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December 6, 2018

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2018-Dec-06 (PDF)

L061 - Thu 6 Dec 2018 / Jeu 6 déc 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 6 December 2018 Jeudi 6 décembre 2018

Introduction of Visitors

Anniversary of Montreal massacre / Anniversaire du massacre à Montréal

Oral Questions

Hydro rates

Government accountability

Government accountability

Employment supports

Government advertising

Government fiscal policies

Public transit

Government accounting practices

Red tape reduction

Legal aid

Public transit

Mental health and addiction services

Consumer protection

School facilities

Christmas tree industry

Forest industry

Niagara regional chair

Sumaya Dalmar

Niagara regional chair

Visitor

Legislative pages

42nd Parliament

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Season’s greetings

Access to natural gas

Thunder Bay generating station

Arts and culture businesses

Addiction services

Christmas Cop Shop

Fight Like Mason

Events in King–Vaughan

Wounded Warriors Canada

Introduction of Bills

Dundas Valley Masonic Hall Inc. Act, 2018

Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 visant à rétablir la compétitivité de l’Ontario

Motions

House sittings

Petitions

Fish and wildlife management

Mental health and addiction services

Animal protection

Mental health and addiction services

Baitfish industry

Long-term care

Public safety

Eating disorders

Animal protection

Automobile insurance

Child advocate

Private Members’ Public Business

Mental health and addiction services

Eating Disorders Awareness Week Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la Semaine de la sensibilisation aux troubles de l’alimentation

Caregiver Recognition Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la reconnaissance de l’apport des aidants naturels

Mental health and addiction services

Eating Disorders Awareness Week Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la Semaine de la sensibilisation aux troubles de l’alimentation

Caregiver Recognition Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la reconnaissance de l’apport des aidants naturels

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

Request to the Integrity Commissioner

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. John Yakabuski: Thank you, Speaker. At a recent Green Party event, the leader compared climate change to World War II. This is insulting to the brave soldiers who fought and lost their lives. I believe the leader of the Green Party should apologize to all veterans—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I don’t find that to be a point of order.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today the consul general of Hungary at Toronto, Mr. Valér Palkovits. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guest to the Legislative Assembly today.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome the many members from the Ontario Medical Association who are here with us today and will be trying to meet with as many of us as possible. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I would like to welcome Dr. Rob Annis from Listowel, in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Welcome.

Ms. Suze Morrison: This morning I would like to give a very warm welcome to students who have joined us in the members’ gallery from Inglenook school, which is an alternative secondary school in my riding, in Regent Park. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I’m really excited today. Members of my youth council who are interested in politics and advising me on youth issues are here at Queen’s Park today. I’d like to welcome Alexandra Elmslie, Indigo Kim, Omar Sayyed, Jananey Rajagopalan, Maleya Mirza, Kaitlyn Turcotte and Abbey Prilesnik to Queen’s Park today. Thank you for being here.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I would like to introduce an amazing volunteer and campaigner, Calvin, from my riding of Kanata–Carleton—amazing.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’d like to introduce Margaret Rankin from the CMHA Niagara, and her daughter Elizabeth. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: There’s a delegation of teachers here from the Waterloo region. I’m not sure whether they are in yet, but I want to just welcome Patrick Etmanski, president of Waterloo Catholic Teachers; Ed Wyse, vice-president, secondary, Waterloo Catholic Teachers; Simon Dallimore, vice-president, elementary, Waterloo Catholic Teachers; Sherry Freund, teacher/occasional teacher, bargaining unit president with district 24 OSSTF; and finally, Kevin Johnston, also with district 24 OSSTF.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: It’s a pleasure today to welcome, from the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, chair Todd Lalonde, as well as director John Cameron.

I would also like to give a warm welcome to Rick Iafelice, father of my director of communications, Kayla.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I would like to welcome a new resident to St. Catharines: Greyson James Walter, weighing in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Welcome to St. Catharines.

Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde: It is a great pleasure for me to welcome in the House a former member of provincial Parliament but also a former minister responsible for francophone affairs and Minister of Community and Social Services during Peterson’s time. He served here in our Legislature between 1987 and 1995. Please welcome Charles Beer to the House. Thank you very much for being here, sir.

Mr. Stephen Lecce: Let me congratulate the member for St. Catharines on that wonderful news.

Speaker, I’d like to introduce and welcome Robina Hafizi to the Legislature. I want to thank her for her work for the people of Ontario. Thank you so much, Robina.

Mr. Gurratan Singh: It is with great honour and privilege that I get to introduce into this House an athlete, a freestyle wrestler, who has represented Canada as a gold medalist in the Commonwealth Games, who is a former Olympian who represented Canada in the 2012 Olympic Games; who is now a current competitor, a part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, coming fresh off his most recent win, where he proudly wore his turban as the first Sikh fighter in the UFC. Coming straight from Richmond, BC, please join me in welcoming Arjan Singh Bhullar into this House. He is joined by his wife, Neenu Kaur Bhullar, and his daughter, Ajuni Kaur Bhullar.

Mr. Jim McDonell: I would like to welcome, from the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, Todd Lalonde, the chair, and Don Cameron, director. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I am proud to introduce a friend and a supporter from Oakville, Mr. Boyd Collins.

Hon. Rod Phillips: Speaker, it’s a great pleasure for me to introduce Tony Stolk, a constituent of mine from the great riding of Ajax. Welcome, Tony.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I see a constituent of mine, Dr. Sharad Rai, who is up in the public gallery for the OMA meetings today, so welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would also like to introduce Miranda Hassell, who is working in my Queen’s Park office as my legislative assistant. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Today I would like to welcome a group of political science students from the University of Toronto Mississauga—a beautiful school in my beautiful riding—as well as their professor, David Pond, who has been dedicated to teaching our next generation of politicians.

Mr. Michael Parsa: I would like to welcome to the House my two hard-working staff: my executive assistant, Kai Nademi, and my constituency manager, Shaida Maleki, the two hardest-working staff—as an unbiased MPP, of course. As a result of their hard work, I would like to offer them both the 25th of December and January 1 off.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I would like to introduce and welcome former TTC chair and city councillor Karen Stintz.

Mrs. Robin Martin: I wanted to rise to recognize my constituents who are in the House today: former TTC chair Karen Stintz, Paul Brown of Campbell Strategies—and all the people who are here for the OMA lobby day. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Stan Cho: It’s my privilege today to introduce my good friend Mary Jo Vradis; her son Alexander Morrison; and although she has been mentioned, Karen Stintz, former city councillor and president and CEO of Variety Village, an amazing charity that makes a profound difference in the lives of young people with disabilities and their families in the greater Toronto area and across Ontario. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my privilege to introduce, in the gallery today, great friends all the way from British Columbia, Tim and Barb Schindel.

Mrs. Amy Fee: It is my pleasure to welcome back this morning three members of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association: Miranda Ferrier, Thia Stephens and Ian DaSilva. Welcome to the Legislature again.

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: I want to welcome Dr. Aly Abdulla from Carleton. He has a practice in Manotick, and I spotted him in the crowd. I look forward to meeting with him and the OMA later today.

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

Anniversary of Montreal massacre / Anniversaire du massacre à Montréal

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services on a point of order.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you very much, Speaker. Merry Christmas to you.

Speaker, I believe you’ll find we have unanimous consent for tributes regarding the 29th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre, with two minutes allotted to the independent Green member, three minutes to the independent Liberal member, five minutes to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition and five minutes to Her Majesty’s government.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. MacLeod is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to have a tribute. Agreed? Agreed.

I recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’ll be sharing time with the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Today, we rise in this assembly to condemn violence against women and commemorate the 29th anniversary of the tragic and misogynistic shooting of 14 women who were simply attending or working at l’École Polytechnique, yet whose gender sent a deranged man into a killing spree—one that will forever be ingrained in the minds of this nation.

Today, we remember, after 16 days of action on many campaigns—White Ribbon, Wrapped in Courage, Shoebox, which we’re participating in today—that despite it being 29 years later, we still must work not only toward equality for women within our country, but the safety and protection of women who are at risk of domestic violence, sexual abuse, sex trafficking and, sadly, even death just for being a woman.

As Ontario’s minister of women, I’m committed to doing our government’s part to support vulnerable women and to use my voice to bring greater awareness to women abuse. As a mother to a teenage daughter, I have a vested interest—as we all do—to ensure the next generation and those after that see a society without prejudice, one that is free from hate and safe for women and girls. In my role, sadly, I have seen that in Ontario and Canada today, that is not always the case.

As we saw with the Montreal massacre in 1989—we saw it again in 2016 in Wilno, a small, rural eastern Ontario community where violent multi-partner abuse saw the violent murders of three women. There are still so-called honour killings in Canada. Sex trafficking is on the rise. Many of Ontario’s violence-against-women shelters, rape crisis facilities and sexual trafficking homes are at capacity.

When we reflect on society, we often think of how far we have come—except when we reflect on violence against women and we put the cold, hard truth out there, we actually come away saying, “My, how far we have not come.”

Given my responsibilities to the people’s government for Ontario’s most vulnerable—children in custody and care, those struggling on social assistance, refugees fleeing war, those with developmental disabilities, soldiers, LGBTQ+ and, of course, women who have been devalued and dehumanized through abuse and trafficking—I feel we are at the heart of helping people stabilize their lives and get back on track.

As a government, we have made a commitment to ending violence against women with an historic $174-million investment into women’s shelters and programming across Ontario. We are working with those on the ground and with lived experience to better address systemic problems in our communities, particularly Indigenous, rural and remote communities, to end the rise in attacks, sometimes deadly, against women.

I’m particularly proud of our $1-million investment to support rural and remote communities, where supports are often lacking and far away from where the victims live. I credit my colleague from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke as well as my colleague from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston for bringing those issues to the floor of this assembly when people weren’t talking about what’s happening in rural Ontario.

But this is more than just a women’s issue; it’s an issue for all of us. I’ve often said that we need strong women supporting vulnerable women, but we also need strong men supporting vulnerable women.

Today, as we mark the anniversary of a tragedy that so scarred our nation, we must remember that this is not just one day a year that we need to shed light on violence against women. It’s not just 16 days of action when we need to take a stand. It is every single day—every day in our communities. Forty-eight women died by femicide this year alone. École Polytechnique in Montreal was in 1989, Wilno in 2015 and the Toronto van attack in 2018.

If I may, Speaker, I would like to read the names of Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte, Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz, Anastasia Kuzyk, Nathalie Warmerdam and Carol Culleton.

I urge all members of this House to light candles today for all of those women who died simply because of their gender; light candles for all of those women who are abused and trafficked simply because their violator doesn’t believe that they are equal; and light a candle for hope and optimism so that women and girls in the future will know that simply because of their gender they are not at greater risk of abuse.

But before we do, let’s remember the women’s names that I read today, who died and should be remembered, for if we forget them, we will have turned our eyes away from the goal of greater protections for women in society.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Today, we commemorate the 14 young women who were murdered in a tragic act of gender-based violence. It was an incident that will always stay in our hearts and minds.

Les statistiques sont choquantes : la moitié des Canadiennes ont été victimes d’au moins une agression physique ou sexuelle depuis l’âge de 16 ans. Studies have indicated that one in five women experience sexual assault while attending a post-secondary institution. The numbers highlight an alarming and unsettling reality that between 15% and 25% of college- and university-age women will experience some form of sexual violence during their academic career.

As minister, I have a zero tolerance policy for violent behaviour, and I expect the same from all educational institutions. It’s why we continue to take concrete action to help tackle the issue of gender-based violence and harassment at Ontario’s post-secondary institutions. Our government believes that no one should have to worry about their safety while on campus, and post-secondary institutions should be doing everything in their power to combat sexual discrimination, harassment and violence.

One life, one family, one community affected by the lasting damaging effects of sexual violence and harassment is one too many. Sadly, we know there is still more to be done.

Nous avons la chance d’avoir des partenaires dévoués dans nos universités, nos collèges et nos collèges privés d’enseignement professionnel qui partagent nos objectifs et qui ont travaillé avec nous tout au long de ce parcours. I look forward to continuing this work with all of our partners to make campuses safer and to continuing to work with our colleges, universities and private career colleges to fight to end gender-based violence and social and systemic gender inequality.

We will continue to raise awareness and to take action to make post-secondary institutions places of respect and inclusion, places where violence against women is not acceptable, places where everyone can learn and grow, and places where we will remember the women who died in Montreal on this day.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Toronto Centre.

Ms. Suze Morrison: On the afternoon of December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine arrived at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal with a rifle and a hunting knife. He walked through the hallways and the classrooms and proceeded to separate the women from the men. That day, he shot and killed 14 women. He killed them specifically because they were women and because he claimed he was fighting feminism.

Geneviève Bergeron, born 1968, was a mechanical engineering student.

Hélène Colgan, born 1966, was a mechanical engineering student.

Nathalie Croteau, born 1966, was a mechanical engineering student.

Barbara Daigneault, born 1967, was a mechanical engineering student.

Anne-Marie Edward, born 1968, was a chemical engineering student.

Maud Haviernick, born 1960, was a materials engineering student.

Maryse Laganière, born 1964, was a budget clerk in l’École Polytechnique’s finance department.

Maryse Leclair, born 1966, was a materials engineering student.

Anne-Marie Lemay, born 1967, was a mechanical engineering student.

Sonia Pelletier, born 1961, was a mechanical engineering student.

Michèle Richard, born 1968, was a mechanical engineering student.

Annie St-Arneault, born 1966, was a mechanical engineering student.

Annie Turcotte, born 1969, was a mechanical engineering student.

Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz, born 1958, was a nursing student.

These are the names of the women who were shot and killed on December 6, 29 years ago.

Every year on this day, feminists from across Canada recommit to their values and to the collective struggle to once and for all eradicate gender-based violence. Unfortunately, Speaker, every year we also learn of more women who have been killed. This year alone, between the months of January and August, 53 femicides were recorded in the province of Ontario—53 women killed in our province since the beginning of this calendar year just because they were women. There is still so much work to be done in our province to address gender-based violence.

As the critic for women’s issues, I’ve had the privilege to work with many women’s organizations over the course of the past few months. Rape crisis centres across this province have been waiting months for this government to give them an indication one way or another about whether they will release funding that has been committed to them.

One of the most stark things that I hear from front-line workers is that they feel this government does not recognize the systemic violence that women face every single day. Today, I would like to ask this government to respect the work of front-line workers in rape crisis centres and stop holding their funding hostage. It is unacceptable that organizations working to eradicate violence against women are being treated this way.

A front-line worker from the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape said that the government “could have expedited these funds knowing that survivors have been waiting for months to access services that could be strengthened if this funding had been granted months ago.”

Speaker, I would like to remind the House that the wait-list for survivors to access free counselling in Toronto is currently 18 months long. On this day, we must all recommit ourselves to the work that is still left to do to help make the lives of women across this province easier.

Tonight, I have the privilege to attend two December 6 vigils, one in my community in Regent Park and another at the Toronto and York Region Labour Council. I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same, whether it be in their home ridings or here in Toronto. This evening at 6 p.m., there will be a vigil held at the Philosopher’s Walk, just south of Bloor Street and Avenue Road. I hope many members of this House will be able to make it to a vigil, like I said, either in their home communities or here in Toronto.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: Aujourd’hui, c’est une journée triste lorsqu’on considère ce qui s’est passé le 6 décembre à l’École Polytechnique à Montréal. C’est important de s’en souvenir, parce que c’est important de changer les choses : changer les choses pour le mieux pour les femmes qui continuent d’être victimes de violence et pour les femmes aborigènes qui continuent d’être victimes.

J’aimerais, moi aussi, lire les noms de ces jeunes femmes : c’était Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan; c’était Nathalie Croteau; c’était Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte et Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz. Ces femmes ont été tuées parce qu’elles avaient choisi d’aller à l’université. Elles avaient choisi de changer le cours de leur vie et d’embarquer dans un programme qui était jusqu’alors réservé aux hommes. Puis, le 6 décembre est apparu, et on sait tous ce qui s’est passé.

Ici et partout, à l’Assemblée législative dans toutes les provinces, on se souvient. Il faut se souvenir de ces 14 femmes, et il faut se souvenir de toutes les autres femmes qui sont mortes, victimes de violence. On est ici pour aider à faire changer les choses, monsieur le Président, et j’apprécie qu’on a pris le temps, tout le monde ensemble aujourd’hui, de faire ce geste. Merci beaucoup.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Merci.

The member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in honour of the 14 women who were killed in a mass shooting on December 6, 1989, at École Polytechnique.

Aujourd’hui, nous nous souvenons de ces 14 femmes qui ont perdu leur vie le 6 décembre 1989.

As a student in my final year of high school, this is a day that is etched in my mind: the reality that women were killed simply for wanting to live their lives the way they saw them and the way they imagined themselves to be. They were branded as feminists and hunted down because of their gender, the shooter an anti-feminist.

In my first year at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, it was during the time of Jane Doe and the Scarborough rapist. Safe-walk programs and being escorted simply to the bus stop by campus police was the norm.

Today, gender-based violence against women is real. We need a fulcrum to shift the culture of misogyny, of hatred against women. The #MeToo movement is simply the tip of the iceberg.

Governments too have a role to play in shifting the culture of misogyny and supporting and protecting women and girls. Violence against women and girls includes domestic violence, intimate partner and family violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, forced marriage and female genital mutilation and sex trafficking.

Reports show that violence against women is on the rise in recent years. Forty-five per cent of reported violence against women is intimate partner violence. For children and youth victims, the rates of physical violence were similar for both boys and girls, but when it came to sexual violence, girls experienced that five times more than boys. In the case of homicides, women are four times more likely than men to be victims of intimate partner homicides. Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner.

The picture is even bleaker for Indigenous women and girls. Indigenous women are six times more likely to be killed than non-Indigenous women. There are 4,000 Indigenous women who are either missing or murdered in Canada. Research from the Native Women’s Association of Canada has found that homicides involving Indigenous women are more likely to go unsolved. When racialized women report violence, their cases are taken less seriously and perpetrators often receive less harsh punishments within the criminal justice system.

December 6 is a day of action on violence against women. What have we done? There is a need in this province and in this country to stand up for women who experience violence in whatever way we can.

Right now, there’s a survey that was done by all university and college campuses that talks about this issue. The information on this survey needs to be shared by the ministry so students and administration can take action.

We’ve all acknowledged that economic insecurity and financial abuse can also impact the physical and mental well-being of women. Economic independence is another tool that we have to use. The Pay Transparency Act was passed in March of 2018 and was to come into effect on January 1, 2019, but Bill 57, which is before this House, has delayed that.

With the rise of violence against women in recent years, December 6 should serve as a wake-up call for all of us in this House. More work remains to be done to create a province where everyone is treated equally and where lives are lived freely without the threat of violence. All Ontarians must take action against all forms of violence and harassment of women.

Malgré les progrès, il faut continuer pour éradiquer la violence faite aux femmes.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Guelph.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I’m humbled today to speak in this House on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, in solidarity with Canadians of all genders and backgrounds, to renew and strengthen our commitment to end violence against women.

We must never forget the 14 women who were murdered and the 10 injured at the École Polytechnique massacre on December 6, 1989, and we must not forget all the women we have lost to violence. We have an obligation to every woman on this planet—especially Indigenous women—to examine the power dynamics that lead to violence, to examine how patriarchy and misogyny lead to acts of aggression along a spectrum of violence against women.

Thanks to courageous social movements such as #MeToo, more and more people are examining gender power imbalances that result in sexual harassment, misconduct and violence. Yet according to the United Nations, 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate-partner or non-partner sexual violence.

Mr. Speaker, let us all in this House today commit to do our

part in our daily lives, in the laws we pass in this House, in our workplaces, families and communities, to break down the power imbalances that foster violence against women. Thank you.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I think it would be appropriate that we now rise and observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims in the Montreal massacre 29 years ago.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

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

It is now time for oral questions.

Oral Questions

Hydro rates

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, before I start, I just want to acknowledge that this is our last day in the Legislature; we’ll all be heading off to our ridings. I want to wish all of our colleagues here in the Legislature a very merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy Hanukkah. I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful time. To all of Ontario, enjoy the season with friends and family.

The question—

Interjection.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The question is to the Acting Premier—nice try.

Last night, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission denied Hydro One approval of their takeover of Avista, citing political interference from the provincial government. As part of the merger agreement, Hydro One now has to pay Avista a $103-million penalty for failing to obtain regulatory approval.

Can the Acting Premier tell us what impact this $103-million penalty will have on our hydro bills?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. Greg Rickford: I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition’s question. As well, I’d like to wish everybody a merry Christmas and safe travels back to your ridings.

Yesterday’s news from the US doesn’t change our focus on bringing down hydro rates and protecting the people of Ontario. We will always put the concerns of Ontario families, small businesses and seniors first. We remain committed to reducing hydro rates and establishing Ontario’s energy advantage. This included, Mr. Speaker, a firm commitment to renew the senior leadership at Hydro One, one that had lost the confidence of the energy customers and the people of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: People are having a hard enough time paying the bills in this province. Now it looks like they’re going to have to pay the price for the Premier’s and his chief of staff’s bumbling attempts to install their allies on the board of Hydro One. The Washington state regulators were pretty clear: This is a government that does whatever they want, whenever they want, and they can’t do business with people like that.

The Premier said he would clean up the mess at Hydro One. What’s his plan to deal with the $103-million mess that he’s created?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I’m not entirely sure that’s what the decision said, Mr. Speaker, but we can disagree on its contents. Upon assuming office, we acted decisively to keep our promise to the people of Ontario. On June 7, 2018, that is exactly what the people of Ontario decisively asked us to do.

Years of Liberal mismanagement led to skyrocketing hydro rates and forced seniors across the province to choose between heating their homes and putting food on their table. This is unacceptable. The people of Ontario have an expectation that we will live up to our commitment to reduce their hydro rates and make life affordable for families and small businesses. We are reducing hydro rates, and, after years of neglect, our government is finally putting the people who pay their hydro bills each and every month first.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, we agree that things were bad when the Liberals were in power, but now we have a Ford government that’s ripping up contracts, racking up penalties and severance payments at Hydro One, trying to install the Premier’s allies from city hall into key executive positions, and leaving families to pay the bill.

What does the Acting Premier have to say to families now stuck with a $103-million penalty that will be

added to their hydro bills?

Hon. Greg Rickford: First of all, I would remind the honourable member that that was one of three regulatory bodies’ decisions and that is not an expected outcome. Hydro One and Avista are reviewing that decision and considering their options.

But as I said earlier, yesterday’s news will not change our focus on remaining committed to bringing hydro rates down for the people of Ontario, for families, for small businesses and for large job creators who lost an energy advantage in this province due to the considerable mismanagement of the previous government and how they dealt with Hydro One. We’ve inherited this. We’ve made a commitment to ensure that hydro rates come down for the people of Ontario, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is to the leading—rather, the leader of the—the Acting Premier, Speaker. Sorry. My contacts are getting a bit blurry.

As we all know, when it comes to putting his own interests ahead of the public interest, the Premier doesn’t limit himself to Hydro One, unfortunately. We’ve just received a story from the Toronto Star indicating that Ron Taverner, the Premier’s pick for OPP commissioner, purchased a Toronto home privately last year from one of Premier Doug Ford’s closest advisers.

Yesterday I asked the Premier whether he agrees that we need to have the Integrity Commissioner look into the appointment process of the new OPP commissioner. I didn’t get an answer yesterday, Speaker. Will the Acting Premier provide one today?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Again, I will remind the NDP opposition that the hiring committee was independent of government, and they made a unanimous choice with Ron Taverner.

I want to quote the co-chair of the 23 Division community policing liaison committee: “As the co-chair of the 23 Division community police liaison committee, I have personally watched Superintendent Taverner bring the community together,” work toward common goals of “community mobilization/safety and crime reduction. He is our champion! ... He embodies great empathy for all and is steadfast in ensuring that all efforts are made to ... keep our community safe.”

I hope, when Ron Taverner becomes the OPP commissioner on December 17, the NDP will finally do what everyone else in this province understands who knows him—and congratulate him and thank him for his service.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Globe and Mail reports today that the Premier has been actively promoting the advancement of Ron Taverner’s career since he was a city councillor. It’s not surprising since they were very close friends.

Did the Premier mention this close friendship when he was leading the cabinet discussion on Mr. Taverner’s new job? If so, did anyone, any single cabinet minister around that cabinet table, note the conflict of interest?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: So again, I will remind the NDP that it was an independent hiring process. They unanimously chose Ron Taverner. Then it came to cabinet on Thursday. We supported the unanimous decision of the hiring committee.

But don’t take our word for it. From the executive director of the Albion Neighbourhood Services: “It is with the utmost confidence that Ron Taverner will serve the province in his capacity as the commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, with as much commitment, integrity and the highest level of work ethic as he did in serving our city!”

We have an excellent candidate as our next OPP commissioner. I only wish the NDP would understand the level and quality that we have been able to secure with Mr. Taverner.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I can assure the minister that what the NDP does very much understand is that people wanted and expected so much better than this after the last election.

Only this government and this party would fail to see the problem here. The Premier personally awarded a family friend the job of OPP commissioner. Instead of clearing the air, the Premier has attacked the OPP, claiming that they have low morale, and attacked the integrity of Chris Lewis, the decorated former commissioner of the OPP, because he was principled enough to speak out on this very bad process.

Will the Acting Premier do what the Premier refuses to do, apologize to the former commissioner, and clear the air with a transparent investigation into this very odious process?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: You know, while Chris Lewis has every right to his opinion, at the very least he wished Ron Taverner well and hoped that he serves the OPP with as much integrity as he has served for the last 50 years in the city of Toronto.

I think it is offensive that you refuse to talk about all of the things that he has done in a very positive way with the city of Toronto.

I am honoured and I am thankful that he is willing to continue in that service to the people of Ontario as the commissioner of the OPP.

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is to the Acting Premier. After the session the government has had, I’m not surprised that they want to escape early, but families are going to be dealing with the fallout from the Premier’s decisions long after he has hightailed it out of here. Whether it’s the GM workers in Oshawa who were told that the Premier wouldn’t fight for their jobs; students who have lost the hope of accessing university education in communities like Brampton, Milton and Markham; or patients stuck waiting in hospital hallways, the Premier took care of his friends, and families were left paying the bill.

Does the Acting Premier think that’s fair, Speaker?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, I can only say that after 15 years of neglect on a number of fronts by the previous Liberal government, I am very proud of the work that our government has done. We were elected to effect change in this province, positive—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I couldn’t hear the Deputy Premier for the volume of the applause.

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, what people saw this session was two very, very different visions for Ontario. We said the government should fight to keep GM jobs in Oshawa; the Premier said the ship had sailed. We said cancer patients getting treatment at home shouldn’t be forced to pay for life-saving drugs; the Ford government compared those patients to children demanding ice cream. We fought to raise the minimum wage and ensure that working people could take a sick day without losing a day’s pay; the Premier fought to create lucrative jobs for his friends.

How could this government, after just six months in power, have taken us from bad to so, so much worse?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We got elected to improve the lives of Ontarians, and that is what we are doing. We are raising things up. We are making life affordable for families. We were left with an enormous deficit, but we are making the change that people expect us to make, to make life affordable so that they don’t have to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families. That is what we got elected to do.

We got elected to end hallway health care; that is what we are working on. We got elected to make a difference in the lives of families, and that is what we’re working on. That is what we’re going to continue to do, and we welcome your assistance to do that, because this is something that we should all be working towards to make sure that for all of the people who we all represent, their lives become better and more affordable, and that we can create jobs for all of our young people who are graduating from high school, colleges and universities. That is what we were elected to do, and that is what we are doing.

Employment supports

Ms. Jane McKenna: My question is to the honourable Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Auditor General released her annual report yesterday, and amid all the scandals, waste and mismanagement, there were a few statistics that stood out from your ministry. The auditor says, “We identified ... 36% of Ontario Works recipients as having barriers that affect their ability to prepare for or find employment.... Service managers across Ontario told us that these barriers include mental health conditions, addictions and homelessness.”

Mr. Speaker, this sounds like a disjointed, patchwork system that isn’t helping society’s most vulnerable the way it should. It certainly doesn’t sound like it’s focused on the recipients. Can the minister tell us what our government for the people is doing different to ensure a path to employment?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I appreciate the question from the member from Burlington. It’s a very important question.

I’d also like to say thank you to Ontario’s Auditor General for confirming what I have been saying in this House for five long months: that the system I inherited from the previous Liberal administration was not working to get the people in Ontario who can get back to work back on track.

That’s why I am proud to be part of a government that, for the first time in 15 years, is working across government, through multi-ministerial approaches, to get people back on track, where they’re able to get back to work.

That’s why I was proud to work with the Minister of Finance so that we could announce LIFT in the fall economic statement, so people can keep more money in their pockets. I’m working with the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities so we can have that skills deployment as early in the casework as possible. I’m working with the Minister of Health on mental health and addictions, and the Minister of Housing so we can make sure people have supportive housing.

I look forward to speaking more about this in the supplementary.

Interjections.

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

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you, Minister, for your thoughtful and passionate response.

The auditor had so much more to say about the dysfunction at Ontario Works: “Since our last audit in 2009, the average monthly number of Ontario Works cases increased by almost 25% from 202,000 to 250,000 in 2017-18. Although Ontario Works is intended to be a temporary assistance program, we found that since 2008-09, the average length of time people depend on the program has nearly doubled, increasing from an average of 19 months to ... three years....”

It’s an indictment of the previous government, but more importantly, it’s disheartening for those who just want to work.

Can the minister elaborate on her plan to give those able to work a hand up and get those ignored by the Liberals back into the workforce?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: That’s why we’re pleased to have had the advice from the Auditor General over the past five months as we redeveloped our plan—because we understood that the system was broken and it was patchwork.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with OMSSA, the municipal service providers who are delivering social assistance at the local level. This is what they asked us for at AMO: better local delivery, more wraparound services and supports for those who can work and those who can’t to make sure that they live life with greater dignity.

We understand that Ontario Works should be temporary and the aspiration should be a job in Ontario, not going into a program that will trap them in poverty. We know that right now we spend over $10 billion on social assistance. Almost one million people are on the programs, yet still one in seven people are trapped in poverty. That’s unacceptable.

We believe the best social program for those who can work is a job.

Government advertising

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question this morning is to the Acting Premier. Before the last election, Progressive Conservatives said that they would restore the ban on partisan advertising that is paid for by the people of Ontario. Yet, not one of the ministers responding to the auditor’s report yesterday seemed willing to answer this basic question, so I’ll ask it again: When will the ban on paid partisan advertising happen?

Hon. Christine Elliott: President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you to the member for that question. Under the Liberals, there was a large jump in government advertising in an election year. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion why that may have been. What I will say to the member opposite is that we are exploring all elements of government advertising, including that. We will make that a priority—as we will in all expenditure items—for this government.

We welcome the ideas from the Auditor General. It’s unfortunate that the previous Liberal government gave them so much material to work with, but we will, however, endeavour to get going immediately on all of the recommendations in the Auditor General’s report.

I’ll have more to say in the supplementary on this.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Well, here we go again. Once again, we see the Ford government taking everything from bad to worse. We’ve seen that the Premier’s meddling in Hydro One will make the Liberal gas plants scandal look like a bargain, and now, instead of cracking down on partisan advertising, the Ford government is doubling down.

Why is this government so determined to spend public money on partisan promotion?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Thank you again for that question from the member opposite.

You know, what keeps me up at night, Mr. Speaker, is the deficit. What gets me up in the morning is fixing it along with all of my colleagues.

Interjections.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: My colleague just asked me how I sleep. I said, “I sleep like a baby: I wake up every two hours and I cry.”

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Cry over the books the Liberals left us.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Yes, thank you, Minister of Finance. We do cry over the books that the Liberals left us. Thank you for that.

I would remind the member opposite that this was the previous Liberal government’s advertising spending. We are going to take every action to clean up the books of this province.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The House will come to order so we can continue question period.

The next question.

Government fiscal policies

Mr. Doug Downey: My question is for the very prudent President of the Treasury Board. Yesterday, the Auditor General released her annual report. It was shocking to see how the Liberals engaged in a pattern of mismanagement which has had a real and lasting impact on the services we as taxpayers in Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte and throughout Ontario rely on. Not only did this mismanagement result in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money that was wasted, it also put the safety of Ontarians at risk. Ineffective leadership and reckless overspending—it crept throughout the whole of the previous administration.

After 15 years of the Liberals squandering taxpayers’ dollars on the watch of the NDP, Ontario elected our government on the promise of restoring trust and accountability to this province. Can the President of the Treasury Board please update this House on the findings of the Auditor General and what actions this government is going to take?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, through you to the great member from Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte, for that question.

I would be remiss, first off, not to thank the Auditor General and her team for the great work that she did in this report.

Quite frankly, the report released yesterday shows just how badly the Liberals let the people of Ontario down. Here are some examples: Ontario Works overpayments totalling $730 million; Metrolinx incurred over $400 million in sunk and additional costs between 2009 and 2018. It’s shameful that these two examples alone add up to $1.1 billion. You know, that’s about the same amount that the province spends annually on Ontario child benefits. This is waste, Mr. Speaker, that we need to fix.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Doug Downey: Back to the terrific Treasury Board president: The report did indeed reveal levels of mismanagement that were shameful. For some time now, this House has grown accustomed to hearing how taxpayers’ hard-earned money was squandered by the previous Liberal government. Whether we’re talking about trying to undermine the Auditor General in order to apply jointly sponsored pension plans to the province’s revenues or talking about the extraordinary lengths they went to to get off the books some of the unfair hydro scheme, the previous government left the credibility of this province’s financial reputation in tatters.

Can the President of the Treasury Board please inform this House what actions our government is taking to repair the other damage caused by the Liberals?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: A very good question and, thankfully, I’m prepared for that question. Over the past several months, we have worked closely with the Auditor General in pursuit of our mutually shared goal of improving not just the financial situation of the province but also the governance and accountability situation. Perhaps most disturbingly, the Auditor General discovered that under the Liberals, the Toronto—sorry, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority—

Interjection: TSSA.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Also known as TSSA—thank you, colleague—did not ensure public safety nor fulfil its legal obligations to protect the public. That is why yesterday, Minister Walker directed the TSSA to immediately address the concerns raised by the Auditor General—immediate action.

Let me be abundantly clear: We are putting an end to waste and mismanagement. While the Liberals only concerned themselves about protecting their seats, we’re concerned about protecting Ontario’s future.

Public transit

Ms. Jessica Bell: This is a question for the Minister of Transportation. The Auditor General’s report proves how badly the Liberal government let Ontario down by privatizing transit delivery, giving companies a premium price to build the Eglinton LRT on time and on budget and then making taxpayers pay hundreds of millions of dollars for cost overruns. Now this government is accelerating Ontario’s course down the same path, cooking up a secret plan to privatize parts of Toronto’s subway.

Minister, in one year from now, what do you think the Auditor General is going to say about this government’s transit plans?

Interjections.

Hon. John Yakabuski: Paul Miller is free.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Merry Christmas to Paul Miller, and thank you very much for that question.

Listen, I think a year from now the Auditor General is going to stand up and say, “Good job, government. You’ve done well.”

Our government was elected to do the right thing: to get Ontario back on track. Metrolinx has a new CEO and a new chair. The government of Ontario has a new Premier and a new transportation minister. We’re turning the corners. We’re going to build transit in this province. We’re going to get Ontario moving. We’re going to get the economy going. Ontario is open for business.

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the minister: The auditor’s report confirmed the Liberal government secretly meddled in transit planning for their own political gain, approving a GO station in the former transportation minister’s own riding even though Metrolinx had rejected that station location. But this government is taking secrecy and political interference to a whole new level by eliminating any requirement to talk to the public or local municipalities and by giving the Premier permission to change or override any of Metrolinx’s plans.

Minister, can you confirm and commit to a firm, fair and transparent public consultation process for all transit planning decisions?

Interjections.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: I wish Paul Miller a happy new year as well.

Mr. Speaker, we have reviewed and accepted the Auditor General’s recommendations on the GO station selection and are reviewing all the expenditures. The ministry is going to work with Metrolinx to determine which investments will proceed, including the Kirby and Lawrence GO stations. The ministry is also proposing changes to Metrolinx so that we can clarify the roles and responsibilities with respect to planning and decision-making.

I can fully tell the member opposite that my riding will not be getting a GO station or subway stop.

Government accounting practices

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Deputy Premier. First, to all of my colleagues here in our legislative family: merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Diwali and happy Kwanza. I want to you know that I’m going to miss the love that I feel every day from all of you when we’re in here.

In the spirit of Christmas, this question is not about how the Premier gave his ex-party president a $350,000 job, or a $350,000-a-year job to his tour director, or the fiasco that is the appointment of the new OPP commissioner.

My question is simply this: Can the Deputy Premier please explain to us why the Ontario controller’s signature is not on this year’s public accounts?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Mr. Speaker, I think this is my colleague’s way of saying this is my Christmas present from them. I can’t comment on the controller and the lack of signature. The Auditor General delivered her opinion. It was a clean opinion for the first time in three years.

But I will talk about how we went about getting a clean opinion. First off, we listened to the Auditor General, who for years did not agree with the accounting of the previous Liberal government’s books. Number two, the Financial Accountability Officer did not agree with the government’s books. Neither did the debt credit rating agencies; neither did the markets, who didn’t agree with that.

Finally, we asked an independent commission of inquiry—respected individuals, independent of government—to opine on the books of the government. I can tell you that they all disagreed with the previous Liberal government and—

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

Mr. John Fraser: I want to thank the minister for that lump of coal in my stocking.

Here is why the controller’s signature is not on this year’s public accounts. She was forced to leave in September because she did not agree with the accounting decision made by the government. She said she could not put her professional attestation on the public accounts.

Cindy Veinot was the first out of 62,000 candidates in the CPA exam in America. She is an expert in pension accounting. Here’s what she had to say: “I believe that the consolidated financial statements of the province of Ontario as issued ... materially overstate the deficit of the province for the year.”

Speaker, the government is overstating the deficit as a context for cuts. We’ve already seen those cuts to health care, to education, to social services, to the things that families depend on. My question to the minister is, why are you overstating the province’s deficit?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you to the member for that question, but I have to respectfully ask why you are not supporting this Auditor General. I think the people of Ontario rendered their verdict, Mr. Speaker.

But let me take an opportunity to quote from the erstwhile NDP finance critic in April 2018:

“Ontario’s families and businesses know they’re paying too much for hydro. They feel it every month when they open their hydro bill, and today, the Auditor General reported that the Liberal hydro plan will drive up bills, yet again—as a result of a bogus accounting scheme.

“Today, the Auditor General reported that the Wynne’s government’s pre-election report is ‘not a reasonable presentation of Ontario’s finances.’ What the AG has confirmed is that the Liberals’ hydro scheme is designed to conceal billions of dollars in hydro debt from the public.”

Can I ask the erstwhile NDP finance critic, why don’t you support the Auditor General?

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Next question, the member for Willowdale.

Red tape reduction

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Interjections.

Mr. Stan Cho: I think my colleagues might like my cardigan. Thank you for this.

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. I know that the minister has a long history in this House of fighting to reduce red tape and regulations that are holding back Ontario businesses across a number of sectors. The fall economic statement very clearly laid out our government’s commitment for the people to cutting red tape 25% by 2022, and that’s a challenge I know the minister takes seriously. After all, in Todd we trust.

Can the minister give more detail to the House about next steps that our government is taking to reduce red tape for businesses and services in Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: I want to thank the member from Willowdale and just comment on that beautiful cardigan that he’s wearing today. All he needs is a pipe and a rocking chair, Mr. Speaker.

Later today, I’m going to be introducing the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act here in the Legislature. This bill, if passed, is going to be another step in our government’s commitment to opening up Ontario for business and cutting red tape.

A lot of people think red tape is just about business, but it isn’t. It’s about services as well. That’s why the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act is going to cut red tape that’s standing in the way of opening more child care spaces in Ontario, and it’s going to create good jobs for the people of Ontario.

Red tape is hurting customer service for businesses, but it’s also hurting customer service for government, and that’s why we’re going to make sure that Ontario is competitive again with this bill.

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Supplementary?

Mr. Stan Cho: I’d like to thank the minister for his response. I know that the minister and his parliamentary assistant, Braveheart Parsa, have talked to small businesses in my riding, and their input has gone into our government’s approach to red tape.

On November 29, one of the members opposite said that the idea of cutting red tape by 25% made him shudder. Well, in my riding of Willowdale, small business owners are shuddering with joy that our government is committed to getting red tape out of their way.

Remember, Mr. Speaker, that under the Liberals, one particular business owner said that moving his production facility from Ontario to Ohio was like moving “from a torture chamber to a candy store.”

Can the minister tell the House more about how the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act will help all businesses in the great province of Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: I can say that we’re going to get some candy canes out later today when we introduce the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act in the Legislature.

I thank Stan the Man for the question this morning—a great advocate for small businesses in Willowdale.

In fact, one of the changes in this bill—which, by the way, contains 32 concrete actions across 12 different ministries of government—is going to reduce the costs by $5 million per year. The total package of reforms is going to reduce the cost of doing business by almost $25 million. This is going to play a major, major role in making businesses more competitive in Ontario.

We’re also rethinking the province’s approach to red tape. Where we can, we’re harmonizing our regulatory standards with existing federal standards so that there’s one set of paperwork. The burden on small business owners will go down. This is great news for businesses across Ontario.

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Next question.

Legal aid

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Acting Premier. Yesterday’s Auditor General report uncovered that Legal Aid Ontario is spending $21 million a year on ODSP application and appeal cases. That’s 44% of the total caseload. The more incredible news is that, in three quarters of these ODSP appeal cases, people initially denied support are getting their decisions reversed.

This PC government is making a bad situation worse by changing the definition of “disability” to one that is more narrow and rigidly defined, practically guaranteeing that there will be more appeal cases.

Does the Acting Premier understand that Legal Aid Ontario will receive more cases from people denied ODSP once the new exclusionary disability definition is in place?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Attorney General.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: First of all, to the member opposite: She’s making presumptions on what the definition of a disability will be. We are working on that. My ministry is working with the ministry of children and community safety—

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Children’s services.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: —children’s services—

Hon. Steve Clark: Minister of many things.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: —minister of many things—to come to the right definition to help lift people out of poverty and to make sure that they get the services they need.

With respect to Legal Aid Ontario, we thank the Auditor General for the work she has done identifying things that our government is going to need to do to fix a system that is not helping people get the access to justice they need. The government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Legal Aid Ontario. I thank the Auditor General for pointing out some very important things that we can look at to ensure that more and more Ontarians who need access to justice can, in fact, get access to justice.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: There are no assumptions here: The Minister of Community and Social Services actually said that the definition will align with the federal definition, which is an exclusionary definition. Thousands of other people with disabilities will be cut off from services and support.

There are so many other things that Legal Aid could be doing if they weren’t so busy doing the work the minister should be doing and fighting to get people the support they need and deserve. According to the auditor’s report, community clinics indicated that due to the high volume of ODSP cases, they were less able to take on cases related to employment law, human rights and issues that impact seniors. But with the government’s new disability definition, which is designed to exclude more people, this will make matters worse.

Speaker, would the Acting Premier rather that Legal Aid spend all of their time on ODSP appeals that they likely will win, or will she ensure that the definition of “disability” is inclusive of those who experience acute, long-term and intermittent disabilities?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Our government wants to ensure that people who need access to legal services are able to do that through Legal Aid Ontario. We will be working very hard in conjunction with the recommendations made by the Auditor General to strengthen that access to justice for people in need.

The Auditor General also said that Legal Aid has been in a deficit situation for two years. Ontario continues to face unprecedented demand for refugee and immigration legal aid services, and the federal government is not stepping up to provide its fair share of funding to support its own refugee and immigration policies.

LAO continues to refine more robust processes for analyzing the use of its funding and implementing changes over time. My ministry will continue to work with Legal Aid Ontario to ensure that we continue to develop those processes so the people who need access to justice are able to get that.

Public transit

Mrs. Daisy Wai: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Our government for the people is committed to getting the people of Ontario moving so that they can spend more time with their family, friends and loved ones.

My constituents in Richmond Hill have been coming to me to complain that they do not want to sit in traffic congestion or wait on a crowded platform for transit. Unfortunately, Ontarians have had 15 years of a Liberal government, supported by the NDP, that was fiscally irresponsible.

Yesterday, the Auditor General released a report that clearly indicated just how disastrous things were under the previous Liberal government. She called for swift action by this government.

Can the Minister of Transportation share with the members of this House just how fiscally irresponsible the previous government was with our transportation system and how much taxpayers are on the hook for, for this mismanagement?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: I would like to thank the member from Richmond Hill for the excellent question and for advocating consistently and constantly for her constituents in Richmond Hill. Thank you very much.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the Auditor General’s report yesterday. Our government for the people was elected in June to get Ontario back on track, and we do have a lot to fix. The Auditor General’s report highlights the problems that existed under the previous Liberal government. The report has served as a reminder of the previous Liberal government’s mismanagement, particularly on the transportation file.

However, Ontarians elected a PC government on June 7 with a clear and transparent mandate. Metrolinx now has a new CEO and a new chair. This marks the beginning of a new Metrolinx, and our government is excited and already working with them to get the people of Ontario moving.

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to accomplish our many tasks ahead of us, and I look forward to further sharing information in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you, Minister of Transportation, for that response. It is no surprise that the Auditor General’s report criticizes the interference in Metrolinx under the previous Liberal government, which the NDP continuously propped up.

However, Premier Ford campaigned on a commitment to build better transit, and Ontarians answered by overwhelmingly electing a PC majority government. We want to achieve the best value for the customer, the Ontario taxpayer. We’re investing in the people of Ontario. We will provide transit service that makes sense.

Our government is partnering with the private sector to seize opportunities to build transit that best serves the people in Ontario. Can the minister share with the members more on the government’s plan to get Ontarians moving?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you again for that question. Mr. Speaker, our government for the people has a transit plan that will get Ontarians moving while saving money. As the member stated, we’re working in conjunction with the private sector to seize on opportunities like transit-oriented development.

Mr. Speaker, the Mimico GO station is a prime example of this already at work. It’s a brand new station with a parkway and a greenway, and it’s all paid for by the developer. This also promotes and creates mixed-use communities around stations, which means people get to and from their homes easily, and it allows more time with friends, family and loved ones. This saves taxpayers money and gets new stations built.

Going forward, these are the kinds of great partnerships our government for the people will be looking for as we do each transit project. The days of Liberal cabinet ministers politically interfering and mismanaging transit files are over, Mr. Speaker. Ontario has turned the corner. The days of building transit and the days of being transparent are back in Ontario.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. The Auditor General’s report showed that 36% of Ontario Works recipients are experiencing mental health issues, addiction and homelessness, which act as barriers to employment.

Our mental health care system, addictions services and housing are failing to provide people with the support they need to get their lives back on track. With this government cutting $330 million from mental health and addictions services, can the minister explain how that will help OW recipients rebuild their lives?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member for the question—this is a serious concern—but I disagree with the premise. What we are doing is adding significantly to the mental health and addictions system with a commitment of $3.8 billion over 10 years, which is going to address, across the spectrum, the care needs of people with mental health and addictions issues in Ontario. This is a significant increase that is going to deal with issues like housing, with timely access to treatment, with making sure that we can deal with addictions issues across the province.

That is what I disagree with, with your question, but I do agree that we do need to make this a priority. That is what we did make a priority during our election promise to the people of Ontario, and that is what we are going to follow up on. We are going to develop and implement a coordinated and comprehensive mental health and addictions system.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Back to the minister: People on OW who are living with mental health and addiction issues need the support from this government to rebuild their lives. What they don’t need is a government paying lip service to tackling the problem while making the problem worse by restricting the definition of disability for ODSP recipients, virtually ensuring people with mental health and addiction issues will have a harder time getting the support they need, or by cutting $330 million from much-needed mental health services.

How can the minister justify taking actions that will make life harder for people with mental health and addiction issues while claiming to help them?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, Mr. Speaker, through you, I must say that I disagree with the entire premise of that question, because what we are doing is trying to help people with mental health and addiction problems. We want to make sure that they can get out of poverty. We want to make sure they have housing. We want to make sure they can find employment.

These are significant challenges that people are facing, and we are going to deal with them by engaging in a series of consultations. I would be happy to speak with you about it to get your ideas. We need ideas from all of the people of Ontario, but we are going to make sure that we speak with people in this Legislature. We’re going to speak with health care stakeholders. We are going to speak to the people of Ontario and directly speak to people with lived experience, because they are going to tell us what they need.

And we are going to make sure they get the services they need to deal with their mental health issues, to deal with their addiction issues. That is going to be my priority for the next number of months until we make sure we get it right and we can implement it as quickly as possible.

Consumer protection

Mr. Michael Parsa: My question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Yesterday, the Auditor General released her 2018 value-for-money audit of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, the TSSA. The auditor revealed a number of shocking and concerning issues with the TSSA’s operation that the previous Liberal government ignored for 15 years. The report revealed that the TSSA had oversight processes that were ineffective in ensuring public safety for Ontarians, nor had the TSSA had fulfilled their legal responsibilities. In fact, the auditor said that the TSSA portion of her report was the part that concerned her the most.

From rollercoasters to elevators to pipelines, we must ensure that public safety is our top priority. Can the minister inform the Legislature on how we can correct the numerous problems caused by the lack of government oversight over the last 15 years of Liberal reign?

Hon. Bill Walker: I’d like to thank my honourable colleague from Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill for the question. My colleague is correct: The Auditor General’s findings are disturbing and unacceptable. What the damning report revealed is 15 years of the previous Liberal government abdicating its oversight responsibility, leaving issues with the TSSA unaddressed and, most importantly, the safety of Ontarians at risk.

Unlike the Liberals, who dissed the AG for holding them to account and doing her job, we welcome her report. We welcome the feedback and recommendations on strengthening operations at the TSSA. We are taking decisive action to address these issues. Within an hour of the release of the report, I requested the TSSA board to come back to me with a report and recommendations by January 31, 2019. We will work very closely with the TSSA on implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations. We are currently examining options on improving elevator safety and availability and oversight, especially in the TSSA. I want to ensure the people—

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

Mr. Michael Parsa: I want to thank the minister for his response and for the work that he and his ministry colleagues are doing to get the TSSA back on track.

These findings are disturbing. It shows the Liberals were asleep at the switch throughout their 15 years in power and failed in ensuring the TSSA was doing its job. The Auditor General has found a long list of areas where the TSSA was not fulfilling its role and where the Liberal government was not fulfilling its oversight role. These range from numerous safety concerns around elevators, lack of record-keeping for propane storage, to issues with the upholstered and stuffed articles program.

My question for the minister is: How can we correct the numerous failures of the previous Liberal government and put the safety and security of Ontarians back at the centre of TSSA’s mandate?

Hon. Bill Walker: Again, thank you to my colleague for a very important and pertinent question.

Unlike the previous Liberal government, we view independent oversight as a cornerstone of ensuring accountability and transparency in government. The auditor’s findings are very, very concerning to our government. The people of Ontario need to feel very comfortable and safe when they walk into an elevator, go on a roller coaster—

Interjection: Like Mitch.

Hon. Bill Walker: —or work with boilers and pressure vessels. Like Mitch, of course.

Why, for 15 years, did these issues not get addressed by the Liberals? Why did they abdicate their responsibility? This is simply unacceptable. Action is the difference. We’re going to take action. We’re going to get right to business, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what we’re going to do.

As I said earlier, I have asked for a report by January 31, 2019, and an implementation plan to take action. I’m also seeking more rigour in the chief safety officer’s performance.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the people of Ontario, who have given us the privilege to serve them, that their safety is our absolute priority.

School facilities

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is for the Minister of Education. This week, I received a letter from the Minister of Education regarding funding for the Thames Valley District School Board. The minister said in one breath that all the money remains in place and those projects will move forward, and then in the next breath she said the boards now must submit appropriate designs that fit within the ministry’s benchmarks.

Would the minister inform the House what the new benchmarks are that the Thames Valley District School Board has to now meet in order to move forward with long-planned upgrades and repairs?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Speaker, I’m pleased to respond to the member opposite. I have to share with you, as well, that the Minister of Transportation has done a wonderful job tracking this issue for the community in the London area—great work.

In terms of where we need to go in these repairs and the upgrades that are required in the schools, we are working with the school board, and our capital branch has been very explicit with regard to what the school board needs to be doing in terms of not only sharpening their pencil but also making sure they’re making decisions that best equip a safe and secure, supportive, learning environment.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Speaker, although the minister indicates there is no holdup in the funding, the money has not flowed, and the letter said that the board needs to submit several new plans.

Minister, Thames Valley District School Board has yet to receive the funding they were promised. That is literally the definition of a delay.

When will the minister be clear with the school boards and tell them what new hoops they need to jump through in order to get the funding that they were promised?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Again, I referenced the Minister of Transportation earlier, and I think he would concur with me when I say that when the new board and the trustees are in place, that’s when we’re going to see a lot of movement take place.

The fact of the matter is, our capital branch has been very explicit about what Thames Valley needs to be doing in terms of accessing the allotted money that is waiting for them to move forward with their schools.

Christmas tree industry

Mr. Parm Gill: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This week, we celebrate National Christmas Tree Day. The Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association have declared the first Saturday in December as National Christmas Tree Day.

Buying Ontario trees generates $11.3 million in sales for Ontario farmers and related businesses every year. Almost everywhere in North America, and certainly in Ontario, Christmas trees are grown as crops on tree farms.

Families in my great riding of Milton and across this province look forward to getting together and travelling to their local Christmas tree farm throughout this month to pick the perfect tree for their home.

Can the minister please tell us why shopping locally for a real Christmas tree during this Christmas season is important?

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I thank the member from Milton for the question. Each year, nearly 625 Ontario Christmas tree farms produce more than one million Christmas trees. As the member mentioned, buying Ontario trees puts $11.3 million into the provincial economy every year. The Christmas tree industry employs thousands of Canadians, not only on farms, but also in transportation and retail.

I had the opportunity to visit the Toronto Christmas Market with our Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and my parliamentary assistant last week, where we got to see the giant Christmas tree at the market and celebrate the occasion with some of our Christmas tree carols.

I encourage everyone to buy a real, local Christmas tree this holiday season and support Ontario farmers, who work so hard to bring the very freshest fir, pine and spruce Christmas trees to your family each year.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Parm Gill: I want to thank the minister for encouraging everyone to shop local and support their local Christmas tree farmers this holiday season.

For every Christmas tree harvested for the holidays, two new ones are planted to regenerate Ontario tree farms. Christmas trees are among the most environmentally friendly crops, because trees are harvested only after 10 years. To ensure future harvests, 90% of the farms must remain in trees all the time.

Can the minister please tell this House how else our government for the people is supporting families and farmers in this Christmas tree industry?

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I could, Mr. Speaker, but I think the Minister of Natural Resources could do it much better. I’ll refer it to him.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the member for his question as well.

I’d like to take this opportunity to commend the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for his hard work in promoting Ontario’s homegrown Christmas tree industry. Many of us have cherished memories of Yuletide spent around the Christmas tree, and the smell of a fresh-cut balsam or pine is often enough to remind us of that special time of year when we gather with family and friends.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is pleased to support our Christmas tree industry through Ontario Wood, a partnership with the broader forestry sector that promotes their products, whether they be building materials, furniture, finishing pieces, artisan products or a beloved Christmas tree.

I’d like to encourage everyone to get a natural tree, and wish everyone a happy National Christmas Tree Day, a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Forest industry

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Indigenous Affairs. Minister, let me frame this for you—we’ve spoken about this quite a few times over the last couple of weeks: There is a mill, a stagnant mill, that has been idle in Chapleau for quite some time. There has been an Indigenous component of interest to it. There has been an industry component of interest to it. NOHFC have released their interest to it, causing a bid. The bid went out. There are two competing entities that are looking for it right now.

At this point in time, a salvage is what is going to be done with this mill. You know and I know what that means for the community: loss of opportunities, loss of jobs, and loss of development and growth for this community in Chapleau.

Northern Ontario is very strong in the forest industry. We need your help with this one. What is this government going to do instead of letting this mill go into a salvage?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I appreciate the honourable member’s question. This was brought to my attention last week, and our officials are following up on this. We’re focused on a strategy for northern Ontario that will open us up for business. Stagnant for more than 15 years, the decade and a half of darkness left many mills, many resource operations, shut down for extended periods of time—high energy costs. We now have, clearly, a skill set, skilled tradespeople to go in and work in many of these places.

I can assure the member opposite that, with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and our commitment to being open for business, we’ll take a serious look at any opportunity in northern Ontario, in particular as they pertain to opportunities with Indigenous communities partnering with the private sector to create good jobs for all communities across northern Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Mantha: Minister, look no more: The opportunity is knocking at your door. There is an industry here that is looking at getting this going. They’re waiting for you to come to the table. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Come to Chapleau. Come meet with the industry. Meet with the local people that are there that are willing to make this work.

I know the member from Timmins has crossed the floor many times to talk to you. I’ve walked across the floor and mentioned it to you. This is an opportunity that we cannot miss. I don’t care how we get it done. I don’t care who comes there to cut the ribbon. Let’s get this deal done. Don’t pass up this opportunity.

Hon. Greg Rickford: It’s true they walk across the floor—so many times it makes me think they want to stay.

I’ll tell you who is knocking at my door: people in the forestry sector and in the mining sector who are tired of red tape, who are tired of high taxes and who can’t afford a job-killing carbon tax. We drive larger trucks for longer, farther distances, and the opposition is calling for a carbon tax to be the highest in the world. I can guarantee the member opposite and all of his colleagues that we’re committed to opening northern Ontario for business.

As I close, Mr. Speaker, in particular I would like to wish all of my northern Ontario colleagues not just a merry Christmas, but safe travels across our vast and beautiful ridings.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That may have been the final question period of 2018.

Niagara regional chair

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

Mr. Wayne Gates: Yes. On a point of order: My colleague, Jennie Stevens, and myself have just found out that Jim Bradley, who was our colleague here and sat in this House for over 40 years, has been elected the new regional chair of Niagara. I just want to say congratulations. We look forward to working with him.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the member for Ottawa South would like to speak to the same point of order.

Mr. John Fraser: I can confirm for this House that Jim Bradley was indeed a Liberal. I know he crossed party lines, and I know that the government is looking forward to him taking his position as regional chair in Niagara. Merry Christmas.

Sumaya Dalmar

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order. The member for Toronto–St. Paul’s.

Ms. Jill Andrew: Today, on December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, I’d like to say the name of a beloved member of the Black queer community—my community—in this House. Her name was Sumaya Dalmar, a Black Somali Muslim transgender woman who experienced anti-Black racism, Islamophobia and transphobia. I wish all of you got a chance to meet her. Her beauty and brilliance would have filled any room she was in.

She died suspiciously on February 22, 2015, in Toronto. Her death remains unsolved. Sumaya Dalmar’s life mattered. Thank you.

Niagara regional chair

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I wish to add my voice—I can assure you that Mr. Bradley did not sit with our caucus, but I had the opportunity to serve with him, in opposition, and I look forward to serving with him for the good of Niagara.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Toronto Centre.

Ms. Suze Morrison: I’d like to warmly welcome to the Legislature my very best friend in the entire world, who goes back to high school with me, Tiia Merikallio. Thank you for joining us today.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It is now time to say a word of thanks to our legislative pages. I would ask them to assemble.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It is my privilege to say a few words. Our pages are smart, trustworthy and hard-working. They are indispensable to the effective functioning of the chamber. They cheerfully and efficiently deliver notes, run errands, transport important documents throughout the precinct and make sure that our water glasses are always full. We are indeed fortunate to have them here.

Our pages depart, having made many new friends and with a greater understanding of parliamentary democracy and memories that will last a lifetime. Each of them will go home and carry on, continue their studies and will no doubt contribute to their communities, their province and their country in important ways.

We expect great things from all of you. Maybe some of you some day will take your seats in this House as members or work here as staff. We wish you all the best, and thank you again for serving as pages.

42nd Parliament

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before we recess the House, I have something that I want to say to all of you before I extend my Christmas greetings, and it’s a good thing you’re sitting down.

Today is, in effect, the last day of the first sitting of the 42nd provincial Parliament of the province of Ontario. To paraphrase the greatest parliamentarian, Winston Churchill, we are a long way from the beginning of the end of the 42nd Parliament, but at least we have come to the end of the beginning.

This year, 2018, has been a very challenging year for all of us, members and staff alike: the frantic months leading up to the June 7 election; the early resumption of the House after the election was over; and the special summer sitting, which quickly blended into the fall sitting, with members and staff learning their new duties and responsibilities and having had little time to prepare.

For all of us in this Legislature, the demands of our roles can seem relentless, the days long and hard and the challenges insurmountable. Yet each working day, all of us on both sides of the House seek to make progress toward the goal that motivated us to run for office in the first place, that being the desire to build a better province in our time and for the generations to come. While we may differ on how to best achieve that goal, broadly speaking we all share it. We are not enemies across the aisle. We are colleagues; we are parliamentarians. That is the basis upon which we should debate the issues before us.

The people of your ridings have entrusted each of you to come here to represent them and speak on their behalf. In turn, your work here is only possible because of your respect for the people of your ridings who sent you here, your passion for public service and your deep desire to make a positive difference for your communities, for Ontario and for Canada. You are their voice. You are all leaders. Your commitment, your caring and your candour can validate the trust that your constituents have placed in you.

I am privileged to serve as your Speaker. Thanks again for conferring that responsibility upon me. Helping me to perform this role, I want to especially thank the Deputy Speaker; the other presiding officers of the House; our Clerk and table staff; our Sergeant-at-Arms; the staff in the Speaker’s office, Rachel Nauta and Monica Weber; and, indeed, all the staff in the Legislative Assembly who serve the people with dedication and professionalism, just as members seek to do.

We now have the chance to go home to our families and reconnect with our friends and the people of our ridings. We can also reflect upon the kinds of leaders we aspire to be and the kind of province we seek to build.

I want to wish all of you season’s greetings, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and all the best in the new year.

This House is recessed until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1219 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Suze Morrison: Today I’d like to warmly welcome to the Legislature Tiia and Varlene Merikallio, two of my closest friends. At a time in my life when I had moved back to Toronto and didn’t have a place to live yet, it was the Merikallios who found me a home on one of the houseboats in the marina where they lived. Thank you so much.

M me France Gélinas: Ils sont en route et ils seront ici bientôt. J’aimerais souhaiter la bienvenue à Jean-François Bélisle de Wendover, M me Arianne Matte, Zéphraïm Matte, Céline Marcoux-Hamade et Stéphane Hamade.

Members’ Statements

Season’s greetings

Mr. Paul Miller: I would like to wish my constituents and the people of Ontario a very happy holiday season and a wonderful and prosperous new year. A special shout-out to my colleagues in the House. I would like also to thank the Speaker for doing his best to keep a lid on this House during a very tough session.

We should all take time this festive season of the year to remember the less fortunate. No child should go without a toy under the tree and no senior should be left alone. If someone is in trouble, they should get the help they need. People who require the basics should be able to go to the local food bank and get what they require. It is the duty of all of us, all Ontarians, to make sure those shelves are full all year round.

I would also like to thank organizations like the United Way, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and the many other charitable organizations that, year in and year out, are there for everyone in our great country. I believe Canadians are generous, thoughtful and have kind hearts. This is proven every day by the millions of volunteers who give their time to make Canada a little better place. Thank you to all the veterans, the women and men of our armed forces, police, firefighters, paramedics, nurses and doctors who watch over us all year round.

We are all fortunate to live in this great country.

Access to natural gas

Ms. Donna Skelly: It’s my pleasure to rise today to recognize our government for its efforts to increase access to natural gas in rural and northern Ontario. We’ve heard from people right across Ontario who say that natural gas expansion is critical to growing their businesses, to creating jobs, and to simply competing. This new program will encourage more private gas distributors to partner with communities to develop projects that expand access to affordable and efficient natural gas. It will benefit rural residents in my riding of Flamborough–Glanbrook and throughout the province by keeping natural gas costs low at no additional cost to taxpayers.

Natural gas is more affordable than electricity, oil or propane. Switching to natural gas can save an average residential customer as much as $2,500 a year. This builds on the government’s work to stand up for the people of Ontario by removing the carbon tax from natural gas bills, saving families about $80 a year and small businesses $285.

Expanding natural gas service will make Ontario communities more attractive. This is part of our government’s plan to bring quality jobs back to Ontario and to send a clear message that Ontario truly is open for business.

Thunder Bay generating station

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Before I begin my statement, I want to acknowledge the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this date in 1989, the lives of 14 women were cut painfully short in Montreal. We must never forget those who died.

Last summer, the closure of the Thunder Bay generating station was announced. This government talks a lot about creating jobs, but this will mean the loss of good local jobs. In Thunder Bay, we need more jobs, not less. This government endlessly repeats talking points about stopping waste, but this decision means that all the past investment in the generating station will be wasted.

This government also says it will develop natural resources in the northwest. When these resources come online, they will need electricity, but the generating station won’t be there. There are plenty of alternate uses for the facility instead of closing it. Since it gives off a significant amount of heat, it could be used for other industries, such as local greenhouses to grow food.

Finally, the generating station uses biomass pellets. The production of these pellets is already advanced in the north. Closing the station undermines that industry. To squander a public asset is a shame. It’s penny-wise and pound foolish. This government should save the generating station, not shut it down.

Arts and culture businesses

Mr. Doug Downey: As we’ve heard our great Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport say in this House, the arts and culture businesses in Ontario are significant. They contribute 4% of our GDP. I also hope others in the area are familiar with the arts, culture and sport in their area. I expect they are.

Ontario artists remind us who we are and they show people all over the world some of our values and our landscapes. The business owners do that work for us and they draw others to Ontario to visit and spend money, and they bring their business and they make a life here because of it.

The least we can do is consume their work. As we head into Christmas, Mr. Speaker, the amount of sales that these artists rely on are important, whether it be in the art world or whether it be in the sport world. I have three ski hills in my riding: Snow Valley, Horseshoe Valley and Mount St. Louis Moonstone. If you know somebody who is hard to buy for, buy something consumable. Buy something that they can use. Buy them a ski pass, or a piece of art, or jewellery that’s made locally.

It’s really important that we support local, that we shop local and that we support the artists who are an expression of the creativity of those in Ontario. We play an important role as consumers to make sure that those businesses survive. I look forward to visiting my local craft shows throughout the holiday season, and as well buying from the store downstairs, which is filled with local merchandise. I encourage people to go down there and buy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and have a wonderful Christmas.

Addiction services

Ms. Suze Morrison: Today, I’d like to tell you about my friend Kylah. She just celebrated her 30th birthday. Some of her family members are here in the Legislature today, and I’d like to welcome them.

Speaker, our world is darker today than it was two weeks ago, because two weeks ago we lost Kylah to an overdose. Kylah never had a plan and she didn’t have a schedule. But instead of a plan, she always had an adventure, one that often strayed off the beaten path, one that was fearless and one that taught the people around her how to be brave. Kylah was the kind of person who would blow into your life like a hurricane, and before she gusted off on her next adventure she would always leave you with a story.

Speaker, it is not lost on me that we lost Kylah at the same time that overdose prevention sites across Ontario continue to fight for their very existence. These sites save lives. But the new criteria that this government has put forward are overly strict and put many of these sites in my riding at risk of losing their funding.

To every member on the government bench: I don’t want any of you to tell me—or Kylah’s family—how sorry you are. I ask you: Do not let Kylah become another statistic to you while you continue to ignore the epidemic of overdose deaths in this province.

Christmas Cop Shop

Mr. Dave Smith: Our police officers deal with a lot of difficult situations on a daily basis, but yesterday they got to do something that was a lot more fun. It was the 12th annual Cop Shop in my riding of Peterborough–Kawartha. Peterborough police teamed up with Lansdowne Place mall. Officers were paired with 24 local elementary school students for a day of Christmas shopping cheer. This event began in 2005 when Constable Leanda LeVasseur formed a partnership with Lansdowne Place mall to give elementary school children a chance to do some Christmas shopping. They are selected based on need, volunteerism and academic achievement.

Each year, kids are picked up from their schools in a limousine and taken to Lansdowne Place, where they’re met by officers who become their personal shoppers for the day. They have breakfast with their new officer friends. Lansdowne Place generously donates a $200 gift card to each child for shopping. They arrive with a list of gifts, and most of them have a map of the stores that they want to go to to buy all the things they want to get for their friends. In addition, the stores in the mall give the kids a discount on the things that they buy.

Purchases are wrapped and tagged by mall staff and volunteers from the community. The day is capped off by lunch with Santa and their police officer, and then they’re taken back to their school in a limousine. Each child is also given a new winter coat.

I’d like to thank Lansdowne Place mall and the Peterborough Police Service for another successful Christmas Cop Shop and everything that they do in our community.

Fight Like Mason

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I’m honoured to take a couple of minutes today to talk about superheroes. We all know about Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spiderman, all of them great superheroes in their own right. We know their stories of superhuman strength, sophisticated gadgetry and unflinching morals. Today, however, I want to talk about another superhero you may not have heard of, but who was every bit as heroic as anything you’d find in the pages of Marvel or DC comic books.

Maseman burst onto the scene in Windsor and Essex county in 2015. His mission wasn’t to fight crime in the streets; his mission was to fight childhood cancer. Maseman’s civilian identity was Mason Macri. Mason was diagnosed with cancer when he was just two years old. With the help and guidance of his parents, Chantelle and Iain, Mason inspired our entire community to join his fight.

Sadly, on June 27, 2016, Mason succumbed to his cancer, but cancer did not win. Mason’s legacy lives on in the thousands of people he inspired and the foundation created in his name. The Fight Like Mason Foundation raises awareness and funds for research and to help inspire young cancer patients with superhero-themed IV poles. I would encourage everyone to go to the Fight Like Mason website or Facebook page, to get involved, donate and, most importantly, read Mason’s story and, like I have, be inspired.

I want to thank Iain and Chantelle for sharing Mason with us.

On behalf of the thousands of superhero sidekicks around Essex county and the rest of the province, we thank and send our love to the Macris and to you, Mason.

Events in King–Vaughan

Mr. Stephen Lecce: I rise today to recognize some incredible constituents, organizations and events taking place in the riding of King–Vaughan.

I want to start by recognizing and thanking a dear friend of mine, Linda Pabst, who served for 24 years in the township of King and retired just a few days ago.

I want to congratulate the newly sworn-in councils from both King and Vaughan for their commitment to public service.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate other community activists and leaders. The Schomberg Red Wings, the atom hockey team, recently qualified for the Silver Stick tournament, North America’s largest youth hockey tournament. I’m very excited about the Red Wings success.

The Trees of Giving fundraiser in King, at the museum, is giving funds towards the King for Refugees organization, supporting various individuals in need.

The Lazio Federation of Ontario made a historic $25,000 contribution to Hospice Vaughan that is working to provide compassionate care for those at the end of life.

Finally, I want to congratulate Maria Castro, Michael DeGasperis, Altaf Stationwala and Robert Charles Wilson, all of whom received the Order of Vaughan, which is the city’s highest civic honour.

Colleagues, please join me in recognizing and thanking these incredible people, these wonderful organizations, for enriching the lives of our community in King–Vaughan.

Wounded Warriors Canada

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased to announce a new partnership forged between Wounded Warriors Canada and Whitby Fire and Emergency Services.

Wounded Warriors Canada, Speaker, as you will know, has a mission to honour and support ill and injured members of armed forces, first responders and their families, and provides a wide range of programs and services for those with operational stress injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Now, through this partnership, Wounded Warriors will offer training to Whitby Fire in order to ensure that its members are healthy and able to perform, as they do, each day. Programs will include group therapy, animal-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, resiliency training, education and skills transition.

This partnership will prove invaluable in ensuring that another layer of first-rate mental health care is in place in Durham region.

Introduction of Bills

Dundas Valley Masonic Hall Inc. Act, 2018

Ms. Shaw moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr5,

An Act to revive Dundas Valley Masonic Hall Inc.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 86, this bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 visant à rétablir la compétitivité de l’Ontario

Mr. Todd Smith moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 66,

An Act to restore Ontario’s competitiveness by amending or repealing certain Acts / Projet de loi 66, Loi visant à rétablir la compétitivité de l’Ontario en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister care to explain his bill?

Hon. Todd Smith: I would very much, Mr. Speaker. The legislation will, if passed, eliminate red tape and burdensome regulations so businesses can grow, create and protect good jobs for the people of Ontario. The amendments in the legislation will cut business costs, harmonize regulatory requirements with other jurisdictions, end duplication and reduce barriers to investment. It will create much-needed child care spaces in Ontario and drive down the cost of building important infrastructure in communities right across Ontario.

Motions

House sittings

Mr. Stephen Lecce: I move that, pursuant to standing order 6(c)(ii), the House shall meet from 6:45 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, December 6, 2018, for the purpose of considering government business.

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

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

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: On division.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Carried on division.

Motion agreed to.

Petitions

M me France Gélinas: Il me fait extrêmement plaisir de présenter ces pétitions. Je dis bonjour à Nathalie Rondeau de Sudbury. La pétition commence :

« Ensemble, résistons!

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

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

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

Ils pétitionnent l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario de :

J’appuie cette pétition, et je vais demander à Lillian de l’amener à la table des greffiers.

Fish and wildlife management

Mr. Dave Smith: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the ban on hunting and trapping in sections of Ontario to protect the eastern hybrid wolf was put in place without regard for the overall ecosystem;

“Whereas this ban has adversely affected the ability of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), hunters and trappers to properly manage animal populations and Ontario’s ecosystem;

“Whereas this ban is no longer needed and is in fact causing more damage to Ontario’s ecosystem and increasing unnecessary encounters between wildlife and Ontarians;

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

“That the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry immediately lift the ban on hunting and trapping set in place to protect the eastern hybrid wolf.”

I’ll sign this petition and give it to page Shlok to take to the table.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Wayne Gates: “We, the undersigned residents of Ontario, do hereby petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that, in order to provide relief for front-line workers, Niagara needs immediate funding to operate three 24/7 mental health and addictions centres. These centres, to be located in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland, would provide treatment, resources and, when necessary, crisis services for those struggling with mental health issues.”

I’ll sign this petition and give it to page Emily.

Animal protection

Ms. Donna Skelly: “Animal Protection in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas all animals in Ontario deserve our protection but are largely going unprotected at this time;

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

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

“Whereas the OSPCA has made itself completely unaccountable to the public by eliminating annual general members meetings...;

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

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

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

I sign it and give it to Alex.

Mental health and addiction services

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I rise today to present this petition.

“We, the undersigned residents of Ontario, do hereby petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that, in order to provide relief for front-line workers, Niagara needs immediate funding to operate three 24/7 mental health and addictions centres. These centres, to be located in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland, would provide treatment, resources and, when necessary, crisis services for those struggling with mental health issues.”

I fully support this petition, affix my name to it and hand it to page Ella.

Baitfish industry

Mr. Toby Barrett: The petition’s entitled, “Against the New Baitfish Proposal.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has banned the harvesting of frogs and crayfish, imports of leeches, and the use of organic bait in some areas, infringing on Ontario anglers; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is proposing further restrictions on the live bait industry by restricting the movement of live bait in Ontario; and

“Whereas creating zones and boundaries that are unreasonable; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is trying to downsize the list of legal bait species currently allowed to be harvested in the waters of Ontario, which will result in financial loss and hardship to the live bait industry; The live bait industry has negotiated a grandfathered licence for harvesters in Ontario parks. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is proposing a five-year phase-out, which will result in significant financial losses to the live bait industry and the anglers of Ontario; and

“Whereas the proposed changes will have dire consequences on the economy and tourism in Ontario and will effectively put people in the live bait industry out of business;

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

“That the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry recognize and work directly with the live bait industry to revamp the current EBR proposal put forward to ensure an economic and stable live bait industry and provide a quality baitfish product for the anglers of Ontario.”

I agree with the sentiments of this petition and affix my signature.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: This petition was received from Susan Freeman of Perth. She is addressing the Legislative Assembly.

“Whereas the province of Ontario requires a minimum but no maximum temperature in long-term-care homes;

“Whereas temperatures that are too hot can cause emotional and physical distress that may contribute to a decline in a frail senior’s health;

“Whereas front-line staff in long-term-care homes also suffer when trying to provide care under these conditions with headaches, tiredness, signs of hyperthermia, which directly impacts resident/patient care;

“Whereas Ontario’s bill of rights for residents of Ontario nursing homes states ‘every resident has the right to be properly sheltered ... in a manner consistent with his or her needs’;

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

“Direct the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations amending O. Reg. 79/10 in the Long-Term Care Homes Act to establish a maximum temperature in Ontario’s long-term-care homes.”

I fully support this petition and give it to page Emily to deliver to the table.

Public safety

Mrs. Robin Martin: I have a petition to the Parliament of Ontario to ensure the safety of residents of Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Justin Trudeau government is not doing enough to protect the people of Ontario from convicted terrorists; and

“Whereas safety, security and peace of mind is of the utmost importance to the Ford government; and

“Whereas Ontario residents who have not been convicted of criminal acts could find themselves unable to gain access to various privileges they enjoy; and

“Whereas there are no provisions to prevent convicted terrorists from accessing privileges in Ontario;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass Bill 46 and disallow anyone convicted of a crime under

section 83 of the Criminal Code of Canada and any international treaties that may apply from receiving:

“(1) a licence under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997;

“(2) health insurance benefits under the Health Insurance Act;

“(3) a driver’s licence under the Highway Traffic Act;

“(4) rent-geared-to-income assistance or special needs housing under the Housing Services Act, 2011;

“(5) grants, awards or loans under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act;

“(6) income support or employment supports under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997;

“(7) assistance under the Ontario Works Act, 1997;

“(8) coverage under the insurance plan under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.”

I support this petition, affix my signature, and I will give it to page Jack to bring to the table.

Eating disorders

Ms. Jill Andrew: “Petition for Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas as of 2016 there are an estimated one million people suffering from eating disorders in Canada;

“Whereas the mental health system in Ontario is fragmented and is failing to provide the necessary supports to those suffering;

“Whereas eating disorders have the highest mortality rates of any mental illness;

“Whereas an estimated 75% of young people suffering from mental illness in Ontario do not receive treatment;

“Whereas the morbidity of eating disorders is extensive and as of 2016 the life expectancy of individuals with anorexia nervosa is 20 to 25 years less than would normally be expected;

“Whereas the 2016 Ontario’s Auditor General reported that the past Liberal government spent $10 million sending 127 youth to the United States for services not offered in Ontario;

“Whereas that $10 million could have helped more than 500 people suffering from eating disorders here in Ontario;

“Whereas factors like food and income security, access to housing, health care and mental health supports and experiences of systemic violence like sexism, racism and homophobia can contribute to the development and treatment of eating disorders;

“Whereas public portrayals often depict one type of body as an ideal over other diverse or different bodies;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass Bill 61, Eating Disorders Awareness Week Act, 2018 that would make the week beginning February 1 in each year Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW).”

I proudly affix my signature and hand this to page Isabel.

Animal protection

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Petitions? The member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore.

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, on the last day of this year. It’s exciting to be here.

I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas certain commercial operations known as ‘puppy/kitten mills’ have been reported to keep animals in precarious conditions in breach of provincial animal welfare laws; and

“Whereas dog/cat breeding in accordance with the law is a legitimate economic activity; and

“Whereas it is the duty of any government to ensure the laws of Canada and Ontario are respected and that the health and well-being of innocent animals is protected;

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

“That the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services work proactively with all amateur and professional dog/cat breeders, as well as consumers, with the intent to tackle confirmed animal cruelty cases in puppy/kitten mills and to educate all stakeholders about animal welfare standards.”

I am more than pleased to sign my name to this and hand it to Hannah.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I have a petition entitled “Stop Auto Insurance Gouging.”

“Whereas some neighbourhoods across the GTA have been unfairly targeted by discriminatory practices in the insurance industry;

“Whereas people in these neighbourhoods are penalized with crushing auto insurance rates because of their postal code;

“Whereas the failure to improve government oversight of the auto insurance industry has left everyday families feeling the squeeze and yearning for relief;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to ban the practice of postal code discrimination in the GTA when it comes to auto insurance premiums.”

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

Child advocate

Miss Monique Taylor: I have a petition that reads, “Protect the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas children and youth are Ontario’s most valuable resource and deserve the best start in life we can provide;

“Whereas Ontario’s most vulnerable children and youth are too often underserved by our child welfare, mental health, youth justice and special-needs sectors;

“Whereas that lack of service can result in health challenges, lower educational outcomes, reduced opportunity, injury and sometimes even death;

“Whereas children and youth, and in particular vulnerable children and youth, often have no voice and few adults to speak on their behalf;

“Whereas the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth is charged with the responsibility of providing an independent voice for children and youth by partnering with them to bring issues forward;

“Whereas the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth provides a necessary focused approach, putting children and youth at the centre of all of their work, that cannot be provided by any other office;

“Whereas the closure of the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth represents a step backwards for Ontario that will harm our most vulnerable children and youth;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Doug Ford government to reverse its d