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April 20, 2015

41st Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2015-Apr-20 (PDF)

L070 - Mon 20 Apr 2015 / Lun 20 avr 2015

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 20 April 2015 Lundi 20 avril 2015

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Ontario budget

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Privatization of public assets

Teachers’ labour dispute

Privatization of public assets

Retail alcohol sales

Privatization of public assets

Education funding

Privatization of public assets

Energy policies

Health care funding

Privatization of public assets

Hydro rates

Pay equity

Visitors

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Nurses

Tenant protection

Islington Health and Wellness Fair

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Unbound Fashion Show

School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week

Mental health

Taylor Young

Motions

Private members’ public business

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Equal Pay Day / Journée de l’équité salariale

Petitions

Ontario Disability Support Program

First responders

Student safety

Electronic cigarettes

Alzheimer’s disease

French-language education

Highway improvement

Off-road vehicles

Credit unions

Off-road vehicles

Alzheimer’s disease

Water fluoridation

Orders of the Day

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur les régimes de pension agréés collectifs

Visitors

Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act (Making Ontario’s Roads Safer), 2015 / Loi de 2015 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne le transport (accroître la sécurité routière en Ontario)

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

Introduction of Visitors

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to welcome some very special guests here today at Queen’s Park. I had a great meeting with the chairs of our community advisory boards that provide advice to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

I want to welcome Julianne Dunbar, who’s a member for the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre; Ian Peer, who is the Chair of the Community Advisory Board at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre; Nancy Martin, who is the Chair of the Central East Correctional Centre’s Community Advisory Board; and I believe we had with us earlier Wesley Crichlow, who is the Chair of the newly formed Community Advisory Board at Toronto South Detention Centre. I thank them for their public service and welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Bill Walker: It’s my pleasure to introduce the mother, Dawn Perry, of page captain Cailyn Perry from the great riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. Welcome.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: On pay equity day, I’d like to introduce the House to Mary Cornish, who’s the chair of the Equal Pay Coalition; Samantha Scott from SEIU Local 1, who is their staff legal counsel; Lori Davis from OPSEU, a pay equity negotiator; Nancy Hutchison—everyone will know—from the OFL; she’s their secretary-treasurer. Please welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure to introduce Mr. Richard Redman of United Rentals in Mississauga. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: I’m pleased to welcome to Queen’s Park Jamie McMillan, the founder of Journeyman: It’s a Status, Not a Gender, who is a journeyman ironworker and welder from Local 736 in Hamilton. She’s here for Equal Pay Day. Jamie, welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: It gives me great privilege this morning to introduce the mother of the page from my riding of Davenport, page Misha Davies Gedalof. I want to introduce his mother in the public gallery this morning: Sarah Davies. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: It’s my pleasure to welcome students from West Hill Collegiate, who will be joining us later this morning, Speaker.

Oral Questions

Ontario budget

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker; good morning, Premier. My question is for the Premier. In the documents received during the gas plant scandal, we saw the confidential advice to cabinet. We learned the path to balance you presented to the financial community was complete fiction. The numbers presented were “never a real expectation” and “a deliberate policy.” It went on to say that, “Over the medium term, we have notional targets that add up to the deficit numbers, but not yet full plans to deliver on them.” It also divulged, “For the extended outlook, neither sector targets nor plans yet exist.”

Well, Premier, the time of reckoning is fast approaching. Do you have a credible plan to balance, or is it still aspirational?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I was tempted to say to the member opposite, in response to his question about whether we have a credible path to balance: Yes; simply yes. However, I will elaborate because I know that the member opposite is very excited to see the budget that will be delivered this week, and that he is leading up to and anticipating that event.

As the member opposite knows, our commitment to eliminate the deficit by 2017-18 remains in place. We are overachieving on the targets that we have set in 2014-15; our government beat the deficit target by $1.6 billion. The member opposite knows that we have a plan that includes program review, renewal and transformation; he knows that managing compensation costs is part of that path to balance; he knows that making sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes—those are components of our path to balance.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: To the Premier: The once-secret documents went on to say that “in order to hit the deficit targets, spending growth has to decrease dramatically”—but they’re not alone. Moody’s changed their outlook from stable to negative, concerned over your inability to eliminate the deficit. The chamber of commerce, in their How Bad Is It? report, tells us we’re in crisis—and becoming increasingly dire. The Auditor General said, “Ontario’s debt continues to grow faster than the province’s economy”—that this is crowding out other spending and we can expect another downgrade.

Despite all this, you haven’t changed a thing. Your numbers are going the wrong way: $9.2 billion grew to $10.5 billion grew to $10.9 billion. You haven’t changed a thing. When are you going to provide a serious, credible and detailed plan to eliminate the deficit?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just repeat what I said in terms of in 2014-15: Our government beat our deficit target by $1.6 billion.

I will say to the member opposite that I recognize that we made decisions in terms of investments in this province, in terms of investment in people’s talent, their skills and our education system, in terms of investment in infrastructure, public transit, roads and bridges across this province. We made those decisions as being very important to the future well-being of this economy. We are committed to that.

At the same time, we’ve taken a balanced approach, and let me just expand on the plan in terms of the path to balance. When I talk about program review, renewal and transformation, we’re talking about reducing overlap, we’re talking about improving efficiency. When we talk about managing compensation costs, we’re committed to net-zero bargaining. That is a critical part—

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

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Beating your fluffed-up numbers is no achievement, Premier.

Over the last couple of weeks, our colleagues have presented you three budget asks. The first asked you to stop your planned pension tax, as it will put a burden on business and cost us jobs. The second asked that your cap-and-trade tax not be adopted, as it hurts families by putting a tax on everything. The third asked you to fix home care by reducing the number of agencies patients must deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Today, we make our fourth ask. Based on everything you’ve heard, from all of the experts, including your own Ministry of Finance, Premier, we ask that you present a serious, credible and detailed plan to balance the budget by 2017-18.

Interjections.

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

Premier.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just say to the member opposite, on the fourth request: Absolutely. I look forward to him reading the budget before he comments on it, and he will see the serious, credible plan that’s in place.

On the issues around home care, we are in the process of transforming the health care system. I agree with him that there’s more that we can do in terms of making sure that people understand the system, that they can access the system, and making sure that we’ve got the right governance in place.

What he’s saying in terms of the first ask is, “Make sure you don’t work to have retirement security in this province.” Well, we’re not going to do that. We are absolutely committed to retirement security, Mr. Speaker.

Interjection.

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

Finish, please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The second ask is, “Don’t fight climate change. Don’t do your part to fight climate change.” We’re not going to acquiesce to that, Mr. Speaker. We are going to fight climate change.

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Deputy leader, come to order.

New question.

Privatization of public assets

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is for the Premier. On May 21, 2002, Dalton McGuinty moved an opposition day motion in this House and said, “What would possess the government, I mean any government, to sell” this asset?

We know what possesses this government: It’s years of financial mismanagement and scandals, and the fact that they don’t know how to pay for their promises.

By selling a majority stake in Hydro One, Ontarians will lose control of this asset, and prices will skyrocket to pay for the last 12 years of this government’s mismanagement—

Interjection.

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

Mr. Jim Wilson: Premier, why are you selling a majority stake in Hydro One when you said yourself that you can’t guarantee that hydro rates won’t go through the roof?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let me just say to the interim Leader of the Opposition that in order for Ontario to move forward, in order for us to realize our potential as a province and a future economy that is solid, we must invest in infrastructure. There’s no option there.

When you talk to companies outside of this country, they look at us and they say, “Well, we like the look of Ontario, but we’re not sure that you have the plan to invest in infrastructure that’s necessary.”

Mr. Speaker, we have that plan. This is about investing in new assets that are needed for today. It’s about 20,000 jobs a year that are critical to our short-term prosperity. But in the long run, we must make those investments: $16 billion in the GTHA and $15 billion on projects outside the GTHA. Those are necessary to the future prosperity of this province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jim Wilson: Back to the Premier: In 2002, Dalton McGuinty said, “This government should know that when you turn a natural public monopoly over ... it is the consumer who ultimately pays the price. Rates would go up. Rates could in fact go up dramatically and there is nothing consumers could do....”

Premier, you’re not only giving up majority control, but you’re taking $4 billion that, by law, is supposed to be used to pay down the hydro debt and lead to lower electricity prices for everyone, because we’d have less debt to pay off.

Even with OEB oversight, customers are already facing a 42% increase over five years in their hydro bills.

Premier, if you can’t guarantee that the sale of a majority in Hydro One won’t increase rates any higher, why on earth would you expose the hard-working people of Ontario to even more hardship?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, let me just say to the member opposite that as we have made this decision to make investments in the transportation infrastructure within the GTHA and beyond—the transit, the roads, the bridges that we know are necessary—we are being very careful not to make the mistakes that the PCs made when they sold off the 407. In fact, that is exactly the model we have looked at to say we know that that is not what we can do—so, making sure that the regulatory protections remain in place for people in this province.

As I said last week, if there’s a transmission line that needs to be built in northwestern Ontario, we will make sure that that transmission line is built.

The way that rates are set by the OEB: That’s how they’re set now; that’s how they will be set in the future. Those protections are in place.

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

Mr. Jim Wilson: Premier, in 2012, former Energy Minister Chris Bentley said: “We need to keep the whole asset in public hands, public control working for families and businesses....”

Premier, you’re now selling a majority share of Hydro One to pay for your scandals and irresponsible management of Ontario’s finances. The government I was part of came to understand that losing control of a public asset like Hydro One is a mistake. Up until recently, the Liberal Party seemed to agree with us, Mr. Speaker.

Premier, will you stop this foolhardy decision and keep a majority share of Hydro One in the hands of the people of Ontario, who own the company?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Again, let’s talk about exactly what it is we’re doing, rather than the fiction that the member opposite is putting forward.

We are making a decision to invest in enhancements to the GO line, a foundation for regional express rail that will allow us to have 15-minute service across the system. We are looking at projects like the Hamilton RRT and the Hurontario LRT.

Outside of the greater Toronto and Hamilton area, we’re looking at programs like Connecting Link. I would hope that the party opposite, that seems to talk about their concern for small-town and rural Ontario, would understand that having the Connecting Link Program that supports the maintenance and the upgrading of roads that are necessary connections between those small towns and provincial roads is critical.

That’s the kind of infrastructure that we’re investing in, because we know our economic prosperity relies on it.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Can the Premier remind me and can she remind Ontarians: Did she run on a plan to sell off Hydro One, remove Ombudsman oversight and hand away control of this strategic asset to Bay Street?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I would remind the leader of the third party that we both ran on a plan to invest in public transit by relying on a review of assets as part of that plan. The leader of the third party seems to have forgotten that.

She also seems to have forgotten that we need badly to invest in transit and transportation infrastructure. I would suggest that her new deputy leader could tell her how important it is to invest in transportation infrastructure, because he lives in the 905 and he knows how critical it is that we make those investments.

To do that, we were very clear in the last election and in the last budget that we needed to look at the assets that were owned by the people of Ontario, and in a responsible way—not in the way that the Conservative Party did it, which was to give away a provincial asset with absolutely no return. We were going to do this in a responsible way so that we could make those necessary investments.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier is planning to sell off a majority of Hydro One. It’s a plan she didn’t run on. No matter how she protests, she did not run on that plan. Before last week, the Premier hadn’t even actually talked at all about a plan to sell off the majority of Hydro One.

She hasn’t shown Ontarians the respect that they deserve, or even asked them what they think about this plan. Does the Premier honestly believe that she has a mandate to sell off Hydro One to Bay Street?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: What I believe I have a mandate to do is to invest in the future of this province, to invest in the transit and transportation infrastructure that will allow us to thrive.

I will freely admit that this is not about ideology for me; it’s not about ideology for us. It is about ideology for the leader of the third party. But our position is that we must make these investments.

A former NDP cabinet minister, Frances Lankin, who was a member of the advisory council advising us, and the Power Workers’ Union, who are supportive of our plan, understand that. They understand that it’s important to make practical decisions. LIUNA, the building trades, mayors and councillors understand that those investments are critical.

If we don’t make those investments, which is exactly what the leader of the third party is advocating, then we will not be prepared to be competitive on the global stage.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, it’s kind of funny. Conservatives and New Democrats both think this is a really bad plan, but somehow the Liberals think it’s a good plan. I don’t see how that has anything to do with ideology. It’s about the fact that the Liberals are doing something wrong for—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Order.

Please.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier is ignoring Ontarians. And to add insult to injury, she’s actually taking away their advocate at Hydro One. Let me talk about page 26 of the Clark report: “We are also proposing that” Hydro One “will no longer fall under the scrutiny of the Ontario Ombudsman....” So not only will Ontarians no longer have control of Hydro One; when they have a problem they won’t even have a champion to stand up for them. Does the Premier really think that along with less control Ontarians want less oversight as well?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The leader of the third party knows that publicly traded companies have a different set of oversight mechanisms, and I’m happy to talk about those, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure she will give me another opportunity.

But the fact is that we need to be clear about what the leader of the third party is saying. The leader of the third party has no plan about how she would invest in infrastructure within the GTHA and outside of the GTHA that we know is needed. She has no plan. In fact, she ran on the plan to review assets, which is what we have done.

The fact is that what the leader of the third party is advocating is not to make these investments in transit, not to create 20,000 jobs a year, not to make us competitive on the global stage; to say to companies in other parts of the world, “Actually, because of ideology, we’re not going to invest in roads and bridges and transit that would make us competitive. We’re not going to create those jobs that we”—

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

New question.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, let me get this straight: Ontarians are going to get an Ombudsman to complain about flat beer, but when it comes to the hydro system, they’re not going to have any Ombudsman whatsoever. It makes a lot of sense to me.

My question’s for the Premier. Ed Clark admits that the first part of the Liberal Hydro One sell-off will cost Ontarians at least $150 million annually. That’s stable annual income that could fund hospitals, schools and, heck, even infrastructure. By the time you sell off a majority of Hydro One, how much is it going to cost Ontarians each and every year?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party understands full well that what we are proposing, and what Ed Clark has proposed, is that we make this into a stronger company, that we retain substantial ownership, that we have controls in place in terms of government influence, but that in fact the company become more efficient and that we realize the funding, we realize the dollars we need to invest in the assets that we know are needed right now and into the future.

As I said, the leader of the third party has no plan to make those investments. She has no plan for investing in transit and transportation infrastructure that is needed in communities across the province: in our urban centres, in our small towns, in our rural communities and across the north. She has no plan to do that. We do, and that’s why we are going to make this decision. We are going to make sure that the protections are in place for the people and we’re—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the Premier knows that this plan is going to put hydro rates through the roof, but she’s putting all of her trust in the Ontario Energy Board to keep rates under control. Now, that’s the same Ontario Energy Board that allowed a 40% increase in rates for Enbridge just last year. Can the Premier give Ontarians any guarantee that her privatization plan will not leave them paying even more on their hydro bills once it’s implemented?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The leader of the third party knows full well that the OEB does approve rate increases, and the OEB approves rate decreases, and enforces rate decreases. The leader of the third party has chosen to pick part of the report and part of the quotes that Ed Clark made. So I want to just be clear that in terms of what we can predict going forward, when Ed Clark was asked about whether rates would go up, he said this: “We don’t think so. In fact, we” believe “the opposite will be the case,” that “there will be a favourable impact on hydro rates over time.”

I know that this is a concern, and I’m not going to cede this ground to the leader of the third party. I understand that people are concerned. That’s why we are making sure that those controls remain in place. The controls that are in place right now will remain in place.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, selling Hydro One is going to drain needed provincial revenue. It is going to cost Ontarians more. It’s going to mean higher bills and less money for infrastructure. It will mean less control and less oversight. It is a bad, bad plan, and the Premier knows it.

Will this Premier do the right thing by the people of this province and pull the plug on this short-sighted plan today?

Interjections.

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

Premier?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: It is the job of any Premier of this province to look into the future and make sure the decisions that we make today are going to be in the best interests of the province going forward.

I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, with the infrastructure deficit that was left by the previous government and, quite frankly, governments before that, we are digging ourselves out of that hole. We started in 2003, and we have to continue to make those investments.

My commitment to the people of Ontario, when I ran in the election last June, was that we would make those investments, that we would make sure we looked past the next election cycle and that we invested in the infrastructure—whether it’s bridges in Kenora, whether it’s roads in our small towns or whether it’s transit in the GTHA, that we would make those investments. That’s why we reviewed our assets and that’s why we have made this decision.

Teachers’ labour dispute

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: My question is for the Minister of Education. Some 24,000 students at the Durham District School Board were met with a picket line today. Those 24,000 students won’t be in the classroom today. The parents of 24,000 students are wondering how their children will spend that day. The parents of 24,000 students are worried their children aren’t learning the skills they need.

These 24,000 students and their parents are just the beginning of a mess your 12 years of Liberal fiscal mismanagement have created. Minister, what do you say to those students who want to learn, and what do you say to the parents who want to see them succeed in the classroom?

Hon. Liz Sandals: Obviously, we’re very concerned about the students and the parents in Durham, but I think it’s important to understand that what is happening in Durham is a local strike between the local board and the local union. We know that in order to resolve this—

Mr. John Yakabuski: It’s not a local strike. What local strike will be on tomorrow?

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

Please continue.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I understand that the board in Durham has indicated that it’s willing to come back to the table. I would encourage the union to do the same, because we know that, ultimately, the resolution is to come to a local agreement. That’s absolutely the way that we will resolve this: to come to negotiated collective agreements.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Minister, you know that there are a number of local boards that are prepared to go out right now.

This weekend, we all heard from students and parents. The message was clear: They don’t want another spring break; they want to be in the classroom, on the sports field and going on their field trips. Your years and years of Liberal fiscal mismanagement are putting all of that in jeopardy. There are just no negotiations taking place.

Students are worried that they won’t be able to improve their grades before the end of the year. Parents are worried that they won’t see their children’s graduation ceremony. Minister, can you guarantee that these students will be back in the classroom and their parents will actually see them graduate this year?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I need to correct one of the statements that the member opposite made. He said that there are no negotiations going on. We were very distressed last week when OSSTF walked away from the central table. I want to report to everyone in this House that we worked very hard with a provincial mediator over the weekend, and as a result of that hard work by all parties with the mediator, the central negotiating table has in fact resumed negotiations. Negotiations are going on at the central level.

What that means is that because central negotiations are occurring, we have an opportunity to do what we all know we need to do to resolve the situation so students are in the classroom, which is to make sure that we reach a negotiated settlement, a negotiated collective agreement. That’s what we’re doing.

Privatization of public assets

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier. The Premier insists that no company is going to be able to buy more than 10% of a privatized Hydro One. But does the Premier realize that if she sells 60% of Hydro One to private owners, the private companies will outnumber the province in every vote in every board meeting?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Speaker, I would say to the member opposite: Does he realize that if we do not invest in transit, in transportation infrastructure in this province—and particularly coming from a riding like Toronto–Danforth, I would expect that the member opposite would recognize that those investments are critical. I hope that the member opposite also recognizes that there is no plan being put forward by his party in terms of how he would make those investments.

What I have said and what I made crystal clear in my conversations with Ed Clark and with his team is that the protections, the de facto control over the decisions that are made, would rest with the government. That’s why we have proposed that there would be substantial ownership. That’s why we have proposed controls over the chair and so on, that this would be a broadly held company and it would be a strong company and the price-control protections would—

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

Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, the Premier wants to keep 40% of Hydro One and privatize 60%. I want to remind her that 60 is more than 40.

We know that the private investors will be looking for one thing: profits and dividends. That’s what they’re supposed to do. But you know where the money is going to come from. It’s going to come out of the pockets of the ratepayers.

Can the Premier explain how she can say the province will have de facto control of Hydro One when the public will be outnumbered three to two by private investors?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just talk about those protections that were absolutely fundamental to our decision-making in this. I’m going to talk about the Ontario Energy Board, because as the member opposite knows full well, right now the Ontario Energy Board sets rates. Let’s look at what the Ontario Energy Board did in March—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: In March 2015, the OEB decreased rates by $100 for Enbridge and Union customers. In 2010, Ontario Hydro asked for a rate increase for distribution by the OEB and was ordered a 9% reduction for its capital request. In 2012, Hydro One asked for a rate increase for transmission, but the OEB ordered a 3% reduction for its capital request.

When OPG applied for a 6.2% rate increase in 2011, the OEB denied the request and lowered rates by 0.8%. That’s the protection that remains—

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

New question.

Retail alcohol sales

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Minister, last Thursday, the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets released its report on how to modernize beer sales in Ontario. Grand River Brewing is located in my riding of Cambridge and their craft beer is very well known locally—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Timmins–James Bay.

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I’ve heard for quite a while now that craft brewers like them have a difficult time in getting access to the market, that there’s an inherent unfairness when it comes to the beer retail system in Ontario.

Ed Clark and his panel made several recommendations, which I understand that our government will be acting on. Speaker, through you to the minister: Could you please explain how the proposed changes will help our local beer producers by restoring fairness to the system?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I’d like to thank the member from Cambridge for the question and her continued advocacy as well on behalf of her community.

I’m proud to say that the changes we’ll be introducing represent the biggest shakeup of the sale of alcohol in Ontario since the end of Prohibition. Some 450 grocery stores in Ontario will now be able to sell beer, and the Beer Store will return to its co-operative roots by opening up ownership to all breweries with facilities here in Ontario.

So far, the feedback we’ve heard has been overwhelmingly positive. Cam Heaps, the chair of Ontario Craft Brewers, said this: “This is a monumental day for craft brewers and for all consumers in Ontario. We believe that this package of fundamental changes ... will unlock craft brewers’ true growth potential, allowing us to quickly double or triple our direct brewery jobs.”

Irvine Weitzman, president of Mill Street Brewery, said, “Greater access to consumers and stability in our relationship with the Beer Store will make it possible for us to plan for, and invest in, future growth with confidence.”

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I’d like to thank the minister for that answer.

Speaker, our government has a strong track record when it comes to creating jobs. I’m glad to hear that modernizing the beer system in Ontario will create jobs not only in my riding of Cambridge, but all across the province. I’m also happy to hear that we’ve listened to consumers and we’re delivering more convenience and expanded choice.

However, any plan that expands the sale of alcohol distribution needs to take into account the impact it will have on social responsibility. Any changes that we make must uphold our province’s strong record when it comes to the responsible sale of alcohol.

Speaker, through you to the minister: How have we ensured that the proposed changes to the sale of beer uphold social responsibility?

Hon. Charles Sousa: That’s a great question, Mr. Speaker, and I’d again like to thank the member from Cambridge for her advocacy. Our government has a strong record when it comes to job creation, and she’s right when she says that our plan will create more jobs in the craft brewing industry. In fact, John Hay from the Ontario Craft Brewers has this to say: “This is a game-changer. This is a fundamental change. We can create a couple thousand jobs directly and all kinds indirectly in smaller communities right across the province.”

The member from Cambridge is also right when she says it’s important that we balance social responsibility. To do so, we’ll maintain strict controls over how beer is sold in grocery stores. In fact, Andrew Murie, the CEO of MADD Canada, said this: “We are pleased that the council has listened to our concerns throughout this process. Given the good relationship to date, we have confidence in the council’s continued commitment to work with MADD to ensure that beer is introduced to grocery stores in a socially responsible way.”

Privatization of public assets

Mr. John Yakabuski: My question is to the Premier. Last week the sorry state of your government’s handling of the province’s finances was once again confirmed when you told Ontarians that Hydro One was going on the auction block. Your claim is that the revenues generated from your fire sale are going to Liberal election promises, including public infrastructure, but the people don’t believe you. Your record on accountability gives them every reason not to trust you.

Premier, I asked your minister this question before, and now I’ll ask you: Will you put any deal for Hydro One in front of the Auditor General and the Financial Accountability Officer, and subject it to a value-for-money audit so the people of Ontario can know whether or not they’re getting value for their money?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question.

The principles that the council is guided by are about incremental value for Ontarians and for consumers. They’re also about ensuring that we provide greater investment opportunity thereafter.

We’ve always said that we’ll be transparent and open in our discussion. So, absolutely, what we’re doing will be open for discussion, will be reviewed. There’s going to be a process over the next couple of months prior to broadening the ownership of Hydro One, and it’s going to be in the best interests of all concerned, because we’ve mandated that, and we’ll continue to do so.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’ll go back to the Premier.

Premier, imagine all of the roads, bridges and subways you could have built if it weren’t for all of the scandals and mismanagement over the past 12 years: eHealth, $2 billion; Ornge, $1 billion; the gas plant scandal, a billion dollars—and that’s just to name a few.

Premier, your record on openness, transparency and accountability is—how can I put this in a kind way?—abysmal.

Ratepayers need to know that the proceeds from the sale of Hydro One are going to go where the law directs that they should go; namely, the $27 billion of hydro debt. When you sell off 60% of that asset, the revenue piece will be dropped as well. It will drive up hydro rates again.

So I’ll ask you one more time: Will you subject this deal to the Auditor General and the accountability officer—

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

Minister.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Oh, Mr. Speaker, imagine if they had applied the same principles to the sale of the 407. Imagine if the annuity of the $1 billion annually was there for the benefit of the people of Ontario today.

We recognize the mistakes they made, and we’re ensuring that we don’t make them again. That is why we’re broadening ownership. That’s why we’re insisting on the integrity of dividends that’s going to be assumed by the ownership, still, of Hydro One. That’s why we’re reinvesting it into the Trillium Trust which is going to be legal because we recognize we’re also applying a portion of that to the debt of OEFC and consolidated debt.

We recognize the importance of investing. The member across has just admitted that he would not invest in those transit projects because he feels that the return on investment is greater by holding an operation that is not—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer.

Hon. Charles Sousa: —should be. We’re doing both. We recognize the incremental value that comes from it.

Interjections.

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

New question.

Education funding

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. This morning I joined education workers on the picket line in Durham, and it felt a lot like 1997. While this Premier claims she cut her teeth in education, the actions of her government are throwing our publicly funded schools into chaos.

Liberal cuts to education are undermining the ability of students to learn by forcing community schools to close, reducing in-classroom supports and limiting access to special education. It’s frankly not surprising that we are seeing Harris-era labour unrest, with the first group of OSSTF teachers in Durham on strike as of today, and Sudbury potentially joining them next week.

Why is it that when Liberal insiders need a leg up, it’s no problem, but when it comes to our educators and our community schools, the Liberals say that the cupboard is bare?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Liz Sandals: I really do have to challenge the premise of this question because once again the third party keeps trying to promulgate the idea that we have cut education funding. We didn’t cut education funding. It’s stable this year. It’s exactly the same as it was last year, and there are actually fewer students in the system than there were the year before. That means we’re actually spending more per student than we did last year.

If you look at our record over time, we’ve increased education funding by $8.1 billion. That’s 56%. So I absolutely deny the premise of the question. We have not cut education funding.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Back to the Premier: Premier, when you cut $6 million in special education, when you provide $36 million less for textbooks, in-classroom support and supplies, when you close 88 schools across the province since 2011, you simply cannot act surprised when Ontarians speak out.

This government’s right-wing austerity plan means 21 fewer early childhood educators in Windsor-Essex, 118 fewer education workers in Peterborough and 50 fewer educational assistants in Toronto. It means students in Durham and Sudbury need to worry whether or not they will actually be able to finish their school year, with grade 12s wondering if they will be able to transition into our post-secondary system. New Democrats and Ontarians know that it is not progressive to cut $500 million from education.

When will this government stop cutting education, dealing out pink slips and closing community schools, all while calling it progressive?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I repeat, once again, the facts are just simply wrong. We have not cut funding for special education; we’ve increased funding for special education, just as we have increased every other line in Ontario’s education budget. It’s going up, not down.

However, we do have this sort of myth that the NDP keeps trying to sell to us: that we should ignore the fact that we have declining enrolment. It is absolutely true that the enrolment in many boards has gone down. The enrolment in many boards has gone down by 5%, 10%, 15% and sometimes almost 20%. Of course that means they’re going to have to change. When enrolment goes down that dramatically, adjustments will happen.

Privatization of public assets

Mr. Chris Ballard: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Minister, in the recent election, our government ran on a plan to review our province’s assets in order to invest in vital long-term infrastructure. Last week, Ed Clark and his council released their recommendations on how to unlock the value of our province’s assets in order to make these important investments.

We know that by investing in infrastructure, we can spur economic growth and create jobs. Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister: Could you please inform this House of how Ed Clark’s review will allow our government to invest in transportation infrastructure and create jobs?

Hon. Brad Duguid: In the last election, we ran on a plan to invest $29 billion in transportation and other critical infrastructure. Thanks to the recommendations from Ed Clark and his council, we’ll now be able to invest $31.5 billion in transportation and critical infrastructure over the next 10 years.

Our government has committed to making the largest infrastructure investments in Ontario history, and the response has been very positive. John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, said, “I think it is a significant day, a significant step forward for transit in Toronto.”

Jan De Silva, president and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, has said, “This funding will create good jobs while improving our region’s productivity by modernizing our infrastructure to reduce congestion.”

Mr. Speaker, these are critical investments we’re going to be making—

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

Supplementary?

Mr. Chris Ballard: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I know that constituents in my riding will be glad to hear that our government is increasing investment in transportation infrastructure. They know that our plan will create jobs, spur economic growth and allow them to spend more time with their families.

I was thrilled to join the Premier last Friday when we announced that, thanks to these investments, there will be increased service on the Barrie GO line. Constituents in my riding were delighted to hear that the GO line will increase from 70 to more than 200 weekly trips. The people in Newmarket–Aurora will directly benefit from the government’s unprecedented investment in infrastructure.

Minister, can you please inform this House on how communities across the province will benefit from these investments as well?

Hon. Brad Duguid: Our government is making an unprecedented investment in infrastructure. As part of our plan, we’ll invest $16.5 billion in transit in the GTHA alone. Over the next 10 years, it will expand weekly trips across the entire GO rail network from 1,500 to nearly 6,000. That’s a lot.

Unlike the opposition, we know the importance of investing in infrastructure. We know it’s important to our economy, and it’s important to keeping Ontario competitive. In a joint statement, a number of organizations—CivicAction, CodeRedTO, the David Suzuki Foundation, Evergreen CityWorks and the Pembina Institute—said, “We applaud the government’s announcement ... of more than a billion dollars in new, dedicated funding for transit service and new capital projects in the GTHA.

“We look forward to seeing the government move forward on the implementation of this important initiative.”

Energy policies

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: My question is for the Premier. Premier, you’ve already admitted that your pay-to-pollute plan is a tax. What you have failed to mention is that this tax on everything will be one of the biggest taxes in Ontario’s history.

The cost of groceries, heating your home, raising a family and doing business in Ontario is on the rise. The most recent StatsCanada numbers show that food costs have increased by nearly 4% since last year, while rent, property taxes and electricity have also increased.

People are struggling to keep up with these rising costs, and your pay-to-pollute tax on everything hasn’t even begun yet.

Premier, why are you making the people of Ontario choose between heating or eating?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change is going to want to speak to this issue.

But let’s just be clear on what the member from the opposite side is saying. She’s basically saying that we don’t have to worry about climate change; that there’s nothing that Ontario has to do; that Ontario has no responsibility to either take advantage of the innovation opportunities that come with climate reduction, or to do our bit to reduce our footprint, to make sure that we take

part in a global move to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that we can cut down on the extreme weather events that I know are taking place in the member’s riding, because they’re taking place all over the province: the flooding, the wind, the drought in some parts of the continent. What the member opposite is saying is, “Don’t do anything to address that; we have no responsibility as Ontarians.” We reject that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: Back to the Premier: What I’m saying is, if you would have taken into consideration the consultation ideas that were suggested, a carbon tax on everything probably would not have happened, but you ignored the public across Ontario.

StatsCanada numbers show that Ontario has the greatest cost increases across Canada since last year. And what is the Liberal plan to help Ontario families all about? It’s about putting a carbon tax on everything to fund your sorry government’s mismanagement.

Ontarians cannot begin to save for retirement when they’re worried about how they’re going to afford to heat their homes. The Green Energy Act already takes $1,100 out of a household’s yearly income, and your approximate three-cent increase on the cost of gas will cost drivers another $100 per year.

Premier, how are people going to afford to live in Ontario if you keep raising the cost of everything?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I don’t know where to start; it’s very amusing. “All across Canada, prices weren’t going up as fast”: (

a) that’s not true, and (

b) BC, Alberta and Quebec—which is most of Canada—all have a price on carbon. So the member just proved our point. She’s wrong.

Second of all, food prices went up because apple production was down 80% and then 60%. We want to be able to grow apples in Ontario because apples are a good thing. Drought in California, where 30% of our food comes from now, is going up.

Prices went up in grocery stores, the member should know, because—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. The member from Huron–Bruce will come to order. As you asked the question, I’m sure you wanted to hear the answer.

A one-sentence wrap-up.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: Thank you very much for making the government’s case. Maybe we can give the member another question, Mr. Speaker.

Health care funding

Mr. Michael Mantha: Mr. Speaker, good morning to you. My question is to the Premier. Across the province, Liberal cuts to health care have been having a devastating impact on patient care. On Friday, the Ontario Health Coalition held a day of action in front of the Sudbury MPP’s constituency office to bring attention to Liberal cuts to health care in northeastern Ontario.

The numbers speak for themselves: 75 positions are being eliminated in the North Bay hospital. In the Sault Area Hospital, we are seeing the closure of 56 beds and 59,000 nursing hours. In Sudbury, it’s 42 nurses who are being cut; nearly 40 positions will be lost in Timmins.

Will the Premier finally take responsibility for the cuts to health care in Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I think the member opposite knows that we continue to make substantial investments in health care. The budget, the envelope for health care, each year has been going up. It will continue to go up in the years forward. A significant portion of that funding goes to northern Ontario.

We actually leave these important decisions to the hospitals themselves as well as the local health integration networks, at that local and regional level, to make the decisions that they deem most appropriate to ensure that the outcomes that we want to see in our health care system—the highest quality of care, timeliness in terms of provision of that care, and the appropriate staffing to deliver that care—that that’s provided. We feel that it’s important that that decision be made locally by our independent health care facilities in conjunction with our LHINs. That’s what’s happening in all parts of the province, including in the north.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Mantha: Again to the Premier: In March, a northern health care worker was quoted as saying, “We will probably be in front of [Glenn] Thibeault’s office eventually.” Look: On Friday, they were.

Even though this government tries to place blame on hospitals for the cuts, Ontarians know better. In fact, the president of the medical staff at Health Sciences North recently said, “I don’t blame the hospital, because it’s the Ontario government that’s making them do it.”

After decades of downsizing, Ontario hospitals have been cut more deeply than anywhere in Canada and now have the fewest beds left of any province in this country. Will the Premier tell the people of this province how many more cuts are coming with regard to her health care plan?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Well, Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we’ve increased our hospital funding across this province by more than—sorry, it’s risen from $11 billion, when we came into office in 2003, to over $17 billion now. That’s a 50% increase in hospital funding, and it doesn’t include the increased investments that we’re making in home and community care as we continue that shift of patients who can be adequately or even, often, better cared for at home or in the community. We’re increasing our funding to that sector by 5% this year, 5% next year and 5% the year after that. This year alone, it’s about $270 million as an increase.

But even in Sudbury and the Greater Sudbury area, the reality is that our investments have been increasing. The funding for hospitals in Greater Sudbury has gone up by 62% since 2003, more than $100 million.

Privatization of public assets

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: My question is for the Deputy Premier and President of the Treasury Board.

In the past election, we ran on a plan to maximize the value of our government assets in order to make critical investments in infrastructure. Based on their review, Ed Clark and his advisory council have recommended to the government that we broaden the ownership of Hydro One.

We’ve seen the mistakes that have been made, including that of the previous Conservative government when they imprudently gave away the 407. Because of their imprudent actions, constituents in my riding who access the 407 regularly now have to pay high tolls to foreign owners any time they want to use the highway.

Deputy Premier, how are we ensuring that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the previous Conservative government with our plan to sell shares in Hydro One?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Thank you to the member from Burlington. There are several fundamental differences between the selling of Highway 407 and our plan for Hydro One. Let me highlight just three of those fundamental differences:

(1) Hydro One does not now, and will not in the future, have the power to set its own rates. Rates will continue to be set by the independent Ontario Energy Board. In stark contrast, when Highway 407 was leased, the government of the day made a deal that let the owners charge whatever they want.

(2) The province does not receive any ongoing revenue from the Highway 407 lease. As it would retain an ownership stake in Hydro One, the province will continue to receive income from Hydro One.

(3) The use of the proceeds of the lease of Highway 407—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: —was not tied to any—any—government investment at all. It was used to pay the bills. The gain from Hydro One will be used—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: I’d like to thank the Deputy Premier for her response. It’s comforting to know that our government has a comprehensive and well-thought-out plan when it comes to broadening the ownership of Hydro One and, in doing so, that we’ll be able to make much-needed investments in transportation infrastructure, including GO train service enhancements for my community and my residents.

However, it’s important that any action we take doesn’t have an adverse effect on electricity rates. Some are saying that our plan to unlock the value of Hydro One would drive rates up. Deputy Premier, is that the case, or will electricity rates actually come down thanks to Hydro One’s improved performance?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: It’s important to reiterate that Hydro One does not and will not set its own rates. Rates will continue to be set, as they are today, by the independent Ontario Energy Board. That’s not changing. The OEB’s mandate is to protect the interests of ratepayers and to set just and reasonable rates.

Additionally, our government intends to introduce legislation that would strengthen the regulatory oversight of the OEB to protect ratepayers, including increasing the penalties for non-compliant companies, enhancing the oversight of utilities and more protection for consumers who sign energy retail contracts.

Ontarians can rest assured that ratepayers will continue to be protected as we move to unlock the value of our assets and invest in much-needed infrastructure across this province.

Hydro rates

Mr. Bill Walker: My question is to the Premier. Hydro rates are out of control. Rate increases are forcing cuts in the classroom, hospitals and long-term-care homes, and the hikes are leaving businesses and households in the dark. Sixty families in my riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound alone had their utilities disconnected last fall because they could not afford your rates. But bills are about to get a lot higher after you sell off Hydro One and expose Hydro One’s blockbuster debt of $27 billion.

So I ask you, Premier: How much more out of control will the rates get? How many more families will have their utilities disconnected?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Let me just reiterate some of the points I have already made. The first one is, the way rates are set today is the way rates will be set going forward. I gave some examples, and I will do that again, Mr. Speaker.

The second point I want to make is that—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Finish please.

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I actually believe—and this was one of the points that was put forward by Ed Clark—that we can see a better company. I actually believe that we can see a better company in broadening the ownership of Hydro One.

But let me go back to the way rates are set. In March 2015, the Ontario Energy Board decreased rates by $100 for Enbridge and Union customers. The Ontario Energy Board sets rates, sometimes it approves increases, and sometimes it requires decreases. That regime will continue.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Bill Walker: Speaker, this Premier and her energy minister are clearly out of touch. Let me reiterate that rates 42% higher over five years is not the direction we should be going in.

The 60 families in Grey-Bruce whose lights, heat and hydro you allowed to be shut off really show what is happening in this province under your watch. You have failed to look after the cost of living for low-income Ontarians.

But the question underpinning all this is: What is this Premier’s advice to low-income families, frail seniors and public institutions who can’t afford their rates anymore—where exactly should they cut to make up the impact of your hydro increases?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt, when we came into office in 2003, there was a degraded energy system across this province. There had not been investments. There had been neglect. We have built up the energy system, Mr. Speaker; 10,000 kilometres of line have been replaced. I will acknowledge that there is a cost associated with that. Because that was not done in an ongoing way by previous parties, it had to be done, and we have done that. Because we recognize that there is a cost associated with that upgrading, we have put in place programs to keep hydro rates down.

I hope that the member opposite will make sure that his constituents are aware of those programs, whether it’s the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program or whether it’s the saveONenergy Home Assistance Program—those are programs designed specifically to do what the member opposite is talking about. I hope he will make sure his constituents—

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

New question.

Pay equity

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, today is Equal Pay Day, a day that marks how much further into the next year a woman has to work in order to earn the same salary a man earned the year before.

Each year in this province, women’s average earnings are about one third less than a man’s—an injustice that is both a human rights issue and a major barrier to Ontario’s economic and social well-being. Eliminating the gender pay gap is a multi-faceted challenge, but we know from other countries that it can be done, given the right government legislation and a real commitment to act.

I would like to ask the Premier, after more than a decade in office, how can you justify allowing the gender wage gap to widen under your watch instead of close?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Labour.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you to the member for this very, very important question—very appropriate for Equal Pay Day.

Our government is committed to developing a wage gap strategy in Ontario that is going to close the gap in earnings between men and women. That’s part of the Premier’s mandate letter to me as Minister of Labour.

I’m pleased to say that today we’re announcing the creation of a wage gap steering committee. This steering committee is going to develop recommendations, is going to help create a strategy that’s aimed at closing the gap through the actions of business, of government, of labour and of all Ontarians. Two external advisers—two very good external advisers—are being appointed, Linda Davis and Dr. Singh. They are going to be joined by Ontario’s Pay Equity Commissioner, Emanuela Heyninck; and Nancy Austin, the wage gap strategy executive lead will be representing the Ministry of Labour. The object here is to make progress on this issue.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, it’s embarrassing that we have yet to remedy this situation in 2015. After more than a decade of Liberal government, the problem is getting worse. The gap has widened to 31.5% from 28%. Simply talking about the issue and appointing another panel is not enough. Women’s livelihoods are at stake.

It is not progressive to allow the gender pay gap to widen. It is not progressive for the government to refuse to comply with its own pay equity laws for female-dominated professions like midwifery and community service.

When can Ontarians expect real action from this Liberal government to close the gender pay gap?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: The minister responsible for women’s issues.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Our Ontario Pay Equity Act continues to be recognized across Canada and internationally as one of the most progressive pay equity statutes in the world.

In terms of action, I do want to highlight what this government has done to make sure we have a fair society for women and make sure they’re paid the same as men in similar jobs.

There is more work to do. You heard from the Minister of Labour about the panel, but there has been a number of programs the Women’s Directorate has supported to help low-income women and women who experience violence, and help people get new skills and careers.

More than 2,200 women have participated in training through the Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training Program. We have a micro-lending program.

Be assured that our government is very, very determined to close the wage gap in Ontario.

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Point of order from the member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: I’d like to introduce some guests who are in the east members’ gallery. The parents of Kristen Neagle, my OLIP intern, are here—Craig Moore and Cindy Rampley—as well as a friend of mine from Ottawa, Aman Hundal. Thank you very much.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome.

The President of the Treasury Board and Deputy Premier.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I know everyone would love to welcome Ian Peer to the Legislature today. He’s a very fine retired member of the London Police Service and a great friend of all of us. Welcome, Ian.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Welcome.

There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1137 to 1300.

Introduction of Visitors

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: We’re joined by a number of people today. As you will know, it’s Equal Pay Day.

Let me start by introducing Dr. Parbudyal Singh and his family: Nirmala, Amelia and Aren. They’ve joined us in the gallery today.

We also have people here from the Equal Pay Coalition. Mary Cornish is here. She’s the chair of the Equal Pay Coalition.

Nancy Hutchison, the OFL secretary-treasurer, is here; and Carrol Anne Sceviour, from the OFL, the director of women’s issues.

Lisa Kelly is here from Unifor. She’s the director of the women’s department.

Barbara Wilker-Frey is from CUPE—the social services coordinator.

Juana Berinstein is from the Ontario Association of Midwives—the director of policy and communications.

From the Pay Equity Commission, we’ll be joined by Emanuela Heyninck, Grace Lin, Joanna McDonald and Margaret Dwyer.

From the Workers’ Action Centre are Deena Ladd and Acsana Fernando.

Mary Joe Easton is here from UFCW Local 100A.

Finally, Nancy Austin is from the Ministry of Labour, and is the executive lead on the gender wage gap committee. Please welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Members’ Statements

Nurses

Mr. Randy Hillier: I’d like to share the experiences of two constituents of mine, Heather and Maynard Payne, both experienced nurses who have endured nothing but frustration and delays with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Our local hospital has an immediate requirement for a nurse with Mr. Payne’s expertise. However, he has not been able to clear the obstacles at the CNO. Mr. Payne is an American-born permanent resident of Canada with 20 years’ operating room experience in the United States.

To further frustrate the matter, when I spoke to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration about this issue and the proposed amendments to the health professionals act, he told me it was not his department but a matter for the Minister of Health. Surprise, surprise: When I asked the Minister of Health, he told me to speak to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Tenant protection

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Before long we’ll be singing Solidarity Forever over on those benches.

Anyway, I want to rise today on something that’s directed to the Minister of Housing. Imagine the surprise of tenants who are seniors living in Timmins at what is called the Empire Complex at 11 Spruce Street when they organized themselves as tenants into a tenant association to do two things: yes, to advocate on behalf of tenants when it comes to issues in their building, but just to get together. Sixty per cent of the people who live in that building are seniors, and they want to be able to organize themselves so that they can have a tea every now and then, enjoy each other’s company and have a little bit of an opportunity to socialize with other people who live in the building.

Well, imagine the surprise when the organizers of the tenants’ association get notice of eviction from the owner, a Mr. David Wall, who comes from British Columbia, who serves a notice of eviction to seniors for trying to organize essentially a tenants’ association that both is able to deal with them being able to socialize but advocate for their rights.

I’m putting the government on notice because when Natrice, one of the people who was evicted, called the Ministry of Housing, they said, “Oh, he’s within his rights.”

When is it in your rights to kick a senior out of a building because they’re trying to organize a tenants’ association? I serve notice to the House and to the minister today that this is something we’re going to have to resolve, and we’re going to have to resolve it very quickly.

Islington Health and Wellness Fair

Mr. Yvan Baker: Recently I joined constituents in my community of Etobicoke Centre in attending the fourth annual Islington Health and Wellness Fair, sponsored by the Village of Islington BIA, the Islington Golf Club and the Etobicoke

chapter of CARP. I want to thank the organizers and sponsors for continuing this annual tradition of reaching out and supporting my constituents in Etobicoke Centre.

At the fair, residents of Etobicoke had the opportunity to meet local health professionals in the community and received their expert advice on how to stay healthy and active through all ages of their life. It included organizations like the PKD Foundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association, Alzheimer Society Toronto, the Mississauga Halton CCAC, the Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, Islington Seniors’ Centre, Dorothy Ley Hospice, the Etobicoke Lawn Bowling Club and others. I haven’t mentioned them all—there are too many to mention—but there were so many exhibitors offering important advice to my constituents.

In a community like mine, where we have one of the highest percentages of seniors of any riding in the country, this kind of advice and this kind of support on how people can stay active and healthy is so important. The support of CARP Etobicoke in particular, both in sponsoring events like this one and in the regular work that the local

chapter carries out, makes a huge difference to our seniors and their families and families who care for seniors.

The Etobicoke

chapter is led by Chair Gary Hepworth. It’s incredibly active and takes

part in local events and in hosting regular meetings for members to discuss important issues that Canadians face as we age. This advocacy continues to make a tangible difference in the lives of my constituents and truly reflects CARP’s commitment to solidarity between generations in order to build a more inclusive, healthy and civil society.

I’d like to thank all the sponsors and participants of the event and applaud CARP Etobicoke’s contributions to this cause and its advocacy on behalf of seniors in my community of Etobicoke Centre.

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Mr. Ted Arnott: My remarks this afternoon are addressed to the Minister of Health. I was approached a few months ago by a constituent, Barbara Selkirk, whose mother, Marlene Shields, has been diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma brain tumor.

After two operations, which removed as much of the tumor as medically possible, Marlene had both radiation and chemotherapy. These treatments did little to slow the growth of the tumor. However, for a year, she received biweekly infusion treatments with Avastin. This treatment seemed to work, and MRI results showed that her tumor had stabilized.

The cost of Avastin is up to $12,000 a month. The cost of the treatment has been covered by Marlene’s husband’s company’s health plan, but that comes to an end at the end of this month.

We know that the cost of Avastin is covered in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. If Marlene lived in any of these provinces, she would be assured that her treatment could continue. But because she lives in Ontario and the Ministry of Health says the manufacturer has not proven that Avastin works, the government will not fund it.

I know that the member for Dufferin–Caledon has written the minister on behalf of Marlene as well.

Time is running out. We implore the minister to personally review this matter and intervene on a compasssionate basis until the manufacturer can submit additional clinical evidence that Avastin works as a treatment for this kind of cancer.

Unbound Fashion Show

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: It is my pleasure to share with members of the Legislature details of the ninth annual Unbound Fashion Show, put on by the fashion design program at Fanshawe College.

Unbound, well known for its cocktail hour, catered reception, celebrity MC, fashion designers and its New-York-inspired runway, features the final collections of graduating seniors in the fashion design program. Held at Museum London, this high-profile event is juried by renowned Canadian fashion icons David Dixon and Franco Mirabelli, amongst other fashion industry leaders.

Through the fashion design program, students acquire a three-year co-operative Ontario College Advanced Diploma, which prepares them for the ever-versatile and rapidly changing fashion industry.

With this in mind, Unbound gives students the opportunity to let their talent shine and a professional venue to display their hard work. In fact, the top prize winner receives a professional portfolio, a photo shoot and a $5,000-value subscription to Worth Global Style Network.

I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2015. I am very proud of the creativity and passion shown in London–Fanshawe. I’m also pleased to share this achievement with all of you here today.

School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

Mr. Han Dong: I rise today to recognize and thank school crossing guards in my riding of Trinity–Spadina, the city of Toronto and all of Ontario.

Recently the city of Toronto proclaimed April 15, 2015, as School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day. I believe it is very important to thank the school crossing guards in my riding for their dedication and commitment to community safety. Thank you to the school crossing guards in Trinity–Spadina. I know you don’t make a lot, but you take your job very seriously. As a parent, I want to thank you for the important work you do each and every day.

School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day provides us with an opportunity to recognize the significant contributions and important role that school crossing guards play in the safety of our children. Their work ensures the safe arrival of our children both at school in the morning and at home again at night. They play a vital role in our education system in Ontario.

I’m extremely proud of all school crossing guards in Trinity–Spadina, as the work they do, day in and day out, ensures the safety of our children. I stand today inviting all Ontarians to take a second and thank one of your local school crossing guards.

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week

Mr. Norm Miller: I rise in the House today to celebrate National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week. Anybody who has received an organ donation or knows somebody who has can’t express enough how important this initiative is.

In the past I’ve been very fortunate to meet with Sandra Holdsworth of Gravenhurst. Sandra was the recipient of a liver transplant in 1997, and in the years since has been a volunteer and tremendous advocate for the Be A Donor initiative.

Sandra has also been a competitor at the Canadian, American and World Transplant Games and continues to be a great ambassador for the importance of organ donation. In fact, in 2011, Sandra organized a friendly competition amongst MPPs to see who might sign up the most donors.

I’m proud to say that the community of Parry Sound in my riding is currently the fifth-highest-ranked community in Ontario, with 51% of local residents being registered to be a donor. It’s also worth noting that the top five communities in the ranking are all located in northern Ontario.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated volunteers in Ontario, particularly the Trillium Gift of Life Network. This week, I would ask people to take time to go online to www.beadonor.ca to verify their organ donor card and sign up to give the gift of life.

Mental health

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: Mr. Speaker, I rise to tell you about a town hall I recently hosted in Kingston and the Islands to raise awareness on mental health. Mental illness is so common, so varied and the impact is so huge on society that we focused on stigma and strategies for its reduction.

The occasion was anchored by six panelists with a wealth of practical and research experience. Ruth Wilson spoke about health as a holistic package, and sickness resulting from a deficit in any one area. Family doctors already have a grasp on a person’s dynamic.

Roumen Milev discussed self-stigma and when one believes the information and resists seeking help. Talking to those affected is the key to re-education.

Michael Condra presented mental health as a continuum of minor to major disruptions, and he pointed out the vulnerability of youth to risk factors such as bullying.

Heidi Penning and Ben Gooch’s message was a call to action to employ persons with disabilities in inclusive environments where employees can feel safe, engaged and productive.

Craig MacFarlane spoke of Kingston Police’s understanding of the importance of following up after a crisis to connect individuals with appropriate community resources.

Lastly, Madison Dorling bravely shared her lived experience with bipolar disorder.

It is my hope that the discussion brought us a little closer to accepting people with mental health conditions by recognizing negative stereotypes, stigma and discrimination. Thank you. Merci. Meegwetch.

Taylor Young

Mr. Grant Crack: I rise today as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on behalf of my constituents of Glengarry–Prescott–Russell to congratulate and to recognize Taylor Young, a constituent in my riding who was awarded an Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers this past Monday.

Established in 1998, the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers honours youth between the ages of 15 and 24 who have given a large amount of their time to charitable or not-for-profit organizations or initiatives and who have inspired other young people to volunteer. The medals were presented by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Taylor Young of Dalkeith is a gifted piper and fiddler. For almost five years he has been a member of the Glengarry Pipe Band, a community-based not-for-profit ensemble, volunteering his musical talents at many local community events. He has made significant contributions to the Celtic community in Glengarry county, actively encouraging other young people to embrace and promote local Celtic traditions and culture.

I’m extremely proud of Taylor for being awarded this important distinction in recognition of his significant contribution and dedication to volunteer service. He is truly an exceptional young Ontarian. Again, congratulations, Taylor.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’d like to thank all members for their statements.

Motions

Private members’ public business

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I believe you’ll find that we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding private members’ public business.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader seeks unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? Agreed.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I move that, notwithstanding standing order 98(g), notice for ballot item number 49 be waived.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Mr. Naqvi moves that, notwithstanding standing order 98(g), notice for ballot item 49 be waived. Do we agree? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Equal Pay Day / Journée de l’équité salariale

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I rise in the House today to recognize April 20 as Equal Pay Day in Ontario. This is the day that’s calculated each year in countries around the world to mark the extra time it takes a woman to earn as much money as a man.

I want to acknowledge the advocates, community leaders and those who work each and every day to end wage disparity. I’d like to particularly recognize the leadership of Emanuela Heyninck, Ontario’s Pay Equity Commissioner, and extend a thank you to her from the people of Ontario to both herself and her staff at the Pay Equity Office.

Today, we recognize the critical role that women play in our economy. While we reflect on the sombre reality that women continue to earn less on average than men in our society do, Equal Pay Day is a reminder that we must dedicate ourselves to ending this discrimination and ensuring that the great contributions that women make to our society, economy and the province of Ontario are fully valued and fully recognized.

That’s why, in the Premier’s mandate letter to me, she asked that I work with the minister responsible for women’s issues, the Honourable Tracy MacCharles, to lead the development of a wage gap strategy that will close the gap between men and women in the context of a 21st-century economy. It’s an important task and it’s one that Minister MacCharles and I look forward to tackling and making progress on.

Over the past several years, our government has taken many steps to improve the lives of women across Ontario. Some examples: the Ontario Women’s Directorate created a Microlending for Women in Ontario program. It has helped more than 900 low-income women both build and grow their businesses.

But we’re also paying particular attention to supporting low-income women. As a result of initiatives undertaken through the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the child poverty rate in single-mother-led families has dropped from 44% to 36% in just two years. In addition, as of July 2014, the Ontario Child Benefit was increased to a maximum of $1,310 per child per year. That’s more than double the maximum benefit that was available in 2009.

We’ve invested significantly in child care, and we continue to implement full-day kindergarten. This helps women participate in the workforce while, at the same time, they know that their children are well cared for.

We’ve increased the minimum wage eight times since 2003. The ninth increase is coming into effect on October 1 of this year.

Since 2003, more than 2,200 women have participated in training through the Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training Program. This program gives low-income women the training they need to get those well-paying jobs.

Last month, Premier Wynne and Minister MacCharles released the sexual violence and harassment action plan for the province of Ontario. The plan will be implemented through numerous ministries, including the Ministry of Labour. The goal is to combat and to raise awareness of sexual violence, harassment and discrimination, and improve support for survivors in Ontario.

Like closing the wage gap, these initiatives are steps towards increased fairness. We know that fairness for women in Ontario is about more than just money; it’s about freedom from harassment, freedom from abuse, and it’s about equality of opportunity. We’re not there yet, Speaker, but we are making progress.

Today we’re taking another big step in the right direction. Today my ministry is announcing that we have appointed two outstanding Ontarians as external advisers to the government’s new Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee. One of those people is Linda Davis. Linda is the past president of the Business and Professional Women’s Clubs of Ontario, of which she is currently an executive board member. She’s also the board’s Equal Pay Coalition representative.

Dr. Parbudyal Singh is a professor of human resource management at York University right here in Toronto and has joined us today in the members’ gallery. Dr. Singh’s research covers emerging issues in human resources management and labour relations.

Ms. Davis and Dr. Singh will be joining with Ontario’s Pay Equity Commissioner, Emanuela Heyninck, and my ministry’s wage gap strategy executive lead, Nancy Austin, both of whom have joined us in the members’ gallery.

Speaker, the Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee will conduct provincial consultation sessions in 2015. They’re going to develop recommendations that will create a strategy aimed at closing the gender wage gap through the actions of business, government, labour and all Ontarians.

Our government is committed to women’s equality in the province of Ontario. We’re increasing women’s economic opportunities. We’re removing barriers that in the past have prevented full participation by women in the labour force.

The gender wage gap strategy that the steering committee will draft will build on the progress to date and will significantly improve economic outcomes for Ontario women and of the province of Ontario as a whole. I look forward to receiving the committee’s recommendations in spring of next year, after their consultations have been completed.

Speaker, by acknowledging this day, Ontario joins others around the world in recognizing that while we’ve made progress, this inequality still exists and we have a lot more work to do.

Ontario’s women include innovators, scientists, teachers, CEOs and, I’m incredibly proud to say, the leaders of political parties and the Premier of Ontario. Yet as long as there’s a wage gap, we all have work to do. The truth is, Equal Pay Day is a day that simply should not exist in the province of Ontario. Recognizing the value of the work that women do contributes to a more equal, a more just and a more prosperous society.

Our goal is an Ontario where men and women have equal opportunity to achieve their full potential within a modern workplace and become contributors to Ontario’s continued economic growth. There’s no other way to put it: Closing the gender wage gap in the province of Ontario is a necessary part of this goal.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): It is now time for responses.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize Equal Pay Day. I speak not only as a woman, but as a daughter, sister, mother, optometrist and member of Parliament.

I want to share the comments by actress Patricia Arquette while receiving her Oscar this past year: “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s time to have wage equality once and for all. And equal rights for women.”

I won’t debate whether the Oscars should be used to express political commentary, but I commend Ms. Arquette for her comments while supporting her sentiment. It is time to work together to bring an end to the gender gap.

In an industry that tends to give female actors limited roles based on sexist ideals and a masculine hierarchy such as breadwinner or caregiver, her remarks unleashed a wave of agreement across the globe.

It is now our responsibility to reduce the wage gap and create laws that support a healthy balance between work and family life. The world economy has shown us time and time again that women’s equality leads to job creation and economic expansion that benefit the entire population. We must act together to improve women’s work spaces and lives and finally open the door of opportunity to all women.

J’aimerais faire part à mes collègues des commentaires de l’actrice Patricia Arquette après avoir gagné l’oscar du meilleur second rôle féminin. En acceptant les louanges avec humilité et grâce, M me Arquette a proclamé : « À chaque femme qui a donné la vie, à chaque citoyen qui a payé ses impôts, je dis ceci : Nous nous sommes battus pour avoir des droits égaux. Le temps est venu pour nous d’avoir une égalité salariale entre les hommes et les femmes. »

Chez une industrie qui a tendance à donner aux actrices des rôles limités basés sur le sexisme et une hiérarchie masculine tels que la principale dispensatrice de soins ou celui d’un observateur passif, ses remarques ont déclenché une vague d’accord en tous points de la Terre.

C’est à notre tour de minimiser les écarts de salaire et créer des lois qui vont améliorer le climat de travail et favoriser l’équilibre entre le travail et la vie familiale. L’économie mondiale nous démontre clairement que l’égalité des femmes mène à la création d’emplois et d’investissements et profite à bon nombre de gens. Il faut agir ensemble pour améliorer la condition féminine et pour ouvrir grand enfin la porte à l’opportunité à toutes les femmes.

Pay equity, also known as equal pay for work of equal value, is a fundamental human right. The goal is to stop discrimination related to the undervaluation of work traditionally performed by women.

It was back in 1987 that this province introduced the Ontario Pay Equity Act as the first important step in recognizing the equal value of women’s work and eliminating discrimination in the workforce. While it is important to reflect on the progress that has been made in this province and all across the country, we are still not seeing adequately positive results. Legislation now requires employers to take steps to ensure that both women and men are paid on the same basis—fantastic for women who work in professions with good monetary value, while failing to address the serious problems in women-dominated professions.

Through the combined efforts of the general public, businesses and government, and all the activists as well, more awareness has been created about the causes of the wage gap. Concrete steps are required to better address and ultimately close the gap. Our PC caucus has strongly advocated for a government that helps create a fair, productive and sustainable society for all. We are proud to support the capable and intelligent women who contribute to our society.

Although pay equity is the law in Ontario, women, on average, still earn 31% less than men. As a result, women in Ontario have to work longer to earn what men earn in terms of average annual earnings. This pay gap affects women of all ages and education levels and has an even greater effect on racialized women, women with disabilities and aboriginal women. There are many statistics out there of women receiving less pay. I know that the women in my riding are valued members of the workforce, and this should be reflected in equal pay to them.

Mr. Speaker, many of us in the room are expecting to see three strong female parliamentarians leading our three parties in just a few weeks. Just as a female Premier was historic, three female leaders will be unprecedented in our province.

Strong women, strong society, strong families and a strong province of Ontario.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, Monday, April 20 marks Equal Pay Day in 2015. I use the word “mark” advisedly because, unlike many of the days we recognize in this House, Equal Pay Day is no cause for celebration. The day represents how far into the next year a woman in Ontario must work in order to earn the same salary that a man did the year before. In order to earn what a man was paid in 2014, a woman must work those 12 months plus all of January, all of February, all of March and most of April.

Since 2013, thanks to the advocacy of the Equal Pay Coalition, many of whom are here today, as well as the efforts of Ontario New Democrats, in particular my colleague the member for Parkdale–High Park, Equal Pay Day has been observed in this province.

When it was first introduced, Equal Pay Day fell on April 9. Last year, it fell one week later, on April 16. This year, it falls later still. What does this tell us? It tells us that the gap is widening, not closing; that the problem is getting worse, not better; and that women are falling further behind, especially women who are racialized, women who are living with disabilities, indigenous women and newcomer women.

Speaker, in 2010, women in Ontario made 72 cents for every dollar earned by men. Today, the gender pay gap has increased to 31.5%. This is a fundamental injustice. It is both a human rights issue and a major barrier to Ontario’s economic and social well-being. Over the course of their lifetime, when women earn about one third less than men, they must work until they are 79 years old to make what men earn by the time they turn 65. That is 14 years longer. Since most women do not keep working until they turn 79, they end their years in poverty and are twice as likely to be poor as senior men.

We know that eliminating the wage gap will require a significant change to the way government operates—an end to their reliance on undervalued women’s work for the delivery of government services, as well as a major commitment of funding—so we’re going to hold off on the applause until we see some real resources allocated and some tangible progress made.

We’ll also be watching for a gender lens in the minister’s other initiative on labour laws and precarious work, because we know that a major contributor to the gender wage gap is the number of Ontario women who work part-time, even when they would rather be working full-time; the number of women who can only find temporary jobs, contract jobs or minimum wage jobs; and the number of women who can’t find any paid employment at all.

Speaker, we already know what needs to be done. We need strategies to improve women’s access to collective bargaining and their rights to unionize. We need more quality, affordable and accessible child care spaces, not less, and greater access to paid parental leave, family leave and sick leave. While these kinds of policies will benefit all workers, they will benefit women in particular, given that women tend to carry the burden of family care responsibilities.

In the lead-up to this day, 18 MPPs signed pledges to be pay equity champions—all of them New Democrats, which comes as no surprise, since the majority of our caucus are women. I want to applaud the efforts of the Equal Pay Coalition to raise awareness among MPPs and to enlist our support. New Democrat MPPs did not sign that pledge lightly. We recognize the human rights of women to have their labour valued equally to men’s. We also recognize the tremendous economic stimulus, the boost to Ontario’s economy and the benefits to our communities that would result from ending pay discrimination.

In closing, a consultation more than a decade after the Liberals formed government is long overdue. While a panel is nice, New Democrats will continue to push for legislation, policies and funding that will enable men and women in Ontario to reach their full economic potential and participate as true equals in our province and our society.

Petitions

Ontario Disability Support Program

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Mr. Speaker, last Friday I had the opportunity to go to Tillsonburg to recognize volunteers at Community Living Ontario and People First. They presented me with this petition, and I’d like to present it on their behalf.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the $100 ODSP Work-Related Benefit provides a critically important source of funds to people with disabilities on ODSP who work, giving them the ability to pay for much-needed, ongoing work-related expenses such as transportation, clothing, food, personal care and hygiene items, and child care; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Community and Social Services plans to eliminate the Work-Related Benefit as part of a restructuring of OW and ODSP employment benefits, and has said that ongoing work-related expenses will not be covered by its new restructured Employment-Related Benefit; and

“Whereas eliminating the Work-Related Benefit will take approximately $36 million annually out of the pockets of people with disabilities on ODSP who work; and

“Whereas a survey conducted by the ODSP Action Coalition between December 2014 and February 2015 shows that 18% of respondents who currently receive the Work-Related Benefit fear having to quit their jobs as a result of the loss of this important source of funds; 12.5% fear having to reduce the amount of money they spend on food, or rely on food banks; and 10% fear losing the ability to travel, due to the cost of transportation; and

“Whereas people receiving ODSP already struggle to get by, and incomes on ODSP provide them with little or no ability to cover these costs from regular benefits; and

“Whereas undermining employment among ODSP recipients would run directly counter to the ministry’s goal of increasing employment and the provincial government’s poverty reduction goal of increasing income security;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to stop the provincial government’s plan to eliminate the ODSP Work-Related Benefit.”

Thank you very much for allowing me the time. I affix my signature, as I agree with this petition.

First responders

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas emergency response workers (firefighters, police officers and paramedics) confront traumatic events on a near daily basis to provide safety to the public;

“Whereas many emergency response workers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their work;

“Whereas emergency response workers go through painstaking steps in order to receive WSIB benefits based on post-traumatic stress acquired while serving the public;

“Whereas Bill 2,

An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder, sets out that if an emergency response worker suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder it is presumed that they acquired the illness on the job, unless the contrary is shown;

“Whereas thes change would ease the process for receiving benefits for emergency response workers with post-traumatic stress disorder arising out of work;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to unanimously endorse and quickly pass Bill 2,

An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder.”

I couldn’t agree more, sign my name with the thousands and give it to Ryan to deliver.

Student safety

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there are no mandatory requirements for teachers and school volunteers to have completed CPR training in Ontario;

“Whereas the primary responsibility for the care and safety of students rests with each school board and its employees;

“Whereas the safety of children in elementary schools in Ontario should be paramount;

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

“To work in conjunction with all Ontario school boards to ensure that adequate CPR training is available to school employees and volunteers.”

I agree with this, affix my signature and give it to page Mira.

Electronic cigarettes

Mr. Randy Hillier: I have a petition that’s signed by over 2,700 people since last week. It’s a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas electronic cigarettes, more accurately known as vaporizers, are between 95% and 99% cleaner than smoking tobacco; and

“Whereas electronic cigarettes are not a tobacco product, but rather a tobacco replacement therapy for those wishing to quit smoking, and a significant contributor to tobacco harm reduction in Ontario; and

“Whereas there is no scientific or medical evidence indicating that vaping causes inhalable exposure to contaminants that warrants health concerns;

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

“That the government of Ontario abandon

schedule 3 of Bill 45, Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2014.”

I agree with that petition and will hand it to page Thomas.

Alzheimer’s disease

Mr. Michael Mantha: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that causes thinking and memory impairment. Alzheimer’s disease is progressive, worsens over time and will eventually lead to death;

“Whereas there are an estimated 208,000 Ontarians diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and related dementia today, and that number is set to increase by 40% in the next 10 years;

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease creates emotional, social and economic burdens on the family and supports of those suffering with the disease—over 25% of those providing personal supports to survivors of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia are seniors;

“Whereas the total economic burden of dementia in Ontario is expected to increase by more than $770 million per year through to 2020; and

“Whereas Ontario’s strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia has not been revised since the implementation of a five-year strategy in 1999;

“We, the undersigned, call upon the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to immediately review, revise and implement an updated, research-informed, comprehensive strategy to respond to and prepare for the rapidly growing needs of those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.”

I agree with this petition and present it to page Misha to bring it down to the Clerks’ table.

French-language education

Mr. Arthur Potts: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

“Whereas

section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees access to publicly funded French-language education; and

“Whereas there are more than 1,000 children attending French elementary schools in east Toronto (Beaches–East York and Toronto–Danforth) and those numbers continue to grow; and

“Whereas the Ontario government acknowledged in February 2007 that there is an important shortage of French-language schools in all of Toronto and even provided funds to open some secondary schools, and yet, not a single French secondary school has opened in east Toronto; and

“Whereas the commissioner of French-language services stated in a report in June 2011 that ‘... time is running out to address the serious shortage of at least one new French-language school at the secondary level in the eastern part of the city of Toronto’; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Education has confirmed that we all benefit when school board properties are used effectively in support of publicly funded education and that the various components of our education system should be aligned to serve the needs of students; and

“Whereas parents and students from both French Catholic and French public elementary schools in east Toronto are prepared to find common ground across all language school systems to secure space for a French-language secondary school in east Toronto;

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

“That the Minister of Education assist one or both French school boards in locating a suitable underutilized school building in east Toronto that may be sold or shared for the purpose of opening a French secondary school (grades 7-12) in the community by September 2015, so that French students have a secondary school close to where they live.”

I agree with this petition and I affix my name—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Further petitions?

Highway improvement

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition received from Parry Sound Bikes and from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, and it reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas both provincial Highway 559 (from Nobel Road to Killbear Park) and Highway 124 (from Parry Sound to McKellar) are busy roads with fast-moving vehicles and no paved shoulders; and

“Whereas drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are put at safety risks on these stretches of highway between Carling, McDougall and McKellar which are the only routes available; and

“Whereas maintaining unpaved highway shoulders is costly; and

“Whereas area residents and visitors are increasingly using secondary provincial highways to support healthy lifestyles, reduce health care costs and contribute to positive economic development;

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

“To install paved shoulders on Highways 559 and 124 at the earliest possible opportunity, consistent with the 2013 Ontario cycling strategy that promotes safe, sustainable transportation.”

I support this petition and have signed it.

Off-road vehicles

M me France Gélinas: I have this petition that was gathered by Jim Reid, from my riding. He collected 480 names on the petition, and it reads as follows:

“Whereas the NDP MPP for Timiskaming–Cochrane, John Vanthof, has introduced Bill 46 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario so that UTVs (utility task vehicles) would be treated like all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by the Highway Traffic Act;

“Whereas this bill to amend the Highway Traffic Act in respect to UTVs was introduced on November 24, 2014;

“Whereas this bill will have positive economic impact on clubs, manufacturers, dealers and rental shops and will boost revenues to communities promoting this outdoor activity;”

They ask the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“To vote in favour of MPP Vanthof’s Bill 46 to allow UTVs the same access as ATVs in the Highway Traffic Act.”

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

Credit unions

Mrs. Cristina Martins: I rise in the House to read this petition that’s addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Credit Unions of Ontario support our 1.3 million members across Ontario through loans to small businesses to start up, grow and create jobs, help families to buy homes and assist their communities with charitable investments and volunteering; and

“Whereas Credit Unions of Ontario want a level playing field so they can provide the same service to our members as other financial institutions and promote economic growth without relying on taxpayers’ resources;

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

“Support the strength and growth of credit unions to support the strength and growth of Ontario’s economy and create jobs in three ways:

“—maintain current credit union provincial tax rates;

“—show confidence in Ontario credit unions by increasing credit union-funded deposit insurance limits to a minimum of $250,000;

“—allow credit unions to diversify by allowing Ontario credit unions to own 100% of subsidiaries.”

I agree with this petition. I’m going to affix my name and send it down to the table with page Misha from my riding of Davenport.

Off-road vehicles

Mr. Steve Clark: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas it has been over a decade since regulation 316/03 of the Highway Traffic Act has been updated to recognize new classes of off-road vehicles and a motion to do so passed on November 7, 2013, with unanimous support of the provincial Legislature;

“Whereas owners of two-up ATVs and side-by-side UTVs deserve clarity in knowing which roadways and trails are legal for use of these off-road vehicles; and

“Whereas owners should be able to legally use their vehicles to access woodlots, trails and hunting and fishing destinations;

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

“That private member’s Bill 58, which seeks to update the Highway Traffic Act to include new classes of all-terrain and utility task vehicles, receive swift passage through the Legislature.”

I’m pleased to support Mr. Miller’s private member’s bill. I’ll affix my signature to the petition and send it to the table with page Thomas.

Alzheimer’s disease

Ms. Peggy Sattler: This petition reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that cause thinking, memory and physical functioning to become seriously impaired;

“Whereas there is no known cause or cure for this devastating illness; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias also take their toll on hundreds of thousands of families and care partners; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect more than 200,000 Ontarians today, with an annual total economic burden rising to $15.7 billion by 2020; and

“Whereas the cost related to the health care system is in the billions and only going to increase, at a time when our health care system is already facing enormous financial challenges; and

“Whereas there is work under way to address the need, but no coordinated or comprehensive approach to tackling the issues; and

“Whereas there is an urgent need to plan and raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for the sake of improving the quality of life of the people it touches;

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

“To approve the development of a comprehensive Ontario dementia plan that would include the development of strategies in primary health care, in health promotion and prevention of illness, in community development, in building community capacity and care partner engagement, in caregiver support and investments in research.”

I totally support this petition, affix my name to it and will give it to page Ethan to take to the table.

Water fluoridation

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: I have a petition addressed to the Ontario Legislative Assembly:

“Whereas fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in virtually all water supplies, even the ocean; and

“Whereas scientific studies conducted during the past 70 years have consistently shown that the fluoridation of community water supplies is a safe and effective means of preventing dental decay, and is a public health measure endorsed by more than 90 national and international health organizations; and

“Whereas dental decay is the second-most frequent condition suffered by children, and is one of the leading causes of absences from school; and

“Whereas Health Canada has determined that the optimal concentration of fluoride in municipal drinking water for dental health is 0.7 mg/L, providing optimal dental health benefits, and well below the maximum acceptable concentrations; and

“Whereas the decision to add fluoride to municipal drinking water is a patchwork of individual choices across Ontario, with municipal councils often vulnerable to the influence of misinformation, and studies of questionable or no scientific merit;

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

“That the ministries of the government of Ontario adopt the number one recommendation made by the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health in a 2012 report on oral health in Ontario, and amend all applicable legislation and regulations to make the fluoridation of municipal drinking water mandatory in all municipal water systems across the province of Ontario.”

Speaker, I agree with this petition, affix my name and give it to page Samantha.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the member for Timmins–James Bay.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I just want to inform the House that I earlier made a statement, and I’m glad to report that the landlord is not evicting anybody from the building. They’re allowed to have a tenant’s association and to post notice to people in order to be able to attend. I want to thank the co-operation of the landlord and everybody involved.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have available today for petitions.

Orders of the Day

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, 2015 / Loi de 2015 sur les régimes de pension agréés collectifs

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 15, 2015, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 57,

An Act to create a framework for pooled registered pension plans and to make consequential amendments to other Acts / Projet de loi 57, Loi créant un cadre pour les régimes de pension agréés collectifs et apportant des modifications corrélatives à d’autres lois.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to the order of the House dated April 16, 2015, I am now required to put the question.

On March 25, Mr. Sousa moved second reading of Bill 57. 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.

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

I wish to inform the House that I have received from the chief government whip a notice of deferral of this vote. It will now take place at the time of deferred votes tomorrow, Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

Second reading vote deferred.

Visitors

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I wish to inform the House that with us today in the Speaker’s gallery we have a group of Franco-Ontarians who have been selected by an all-party panel of members to receive l’Ordre de la Pléiade, the internationally recognized medal of la Francophonie. These individuals are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to French-speaking communities in the province.

The recipients are Monsieur Ernest Côté, whose daughter Denyse will be accepting on his behalf, Madame Lyse Lamothe, Madame Nicole Larocque, Monsieur Sébastien Lorquet, Monsieur Didier Marotte, and Madame Bettina Setton. Bienvenue.

Please join me in welcoming our honoured guests to Queen’s Park.

The member for Nickel Belt on a point of order.

M me France Gélinas: I beg the indulgence of the House. One of the recipients, Lyse Lamothe, is from my riding, and she came with friends from Sudbury. I’d like to recognize Lynn Michel, Robert Blais and Joanne Gervais and welcome them to Queen’s Park. They made the trip in the pouring rain, so I wanted to thank them for their effort.

Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act (Making Ontario’s Roads Safer), 2015 / Loi de 2015 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne le transport (accroître la sécurité routière en Ontario)

Ms. Sandals, on behalf of Mr. Del Duca, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 31,

An Act to amend the Highway 407 East Act, 2012 and the Highway Traffic Act in respect of various matters and to make a consequential amendment to the Provincial Offences Act / Projet de loi 31, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2012 sur l’autoroute 407 Est et le Code de la route en ce qui concerne diverses questions et apportant une modification corrélative à la

Loi sur les infractions provinciales.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Hon. Liz Sandals: I will be sharing my time with the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation, the member from Cambridge, and also the members from Northumberland–Quinte West, Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Etobicoke Centre and Scarborough–Rouge River.

Just to lead off here briefly on Bill 31, the Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act, Bill 31 is a key piece of a broader legislative package which includes subsequent regulatory amendments to the Highway Traffic Act, the Provincial Offences Act and the Highway 407 East Act. It does a number of things. The objectives are: to improve road safety; to enhance the collection of defaulted Provincial Offences Act fines, or POA fines, as they are often called; to improve the Highway 407 East Act; and to address a number of outstanding housekeeping proposals.

Some of the proposals address things like: improvement related to impaired driving, both with respect to drugs and with respect to alcohol; dealing more effectively with distracted driving; addressing the issue more completely of medically unfit drivers; dealing with truck, vehicle and bus safety; pedestrian safety; cyclist safety; as I mentioned, the collection of the POA fines; and also some of the infrastructure around Highway 407 east.

I wanted to comment briefly on drivers with medical conditions, because for those of us who are MPPs this also often becomes an issue in our constituency offices. There is a lot of confusion around what happens when often an older person is becoming medically unfit to drive. The amendments that are before us here today would enable the expansion of medical reporting requirements to additional qualified health practitioners. That is, right now it’s only doctors, but if it happens to be a nurse practitioner or someone like that who is encountering the medical condition, we want to make sure that an expanded list of medical practitioners can report.

We need to clarify the mandatory and discretionary reporting requirements. That will be done more completely in a future regulation.

We need to set up what specific driver information must be provided by mandating the use of specific forms. I know we often find in my constituency office that somebody will come in and say, “Why haven’t I got my licence back? The doctor sent the information.” Then when we track it down, we find out the doctor hasn’t really sent the required information at all. They did send a letter, but it didn’t include the required form or at least the required information. Having a standard form will just help expedite the whole process.

The other thing that we often hear from constituents who have some sort of temporary medical problem that will be addressed by surgery or some form of medical treatment is that the current requirement to send your licence back just actually makes things way more complicated because by the time they have been notified that they are to send the licence back, in fact the medical problem should be fixed and they should have it reinstated. We’re going to clarify how that works and get rid of the business of demanding that drivers always send the licence back. That is one of the things that is being addressed.

Another thing, under the category of truck, bus and vehicle safety, that I must comment on is clarifying that school buses are the only buses permitted to be painted the classic chrome yellow. It prohibits the use of chrome yellow paint in whole or in part on any bus except a school bus. We want to make sure that when people see that chrome yellow bus, they know that they are seeing a school bus.

What sometimes happens is that school buses which have been legitimately school buses at some point of their life reach the end of the safety window for the age for a school bus and get sold to a private owner, and they don’t really get repainted. It becomes quite confusing that you have things that look like school buses but really aren’t school buses anymore. so we actually do encourage fluorescent pink or whatever for former school buses. Because we actually want people to understand that this vehicle is no longer a school bus, you would be prohibited from keeping that original chrome yellow paint job.

I’m now going to turn it over to the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation to explain things much more completely.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Cambridge.

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry: Speaker, for the past 13 years, Ontario’s roads have consistently ranked either first or second in road safety in North America. We are a recognized world-class leader in road safety because of our tough laws, our strong enforcement and the dedicated work of our many road safety partners, who are very engaged with this process around Bill 31.

Keeping our roads safe for everyone—drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, passengers—remains a top, key priority for this government. However, despite Ontario’s record of success, there’s still more that the province can do to improve its road safety programs.

Last year, Minister Del Duca introduced new legislation for making Ontario’s roads safer that, if passed, would help ensure that Ontario remains a leader in road safety. If passed, this legislation and subsequent amendments will help reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities across Ontario, and assist municipalities to collect unpaid Provincial Offences Act fines, all the while improving the safety of road users. It would be one more step in giving the people of Ontario healthier, more convenient and safer options on how to get around.

This legislation, if passed, would improve measures to address drivers who repeatedly drink and drive, by requiring them to complete intensive alcohol education, treatment and monitoring programs. It also proposes to apply alcohol-impaired sanctions to drivers who are drug-impaired. That’s very important, because recent statistics show that over 45% of drivers who have been killed in Ontario were found to have drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol in their system.

Certainly in my past as an emergency room nurse, I can speak to the number of folks I saw coming through the emergency department who certainly had drugs and alcohol in their systems, and that was subsequently a cause for their collision.

It’s also a part of our strong legacy on combatting impaired driving. This legacy will include tough penalties such as licence suspensions, immediate vehicle impoundment, requirements for ignition interlock and escalating sanctions for drivers with a blood alcohol concentration in the warn range.

Although recent statistics show that Ontario’s fatality rate for licensed drivers is the lowest ever recorded, on average, one person is killed on our roads every 18 hours. That’s one more important reason we’re going to target those drivers who still are not getting the message and continue to use their cellphones while driving. We are proposing to increase the fines, which are $60 to $500, to $300 to $1,000 going forward, and we also plan to introduce three demerit points upon conviction and add a distracted driving prohibition to the graduated licensing system.

We were one of the first to take action on distracted driving, in 2009, by banning the use of handheld devices, and we’re going to continue to take action today and in the future. The evidence speaks for itself. A driver who uses a cellphone, Speaker, is four times more likely to be in a crash, and if current trends continue, fatalities from distracted driving may exceed those from drinking and driving by 2016. Make no mistake: Safe driving requires undivided attention.

In my conversations around Bill 31 recently with our stakeholders in Waterloo, I had a conversation with Chief Larkin of the Waterloo Regional Police Services, who endorses increased fines and demerit points for distracted driving. This is a key program in Waterloo region that our police are on the lookout for, something that Staff Sergeant Ray Ward endorses as well. He states that his police officers have learned to look for drivers with their heads down at intersections at red lights because very often they are looking at their cellphones. He say