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June 22, 2004

38th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2004-Jun-22 (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO

Tuesday 22 June 2004 Mardi 22 juin 2004

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

MUSKOKA FAMILY NETWORK

HONEYWELL IN MISSISSAUGA

CANCER TREATMENT

TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

PAYDAY LOAN SERVICES

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

NORTHERN ONTARIO

AIR QUALITY

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

TRUSTEE STATUTE LAW

AMENDMENT ACT, 2004 /

LOI DE 2004 MODIFIANT DES LOIS

EN CE QUI CONCERNE LES FIDUCIAIRES

CARLIE MYKE

AND BRANDON WHITE ACT

(SAFE SCHOOL ZONES HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT AMENDMENT), 2004 /

LOI CARLIE MYKE ET BRANDON WHITE

DE 2004 (MODIFICATION DU CODE

DE LA ROUTE SUR LA SÉCURITÉ

DES ZONES D'ÉCOLE)

VISITORS

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AMENDMENT ACT

(HELMETS), 2004 /

LOI DE 2004 MODIFIANT

LE CODE DE LA ROUTE (CASQUES)

ANSWERS TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS

MOTIONS

HOUSE SITTINGS

VISITORS

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

TOURISM

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

TOURISM

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

TOURISM

GORDON MILLS

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO BUDGET

DOCTOR SHORTAGE

HEALTH PREMIUMS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS

HYDRO RATES

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

GASOLINE TAX

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

HIGH TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

ENERGY ISSUES

COMMUNITY-BASED

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

USER FEES

SCHOOL CLOSURES

PETITIONS

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

HIGHWAY 44

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

OPTOMETRISTS

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

SCHOOL FACILITIES

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES

TAXATION

ORDERS OF THE DAY

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

AMENDMENT ACT (HOURS OF WORK

AND OTHER MATTERS), 2004 /

LOI DE 2004 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LES NORMES D'EMPLOI

(HEURES DE TRAVAIL ET AUTRES

QUESTIONS)

The House met at 1330.

Prayers.

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

MUSKOKA FAMILY NETWORK

Mr Norm Miller (Parry Sound-Muskoka): I rise today to tell you about the Muskoka Family Network. They are the parents of adult children who have

disabilities and who are living at home. I'd like to tell you about some of them.

Judith Coon lives with her son, who is 17 years old and who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His disease is progressing rapidly. Evelyn Hanes is into her 80s and

is caring for her 60-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy. He has always lived at home. Louisa and Ron Crossthwaite are both in their retirement years and care for their son, who lives with a brain

injury. Audrey Jobbins lives with her daughter, aged 39, who has cerebral palsy. Cathy Foyston's daughter, who is now 20 years of age, has Down syndrome. She will be graduating from high school

this month.

These parents and their children want the option of individualized funding enabling them to have good lives as contributing members of their communities. They

are asking for an alternative to traditional agency services, such as group homes or life skills programs, which the Ministry of Community and Social Services favours.

Since February, the Muskoka Family Network, through my office, have tried to meet with the Minister of Community and Social Services and been refused. They've

tried to meet with the parliamentary assistant to the minister and been denied. They are desperate for an opportunity to present the case for an alternative funding model that takes the needs of

the individual into consideration.

These families are in crisis. Some are in peril of losing their livelihood and others their health. They deserve an opportunity to meet with the policy-makers

who determine their future and they deserve a chance to tell their stories.

HONEYWELL IN MISSISSAUGA

Mr Bob Delaney (Mississauga West): I'm pleased to welcome and acknowledge Honeywell Canada vice-president Peter Keyser to the east gallery.

Honeywell is developing leading-edge technology for commercial jetliners that replaces hydraulic and pneumatic systems with more cost-effective and

fuel-efficient electrical alternatives. Honeywell's know-how makes it 20% less expensive to operate a commercial airliner. Commercial aviation is a mature industry. A breakthrough, such as what

Honeywell is commercializing, resets the entire competitive playing field. If successful, Honeywell's systems can dominate that profitable market niche in the commercial aviation field for the next

two decades. Honeywell needs to compete with companies in countries that offer heavy financial support to their aerospace industries.

Honeywell has been a part of our Mississauga community for the past 52 years. Some 1,100 highly skilled people draw their salaries, and support their families,

from Honeywell. These are high-tech, high-value jobs. Honeywell employs the type of people that our universities graduate and the type of people that are trained abroad and choose Canada as their

home.

As Honeywell's MPP, I will be there to help bring the skills, resources and attention of the Ontario government to bear and to help keep a profitable and

strategic aerospace firm in Mississauga West and in Ontario.

CANCER TREATMENT

Mr Cameron Jackson (Burlington): I rise again on the current funding challenges facing Cancer Care Ontario under the budget cap imposed by the

Liberal government and the Minister of Health. In the past weeks, I raised the issue of the delisting of zoledronic acid treatments, and on January 28 this was done for prostate cancer patients for

the first time in Ontario's history. Since that time, it has been tragic that I have to report there have been 3,366 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed and over 600 deaths. What is happening in

Ontario in cancer care is scandalous.

The life-saving drug Rituximab is approved by Cancer Care Ontario for advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Five provinces are providing this to all patients who

require it, yet in Ontario it is only those over 65. The BC Clinical Review showed overall survival rates of 58% fewer deaths. Yet Ontario today routinely sends working men and women to the United

States for treatments that can cost up to US$26,000.

Now we learn that Cancer Care Ontario has cancelled all regional cancer centres' discretionary funding for the cost of expensive chemotherapy drugs, and treating

physicians are legally and ethically required to inform patients of all reasonable treatments and their options to save their lives even if those options are unavailable due to provincial budget

cuts. The Liberal government must remove the hard cap on new cancer drugs so that Cancer Care Ontario can provide cancer care and save lives instead of balancing budgets and saving money.

TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

Mrs Linda Jeffrey (Brampton Centre): I rise today to speak about my recent visit to Cardinal Leger Secondary School in my riding of Brampton

Centre. This visit was part of our government's MPP back-to-school initiatives. I spent the day touring and learning from faculty and students. While speaking to the staff, I was informed of the

pressing need for updated technological equipment in the classroom. The teachers questioned the relevance of teaching students on outdated systems that are no longer used in the real world. Our

schools need more funding for technological equipment in the classroom in order to prepare our students for the current job market.

That is why I am in full support of our budget, which includes $90 million in capital funding to address the need for improved technological facilities in our

classrooms. I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to repairing our education system. Our government has chosen to focus on student success rather than declaring war on our teachers

and students. Our government's commitments to cap class size, invest in schools and add more teachers are just some of the ways we are going to restore our education system. I would like to thank

our government for its leadership, and I would like to thank Cardinal Leger Secondary School for its hospitality.

PAYDAY LOAN SERVICES

Mr Robert W. Runciman (Leeds-Grenville): It can be argued that payday loans involving exorbitant interest rates, high fees and punishing

penalties for people who cannot pay are nothing more than loan sharking with a quasi-legal face. The lives of desperate people being drawn into the web of payday loan operations are being

destroyed. When their pockets are empty, the working poor, seniors of limited income and families on social benefits are easy prey for the lure of short-term loans. As we've learned through recent

Toronto Star reports, this supply of easy money is the crack cocaine of deficit financing. Once people get behind, they never catch up and they are reduced to near servitude by these money lenders.

We're discovering that many of these people are families surviving on Ontario Works and Ontario disability benefits, who are using most of their monthly income to satisfy interest and fee charges.

Their families suffer when their income no longer meets the demands of the short-term lenders.

The proliferation of payday loan stores in Ontario must be checked now by decisive government action, not investigation, studies or reviews. While a number of

civil actions have been launched, they could take years to reach court. The Attorney General should initiate criminal charges against some of these lenders. If the charges fail in court, then

stricter, more defined law can be written. Failure to act will serve as a McGuinty government endorsement of these business practices.

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay): The telephones continue to ring with people upset not only over the government's budget and the delisting

of health care services such as chiropractors and eye doctors, but on auto insurance. I've gotten a number of phone calls over the last week, which I returned, where people are saying their

insurance rates are yet going up; this despite a government that said it has fixed the problem.

Remember the Liberal government, Mr Speaker? You ran in the last election with them, where they said they were going to reduce auto insurance rates in the

province. Well, I'm telling you there's no 20% reduction; there's no 10% reduction. There are increases. I have a number of cases where people are saying to me that they are seeing their auto

insurance going up this year despite not having any changes when it comes to their driving record, any changes when it comes to the auto they own. They are saying, "Didn't the government promise

that they were going to have a reduction?"

I want to say that there is but one solution, and that is to move to public auto. Public auto insurance will provide very good rates when it comes to the

consumers of Ontario and will provide a good benefit. If we take a look at all of the systems, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, even the most expensive system, which I would

argue is probably Quebec's, is far cheaper than in the province of Ontario.

I want to renew the call for this government to recognize that it is basically not providing a reduction in auto insurance rates and that they should take the

NDP platform and enact public auto insurance in the province of Ontario.

NORTHERN ONTARIO

Mr David Orazietti (Sault Ste Marie): I'd like to express my support for the steps our government has taken through our recent budget to help

address the serious economic challenges in northern Ontario and to reinvest in health care and education. For the first time since the Peterson government, our Premier, finance minister and caucus

have demonstrated real commitment to the people of northern Ontario. Our budget will ensure that northern Ontario residents, nearly one million, will share in the future prosperity and growth of

our province.

While the past two provincial governments turned their backs on northerners, we are keeping our promises to help stimulate and transform northern Ontario's

economy. Youth out-migration and high unemployment rates in the north are a reflection of the disgraceful legacy of the past government's treatment of this region of our province. The 2001 census

numbers reveal that the unemployment rate for youth in the north was 47% higher than in the rest of the province.

Our budget addresses years of neglect by reinvesting in the north through our northern prosperity plan. Northerners have embraced this change: $285 million for

the north's transportation system; $135 million through the NOHFC to foster job growth; the creation of the northern Ontario grow bonds program for business development; $10 million for the GO

North incentive program.

The approach our government has taken with northerners is truly refreshing. The northern caucus supports our government's budget, and I would like to make it

clear that our dedication to revitalizing northern Ontario is unwavering.

AIR QUALITY

Ms Laurel C. Broten (Etobicoke-Lakeshore): As we're entering the first days of summer, we're reminded of the record number of smog days that

southern Ontario has been experiencing over the last several years. Each year, weakly regulated industries spew increasing numbers of carcinogens and smog-causing pollutants into the air that we

breathe.

Above and beyond the numbers is the human cost of the poisoned air. The Ontario Medical Association estimates that over 1,900 premature deaths in Ontario are

caused by air pollution each year, with over 10,000 extra hospital admissions, 13,000 emergency visits and 47 million sick days each year.

This is a cost we cannot ignore. Our government's plan to fight smog in Ontario is the most far-reaching commitment to improved air quality by an Ontario

government in over 30 years. I congratulate Minister Dombrowsky for her leadership.

I can tell you that in my community of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, we care deeply about air quality. I've been involved with a group over the years called GASP. GASP

stands for Good Air, Safe Power. In Etobicoke-Lakeshore we had one glaring contributor to our air pollution problem, the coal-fired Lakeview generating station. Thanks to Energy Minister Duncan,

our government announced the closing of Lakeview by the end of 2005.

In combination, these two instances will make Ontario a province where we will have cleaner air and a healthier environment in years to come.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Mr Phil McNeely (Ottawa-Orléans): I'm delighted that community mental health and addiction programs in Ontario are receiving an infusion of

$65 million in new dollars this year, as announced in last month's budget. Our four-year plan includes an additional $120 million over the next few years, which will mean $583 million by 2007-08

for the community-based system. As a result, I am encouraged that lack of capacity in the community sector will be effectively addressed.

As in the Ottawa area, for example, where we have seen waiting lists of from one to three years for formal support for those with the highest level of need and

priority, being starved of government funding has meant that peer and family support services have been stretched to the limit trying to meet the breadth of need of those with mental health and

addiction problems.

I want to commend the commitment and dedication of those working in the field, who have advocated tirelessly for investments in the future of their loved ones

and clients. Our progress today is largely to their credit. We must now all work together to ensure that services are delivered in the area where they can be most effective.

My colleague from Ottawa Centre, Richard Patten, who happens to be out right now, is an important team player in these efforts. I know he won't mention this

himself, but last Wednesday he received the first community inspiration award from the Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation for his work in bringing in Brian's Law and for his support in the creation

of a state-of-the-art mental health facility at the new Royal Ottawa Hospital.

Thank you to all who work so tirelessly for the good of our community, and thank you, Richard, for your public service.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

TRUSTEE STATUTE LAW

AMENDMENT ACT, 2004 /

LOI DE 2004 MODIFIANT DES LOIS

EN CE QUI CONCERNE LES FIDUCIAIRES

Mr Klees moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 107,

An Act to amend the Trustee Act and the Limitations Act, 2002 with respect to a limitation period for actions for wrongful death and other estate

matters / Projet de loi 107, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les fiduciaires et la Loi de 2002 sur la prescription des actions en ce qui concerne le délai de prescription pour les actions

engagées à la suite d'un décès dû à un acte délictuel et d'autres questions relatives au patrimoine.

The Speaker (Mr Alvin Curling): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Mr Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): I am tabling this bill in memory of Jennifer Dawson, who was infected with HIV through tainted blood and died of

transfusion-associated AIDS at age 40. Jenny is survived by three children, Tamara Lynne, Julie Anne and Mathew Patrick.

Their father, Patrick Dawson, brought to my attention a defect in Ontario's limitations law that precludes wrongful death claims unless the tort is discovered

within two years of death. This bill rectifies that defect by amending

section 38 of the Trustee Act to provide for the limitation period for the executor or administrator of the deceased to bring

an action to expire on the second anniversary of the day on which a claim was actually discovered rather than the second anniversary of the date of death.

The adoption of this amendment will allow the Dawson family to apply for compensation that was made available to other persons and estates that were affected by

HIV through blood transfusions under a plan by the Red Cross that was established under a federal bankruptcy law, the CCAA. This amendment will bring Ontario's law into line with every other

province in Canada. It's the right thing to do. I trust that I'll have the support of the Legislature.

CARLIE MYKE

AND BRANDON WHITE ACT

(SAFE SCHOOL ZONES HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT AMENDMENT), 2004 /

LOI CARLIE MYKE ET BRANDON WHITE

DE 2004 (MODIFICATION DU CODE

DE LA ROUTE SUR LA SÉCURITÉ

DES ZONES D'ÉCOLE)

Mr Levac moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 108,

An Act to honour Carlie Myke and Brandon White by amending the Highway Traffic Act to reduce the rate of speed permitted on highways surrounding

schools and to ensure traffic safety in school zones / Projet de loi 108, Loi en hommage à Carlie Myke et Brandon White modifiant le Code de la route afin de réduire la vitesse

autorisée sur les voies publiques autour des écoles et d'assurer la sécurité routière dans les zones d'école.

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

Mr Dave Levac (Brant): The bill reduces the speed at which motor vehicles may travel on highways -- or roads, as we know them -- surrounding

schools. The rate of speed is reduced to 30 kilometres an hour in the case of two-lane highways or roads and is reduced by 10 kilometres an hour in the case of highways with more than two

lanes.

The bill requires municipalities and trustees of police villages to establish school safety teams to review traffic problems surrounding schools in the

municipality or the village and to report to the municipality, village, school board and the Ministry of Transportation any recommendations that there are to improve the safety of our children

around our schools.

VISITORS

Mrs Linda Jeffrey (Brampton Centre): On a point of order, Speaker: Can I beg your indulgence and introduce my parents who are visiting today

from Cobourg, June and Mike Rooney?

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): That's not a point of order.

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AMENDMENT ACT

(HELMETS), 2004 /

LOI DE 2004 MODIFIANT

LE CODE DE LA ROUTE (CASQUES)

Mr Levac moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 109,

An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act / Projet de loi 109, Loi modifiant le Code de la route.

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

Mr Dave Levac (Brant): This bill amends the Highway Traffic Act to make it an offence for any person to use a skateboard, scooter, in-line

skates or roller skates on a road without wearing a helmet. Parents and guardians of a person under the age of 16 are also guilty of an offence if they authorize or knowingly permit that person to

contravene this restriction. A police officer may require a person to provide identification if the police officer finds that person contravening these restrictions. The authority to make

regulations to exempt persons from the requirment to wear helmets is repealed.

Mr Peter Kormos (Niagara Centre): On a point of order, Speaker: I seek unanimous consent to proceed with second and third reading of government

Bill 104.

The Speaker: I heard a no.

ANSWERS TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS

Mr Norman W. Sterling (Lanark-Carleton): On a point of order, Speaker: My point of order is pursuant to standing order 97(d). On April 29, I

filed a question with the Minister of the Environment to provide me with a list of all studies and reports the ministry and the Environmental Review Tribunal have, including their dates and

authors, relating to the disposal of waste at the Adams mine site.

According to

section 97(d), "The minister shall answer such written questions within 24 sitting days." She has not done so at this time. Speaker, I would ask

you to ask her to follow the standing orders.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): To the Minister of the Environment, I want to remind you that you are required, under standing order 97(d),

to provide answers to written questions within 24 sitting days. Your response is now overdue, and I would ask that you give the House some indication as to when the answer to the member will be

forthcoming.

Hon Leona Dombrowsky (Minister of the Environment): My understanding is that the information requested by the member has been sent to his

office.

Mr Sterling: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I believe the minister is supposed to provide not only me, but the table, with an answer. I have

not received that answer.

In addition to that point of order, I would like to draw attention to this minister not answering my request of the same date: "Would the Minister of the

Environment provide a list of all studies and reports the ministry and the Environmental Review Tribunal have (including their dates and authors), relating to the actual or proposed water taking of

OMYA (Canada) Inc from the Tay River."

That was dated the same date. This minister has not followed standing order 97(d), and I would ask you to ask her to comply with that standing order.

The Speaker: As I said earlier, I hope that we follow those requests from the member that are due to be responded to. On the previous

question, the member has indicated he has not received it, and I'm quite sure the minister and yourself will make sure this happens, and should indicate accordingly.

MOTIONS

HOUSE SITTINGS

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): I move that pursuant to standing order 9(c)(i), the House shall meet from

6:45 pm until 9:30 pm on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, for the purpose of considering government business.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): The government House leader has moved government notice of motion 148. Is it the pleasure of the House that

the motion carry?

All those in favour of the motion, please say "aye."

All those against, say "nay."

I think the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1358 to 1403.

The Speaker: All those in favour, please rise and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Arthurs, Wayne

Bartolucci, Rick

Bentley, Christopher

Berardinetti, Lorenzo

Bountrogianni, Marie

Bradley, James J.

Broten, Laurel C.

Brownell, Jim

Bryant, Michael

Cansfield, Donna H.

Caplan, David

Chambers, Mary Anne V.

Colle, Mike

Cordiano, Joseph

Crozier, Bruce

Delaney, Bob

Dhillon, Vic

Di Cocco, Caroline

Dombrowsky, Leona

Duguid, Brad

Duncan, Dwight

Flynn, Kevin Daniel

Fonseca, Peter

Gerretsen, John

Gravelle, Michael

Jeffrey, Linda

Kular, Kuldip

Kwinter, Monte

Lalonde, Jean-Marc

Leal, Jeff

Levac, Dave

Marsales, Judy

Matthews, Deborah

Mauro, Bill

McNeely, Phil

Meilleur, Madeleine

Milloy, John

Mitchell, Carol

Mossop, Jennifer F.

Orazietti, David

Parsons, Ernie

Patten, Richard

Peters, Steve

Phillips, Gerry

Pupatello, Sandra

Qaadri, Shafiq

Racco, Mario G.

Ramsay, David

Rinaldi, Lou

Sandals, Liz

Smith, Monique

Sorbara, Greg

Takhar, Harinder S.

Van Bommel, Maria

Watson, Jim

Wilkinson, John

Wong, Tony C.

Wynne, Kathleen O.

Zimmer, David

The Speaker: All those against, please rise and be recognized by the Clerk.

Nays

Arnott, Ted

Barrett, Toby

Bisson, Gilles

Chudleigh, Ted

Flaherty, Jim

Hardeman, Ernie

Jackson, Cameron

Klees, Frank

Kormos, Peter

Marchese, Rosario

Miller, Norm

Murdoch, Bill

O'Toole, John

Ouellette, Jerry J.

Prue, Michael

Runciman, Robert W.

Sterling, Norman W.

Tascona, Joseph N.

Witmer, Elizabeth

Clerk of the House (Mr Claude L. DesRosiers): The ayes are 59; the nays are 19.

The Speaker: I declare the motion carried.

VISITORS

Mrs Elizabeth Witmer (Kitchener-Waterloo): On a point of order, Mr Speaker: At this time I would like to welcome to the Legislature the

McKellar family. Their son Ian is a page. I'd like to welcome Anne and Ron, the mother and the father; the sister, Roseanne, and brother, Danny. We welcome the family.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): That is not a point of order, but welcome.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

TOURISM

Hon James J. Bradley (Minister of Tourism and Recreation): This is Tourism Week in Canada. It is an opportunity for communities across the

country to celebrate the contribution that tourism makes to economic prosperity and quality of life.

Here in Ontario, we know that tourism counts. It is our seventh-largest export industry and generates $18 billion a year in tourism revenues. Nearly 350,000

people work in businesses catering to the tourism trade. Tourism is our largest seasonal employer, as well as the largest employment sector for Ontario youth.

The Ontario tourism industry has had cause for concern this past year, as we were confronted with one crisis after another, most notably the SARS scare. It

speaks well of this House that in our darkest hour during the SARS outbreak last year, all parties put aside their differences to give unanimous support to efforts to help our tourism industry.

Those efforts have paid dividends for tourism operators and tourism employees across the province, but we still have much to do before we can declare our tourism industry recovered.

My ministry has just recently received an independent analysis of the $62 million invested through Ontario's tourism recovery program, from the onset of SARS

through the end of the 2003-04 fiscal year. Here are some of the highlights: It prompted an additional 3.6 million tourism visits to Ontario; generated additional tourism spending of $687 million;

supported 13,700 more direct and indirect jobs; and as a final positive impact, the tourism recovery program spread the benefits all around the province.

The additional tourism spending amounted to $285 million in the GTA, where we worked in partnership with the Toronto 03 Alliance, and totalled $402 million

outside of the GTA. According to the analysis by PKF Consulting, each dollar invested through the tourism recovery program generated a return of $11. The tourism recovery money was money well

spent.

But we still have a way to go if we want to put Ontario back on track as a top competitor in global tourism. That is why I'm pleased to announce today that we

are releasing the Ontario tourism strategy, a strategy that charts a new course for tourism in our province. The Ontario tourism strategy, developed jointly with representatives of the tourism

industry, sets out five strategic directions.

First, we will embrace a "visitor first" philosophy. We will make use of the latest market research to know what visitors expect, what motivates them and what

satisfies them. We will have quality standards that are reached and maintained through rigorous staff training and a commitment to service excellence. With industry participation, Ontario will

develop a quality-rating system to help visitors make informed choices, and we will encourage its adoption across the province.

Second, we will develop new destinations and experiences that build on Ontario's strengths. We will focus our investment on five or six icon destinations,

selected in consultation with the tourism industry, that have the greatest potential to attract more visitors to our province. At the same time, we will work with other destinations to help them

identify and capitalize on their tourism assets.

Third, we will build the image and influence of tourism in Ontario. We will work with municipalities and other partners to increase awareness of the importance

of tourism at the local level. We will reach out to young people to pursue training and career opportunities in tourism. We will strengthen the role of our tourism industry associations in public

policy, and we will celebrate our business achievements and innovations.

Fourth, we will strengthen our strategic marketing. The province will provide marketing leadership to ensure campaigns and promotions are effectively

researched, coordinated, focused and evaluated. There will be stronger destination marketing at the local and provincial levels. We will encourage the use of information technology by tourism

operators across Ontario so that visitors can shop for and book tourism products on-line.

Finally, we will adopt an "all of government" approach to tourism in Ontario. The Ontario tourism strategy will guide all provincial activities relating to

tourism, with resources deployed in support of the strategy. The value of tourism assets will be recognized in land-use and environmental design decisions. Ontario will work with other governments

at all levels to achieve the policy goals of the tourism strategy.

With the Ontario tourism strategy, the McGuinty government is proud to unveil its new vision for tourism in Ontario: Innovative operators, welcoming

destinations and great experiences will make Ontario the place to visit again and again.

Both government and the tourism industry will participate in the implementation of the Ontario tourism strategy. It is a sector strategy designed to ensure

that tourism contributes even more to the prosperity of our communities and helps all Ontarians enjoy a quality of life that is second to none.

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

Hon Michael Bryant (Attorney General, minister responsible for native affairs, minister responsible for democratic renewal): I'm very pleased

to stand today in the Legislature to extend my best wishes to all aboriginal people across Ontario. Yesterday I was delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate National Aboriginal Day in our

nation's capital. Aboriginal people are Canada's first people. National Aboriginal Day permits us to celebrate and to rededicate ourselves to the important issues that span so many aspects of

Canadian life for aboriginal people and for all Canadians.

The McGuinty government is taking a new approach when it comes to aboriginal people. There is a new spirit of change, a new spirit of respect, a new spirit of

co-operation. One of the first things the Premier did when he came into office was to extend an invitation to aboriginal leaders to meet with him here at Queen's Park. We hosted that meeting

together earlier this year. We wanted to hear from aboriginal leaders as to what their priorities are.

One of those priorities, of course, is better health care for aboriginal Ontarians, so in April we acted. The McGuinty government announced it is investing

over $166 million over five years to specifically improve the health of aboriginal residents of Ontario through the great aboriginal healing and wellness strategy. We are not stopping there. In our

recent budget, we announced that we were increasing this investment by $25 million over five years. That is over $191 million that we are now investing in aboriginal health care in Ontario.

Yesterday also marked the beginning of the aboriginal health advocacy initiative, a joint program between MADD and Ontario Indian Friendship Centres. This is

an important initiative that we encourage and support. We thank some of the leaders who are here in the east gallery today: Susan Barberstock, Gertie Beaucage, Vicky Laforge, Jo-Anne Miller,

Carolyn Swinson, Mary Sultana, Heather Levecque and Phyllis Williams.

It's another example of the kind of work that is possible through the aboriginal healing and wellness strategy. It is clear to me that the quality of life of

all Ontarians improves when we have strong and prosperous aboriginal communities.

The McGuinty government is working closely with aboriginal communities and aboriginal leaders. We share common goals. By working together, we can achieve our

goals: stronger communities and healthier communities for us all.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Responses?

Mr Joseph N. Tascona (Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford): I'm pleased to respond to the Attorney General's statement on National Aboriginal Day.

In 1996, the government designated June 21 as National Aboriginal Day as a result of the cultural significance of the summer solstice, which is the first day

of summer and the longest day of the year. Across the entire country, aboriginal people celebrate their heritage on this day and in the days ahead. The Barrie Native Friendship Centre in my riding

has played a pivotal role in enhancing the lives of aboriginal people.

This day and these celebrations are a testament to the unique and distinct culture and contributions that First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples have made, and

continue to make, to our province and our country. These festivities also allow Ontarians to reflect on the important role First Nations people have made to the very fabric of our province and our

country as a whole.

National Aboriginal Day is an opportunity to learn more about the rich culture and history of aboriginal peoples, as well as a chance to join and participate

in aboriginal day festivities that are being held from coast to coast in this country.

Ontario is proud to be the home of the largest aboriginal population in this country. I encourage everyone to get out and join the celebrations.

TOURISM

Mr Norm Miller (Parry Sound-Muskoka): It's my pleasure to respond to the Minister of Tourism's statement on the new Ontario tourism

strategy.

I would like to point out that basically I think this new tourism strategy is generally a positive thing. I would like to compliment its author, the former

Minister of Tourism, Mr Frank Klees, the member from Oak Ridges who, in the year 2002, crisscrossed this province consulting with many different groups and spent a lot of time working on this

tourism strategy. Things sometimes move slowly in government. I'm glad to see that Mr Klees's strategy is finally getting implemented.

Last year, tourism faced some significant challenges in Ontario, particularly with SARS. I'm pleased to see that this report shows that of the money that was

invested by our government in SARS, for each dollar that was invested there was an $11 return. That is certainly my feeling in terms of tourism investment -- it's one of the few things government

can invest in and really get a benefit from their investment.

Last year, I was pleased to play a small

part in the creation of the new northern tourism committee, which is working with the Ontario Tourism Marketing

Partnership to help invest many millions more that were approved by our government in northern tourism ventures. I would like to say that I think the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership works

very well. It works well because there's buy-in from industry. You have real dollars from real operators that go into each of those projects that are approved by the various marketing committees of

the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership.

While I think this is a generally positive announcement, I would have to say that the other things the government is doing are hurting small business and

tourism. If you look in the budget, tourism went from $213 million to $184 million. Of course, one of the biggest things that will negatively affect tourism in this budget is the new health tax,

which is going to be a significant bite out of the disposable income of most Ontario residents. That's money they just don't have to spend on their tourism plans. The delisting of health services

directly affects the money people have left to spend on tourism.

Also, the new regulations very much affect the tourism operators, particularly regulations like the new drinking water regulation, 170/03. Many tourism

businesses are small businesses; in fact, 90% of them have 20 or fewer employees. It's very challenging for a small business to try to meet all the various regulations and still survive. I know in

the bed and breakfast sector they are having some significant challenges dealing with the water regulation, but also dealing with the new fire code. Government has to do everything it can to try to

help those businesses.

In your background paper it says that the business climate is not conducive to growth and that some of the challenges are insurance, utilities, property taxes

and many other pressures on the cost of doing business. I think those are the kinds of things the government has to pay close attention to in order to assist small business.

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay): Yes, yesterday we celebrated National Aboriginal Day. Yes, most of the members of the provincial

assembly, and probably, I would guess, a number of candidates in the federal election attended those events as well.

But I have to say there's not much to celebrate about. If we look at our First Nations communities across this province, we don't have a lot to be proud of. We

look at substandard water and sewerage in most of the communities, where you can't drink the water out of the tap. We look at communities that don't have housing. We look at Attawapiskat, to just

name one, where you have four families in a house and children trying to learn. How do you learn in that environment? We look at recreational facilities in hardly any of those communities for the

community members, and especially for young people trying to find ways to vent off the energy they have. We look at roads that are in substandard condition. We look at the lack of transportation

infrastructure. There is not much to celebrate.

I recognize that the federal government, by and large, is responsible for the mess First Nations communities find themselves in. I have to say that I am not

proud of the federal record, of the current Liberal government in Ottawa and the Conservative government before that. There is an abysmal situation in First Nations communities across this

province. However, they are citizens of Ontario, and we, as a Legislature, and you, as a cabinet, have a responsibility to make sure those communities are brought into the province of Ontario. We

need to make sure we fund the many funding requests coming forward from First Nations.

Because, yes, there is some hope. There is a change of command in Ontario, and they wish to participate. That's why the chief of Ogoki was here last week

asking to finish the arena project for his community that they so much need. That's why, today, Chief Leo Friday from Kashechewan will be here to meet with Minister Bartolucci to ask for dollars

for a band office, because the band office in Kashechewan is in an abysmal state.

And that's why, quite frankly, the community of Attawapiskat is at its wits' end when it comes to the schooling situation in that community. Can you imagine,

the only high school in town, the only primary school, contaminated with diesel fuel, has been shut for five years and the federal government has yet to respond? No community in this province would

allow that to happen. But because they're an aboriginal community up in northern Ontario on James Bay, the federal government says, "Far away. Don't have to think about it."

I say we, as a province, have a responsibility. Let us work with our First Nations so that truly, one day, they can celebrate something about being in

Ontario.

TOURISM

Mr Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina): I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the member for his passion, fervour, excitement,

exuberance that he demonstrated in his delivery of this plan. I think Ontario needs a minister who is fully engaged in the ministry. And who else but Jim Bradley to control those one-armed bandits?

We need him in that ministry, I can tell you that.

There is no doubt we have a problem in our tourism industry in Ontario. The Greater Toronto Hotel Association says that the number of visitors to the Toronto

area is down by about four million since 1998. So we can't just blame current events for our woes, like SARS. We need long-term visionary thinking to reverse this slide, they say; and alas, thus

the plan.

Does anybody believe that this plan is going to work? Only Jim Bradley, the one who's going to control the one-armed bandits, believes in it. They are going to

tell you, Jim, that your budget has gone down this year from $213 million to $184 million. That's a $29-million cut and, Jim, next year it's another 12% cut. So what we've got is a plan without

resources, a plan without money. Minister Bradley will do more with less. Where did we hear that before? From the Tories, who promised to do a lot more with less. It didn't work with them and it

won't work with you. Notwithstanding the passion, the fervour, the excitement and the exuberance that you bring to the job, Jim Bradley, you can't institute this plan without money. It's going to

get worse this coming year and it'll get worse in the future. You've got to do something about it.

GORDON MILLS

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): On a point of order, Speaker: I believe we have unanimous consent for each

party to speak for up to five minutes to pay tribute to a former member and colleague, Gordon Mills.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Do we have unanimous consent? Agreed.

Hon James J. Bradley (Minister of Tourism and Recreation): It's a genuine honour for me to rise in the House today to speak on behalf of my

caucus colleagues on the passing of Gordon Mills, whom many of us who served in the Legislature when Gordon was there from 1990 to 1995 will remember extremely well. Gordon Mills, first of all, was

a person you would call a character. Not everybody is a character in this House, but Gordon was. He was genuinely a colourful performer both inside and outside of the Legislature.

We in this House are part of what I think we would all refer to as an honoured tradition. Certainly there are times in the debate when it can become very

heated and nerves become frayed. We all realize what a privilege it is, however, to work in this place with colleagues from each of the political parties. I think we form friendships with those

individuals who serve in this House regardless of their political affiliation. That's why it's so important to take time, as we do upon the passing of a member, to reflect on the contributions made

by those past members.

I had the pleasure of knowing Gordon Mills as the MPP, first of all, for Durham East. Mr Mills was elected as a member of the NDP in that sweep of 1990 and

served as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs -- he had some municipal experience, which made it most appropriate that he was appointed to that position -- but also to

the Solicitor General and the Minister of Correctional Services. Gordon had some very strong views in that particular field as well that he wasn't afraid to share with members of this House and the

general public.

More importantly, Gordon Mills was known beyond the halls of this Legislature as a husband to Cecilia, and as a father and grandfather to his children and many

grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was known as a writer and columnist to the readers of the Orono Weekly Times, as chairperson of public works and the Barrie-Innisfil annexation committee

-- that was always controversial, but Gord never stepped back from controversy at all -- and of course as a military officer in Canada and with NATO from 1958 until 1979. This is rather remarkable:

During that time he received the United Nations Service Medal and the Canadian Meritorious Service Decoration. Gordon will always be remembered in this place as a -- I'll put it this way -- zealous

advocate for his beliefs and I think an honest voice for his constituents. He was respected for speaking his mind and taking all members of this House to task for not respecting the traditions we

hold dear. I'm going to mention that right now.

I think one of the moving times, emotional times, in this House was watching Gordon rise at the time we pay tribute each year to those who have fallen in

battle and served in our armed forces. A tear would come to Gord's eyes as he stood as a government member on this side of the House and spoke on behalf of the government and the New Democratic

Party at the time of remembrance, very close to Remembrance Day, when we in this House pay tribute to the fallen and to those who have served.

I well remember that he had stories he would tell, not only of his service in the armed forces, but of his days as a youth in Britain, when his country was

under attack and things did not look very good. Gordon talked about those days. He talked about the VE Day celebrations when there was victory in Europe and the genuine joy coming from the

population. He was part of that as a young person. So whenever we wanted to have a spokesperson in this House who had some personal experience, and a genuine emotional feeling for that experience,

Gordon Mills was the person to rise, speaking on behalf of all of us.

He serves as an example to all of us in this House, now and in the future, that success in politics is only part of a successful life. This was a man who

filled his days by serving his community -- that's outside of this House -- and his country, be it as a writer, a military officer or a public official. At a time when apathy and cynicism are

frequently discussed in the news media, people like Gordon Mills remind us of the basic purpose of representative politics. That is to serve the people, to make your voice heard and to make your

community a better place in which to live.

Gordon was a person who had genuine emotions. He never feigned them. We're in a House where it is sometimes considered to be showtime. It wasn't showtime for

Gord; it was the genuine emotions that came out in everything he said. Sometimes he was angry and sometimes he said things he was sorry he said later on, but we didn't care about that. He was a

person who could admit to that and press on.

On behalf of the Liberal caucus, I'd like to extend my condolences to the Mills family, who are here with us in the gallery today. I know that you are proud to

have called him a husband, a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather, as we are proud to have called him a friend and colleague.

Mr John O'Toole (Durham): It's indeed a pleasure, on behalf of the Conservative caucus, to stand and pay tribute to the late Gord Mills,

former MPP for the riding I represent, now called Durham, then Durham East. Gord Mills served with distinction in this House from 1990 to 1995.

I know our thoughts, as has been said, are with his wife, Cecilia, their children, Keith and his wife, Patricia; Pamela and her husband, Gord Werry; and all

the family. Gord Mills was the dear grandfather of Andrew and his wife, Jen; Diana; Scott; Carla and her husband, Jeff; and Wayne. He was the loved great-grandfather of Erica and Evan.

Gord Mills was a man of many talents, as has been mentioned. He was from England, a farmer, a member of the Canadian military police, a former Barrie municipal

councillor and a tax auditor in the Ontario public service.

Having just moved to the area of Orono, and then the town of Newcastle, with the 1990 election approaching, he paid a visit to the campaign team in Newcastle

to see if he could help out. The story was that they asked, "Would you like to be a candidate?" So that's how Gord Mills became a candidate.

That was a very interesting election. The then incumbent, MPP Sam Cureatz, had decided at the last moment to step aside and not run. He was replaced by Kirk

Kemp, a young man who had just been called in in the last few days. The other, the Liberal candidate at the time, was Marilyn Pearce, now the mayor of Scugog. Gord won in a sweeping victory under

Bob Rae, I think with something under 50 votes. He did it with charm and grace, never offending a single person in the entire campaign. He won because he was well-liked.

Gord hadn't planned to become an MPP. He had recently retired, as I said, to move to the area and in fact was planning on spending a bit of time in Florida.

But he never backed away from a new challenge. He was always ready to serve when duty called. That's how Gord Mills came to Queen's Park and served as Durham East's MPP.

I'm certain my colleagues from the NDP caucus will detail Gord's service here in the Legislature. I did have the privilege of attending here one day during the

session when Gord was bringing forth local legislation, very successfully, I might add. I know he served with distinction. On a personal note, he contributed to and was a widely read columnist in,

as was said, the Orono Times, a local newspaper still not part of the main metro chains.

At the request of the municipality, he introduced legislation that changed the name of the town of Newcastle to the municipality of Clarington. You might say

there wouldn't be a Clarington today if it wasn't for Gord Mills. It's interesting because that debate still goes on today. They may change it again. That's up to John Gerretsen.

Gord Mills was a strong advocate for older adults in our riding and, indeed, wherever he went. He was fondly remembered in Wilmot Creek, a retirement

community, for his advocacy in passage of Bill 21,

An Act to amend certain Acts with respect to Land Leases. It's a land community and he took great interest to solve the problem.

My constituent Denise Turner worked with Gord as a legislative assistant. She recalls that he was a kind, gentle man who was fun to be with and passionate

about serving the people of Durham East. She remembers that he especially enjoyed recalling his military experience and writing his weekly newspaper column in the Orono Times.

Ms Turner also points out that as a former member of the Canadian military, he was passionate about observing Remembrance Day and honouring all those who gave

their lives in the cause of freedom. The well-being of veterans was always an important agenda for Gord.

Gord also was active in his church, where he served as a lay leader as well as a speaker.

On a personal note, I might add that Gord Mills and I represented different political parties, but we both served the people of Durham, the constituents,

through the 1990s. It was a pleasure to follow in Gord's footsteps. I respected him for his strong convictions and his willingness to help his constituents and others. He was a devoted servant of

Ontario.

It's important to note that he also cared deeply about many causes, but his family always came first. At this time, I would like to recognize the members of

Gord's family who are with us in the gallery today.

This was a man who did his best to make our province a better place in which to follow our dreams and to fulfill our obligations. I know this House will join

me in paying tribute to his accomplishments during his service both here and throughout his lifetime.

Mr Peter Kormos (Niagara Centre): I'm proud to join in this tribute on behalf of New Democrats. I'm grateful to my colleagues for letting me

represent the caucus as we pay tribute to our old friend and colleague Gord Mills. He indeed -- I'm reluctant to use the past tense. I caught myself for a minute because I was going to say, "He

indeed is -- " He indeed was a colourful, vibrant member of this assembly and of the NDP caucus.

He had many careers which preceded his parliamentary career, as you've heard -- a farmer, a police officer, a member of the armed forces serving overseas,

working for the Ministry of Revenue -- having retired from a number of them. We took great delight in calling upon Gord to account for not just one but two, possibly more, pensions that he might

have been collecting at the point of his election, never mind any that he expected to acquire having served here.

Indeed, you heard the anecdote -- it's not just an anecdote; it's the truth -- about Gord having plans. He did, didn't he? He planned to settle down south of

the border in warmer climates, perhaps take it easy a little bit and spend more time with grandkids and great-grandkids who came along, but that wasn't to be. He was shanghaied into running in the

1990 election campaign; make no mistake about it. But let me tell you, the years he spent here were not the years of a reluctant representative of his community. Gord was a strong, effective,

active, articulate, indeed eloquent member of this assembly. He was an effective and from-the-heart spokesperson for the people, the women and men of his community.

Gord grew up in England. Growing up in England I'm sure is where he acquired his distaste for classes. From time to time there was the occasional fellow Brit

in this assembly who would speak up and perhaps portray himself of a certain class from the old country and, by God, that would provoke Gord. That would light the fuse. That would get him going.

The class struggle manifested itself right here in this chamber with Gord Mills at the vanguard. Make no mistake, he had no time whatsoever for those people who would somehow pretend that by virtue

of their birth or their station in life they were better than others. I tell you that heartfelt, gut-felt sense of equity and equality, that sense of fairness, made Gord Mills a stellar, an

outstanding member of this chamber.

I was a fan of Gord's because, from time to time, he could betray some maverick qualities -- and they indeed were qualities. He wasn't afraid to tell the

Premier of the day when the Premier was wrong, damn wrong, so wrong that he was right out of it. Unfortunately, the Premier of the day was disinclined to listen to Gord. I tell you that from time

to time, when Gord was pushed on an issue, he would reveal the lexicon acquired in years, I presume -- far be it for me to know where one acquires this language -- in the armed forces, serving his

country, serving humankind because he, like so many other Canadians, was overseas in Europe, part of NATO forces doing important duty. They were never tested in terms of their parliamentary or

unparliamentary quality, mostly because Gord reserved them for the caucus room and for his discussions with caucus colleagues and, as I say, the leader from time to time, more so than using them in

the course of his speeches here.

I just want to tell his family -- his wife is here, his kids are here and his kids' spouses and his grandkids and his great-grandkids -- that you've got a

whole lot to be proud of. All I can say to you on behalf of this group of New Democrats, and indeed a whole lot of members of this assembly who were honoured to serve with Gord Mills in this

chamber, is that we're just so awfully grateful that you shared so much of him with us. I am proud to pay tribute to this exceptional member of the Legislature, to this truly great man, great

husband, great father, great grandfather.

The Speaker: I want to thank all members for their remarks and I will ensure that copies of the Hansard are sent to the family.

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO BUDGET

Mr Ernie Eves (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Premier, as you know, yesterday your Minister of Finance introduced his Budget Measures Act (No.

2). One of the provisions in the budget bill number 2 he referred to as "a technical change," changing the rate of the new health care tax on middle-income Ontarians, those making between $36,000

and $38,500, I believe, a year. Obviously this is a climb-down from the budget that was introduced in the first introduction of the health care tax in the first place. I can't believe that the

Ministry of Finance officials, having had seven months to prepare the budget and the first budget bill, would have made a mistake that would have put "an unfair burden" on modest- and middle-income

Ontarians. Can we expect any other further climb-downs with respect to the budget?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I know the Minister of Finance would like to address this.

Hon Greg Sorbara (Minister of Finance): The answer to the leader of the official opposition is no. The adjustment we made in the

geared-to-income Ontario health premium was for a very narrow band of income tax payers. The adjustment was made because of the effect of federal tax credits, which are clawed back in that income

range. To apply the general rule and stepping up that is included in the health premium would have been unfair to that very narrow band of taxpayers. That's why, when we introduced the bill, we

made that minor and technical amendment.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Supplementary.

Mr Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): Further to the Premier on the same issue, if in fact it was considered to be unfair to the taxpayers in this very

narrow band of income, and you were prepared to make some changes to the budget to be more fair, Mr Premier, why are you not prepared to listen to the literally hundreds of thousands of Ontarians

who are saying the entire tax is unfair? How can you continue to say, as you are quoted in the paper, "When you put your head on the pillow at night and the house is quiet and you're alone with

your thoughts, there is only one thing that counts: Do you think you're doing the right thing?"

Premier, when you are alone and when it is quiet and you're listening to your thoughts, do you not hear your conscience tell you that you did the wrong thing

by taxing people without having either the moral or the legal authority to do that? Can you explain how your mind can allow you the peace of mind to do what you did?

Hon Mr Sorbara: The right thing and the courageous thing and the appropriate thing and the reasonable thing and the necessary thing, having

inherited a financial mess left by the previous administration -- I repeat, sir, during good economic times, that party and that administration allowed Ontario to fall to an annual deficit of $6

billion. Faced with that, we did the courageous thing and the appropriate thing, consisting of two elements: a very strict management of our expenditures over the course of the next four years and

an Ontario health premium that will provide the resources to give us the best public health care system on the continent.

Mr Klees: The finance minister and the Premier will continue to stand in their place and defend the indefensible. What they have done, first

of all, is they have not been straight with the people of Ontario about the financial circumstances in this province. The fact of the matter is that they were able, through a single bookkeeping

entry, to move $3.9 billion out of the deficit column just like that. I'd like to know from the finance minister how he can make a simple entry and remove $3.9 billion out of a deficit that he

himself, through a single entry, added to that deficit to confuse the people of Ontario and convince them that he had a supposed mess. The only mess he has is in his ability to deal in a

responsible way with the books of this province.

Will the finance minister at least stand and admit that he is playing an Enron type of bookkeeping with the books of this province?

Hon Mr Sorbara: That sort of accusation is absolutely unacceptable. The member mentioned "indefensible." What would have been indefensible on

our part would be simply to sit back, do nothing, allow further deterioration of our health care system, allow further chaos in our schools and allow the deficit spiral to continue to drive this

wonderful and affluent province further into debt. That would have been indefensible.

I want to say to my friend that the bill I introduced on budget day, the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, will ensure that in future no government

will be allowed to hide the kind of deficit they hid in their final year in office.

DOCTOR SHORTAGE

Mrs Elizabeth Witmer (Kitchener-Waterloo): My question is for the Premier. There are tens of thousands of Ontarians who do not have timely

access to physicians. In fact, we know there are about 136 underserviced communities and we are short about 2,000 specialists and family doctors. It is very important to increase the capacity for

assessing and training foreign-trained doctors.

Despite your promise to provide timely access in this budget, we do not see any additional funding to provide for increasing the supply of foreign-trained

professionals. There's no money in here for increasing the assessment and the training positions.

In fact, I would say to you, Premier, that our government put in place the eight-point plan. Where is your money --

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Premier.

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I want to thank the member for the question. In fact, she is dead wrong

on this issue. We are investing an additional $12 million for international medical graduate training in the sector this year as part of our budget commitment to health care. That is 12 million new

dollars to access that talent, which has been paid for at the expense of taxpayers living in other parts of the world. We think it would be absolutely foolhardy not to capitalize on that investment

made by other taxpayers. In order to accelerate that process, we are investing another $12 million in our international medical graduate training and assessment practices.

Mrs Witmer: There is no new money here beyond the measures that we put in place to increase the supply of new physicians: the eight-point plan

under Mr Clement and the expert panel that I set up.

I want to ask you, are you prepared to increase access? Are you prepared to provide the funding that would allow every international medical graduate to be

assessed? And if they are eligible, are you prepared to provide the funding for these physicians in order that the people in this province can have access to physicians?

Hon Mr McGuinty: If we asked this question once, we must have asked it 100 times when we sat on that side of the House and that then minister

sat on this side of the House. We are going way beyond this investment of $12 million for international medical graduates, because one of the other messes we have to clean up, in fact one of the

pressing, urgent problems we have to address, is the fact that close to one million Ontarians can't find a family doctor. That is part of the legacy of the previous government. In addition to this

investment, we are investing close to $600 million in 150 family health teams, which will be established throughout the province -- teams that bring together doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses

and others of the health care profession so we can provide better practice in the community and greater access for our families.

Mrs Witmer: It's obvious that the Premier is confused. He refuses to recognize that we introduced the expert panel to take a look at health

resources. It was Mr Clement who put aside funding of $36.4 million, and this government has not added any money or introduced any new measures.

I ask you again, are you prepared to provide the funding to assess every international medical graduate in order to provide access for people in this province?

And are you prepared to provide the funding for those who are eligible to continue their training in order that they can practise in this province to address the doctor shortage?

Hon Mr McGuinty: What we won't do is spend $400 million to fire thousands of nurses who are desperately needed in Ontario hospitals. I made

reference to the fact that we are investing, as a result of this budget, $12 million more for international medical graduate training and assessments. We are doubling the number of residency

positions -- in fact, more than doubling -- from 90 to 200 in Ontario so we can access that foreign-trained talent.

HEALTH PREMIUMS

Mr Michael Prue (Beaches-East York): My question is to the Premier.

Hon Marie Bountrogianni (Minister of Children and Youth Services, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration): Nice tie.

Mr Prue: You like the tie. Good.

Premier, your health care premium is a mistake, I would suggest, of monumental proportions. It is in fact an income tax surcharge on people of modest and

middle income.

Yesterday, you made a statement in this House that all of the citizens would pay income tax on the premiums that employers used to pick up. This is a

disincentive to workers who bargain; this is a disincentive to people who were allowed under the previous Peterson government until 1989. We would like you to admit one thing: that this is just a

regressive income tax surcharge and it has nothing whatsoever to do with health.

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I'm delighted to have this opportunity to speak to this matter once

more. Every single penny generated by this new premium, $1.6 billion this year, will be invested in better-quality health care for the people of Ontario. As a result of this premium, today the

Minister of Health was able to make a very important announcement in the field of public health care. We have announced today the first comprehensive changes in public health since the 1980s. As a

result of this premium, $41.7 million more will be invested through our Operation Health Protection. With that we are going to establish a new Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Agency, and we

are going to be able to hire more medical and scientific staff in public labs -- in fact, 180 more infectious disease positions in our public health units across the province. We are going to put

ourselves in a much better position, so that should we unfortunately have to address a disease like SARS, we will be able to manage it more effectively.

Mr Prue: This is nothing more than a tax that you have imposed on the people of Ontario. It is not a premium at all. In the past, before 1989,

employers paid 70% of this regressive tax. In fact, the only part that made the tax fair in those days was that 70% of people had it paid by their employers. Today, none of it can be paid by the

employers because of the legislation you have tabled before us in the last couple of weeks.

My question to you is very simple: This is a levy against middle-class and middle-income people. You're calling it a premium because you had no other way to

sell it. Admit it. That's why you called it a premium and not a tax.

Hon Mr McGuinty: I think putting ourselves in a position where we have the necessary infrastructure and the necessary capacity to cope with

frightening new diseases like SARS is very important. One of the things this premium will enable us to do is build that capacity, build that infrastructure so we can better manage those kinds of

diseases.

This is what Dr Sheela Basrur, who is our chief medical officer of health, said about our announcement this morning: "Operation Health Protection addresses the

deficiencies in the public health system that were noted in all of the reports we have received on the SARS crisis." We are not going to sit on our hands. We are going to take the necessary steps

to put ourselves in a position, whether it's in our hospitals or in our local public health units, to better manage and better defeat diseases like SARS.

Mr Prue: This so-called premium is nothing but a surtax in drag. I have to tell you that is what this is. You call it a premium. We call it a

real surtax. You had a whole hundred ways of making this fairer. You could have taxed people who earn above $100,000 a year by putting back the surtax the Tories took off. That would have made you

$1.6 billion -- every penny you needed. But you chose not to do that. Instead you chose to attack people like single mothers with $30,000 of income by charging them a 24% increase.

My question to you is quite simple: Why did you sock it to middle-income people? Why did you sock it to single mothers with one or two children? Why not the

myriad of options you had? Why not those people who could afford it?

Hon Mr McGuinty: Again, the facts are not incidental, and we happen to believe they are important: 48% of seniors pay nothing by way of this

new premium; 43% of Ontario tax filers pay nothing; 37% of families pay nothing. If you are earning $20,000 of taxable income, under this new premium you will pay nothing. But under the NDP budget,

if you earned $20,000 of taxable income you paid an additional $160 in taxes.

In addition, when it comes to this public health announcement that we made today, we are also establishing for the first time increased independence for the

chief medical officer of health. We think that is another important step to take to ensure that we are standing on guard against these new kinds of diseases. We are vesting in the chief medical

officer of health the authority to blow the whistle, to stand up and say to the government, "It's important that you take these steps." That did not exist in the past. We will do what is necessary

to ensure that we can deal with these diseases.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Ms Marilyn Churley (Toronto-Danforth): My question is for the Premier. I would like you to get your budget out and turn to page 12, because

one look at page 12 of your budget makes me very worried. You've lumped the environment in with what you call other ministries that have their spending slashed by 12% next year. That's $36 million

less to fight for clean water and clean air, and it also breaks your promise to protect the environment. Why are you slashing the budget of the Ministry of the Environment?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): Minister of the Environment.

Hon Leona Dombrowsky (Minister of the Environment): I'm very happy to have this opportunity to correct the presentation that has been made in

terms of this government and its lack of commitment to the environment. Quite the opposite: We are very committed to the environment.

If you look at the capital commitments for the Ministry of the Environment, I'm happy to explain that last year there were capital monies set aside that were

not spent. This year, the ministry believes that we're going to move forward, but the amount that was previously budgeted is not what we will require, and that's what is reflected in this

document.

Ms Churley: We're talking about the operating budget here. You are cutting it, starting in next year's budget, by 12%. You are hoping that we

didn't, and others won't, read the fine print; I have. They will notice when you start laying off drinking water inspectors whom you announced a few months ago. They'll notice if you lay off

scientists instead of hiring new ones. They'll notice that you've started to act just like Mike Harris, who slashed the ministry budget, but we all know that the road of environmental budget cuts

leads to Walkerton.

Premier, I'm going to come back to you and ask, if you aren't going to cut water inspectors, what other environmental programs will you cut to meet your 12%

target?

Hon Mrs Dombrowsky: The overall budget for the Ministry of the Environment has increased from $285 million to $317.4 million. That is an 11.2%

increase.

With respect to the member's comments that we should know what cuts to the environment bring us, I would suggest that the NDP would know that very well because

in 1993 the NDP cut the environment by $44 million. In 1994, the NDP cut the Ministry of the Environment by $212 million. In 1995, the NDP cut the Ministry of the Environment by $220 million.

This government is spending more at the Ministry of the Environment than has been spent there in 10 years.

Ms Churley: I would expect that the Minister of the Environment would have looked a little bit more closely at the fine print and discovered

that the NDP took $200 million out of the Ministry of the Environment and put it into the Clean Water Agency. We in fact invested more money in the Ministry of the Environment to protect our water

than any other government before. She should know better.

Yesterday you made a big deal of your smog announcement. You made a big deal of getting tough with industrial polluters, but tougher standards mean little if

there aren't the people to enforce them -- and we know that, don't we, Minister? It gives you a nice announcement but little in the way of cleaner air. You're going to end up depending on industry

to voluntarily comply with your standards. Why are you saying you're getting tough with industrial polluters on the one hand while cutting enforcement with the other?

Hon Leona Dombrowsky: I'm very happy to remind the member opposite that in eight months, this government has hired water inspectors. This

government has stopped the Adams mine. This government has placed strong limits on pollution. I am proud that this government is investing in our environment. We are investing in clean water and

implementing all of O'Connor's recommendations. We are investing in source water protection. We are investing and ensuring that we are taking a leading role in waste diversion. We are committed to

closing coal-fired generation so that people in this province have cleaner air.

This government is very committed to the environment. I'm proud of how we are investing the resources of this province.

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS

Mr Jim Flaherty (Whitby-Ajax): My question is for the Premier. Yesterday I raised in this place the issue of a teacher suspended for

inappropriate letters and so on with a 13-year-old boy in Barrie who's back volunteering in a public school in Barrie.

I want to raise the larger question today about the discipline function of the Ontario College of Teachers. Your Minister of Education is quoted as saying that

he wants to change the rules to make a majority of teachers on the board.

Teachers are already a majority on the board of the Ontario College of Teachers, Premier, as I'm sure you know. What your minister apparently means is that

unionized teachers should be the majority on the board of the Ontario College of Teachers, which raises the larger question about the discipline function and the governance function of the Ontario

College of Teachers as opposed to the advocacy function. I'm sure you understand the difference. The former chair, Joe Atkinson, says, "A proposal to increase teacher representation would put

teacher unions in charge of policing their own members." Will you assure parents and students in Ontario that you will not take that step?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I'm not sure there is anybody more adept in this Legislature when it

comes to driving in a wedge and trying to separate people. Here he wants to pick one of his favourite fights, with Ontario teachers. We're bringing in a different approach. In fact, when it comes

to the Ontario College of Teachers, what we are determined to do is ensure that, yes, the representation there is constituted by a majority of teachers, but we want to ensure that there's a strong

divide between the federation, the teachers' union, and classroom teachers. We are determined to ensure that those people who are sitting on the boards are not connected with federations, but

rather are assuming their responsibility to act as a regulatory and disciplinary body on behalf of Ontario teachers. What we're doing in fact is the very opposite of what the member suggests, and

we're doing it in a way that is reasonable and responsible.

Mr Flaherty: I'm sure it has nothing to do with the financial support for the Liberal Party from the Elementary Teachers' Federation, the

have his or her lawyer paid for by the union, the judge be the union and the prosecution be the union. Even you understand that that's wrong, that it violates the basic principles of fundamental

justice in Canada and in Ontario. Assure the people of Ontario that you will not do that. The Ontario College of Teachers is there to protect parents and students, not to protect union leaders.

Please assure the people that you won't take that step.

Hon Mr McGuinty: I've got some very disappointing news for the member. I have provided that assurance time and time again. It will pull out

from under him a plank he loves to stand on and create havoc from. We believe, and let me be perfectly clear about this, the Ontario College of Teachers, like every other disciplinary body, should

not be populated by federations or unions. We want classroom teachers sitting there charged with upholding the public interest and whose responsibility it is to ensure they're not there to

represent the federation or the unions but rather to uphold the public interest and high teaching standards. That's our position with respect to the college, notwithstanding the member's

indications to the contrary.

HYDRO RATES

Ms Marilyn Churley (Toronto-Danforth): I have a question to the Premier. Last fall, you said you were going to take the politics out of

setting hydro rates. You passed a bill that gave the Ontario Energy Board the right to set hydro rates no later than April 30 next year. But we've learned that you are giving yourself the right to

hide the cost of your new, privatized hydro scheme until after the next election. Your new bill, tabled last week, allows the cabinet to set rates until some future date that the cabinet will

determine by regulation. Why are you breaking your promise to take the politics out of setting hydro rates?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I know the Minister of Energy looks forward to speaking to this.

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): That's pure fiction. Bill 4 contained exactly the same privilege. The Ontario

Energy Board is on course for having the regulatory framework in place by April 2005.

Ms Churley: I suggest that you take out a copy of your own regulation. I have it right here. I can read; I can understand it. I'll tell you

why you're doing it. You know your new, private electricity contracts are going to drive costs through the roof but you're afraid that an unbiased board will pass that on to the consumers, which

would hurt your re-election chances, which are already severely undermined. So you're now pulling an Ernie Eves and you're trying to hide the true costs before the next election, and then plan to

dump them on the consumers after the election is over. Premier, will you amend your hydro bill to remove your ability to manipulate hydro rates? Will you keep your promise?

Interjection: Show some respect for Ernie.

Hon Mr Duncan: She should show some respect to Mr Eves, the former Premier of Ontario.

The member is just passing on fiction. She's right about the regulation.

Now let's talk about credibility and price fixing in electricity. Her government fixed electricity prices 43% higher in the first three years of their term.

That's electricity price fixing.

Let's talk about their other credibility gap. I call it the Howard Hampton credibility gap. In their 2003 platform they said they'd close the coal-fired plants

by 2007, and then on CBC Radio your leader said, "It's just not realistic." We think it's realistic and we're going to do it. On the question of supply, they did nothing except cancel demand-side

management, conservation programs.

That regulation was reflected in Bill 4. That is reflected in the legislation before this House. I look forward to debating the legislation at committee in the

summertime, and I look forward to passing it to undo the mess that the NDP and Conservatives left in the electricity sector.

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Mrs Donna H. Cansfield (Etobicoke Centre): My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. On Friday, Michael

Briere, the self-admitted killer of young Holly Jones, indicated that his crime had been motivated at least in part by surfing child pornography Web sites on the Internet.

We know that child pornography is a cancer that affects each and every community in this province, using innocent children to pose nude or to perform sexual

acts for the camera and apparently also in some cases leading to crimes against other children.

Minister, can you please tell this House what measures the government is taking to address the problem of child pornography?

Hon Monte Kwinter (Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services): I thank the member from Etobicoke Centre for her question. Let me

begin by saying that the exploitation of children, by whatever means, is obviously appalling and unconscionable. This government is committed to making sure that police have the tools and resources

they need to fight against the heinous crime of child exploitation.

The OPP has a special unit dedicated to investigating the criminal activity of child pornography. The OPP's child pornography

section is the first such unit in

Canada and is looked upon by other police services in Canada as a leader in investigating these types of crimes.

As you know, our government was pleased to announce yesterday that an additional $1 million in funding will be flowed to the OPP's child pornography

section to

enhance its current budget of $1.4 million. This underlines our government's strong commitment to addressing this very important issue. The additional funding will mean that the unit will be able

to increase its number of detectives, acquire technology and specialized training, and enhance its Web site so that parents and children have prevention tools and information.

Mrs Cansfield: My supplementary is for Minister Bryant. Given Michael Briere's statement that his crime was motivated at least in part by his

having surfed child porn sites on the Internet, what specifically is this government going to do to shut down these sites?

Hon Michael Bryant (Attorney General, minister responsible for native affairs, minister responsible for democratic renewal): I thank the

member for Etobicoke Centre for her question. It was a very chilling day last week. I think everybody understands that we've got to clean up our Internet superhighways so that we stop access to

child pornography. This is horrible, horrible, horrible and extremely harmful stuff.

We have said that we are going to work with Internet service providers, and many of these industry leaders have come to the government and said, "We want to

set a model for the world in terms of establishing protocols that will permit" these ISPs "to contact police officers so we can do what we need to do to shut down these sites."

We need to draw consumers into this fight across the land. I've spoken to the Attorney General for Manitoba in this regard with respect to Cybertip.ca in

seeing how we can better use it in the province of Ontario.

We are going to do everything we can -- province by province, nation by nation -- to stop child pornography from being transmitted across the Internet.

GASOLINE TAX

Mr Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Minister, during the last election campaign you and many of

your colleagues were travelling the province and committing to municipalities, rural municipalities as well as urban, that there would be a specific transfer of gasoline tax to help them with their

transportation-related infrastructure. We now have had a budget. That budget document seems to be indicating that those rural municipalities that were promised and were expecting some of that gas

tax transfer are now out of luck, because according to your budget documents, only transit will qualify for that transfer.

Minister, can you confirm for us here today that you are now breaking yet one more promise to the people of Ontario, or will you stand in your place and

confirm that in fact some of that gasoline tax will go to municipalities that do not have transit?

Hon Harinder S. Takhar (Minister of Transportation): I'm very, very pleased that our budget includes the gasoline tax for the municipalities.

We have not determined exactly how we will allocate those, and we are going to consult the municipalities to do that, but this money is for transit purposes and that's what it will be allocated

for.

Mr Klees: You will know that you have mail from municipalities, for example, like Halton Hills. They have asked you specifically to make a

commitment, given that they do not have transit in their municipalities but they do have other transportation-related needs. Can I then have your confirmation in this House today that in response

to municipalities like Halton Hills, and Halton Hills specifically, you will send them in writing a confirmation that they can expect a portion of that gasoline tax to go to their municipalities to

support them and provide assistance with their transportation-related infrastructure? Will you stand today and very clearly give a commitment to this House that you will do that?

Hon Mr Takhar: I'm surprised that this member will even ask me this question. They never allocated any money for the municipalities from the

gasoline tax, but we have. We're going to work with the municipalities to make sure that gets done.

I also want to inform the member opposite that we also have other programs, which includes $900 million that we will be allocating to the rural municipalities

as well. I also want to tell the member that we are fulfilling our promise a year ahead of schedule.

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay): My question is to the Premier. Last fall, you went around this province during the election saying that

you were going to lower auto insurance rates for the people of Ontario. I have yet another case; the phone calls are coming in every week. This case is of a young woman in Hearst who moved from the

province of Quebec. She used to pay basically $1,200 a year for a 1999 Mazda, came to Ontario, tried to buy auto insurance and was told it would be over $4,000. Premier, will you admit that private

auto insurance doesn't work and it's time for public auto in Ontario, as in Quebec?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): The Minister of Finance.

Hon Greg Sorbara (Minister of Finance): The very first thing we did, having assumed the responsibilities of government, was to put a freeze on

auto insurance rates, which had been going up year after year under the Conservative administration. Thereafter, we brought in a series of measures which I am proud to say are bringing down, for

the first time in years, the cost of auto insurance. A 10% reduction is pretty much universal across a wide variety of companies. More than that, we're now involved in the second phase of auto

insurance reform, which will have an even more powerful effect on lowering auto insurance premiums in this province.

Mr Bisson: I've just got to say, both to the Premier and to the finance minister, some freeze. This woman has had her auto insurance go up by

$3,200. That ain't a freeze, no matter how you cut it.

What galls people is that if we look at the profits of the auto insurance company -- 500% over last year. So will you admit that auto insurance in Ontario is

not working? People are being ripped off. We should go to public auto, as have Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Quebec.

Hon Mr Sorbara: Mr Speaker, you've been around here long enough to remember when public auto insurance was the rallying cry of the opposition

NDP. You were around here when the NDP was actually voted into power, from 1990 to 1995. And you were around here when then Premier Bob Rae stood in this House and said, to paraphrase somewhat, "I

made a mistake. Public auto insurance would not work in this province. It would cost thousands and thousands of jobs. It would not give Ontarians the kind of insurance they need."

His leader at that time admitted it. It is only because they're in opposition again now that they're undertaking that same refrain. I'm proud of the fact that

under our change in regulations, auto insurance premiums in Ontario are finally going down.

HIGH TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

Mrs Liz Sandals (Guelph-Wellington): My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. Minister, I would like to ask you

about one of the fastest-growing sectors in our economy, the high-tech sector. In my riding of Guelph-Wellington, we have a number of high-tech businesses that are successful thanks to a positive

economic climate which your ministry has helped create, and is continuing to foster.

However, I was reading in the Ottawa Business Journal yesterday about possible cuts to technology grant programs by Stephen Harper's federal Conservatives.

Business and industry reps have expressed their worry about a Harper-led Conservative government and their policies. Will a strategy of reckless Mike Harris-style tax cuts help the Ontario economy

and high-tech businesses?

Hon Joseph Cordiano (Minister of Economic Development and Trade): I thank the member for the question. It's obvious that the federal

Conservatives do not understand Ontario or Ontario's economy. In the recent budget, we made announcements that we will be investing in key strategic areas for the economy: in health care,

education, infrastructure, innovation and commercialization. For a stronger economy these are key investments.

Mr Harper's policies would jeopardize all that. He would have us in a race to the bottom for low-wage, low-skilled jobs. Those are the failed policies of the

Mike Harris era, and we're not going there. We want high-paying jobs, high-value-added jobs. That's what this government is going to invest in. That's what we're all about.

Mrs Sandals: In the business journal article, high-tech leader Debbie Weinstein was quoted as saying, "[They're] just going to get rid of

things ... without looking at the ... benefits they're creating to high-tech employment and commercialization."

I know that research and development, innovation and commercialization are important parts of our government's agenda for economic growth. These partnerships

with the private sector have been shown to create excellent economic benefits, and some tremendous success stories.

The McGuinty government knows that information, invention and innovation are the new pillars of economic strength and success. Why is Mr Harper putting forward

an economic policy that will be harmful to Ontario and put jobs of hard-working Ontarians at risk?

Hon Mr Cordiano: I'm very concerned about Mr Harper's policies and how they'll impact on Ontario's economy. We've worked very hard to forge a

partnership with the Liberal federal government. Obviously, Mr Harper is not interested in investing in greater prosperity. He wants to put tax cuts ahead of investing in prosperity for the

economy.

These are failed policies of the previous Conservative government in Ontario. I'm afraid that ideology would triumph over sound economic policies. That's a

recipe for disaster. We want to invest, and we'll continue to invest, in innovation, in R&D and in commercialization. The faster we get ideas to market with products, the greater the number of

high-paying jobs, the more value-added jobs. That's the kind of economy we want to build for Ontario.

I don't understand why the federal Conservatives don't get this, why they don't want to invest in Ontario. I think those are failed policies of the Mike Harris

era, and the people of Ontario don't want to see a return to that.

ENERGY ISSUES

Mr John O'Toole (Durham): My question is for the Minister of Energy, but I see he's not here at the moment. Perhaps I'll direct it to the

Premier. Premier, you must be familiar with your budget speech on page 23, and I'll read it here for you, if you wish. On page 23 there's a little chart that says, "Includes one-time revenue gain

of $3.9 billion related to the projected elimination of the liability for non-utility generator power purchase agreements in 2004-05."

Minister, I'd like you to explain this to the House. Where does the revenue of $3.9 billion come from, or is it simply an additional burden on the taxpayers?

What I'm understanding it to be, if I look at the question clearly, is that you increased the electricity rates -- we understand that -- in April, and I understand now that you're going to increase

the electricity rates for the second time -- another broken promise. Is this what I can read from this obscure comment on page 23 here?

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): No, we're not raising the price again. In fact, we're trying to deal with the

$1.8-billion mess you left on the province's books. You ought to be ashamed of yourself even asking the question.

We also cancelled all the contracts to the Tory friends at OPG and Ontario Hydro. Let me remind you, it was millions of dollars.

The non-utility generator contracts are electricity contracts. Liability for them will rest with ratepayers. This is consistent with our policy to have

consumers pay the true cost of electricity. Our goal in doing this is to free up the money for health and education. These are the priorities that Premier McGuinty and Minister Sorbara put into the

budget. We have to clean up the mess you left in health care, the mess you left in education and the mess, frankly, that you left at Ontario Hydro. It's not easy but we're doing it, and we're going

to make sure the legacy you left is wiped out and fixed once and for all.

Mr O'Toole: Some of what you're saying, that this liability rests with the ratepayers, that's just what the point was. It's really another

rate increase. The people of Ontario should be prepared for a second whack on this issue.

Minister, I'm going to change to a slightly different area in the energy file. I would like to say that your commitment to closing the five coal-fired plants

is a laudable objective. I completely support it.

Interjections.

Mr O'Toole: Let's pay close attention. However, it's another Liberal promise, so you must be a bit concerned when not one expert in the

industry believes you. Check the papers. Read the newspapers. Listen to the experts. There's not one who believes you. I'll put it to you simply, Minister: Would you resign if you fail to shut down

any one of the five coal-fired plants? Will you put your resignation and your promise on the table here today, or is it just another broken promise?

Hon Mr Duncan: No, I won't resign on that, number one. But what I will do, and we'll be outlining this: I don't know what experts you're

listening to, but the people of Ontario expect us to move on that commitment and to help clean up air quality.

Let's talk about what the Ontario Medical Association has said in terms of lives lost as a result of smog and air pollutants. Unlike you, we're not going to

give up. We've set an ambitious target and we're going to move heaven and earth to achieve it.

Let me tell you something else about that government. That is the government that said it would lower prices, and when they put their policy in place, prices

skyrocketed in an unprecedented fashion, to the point where the government of the day had to then put a cap on price that was paid for by the taxpayers of this province to the tune of $1.8

billion.

We're moving quickly to clean up the mess that government left in the energy sector, and we've set ambitious targets on coal. We will move heaven and earth to

achieve them.

COMMUNITY-BASED

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Mr Michael Prue (Beaches-East York): This is a question to the Minister of Community and Social Services. Madam Minister, this is a

non-partisan issue, so I want you to listen carefully to this. I have a constituent who has a psychiatric disability. He was found penniless, filthy, disoriented in a public park. The police

brought him to the doctor, brought him to the social worker, and they found him a home in a retirement home, for which he gets $930 a month. That $930 has now been removed by your department. They

say he can't have it because he gets his meals there and that he is no longer eligible to remain. The staff in your department are refusing to intervene unless there is an order in council. That is

up to you. That's what you do. If I give you the documentation here today, will you intervene? Will you stop that man from going back to being penniless, disoriented and filthy in a public

park?

Hon Sandra Pupatello (Minister of Community and Social Services, minister responsible for women's issues): I appreciate the member's concern

over a constituent of his. I'd be very happy to look at that file. I'm not aware of the kinds of rules that are prescribed for this particular case. I'm very happy to see whether or not the right

rules were applied. I can tell you that, generally, as you know, this government is moving forward to help people who really do need help. Based on the information you've provided to this House, it

certainly seems like this is one of those such cases, and I would be happy to look at this.

Mr Prue: Madam Minister, the regulations that are in place are very bad regulations. I'm not saying that you put them there, but they're very

bad, because this is not the lone individual who is seeing this. This is a very bad decision for this constituent. It's bad for the taxpayers, because if we remove him from the nursing home, then

he is eligible again for the $930, although he has no way to spend it, because he doesn't have the wherewithal to do the right things. And it is bad for the thousands of people like him, who are

caught in the same bind.

So what we are asking you to do, quite simply, is not only to look at this constituent, but what we need you to do is to look at the whole situation where a

person is removed from the nursing home and goes to a hospital at $430 a day versus $930 a month. That's $13,000 a month versus $1,000 a month; that's 13 times the money.

The general policy decision -- these people are marginalized and they're at risk, they're psychiatrically disabled. We need new rules. Not only will you help

this man, but will you look at the rules that are putting him there?

Hon Ms Pupatello: I know this member will be very pleased to have heard that our parliamentary assistant for this ministry, Deb Matthews, has

already instituted a review. We've included many, many people, groups, agencies and recipients in this review of the system. Neither you nor I is pleased with how Ontario Works or the disability

support is being delivered, because there are rules that simply don't make sense in many cases. I agree with that. We are looking at those rules.

You'll also note that some of these issues go beyond community and social services. All of us in this House are pleased to see the kind of investments in this

current budget around community mental health.

In your particular case, it sounds as though those are the kinds of initiatives we need to address, the right solutions to these people at the right time, so

that they are in the right place, not only to get care, a roof over their heads, but also the kind of supportive living that means they can live in the community where that's possible, and we

provide the right supports. I am happy to look at this case, and I know that you will help us, too, in this review, to see that we are applying fair and equitable rules to truly help people.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Mr Peter Fonseca (Mississauga East): My question is for the Minister of Energy. Some of the greatest challenges our government faces are those

in the electricity sector. Years of mismanagement and inaction by the previous two governments have made the need for change and decisive action even more urgent. On April 15, you outlined some of

the government's plans for change in this sector. Minister, with the legislation that you have introduced in this House, how is our government ensuring this sector is put back on solid footing

after years of Tory neglect?

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): What we know for certain is that if we had continued on the same path, we

would not be able to power the growth in our economy that's coming forward. Our electricity sector would have ceased to be the great enabler that it's been throughout most of Ontario's history.

We are putting Ontario back on a solid footing by taking a balanced approach.

First of all, we lifted the cap.

Second, we've now introduced legislation that will redefine the sector, and it provides for public ownership, provides for a new Ontario Power Authority and

provides for a new Ontario conservation bureau.

These initiatives, wrapped up with the Premier's commitment on conservation, wrapped up with the Premier's commitment to close the coal-fired plants in this

province, represent a dramatic shift that will provide price stability and reliability of electricity and help the sector become the great strength it was once before. That vision is laid out by

the Premier and is incorporated in our first bill, and we believe that at the end of four years prices will be stable, supply will be stable and the people of Ontario will be far better served by

their electricity sector.

Mr Fonseca: Minister, as you outlined in your statement to this House, the legislation, much like the operation of the sector, is complex. You

discussed an enhanced Ontario Energy Board. Furthermore, you mentioned the creation of the Ontario Power Authority, which would be responsible for procuring new supply, transmission and

demand-management initiatives, either by competition or by contract. The power authority would assess adequacy and the reliability of electricity resources and forecast future demand. It would also

prepare an integrated system plan for generation, transmission and conservation, to be reviewed by the Ontario Energy Board. You also spoke about the conservation bureau and the Independent

Electricity System Operator. Minister, how will these organizations help us with supply, conservation and reliability in the sector?

Hon Mr Duncan: Under our proposed changes, the Ontario Energy Board will continue to have a strong role in protecting consumers through

licensing and rate regulation. They would ensure the economic efficiency, cost effectiveness and financial viability of the various elements of Ontario's electricity system.

Consumer protection is a hallmark of our energy policy. The conservation bureau, as part of the Ontario Power Authority, will help us build a true conservation

culture. As Premier McGuinty has clearly stated, conservation must be a cornerstone of Ontario's long-term energy future.

With the bill before the House today, we are looking beyond the next four, eight and 12 years to ensure a reliable, sustainable and diverse supply of power at

stable, competitive prices for generations to come. We're taking action, because the McGuinty government recognizes that the health of this sector is vital to ensuring Ontario's economic

prosperity.

USER FEES

Mr Jerry J. Ouellette (Oshawa): My question is for the Premier. Premier, although you've stated that your budget has been well received, I can

tell you that the federal Liberal candidates in Oshawa aren't smiling. But, Mr Premier, the gift of taking doesn't end with the announcements that you've already made. The worst may be yet to come.

You see, Premier, in your budget on page 124, the last paragraph lists other fees and charges. It states on page 125, "... other smaller fee changes, will be provided by individual ministries

responsible, once arrangements and details are finalized."

Premier, the House is about to rise. Once it has risen, we won't have the opportunity to question you on these new tax increases. Can you, according to your

budget, tell us what these new tax increases are going to be?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): To the Minister of Finance, Speaker.

Hon Greg Sorbara (Minister of Finance): Virtually all additional fees and charges were itemized in the budget, a number of them applying to

courtroom fees. The reinstatement of a suspended driver's licence, for example, is up significantly. Others are very modest indeed and will have virtually no impact. I want to tell my friend that

he should not be holding his breath during the summer for additional announcements. Virtually all additional fees and levies have been itemized in the budget.

Mr Ouellette: Clearly it states that other small fee changes will be provided by the individual ministries. I wasn't really anticipating an

exact ministry breakdown. But according to page 124, "... ministries brought forward proposals that more closely link the cost of ... service and the associated benefits received."

Minister, can you at least let us know which ministries brought these proposals forward so we can anticipate -- at least your caucus members can anticipate

what calls they're going to receive through the summer?

Hon Mr Sorbara: Sir, one of the things that was, I think, most gratifying during the budget-making process was how hard individual ministers

and ministries worked to re-examine what was going on in their ministries and to make the shift, which is discussed in the budget, to results-based budgeting; in other words, looking for areas

where we were achieving the results that we want and placing resources there, and finding other areas where we were simply spending money but not achieving the results that are within the

priorities of this government. That process, budgeting for results, will characterize everything we do from here on throughout the life of this administration.

I want to repeat to my friend that he ought not to be expecting additional fees and levies. They are itemized here in the budget. They're the result of the

kind of work that every single minister went through in helping to prepare this budget, and we're all very proud of that work.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

Ms Andrea Horwath (Hamilton East): My question is to the Premier in the absence of the Minister of Education. I had the occasion to attend a

meeting last night in the riding of Hamilton East in the community of Rosedale. The meeting included hundreds of neighbours, parents and students of a Catholic elementary school called St

Christopher. The parents were stunned to learn that the separate school board is, in fact, contemplating the closure of their school. They feel betrayed. They believe that the government has broken

its promise for a moratorium on the closure of schools. I ask the Premier, will you commit to ensuring St Christopher is not closed?

Hon Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): I'm sure the member will recognize that we have made a significant

investment through our budget and our four-year plan in public education. Instead of investing money in private education, as the previous government wanted to do, we are investing in our public

schools -- $2.6 billion into our schools over the course of our mandate. We are determined to have lower class sizes, to hire at least 1,000 new teachers and to train lead teachers for literacy and

numeracy in each and every one of our elementary schools.

Ms Horwath: The minister can make all the announcements he wants, and the Premier can reinforce those announcements here in the Legislature

but, quite frankly, the bottom line is that schools like St Christopher are often the glue that holds neighbourhoods together. In fact, this school was described by the parents and the neighbours

of this community as a Shangri-La in the neighbourhood. Will you guarantee, I ask once again to the Premier, that St Christopher will remain open and continue to be a Shangri-La for that

community?

Hon Mr McGuinty: Certainly I can well understand the respect and affection and feeling that parents develop for a local school. I know that

the Minister of Education is working hard, not only with individuals within the ministry, but with all those who are committed to public education, including those at our school boards, to develop

a better funding formula that recognizes the value that people attach to their local schools.

We have put in place a moratorium. We've asked school boards to honour that moratorium as we work hard to develop a better funding formula. But at the end of

the day, that decision rests with the local school boards. What we're doing is urging the school board, and school boards throughout the province, to put those decisions in abeyance while we revise

the funding formula and draft a funding formula that is better suited to ensuring that we recognize the value of our local schools.

PETITIONS

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

Mr Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and it reads as follows:

"Re support for chiropractic services in Ontario health insurance plan ...

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the decision announced in the May 18, 2004, provincial budget and maintain OHIP

coverage for chiropractic services, in the best interests of the public, patients, the health care system, government and the province."

It's signed by a considerable number of my constituents, and I have affixed my signature to it as well.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): I ask members to leave quietly, as we have a rotation of petitions. The member from Etobicoke North.

Mr Shafiq Qaadri (Etobicoke North): I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas elimination of OHIP coverage will mean that many of the 1.2 million patients who use chiropractic will no longer be able to access the health care

they need;

"Those with reduced ability to pay -- including seniors, low-income families and the working poor -- will be forced to seek care in already overburdened family

physician offices and emergency departments;

"Elimination of OHIP coverage is expected to save $93 million in expenditures on chiropractic treatment at a cost to government of over $200 million in other

health care costs; and

"There was no consultation with the public on the decision to delist chiropractic services;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the decision announced in the May 18, 2004, provincial budget and maintain OHIP

coverage for chiropractic services, in the best interests of the public, patients, the health care system, government and the province," and especially for the MPP from Durham.

I present this to our page, Ian, for presentation to you.

The Speaker: Petitions? I have to give it to the leader of the official opposition.

Mr Ernie Eves (Leader of the Opposition): I am pleased to present to the House a petition signed by 2,600 Ontarians, many of whom are

constituents of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, requesting that the government reverse the short-sighted and ill-advised decision to eliminate OHIP funding for chiropractic services, and I am

pleased to affix my signature thereto.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Mr Bruce Crozier (Essex): I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario signed by hundreds.

"Whereas, since Bill 99 was passed in 1997 by the Harris government, the situation for injured workers with respect to income, recognition of their injuries by

the compensation system, treatment by the employer and opportunities for re-employment has dramatically deteriorated; and

"Whereas employers have more power today to frustrate and intimidate injured workers and are less accountable for their actions; and

"Whereas employers are increasingly putting greater effort into avoiding reporting of claims and associated costs than into preventing injuries; and

"Whereas the compensation system is increasingly more concerned about minimizing costs for employers than ensuring full compensation for workers; and

"Whereas it is the responsibility of the provincial government to ensure fair and adequate compensation for workers and to ensure healthy and safe

workplaces;

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

"To direct the provincial government to immediately: change the name of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board back to the Workers' Compensation Board;

implement full cost-of-living protection for injured workers; establish full coverage for all workers and all work-related disabilities and diseases under the compensation system; abolish

experience rating, which encourages employers to, and rewards them for, hiding occupational injury and illness by giving them money back from their premiums; enforce health and safety in the

workplace by hiring more inspectors and sending them to workplaces; enforce employer re-employment obligations and abolish provisions which deem workers to be receiving wages from jobs they don't

have; and conduct a complete review of the workers' compensation system in order to write new legislation which ensures fundamental benefits and rights for workers, including survivors of workers

killed on the job, as called for in the CAW `jobs or full compensation' platform."

HIGHWAY 44

Mr Norman W. Sterling (Lanark-Carleton): "To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the province no longer maintains Highway 44 linking the town of Almonte to Highway 417 and the provincial highway system and, in addition, has not

installed nighttime lighting of any kind at the exit number 155 interchange;

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

"That the provincial government petition the city of Ottawa to change the name of the former Highway 44 from March Road to Almonte Road from exit 155 to

Highway 417 to the city boundary with the town of Mississippi Mills; and

"That the provincial government install suitable nighttime lighting at interchange 155 on Highway 417."

I've signed it.

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

Ms Andrea Horwath (Hamilton East): I was very graciously provided this petition that was collected by Doctors Roberta Koch and Ira Acetti, who

are doctors of chiropractic in the area of Hamilton East.

The petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario regarding "support for chiropractic services in Ontario health insurance plan:

"Whereas elimination of OHIP coverage will mean that many of the 1.2 million patients who use chiropractic will no longer be able to access the health care

they need;

"Those with reduced ability to pay -- including seniors, low-income families and the working poor -- will be forced to seek care in already overburdened family

physician offices and emergency departments;

"Elimination of OHIP coverage is expected to save $93 million in expenditures on chiropractic treatment at a cost to the government of over $200 million in

other health care costs; and

"There was no consultation with the public on the decision to delist chiropractic services;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the decision announced in the May 18, 2004, provincial budget and maintain OHIP

coverage for chiropractic services, in the best interests of the public, patients, health care system, government and the province."

I'm pleased to forward this petition and affix my signature thereon.

Mr Richard Patten (Ottawa Centre): I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for support for chiropractic services in the

Ontario health insurance plan.

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the decision announced in the May 18, 2004, provincial budget and maintain OHIP

coverage for chiropractic services, in the best interests of the public, patients, the health care system, government and the province."

OPTOMETRISTS

Mr Cameron Jackson (Burlington): "Whereas the last funding agreement between the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario

Association of Optometrists expired on March 31, 2000;

"Whereas the optometric fees for OHIP-insured services remain unchanged since 1989; and

"Whereas fees for OHIP services do not provide for fair or reasonable compensation for the professional services of optometrists in that they no longer cover

the costs of providing eye examinations; and

"Whereas it is in the best interests of patients and the government to have a new funding agreement for insured services that will ensure that the most

vulnerable members of society are able to receive the eye care they need;

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

"That the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care resume negotiations immediately with the OAO and appoint a mediator to help with the negotiation process in

order to ensure that the optometrists can continue to provide quality eye care services to patients in Ontario."

It has my signature of support.

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

Mr Jeff Leal (Peterborough): "To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Re support for chiropractic services in Ontario health insurance plan:

"Whereas elimination of OHIP coverage will mean that many of the 1.2 million patients who use chiropractic care will no longer be able to access the health

care they need; and

"Those with reduced ability to pay -- including seniors, low-income families and the working poor -- will be forced to seek care in already overburdened family

physician offices and emergency departments; and

"Elimination of OHIP coverage is expected to save $93 million in expenditures on chiropractic treatment at a cost to the government of over $200 million in

other health care costs; and

"There was no consultation with the public on the decision to delist chiropractic services;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the decision announced in the May 18, 2004, provincial budget and maintain OHIP

coverage for chiropractic services, in the best interests of the public, patients, the health care system