed, and the people of Ontario have been left with far more questions than answers. We, on this side of the House, believe that they deserve real answers, far more than it was technically not illegal.

Why does this government continue to think that they can evade providing transparency to the people of Ontario? Why do you not feel that you need to launch this justice committee on policy?

Hon. Todd Smith: With the greatest respect to the member opposite, the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, the office in which the complaint was filed by members of that party, has come back and vindicated the Premier of Ontario for having any kind of involvement in this process. It’s right there in black and white, Mr. Speaker.

What I’m hearing from the people of Ontario, including in that member’s riding and certainly in Essex—I was in Essex last week and on the weekend—what they want to know is, what is the government doing to make sure that Ontario is open for business, creating good jobs, getting the economy back on track and providing transparency and accountability in government? I was happy to inform the members in Essex on Friday and Saturday what our government is doing, and they were quite happy to hear the actions that this government has taken, creating 95,000 jobs in the last three months—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Next question.

Government accountability

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Acting Premier. For months, the Premier stated repeatedly that the process of selecting Ron Taverner was completely independent. In fact, at one point, he even said he had no idea his family friend was being handed the top job “until the day [the decision] was made.”

Can the Acting Premier tell us, if the Premier didn’t know his friend was being appointed until the day the decision was made, why did his chief of staff, Dean French, testify that both he and the Premier suggested Taverner as a candidate before the job was even posted?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the House leader and Minister of Economic Development.

Hon. Todd Smith: You know, it’s a shame that the NDP continue with this line of questioning. I think it’s pretty clear to anybody who read the report and certainly understands that the one thing that is happening with this line of questioning is they’re just trying to make political hay. It really is shameful that the NDP have resorted to attacking the independent commissioner and refuse to accept his results on this investigation. The results came back pretty darn clear last week. We’ve said this from the beginning, that the complaints here were without any kind of merit. They were frivolous.

How many times do we have to have these types of complaints filed? I know they’re great friends with Democracy Watch. They originally called for the Integrity Commissioner report here, as well. They’ve called for eight different Integrity Commissioner reports, or at least made eight different complaints since we became the government of Ontario—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Supplementary.

Mr. John Vanthof: The Premier’s own chief of staff contradicted the Premier in his testimony, and text messages from Steve Orsini, the secretary of cabinet, contradicted his claims as well. While the Premier was bragging in the House daily about the “completely independent” process, Orsini wrote the Premier’s office saying, “Independent of who? ... I would drop the word ‘independent.’”

Wouldn’t the Acting Premier agree that we should have a chance to hear from Mr. Orsini about his concerns?

Hon. Todd Smith: I just can’t believe that the opposition won’t respect the decision that was made by the independent officer. Do you know where the complaint to the Integrity Commissioner actually came from, Mr. Speaker? It came from the member from Brampton North; Kevin Yarde is the member who made the complaint.

We know that this is all about politics. In this case, it’s about gutter politics. It wasn’t actually about the process here. We know that that member had actually wanted to run, under Premier Ford, as a PC candidate during the last election—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, I’m going to caution the member with that sort of line of statement. It doesn’t help to elevate the debate. Please conclude your response.

Hon. Todd Smith: Mr. Speaker, I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here when it comes to the official opposition and their tactics. The official opposition party in Ontario is nothing but a protest party.

The independent Integrity Commissioner has come back with his report, which completely vindicates the Premier from any wrongdoing in this case.

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

Mr. John Vanthof: Here are just some of the issues we need some answers on: The Premier said he had no idea his family friend was a candidate, even though his chief of staff said he’d already decided he was the best candidate for the job. The Premier said the process was independent, even though a secretary of cabinet was begging him not to call it independent.

It’s time for us all to get some answers. Why is the government opposed to having the backroom operators speak for themselves at committee?

Hon. Todd Smith: Clearly, the NDP, the opposition here at Queen’s Park, is very satisfied with the policies of this government, because they never ask about them, Mr. Speaker. I can understand why. Here we have the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in the building today. We have business representatives from their ridings and our ridings all across Ontario. You would think that maybe the NDP would want to ask a question about business.

You would think that maybe they would want to know what the government is doing to create jobs in their ridings and create wealth, and make sure that people in their ridings are able to get good employment so they can put their kids through college or they can make sure that they’re putting food on the table. We’re seeing great results on that front: 95,000 jobs created in Ontario in the last three months. We’re doing pretty darn well, so I can understand why the official opposition—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Next question.

Government accountability

Mr. Kevin Yarde: My question is—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The government side will come to order.

Start the clock. Question: the member for Brampton North.

Mr. Kevin Yarde: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Acting Premier. Since the Ford government is refusing to allow their backroom operators to take questions directly at the justice committee, I’d like to ask them some questions.

Can the Acting Premier explain how Chris Froggart, a partner at a lobbying firm with extensive interests in the Ontario government, came to be tasked with providing media training to the Premier’s preferred candidate for the OPP commissioner, and what role Froggart played in preparing Mr. Taverner for the recruitment process?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: If we’re going to drag private citizens through the mud here, the least we could do is get their names right. His name is Chris Froggatt.

I find it interesting, though, that the member opposite is asking his question on a piece of blue paper. Maybe there’s more to that.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is the one who filed the report with the Integrity Commissioner. That report came back exonerating the Premier of any wrongdoing in this case.

Let’s move on. Let’s move on to the actual policies of the province of Ontario. I know that the NDP believe they can make political hay here, in the gutter, dragging private citizens through the mud, and the work that they’re doing, but that is not acceptable to this government. We’re going to focus on making sure that Ontarians get good jobs and that we’re getting Ontario back on track after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Kevin Yarde: Once again to the Acting Premier: This is not the first time that Mr. Froggatt’s name has come up in the Legislature recently. He was also named by the member from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston as one of the backroom operatives who saw to his abrupt expulsion from the government caucus.

Will the Acting Premier explain why Mr. Froggatt, a professional lobbyist who currently heads up the Premier’s election readiness campaign, continues to play such an important decision-making role in the Premier’s executive office here at Queen’s Park, and why she feels we should not be able to hear from him directly at committee?

Hon. Todd Smith: Mr. Speaker, I can’t understand why the member opposite, who asked for the investigation from the Integrity Commissioner, won’t accept the Integrity Commissioner’s findings in this report. The member from Brampton North is the same member who wanted to run for the PC Party in the 2018 election. He purchased his—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ve already cautioned the member not to bring that up. Don’t do it again.

Conclude your answer.

Hon. Todd Smith: I could just say that the people of Brampton must be a little bit confused about some of the questions that they’re getting from this member.

Do you know what, though, Mr. Speaker? We’re trying to put Ontario back on track after 15 years of Liberal waste, scandal and mismanagement. We’re putting in policies that are actually reversing the downward trend in this province. I wish that the members of the official opposition, including the member for Brampton North, would actually ask a question relevant to the policy of Ontario and making sure that Ontario is—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Next question.

Environmental protection

My question is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Our government promised the people of Ontario that we would make life more affordable. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government has been working non-stop to ensure that the hard-working people of Ontario are feeling real relief.

As part of our commitment, on October 31 our government brought an end to the Liberals’ ineffective, job-killing cap-and-trade program. Today, the minister announced his next steps in the wind-down of the cap-and-trade program. Can the minister share with this House what next steps he’ll be taking?

Hon. Rod Phillips: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member: Thank you to the member for Oakville for his hard work and for raising a question—we’re here with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce—a question that matters to business and a question that matters for jobs.

The member is right: We made a solemn commitment, and one of the core parts of our mandate was to eliminate the cap-and-trade carbon tax, a carbon tax and cap-and-trade program that were hurting jobs. When we said we’d do that, when Premier Ford said he would do that during the campaign, the NDP, trying to make people frightened—fearmongering—said that it could be billions and billions of dollars in compensation. That’s what they said.

When we introduced Bill 4 to eliminate cap-and-trade in July, we said that it would be $5 million in compensation, that looking at it sensibly, we could get rid of the program for $5 million. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to announce today, and we’ve announced it publicly, that in eliminating the program, the compensation for business has been $5 million, not billions of dollars. That’s to eliminate a program that’s killing jobs and hurting families.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the minister for the answer. The cancellation of the cap-and-trade program is finally bringing the relief to the people of Ontario that we so deserve.

Ontario is blessed with spectacular forests, lakes and rivers. Those of us who call Ontario home could not ask for a better place to live, raise a family and work. The quality of life enjoyed by our people as well as the success of our businesses depend on having clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and well-protected lands and parks. Ontario recognizes the role we play in the responsibility we all share to protect and preserve the province we all know and love. Can the minister share with this House what our next steps are for protecting Ontario’s environment?

Hon. Rod Phillips: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member: I look forward to visiting with some of the member’s constituents next month as we proceed with rolling out our made-in-Ontario plan.

We promised in Bill 4, when we introduced it in July, that we would also bring a made-in-Ontario environment plan—a plan that would deal with climate change, that would move from the 22% reduction that Ontarians have already contributed to, to reach the 32% target that we’ve committed to, that our federal government has committed to in terms of reducing greenhouse gases, but that would also deal with clean air, clean land and making sure that our water was clean.

In that regard, so far, we’ve released our emissions standards proposals which are now for consultation, we’ve released our program around increasing the ethanol content in gasoline, and we have released our paper around reducing waste and litter.

Again, I look forward next month to meeting with the member’s constituents to talk more about how we’re going to make sure we keep Ontario clean, but we do it without a job-killing carbon tax.

Government accountability

Mr. Gilles Bisson: My question is to the Acting Premier. The reason New Democrats want to hear from witnesses at the justice committee is simple: It’s because there are still so many questions left unanswered.

One such question is: What really happened the night of Steve Orsini’s resignation as secretary of cabinet? We know from the Integrity Commissioner’s report that Orsini demanded the Premier delay Taverner’s appointment until after the Integrity Commissioner conducted his investigation, and if the Premier didn’t do that, he would resign. If the process that Mr. Orsini oversaw was so defensible, why did he feel compelled to make such a drastic ultimatum?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: It’s a pleasure to respond to the question from the opposition House leader this morning. The independent Integrity Commissioner made his ruling last week. He came out with the report. The NDP used to recognize the independent officers of the Legislature and appreciate their efforts. We used to protect those independent officers together, actually, when the Liberals were dragging them through the mud and telling them that their services weren’t necessary or that they didn’t believe what was coming from them.

But I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that this opposition House leader must have something that he could ask about what’s going on in Timmins in his riding, something to do with government policy around health care, possibly around education or possibly around business, considering the fact that it’s Ontario Chamber of Commerce—I would just hope that he’s not going to continue to drag—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: This from a government that fired three commissioners from this assembly.

My question again is to the Acting Premier. Mr. Orsini said it quite plainly in his email to the Premier: “If you feel that the installation must proceed, it is with a heavy heart that I recommend the appointment of a new secretary of the cabinet who will fully support your decisions as the Premier of Ontario. While I am deeply saddened to make this recommendation, I feel it is the only appropriate course of action in the circumstances.”

It’s clear that there is more to the story than what we’ve been hearing so far, and this is why we need to hear from Mr. Orsini and others at committee. Why is your government opposed to that?

Hon. Todd Smith: Mr. Speaker, apparently the member opposite just can’t take yes for an answer on this issue. The independent Integrity Commissioner of Ontario has come out with a report, exonerating the Premier of any involvement in this issue, that was requested by the would-be PC candidate from Scarborough-Markham and now as the NDP candidate in Brampton—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We’re moving on.

Next question.

Public transit

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I’d just like to quickly introduce Diane Flanagan, Maryann Besharat, Bill Davis and Nick Frattaroli from Intact, and I look forward to meeting with them later today.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Recently, our government for the people has made some significant transit announcements that reflect our commitment to get the people of Ontario moving. We have expanded GO service in Kitchener and Niagara, and we announced that kids under 12 ride free on GO services.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that our government for the people is serious about our commitment to get the people of Ontario back on track. We are facing serious gridlock problems all across Ontario due to the financial mismanagement of the previous government. Instead of fixing the problems, Ontarians were left with a $15-billion deficit.

I know that my constituents in Carleton and across the Ottawa region are looking for relief of the gridlock issues. Can the Minister of Transportation tell us what his ministry is doing to get the people of Ontario moving?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: I’d like to thank the member from Carleton for that question and for her ongoing work representing her constituents. Last Friday, the Premier and I were in the great city of Ottawa to announce that our government for the people is giving $1.2 billion to Ottawa to build stage 2 of the LRT. This is on top of the $600 million that the province has already committed.

Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, working up to this announcement, I’ve worked hard with members from Ottawa West–Nepean, Nepean, Kanata–Carleton and Carleton. These members came to me, day in and day out, pushing for the finality of our decision to fund the Ottawa LRT, and that is what we did.

I also would like to congratulate my parliamentary assistant, Kinga Surma, who helped steer this project further. As a team, we are making Ontario transit better. We’re working together to make Ottawa LRT a reality for the people of the region.

I will have more to say in my supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and through you, thank you to the Minister of Transportation for the excellent response. This is very, very exciting news for the people of Ottawa, and especially for my constituents in Carleton and the Riverside South and Findlay Creek area.

Mr. Speaker, you have no idea of the significant impact the Ottawa LRT expansion will have in Carleton, especially given that in the area of Riverside South, the population is going to double in the next 10 years to almost 20,000 people. This project is going to assist our government’s goal to reduce traffic and congestion, and our government is assisting in building a world-class transit system in the great city of Ottawa.

Can the Minister of Transportation tell us more about phase 2 of the Ottawa LRT?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: I’m proud to continue my answer. The new LRT will shorten commute times and help people get to work, school or appointments quickly and conveniently. By the time the project is finished, almost 80% of the people in Ottawa will live within five kilometres of transit. We’re opening up neighbourhoods like Orléans, Westboro Barrhaven and the ByWard Market. This incredible LRT network, when fully completed in 2025, will be able to move 24,000 people an hour in each direction.

Our government for the people is making it easier for commuters to get to their jobs, run errands and visit families and friends, with shorter commute times. The project will reduce congestion on the road, making it easier for those who commute by car to get from point A to point B much quicker.

Our government is focused on making sure communities across the province are open for business. Mr. Speaker, we are improving transit throughout the entire province. Ontario is on the road to a better business climate. We are going to get the economy rolling. I hope the NDP joins on board as we improve the transit throughout this province. Greater regional transit—

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Next question.

Curriculum

Ms. Marit Stiles: My question is for the Minister of Education. Questions continue to be raised about the government’s plan to shuffle teachers out of classrooms and replace them with online classes. Last week, the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association called on the government to hit the brakes on this scheme, saying that “different learning styles cannot be accommodated by an all-encompassing change in graduation requirements.”

Speaker, students will bear the brunt of this government’s education cuts, yet their voices continue to be ignored. We know that the minister hasn’t listened to parents. We know they haven’t listened to teachers or education workers. Will she listen to students and stop these cuts?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Thank you very much, Speaker, for the opportunity to set the record straight. The reality of today is that we need to be embracing technology for good. When it comes to online opportunities for our students, I think we should all agree in this House: We want to make sure that they have every opportunity to put their best foot forward.

I find the question coming from the member opposite so peculiar, because if she was really in touch with school boards across this province like she feigns she is, she would know that there are already online courses being utilized from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so what on earth is she asking? Is she asking Ontario school boards across this province to take a step back? If she is, shame on her. She needs to get with the times. We’re moving forward with our students in a positive way.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Once again, once the standing ovation started, I couldn’t hear the minister conclude her remarks. I had to stop the clock and interrupt her.

Start the clock. Supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Online opportunities, Mr. Speaker? Online opportunities? This is not about 21st-century learning. This is not about technology. This is about making students take courses online that are now mandatory. This is about removing 10,000 teachers from our classrooms.

Students are right to be worried about their future. They are right to be worried. They’re wondering how they will concentrate in classes as large as 40. They’re afraid they and their siblings will fall behind when they’re forced to take a class online with no support. And they’re worried about how they’ll navigate the transition to college or university or be ready to contribute to the economy when their guidance counsellors are cut.

Mr. Speaker, will the minister have the courage to stand up for students, or will she simply carry on with the Premier’s endless quest for cuts?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I stand up for students every single day, as opposed to the no-digital party. Honest to goodness, Speaker, I can’t even believe how disconnected that member opposite and her entire party are. My goodness, we should be celebrating how we’re already leading the way. TVO, TFO—people and jurisdictions around the world are coming to them for the online advances that they’re making with online courses. The fact of the matter is, if the party opposite was actually truly connected with our school boards across this province, they would know online courses are already happening.

Again, what is wrong with making sure that our students, at minimum, once a year, embrace technology for good? Having so many opportunities that the Internet provides, we are going to continue to push the bar and make sure Ontario education is—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Next question.

Curriculum

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: In 2003, 68% of high school students were graduating in Ontario. Today, 86% of students are graduating, and that improvement did not happen by accident. There are thousands more adults in the nearly 5,000 publicly funded elementary and secondary schools today than in 2003. Where Mike Harris removed adults from schools, our government replaced them. For example, students—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the member. Please stop the clock. The government side will come to order so I can hear the member who is asking the question. She is—

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: She didn’t say who the question was to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): She can say during the course of her one minute-presentation who her question is to. I hear what her question is about.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, the government side will come to order.

Interjections.

Mr. Michael Coteau: That’s very rude.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Don Valley East will come to order.

You can start the clock now. I apologize again to the member.

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: My question is for the Minister of Education, Mr. Speaker.

For example, student success teachers are in place specifically to support students who might otherwise fall through the cracks. While there is absolutely no research to support the notion that high class sizes foster resilience in students, there is solid research that confirms that students need connection to caring adults in order to succeed. That is exactly what fosters resilience. We also know that if students don’t accumulate credits early on in grades 9 and 10, then the likelihood that they’ll graduate is reduced.

How will the minister guarantee that those student supports—those vital student supports—will remain in place as she removes thousands of adults from secondary schools?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Thank you very much, Speaker, for the opportunity to again speak to the amazing pathway we’re on in terms of getting Ontario education back on track.

I can tell the member opposite that the number one thing we’re not going to do is to follow the dismal record that the Liberal administration absolutely chose to take over the last 15 years, which saw math scores plummet and student success plummet as well.

For goodness’ sake, when you reflect upon what happened under that Liberal administration—I can tell you that through our online, in-person and submission consultation that we conducted last fall, 84% of parents said they were spending their own time helping their children learn math outside of the classroom. That means a failure, a big F, on that Liberal government’s part. Forty per cent of the parents said they were spending their own money to help their children learn math because of that dismal failure of that dismal administration. That was a dark age for—

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

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: You know, Mr. Speaker, I would be the last person to say that there isn’t a need for constant improvement in our education system. I would be the last person to say that we don’t need parent involvement and parent support. Of course we do.

What I’m asking the minister is how she can justify taking thousands of adults out of schools. She knows full well—or she should, Mr. Speaker—that 22 kids in a secondary class is an average number. What it means if she takes thousands of adults out of the schools is that boards and schools across the province will be scrambling to make sure that the core curriculum has reasonable class sizes. How can she guarantee that courses like drama and music and visual arts and industrial design and co-op programs will have any sections at all, that kids will be able to take those courses, when thousands of adults have come out of the schools?

I am not making a partisan statement. I am asking the minister to address the students of this province and tell them how she is going to protect them.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Well, what I choose to do in this House is to set that member opposite straight, because our focus on education is going to see zero changes from kindergarten to grade 3. From grades 4 to 8, we’re looking at no more than maybe one student per class. And when it comes to high school, I’m telling you, we’re going to get it right. We’re looking at an increase of perhaps six students, but what we’re also focusing on is the success and the actual effectiveness of the teacher in the classroom, and we’re excited by that. We’re investing in our teachers like never before.

We’re looking at outcomes that will ensure that we are following through and being measured on our goals, our vision, which is student success.

Let’s talk about that education reform. We’re looking at a new math curriculum, not only for the students, but we’re going to be supporting our teachers as well. We’re looking at a refocused effort and theme in STEM. We’re taking a look at modernizing—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

New question.

Long-term care

Ms. Jill Dunlop: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Mr. Speaker, we were elected to strengthen and fix our public health care system. Sadly, after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, we have over 30,000 people on wait-lists for long-term care. In my riding of Simcoe North, we have families and caregivers come into the constituency office concerned about the lack of long-term-care beds in our area.

Could the minister please update the members of this Legislature on what our government for the people is doing to end hallway health care, shorten the wait-list and get the seniors of this province the care they so desperately need?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I’d like to thank the member from Simcoe North for her question, which is important to all of us. Our government believes that all Ontarians should have access to high-quality health care and a safe, comfortable space to live in, and that’s exactly why we took early action on our commitment to add 15,000 new long-term-care spaces within five years by announcing 6,075 last fall. Now I’m pleased to say we are moving forward with another 16 long-term-care projects that will add another 1,157 new beds. These new beds will bring our total allocated long-term-care beds to 7,232, which is nearly half of our commitment, created within our first nine months in office.

This is part of our plan to ensure that Ontario seniors needing long-term care have access to high-quality care when and where they need it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for that answer.

Mr. Speaker, the seniors population is exploding. There are 100,000 more seniors in Ontario every year, and by 2041, there will be approximately 4.6 million seniors in this province. This is why this announcement was such great news for our seniors. In Simcoe North, we were thrilled to learn we would receive 192 new beds, including one of the 16 new centres.

Can the minister please explain why increasing the number of long-term-care beds is important for seniors in this province?

Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: Thank you to the honourable, hard-working member from Simcoe North for raising a great question.

Our government is committed to putting seniors and their families at the centre of our health care and long-term-care plans. Increasing the number of beds helps our Ontario seniors and their families as they receive culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services, enhancing their quality of life.

Our government promised more beds. We have now announced, I repeat, an additional 1,157 beds. Promise made, promise kept.

Autism treatment

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Last week, the minister announced changes to the autism plan—changes that parents do not believe go far enough. The OAP is still age-based and not based on need, so it still discriminates against girls, who are often diagnosed at a later age than boys.

The minister has committed to consultation over the summer after the changes are rolled out, but, Speaker, the trust is already broken. Parents feel that the only way to be heard in this province is to protest.

Will the minister commit to an open, transparent and collaborative consultation process?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Speaker, it’s a great opportunity to rise today to talk about our plan to clear the wait-list in the next 18 months for boys and girls across the province who have been diagnosed with autism. There are 23,000 children we would like to clear in the next 18 months. We are committed to doing that.

In addition to that, we have opened up the choice for what parents can use their childhood budget on. We have operationalized that to include occupational therapy as well as speech and language therapy. We listened to parents; they told us it’s what they wanted.

We have also decided to eliminate the income test. We are going to extend contracts for an additional six months for those 25% of the children who were already on the program, and we’ve made a commitment to consult with parents on the levels of severity and needs that children have across the province.

Let me be perfectly clear: We support peaceful demonstrations. What we do not support are personal insults, personal attacks and death threats.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Miss Monique Taylor: It’s really unfortunate that this government put parents in crisis and that it led to that, Speaker.

Parents of children with autism want to have faith in their government. They don’t want to be out on the street every week in order to be heard.

What I’m hearing is, families don’t think the announcement last week went far enough. They want a needs-based autism program, not age caps and not a program that only funds a fraction of the therapies that kids need.

Will the minister conduct an open and transparent consultation process this summer?

Interjections.

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

The minister to reply.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Under the current program, we are extending the funding between $256 million up to $321 million. Based on the enhancements I announced last week, that could be up to double that. I think that this is going to be the most generous autism program in North America for children on the wait-list.

What I don’t understand from the member opposite is why she supported direct funding and now doesn’t, why she supported eliminating the wait-list until she didn’t, why she didn’t support an income test until we eliminated it.

Speaker, the mixed messages I’m getting from the NDP prove that they’re in this for political gain and political gain only. A professional protest party that wants to rile up parents is irresponsible. That’s what I’ve heard from this member and that party for the past number of weeks. They are not responsible; they are not responding to the needs of parents.

We, on the other hand, will clear that wait-list in the next 18 months. All children will—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

As all members know, we don’t impute motive with our questions or responses.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order.

Next question.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Parm Gill: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Over the past few months, we’ve heard a lot about challenges faced by Ontario drivers. After 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, and deals brokered by the NDP, Ontario’s nearly 10 million drivers face the highest auto insurance rates in the country.

We know that action must be taken to reverse this trend. The Liberal and NDP system of so-called stretch goals on auto insurance is broken, and drivers need relief. That is why I introduced my private member’s bill, the Ending Discrimination in Automobile Insurance Act, and was pleased to debate its importance last Thursday.

Could the minister please share with the House how our government plans to improve Ontario’s auto insurance system?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you to the member from Milton. We congratulate him on his private member’s bill passing second reading last week. We’re incredibly proud of his leadership and his hard work. We know, because he got this right. He took the time to consult, to listen to drivers and to bring forward a plan that, if passed, won’t have any unintended consequences. His legislation, if passed, will bring more fairness to the auto insurance system and will allow the system to better meet the needs of drivers.

We can all agree that a good driver in the GTA should face similar rates to a good driver in other parts of the province. Let us once again congratulate the member from Milton on his important work in this file, as we continue to build an auto insurance system that puts the drivers first.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Parm Gill: I want to thank the minister for his response. However, we know that combatting rate discrimination is just one aspect of improving our province’s auto insurance system. We must continue to work together to fix the broken system we inherited from the previous Liberal government. After the failed stretch goals of the Liberals and NDP, drivers across Ontario demand better. They deserve better, Mr. Speaker.

I’ve heard from countless people in my great riding of Milton that auto insurance rates are simply too high, unfair and discriminatory. People are demanding change in the auto insurance system.

Could the minister please reiterate our government’s commitment to improving our auto insurance system to help drivers across our great province?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Again, Speaker, our government is committed to building a more accessible and affordable auto insurance system that puts drivers first. For 15 years, the Liberals, supported by the NDP, dragged their feet and could not provide real relief to drivers. Those members would do well to learn from the member from Milton.

They would also be wise to follow the lead of my parliamentary assistant, Doug Downey. He continues to engage with the industry and consult with drivers in order to find solutions to the Liberals’ broken system.

There are nearly 10 million drivers in Ontario, who expect us to do everything we can to ensure the auto insurance system is working for them. We will continue to work towards ensuring that Ontario’s auto insurance system serves the needs of all the people.

Energy policies

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Minister of Energy.

Last week, the Minister of Energy announced his new hydro scheme that will simply slap a new label on the old Liberal $40-billion hydro borrowing scheme.

This scheme will cost Ontarians an additional $2.4 billion this year alone. Even worse, instead of lowering hydro costs, the minister’s plan will actually increase them, first by a little and then by a lot.

Why is the minister wasting billions on the same failed hydro borrowing scheme as the Liberals that will only send bills skyrocketing?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Listen to the NDP chasing their tail on this one. I thought they used to stand up for the trust fund cover-up, Mr. Speaker. I thought that they believed in transparency, in modernizing the Ontario Energy Board, which is something that stakeholders have said loud and clear needs to be done. Even our friends here with the chamber of commerce said something has to be done with our energy system for more affordable rates for small businesses and large employers.

Our conservation program is targeting on the most vulnerable in Indigenous communities, seniors and small businesses.

I’ve figured it out: They’ve got no darn plan, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I thought Conservatives didn’t believe in borrowing money for operating costs, but I misunderstood them, clearly.

When the Liberals introduced their so-called Fair Hydro Plan, the former Conservative critic for energy, now the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, condemned the hydro borrowing scheme: “It is deceitful, it’s dishonest and it’s shady.” But the government’s new plan is the old Liberal borrowing scheme with a new label on it, nothing more. Hydro costs are going up, not down. First they will rise by a little, and then they will go up by a lot as we pay back that debt and that interest. Ontarians will be stuck with billions in debt with literally less than nothing to show for it.

Will the minister explain why he would adopt a wasteful Liberal hydro borrowing scheme that his party once condemned?

Hon. Greg Rickford: The member opposite’s nursery rhyme ain’t working for me. The fact of the matter is that we had an outstanding energy critic, Mr. Speaker. He told the truth about that unfair hydro plan, about its lack of transparency—something we thought that the NDP would stand up and support. We’ve moved that out to a place where people understand what their subsidy is. Moving forward, we’re going to endeavour to cut hydro rates as much as we possibly can. Ontario families deserve it. Ontario businesses deserve it.

The trust fund cover-up can be part of the Liberal Party’s legacy, and theirs if they want to perpetuate it, but we’re committed to reducing the cost of hydro for small businesses, for families and large employers across this province so that we can have an energy advantage and make Ontario open for business.

Job creation

Mrs. Amy Fee: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Today we are joined in the gallery by representatives of chambers of commerce from across our province, including Greg Durocher from the Cambridge chamber. They’re here at Queen’s Park to speak to the importance of Ontario businesses and the contributions that they make to our communities.

In my riding of Kitchener South–Hespeler, chamber members like ATS Automation employ hundreds of people. They give to charities, they host educational events and so much more.

Could the minister please outline for this House what our government is doing to support chambers of commerce across the province?

Hon. Todd Smith: I want to thank the member from Kitchener South–Hespeler for the outstanding job that she’s doing for the members and residents in her riding.

I want to thank all of the local chamber representatives who are here with us today, including those from Kitchener, and Rocco Rossi and all of those from Bay of Quinte as well. I want to thank you for the work that you do in your communities. It’s incredibly valuable. I’m thankful to have the chance to recognize everything that you do for your communities and the businesses in your communities.

Since forming government, we’ve been meeting with job creators right across the province. We want to hear from them how we can make it easier for them to create jobs for the people of Ontario. I know my two parliamentary assistants sitting right there, Donna Skelly and Michael Parsa, have been hosting round tables, many of them facilitated by members of chambers of commerce across Ontario. We want to let our job creators know that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Amy Fee: Back to the minister: I know the chamber representatives here with us today are glad that we have a Premier and a government who understand business. I spoke with a business owner in my riding just the other day and she told me the difference between our government and the previous Liberal government is like night and day. I know the Premier, the minister and our entire team have been working hard to create an environment where businesses can thrive, grow, and create great jobs.

Can the minister please outline for the House how we’re making life easier for Ontario’s job creators?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks to the member for the great question. We’ve listened, as she said, to our local businesses. We haven’t just listened, Mr. Speaker; we’ve acted on what they have told us. They said that the Liberals’ Bill 148 was a complete disaster, so we scrapped it. They told us that Ontario needs to be more competitive; we need to get rid of the red tape and overregulation that’s in the way. That’s why we brought in the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, which is before the Legislature today.

We’re doing everything we can to create good jobs in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. We’ve been successful, and we’ve only just started. In the last three months, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times already this morning, we’ve created 95,000 jobs for the people of Ontario. We doubled, last month, the output of the entire United States, and it’s because our job creators are telling us what we need to do to create more jobs here in Ontario.

Social assistance

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Today, participants in Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot will receive their final payment. The Conservatives made an explicit campaign promise to participants of the pilot that they would see it through: yet another promise unkept. Some 4,000 Ontarians made plans for their future with the understanding, the promise, that this government would complete this four-year study. Then, weeks after coming into office, without publishing any evidence whatsoever, this Conservative government betrayed Ontarians by cancelling the program.

Will the minister reverse her callous decision, honour her promise and apologize on behalf of her government for so cruelly playing with people’s lives?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: This government made a decision upon taking office, in light of the $13-billion deficit, that we were going to wind down the Basic Income Pilot project. The member opposite knows that this is a matter before the courts, so I cannot speak about the Basic Income Pilot project in particular.

But what I will say, more broadly, is that this government has made a decision to reform social assistance. We inherited a disjointed, patchwork system that wasn’t really supporting Ontarians. You have to consider this: Almost one million Ontarians are on social assistance. It’s a $10-billion program, yet still one in seven people live in poverty, meaning we needed to do something better.

That is why we’re moving to a more multi-ministerial approach on social assistance where we will provide wraparound supports, whether that’s with the Minister of Health in mental health, whether that’s training, colleges and universities to make sure that we’ve got the skills moving forward, or whether that’s the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade so we can find those jobs and make sure that we can put people who are able to work into those jobs.

Speaker, make no mistake: We believe in the best of Ontarians and we believe that we can reform this system so that we have better outcomes for all Ontarians.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I just want to be very clear: When ministry officials were actually asked about any data available, they said, “To our knowledge, there aren’t any.” In fact, this government made this callous decision on a feeling. It is very important that everyone here understand that the Basic Income Pilot program was not a handout; it was a hand up. It allowed people living in poverty to improve their quality of life. They could buy healthy food, afford their medications, and go to the dentist. It afforded new entrepreneurs a level of security while they set up a new business venture.

It gave people of all ages the opportunity to pursue higher education or finish a degree. As Conservative Hugh Segal said, “A lot of people are going to be in great distress.”

Will the minister apologize—actually apologize—to the 4,000 Ontarians whose lives her government has callously upended for not honouring her promise?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: This government will never apologize for being pro-jobs, being open for business and making sure that every Ontarian that we can lift up has an opportunity towards self-reliance. We will never apologize for the creation of the 95,000 new jobs. We will never apologize for developing the skills in people who are willing and able to work.

We’re going to continue to make sure that we work as a government together—not like the previous Liberal administration that marred people and trapped them in poverty.

We believe that the best social safety net is a compassionate society, which is why we’re working together with the private and philanthropic sectors. We believe the best social circumstances are when those who can work are working. No one in this government will ever apologize for the best social program, which is a job.

Child protection

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is also for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. I’d just like to take a moment to commend her for the great work she has been doing on some of our most difficult files.

Last week, the Toronto Star reported that Brant Family and Children’s Services is facing financial pressures and that case workers are trying to manage high caseloads with tight timelines. I have heard from my constituents in my riding of Brantford–Brant that they are concerned.

Protecting vulnerable children in my riding is a priority for me and many members of my community. Can the minister explain why Brant Family and Children’s Services is facing financial pressures and what our government is doing to support vulnerable youth in my riding?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thanks very much to the member from Brantford–Brant, who has been a strong advocate since arriving here at Queen’s Park in July. I want to thank him for all of the work that he has been doing to draw to my attention the needs of all children and youth and those who are affected by my ministry within his community.

Let me be perfectly clear: This issue predates us taking office in June 2018. Since 2015, the former Minister of Children and Youth Services, under the previous Liberal administration, was working with the Brant children’s aid society to identify cost reductions. Those consultations, those efforts were unsuccessful, and the Brant children’s aid society has continued to deliver services.

In addition to that—and this is what I think most members of this assembly should be extremely proud of—is the fact that we are expanding the Indigenous child welfare system in the province of Ontario, including in his community, with the Ogwadeni:deo First Nation. We are transferring—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Supplementary?

Mr. Will Bouma: Mr. Speaker, through you: Thank you, Minister. Back to you, I’m pleased to know that our Indigenous children are receiving culturally appropriate care in my riding.

My riding of Brantford–Brant includes the Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. Their contributions to our community are immeasurable. We know that Indigenous children are overrepresented in Ontario’s child welfare system. Can the minister please tell this House what our government for the people is doing to improve the child welfare system for our Indigenous children?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: As I mentioned last week in the assembly, I had the opportunity to go to the United Nations a couple of weeks ago as women’s minister, but also as children’s minister, where I was able to meet with Indigenous leaders throughout Canada about what we’re doing in Ontario and how we can help the rest of Canada move forward with children in custody and in care who are Indigenous. We’re building on what I think was a success—if I may give the previous Liberal administration some credit, for once—in moving into this customary care model.

As mentioned, 18% of the children in your community are moving to an Indigenous-led model, which is customary care. I think we should be very proud of that. That’s why money is moving to that Indigenous-led children’s aid society. I’m very proud that our government is going to continue to expand that work and we’re going to continue to include the Indigenous voices within our ministry as we create three tables: one for Indigenous children in care, one for children who are Black in care, as well as for children in custody. We’re going to embed within our ministry a children’s advocate, in addition to giving more enforcement powers and investigative powers to Ontario’s Ombudsman—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Next question.

Labour dispute

Mr. Percy Hatfield: My question is to the Minister of Health. Good morning, Minister. Nurses at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit have been on strike now for more than two weeks. These 86 women walked out on March 8, International Women’s Day. All they want is the same wage increase that the men were given in Windsor’s male-dominated municipal sectors.

Speaker, will the minister stand up for these women and their fight for equitable wages and tell the health unit to get back to work, back to the bargaining table and work out a fair and equitable deal? Because these nurses are highly trained professionals. They don’t want to be on strike. What they do want is the same wage increase as the men were given. Historically, our health unit has been underfunded by the province, but that is no excuse for men in the municipal sector to get a higher increase than the women in our public health unit. It’s an issue of fairness, it’s an issue of respect and the health unit needs to return to bargaining.

Speaker, will the minister pick up the phone, make that call and get these women back to work?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member for that question. I agree with you that nurses are really the backbone of our health care system, and I respect the work they’re doing. But as you also know, this is a matter that is between them and the health unit. It’s not something that I can be involved in. That would not be appropriate.

But as with you, I would hope that both parties would come back to the table so they can resolve the situation in fairness to everyone involved.

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: the member for Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I would like to introduce Eddie Matthews, here from the Stratford and District Chamber of Commerce.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: the member for Mississauga–Streetsville.

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I’d just like to welcome two constituents of Mississauga–Streetsville. We have Roberto Rei, who is here with Intact Insurance, and my former member of Parliament, Brad Butt, who is also here representing the Mississauga Board of Trade.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I’d also like to introduce to the chamber this morning the past president of the Leamington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Corey Robertson. Welcome, Corey.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte.

Mr. Doug Downey: I wanted to introduce Michael Badham, who’s with the Barrie chamber, along with Richard Brooks, and of course, Greg Groen and Nadia Fitzgerald, and my good friend Allan Lafontaine from the chamber of Orillia, of which I am a president.

Notice of dissatisfaction

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Davenport has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Education concerning cuts to classrooms and Student Voice. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Deferred Votes

Supply Act, 2019 / Loi de crédits de 2019

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 81,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019 / Projet de loi 81, Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2019.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of Bill 81,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1148 to 1153.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members, please take your seats.

On March 21, 2019, Mr. Bethlenfalvy moved second reading of Bill 81. All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Baber, Roman

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Coteau, Michael

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Des Rosiers, Nathalie

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Elliott, Christine

Fedeli, Victor

Fee, Amy

Ford, Doug

Fraser, John

Fullerton, Merrilee

Ghamari, Goldie

Gill, Parm

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Hogarth, Christine

Jones, Sylvia

Kanapathi, Logan

Karahalios, Belinda

Ke, Vincent

Khanjin, Andrea

Kramp, Daryl

Lalonde, Marie-France

Martin, Robin

Martow, Gila

McKenna, Jane

McNaughton, Monte

Miller, Norman

Mulroney, Caroline

Nicholls, Rick

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Park, Lindsey

Parsa, Michael

Pettapiece, Randy

Phillips, Rod

Piccini, David

Rasheed, Kaleed

Rickford, Greg

Roberts, Jeremy

Romano, Ross

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Schreiner, Mike

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, Todd

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Walker, Bill

Wynne, Kathleen O.

Yakabuski, John

Yurek, Jeff

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Nays

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Arthur, Ian

Berns-McGown, Rima

Bisson, Gilles

Bourgouin, Guy

French, Jennifer K.

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Harden, Joel

Hassan, Faisal

Hatfield, Percy

Karpoche, Bhutila

Lindo, Laura Mae

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Monteith-Farrell, Judith

Morrison, Suze

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Shaw, Sandy

Singh, Gurratan

Singh, Sara

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

Yarde, Kevin

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 71; the nays are 29.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Second reading agreed to.

Supply Act, 2019 / Loi de crédits de 2019

Mr. Bethlenfalvy moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 81,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019 / Projet de loi 81, Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2019.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

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

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Interjections: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Same vote? Same vote.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 71; the nays are 29.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): This House stands in recess until 1 o’clock this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1158 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Doug Downey: I’ll be explaining why in a few moments, but I’d like to introduce my friends Sidney Troister and Ray Leclair, who are here to observe the proceedings today and the first introduction of my private member’s bill.

Mr. Jeff Burch: I’d like to introduce John Parisee and Rick Brown, who are survivors of Ontario’s training schools. They are here with us today.

Members’ Statements

Children and youth

Mr. Jeff Burch: I rise today to speak for my constituents John Parisee and Rick Brown, who are here with us today, and for countless others like them, who survived their time in Ontario’s training schools for children and teenagers.

Mr. Parisee, who I’m happy to tell you is here with us today, is part of a class-action lawsuit against the province of Ontario. The suit alleges that the province failed to protect children who were detained in 13 government-run training schools between 1953 and 1984. The allegations of physical, sexual and psychological abuse by some of the adults hired to care for them and protect them have been widely reported in the media, including in a recent report from W5.

While the merits of the lawsuit are for the courts to decide, it is this government’s job to ensure that Ontario’s children and teenagers in care are kept safe. Mr. Parisee was sent to a training school when he was 10 years old because he stood up to a bully. He ended up stuck there until he turned 16. When his parents learned of some of the things that happened while their son was in care, they turned their backs on him.

We need to understand how a child could have been left in such a tragic and vulnerable situation on the province’s watch. We need to hear from some of the other survivors about what they experienced so that we can consider what could have been done better, especially since this government has fired the Ontario children’s advocate. We are at a crucial juncture where we can learn from the past to create a better future for Ontario’s children and youth in care.

LifeLabs

Ms. Jill Dunlop: Earlier this month, I joined residents of Simcoe North in celebrating the grand opening of a new LifeLabs site in Penetanguishene.

LifeLabs is a Canadian-owned company with over 50 years of experience providing laboratory testing services to help health care providers diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease. LifeLabs serves more than 54,000 Ontarians every day at its locations across the province.

Before this location opened, some of my residents had to travel up to an hour away for blood collection and ECG services. With this new investment by LifeLabs, the residents of Penetanguishene will have less distance to travel for diagnostic services.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, patients, staff and community members learned more about the programs and services that LifeLabs is bringing about to improve patient experience and support local health care providers. One of these features is Save My Spot!, which allows patients to check in and reserve a spot in line from their phone or computer, saving time by allowing them to wait from almost anywhere. The location also offers the Serving Patients with Autism program. It has Canada’s first specific and comprehensive guidelines for specimen collection for patients with autism spectrum disorder.

I’m glad that I was able to attend the opening ceremony of this new LifeLabs site. Their commitment to improving patient services aligns with our government’s focus on supporting timely access to care. Its innovative and supportive new features will make access to health care easier for the residents of Penetanguishene and the people of Simcoe North.

Indigenous economic development

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Last week, I introduced a private member’s bill to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Ontario. I would like to thank all my colleagues for standing up and supporting this important bill. I look forward to working with you on the next steps that we need to take. As leaders in this House, we need to change the way decision-making is done with First Nations people. We can work together for real reconciliation.

The recent update and review process of the Far North Act will give the government the opportunity to provide First Nations with a larger role in decision-making. Chief Donny Morris of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug wrote to the Premier this month and called on Ontario to respect and uphold Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug laws so that we can live in peace. “Repeal your laws, but respect our laws,” he said.

Again, I respectfully remind my colleagues that First Nations are not an obstacle to resource development, nor are we are opposed to it. We just want to have a say in the very important decisions that affect our lands.

The identity of who we are as people comes from the land. The languages that we speak come from the land. And our self-determination comes from the land. But the economic development that is needed in the Far North must happen with the free, prior and informed consent of our people. Meegwetch.

Helen Moffat

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Speaker, as you know, anyone who visits Perth–Wellington knows that two things await visitors: homegrown hospitality and tasty treats. It is fitting that Wellington county is not only home to the renowned Butter Tart Trail, but to Ontario’s butter tart champion, Drayton’s own Helen Moffat.

Helen’s butter tarts delight sweet tooths across southwestern Ontario. A regular prize winner at the annual Drayton Fair, this past fall Helen took her champion butter tart to the district 7 annual general meeting. She dazzled the judges’ taste buds and placed first in the district 7 competition, competing against other award-winning recipes from across the region. And after her first place finish at the district 7 competition, Helen went on to the province-wide competition at the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies annual meeting. Beating out contenders from across the province, she won the Ontario butter tart grand championship this past February.

I want to congratulate Helen on this tasty achievement and thank her for all the smiles she puts on the faces of young and old alike.

Sikh community

Mr. Gurratan Singh: April is Sikh Heritage Month. It’s a time for Sikhs to celebrate our unique heritage, meditate, and really work to connect and understand this concept that we are all one, and inspired by this oneness, fight for a world where all humanity is free from oppression, a world where we are all sovereign.

It’s also a time when Sikhs reflect. Sadly, many Sikhs are reflecting about how truly difficult this past year has been. The media took a very irresponsible role in painting a story about Sikhs that described us as a threat, as dangerous and as terrorists—a baseless label that has found legitimacy in the federal Liberal government’s public safety report which continues to label Sikhs as a current terrorist threat to Canada, without any evidence to substantiate it.

Maninder, a mother with two beautiful kids, was sharing with me how this report made her feel. It made her angry. It made her feel upset, but more than anything, it made her feel scared. She feared for a future where her children could be discriminated against and be described as a threat purely because of their Sikh faith. The public safety report made her feel unsafe.

This Sikh Heritage Month we will recognize our achievements, but we’ll also contemplate the injustices that we continue to face, and we will continue to resist those who would try to label the Sikh community or any other community as terrorists—not only because it’s wrong, but because these labels threaten our very lives.

Événements divers à Orléans / Events in Orléans

M me Marie-France Lalonde: Vendredi dernier, j’ai eu le plaisir d’assister au 13 e Rendez-vous de la Francophonie avec le maire d’Ottawa, Jim Watson, pour souligner l’importance de la francophonie et du bilinguisme dans nos communautés et leur apport à l’économie locale.

Ce fut aussi un moment bien particulier puisqu’on a célébré les 40 ans du Mouvement d’implication francophone d’Orléans, le MIFO. This centre provides French services for all ages, from daycare to seniors.

Within the beautiful riding of Orléans and resting in the heart of Carlsbad Springs is the Youth Now Farm, which I had the privilege of visiting last Friday. I cannot express how thankful I am for the work this organization is doing to ensure that at-risk youth are provided opportunities and services, through either animal care or agricultural experience. The Youth Now Farm puts theory into practice, taking this vulnerable demographic, allowing those participating to gain volunteer and work experience.

I know that I am set for time so I’m also going to talk about another event that I attended on Saturday, Mr. Speaker, with bright, young French people. It was about a contest, Épelle-moi Canada. I want to say thank you to all the volunteers and everyone who participated.

Félicitations à Gisèle Lalonde et les autres. À tous les organisateurs et bénévoles, merci pour votre engagement à la francophonie.

Bruce Power

Mr. Michael Parsa: Speaker, today the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released an economic impact report on Bruce Power’s major component replacement project, undertaken as part of Bruce Power’s life extension. The results of the report clearly indicate that Bruce Power’s MCR project will inject billions of dollars into the Ontario and Canadian economies by stimulating our manufacturing industry, creating good jobs, increasing GDP, generating tax revenue, and providing opportunities for local workers and industry. The size and scope of the MCR project will also benefit the province’s workforce development due to the unique work experience offered and the project’s demand for advanced skills.

Bruce Power currently produces 30% of the province’s electricity at 30% less than the average cost to generate residential power. Their current life extension investment and operation program projects to create and sustain 22,000 yearly jobs and inject $4 billion into Ontario’s economy. When this project is completed, Ontarians will have low-cost, clean, reliable nuclear power for the next 50 years.

In my riding of Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill, nuclear supply chain companies like Compugen and Curtiss-Wright Nuclear Canada will continue to experience opportunities for growth, hire new workers, and support families in my community close to my home.

I’m proud to bring this announcement into the Legislature and demonstrate the strong work of Ontario businesses and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Bruce Power and nuclear electricity is Ontario’s energy advantage.

Workers’ compensation

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I rise today to discuss an important issue for workers and their families. Workers’ compensation in Ontario, now known as WSIB, was founded on a compromise. Employers are protected from lawsuits by injured workers and, in return, injured workers receive benefits promptly for as long as their disability continues. That compromise served Ontario well for decades.

But today, those founding principles have been eroded. The PC Harris government cut the premiums that employers pay in the 1990s. The revenue collected was no longer enough to cover the annual fiscal outlay. That led to a deficit. The WSIB then spent the last decade focusing on eliminating this deficit.

In 2018, the WSIB announced they had a multi-billion dollar surplus, and this government reduced employer premiums by 30%. But over the past decade, WSIB has cut benefits to injured and disabled workers by 50%, often shifting them to social programs funded by the public. It has also denied claims and set up a bureaucracy with endless red tape. Employers have saved on premiums while injured workers had their benefits cut. This is not fair or acceptable. We can and must do better. Let’s focus on helping workers and their families recover from a workplace disability.

GO Transit

Ms. Lindsey Park: In Durham, the area of the province I represent, thousands of people take public transit from Oshawa, Bowmanville, Courtice and Scugog to their jobs and activities in the GTA every day. Over the last six months, our government has been making it easier for Durham commuters to hop on the GO. In September, we announced the largest GO train service increase in five years. We added 400,000 more train seats every week for people travelling on the Lakeshore East and West lines, an increase of nearly 18%. Specifically, that is 27 new train trips on the Lakeshore East GO, doubling midday weekday service between Oshawa and Union.

To all those who drive around for 20 minutes trying to find parking at Oshawa GO on a weekday, I have good news. We announced mid-February that the Courtice park-and-ride and the Ritson park-and-ride lots are officially open. Bus service to these new lots will operate during rush hours on weekdays, with a peak frequency of two buses per hour at Courtice and one bus per hour at Ritson.

These were two great announcements in the last six months, and I look forward to seeing continued expansion on the Lakeshore East line to meet the needs of the growing number of commuters in our east Durham community and beyond.

Volunteers in Whitby

Mr. Lorne Coe: It’s time for me to brag about the town of Whitby again and their volunteer strategy. The strategy was based on feedback from many current volunteers and those interested in volunteering. The focus is on how the town attracts, trains, retains and recognizes its event volunteers.

Ultimately, the volunteer engagement strategy and accompanying action plan are expected to lead to a more engaged group of volunteers. As more towns and cities are acknowledging, without these volunteers, many town-wide programs and events would not be possible.

I’d like to applaud Whitby’s mayor, Don Mitchell, and the council for their ingenuity once again in making sure that volunteers are able to do the great work that they do in the town of Whitby.

Introduction of Bills

Planning Amendment Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 modifiant la

Loi sur l’aménagement du territoire

Mr. Downey moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 88,

An Act to amend the Planning Act / Projet de loi 88, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur l’aménagement du territoire.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the member like to explain his bill briefly?

Mr. Doug Downey: The bill makes multiple changes to the Planning Act, particularly sections 50, 53, 57 and a few others. It makes life more affordable and cuts red tape for farmers, property owners and others dealing with land. It will simplify processes, it will provide clarification of ambiguities in the act, and it will treat all people dealing with property equally.

The bill is very technical, and I’d like to thank Sidney Troister and Ray Leclair for their years of work, which was instrumental in making this private member’s bill the excellent product that it is.

Petitions

Pharmacare

Mr. Percy Hatfield: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas prescription medications are a part of health care, and people shouldn’t have to empty their wallets or rack up credit card bills to get the medicines they need; and

“Whereas over 2.2 million Ontarians don’t have any prescription drug coverage and one in four Ontarians don’t take their medications as prescribed because they cannot afford the cost; and

“Whereas taking medications as prescribed can save lives and help people live better; and

“Whereas Canada urgently needs universal and comprehensive national pharmacare;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support a universal provincial pharmacare plan for all Ontarians.”

Speaker, I agree. I’m going to sign this and give it to my friend Aaryan to bring up to the front.

Veterans memorial

Mr. Toby Barrett: “Petition in Support of Constructing a Memorial to Honour Our Heroes.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the war in Afghanistan including the 159 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice; and

“Whereas the Premier made a commitment to the people of Ontario to build a memorial to honour the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces; and

“Whereas, by remembering their service and sacrifice, we recognize the values and freedoms these men and women fought to preserve; and

“Whereas the memorial will show our gratitude to our veterans, their families and to their descendants; and

“Whereas the memorial will be a place of remembrance, a form of tribute, and an important reminder to future generations of the contributions and sacrifices that have helped shape our country;

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

“That the government of Ontario immediately construct the memorial to honour the heroes of the war in Afghanistan.”

I affix my signature to these petitions.

Injured workers

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I have a petition.

“Workers’ Comp is a Right.

“Whereas about 200,000 to 300,000 people in Ontario are injured on the job every year;

“Whereas over a century ago, workers in Ontario who were injured on the job gave up the right to sue their employers, in exchange for a system that would provide them with just compensation;

“Whereas decades of cost-cutting have pushed injured workers into poverty and onto publicly funded social assistance programs, and have gradually curtailed the rights of injured workers;

“Whereas injured workers have the right to quality and timely medical care, compensation for lost wages, and protection from discrimination;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to change the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to accomplish the following for injured workers in Ontario:

“Eliminate the practice of ‘deeming’ or ‘determining,’ which bases compensation on phantom jobs that injured workers do not actually have;

“Ensure that the WSIB prioritizes and respects the medical opinions of the health care providers who treat the injured worker directly;

“Prevent compensation from being reduced or denied based on ‘pre-existing conditions’ that never affected the worker’s ability to function prior to the work injury.”

I fully agree with this petition, will sign it and give it to Julia to give to the Clerk.

Fish and wildlife management

Mr. Will Bouma: I’d like to read in this petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government created a special-purpose account (SPA) in 1997;

“Whereas the SPA pools together all revenues from hunting and fishing licensing fees, fines and royalties;

“Whereas the funds in the SPA are legislated to be reinvested back into wildlife management to improve hunting and angling across the province;

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

“That we support the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry in completing a review of the spending of the SPA expenditures and revamping the account, ensuring revenue is directed towards conservation management.”

I entirely endorse this petition, will put my signature on it and give it to page Saad.

Affordable housing

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I would like to thank the residents of York South–Weston for giving me these petitions about affordable housing.

“Whereas for families throughout much of Ontario, owning a home they can afford remains a dream, while renting is painfully expensive;

“Whereas consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments have sat idle, while housing costs spiralled out of control, speculators made fortunes, and too many families had to put their hopes on hold;

“Whereas every Ontarian should have access to safe, affordable housing. Whether a family wants to rent or own, live in a house, an apartment, a condominium or a co-op, they should have affordable options;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately prioritize the repair of Ontario’s social housing stock, commit to building new affordable homes, crack down on housing speculators, and make rentals more affordable through rent controls and updated legislation.”

I fully support this petition. I’ll be affixing my signature to it and providing it to page Sanjayan to deliver to the table.

Municipal government

Mr. Stephen Crawford: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government of Ontario has announced a review of Ontario’s eight regional municipalities, the county of Simcoe, and their lower-tier municipalities, including Halton region and the town of Oakville; and

“Whereas municipal governments are responsible for funding and delivering the important local services residents rely on every day; and

“Whereas Halton region has maintained a AAA credit rating for 30 consecutive years due to effective governance and prudent fiscal policies; and

“Whereas the town of Oakville is recognized as Canada’s best place to live;

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

“That the town of Oakville remain a distinct municipality within a two-tier region of Halton municipal governance structure.”

I’ll give this to page Julien to present.

Health care

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I’d like to thank my constituents of Parkdale–High Park who attended a town hall on health care and Bill 74 that I hosted, and who signed this petition titled “Save Our Health Care: Stop Bill 74.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ford government is currently proposing massive restructuring to the entire health system without any public consultation;

“Whereas the proposal eliminates local planning and control of health care;

“Whereas the proposal will open the door for unprecedented levels of for-profit providers in our health care system;

“Whereas the last Conservative government privatized home care services, creating a system that fails too many families;

“Whereas the current hallway medicine crisis is a direct result of inadequate home care, long-term care and community care services;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to request the government to abandon Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act, and focus on improving our province’s not-for-profit delivery of universal health care system.”

I fully endorse this petition and will be affixing my signature to it, as well.

Animal protection

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I’m presenting this petition on behalf of the member for Wellington–Halton Hills, as the rules of this House prevent the Speaker and cabinet ministers from presenting petitions. The petition reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:...

“Whereas the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) is the only agency in Ontario authorized to enforce animal protection laws;

“Whereas the OSPCA has continually cut back services, including the recent decision to stop investigating incidents involving farm animals, including horses, as well as failing to fully investigate poorly run zoos, dogfighting operations, puppy and kitten mills and even documented cases of dogs being tortured in the city of Toronto;

“Whereas the OSPCA has made itself completely unaccountable to the public by eliminating annual general members meetings and board elections as well as eliminating a government representative from their board meetings;

“Whereas the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services provides an annual grant to the OSPCA of $5.75 million of the public’s dollars, for which the OSPCA is to provide province-wide coverage and other services which the OSPCA has failed to deliver;

“We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to exercise its authority, through the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services under the current funding transfer payment agreement and the OSPCA Act, requiring that:

“—through the OSPCA Act the government annul the bylaws of the OSPCA;

“—a new bylaw be required that re-establishes annual general members meetings, open board elections and a government representative attending board meetings;

“—the government immediately suspend funding to the OSPCA and conduct a forensic audit of the organization’s use of public funds;

“—the government conduct a service delivery audit of the OSPCA relating to the enforcement of the OSPCA Act;

“—recognize the important job of animal protection by creating a more accountable system that ensures the immediate and long-term protection of the millions of animals who live among us.”

I agree with this petition and I will send it down with the page.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I want to thank the member for Perth–Wellington for presenting that petition.

Autism treatment

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Laurie Zaldiner from Azilda in my riding for collecting the names on this petition. It reads as follows:

“Whereas the PC government of Ontario recently announced plans to overhaul the Ontario Autism Program, implementing a two-tiered age- and income-based funding model, and effectively removing funding for any significant duration of comprehensive applied behavioural analysis (ABA) from all children living with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD); and

“Whereas in 2003 and again in 2016, previous age caps on comprehensive therapy were removed by” the former Liberal government “because the age cap was recognized to be unfair and discriminatory; and

“Whereas ABA is not a therapy, but a science, upon which interventions including comprehensive treatment is founded and duration and intensity of treatment are the key components in predicting outcomes—not” the age of a child; and

“Whereas accredited peer-reviewed ... evidence in the treatment of children with ASD has repeatedly shown that for some children with ASD, comprehensive ABA therapy is best practice ...

“Whereas it is unacceptable for the Premier ... or his government to drastically reduce essential supports for some of the province’s most vulnerable children without consideration of their individualized needs”;

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“To immediately reassess the changes to the Ontario Autism Program and redesign the direct funding model to be administered with a needs-based approach in order to ensure that all children with” autism” for whom continuous or comprehensive therapy has been prescribed by a qualified clinician are able to obtain these services in a timely manner regardless of their age or family income.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Saniya to bring it to the Clerk.

Autism treatment

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: I have a petition entitled “Support Ontario Families with Autism.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas every child with autism deserves access to sufficient treatment and support so that they can live to their fullest potential;

“Whereas the Ontario Autism Program was badly broken under the Liberals, and the changes introduced by the Conservatives have made it worse;

“Whereas the new funding caps are based on age and income, and not the clinical needs of the child;

“Whereas Ontario needs a true investment in evidence-based autism services that meets the needs of autistic children and their families;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to invest in equitable, needs-based autism services for all children who need them.”

I fully support this petition and will give it to page Katherine to bring to the Clerk.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to thank student Christen Ramsay from Espanola, École secondaire catholique Franco-Ouest, for the following petition.

« Ensemble, résistons!

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Attendu que les Franco-Ontarien(ne)s qui, jour après jour, doivent se battre pour maintenir leurs droits d’avoir accès à des services et l’éducation dans la langue officielle qui est la leur; et

« Attendu que les Franco-Ontarien(ne)s occupent une place importante en Ontario, et méritent d’avoir leurs droits linguistiques constitutionnels respectés, protégés et défendus;

« Nous, soussignés, pétitionnons l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario de :

Je suis complètement d’accord avec cette pétition. J’y affixe mon nom, et puis je la donne à page Elizabeth pour l’apporter à la table des greffiers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I think the time for petitions has expired.

Orders of the Day

Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 sur la refonte complète des services de police de l’Ontario

Ms. Jones moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 68,

An Act with respect to community safety and policing / Projet de loi 68, Loi portant sur la sécurité communautaire et les services policiers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I look to the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: It would be an honour, Speaker.

With the third reading of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, we are one step closer to a safer province. By treating police with fairness and respect, we create the conditions for a stronger relationship between police and the people they serve. And as any police officer or community leader would tell you, a strong relationship between the police and those who are policed means more security for our families, justice for victims, and accountability for criminals.

By treating officers with suspicion and scorn, the previous government’s legislation drove an unnecessary wedge between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

This past Saturday, my colleagues the honourable members from Peterborough–Kawartha and Northumberland–Peterborough South invited me to their area to meet with the local policing community. I started the day at the Peterborough Police Service’s first-ever Women in Policing Symposium. Nearly 50 young women gathered at Fleming College to hear from veteran officers, some with more than 200 collective years of combined policing experience, about what to expect if they chose a career as a police officer. I hope many of these young women walked away excited at the prospect of a career in law enforcement.

It was a symposium that inspired me. These young people represent the future of policing. Having had the opportunity to speak to a number of them on Saturday, I know the policing community will continue to be in good hands. The women I met told me they were interested in joining a police service to make a difference to their community, whether it’s combatting gang violence, human trafficking, Internet child exploitation or sexual assault. They told me they were motivated to join a police service because they see themselves as part of the solution.

If you like working with people, you can be a front-line police officer. If you’re passionate about technology, you can fight cyber crimes. If you love science, you may find success in forensics.

They told me they were motivated to join a police service because Ontario has some of the finest police officers in the world. These women would know. After all, some are already studying policing foundations, or they’ve worked as first responders, or they’ve served as auxiliary constables. And some have family or friends who serve. I reminded these future officers that the reason our province has the finest officers is because we have some of the highest standards of policing anywhere in the world.

The excitement for a career in policing that I witnessed on Saturday reminded me of why our government for the people introduced the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act. If these young people choose to pursue a policing career, they deserve a government that has their back, and under the leadership of Premier Ford, they will.

I also had the opportunity to attend a round table with chiefs, officers, special constables, auxiliary constables and civilian staff from the local OPP detachments, Port Hope police and Cobourg police. I heard about the challenges our police face and was reminded how rapidly policing is evolving. From mental health to opioids to cyber crime, the day in the life of a police officer in 2019 is very different than what it was in 2009—never mind the years before that.

Speaking to these professionals reminded me that before our government introduced this legislation, police who acted heroically, such as the officers who responded to the Danforth shooting in Toronto last summer, were subjected to months-long investigations. We’re fixing that with changes to when the SIU will now be involved.

I’m proud to say that the people and police of Ontario have noted our efforts. Bruce Chapman, who joins us today in the chamber—thank you—president of the Police Association of Ontario, said that the act would “restore fairness and respect for professional policing” and “make oversight more effective.”

The Ontario Association of Police Services Boards said that the government’s new legislation would “significantly enhance every police board’s ability to make the best possible decisions about local policing policies, strategic plans and budgets” and that “everyone will benefit.”

Jin Chien, who testified at the committee, said, “I’d like to note ... Bill 68 does adopt several of Justice Tulloch’s recommendations, which is commendable, and which, in our view, constitute positive changes to the police oversight system.”

Chief Kimberley Greenwood, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, said, “The Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act” was “welcomed by us as a positive opportunity to ensure that we, as police leaders, have legislation that helps us (1) deliver on policing services; (2) meet public safety expectations; and (3) maximize public investments in law enforcement.”

I think what I’m trying to reinforce with a number of quotes that I just raised from various stakeholders and organizations is the balance that we were able to strike with this legislation, which I am very pleased with.

Before introducing this legislation, we carefully reviewed the previous government’s legislation to identify the specific gaps and deficiencies that needed to be addressed. We spoke to police officers, police chiefs, police services boards, municipal governments, policing experts and our constituents. We considered previous stakeholder submissions, including submissions received at standing committee for the previous legislation. The bill this House is being asked to pass is the result of all of this critical and vital work. It addresses the gaps that people working every day to keep our community safe identified and the concerns that they raised.

Whereas the previous legislation was too broad in what policing functions could be outsourced, the proposed legislation clarifies that when you phone 911 for an emergency, a police officer will respond.

Whereas the previous legislation created an Inspector General of Policing to monitor, inspect and ensure compliance regarding the delivery of adequate and effective policing, it didn’t allow candidates with policing experience to apply. Bill 68 will allow candidates with policing experience to serve as our inspector general.

And

whereas disciplinary provisions in the previous legislation were overly punitive and weakened procedural fairness, we are holding police personnel accountable under a system based on fairness and due process.

I’m proud of the work that we have been able to present today, and I really want to thank and call out my parliamentary assistant for all of the work on committee. As you know, parliamentary assistants carry the load when we have committee and clause-by-clause. Prab Sarkaria did an excellent job, so thank you for that.

My parliamentary assistant will speak more about the specific changes in this legislation, but let me conclude by saying that each of these changes is carefully designed to make our families safer, ensure justice for victims, and hold criminals accountable for their actions.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I rise today on third reading of the proposed Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019. Before I begin, I would like to extend my thanks to my colleague the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services for her hard work to help deliver on our shared mandate to keep communities safe and to restore respect for the women and men of our police services who so honourably devote themselves to upholding the rule of law in Ontario’s cities, towns and villages.

J’ai eu le privilège et l’honneur de travailler avec la ministre sur cette législation très importante.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank my parliamentary assistant, the MPP for Durham, for her work on the committee on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, this bill will provide critical improvements to police oversight in our province. Our government was elected with a mandate to restore the respect that front-line police officers deserve and earn each and every day in their work to enable the people of Ontario to thrive in safety and security.

This government heard directly from front-line police officers who put their lives on the line each and every day. They had serious concerns about the prior government’s policing oversight legislation, Bill 175. We heard the previous government’s plan was out of touch. In some ways, we were told, it disrespected police and ignored the everyday realities of law enforcement. So when this government was elected, one of our first orders of business was to pause the implementation of Bill 175 so that we could fix it and restore respect to police.

That’s what we have done with the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act. We are proposing to fix unbalanced legislation in a way that continues to ensure the quality of police oversight that Ontarians expect, and to do so in a fair and balanced way.

Any bill that regards public safety policing must respect the challenging realities that our front-line officers face. Sadly, the prior government’s policing legislation did not do that. Our legislation has been carefully drafted with those realities in mind so that our government can provide police the tools they need to keep our communities safe.

In developing this legislation, we took the time to consider the concerns of all sides. In fact, our reforms were guided by Justice Tulloch’s recommendations in the Independent Police Oversight Review. Ultimately, it proposes to restore transparency and fairness to a system that had previously left the police and the people in the dark for too long.

Madam Speaker, an issue we heard about over and over from both families and police is that the current process used by the special investigations unit is unreasonably opaque, and it simply takes too long. Our proposed changes address this. Under the proposed Bill 68, the SIU would be required to endeavour to wrap up an investigation within 120 days. If for any reason that deadline cannot be met, the SIU would have to provide an explanation for that delay.

Not only do these investigations take too long; they drain resources that could be better focused on stopping criminal activity. Bill 68 proposes to streamline the investigative process and maximize the impact of investigative resources on public safety in our communities.

That certainly is not the case under the current SIU process. Today, if a police officer tries to stop a suicide attempt but is unsuccessful, he or she can be treated like a suspect in a criminal investigation. Likewise, if an officer is present at the scene of a crime when a person suffers a heart attack, even where there is no contact between the officer and the person, the officer is subject to an investigation and made to feel like a suspect. These are not the cases the SIU should be investigating.

Afin de fournir transparence et clarté aux agentes et aux agents de première ligne, aux chefs de police et à la population de notre province, la législation propose de clarifier le mandat de l’unité des enquêtes spéciales. La législation proposée clarifiera la capacité de l’UES de demander des renseignements préliminaires afin de déterminer la pertinence de mener une enquête complète.

Our bill, if passed, would provide transparency and clarity to front-line officers, police chiefs and the people of our province. To accomplish this, the bill proposes to clarify the mandate of the SIU. The proposed legislation would clarify the SIU’s ability to conduct preliminary inquiries in order to determine whether an investigation is necessary at all. These would not be hearings as preliminary inquiries are thought of in the Criminal Code.

The preliminary inquiries in this case are simply an opportunity for the director of the SIU or his or her designate to pick up the file to review basic facts or to have some initial conversations before deciding whether it is necessary to proceed to a full investigation.

Another very important feature of Bill 68 is that it legally constitutes the special investigations unit as an arm’s-length agency. This would reinforce the SIU’s independence. This would help ensure the SIU’s resources are focused where they should be: on possible criminal activity.

It’s important to note that law enforcement’s automatic notification of the SIU would continue to be required in set circumstances, as we would all reasonably expect. In circumstances such as when use of force, custody or detention, or motor vehicle pursuits result in serious injury or death, the SIU should be notified immediately. In addition, notification would be required in all cases when an officer has discharged a firearm at a person or is reported to have committed a sexual assault.

In all other circumstances, notification of the SIU would only be required where police chiefs or other designated authorities reasonably believe the official’s conduct may have been a contributing factor in the incident. This proposed change takes a simple, common-sense approach, and would meet the intent of ensuring both independent oversight and that SIU investigations are focused on those cases where there is a real risk of possible criminal conduct.

These measured and practical changes we are proposing for the SIU are in line with the direction we took last year to fix a problem that front-line officers faced when attempting to administer life-saving treatments of naloxone to individuals in crisis. We listened to the concerns of health care advocates and police, and we took action. I am pleased to say that we passed a new regulation to recognize this new everyday reality of police work in our communities. We said that officers who are attempting to provide first aid or the life-saving medication naloxone should not automatically be subject to a criminal investigation. With the changes we made last year, now they are not.

Madam Speaker, this government will always respect and support the commitment to community safety that is demonstrated by our front-line police officers. We will continue to support them with the same unwavering commitment they have to the safety of our communities. Support for police must include strong, effective oversight that is focused in the right places. Our bill recognizes that more needs to be done to ensure the people and the police have a clear line of sight into a system that has allowed trust and accountability to erode for far too long.

By proposing to lift this veil of darkness, we are seeking to restore accountability and trust for everyone in Ontario. Our bill also recognizes that a police oversight system that is difficult to understand and navigate does not contribute to what the people of Ontario want: safer communities to call home. That’s why the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act would create the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency.

The agency would be continued from the Office of the Independent Police Review Director and would provide a clear route for filing public complaints against law enforcement and commencing an independent investigation when necessary. As recommended by Justice Tulloch, the proposed name change would serve to clarify the purpose of the independent agency and reflect its focus.

Lorsqu’il y a des préoccupations par rapport aux services de police dans cette province, les Ontariennes et les Ontariens devraient savoir vers où ils peuvent se tourner. When there are concerns with policing in this province, Ontarians should know where to turn.

Under the proposed Bill 68, Madam Speaker, we would have a single independent body, the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, receiving all public complaints about police. The regulation of policing would be handled by the inspector general, while the special investigations unit would be refocused and maintained. As recommended by Justice Tulloch, police disciplinary hearings would be heard by independent adjudicators. This streamlined approach would eliminate the need for the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, which would be wound down after an appropriate transition period.

Madam Speaker, our government promised to fix the policing legislation in Ontario. With the introduction of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, we are recognizing that the existing police oversight system does not work for our police services—our most important partners in public safety. It does not work for our front-line officers, who Ontarians depend on for our safety and security, and will not contribute to what the people of Ontario want: safer communities to call home. If passed, Bill 68 would solve these problems.

Merci. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on this common-sense proposal to restore respect to police, to restore accountability and trust in police oversight, and ultimately, to do everything we can as a government and policing