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May 10, 2011

39th Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2011-May-10 (PDF)

L118 - Tue 10 May 2011 / Mar 10 mai 2011

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 10 May 2011 Mardi 10 mai 2011

ORDERS OF THE DAY

BETTER TOMORROW

FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 SUR DES LENDEMAINS

MEILLEURS POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

SECURITIES INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

ENERGY POLICIES

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

GASOLINE PRICES

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

JOB CREATION

JOB CREATION

HYDRO RATES

HYDRO RATES

SOCIAL SERVICES

SMART METERS

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

VISITORS

DEFERRED VOTES

BETTER TOMORROW

FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 SUR DES LENDEMAINS

MEILLEURS POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

SECURITIES INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY

FUNDRAISING

BRENT ROBILLARD

PAUL PRIMEAU

RYAN ELLIS /

MARK VISENTIN

LAND USE PLANNING

YOUTH SERVICES

HINDU HERITAGE CENTRE

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY

REPORTS BY COMMITTEES

STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

917866 ONTARIO INC. ACT, 2011

FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVICES

AMENDMENT ACT, 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 MODIFIANT LA LOI

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

NURSING WEEK /

SEMAINE DES SOINS INFIRMIERS

PETITIONS

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

REPLACEMENT WORKERS

HOME CARE

HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATMENT

HOME WARRANTY PROGRAM

CHILD CUSTODY

WIND TURBINES

FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES

DOG OWNERSHIP

PARAMEDICS

ORDERS OF THE DAY

FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION

AMENDMENT ACT, 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 MODIFIANT

LA

LOI SUR LA PRÉVENTION

ET LA PROTECTION CONTRE L’INCENDIE

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Good morning. Please remain standing for the Lord’s Prayer, followed by the Buddhist prayer.

Prayers.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

BETTER TOMORROW

FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 SUR DES LENDEMAINS

MEILLEURS POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

Mr. Phillips, on behalf of Mr. Duncan, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 173,

An Act respecting 2011 Budget measures, interim appropriations and other matters / Projet de loi 173, Loi concernant les mesures budgétaires de 2011, l’affectation anticipée de crédits et d’autres questions.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Debate?

Hon. Gerry Phillips: I will be relatively brief, in that my colleague the parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Finance will want to speak more fully on this. Briefly, the budget, and then the budget bill which implements the portions of the budget that need legislation, are designed to accomplish, really, among other things, five key things.

To continue to see job creation: I think members on all sides were very happy last Friday with the job creation numbers that we saw in the province of Ontario. Ontario now has recovered all the jobs lost in the recession, which is, by the way, not the case in other jurisdictions—in the US, in the UK and elsewhere. That was good news on Friday, and I think it indicates that the economy has turned the corner. We look forward to a continuation of job creation.

The budget bill also protects many of the important things that we want to see in education: the addition of, I think, 60,000 additional college and university spaces—very much an investment for Ontario’s future—and the implementation of full-day kindergarten.

We’re also continuing to make progress in the health care area, with 90,000 more breast cancer screening exams and something that the committee on mental health, the all-party committee, strongly recommended, and that is significant advances in children’s mental health. It’s certainly something all of us heard in the pre-budget consultations.

Also, the budget bill helps to continue with the plan to eliminate our deficit. The 2010-11 deficit is now $3 billion lower than we forecast a year ago, which is good news. We have a plan in the budget and the budget bill to eliminate the deficit. We have a very well-regarded Ontario individual, called Don Drummond, who has terrific background experience and who will be looking at something called the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services. We look forward to his work.

Finally, the budget bill and the budget have a solid plan for eliminating the deficit but, at the same time, protecting what we regard as essential public services: the education area, health care, infrastructure, our relationship with our municipalities, the environment and elsewhere.

With those brief remarks, the debate will continue. As I say, I look forward to our parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Finance speaking further on this this morning.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate?

Mr. Norm Miller: I’m pleased to be able to join in the debate today on Bill 173, the budget bill. I should note right off the top that it’s a big bill—I’ve got the binder on it right here—with some 41 different schedules. Of course, it’s been time-allocated, so for third reading we have all of an hour to debate it. It means, with sharing my time with my other committee member, the member from Haldimand–Norfolk, I get all of 10 minutes to discuss this bill.

There was all of one day of public hearings, with very little notice, so as a member of the public or someone interested in the budget process you had to be on your toes to even know that it was happening and be quick enough to be able to make a submission. Despite that, we did have one full day of public hearings, but certainly the new theme for the government these days seems to be secrecy, and I’ll discuss that as it relates to this bill.

We just learned this week, with regard to the wage freeze announced in last year’s budget, that the McGuinty government actually had signed a deal with OPSEU, affecting some 38,000 people, that gives them a secret pay increase of 1% in 2012—conveniently beyond the next election.

We look at the track record of this government: They passed the G20 law in secrecy, and the general public was in the dark about that particular law. As the opposition, we continue to ask questions about the secret Samsung deal, the $7-billion deal that is sure to drive electricity bills that families and seniors are paying even higher. We’ve been asking questions after the sunshine list came out and Ron Sapsford, who hasn’t worked for the Ministry of Health for a couple of years, appeared on it. I believe he received $762,000 last year, but it seems to be a secret why he received this money.

We’ve been asking questions about that. It goes on and on: the details of the government’s change of mind on the Oakville generation plant. There are many, many more examples.

But as it pertains to this bill, in the short time I have available to speak: Of the 41 schedules,

schedule 15 garnered the most interest at the public hearings stage. That has to do with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; an exemption under FIPPA for health care professionals on hospital committees to ensure medical concerns are encouraged; to enable evaluation of quality of health care programs and services provided by a hospital. There was a tremendous volume of feedback to the inclusion of this

schedule from individuals and families.

It is increasingly clear that the health care community is divided on the topic of FIPPA exemptions provided in

schedule 15. Registered nurses, the Ontario Nurses’ Association, are against exempting hospital committees from freedom-of-information requests. I received more than 500 emails from nurses absolutely opposed to this secrecy provision in

schedule 15. One of those reads:

“I write to record my belief that the hospital secrecy amendment is harmful to public trust in the health care system. It undermines transparency and accountability. The process by which this amendment is now buried in budget Bill 173 is anti-democratic. If this amendment passes, I believe that the information which will be off limits may put lives at risk.” That’s from one of the 500 nurses that I received emails from.

I was also copied on another letter from the Service Employees International Union, one of the top health care unions in Canada. They represent more than 50,000 health care and community service workers across the country. You’d think the people working the system might be opposed to this transparency that would come about, but they’re very much against this hospital secrecy provision. Here is some of what they had to say to the head of the Ontario Hospital Association:

“We welcome your effort at open dialogue, and always appreciate the opportunity for constructive engagement with fellow health care stakeholders. Indeed, we encourage the CEOs of Ontario hospitals to extend this same spirit of openness to the public when information about quality of care is being requested. We [the SEIU] are committed to improving value and quality for Ontarians through evidence-based health care.

“Giving CEOs back the power to exempt information on quality from public disclosure would seriously undermine this progress, weakening accountability and undermining the drive for quality. That is why we are encouraging hospitals CEOs to embrace change and accept that the culture of entitlement and secrecy must end. Indeed, as an organization that receives public funding and plays such a key role in our public hospital system, we would encourage the OHA itself to meet the same standards of transparency expected of its members and voluntarily submit itself to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

“Evidence-based research on quality of care improvement efforts directs us to the fact that it is in the interest of Ontarians that hospitals disclose all quality data—excluding identifying information—so the public knows what publicly funded hospitals are doing to improve quality of care in their facilities. Current legislation ensures the protection of hospital medical staff and the support of a safe environment to discuss quality of care improvement efforts.

“Schedule 15 will hinder quality improvement efforts in hospitals. Simply put, there is abundant evidence that opening hospital performance data will improve quality of care.”

That’s signed by Eoin Callan, SEIU health care.

As I mentioned earlier, families are writing to express concern. I’ve received this email from a parent:

“I have been made aware of Bill 173 s15 that you are trying to pass. As a mother of an autistic child I am horrified at the implication of secrecy.

“My career is in the health care field and I am so against the legislation taking effect....

“Nurses and doctors should not be allowed to hide any information of patients suffering or dying from their errors, lack of judgment or negligence. Health care professionals should not be excused from this.

“This is so terrifying and has to be stopped. It affects all of our lives.”

I think the lack of transparency that hundreds are writing to us about is a very real concern. It’s a point that was underscored again last week, as I mentioned previously, with the news about Mr. McGuinty’s secret wage deal for Ontario public service employees: an adjustment of 1% on top of a scheduled wage increase of 2% for 2012. That’s in contrast to Mr. McGuinty’s statement on the need to rein in spending.

The document came to light because the chairwoman of the Ontario Labour Relations Board rejected the government’s request to permanently seal records of an adjustment that is over and above a four-year collective agreement struck between OPSEU and the government back in 2008. It has many employers wondering out loud about the other side deals that the McGuinty government has made. We asked a question yesterday in the Legislature about the many groups supporting the Working Families Coalition; if they’re getting special deals on the side from the McGuinty government that are, once again, secret.

The chair of the Toronto Police Services Board said, “It doesn’t help anybody when there has been a secret arrangement that has to come out in this way.”

The CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital commented that the deal makes it difficult for him to continue preaching restraint at his hospital, where non-unionized workers’ pay has been frozen for five years. This backroom deal is just another example of the secretive nature of the McGuinty government.

Madam Speaker, I can see I’m just about out of time, so I’m not even going to be able to get through my prepared notes. I would just like to talk about some other schedules briefly in the minute and a half I have left.

Schedule 17 is the Gaming Control Act. It sets gaming standards and requires the OLGC to follow registrar standards for rules of play and regulation. It incorporates gaming-related offences.

We heard from Dave Bryans, president of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association. He commented that this

schedule appears to be quietly opening the floodgates for Internet gaming without the announced consultation process with all stakeholders. They want to know if the consultation promised by the government in the area of Internet gaming will proceed. That’s certainly a valid concern, whether it’s just going to be another secret process.

Just like the last finance bill, this has many, many different schedules; there are 41 in total.

Schedule 14 makes changes to the Estate Administration Tax Act. That’s another one that looks like it’s a vehicle to collect more tax.

Schedule 33 authorizes new borrowing of $28.3 billion to feed the McGuinty government’s tax-and-spend ways.

I’ve mentioned that they’ve failed at restraint so that they’re again going to have a double-digit deficit this year of some $16 billion. They borrowed $39 billion last year. They’re on track to double the debt of the province, spending $10.2 billion on interest this year to service the debt they’ve built up. That’s more than they spend on the whole post-secondary education sector. This bill allows them to borrow another $28.3 billion to continue with their tax-and-spend ways.

Madam Speaker, so that I allow time for the member from Haldimand–Norfolk, I will conclude that the PC Party will not be supporting this McGuinty government budget bill that facilitates their overspending tax-and-spend ways and allows them to continue with their hospital secrecy provisions.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate? We’re going in rotation. Are you going to go?

Mr. Toby Barrett: We’re sharing time.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Okay. The member for Haldimand–Norfolk.

Mr. Norm Miller: We’re supposed to go in rotation.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Whatever you’d like.

Mr. Toby Barrett: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Tabuns.

My point in this debate, to borrow from the title of the bill, is that transparency is key to a healthy tomorrow for Ontario. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and while most budget deliberations obviously focus on spending plans, our finance committee proceedings were sidetracked recently by a two-line amendment this government hoped to bury. I’m referring to the hospital secrecy law that was snuck in by this McGuinty government.

Schedule 15 of Bill 173, the Better Tomorrow for Ontario Act, changes the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and does threaten to derail transparency and accountability measures that were gained just a few months ago, just before Christmas.

As far as

schedule 15 goes, it’s an amendment to FIPPA, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. It’s a small, fairly discreet line in the overall budget bill, but it’s one that has garnered considerable attention, as we just heard from the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka. For example, I’d suggest people Twitter Cybele Sack at Right2SafeCare.

Originally, Bill 122 was brought in to clean house after the eHealth scandal, put hospitals under FIPPA and ban the use of taxpayer-funded lobbyists. Here we are today with a hospital secrecy bill buried in a budget. It’s clearly not a budgetary item—and this is alarming; it’s not a budgetary item at all.

Schedule 15 has no business being in this legislation. That’s why we voted against it. We truly question the placement of this line in the budget bill.

We understand that there are groups that lobbied for this in the legislation. They did so without any public consultation. None of them testified before the finance committee. We only had one day of hearings, on short notice. People had very little time to prepare.

As I’ve indicated, this amendment takes aim at hospital transparency measures—as were called for just last December in the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act—to enable hospitals to shield from public scrutiny any information about quality of care produced for or by a hospital committee. Some may recall that the 2010 accountability act was a response, again, to that series of revelations that offended taxpayers: the lavish spending by consultants and executives and, of course, the eHealth scandal.

Now we have this amendment, introduced March 29. It was introduced due to what the Minister of Health publicly acknowledged was a campaign of persuasion on the part of hospital CEOs. We heard in committee that CEOs took in 10% to 14% pay increases at a time when hospital budgets were increasing by about 1.5%.

At the time, the Minister of Health described the accountability act as a process of pulling out the fridge to see what’s behind: “It’s not something you want to do, there might be a mess back there, but at the end of the day, it has to be done.” And again, as I heard on committee, “You have to bring sunlight and you have to be ready to expose and to clean up misuse of public funds that would otherwise erode public confidence.” Again, I’ll quote Louis Brandeis: “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.”

But now, five months forward, on the finance committee, both PC colleague Norm Miller, NDP Peter Tabuns and myself were outvoted in our attempt to delete

schedule 15, clearly a government move to block that sunshine I was talking about and reverse themselves as far as cleaning up the mess behind the refrigerator.

A number of witnesses came forward, a number from my riding of Haldimand–Norfolk. Dunnville’s Ed Vander Vegte pointed out to members of the committee that “access to all medical records is necessary to determine if negligence has indeed occurred. Access to medical information is also necessary to determine if the negligence is ongoing and how many patients have been affected.”

Another constituent, Kim Hessels from Dunnville, testified that

schedule 15 appears to “discriminate against the vulnerable as they prioritize resources above patient safety....

“It seems clear to me that

schedule 15 will prevent me and others from gaining access to documents to better understand how our hospitals are run regarding who gets care and who does not.”

Adding to the secrecy concerns was the recent report from a large law firm advising hospitals to avoid any eHealth-type scandals by “cleansing” files before they become publicly available. There was a four-page memo that said hospitals face “significant reputational risks” from freedom of information legislation and they advised hospitals to consider “cleansing existing files on or before December 31, 2011.”

It is worth noting that a year ago, we in opposition introduced the Truth in Government Act, proposing measures to create more openness and more accountability across all of government, including hospitals. Regrettably, at the time, government members voted against taxpayer protection and the greater accountability measures that were found in that particular piece of legislation.

As Kim Hessels concluded in her deputation before the finance committee, “I believe it is time for Ontario citizens to have full transparency and accountability in all matters related to the health care they receive....

“We may not have all the answers or the right answers, but as parents and as citizens, we’d like to be involved.”

Here is another opinion. This is from Ken Anderson. He’s from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. I’ll quote Ken Anderson: “I would like to emphasize that designating hospitals as institutions under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act would not interfere with the effective and efficient delivery of health care.”

As we were told during hearings, if you want to ensure open, accountable and transparent hospitals and to embrace the spirit of freedom of information legislation, you’ll stop Bill 173.

This from Justice La Forest of the Supreme Court of Canada: “The overarching purpose of access-to-information legislation is to facilitate democracy.” It helps “to ensure that citizens have the information required to participate meaningfully in the democratic process and that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable to the citizenry.”

Just to wrap up, our system of democracy and our access to information are being subverted by an amendment like this hospital secrecy law. The public needs access to hospital quality information so they can shed light on the problems and work with government and with all concerned to fix them. No more hiding—not by cleansing records and not by bringing in this hospital secrecy law.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: It’s my pleasure to rise today, and I want to note that Madame Gélinas will be speaking as well to this bill. We will be sharing our time.

Mr. Phillips, the minister without portfolio, started off his speech by talking about what are seen by the Liberals as their accomplishments in government. He talked about the recovery of jobs lost in the recession. I want to note that prior to the recession, it was widely recognized and documented statistically that we had lost 200,000 good-paying jobs in Ontario. Those jobs have not been recovered.

If in fact you look at job creation in this province over the last few years, a very large percentage of the jobs that have been created are part-time, insecure, low-paying jobs. What we have seen with this government in its term in office is an ongoing decline of some of the basic economic components of Ontario’s prosperity. What we have seen is a reduction in the standard of living and in the well-being of families across this province, most sharply expressed in areas like northern Ontario, Windsor and the Niagara region. That is not a record to be proud of.

The government spoke about the number of spaces that have been created in colleges and universities. This morning I was listening to Metro Morning: a labour market specialist talking about how many of those people who graduated are now serving coffee or working at the sock counter in Walmart. People who have spent a lot of money and invested a lot of time to get an education are now carrying this huge debt burden and are not able to get the kind of work that reflects their skills, their commitment and what they could actually give to this society.

That reduction in opportunities, that burden of debt put on the next generation, is a huge waste of the talent of the people of this province and an injustice to young people in Ontario who have been stuck with a debt that they will have a great deal of difficulty paying off in the years to come. In some quarters, some authors and some social commentators are starting to refer to this generation as the lost generation: people whose skills and talents are not being employed.

I want to say that this government as well speaks to the whole question of all-day kindergarten, talks to the implementation—

Interjections.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: It seems that some on the other side are a bit thin-skinned when we talk about their real record. They get a bit thin-skinned.

When we talk about all-day kindergarten—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Order.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Thank you, Speaker.

When we talk about all-day kindergarten and the implementation of Dr. Charles Pascal’s vision, what we have in fact from this government is a cherry-picking of some elements that need to be there. I think it makes sense to expand all-day learning so that more children are allowed to attend, but there is an important part that was forgotten when that program was put in place.

That important

part is the existence of the current regime, the current network of daycare centres. I talked to those parents. I’ve gone and talked to the administrators. Time after time after time, I’m told that those daycare centres are imperilled by rising costs because the four-year-olds and five-year-olds who move out of those centres into all-day kindergarten are going to have to be replaced by younger children, whose care is more expensive. Parents who are already facing substantial burdens with the cost of child care are facing even higher costs.

This government has not addressed their plight. Many of them, even if they could have their parents afford to pay the higher fees, find themselves in a situation where they don’t have the capital dollars to rebuild their centres so they can accommodate the younger children. They need more nap rooms, they need more washroom and cleaning facilities, and they need more natural light—all of which are reasonable but none of which have been provided for. In fact, we may see a greater lack of availability of child care spaces for many people in this society than we had in the past. That is rolling backwards.

This budget bill is meant to implement a budget that has been debated earlier in this Legislature, a budget that brings into place corporate tax cuts that continue a process that has gone on throughout this decade of reducing the share the corporations pay to make sure that our health care system is in place, that we have law enforcement and that we have the social services necessary to deal with those in our society who are vulnerable. Those corporate tax cuts have been matched at the same time, according to Statistics Canada, with an ongoing decline in investment in Ontario and across this country. We have seen a decline in investment in plants and machinery.

There is not a benefit that comes in economic investment from those corporate tax cuts, and yet this government continues in that race to the bottom, undermining our economic well-being, undermining the formation of capital needed to actually make ours a successful economy. This government has decided to buy into a particular ideology that doesn’t reflect the reality of how companies invest and why they invest in jurisdictions. They invest in places that are well run and that have predictable returns on investment. They invest in places where people are well trained.

They don’t invest in places where things start coming apart because there isn’t enough money in the public sector, in the larger infrastructure, to actually allow them to function well.

The bill that we have here has a section, 14, addressing all-day kindergarten. There is a great problem in that the funds weren’t provided to schools to provide after-school care, before-school care and summer care for children.

This bill allows third party operators into the schools to provide that care. What this bill also provides is that those operators can be for-profit child care. This is a major break with the history of this province. This is a major break in our commitment to our children.

You can have the legislative library do the research for you. You can go to social commentators. You can go to universities and to academics who specialize in early childhood education. Study after study after study shows that non-profit and publicly-run daycare is of higher quality and has better outcomes for children.

But that isn’t assured in this bill. In fact, what happens in this bill is that the door is thrown open to for-profit child educators. The Walmarts of child care now have no legal impediment to going in and setting up in schools. When you talk to people in the child care sector, what that says to them is that there will be an incredible push-down in qualifications, in quality and in wages.

This is a major mistake on the part of this government—a major mistake. This should not have been in this bill. The amendment that I put forward saying that the daycare providers had to be non-profit or municipal was rejected by this government. That is a mistake and a turning of the back on the children and families of this province.

Schedule 32 of this bill, the bringing together of Infrastructure Ontario, Ontario lands and a number of other subsidiary corporations: We see this as the opening of the door to P3s, public-private partnerships, on a far broader scale than we’ve seen in the past. Infrastructure Ontario has become anonymous—synonymous, sorry; anonymous only in some circles—synonymous with public-private partnerships. Again, the reality, shown by organizations like the Ontario Health Coalition, is that what you get out of those—and we’ve seen this in the hospital sector—is less hospital care and higher costs.

This model, which allows governments to move costs off their balance sheet, puts the burden back on patients and puts the burden back on society. This move by the government will make this society more expensive and will ensure that it has fewer services in health care and in other fields. That was a major mistake in this bill.

Schedule 15, which my colleague Madame Gélinas will speak to, about freedom of information in hospitals—she will talk about the hospitals. I will just note that yesterday we raised this whole question of the politicization of the freedom-of-information process. That whole covering-up of information seems to be a central part of this government’s operational strategy. No one should be surprised—no one should be happy, but no one should be surprised—that this was appended to a budget bill. It’s pretty standard operating procedure that we’ve seen over the last number of years.

The whole question of the commission on the reform of public services: There are a number of ways one can look at this. I think that what we should expect from it is a commission that will propose a further hollowing-out of public services in Ontario.

I note that it reports after the October 6 election, so in pamphlets, in flyers and in television ads the government can say, “We have a plan. We’re working on it. Something good will happen.” But I think the simple reality is that this is another step forward in making Ontario less effective in the provision of public services, a jurisdiction that will not have the depth in its public service to carry out the functions—protection of the environment, promotion of good health, protection of public health—that it actually needs. That is a huge problem with this bill.

I want to say that this government, when it was elected, was given an electricity system that was partially privatized, on its way to full privatization; an electricity system in which energy traders started calling the shots; an electricity system in which private power operators could make money by turning their plants on and off, driving up the price of electricity. I’m saying that because the Ontario Energy Board recently noted that there were private power operators in Ontario who were turning off their plants and turning them on again to get bonuses, to get extra money. They estimated the loss of revenue to the people of Ontario in the tens of millions.

A study earlier this year, reported in the Toronto Star, noted that Ontarians were subsidizing private power traders to the tune of $200 million a year over a five-year period—a billion dollars. That is the kind of economic gains that this government has been engaged in: a bleeding of cash out of the pockets of ordinary Ontarians, an undermining of our economic prosperity to help those who they deem to be closer to them politically and closer to them economically, but certainly not those who are building this province and who need to have the health care, the social services, the education and the social supports to engage in society-building.

I urge everyone in this Legislature to vote against this budget bill. It’s a bill that promotes secrecy, that undermines public child care, that undermines public ownership and financing of hospitals, and that advances an agenda that is making Ontario, or will make Ontario, a less prosperous place, a less promising place. This budget is not one that anyone can be proud of.

Thank you, and I will turn my time over to my colleague.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate?

M me France Gélinas: I want to take people back to the fall of 2010—actually, before this—when we were reading the headlines as to people finding out about hospitals using lobbyists and consultants. I asked the Auditor General to do a study and to look at how much money our hospitals and other health care agencies were spending on lobbyists and on consultants, and he did. He did a good job. He looked at what was happening and he tabled his report in this House last fall.

The findings were rather disappointing, to say the least. It is one of those that we can call a scathing report, where we saw that millions of dollars handled by our health care system that we thought had been invested into care were really going to well-connected consultants, were going to lobbyists who had nothing to do with care at all.

The government reacted, and they reacted quickly. They brought forward a new bill where they banned that kind of behaviour and where they promised, after years of lobbying, that hospitals would finally be brought under freedom of access of information. You see, people have been waiting for a long time to find out what is going on in our hospitals. Life and death happen in our hospitals every day. It’s happening right now. It is happening under the care of human beings who, like every other human being on earth, make mistakes.

Yet people who need closure, people who have gone through an event, who have put in a complaint and had the hospitals look after this complaint, could not get closure. They could never get the full information of what is going on in our hospitals. They can turn to the Ombudsman all they want; the Ombudsman doesn’t have jurisdiction over our hospitals.

But finally, with this bill, freedom of access of information was to come. Hospitals were to be covered as of 2012—after the election, I know, but at least it was coming. There was hope at the end of the tunnel. And then, while we were talking on the bill, they tried to backtrack. Good for us: They needed unanimous consent. I was there and I did not give unanimous consent. This idea of backtracking on something that we had been waiting such a long time for—there was no way I was having any part of this. Hospitals were to come under freedom of access of information, and this is the way it should be.

Then came the budget. I read the French part; it’s 300 pages. Buried in there, in one little wee paragraph that has nothing to do with budgeting, they were taking a big part of hospital information away from freedom of access of information. What we have been waiting for so many years to get, what all of those families out there who need closure because of an adverse effect—they were not going to get closure anymore. They were not going to, and it was in a budget, of all places.

Then the budget bill comes out, Bill 173, and here it is on page 31 in black and white for all to see: What we had waited such a long time for is going to be taken away. It’s going to be taken away because now we are giving the hospitals an out—and this out can be as huge as a Mack truck, if you want it to be. They say that if it has to do with quality improvement, you don’t have to share it with the people. Well, let me tell you what that turns out to be.

Many hospitals in Ontario practise what we call continuous quality improvement—we call it CQI—which basically means that everything we do, every step we take, every movement we make, every act we do in the hospitals is made to improve quality. This is a very good concept: It drives quality; it improves the care that people in hospitals give to people. But what does that mean? That means that everything they do and everything they say can be labelled as “improving quality,” and with

schedule 15 it won’t be accessible to freedom of information anymore. That means that everything a hospital does is not covered by FOI, and we’re back to square one.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate?

Ms. Leeanna Pendergast: It’s my pleasure this morning, on behalf of my colleague the Honourable Dwight Duncan, the Minister of Finance, to rise to speak on Bill 173, the Better Tomorrow for Ontario Act, 2011.

In the 2011 Ontario budget, the McGuinty government is building on the progress that we’ve already made. Since our government took office in 2003, we’ve remained firm in our commitment to improve the provincial economy and to protect the public services that the people of Ontario have come to rely upon.

Our government’s record speaks for itself. To make Ontario’s economy more competitive for current and future generations, we’ve modernized Ontario’s tax system. We’ve rebuilt the electricity system into one that is clean, modern and reliable. Our government has repaired and rebuilt the province’s schools, colleges and universities; our hospitals; and our roads and bridges after years of neglect. We’ve partnered with private sector businesses to help create and protect job growth, as well as to ensure a strong climate for investment in Ontario.

Our government has also increased the number of students in our world-class post-secondary institutions. We have enhanced skills training to help our unemployed workers find new careers.

The Better Tomorrow for Ontario Act includes measures to build on the progress that we’ve already made in these areas. The McGuinty government has a realistic and responsible plan to eliminate the deficit while protecting our schools and hospitals and also promoting economic growth. Ontario’s success depends on it. Our government is tackling the deficit with determination but not putting our vital public services at risk or resorting to any arbitrary or across-the-board cuts.

We just don’t believe that we can cut our way to a better tomorrow. You just can’t take billions of dollars out of government revenue streams and not compromise vital front-line services that our Ontario families rely upon.

We have a plan, and that plan is realistic, it’s responsible and it’s focused on people. The McGuinty government’s plan is all about ensuring that we invest in Ontarians by giving them the best education, the best health care, the best infrastructure, the best electricity supply and the best tax advantages that we can. Throughout the global economic recession, we never lost focus on what’s important: That’s Ontario families, businesses, jobs and our economic growth.

The recent job numbers from Statistics Canada show that our plan is working. In April alone, Ontario’s employment jumped by almost 55,000 new jobs. We’ve now regained 114% of the jobs that were lost during the recession. Our government is also accelerating its plan to enhance public sector efficiency and improve productivity by streamlining programs and identifying new models of service delivery. We will continue to explore new ways to export, to create value from Ontario’s excellence in delivering those public services that are recognized as being the best in the world.

From Glengarry–Prescott–Russell to Kenora to Chatham–Kent–Essex to Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock and even Kitchener–Conestoga, we have listened to Ontarians and put together a responsible plan. With this in mind, we’re building on our plan to return Ontario’s finances to balance while, at the same time, protecting the gains that we have made since coming into office. Our government is committed to improving Ontario’s economy to make it more competitive, both currently and for future generations. We will assure ourselves of a good quality of life and build a brighter future for our children and for our grandchildren.

Full-day kindergarten is a particularly noteworthy measure contained in this bill. We’ve known for a long time that a strong start in school makes for a strong finish. A child’s early formative years are the cornerstone for their future, and that is why the McGuinty government chose to introduce full-day kindergarten. It’s a key part of the government’s plan to help Ontario’s children get the best possible start and, of course, to help busy parents save time and money. This school year, full-day kindergarten is available in about 600 schools, for up to 35,000 Ontario children.

In September 2011, it will be available in an additional 200 schools, benefiting up to 50,000 children. The program will be fully in place by September 2014, benefiting about 247,000 children in the province of Ontario. It’s the first program of its kind in North America and we’re very proud of that achievement.

Our education system is consistently ranked best in the world. This new program will further enhance our reputation as a global leader. From kindergarten to graduate school, our government has chosen to protect and strengthen publicly funded education because we believe that education is essential economic policy. Better education for Ontario children today will mean a more productive and globally competitive workforce for tomorrow.

Our government is committed to openness, fairness and transparency. The new Broader Public Sector Accountability Act introduces tough expense and procurement rules for designated broader public sector organizations. The act ensures fair, open and competitive procurement processes when purchasing goods and services with public funds. The act bans the practice of hiring external lobbyists using public funds, establishes new procurement and expense claim rules for designated broader public sector organizations, and adds accountability measures related to compliance.

The broader public sector procurement directive includes a code of ethics and 25 mandatory requirements. The directive is based on the principles of accountability, transparency, value for money, quality service delivery, and process standardization. Our government is committed to establishing clear and consistent rules for procurement in the broader public sector.

The broader public sector expense directive also improves accountability and transparency by requiring designated broader public sector organizations to establish expense rules where expenses are reimbursed from public funds and setting out requirements for what needs to be included in each organization’s expense rules.

The directive serves as a guideline to all other publicly funded organizations as defined under the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act. Through this bill, our government is also introducing amendments to eliminate what are commonly known as perks in the broader public sector. These amendments, if enacted, would authorize the Management Board of Cabinet to issue directives on perks. For example, these could include club memberships or seasons’ tickets.

Since taking office in 2003, we’ve brought efficiency and accountability to government and the broader public sector. We remain committed to finding greater efficiencies in the way that government operates in Ontario, and that’s why we’re seeking to transform the way that government delivers services to people.

The McGuinty government is moving forward with its plan to reduce the number of classified government agencies by 5%. In total, 14 agencies are expected to be closed or merged this year. Some agencies have functions that could be performed within government or cease to exist, and some have overlapping responsibilities or could be amalgamated. These measures include combining the Stadium Corp. of Ontario into the proposed Infrastructure Ontario and Ontario Realty Corp. merger.

The new merged entity would be responsible for disposing of the real estate assets currently owned by the Stadium Corp., which will maximize the return to taxpayers. Furthermore, we’re merging the Ontario Mortgage Corp. and the Ontario Mortgage Housing Corp.

The province has also accepted the recommendations made by Rita Burak in her December 2010 Report of the Special Advisor on Agencies. Greater efficiencies, service levels and accountability will result from the implementation of her report’s recommendations. Indeed, these measures are all part of the government’s Open Ontario plan, which will improve accountability, eliminate waste and find savings across government.

These actions build on the steps the Ontario government has already taken, requiring agencies to be more accountable and more transparent and to follow strong governance and expense rules. We will continue to meet and exceed targets to get value out of every dollar and focus funds on the priorities of Ontario families.

As we turn the corner following the economic downturn, our government will continue to invest in people and invest in job creation. Just as we modernized Ontario’s tax system to help our businesses compete in the global economy, we cut personal income taxes and we introduced a wide range of tax credits and benefits that give money back to the people.

With the changes that we’ve made, households with income under $90,000, representing over two thirds of the households, will, on average, have more money in their pockets. It’s just one example of how we’re helping people. As part of Ontario’s tax plan for jobs and growth, the government is providing about $1.4 billion annually in additional assistance to low- to moderate-income people through the Ontario sales tax credit, the Ontario energy and property tax credit and the northern Ontario energy credit.

In order to help low- to moderate-income families and single people better manage their household budgets, our government is proposing to combine the payment of these three refundable credits by creating the Ontario Trillium benefit. Starting in July 2012, we plan on delivering the combined payments monthly, instead of quarterly. The Ontario Trillium benefit would make it easier for low- to moderate-income Ontario families to make ends meet. We’re also proposing to make technical amendments to other tax credits or benefits to make it easier for people to get money back into their pockets.

Through all of these measures, our government is making life just a little bit easier for the people of Ontario. Our plan for the economy is all about giving Ontario families and businesses what they need to succeed. In order to turn the corner to a better tomorrow, we must continue to invest in each other, in people and in partnerships.

Our government is also introducing a new

section to the Pension Benefits Act. Pensioners affected by the bankruptcy of Nortel and the termination of the Nortel plans have asked the government to provide them with additional choice for receiving their benefits. Nortel pensioners have clearly indicated that they want a choice, and we’ve listened to them attentively and acknowledged their request. As a result, we propose to provide Nortel pensioners with the choice of an annuity purchase or a transfer to a life income fund account.

Amendments to the Pension Benefits Act that are proposed would allow Nortel pensioners to opt out of the current windup process and transfer to the lump-sum value of their pensions to a life income fund where they can manage their own account. Pensioners who choose to transfer their pensions to a life income fund would be able to select their own investment strategy, which would be subject to the limits on eligible investments under the federal Income Tax Act.

Our government has remained consistent in our view. The security of retirees’ pensions is paramount. The McGuinty government is moving forward with a solution that respects pensioners’ choice, coupled with appropriate information and disclosure. Once again, we’re focused on ensuring a brighter future for the proud people of this province.

Ontario is turning a corner to a better tomorrow. The economy is improving and jobs are coming back. Furthermore, strategic investments in front-line services have laid the foundation for a future with increased productivity and a better quality of life for the people of Ontario.

Over the past seven years our government has made significant progress. We’ve improved the fundamentals: education, health care, infrastructure, electricity and the tax system—the foundation upon which the highly skilled, highly educated workforce in this province has been called upon to compete. Beyond the fundamentals we are introducing exciting new programs, projects and initiatives to ensure Ontario’s lasting prosperity.

The measures I’ve described today represent only a part of the proposed budget measures being introduced through this bill. They are inherently reflective of our government’s realistic and achievable plan to secure the province’s long-term financial sustainability as well as our determination to protect the public services upon which the people of Ontario rely.

I strongly urge everyone in this House to vote for and support the Better Tomorrow for Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2011. Not only will these budget measures make Ontario stronger and make Ontario more competitive, but they will ensure our ongoing success. This province’s great strength is its people. It’s their talent, it’s their drive, it’s their relentless determination to succeed that makes Ontario so strong. Together we will overcome the mutual challenges that we face and move on to a better tomorrow.

For all of these reasons, I’m proud to support this bill, the Better Tomorrow for Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2011. I ask all members of the House to support the act and to vote in favour.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Pursuant to the order of the House dated April 13, 2011, I am now required to put the question. Mr. Phillips has moved third reading of Bill 173,

An Act respecting 2011 Budget measures, interim appropriations and other matters. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

All those in favour will say “aye.”

All those opposed will say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

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

Third reading vote deferred.

SECURITIES INDUSTRY

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 18, 2011, on the motion by Ms. Broten to locate the new common securities regulator in Toronto.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Further debate?

Seeing none, Ms. Broten has moved government notice of motion number 1. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

All those in favour, say “aye.”

All those opposed, say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

The vote will be deferred to the deferred votes after question period.

Vote deferred.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): Orders of the day?

Hon. Gerry Phillips: No further business.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Julia Munro): This House stands recessed until 10:30 of the clock.

The House recessed from 1004 to 1030.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Kim Craitor: I’m pleased to introduce some people from the Niagara region. This is Niagara Week, so I invite all my colleagues to make sure you attend tonight’s event. There will be some great liquid refreshments and some great Ontario-grown foods here from Niagara.

I’m pleased to introduce Dr. Valerie Jaeger and, as well, Cathy Cousins; Councillor Brian Baty, regional councillor; the chair of the Niagara region and former lord mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Gary Burroughs; the mayor from my riding of Fort Erie, Mayor Doug Martin; and Patrick Robson. As well, I’d like to introduce a former member—I keep telling him he’s going to be a member again—and that’s my good friend Bart Maves. Bart, it’s nice to have you back here.

Ms. Helena Jaczek: Visiting us from Ottawa in the west members’ gallery is Jay Shaw. Jay used to work for Minister Jim Watson and Minister Peter Fonseca. Welcome back, Jay.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I’m delighted today to welcome to the House representatives of the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario, the OBPO. They will be holding a reception tonight at 4:30. I understand that there may be books for folks who attend. Today from the OBPO we have David Caron; Matt Williams; Kirk Howard, who is the president of the OBPO; Marg Anne Morrison; and Susan Renouf. They’re all here in the gallery today. They’ll be meeting with many of you. Thank you for welcoming them.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like to take this opportunity, on behalf of page Jonah Villanueva Merali and the member for Trinity–Spadina, to welcome mother Isfahan Merali and father Sergio Villanueva Vivancos to the Legislature today. Enjoy your visit to Queen’s Park.

We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today the minority leader of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guest, as well as the Consul General of Ghana, Mr. Kodjo Mawutor. Gentlemen, welcome to Queen’s Park today.

ORAL QUESTIONS

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Mr. Tim Hudak: My question is to the Premier. Premier, life has become much more unaffordable under Premier McGuinty, and hydro bills are going through the roof. Quite frankly, you’re pursuing hydro policies that flunk economic sense.

Your recent Samsung deal gives massive subsidies to a foreign multinational corporation and you stick struggling families with the bill. Premier, I announced today that a PC government will end your sweetheart deal with Samsung to bring relief to Ontario families. Why won’t you?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: My honourable colleague had the opportunity to give some remarks this morning, I understand. There’s no secret that he does not support clean energy in the province of Ontario. That’s not news.

But given that, to date, Samsung is opening up three manufacturing plants with 700 jobs in Windsor, 900 jobs in Tillsonburg and 200 jobs in Don Mills, and with one more manufacturing plant to come, I would have thought that would have given my colleague some pause before eliminating all those jobs which are so important to those communities.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: The Ontario PCs support renewable energy, but we won’t support the rip-off deals that you have signed that are driving up prices for ordinary, hard-working families.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. Members will please come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of Economic Development.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Please continue.

Mr. Tim Hudak: Premier, your deal with Samsung is odious. It was born in suspicious circumstances, and it is a rip-off to seniors and families who are getting stuck with the bill. The Ontario PCs will bring to an end your sweetheart deal with Samsung. We will ensure a transparent and competitive process to get the best price for families that have to pay the bill and the communities where it’s welcome. Why won’t you?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, my honourable colleague is not only opposed to clean energy and the exciting opportunities that represents for Ontario, but he is also opposed to jobs that are already in place. I think that is reprehensible. What is he going to say to all those families that have found secure employment in the exciting new Ontario-based clean energy industry? I don’t know what he intends to say to them.

I want to remind you that the Conservatives, when in power—at that time, the use of dirty coal grew by 127%, with 19 coal units and five coal plants polluting our air. So far we have shut down eight coal plants in the province of Ontario.

My real concern is that my honourable colleague has every intention of reopening those same coal plants at the same time as he shuts down those new jobs. Again, I say to my honourable colleague: That is unacceptable. In fact, it’s reprehensible.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Premier, your secret deal with Samsung is a shady deal and it is a rip-off for Ontario families that are getting stuck with the bills. Premier, you negotiated behind closed doors with a foreign-based multinational corporation and gave them billions and billions of dollars in subsidies. You passed over Ontario industry, which could have built these projects and which could have brought it in for a better price.

Let me be clear: An Ontario PC government will end his shady Samsung deal. We’ll have competition, a transparent process and will ensure that families can pay the bill. Will you do the right thing, Premier? Will you end your Samsung deal before you drive prices for families through the roof?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: My honourable colleague says he’s concerned about electricity prices, but when we gave him the opportunity to vote in favour of a clean energy benefit which reduces all our electricity bills by 10% on every bill over the course of the next five years, he refused to support that.

But also, we hear again from a philosophical approach which is opposed to foreign investment in the province of Ontario. My honourable colleague can’t make reference to Samsung without saying that they are foreigners, that they are a foreign investment. We’re proud of the fact that in the last year alone, Ontario came second only to California in attracting the most foreign direct investment in all of North America.

That’s how you compete and succeed in the global economy. It’s not the 1960s; it’s not the 1970s; it’s the 21st century. We know how to compete and win.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’m sure the Minister of Health Promotion is very pleased at the wonderful workouts that members are getting today.

ENERGY POLICIES

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Premier: It’s a shame that the Liberal members didn’t stand up for Ontario companies who could have done the job, and they gave a shady deal to a foreign multinational corporation.

Premier, you just don’t get it. Life has become increasingly unaffordable for average families who are struggling to make ends meet. You’ve engaged in some very expensive energy experiments that simply flunk economic sense. You signed a sweetheart deal with Samsung, with billions of dollars in subsidies. You brought forward a feed-in tariff program that is paying 80 cents for power that could be purchased in the marketplace for five cents. Your FIT program is expensive and it has created a gold rush across the province, and families are stuck paying the bills.

Premier, a PC government would end your massive FIT subsidies and pass on savings to families who pay the bills. Why won’t you do the right thing?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: It’s true that there has been a gold rush in Ontario, but it has been a gold rush in new and exciting jobs, and I’ll talk a little bit about that gold rush.

I mentioned the 700 jobs in Windsor, the 900 in Tillsonburg and the 200 in Don Mills. But what about the 60 in Welland, 150 in Burlington, 225 in Fort Erie, 500 in Guelph, 150 in Cambridge, 100 in Mississauga, another 150 in Windsor, 50 in Woodbridge, 500 in London, 60 in Sault Ste. Marie, 200 in Oakville, 300 in Hamilton, 15 in Peterborough and 100 in Newmarket? I could go on and on, and I look forward to doing so in a supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Premier, your expensive subsidies through your feed-in tariff program, according to London Economics International, will put $38 billion of pressure on hydro bills. Hydro bills are already going up and up, and you’re going to put them through the roof.

Premier, any kid who runs a lemonade stand knows that you can’t pay 80 cents for the lemons and try to sell lemonade for a nickel, but that’s exactly what you’re doing with your feed-in tariff program.

The PC government would take a different approach. We’d have a competitive and transparent approach and let competition get us the best price for the ratepayer and the most modern technology. Premier, we would end your FIT program, bring in some competition and pass on the savings to Ontario families who can’t afford your skyrocketing hydro bills.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I just want to remind my honourable colleague of a few things said by those communities that are benefiting from all these new jobs. Here’s what Eddie Francis, mayor of Windsor, had to say: “Ontario’s clean economy is playing a very big

part in helping us move successfully into the future and to become a city of choice in which to invest and create jobs.”

Here’s what the mayor of Tillsonburg said: “Tillsonburg is excited and delighted to welcome Siemens as an important new employer and member of our community. This new ... manufacturing facility will bring great new jobs and help us to establish a foothold in Ontario’s growing clean energy economy.”

These are municipal leaders who understand the difference between going back and moving forward and between being afraid of foreign direct investment and embracing new and exciting opportunities in the global economy.

I think I know where Ontarians want to go. They want to go forward, they want to embrace opportunities, they want to compete and they want to keep winning.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary.

Mr. Tim Hudak: This is what the Premier simply does not understand: Your skyrocketing hydro bills mean that seniors and families have fewer dollars in their pockets to spend in the economy. Your skyrocketing hydro bills mean losses of jobs in other industries: 300,000 jobs lost in the manufacturing sector alone. For every job that you claim you’ve created, you’ve probably cost us three or four jobs elsewhere in the economy.

We will take a different approach. We will put consumers, the people who pay the bills, at the centre of our decisions. We will end your sweetheart Samsung deal, we will eliminate the FIT program, and we will pass on the savings to Ontario hydro ratepayers, who are saying, “Enough is enough. It’s time for change in our province.” The Ontario PCs will deliver that change.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Members will please come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock.

It’s quiet now, and the moment I sit down, it will change.

Premier.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: Again, my honourable colleague makes it clear that he stands against foreign investment. I wonder if at some point in time he’s going to be moving against Toyota and Honda, because they are from foreign jurisdictions as well.

He stands against clean air. He would reopen our shut-down coal-fired plants, and he stands against the new jobs.

I think he also stands against some of his colleagues in his own caucus, because we were pleased to be joined by, at separate announcements, the MPP for Haldimand–Norfolk; we were pleased to be joined by the MPP for Cambridge; we were pleased to be joined by the MPP for Leeds–Grenville, the MPP for Oxford, the MPP for Burlington and the MPP for Sarnia–Lambton. In each and every one of those instances, in those Conservative ridings, we announced clean energy projects, and we were joined in every instance by his colleagues who support our clean energy plan.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Minister of Finance insisted that this government was proud of its record on sharing information with the people who elected them. Does the Premier share that view?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I believe that we have established a new record as a government in terms of compliance within the recommended 30-day period. I think the NDP stood at 50% compliance; if my memory serves me right, the Conservatives were 57% or something; and I believe we’re around 84%. So I think we have established a new record as a government in terms of complying with the freedom-of-information imperative.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: In November 2009, a media outlet made a request for the final audit of the Niagara Parks Commission. The people of Ontario paid for that audit report. The Niagara Parks Commission, of course, is an agency of the people of Ontario. Does the Premier think the public has a right to see that report?

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Premier?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Yes, indeed, as long as it meets the requirements, and the system has worked in all cases that I’m aware of. I look forward to further responding in the final supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: When the request came for the audit, civil servants wanted to transfer the file to the Ministry of Tourism, who would have been more likely to have the records. But a political staffer in the Minister of Finance’s office said, “No. Please just say no records exist.” Does the Premier stand by this type of action?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The leader of the third party has really taken that out of context. I will table the official request to transfer to the Ministry of Tourism, which was dated November 13, 2009. It was transferred to tourism and the documents were released. Shame on you for trying to put a false spin on your question.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The question goes back to the Premier.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Members will please come to order.

Please continue.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The question goes back to the Premier. Premier, this just stinks and it stinks very badly. A member of the public asked for an audit report that they helped pay for of an institution that is supposed to be publicly owned and publicly controlled. The McGuinty Liberals want to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

Is this Liberal arrogance at work or is this the government that is just so out of touch that they don’t know the difference between serving the interests of the people and serving the interests of their own party?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: By a letter dated November 13, 2009, with regard to the specific file, the transfer-of-access request was sent from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Tourism because the Ministry of Finance did not have the records. They were properly with the Ministry of Tourism. I am further informed, in this specific example, that the FOI was in fact abandoned by the requester themselves and not filled. What the leader has said is false and inaccurate. I will table—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I don’t need assistance from the members. But I would ask the honourable member to withdraw the comment.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I withdraw, Mr. Speaker, out of respect to you.

I would then say that the information presented in the House was inaccurate. In fact, a transfer dated November 13, 2009, from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Tourism—I will table this with the House, as well as additional background information, to show that in fact this was transferred from finance to tourism because finance wasn’t in possession—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I quote again, directly from the Minister of Finance’s staff from his office, an email that says, “No. Please just say no records exist.” There’s no context around that. It’s pretty cut and dried.

This government was elected on a promise to be open and to be transparent, but after eight years it’s very clear that they’re part of the problem with politics today. It’s a government more worried about the next day’s headlines than about the families’ bottom line. Does this Premier think it’s appropriate and acceptable to claim that records don’t exist when clearly they do?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The records did not exist in finance and we moved expeditiously to ask that they be made public.

I would like to read something into the record that was stated yesterday by the assistant privacy commissioner, Brian Beamish. These are quotes from yesterday: “Over the past decade, government compliance rates have risen from 42% to more than 80%, according to Beamish ... he has not seen evidence the meddling is changing the nature of the responses.

“‘I can’t say we have seen any particular pattern in Ontario,’ he said.”

We have raised the level of compliance. This particular case—the leader just has her facts wrong. We’ve got the information, which I’ll table with the House, to show what the facts are, as opposed to reckless charges not based on any kind of actual evidence.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This government was elected because it claimed to care about people. But instead of devoting staff time to making life easier and making life more affordable for Ontario families, political staffers are doing their best to suppress information. It’s clear that they’re willing to go to great lengths to get that job done, even saying records don’t exist when they actually do.

My question is a simple one: Does this Premier think that this is acceptable? Or is he willing to admit that after eight long years, his government has grown way too arrogant and way too unaccountable?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The Premier of Ontario has the best record of expanding access to information of any Premier in recent memory, including expanding it to cover OPG, Hydro One, universities and hospitals.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is to the Premier. Premier, Ontario families cannot afford to pay billions for a secret Samsung deal that George Smitherman cooked up on his way out the door. Members of your own cabinet reportedly “gang-tackled” him. They knew that this deal smelled bad. He corrupted the procurement process by handing out a $7-billion sweetheart deal, without competitive bidding, to a foreign corporation. Ontario’s homegrown talent was shut out.

Why should Ontario families pay a premium for your secret Samsung deal?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: We now know that the Leader of the Opposition stands steadfastly against the creation of 16,000 jobs in this province and a $7-billion foreign investment.

That’s consistent for them. They’re against foreign companies. They’re against foreign investment. They stood against foreign students. The only thing foreign that the Tories support is foreign importation of power from the United States, which cost us almost $1 billion in their last two empty years in office.

We don’t fear the future; we welcome it. We don’t fear opening up Ontario to the world because we can compete. We’ll compete with any jurisdiction in the clean energy economy. We’re building a clean energy powerhouse in this province. We’re creating thousands of clean energy jobs that you and your leader want to kill.

I look forward to going from community to community across this province and talking to residents in your ridings and telling them that—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you.

I just remind the member from Renfrew that he did ask the question, and I don’t know how he could listen to the answer because he kept interjecting. I just ask you to be more respectful.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I was just trying to help him, Speaker.

Ontario families cannot afford to pay a premium for George Smitherman’s legacy of corrupt competitive bidding. Ontario families paid more for eHealth because you followed Smitherman’s sole-sourced practices, and they’re paying more for energy because of his handiwork in the secret sweetheart deal with Samsung.

We will take a different approach. Ontario families use competitive bidding to build hospitals and schools at prices that are fair to Ontario families. An Ontario PC government will use competitive bidding to build new renewable energy projects at prices that Ontario families can afford.

Why won’t you?

Applause.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’m surprised you didn’t stand, Sandra.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Renfrew.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Now, I’m happy.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Renfrew.

Minister?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We already knew that the PC Party did not support our efforts to modernize our energy system. We already knew that they don’t support our efforts to replace dirty coal with cleaner sources of power, creating cleaner air and building a healthier future for our kids.

Today, we now know that the Leader of the Opposition stands steadfastly against the creation of thousands of jobs across this province and billions of dollars of investment. So I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to join us in Windsor, look those 700 workers in the eye and tell them you want to put them out of work. I challenge you to go to Tillsonburg, bring your member for Oxford with you, go to those workers, go eyeball to eyeball with those workers and tell them you want to kill their jobs. I challenge you to go to Don Mills. Go to Celestica where 200 new jobs are being created.

Tell those workers that you want to put them out of work. I challenge you to join me across this province—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Another outburst from the member from Renfrew will cause a warning.

New question.

GASOLINE PRICES

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. This morning, drivers in cities across Ontario woke up to see gasoline prices had spiked overnight by six cents a litre. It reminded me of something an opposition leader once said to the Premier: “I suggest that one of these days you physically remove yourself from your chauffeur-driven car ... and find out how much Ontario motorists are getting hosed.” “When are you going to stand up and take some leadership and defend the interests of Ontario motorists?” That was the MPP for Ottawa South, now the Premier.

My question today is, when are you going to stand up, Premier, and take some leadership and defend the interests of Ontario’s motorists?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I think all of us share the concern of motorists about the price of gasoline and what’s been going on around the world, both in the Middle East and other parts where supply is important. None of us are happy about that. When I drove back to Toronto on Sunday night, I paid, I think, $1.249 in Windsor. It spiked last night here in Toronto to $1.399. I didn’t fill up last night, but I will have to on my way back to Windsor later this week.

I should point out that this is a global phenomenon and a Canadian phenomenon. What I’ll say is this: Between July 2010 and March this year, prices in Toronto are up 17.1% versus 24.1% in Montreal, 21.7% in Edmonton, 21.3% in Calgary and over 30.5% in the United States.

We share the concerns of Ontario motorists and we’ll continue to work with all Ontarians as we work through these issues.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier has scrapped plans to look at any form of price regulation. He’s refused to consider any of the proposals that he used to champion, but that’s not all. The Premier isn’t just sticking with the status quo that’s not working. His unfair HST is adding 10 cents a litre to the price at the pumps. Families in Ontario are actually nostalgic for the days when the Premier used to ignore their problems. Today, Dalton McGuinty is committed to making things even worse.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I remind the honourable member of the use of names.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Thank you, Speaker.

Today, the Premier is committed to making things even worse. Why is the Premier rejecting the proposals he used to champion, like making life more affordable? Instead, he continues to make life more expensive.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I think Ontario consumers recognize the global nature of this phenomenon, that prices are going up everywhere. I think they also recognize that where prices have a regulatory regime, they actually have gone up more and they come down more slowly.

Laughter.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: They laugh, and we’ve yet to see a positive response in terms of what they would do. I think there’s a number of things that—

Hon. James J. Bradley: They did nothing in power.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Yes, exactly. In fact, as I’ve indicated, the prices in Ontario have gone up, absolutely, and those of us who fill our tank every week know that. But what we do know is this: They haven’t risen as fast as in other jurisdictions.

This is an ongoing phenomenon. There is no quick fix to this; the member knows that. Cheap political grandstanding won’t fix it, and I think that Ontario’s voters understand that as well.

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

Mr. Jeff Leal: My question this morning is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Minister, farmers and farm organizations in my riding of Peterborough have shared with me, as I know they’ve shared with you, that the current risk management programs were not meeting their needs. They’ve been telling our government that Ontario farming is in crisis and at a crossroads.

The budget announcement that the province was creating a permanent risk management program was overwhelmingly welcomed. Farmers in my riding were pleased that this government has taken leadership in working with Ontario’s farm leaders to implement these important programs.

Hon. Carol Mitchell: Thank you very much for the question. Let’s begin with what the farmers are saying: The current suite of business risk management programs does not meet the needs of Ontario farmers. They need predictability, they need bankability and they need stability for a prosperous future.

An RMP will complement rather than replace the existing suite of BRM programs by providing additional protection for farmers against rising input costs and market price volatility. With the leadership of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition, commodity organizations developed their own programs—programs by farmers, for farmers. This is the most significant made-in-Ontario agriculture program in 25 years.

It’s important to hear what the farmers are saying. Bette Jean Crews, president of the OFA, said, “Ontario announced full support for permanent risk management programs.... But that will only cover 40% of the costs for adequate programs”—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Jeff Leal: Minister, I appreciate your informing this House and my constituents that our government is making yet another investment in Ontario’s hard-working families.

Ontario farmers have expressed that the current programs are not meeting their needs, and the federal government acknowledged this position. Our farmers want and need risk management programs shared between producers and both levels of government. Yet the federal government still refuses to participate in the program.

The agriculture critic, the MPP from Oxford, pointed out in the Meaford Independent that the federal government has concerns over implementing the program and that an Ontario problem needs an Ontario solution. It’s a shame that the opposition has given up on the federal government supporting this program, given up on supporting Ontario’s farmers and given up on RMP, which they claim is a priority.

Minister, are you going to bring up risk management with the federal government at the next federal-provincial-territorial meeting this summer?

Hon. Carol Mitchell: I’m very pleased—and this is a critical piece that I want to get Bette Jean’s words out on today: “Ontario announced full support for permanent risk management programs.... But that will only cover 40% of the cost for adequate programs, and without support at the federal level, the remaining burden is left for farmers. That is not acceptable.” That is what we will be bringing to the table. That is what they have written to Prime Minister Harper.

But we need support from all parties. Our government has a plan that will give our farmers predictability, bankability and stability, but, quite frankly, the opposition has no plan. They want to show their support for risk management; they’ve got their chance today. They can vote on the budget that will support it.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Oxford will please come to order.

Minister, please continue.

Hon. Carol Mitchell: The farmers want to know: Are you with them or are you against them? They want to know. They want a clear message from the opposition. They want to know: Do you stand with the farmers or do you stand with your federal cousins? The programs work with everyone at the table.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Mr. Peter Shurman: My question is to the Premier. The backroom sweetheart deal you’ve cut with your foreign partner is an experiment that’s gone badly off the rails. Six Nations walked away from a deal with Samsung to locate windmills and solar panels on their reserves. Chief Bill Montour said, “What caused the failure is that the company was very closed about the information we needed.... Samsung was basically saying, ‘Sign the deal and trust us.’”

What makes you think Ontario families should have more trust in a deal with a foreign conglomerate than with their own partners?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: There’s no question that, for some reason, that party lives in fear of foreign investment. For some reason that party lives in fear of reaching out to the rest of the world and building a strong clean energy economy here in Ontario. I’m going to share with you what—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Simcoe–Grey, member from Durham, please come to order.

Minister.

Hon. Brad Duguid: Let’s see what others around the world are saying about Ontario. The executive director of the United Nations Environment Program was in Toronto yesterday. He applauded our government’s efforts to build a world-leading clean energy economy in Ontario. This is what he said about the position of the Leader of the Opposition: He called it simplistic and said that it threatens to undermine a crucial policy in boosting Ontario’s economy.

We will not let the simplistic position of the members opposite take down our clean energy economy and lose those thousands of jobs. Those jobs mean a lot to Ontario families, and we’re going to fight for—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Shurman: We don’t fear foreign investment; we fear the mess that that minister has made of it. Your expensive secret sweetheart deal with Samsung is not producing jobs or power. Samsung has not produced a single watt of power. First Nations walked away from dealing with Samsung.

It is a $7-billion deal that you’re adding to the hydro bills of Ontario families, who are feeling squeezed enough already. They cannot afford to pay more, and job announcements do not mean that any jobs exist. They don’t.

On October 7, our leader and an Ontario PC government will end the deal. We will restore competition. We will procure renewable energy at prices Ontario families can afford to pay.

How did you get to be so out of touch that you continue to pursue energy at prices Ontario families cannot afford?

Hon. Brad Duguid: The agreement that that member opposite is so keen to end will also bring a death to 700 jobs in Windsor, 900 jobs in Tillsonburg and 200 jobs in Don Mills—16,000 jobs over the life of agreement and $7 billion in investment in our economy. Our clean energy economy here today has become the global leading clean energy economy in the world.

It’s not always easy. It does take effort. It takes political courage. It takes fortitude. That’s something that the party opposite obviously does not possess. But with the vision of this Premier, with the fortitude and courage of this party here in office today, we will build those clean energy projects. We will create those clean energy jobs. We will make Ontario the clean energy powerhouse of the world. We will fight for those jobs, and we will—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

JOB CREATION

Mr. Howard Hampton: My question is for the Premier. A recent report by the well-regarded TD Economics department shows that Ontario is running a poor sixth amongst provinces when it comes to regaining jobs lost in the recent recession.

My question is this: When will the Premier admit that his policy mix of the unfair HST, escalating hydro rates and more corporate tax giveaways is bad economics and just isn’t working?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I’m delighted to answer this question. Last week, Stats Canada came out with an unbelievable number of 114% of jobs recovered since the recession in Ontario. What’s important is that we look relatively at other jurisdictions and how they’ve been doing in responding post-recession. In the UK, it’s around 50%. In the US, it’s now around 20%. But in Ontario, our economy is starting to run again, and you, sir, should be proud of this. Instead, you are busy trying to tear us down at every step.

The people in Niagara who are so well represented in the House, especially today with the lord mayor from Niagara-on-the-Lake—we’re busy talking to these folks about a renewable energy industry, one that simply didn’t exist a mere three years ago. These are the kinds of gains that Ontario is having today that they didn’t—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Howard Hampton: The minister raves about a StatsCan report that shows that most of those jobs are part-time jobs. The fact is that Ontario lags behind a majority of provinces—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Members will please come to order.

Please continue.

Mr. Howard Hampton: And the fact is, Ontario lags behind the majority of provinces when it comes to recovering jobs lost during the recession. The minister ought to know. In her own hometown of Windsor, the unemployment rate is more than 10.3%, and that leaves out all the people who have stopped looking for jobs. In contrast, provinces such as Manitoba and Quebec have used a combination of reasonable hydro rates, targeted financial incentives and public sector procurement to secure good jobs.

When will the McGuinty government catch on and admit that the HST isn’t doing it and your corporate tax giveaways aren’t doing it and escalating hydro—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Minister?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: Here are the facts: 95% of the jobs recovered in Ontario were full-time. That’s Stats Canada telling us this; those are not our numbers.

But what’s really important is that on any measure, when they start to score Ontario against the world, Ontario keeps punching above its weight. Our foreign direct investment is second only to California, and they are three times our size by population, 10 times by size of economy, and yet we created more jobs by foreign direct investment than California did, even with fewer numbers of investments. That speaks to the kinds of tools we’ve made available for investment: a great corporate tax rate, yes; great post-secondary education achievement in our province; all of these things.

And to all of those who are seeing those new jobs, we want you to beware of those opposition parties that want to tear us down, because we—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

JOB CREATION

Mr. David Orazietti: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, and let’s take a minute and reinforce this point. I continue to hear the members opposite state that Ontario has become a have-not province, and their negativity is unfortunate.

In fact, I understand that Ontario has regained more than 100% of the jobs since the recession. I’m proud to represent the riding of Sault Ste. Marie in this great province, and I can attest to the positive economic influence that our government has had in our community and throughout Ontario. We have companies like California-based Rentech, which has recently chosen to build a $500-million biomass plant in White River, Ontario, creating 400 new jobs. The plant will convert timber into renewable, clean jet fuel. This plant is the first plant of its kind in the world—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Timmins will please come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Please continue.

Mr. David Orazietti: Thanks, Speaker. You know, the NDP just can’t handle good news; it’s not a surprise.

The plant will convert timber into clean, renewable jet fuel. This is the first plant—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): As I reminded the member from Renfrew earlier—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Do you have a guilty conscience? I wasn’t even talking about you.

I just want to remind the member from Timmins–James Bay that he’s getting very close to a line.

Just 10 seconds to wrap up the question, please.

Mr. David Orazietti: That’s 400 new jobs in White River, Ontario.

Can the minister tell us how Ontario can be considered a have-not province when we are seeing so much—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Minister.

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I think it’s clear that Ontario punches above its weight, and we’re proud of that fact. We are seeing, time and time again, people from around the world who are turning to Ontario to make those investments. We see great news out of Sudbury last week when Total from the US lands in Sudbury with 400 new jobs. The Sault Ste. Marie announcement last week was tremendous news.

And we appreciate that it’s tough for the opposition, whose job it is to be negative, when they see things turning around for Ontario after the rough ride that we had in the recession. It’s about time that we get to celebrate how well our recovery has gone in this province, and we’re delighted to see that communities, working together with our government, are making it happen where it counts, and that is for jobs.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. David Orazietti: Minister, I appreciate the information. To the minister’s last point, it’s interesting that lately there seem to be more and more international companies deciding on Ontario as the place where they want to do business and invest. In fact, the latest Financial Times foreign direct investment report stated that for the second consecutive year, Ontario has been named one of the top two destinations for foreign direct investment in North America.

In 2010, the report stated that funding for projects into Ontario consisted of an estimated US$6.1 billion in capital investment, creating an estimated 11,200 jobs in the province. That’s phenomenal and definitely something that every member of this Legislature should be proud of.

Minister, can you explain why Ontario is continuing to become more attractive to foreign investors?

Hon. Sandra Pupatello: I do believe that these international companies look at Ontario and look at the stability that our government can have for these companies to make decisions on investments of this size. In the last budget tabled in this House, 10,000 jobs related to some 30 announcements that have happened since that budget was tabled, every one of them meaning jobs for Ontarians. That’s important.

We are going to have a vote in the House this afternoon. It’s going to be on this very same budget. We want to see where the opposition members are on a budget that delivers jobs for families right here in our province. Will the NDP support jobs in Ontario? Will the Conservatives support jobs in Ontario? One thing is clear: The Liberal Party of Ontario supports jobs in Ontario, and we may be the only party that will be doing this. We’ll get to see that this afternoon in the House.

HYDRO RATES

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is for the Premier. Premier, a few weeks ago I had a message from Harold Marshall waiting for me at my Collingwood office. He’s a farmer in Singhampton who called to let me know that Hydro One had just told him that they were turning on his time-of-use smart meter. Mr. Marshall had a simple request: “Would you ask McGuinty how I’m going to get the cows to read time?” So, Premier, I ask you on behalf of Mr. Marshall, how is he going to get his cows to read time?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: I hear the question from the member opposite, but I think what that member would want his constituent to know is that we now have in place in this province a clean energy benefit that’s taking 10% off rates right across the province. Indeed, that clean energy benefit has helped keep rates flat from year to year.

I think he should also let his constituent know—because maybe he hasn’t—that indeed we’ve increased 10 extra hours a week of discount time for Ontario families. We’ve listened very carefully to what Ontario families have told us: They want the hours between 7 and 9 to be discount time, and we’ve delivered that as well.

But what is critical is that we continue to modernize our energy system. This is about modernization of an energy system that the members opposite, their party, had allowed to become completely outdated—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Jim Wilson: Mr. Marshall’s phone call shows just how out of touch this government is with farmers and families who rely on affordable electricity. Premier McGuinty came to office on a promise to freeze hydro rates at 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour. Instead, he has raised rates eight times in seven years, from 4.3 cents to over 10 cents, because this government doesn’t respect the consumers’ ability to pay. It’s the McGuinty government that has caused rates to rise by 150%. They are ripping off consumers by bolting smart meter tax machines to their houses.

They’re extending the debt retirement charge and paying rates as high as 80 cents per kilowatt hour for power that they are turning around and selling to the United States for three cents.

It’s time for change in Ontario. When will this hydro nightmare end?

Hon. Brad Duguid: There’s a reason the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is very supportive of our energy policy, very supportive of moving to smart technology. Another reason why they’re very supportive—and certainly I think you’d want to make those farmers aware of the fact that you want to kill their opportunities in our clean energy economy, in those microFIT programs, and that indeed the very member opposite speculated about ripping up contracts. Those farmers deserve those contracts. That’s about $10,000 extra a year that goes into the pockets of Ontario farmers. You want to take those opportunities away from them.

Indeed, later on today we’re going to be voting for risk management for farmers. Are you for that or are you against it?

We stand behind Ontario farmers on this side of the House. They want to take away opportunities for Ontario farmers on the other side.

HYDRO RATES

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday in Dryden, residents gathered to protest skyrocketing hydro bills. Here’s how one of the organizers, Kelly Getson, described the rally: “People are not going to take it anymore ... they have to make a choice between putting food on the table or paying the hydro bill.”

It’s clear that Ontarians simply cannot afford rising hydro rates, and this rally really showed that they will not keep quiet about it anymore. When will the Premier listen to people like Kelly Getson and other northerners, and provide real, permanent hydro bill relief for Ontario families?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Brad Duguid: We’ve listened very closely to Ontario families. What was announced a couple of weeks ago was very good news for Ontario families, that indeed bills are remaining absolutely flat across this province from one year to the next. I know why that’s bad news to the leader of the opposition: because she can no longer continue to make it up as she goes along in this Legislature when she brings up these questions. You can torque it, you can twist it, you can make things up all you want; you’re entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts.

The fact of the matter is, rates are flat year to year, from May of last year to May of this year. Our clean energy benefit is having the desired effect; it stabilized energy rates. All the while, we’ll continue to invest in building a clean, modern and reliable energy system that those very same families can count on.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier may want to ignore people in communities like Dryden, but it’s clear that Ontarians will keep telling this government that they reject his hydro policies. Not only is the Premier creating an expensive hydro system that grants exorbitant salaries to CEOs in agencies, like the OPG, and drives industries and manufacturing plants to neighbouring provinces, like Manitoba, in search of lower energy prices, he’s gouging Ontario families who now struggle every day just to make ends meet.

Why won’t the Premier provide real relief to Ontarians and remove the HST from hydro and from home heating bills?

Hon. Brad Duguid: We understand the challenges Ontario families face dealing with their day-to-day budgets, and that’s why we brought in a clean energy benefit that does more than what you want to do; it takes 10% off the bills of Ontario families. What it’s done—and the Ontario Energy Board has been very clear—is it has created a situation where bills are flat. That’s the Ontario Energy Board’s analysis, not ours.

I think now that the leader of the third party has been leader for over 793 days, it’s time for her to come forward with what she wants to do with energy policy in this province. We have a clean energy benefit that’s stabilizing bills. Are you for it or against it? We’re making improvements to improve our transmission system. Mr. Speaker, she’s opposed that every step of the way. We’re replacing dirty coal with cleaner sources of power. Where do you stand—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Mr. David Zimmer: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In Willowdale, there’s a lot of discussion about the province’s continued commitment to upload the cost of social services dumped on the municipalities by the Conservatives.

The leader of the official opposition has said that if elected he will cut the size of government and reduce taxes. The problem is, we’ve heard that before, only to see municipal property taxes skyrocket across Ontario as the Harris-Eves government downloaded services to municipal taxpayers.

Minister, what is our government doing to help municipalities across Ontario maintain their services? What are we doing about uploading services?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: I want to thank the member for the question. We’ve entered into a landmark agreement with municipalities across Ontario. We are now uploading the cost of a variety of social services, which, when done, will provide local taxpayers and municipalities with a $1.5-billion net benefit per year.

This year alone, our municipal partners—and we call them partners—will see a net benefit of $945 million. That agreement was reached in consultation with our municipalities across Ontario. You see, we treat our municipalities as equal partners. We treat them with respect. We treat them with the understanding they deserve, and their unique problems can only be addressed by a provincial government that cares.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. David Zimmer: Folks in Willowdale and, indeed, Ontarians are going to be very happy about this government’s commitment to continue uploading the costs of these services.

Minister, you referred to the downloading of these costs by the Conservative government of Harris and Eves, and I remember those days well. That’s when the Tories claimed the exercise would be “revenue-neutral.” Minister, what happened during those Harris-Eves years and what has the government done to fix the problem created by that downloading?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: That’s a very, very important question, especially with the municipalities of Niagara here. The present leader of the PC Party uttered the identical words to the former Premier of the province of Ontario, Mike Harris, and this is what happened.

First of all, that government cut the number of municipalities. Then they cut the funding to municipalities. Then they downloaded social services to the municipalities. Then they downloaded secondary highways to the municipalities. But they forgot to do one thing: They forgot to give the municipalities of the Niagara region money to do this. They forgot to give them the respect they deserve. That’s why we entered into a partnership that’s based on mutual respect and consultation with each other, to ensure that—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

SMART METERS

Mr. Steve Clark: My question is to the Minister of Energy. Culligan water is a major employer in the city of Brockville, and what has happened to them shows just how much the McGuinty government’s failed energy experiments have hurt Ontario families and businesses. Culligan revamped its entire production

schedule to overnight hours to try to soften the blow when you installed one of your so-called smart meters at the company. After they installed it they were told, “Oops, sorry, we made a mistake. You don’t qualify for time-of-use. Pay up.”

Minister, why do you continue to defend your billion-dollar smart meter boondoggle when it has become such a mess that you don’t even know who’s in and who’s out?

Hon. Brad Duguid: The PC Party continues to oppose our efforts to modernize our energy system. I can understand that because, during all their years in office, they failed to make the decisions and investments needed to do that.

It’s not easy to modernize an entire energy system. It’s not easy to put Ontario out ahead of the world, and that’s exactly where we are when it comes to modernizing our energy system. But if we want to be ready for the future of energy needs of Ontario, for things like the advent of electric cars, we need to get on with modernizing our energy system. That’s exactly what we’re doing.

They’re tough decisions. It’s difficult to do, but we’re not going to let Ontario families down. We’re going to give them an energy system that they can count on today and well into the future.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Steve Clark: Come on, Minister. We all know your smart meters are just tax machines for the McGuinty government.

This embarrassing situation in my riding just shows how out of touch this government has become. You’ve penalized families by making them do their laundry at midnight. Now you’ve pulled the plug on Culligan water’s efforts to avoid being zapped by your higher energy prices by suddenly changing the rules of the game.

Minister, when will you stop conducting energy experiments and start implementing policies that give businesses the break they need to keep the lights on?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Modernizing our energy system is also an important effort that’s going to help us move away from dirty coal and get into cleaner sources of power. We’re going to need to do that if we’re going to ensure that we have cleaner air and a healthier future for our kids.

Why do the members opposite continue to stand in the way of our efforts to build a healthier future for our kids and grandkids? Why do they continue to stand in the way of our efforts to modernize our energy system to ensure that Ontario’s power system can meet the needs of the future? Why do they continue to stand in the way of our efforts to build a clean energy economy that’s leading the world, creating thousands of jobs? Thirteen thousand jobs were created last year in our clean energy economy. Fifty thousand jobs will be created by the year 2012.

We’re moving forward and—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Six months ago, in reaction to the hospital lobbyists and consultants scandal, the government promised to make hospital information available through freedom-of-access-to-information legislation. But now,

schedule 15 in the budget bill allows for any document linked to quality improvement to never be released. This opens up a loophole that a truck could fit through, allowing hospitals to hide all information by simply saying the information is linked to quality improvement. Why is the Premier backtracking on hospital freedom-of-information requests?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: There are amendments, as the member knows, contained in the budget that do, in fact, allow freedom of information for hospitals. We’re proud to be doing that. There are some necessary limitations on that that protect a variety of interests and also serve, I believe, to ensure that we have an adequate, open and transparent hospital system and that, at the same time, we don’t expose it to unnecessary legal actions and lawsuits. We think it’s the appropriate balance.

I look forward to voting in favour of that in a few minutes, just as I look forward to voting in favour of considerable new resources for children’s mental health and addictions. I hope the member opposite will vote in favour of those things as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: He just said that they made the changes to respond to some interests. The bill was brought forward because of lobbyists. The bill was brought forward because of what was going on. We don’t want backroom deals anymore. People have waited a long time for transparency in our hospitals. There are so many Ontarians out there who need closure. That closure will come through access to information.

Six months ago the government seemed to support more transparency, but now, in one clean sweep, in

schedule 15 of the budget, the minister’s doing away with hospital transparency.

What would keep a hospital practising continuous quality improvement from hiding everything from freedom-of-information requests?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The amendments are appropriate and proper in the context of an open and accountable health care system for all Ontarians.

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: And confidential.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I’m proud that this government is the government that has moved to provide that freedom of information, striking the balance, as my colleague indicates, of confidentiality for individual patients and medical practitioners along with the public’s absolute right to know and understand.

It is part of a larger budget that will fund children’s mental health and addictions services; create a risk management program; 15 new breast screening enhancements. I look forward to the NDP caucus voting for all of those important things in the next few minutes.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The time for question period has ended. I just want to—

Interjection: Time to vote.

VISITORS

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I want to take this opportunity: A number of guests will be here at the Legislature this evening, and I would like to welcome them back. These are former Speakers, who will be joining me this evening: Hugh Edighoffer, David Warner, Al McLean, Ed Doyle, Chris Stockwell, Gary Carr and Alvin Curling. I’m very much looking forward to welcoming these esteemed individuals back to the House tonight.

Applause.

DEFERRED VOTES

BETTER TOMORROW

FOR ONTARIO ACT

(BUDGET MEASURES), 2011 /

LOI DE 2011 SUR DES LENDEMAINS

MEILLEURS POUR L’ONTARIO

(MESURES BUDGÉTAIRES)

Deferred vote on the motion for third reading of Bill 173,

An Act respecting 2011 Budget measures, interim appropriations and other matters / Projet de loi 173, Loi concernant les mesures budgétaires de 2011, l’affectation anticipée de crédits et d’autres questions.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1138 to 1143.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Mr. Phillips has moved third reading of Bill 173,

An Act respecting 2011 Budget measures, interim appropriations and other matters. All those in favour will rise one at a time and be recorded by the Clerk.

Ayes

Aggelonitis, Sophia

Albanese, Laura

Arthurs, Wayne

Balkissoon, Bas

Bartolucci, Rick

Bentley, Christopher

Berardinetti, Lorenzo

Bradley, James J.

Broten, Laurel C.

Brownell, Jim

Caplan, David

Carroll, Aileen

Chan, Michael

Chiarelli, Bob

Colle, Mike

Craitor, Kim

Crozier, Bruce

Delaney, Bob

Dhillon, Vic

Dickson, Joe

Dombrowsky, Leona

Duguid, Brad

Duncan, Dwight

Flynn, Kevin Daniel

Gerretsen, John

Gravelle, Michael

Hoskins, Eric

Hoy, Pat

Jaczek, Helena

Jeffrey, Linda

Johnson, Rick

Kular, Kuldip

Kwinter, Monte

Lalonde, Jean-Marc

Leal, Jeff

Levac, Dave

Mangat, Amrit

Matthews, Deborah

Mauro, Bill

McGuinty, Dalton

McMeekin, Ted

McNeely, Phil

Meilleur, Madeleine

Milloy, John

Mitchell, Carol

Moridi, Reza

Murray, Glen R.

Naqvi, Yasir

Orazietti, David

Pendergast, Leeanna

Phillips, Gerry

Pupatello, Sandra

Qaadri, Shafiq

Ramal, Khalil

Ramsay, David

Ruprecht, Tony

Sandals, Liz

Sergio, Mario

Smith, Monique

Sorbara, Greg

Sousa, Charles

Takhar, Harinder S.

Van Bommel, Maria

Wilkinson, John

Wynne, Kathleen O.

Zimmer, David

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Those opposed?

Nays

Arnott, Ted

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bisson, Gilles

Chudleigh, Ted

Clark, Steve

DiNovo, Cheri

Dunlop, Garfield

Elliott, Christine

Gélinas, France

Hampton, Howard

Hardeman, Ernie

Horwath, Andrea

Hudak, Tim

Jones, Sylvia

Klees, Frank

Kormos, Peter

MacLeod, Lisa

Marchese, Rosario

Miller, Norm

Miller, Paul

Munro, Julia

Murdoch, Bill

O’Toole, John

Ouellette, Jerry J.

Prue, Michael

Savoline, Joyce

Shurman, Peter

Sterling, Norman W.

Tabuns, Peter

Wilson, Jim

Witmer, Elizabeth

Yakabuski, John

The Clerk of the Assembly (Ms. Deborah Deller): The ayes are 66; the nays are 33.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I declare the motion carried.

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

Third reading agreed to.

SECURITIES INDUSTRY

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): We have a deferred vote on the motion by Ms. Broten to locate the new common securities regulator in Toronto.

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

Interjections: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Agreed? Agreed.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Ms. Deborah Deller): The ayes are 66; the nays are 33.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I declare the motion carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): There being no further business, this House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1148 to 1500.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Lorenzo Berardinetti: I’m pleased to recognize, in the members’ gallery, a number of firefighters, including Carmen Santoro and some other firefighters from the Mississauga area, and also recognize in the gallery above us Mr. Fred LeBlanc, president of the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. I welcome them to the assembly.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY

Mr. Peter Shurman: I rise today to recognize the 63rd anniversary of the state of Israel’s independence. Israel, much like our country Canada, is a diverse and culturally rich environment. However, it has had to assert itself and protect its citizens after onslaughts from aggressors that seek to destroy the state of Israel and the very fabric on which it was founded.

Israel’s 63rd anniversary marks a time when we can look towards this tiny sliver of a country as a beacon of democracy and religious diversity in a region that is often ripe with conflict and turbulence. Many in Thornhill have a strong bond with Israel, and its security and safety are paramount to them. Others view Israel as their religious home, as three major religions that are represented in Thornhill call Jerusalem their Holy City.

Since the independence of the state of Israel, countless people have travelled to Israel to see the Holy Land for themselves. Before our time, thousands of people fought for centuries for control over this piece of land, which is barely 8,000 square miles, yet throughout the centuries this land has seen Christians, Muslims and Jews all call Israel home. Today, these religions live in relative harmony with each other and have added to the rich diversity that we can see when walking the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.

I am honoured to stand today in recognition of the 63rd anniversary of the independence of the state of Israel. Am Yisroel Chai.

FUNDRAISING

Mr. Jeff Leal: On Tuesday, April 5, 2011, a headline appeared in the Peterborough Examiner newspaper that read, “On Top of the World After Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb.” The

article associated with this headline described a local fundraising initiative that raised money for the Peterborough Regional Health Care Centre’s new cancer bunker.

Scott Stewart, Matt Rutherford and Drew Merrett raised $65,000 by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, standing 5,882 metres tall. They battled many obstacles, such as oxygen deprivation and extreme physical and mental exhaustion, as they climbed to the summit of this famous peak.

“‘Hitting the peak was probably the most emotional thing I’ve ever experienced ... crying like a baby,’ 46-year-old Scott Stewart said.”

His fellow climbers experienced the same sensation of euphoria when they grasped the reality of their accomplishment.

The funds raised will be matched by the PRHC Foundation, making the final total $100,000.

These three courageous individuals were not experienced mountain climbers but felt motivated to raise funds to help those battling cancer in our area. Everyone in Peterborough riding is proud and amazed at this fundraising project and the commitment of these three fine individuals.

BRENT ROBILLARD

Mr. Steve Clark: Every day in classrooms around Ontario, dedicated teachers are making life-changing impressions on our children. I’m sure everyone in this House can, in some way, trace their life’s path to that one teacher who suddenly opened up the world and made us feel like anything was possible.

Today, I rise to celebrate one of those special teachers from my riding of Leeds–Grenville. I’m honoured that Brent Robillard, a teacher at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville, is one of five Teacher of the Year Award recipients announced by the Ministry of Education.

It’s recognition that’s long overdue for Brent, whose time with students leaves them with lessons that go far beyond the walls of a classroom. The passion he instills in those teenagers has helped them to make an impact beyond Canada’s borders.

Brent is co-founder of the Thousand Islands international studies program, which culminates in a 15-day visit to Nicaragua, where months of study about complex issues like poverty and human rights suddenly become tangible. Students return from this experience with more than an education; it makes them better citizens.

A published author, Brent has also founded the writer’s craft program at Thousand Islands. The courses challenge students to use the power of words and language to unlock the potential of their imagination so that they can write and publish their own novels.

On behalf of everyone in Leeds–Grenville, especially those parents lucky enough to have a child in one of his classes, I’d like to congratulate Brent Robillard on this well-deserved award.

PAUL PRIMEAU

M me France Gélinas: I rise today to salute my constituent Sergeant Major Paul Primeau, who served his country in the Canadian military. Nickel Belt has a proud tradition of producing young men and women who have volunteered to serve their country. We must recognize the sacrifices our veterans have made.

I’m proud that the people of Nickel Belt stepped up to the plate for Corporal Bill Kerr and built his family a new, accessible house after a roadside bomb in Afghanistan left him disabled.

Now, the 400 proud residents of Gogama will join in a community celebration for Sergeant Major Paul Primeau, who has volunteered for two deployments to Afghanistan. They will recognize the selfless acts he has made on behalf of his community and his country.

The people of Gogama are proud to know Paul. They know him as a volunteer with the fire department. They know him as a good neighbour, a good father to Aaron, a good husband to Sue and a friend to all. I hope everyone in this Legislature congratulates Sergeant Major Paul Primeau on selflessly putting himself in harm’s way and returning home safely to his family.

I also invite everybody to visit Gogama and witness its beauty, unspoiled lakes and wonderful people. The Ojibwa call it “jumping fish” for good reason. If you’re interested in pickerel fishing, Lake Minisinakwa in Gogama is the place to go.

RYAN ELLIS /

MARK VISENTIN

Mr. Ted McMeekin: As Ontarians have their eyes on the NHL playoff season, even more exciting news has once again come out of my riding of Ancaster–Dundas–Flamborough–Westdale. For the second time, the talented Ryan Ellis of Freelton has won the Ontario Hockey League’s Max Kaminsky Trophy for the top defenceman in the league, and he has been named OHL player of the year. And Mark Visentin of Waterdown, my hometown, has been named the Ontario Hockey League’s goaltender of the year.

Ryan netted over 100 points this season, the first time an OHL defenceman has done that in nearly a decade. Mark posted the second-best goals against average and save percentage in the league en route to a 30-9-2-4 record. After the 2009-10 season, Visentin was ranked fourth amongst North American goalies by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Mark and Ryan were also teammates in this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship.

The Windsor Spitfires and the Niagara Ice Dogs are blessed to have these exceptional young men on their teams. They have both been drafted to the NHL, and we are looking forward to the great hockey futures that Mark and Ryan undoubtedly have. Well done, guys.

LAND USE PLANNING

Mr. John O’Toole: The residents in my riding have recently learned that their properties may be designated as provincially significant wetlands. As I indicated in my statement on April 13, this would severely limit their ability to use and enjoy their private property. To date, no residents were even aware that the ministry was conducting studies on their private property. Over 200 residents in the Darlingto