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February 23, 2017

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2017-Feb-23 (PDF)

L045 - Thu 23 Feb 2017 / Jeu 23 fév 2017

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 23 February 2017 Jeudi 23 février 2017

Orders of the Day

School Boards Collective Bargaining Amendment Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant la

Loi sur la négociation collective dans les conseils scolaires

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Health care

Health care

Energy policies

Hydro rates

Electric vehicles

Hydro rates

Public transit

Minimum wage

Anti-racism activities / Lutte contre le racisme

Hydro rates

Health Care

Student achievement

Beverage alcohol sales

Health care funding

Nurses

Members’ Statements

Women in politics

Quebec mosque shooting

Mental health services

Congenital heart disease

Hydro rates

Lumina Borealis

Charles Mann

Government and community services fair

Engineering awards

Motions

Private members’ public business

Petitions

Primary health care

Privatization of public assets

Property taxation

Soins de santé primaires

Home care

Consumer protection

Wind turbines

Hospital funding

Hydro rates

Employment standards

Private Members’ Public Business

Anti-racism activities / Lutte contre le racisme

Visitor

Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera Systems), 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant le Code de la route (systèmes photographiques reliés aux autobus scolaires)

Asbestos Use Prohibition Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 interdisant l’utilisation de l’amiante

Anti-racism activities / Lutte contre le racisme

Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera Systems), 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant le Code de la route (systèmes photographiques reliés aux autobus scolaires)

Asbestos Use Prohibition Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 interdisant l’utilisation de l’amiante

Anti-racism activities / Lutte contre le racisme

Orders of the Day

Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 sur la modernisation de la législation municipale ontarienne

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

School Boards Collective Bargaining Amendment Act, 2017 / Loi de 2017 modifiant la

Loi sur la négociation collective dans les conseils scolaires

Ms. Hunter moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 92,

An Act to amend the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014 and make related amendments to other statutes / Projet de loi 92, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2014 sur la négociation collective dans les conseils scolaires et apportant des modifications connexes à d’autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister Hunter.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I’m proud to rise this morning in the House to speak in support of proposed amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014. If passed, these proposed amendments will strengthen our made-in-Ontario approach to bargaining in the education sector. Specifically, they will make improvements to flexibility, transparency and to consistency.

Today, I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague parliamentary assistant Granville Anderson, the member from Durham. Together, we will lay out the rationale and the importance of each proposed amendment, and we will speak to those who ultimately benefit from improving the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act: Ontario’s two million students and their families, all of whom rely on a strong, stable and sustainable publicly funded education system each and every day.

When the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act was first introduced in 2013, it was born out of collaboration with our education partners. At that time, all parties to collective bargaining in the education sector understood that change was necessary. Until then, and for too long, we had worked with a bargaining process that was outdated and did not reflect the realities of our publicly funded education system. As it stood, prior to the act, collective bargaining in the education sector was a fairly undefined process, one undertaken with the best of intentions, but one ultimately lacking in consistency and clarity of roles.

That is because, back in 1998, under the previous government, local school boards were stripped of their taxation powers, while maintaining their status as the employer in bargaining. From 1998 onwards, local school boards continued to bargain collective agreements with local unions. However, the removal of school boards’ taxation powers made them dependent on the province for their funding, including funding for collective agreements. And yet, the province did not have a formal role in collective bargaining.

This was an unsustainable framework and needed to be addressed. Taking action, our government created the provincial discussion tables, or PDT, a format for voluntary collective discussions. In 2004 and 2008, working together with teachers’ federations, education worker unions and school boards, our government facilitated agreements that met the needs of employees and boards while ensuring the continuity of excellence in education services for students and families.

The PDT helped bring the unions and the school boards together, with the government acting as a facilitator, to reach province-wide agreements on core issues of provincial significance such as compensation. Through this process, by working closely with our partners and making meaningful investments in our schools and students, Ontario’s education sector went from being a system beset with labour strife to becoming one of the most revered publicly funded education systems in the world.

The 2004 and 2008 PDT agreements allowed for a prolonged period of stability in the education system, during which time our government implemented bold initiatives and reforms. These resulted in the creation of full-day kindergarten, smaller primary class sizes, higher test scores in reading, writing and math, and an increased graduation rate, supported by innovative new programs like dual credits and Specialist High Skills Majors, initiatives that we’re all proud of. The provincial discussion tables made sense of an outdated bargaining model and laid the groundwork for what has become a world-class publicly funded education system.

In the years that followed, it became clear to all parties that the PDT model, which at one time had been so innovative, needed to be updated and formalized. That is why we pledged to establish a new legislative framework for provincial bargaining in the education sector—a framework that would establish a clear process for addressing key issues and define the roles and the responsibilities of all parties, a framework that clearly recognized boards as employers and clarified the government’s role in bargaining, as the funder.

At the same time, we sought to reinvigorate our partnerships, understanding that positive labour relations, mutual respect and common goals are fundamental to sustaining the quality of our publicly funded education system. To that end, we engaged our partners in two ways.

The first was to collaborate on a renewed vision to guide our education system to new heights. After extensive input from all parties, including students, teachers, principals, education workers, trustees and school boards, we released Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario. This collaborative document, which still guides us today, underscores our commitment to student achievement and well-being, with a commitment to cultivating and continually developing a high-quality teaching profession. Key to that, of course, was following through on our pledge to modernize collective bargaining in the education sector.

Madam Speaker, what brings me to the second way we engage our partners. I’m talking, of course, about the consultations that would eventually result in the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014. These extensive consultations allowed the province to put into law a bargaining framework in which all parties could see their input and ideas reflected in legislation. Importantly, the act clarified the roles of the crown and the employers. It also formalized two-tier bargaining, and it gave definition to many previously undefined aspects of bargaining, such as how central and local issues are determined, what happens in times of dispute or disruption and much more.

The School Boards Collective Bargaining Act was the new governing framework for challenging talks during challenging times. And despite those talks being lengthy and robust, the act was up to the task. The act facilitated the return to a strong, dynamic, creative and collaborative partnership between the government and its education sector partners. This is evident in the first-ever central agreements reached under the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, which achieved positive outcomes across the education sector as well as the transformation and streamlining of health, life and dental benefits plans.

The central agreements also addressed a range of issues with a direct impact on the classroom, including class sizes, full-day kindergarten, professional development and more.

Importantly, the agreements also included the commitment from teachers and education workers to continue to work collaboratively with school boards and the Ministry of Education to deliver on Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario, thus demonstrating that on the basis of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, all parties were able to engage in challenging talks during a period of fiscal restraint and to reach agreements that were responsive to the province’s fiscal plan while maintaining a focus—a strong focus—on achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confidence.

As positive as the ultimate results were and as strong as the process has been shown to be, it was always understood there would be opportunities to improve the act going forward. That is why both the Premier and the previous Minister of Education, whom I would like to thank and to recognize for their leadership and their efforts on this act, committed to a review of the legislation. I am proud to say that we have followed through on that commitment and have extensively consulted with our partners over the past year and have heard their inputs, focusing on what worked and what could work better in the future.

I would again like to thank our partners for sharing their feedback on the first round of bargaining under the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act. Thank you so much to all of our education partners for your collaboration and your input and for their ideas on refining the bargaining process while maintaining the core of what all parties agree is effective legislation.

Based on our consultations and informed by our partners’ input, we have developed a set of proposed amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act that we believe will enhance this already effective bargaining framework. These amendments were also developed in response to issues raised by the Auditor General. If passed, the proposed amendments will build on an already successful model for collective bargaining, with enhancements to flexibility, transparency and consistency.

Madam Speaker, specifically, the amendments I am proposing today for your support, and for all of the honourable members’ support, include:

—ensuring parents and students are well-informed in advance of labour disruptions by requiring an additional five days’ notice for strikes and lockouts in certain circumstances. This is in addition to five days of notice already included in the act;

—requiring trustees’ associations to report on their use of public funds that they receive, including bargaining costs and salaries for labour relations employees exceeding $100,000, as a means of improving transparency;

—requiring participation for all education-sector unions in central bargaining to support improved consistency across agreements. Why is this important? It’s important to provide consistency on important central items such as compensation;

—ensuring that any bargaining unit formed during the term of a collective agreement is subject to the central terms negotiated by its applicable teachers’ federation or education workers’ union. This supports improved consistency and equity;

—allowing the government, or the applicable employer bargaining agency, to receive updates on the status and progress of local bargaining and for the crown or employer bargaining agency to assist with local negotiations, upon request, as a way to support improved transparency and consistency;

—granting the central parties and the crown with the ability to file an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to resolve perceived conflicts or inconsistencies between central and local terms within a collective agreement;

—changing language from “consent” to “mutually agree” in certain areas where trustees and the crown engage in joint decision-making;

—clarifying the Minister of Education’s delegation authority and the role of the Education Relations Commission; and

—lastly, allowing collective agreements to be extended to support improved flexibility and stability for all parties, including students and parents.

We have consulted extensively with our partners and incorporated their perspectives into these proposed amendments. Of course, we must acknowledge and respect the fact that some of the proposed amendments will require continued engagement with our partners, but there is no question that each of these amendments, which collectively serve to refine the legislation, are needed to ensure a flexible, transparent and consistent process going forward.

I would like to take a moment to consider the value and the benefit of increased flexibility. A more flexible process is one that can better promote stability and positive labour relations by allowing all parties to be more nimble in their efforts to bargain.

To that end, I would like to talk specifically about the importance of amending the act to permit extensions to existing collective agreements. This amendment, while still premised on robust talks, will allow interested parties to agree to continue the term of operations of collective agreements.

For example, the 2014-17 agreements with Ontario’s teachers and education workers are set to expire this summer. In advance of formal bargaining for contracts, we entered into early discussions with our partners to build upon the gains we made in Ontario’s publicly funded education system and to continue to give students the best educational experience possible.

Our goal in doing so, as is our goal with respect to any collective agreement, was to reach an agreement with our partners that promotes stability in the sector, is consistent with our fiscal plan and achieves positive results for students and those who work in the education system.

To get here, we engaged with our central partners in extremely collaborative and productive talks that yielded tremendously positive results. If these agreements are ratified and approved by the crown, it will allow all parties to stay focused on what matters most in education: our students. We can continue to build on the gains that we’ve made in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. These gains include the highest graduation rates in our province’s history, strong literacy and reading results, and equipping students in the 21st century with the skills and the knowledge that they need today for tomorrow’s rapidly changing world.

By supporting the amendments I’m proposing today, in particular the amendment to allow for the extension of collective agreements, you will be directly supporting student achievement and well-being for students who are taught and supported every day by Ontario’s teachers and education workers. Together, we are showing Ontario students and their families that those involved in their education remain focused on achieving excellence.

In addition to supporting the tentative extension agreements that have been reached, the proposed amendments will result in an improved process for the next round of formal bargaining.

In closing, I would like to thank all of our education sector partners for their commitment—their strong and unwavering commitment—to Ontario’s children and to building a sector-specific bargaining model that is premised on respect and collaboration.

Labour negotiations have come a long way in Ontario: from a vague process with ill-defined roles for school boards and the crown, to a voluntary process that helped launch a renaissance in our publicly funded schools, to a made-in-Ontario legislative bargaining framework that has proven itself to be a success even in times of restraint. Today, we have an opportunity to continue the positive trajectory of collective bargaining in the education sector by updating the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act with improvements to efficiency, transparency and consistency that will strengthen this groundbreaking legislation for generations to come.

I encourage every member of this House to stand in support of our students and pass the proposed amendments I bring forward to you today.

Madam Speaker and honourable colleagues, I would now like to share my time with my parliamentary assistant, MPP Granville Anderson, who will expand on the importance of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act and the amendments that we are proposing.

We must continue to build on the success that we have achieved with our partners by taking our publicly funded education system from great to excellent.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the member from Durham.

Mr. Granville Anderson: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s a privilege to join my honourable colleague Mitzie Hunter, the Ontario Minister of Education, here this morning in supporting amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act. These amendments will, if passed, build on an already successful model for collective bargaining in Ontario’s education sector, with enhancements to flexibility, transparency and consistency.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to ask my colleagues in the House, as the minister did earlier, to not only consider the importance of these amendments as refinements to existing legislation, but as necessary tools in the ongoing cultivation of strong, adaptable and enduring labour relations with our partners in the education sector.

This is an essential point, because underlying the success of Ontario’s publicly funded education system are two key elements, both of which are intrinsically tied to respectful bargaining that prioritizes mutually beneficial agreements. Those two elements are: partnership in reaching common goals, and sustainable funding that provides the resources and support necessary to make those goals attainable.

To be clear, labour talks are never easy. They never will be, nor have they ever been intended as such. Even an agreement that benefits all parties can only be realized after fulsome, robust talks.

The intent of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act is to give all parties a clearer understanding of their respective roles during negotiations and a defined framework in which bargaining can take place, so that all parties can focus their attention on achieving negotiated agreements that support student success and well-being.

These amendments we are proposing today enhance the flexibility, transparency and consistency of those talks and the agreements they will generate.

Only contracts that are strongly and thoroughly negotiated can lead to mutually beneficial agreements that support enduring, respectful partnerships. As such, any enhancements to an already proven bargaining model serve as enhancements to negotiations and are an important step towards improved labour relations that can reliably balance the needs of the province and trustees with those of unions and teacher federations.

This is what I’m asking my colleagues in the House to support.

This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue that benefits all our kids throughout Ontario in our four publicly funded education systems. Being a trustee, I know how important this is to students and to parents, and to teachers as well. We all want the best for our kids in this province.

Proposed amendments to refine legislation that is essential to reaching mutually beneficial agreements that further our partnerships while being fiscally responsible and sustainable—both of which, I submit, are the premise upon which Ontario’s publicly funded education system has become one of the best in the world. We want to keep it as one of the best in the world.

Thanks in large part to our strong partnerships with the sectors, there’s no question as to our status as a world leader. Time and time again, international studies have shown this. Scholars from around the world have visited Ontario to learn from our success—success like our graduation rate. Ontario’s high school students are now graduating in record numbers, with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and compete in our global economy. In 2015, the five-year graduation rate surpassed 85%, which is 17 percentage points higher than the 2004 rate of 68%.

The percentage of students graduating in four years exceeded 78%, an increase of 22 percentage points since 2004. This means that an additional 190,000 students have graduated who would not have done so had the rate remained at the 2003-04 level.

Our success is also reflected in test results. In 2003, only 54% of grades 3 and 6 students were achieving at or above the provincial standard in EQAO province-wide assessments. In 2016, overall results show that 71% of grades 3 and 6 students are achieving at or above that standard. This represents a 17-percentage-point increase since 2003.

Looking from the outside in, many studies have shown Ontario to be a leader. We will continue to be a leader, and we want to improve upon that. That’s what these proposed amendments will do—exactly that.

The 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, found that Ontario’s 15-year-old students are among the top performers compared to all other international jurisdictions. Ontario students continue to perform above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, average in all three PISA domains, which are science, reading and mathematics.

The results of the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program, PCAP, 2013 show that Ontario’s grade 8 students:

—were the second-highest-performing jurisdiction in science;

—were the only group to perform at or above the Canadian average in our three areas of math, reading and science; and

—were first when it came to reading, the only students to perform above the national average in that area.

Results of the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, PIRLS, show that Ontario’s grade 4 students performed near the top in the world in reading achievement—in the world, Madam Speaker. That’s a great achievement, and we aim to do better.

Ontario’s students have sustained their high level of performance in reading since PIRLS 2001 and have narrowed the gender achievement gap.

There are many reasons for this success, including our strong and constructive relationships with teachers, trustees, school boards, education workers and many others.

Were it not for these partnerships, premised on respectful labour relations, we could not have pursued an agenda of whole-system reform, including establishing clear educational goals, setting ambitious targets and providing support and resources to the system. The results of these reforms are clear.

Full-day kindergarten is now available to four- and five-year-olds all across Ontario. The rollout of this innovative program was the single most significant investment made in Ontario’s education system in a generation.

Madam Speaker, that’s so true. I have had the opportunity, in both my role as trustee and as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education, to visit schools. When I visit grade 1 classes, I hear from grade 1 teachers. One particular teacher has been teaching grade 1 for 40 years, and she said the students that are coming out of our full-day kindergarten far exceed her expectations. They’re the best, well-prepared students she has ever had in her 40 years. That’s something we all should be proud of, on both sides of this House.

This is what has positioned Ontario as a leader in North America.

As part of our innovative approach to education, we have also focused on better ways of teaching our students the basics of literacy and numeracy, and we have worked to develop their higher-order skills and competencies. As a result, creativity and critical thinking skills are encouraged in all aspects of the curriculum. This means that our partners have been teaching them how to use information to solve problems.

Ontario has also been a trailblazer in offering students opportunities to gain full, real-life, hands-on experience in the workplace. Our co-op program allows high school students to combine classroom and workplace learning. Students gain valuable work experience while earning credits towards their high school diploma.

The groundbreaking Specialist High Skills Major program Minister Hunter mentioned in her remarks lets students focus on a career path that matches their interests and skills while they work towards their diploma.

When we launched the Specialist High Skills Majors back in 2006, 600 students enrolled in the program. This year, approximately 48,000 students are enrolled. High school students can major in one of 19 economic sectors like aviation, information and communications technology, hospitality, energy, the environment and much, much more.

As well, dual credits keep students engaged by allowing them to earn credits that count towards their diploma and towards apprenticeship training and college. Starting this year, high school students are participating in approximately 22,400 dual-credit opportunities at school boards and colleges of applied arts and technology all across Ontario.

All of these innovations have made a clear and positive impact on our education system and our students. But none of these would have been achievable without strong, respectful, constructive labour relations, which again brings me to the importance of passing the proposed amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act as a means to support better bargaining, for brighter futures for our students.

Madam Speaker, you would very well know, as a former school board trustee, how important it is to the well-being of our school system and our students that, even as we recognize our accomplishments, we remain focused on the future. Being the best today does not mean we will be the best tomorrow. To maintain our position as a world leader and to build on the many successes I have just spoken about, we are working tirelessly with our partners to take our publicly funded education system to the next level. That means living up to the promise of our Renewed Vision and its four goals: achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confidence.

Already, important work is under way, Madam Speaker. This important work will greatly benefit from an improved bargaining process that further clarifies and strengthens our labour relations in the education sector. I would like to take a moment to highlight some of these efforts.

To help us achieve excellence, we continue to keep our focus on math supports for teachers and students through our renewed math strategy. We are dedicating more than $60 million to implementing this strategy.

Part of our strategy includes protecting time for teachers in grades 1 to 8 to focus on effective instruction in math. Other key elements of the strategy include up to three math lead teachers in all elementary schools in the province of Ontario and more opportunities for educators to deepen their knowledge in math, teaching and learning, including a dedicated math professional development day.

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven, global economy, students must have a wide range of skills and knowledge to succeed. A strong foundation in math is needed for each of them to reach their full potential. This is also why, as part of Ontario’s Highly Skilled Workforce Strategy, the Minister of Education will be leading the implementation of a number of recommendations that include:

—expanding the Specialist High Skills Major programs;

—increasing experiential learning and career development opportunities across this province;

—increasing students’ exposure to the science, technology and math fields;

—revising grade 10 career studies courses;

—providing more professional development for teachers with a counselling role; and

—supporting the development of integrated adult education systems.

Of course, developing tomorrow’s workforce requires formidable partnerships, including a partnership with our teachers and education workers, among others. It’s by working together that we will continue to help students gain the skills they need to get a good job and help ensure our province remains competitive.

Thanks to our collective efforts, Ontario is also a world leader in ensuring equity. For example, we continue to focus on increasing graduation rates and closing achievement gaps for under-represented groups such as indigenous students, young single parents, and students in the care of our children’s aid societies. We do this through innovative programs that address the needs of these vulnerable learners.

To better support our adult learners, we’re moving forward with a new Adult Education Strategy. The strategy will promote partnerships among school boards to increase access to a variety of flexible and responsive programs and services that accommodate the diverse needs of today’s adult learners.

Earlier this year, we released Ontario’s Well-Being Strategy for Education, a document for province-wide discussions on what “well-being” means. Madam Speaker, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of these presentations throughout the province. They were well attended, and people of all the various sectors of education in our community were well engaged in this process and took an active

part in this—whether it’s mental health issues, whether it’s socio-economic issues around poverty, around making sure our kids are not attending school hungry, making sure we have breakfast programs, or making sure our teachers and our support workers are equipped and their well-being is enhanced, because we need a whole community to make our entire school system better. That’s the goal of everyone in this province, and I’m sure everyone in this House would agree that that’s something we all have to work hard at, to make sure opportunities are there for our students to succeed.

How can we determine whether we are making progress in promoting well-being? Our extensive engagement process will inform the development of a provincial framework on student and staff well-being. And like so much of what we do, Madam Speaker, the success of this framework will greatly depend on the support and engagement of our partners, something which begins at the bargaining table with respectful talks in a clear and structured environment, which is exactly what the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act achieves and which we are seeking to improve upon with these proposed amendments.

Lastly, with regard to how we are working towards the goal of achieving excellence, we are further enhancing public confidence by securing the fiscal sustainability of our publicly funded education system, which is, as I mentioned earlier, a core element in our success both now and in the future.

Education is one of our most valued public services, and our government strongly believes that every student deserves a safe, modern and healthy learning environment. That is why we are committed to strong, stable, sustainable funding that gives our partners the resources and respect they both need and deserve while taking into account the province’s fiscal reality today and tomorrow.

Everything I have laid out today which covers our past successes and the work we’re currently engaged in to better support student achievement and well-being is premised on a successful partnership between the government, trustees and school boards, teachers and education workers. Nowhere is that relationship more profoundly tested than at the bargaining table, which is why the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act is such an important piece of legislation—important, Madam Speaker, but not perfect. There is always room for improvement, especially when the basis for improvement is informed by the diverse perspectives of our bargaining partners.

That is why Minister Hunter and I are so proud to be introducing proposed amendments that reflect the sector’s feedback and will, if passed, result in improved flexibility, transparency and consistency. These amendments are necessary refinements that will, among other things:

—make participation in central bargaining mandatory for all education workers’ bargaining units;

—update the language in several areas to reflect the crown’s partnership with the trustees’ associations, including central lockouts;

—require an additional five-day strike or lockout notice before a full withdrawal of services at one or more schools;

—provide clarity with respect to the central terms that would apply to new bargaining units;

—give the crown and trustee associations the right to request local bargaining updates and, if asked, to assist with local bargaining;

—allow the crown or any party to central bargaining to apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for a determination on whether there is a conflict or inconsistency between central and local terms;

—enhance the financial transparency and accountability of trustee associations; and

—allow for the extension of collective agreements.

Our government and all of our colleagues in the House understand the importance of labour stability and the fundamental necessity of positive labour relations supported by robust and clear legislation. I’m hopeful that in consideration of those facts and out of respect for how far we have come already to bring labour relations to the point it is today, we will have unanimous support for the proposed amendments we have brought before this House.

I will elaborate a bit further. I was a trustee for 11 years and I took

part in collective bargaining back in 2003-04 when it was structurally different, and it was difficult, as a trustee, to grasp and understand all of the issues. It was a framework that just wasn’t working.

So between the unions, teachers’ unions and all the unions in the school system and the school board trustee associations, it was decided to come up with another framework, and this was the framework they came up with. This is a framework we’re trying to improve on and fine-tune. This is being done for the benefit of our kids. It’s not a partisan move by the government. It’s something we should all unilaterally support in the best interests of Ontario families and our students.

The five-day notice allows families to make alternative arrangements for their kids. Hopefully, a strike or a lockout never occurs. That’s what we’re working towards. That’s the perfection we would like to see—and hopefully, this bill does that. That would be great to see as well.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you and every member of the House today for giving these proposed amendments a fair hearing and full consideration. By supporting the proposed amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, members will be supporting the strength of our publicly funded education system. They will be supporting the Renewed Vision for Education and its goals of achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confidence.

In this way, they’ll be supporting students, families and communities, all of whom expect their representatives in the House—no matter what the colour of their lawn sign is, no matter if they are rural, northern, suburban or urban—to support the achievements and well-being of all Ontario students, and to deliver on Ontario’s promise of a world-class, publicly funded education system for generations to come. Fulfilling that promise depends on partnership, respect and fiscal sustainability. So let us stand together to build on our success, to expand upon our strengths and support the proposed amendments to the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I look forward to further debate on this very important matter.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the member from Sarnia–Lambton.

Mr. Robert Bailey: It’s always a pleasure to rise and represent the people of Sarnia–Lambton on a bill that’s important, on education and how it affects our local schools across the province, but especially in my riding of Sarnia–Lambton.

In saying that, I listened quite closely to both the minister and her parliamentary assistant when they talked about consultations with boards, and with the different federations that are involved, as well. That’s one thing I look forward to in this debate this morning and, I’m sure, later this session as we go forward with this bill. I’ll be anxious to hear from our critic the member from Whitby–Oshawa, who’s spent a lot of time since he’s been elected in the role of the education critic, in relationship with our leader; Patrick Brown felt education was important enough that as well as all the other roles as leader, he took it on as one of his main roles.

As I said, I’m looking forward to the consultation, whether it’s in this body here or back home in my own riding. I encourage other members to reach out to their ridings, to their members, to their teachers, to their students, to the parents who foot the bill. It is important, as we all know. I’ve got grandchildren in the system now. My kids are all employed and working, but I have grandchildren still in the system. All my friends do, as well, of course. So I’m certainly interested in the progress and how it will affect each and every one of us and our families as we go forward.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on Bill 92 today.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you. Questions and comments?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: It’s a pleasure to rise today on behalf of my constituents in London West, but also in my new role as education critic for the Ontario NDP caucus. I want to respond in a very brief time right now. I’m looking forward to my lead on this legislation, but I want to respond to the comments from the Minister of Education and also the parliamentary assistant and MPP for Durham.

Certainly, many of us in this House had served as trustees, like the member for Durham. I lived through a number of different processes around collective bargaining in this province. I was elected in 2000, so I have seen many iterations of this, but each process was different, and it was very much a work in progress in terms of getting it right.

But one thing I can say—one thing that we saw over those years—is that in many ways, the process is supplemental to the way the people who are sitting around the table treat each other during the process.

The Minister of Education commented that the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act clarified the role of government as funder, and school boards as employers. Yes, that was important, but we also know that the government is the only body, the only partner at the table, with the ability to change the legislative framework in which the bargaining takes place.

What we saw in the aftermath of Bill 122, their last attempt to change that framework, was continuing labour disruption, continuing chaos in our schools. We saw that in the fall of 2015, when the government refused to show the leadership that was necessary to come to the table and to work out a resolution that would benefit the students in our schools, which is what we all want.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the Minister of Housing and minister responsible for poverty reduction.

Hon. Chris Ballard: I’m so delighted to be able to speak for a couple of minutes to Bill 92, the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act.

I will say that education, I think, is near and dear to all of our hearts. I know that for myself, having three children, we have enjoyed, in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora, some fantastic education over the years.

It’s interesting, too, that education really is the reason that I’m here today, because I became activated back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when my wife and I felt that the quality of education—we saw the quality of education in our children’s elementary school deteriorating, and became active at that point. It’s interesting, how the wheel turns.

We know that the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act came into force in 2014. There was extensive consultation, extensive negotiations. Following that first round of bargaining, our government committed to reviewing the legislation. I think that that is a smart, wise move on all parties’ part, because we need to make sure that we get it right.

The proposed amendments to this act do three things that I think, going back to the reason that I became involved in politics to begin with, continue to promote student achievement and well-being, maintain the public confidence in our publicly funded education system, and continue to foster positive and constructive relations with our partners.

Speaker, I’ve been very fortunate to have really great relationships with teachers in my riding. I know that going forward, we’ll continue to have really good relationships with those teachers, due in part to this type of legislation.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Questions and comments?

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: It’s a great honour to be able to stand and represent the constituents of Niagara West–Glanbrook as I speak to this piece of legislation put forward by the member.

I want to begin by thanking the Minister of Education for her obvious passion and love for students, for parents and for teachers, and also her parliamentary assistant, the member from Durham, for his passion for this issue.

One of the things I did want to mention very briefly is, as my colleague from Sarnia–Lambton mentioned, we need to ensure that there is sufficient consultation. The minister mentioned that they do plan on proactively going out with extensive consultations, and I look forward to seeing what that looks like.

When the member opposite was mentioning that in the late 1990s there were concerns with the direction the education system was going, I thought it was fascinating because, quite frankly, what I’m hearing from people is a similar concern, that they’re seeing the quality of education in our province deteriorate under this government, unfortunately.

So I’m excited to see, perhaps, if this piece of legislation can be proactive in helping parents and helping students move forward. I think that’s something we all want to support. We want to make sure that parents have their voices heard; that’s something I’ve spoken about in the past. I want to make sure that students are valued and that they’re receiving the highest-quality education that they possibly can.

We live in a great province and we, in the past, have had an excellent education system that turns out some of the best and most productive and happiest people in the world. I’m very proud to be in a province that has that. But I think we do need to make sure we maintain that going forward, and I’m not always confident in this government’s ability to do so.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the Minister of Education.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank all members in this House for participating in the debate this morning on this very important item. I particularly want to thank the member from Sarnia–Lambton; my new critic for education, the member from London West; the minister responsible for poverty reduction—I know how passionate you are about this; the member from Niagara West–Glanbrook; and, of course, my parliamentary assistant, who is out working so hard on behalf of our students.

The School Boards Collective Bargaining Act amendments proposed through Bill 92 are aimed at ensuring that we can deliver on our goals for education. We’re very focused on promoting student achievement and well-being, maintaining public confidence in our publicly funded education system, and continuing to foster and build constructive relationships with our partners.

Our goal with respect to any collective agreement remains promoting stability within the sector so that we can work on all the gains that we’ve made together with our education partners. We obviously want to be consistent with our fiscal plan, and at the same time, we want to achieve positive results for our students and for our education workers in the system.

I want to use my remaining seconds to really talk about those education workers. A lot of times we talk about teachers, and we know the special relationship that teachers have with their students in the classroom. They’re connected to the learning, but there are other education workers who support the school community. When you walk into a school, there’s a secretary there and all of the office staff; the principal, the vice-principal; that custodian who keeps that school community bright and clean; and the education assistants in our classrooms, some of them working with our most vulnerable students. I want to say thank you to all of our education partners and our school boards.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Further debate?

Mr. Lorne Coe: I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the Legislature this morning and speak to Bill 92, the School Boards Collective Bargaining Amendment Act, 2017. I do so in my capacity as the associate critic for education, the official opposition critic for post-secondary education and the chair of the Ontario Progressive Conservative policy advisory committee on education, which is doing great work as we move forward in developing recommendations on education by July 2017.

Many of the members in the Legislature will know that my daughter is an early childhood educator, so this is a topic that is close to my heart.

I say at the outset that I and my caucus colleagues will continue to review and scrutinize this legislation, which the Minister of Education and her parliamentary assistant spoke of with a great degree of passion, as you would anticipate. We’ve heard from stakeholders, though, who support elements of this bill and others who firmly oppose the amendments being offered by this proposed legislation.

In that vein, we’ll continue to reach out to Ontario residents to hear their feedback and listen carefully, as we always do, to their suggestions about any changes that they would like to see in the proposed legislation.

But Speaker, there’s no question that the Liberal government’s two-tier bargaining system has been a failure, creating chaos for children and parents as a result. In fact, I witnessed the effect of that particular direction in my own riding of Whitby–Oshawa, during the strike in the region of Durham.

During the last general election, this government ran on a platform of labour peace, and yet their policies and two-tier bargaining system have created chaos for students, teachers and support staff. Even the Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development has conceded that the process has had its challenges. In saying that, I know the Minister of Education aims to fix some of the challenges within this process.

The bill itself clears up any ambiguity about the contract extensions that the Liberal government has been agreeing to over the past several months, by allowing collective agreements to be extended without completely engaging in the collective bargaining process.

Further, employees in the educational worker bargaining units used to be able to voluntarily opt in to central bargaining schemes, but what’s clear is that Bill 92 is now making it mandatory. In Bill 92, education workers also have to consistently be represented by the same trade unit throughout the bargaining process, meaning education worker trade unions must now join a council of unions or a bargaining agency if they want a voice at the bargaining table. Central bargaining will only take place with bargaining agencies within the provisions of the proposed legislation.

Once again, as we’ve seen time and time again, this government is only looking out for the interests of the Ontario Liberal Party. Yet, since the bill has been introduced, some unions—including the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation—have expressed dismay about this bill. CUPE has strongly opposed the proposed legislation, saying the new legislation would take away the rights of school board support workers.

The main crux of their concern is the move to legislate all education workers into a central bargaining process which they view as wrong and anti-democratic. The OSSTF, who are still in the process of trying to reach an agreement, have said that their contributions to the consultation process for the legislation have been ignored.

Yet, I do want to say that there are some areas where we see improvements being made in the sector with this bill. For example, the move requiring that the trustees’ associations clearly report on the public funds they receive, including salaries for labour relations employees exceeding $100,000, is a somewhat shocking display of transparency at a time when this government has been bent on removing those who qualify for disclosure.

This, of course, is most notably the situation with the removal of Hydro One salaries from public disclosure—which we, as a caucus, continue to call on the government to disclose, especially at a time when they engage in the fire-sale of Hydro One in order to attempt to reach an artificially balanced budget this upcoming year. One would hope that this shows a change in prevailing attitudes from the members across the way, but I’ve been advised by some of my seatmates here this morning not to hold my breath.

This bill also ensures that parents are notified further in advance of potential labour disruptions by adding a required additional five days’ notice before a strike, in addition to the five already necessary, which is a good idea to help alleviate some of the stress and pain that a labour disruption can have on parents and students.

Speaker, many of these reforms are necessary. It’s very clear. I will continue to study many of the other amendments that have been offered in this proposed legislation before deciding which way I’ll ultimately vote. But at the end of the day, as we’ve seen with so many other bills that have come forward recently, it’s really too little, too late, isn’t it? This government has had 13 years to fix the problems it has created—13 years. Yet we have more scandal, waste and mismanagement than ever before.

Speaker, in closing, I appreciate the opportunity to speak here in this place today on Bill 92, and will undoubtedly have more to say in the coming days and weeks as this bill continues on to committee and, ultimately, third reading debate.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Questions and comments? Okay. I recognize the member from Whitby–Oshawa.

Mr. Lorne Coe: Thank you, Speaker. Going forward, I think one of the key aspects that we wanted to extend our discussion on is the level of consultation that needs to take place on this particular bill. There were some aspects of that reflected in the Auditor General’s report, which was referenced earlier in the commentary.

What I have also found in the consultation that I have undertaken within my riding, both with parents’ groups and also with community councils, is that they want to be part of the discussion on the directions of this proposed legislation, in all aspects of it, and to become more familiar with the process as it moves ahead. Also, they would like to be able to bring forward their suggestions to shape some of the consultation process that has already taken place and what should be occurring as we move forward.

As I indicated in my comments earlier, the main concern of some of the unions, and particularly CUPE, is that they’d like to move to legislate all education workers into a central marketing process, which they view as anti-democratic. I expect that we’ll be hearing more from CUPE and we’ll be hearing more from OSSTF on this particular process.

Also, I know that within my particular riding of Whitby–Oshawa, I’ll be engaging the trustees within the Durham board of education, as well as the Durham Catholic District School Board, and encouraging them to provide their opinions on this particular piece of legislation, because they have the same concerns that I’ve just articulated today and they all have a vested interest in the reforms that are necessary.

The bottom line of all of this particular process is making sure that the very best conditions are in place to support the students across the province of Ontario overall.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Seeing as it’s almost 10:15, I will be recessing the House until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1013 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Could I have your attention, please? Before we start the introductions, it looks like we have a full House and there are people that have already started standing, so let’s go to the process of introducing and no

preambles. Let’s just get to work, and we’ll get these all done.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: It’s my pleasure today to introduce all the members who are here from the RNAO, in particular the two people that I had a lovely breakfast with: my friend Una and a young man from Nipissing University, Bradley. I’m not sure where Bradley is, but I know he will be the future of nursing in the province of Ontario.

M me France Gélinas: I also want to welcome all of the nurses from RNAO, including Vanessa Burkoski, Aric Rankin, Hilda Swirsky, Wendy Pearson, Michelle Spadoni, Angela Cooper Brathwaite, Alison Reavell-Roy, Amina Alizzi and Araniyaa Varatharajan; and my good friend Paul-André Gauthier. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: I would like to welcome Corey Hull to the Legislative Assembly. He joins us here from the town of Minesing in the riding of Simcoe–Grey.

Mr. Robert Bailey: It’s my pleasure today to welcome Lori Jennings and Ashley Pierce from Sarnia–Lambton, here with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I would also like to welcome the RNAO and the representatives that I met this morning: Janet Hunt, Akuah Frempong, Aric Rankin and Sheila Boamah. Thank you, and welcome to the Legislature.

Hon. Jeff Leal: In the members’ east gallery today, I would like to introduce a former member, Jim Brownell, who served eight years, from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, and a student who is with him today, Gardner Sage, who is a student at Algonquin College in Ottawa and is the summer curator of the Lost Villages Museum in that area.

Mr. Jim Wilson: I’m pleased to welcome family members of legislative page Nolan Campbell to Queen’s Park today. Nolan’s grandparents Bob and Betty Campbell and his father, Trent, are here to watch question period.

I would also like to welcome another young man from my riding, Patrick Whitten. He’s here with his friend Cole Ryley. Patrick is a great friend and a very smart guy. Welcome, Patrick and Cole.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have three friends from the Windsor area today up with the nurses. They are Crystal Hepburn, Debbie Kane, and Lynda Monik, who is the administrator of the Sun Parlor Home in Leamington.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I’m very happy to introduce a guest of one of our page captains, Elizabeth-Anne Campione. Her mother, Rose Campione, I believe is here in the members’ gallery today. Welcome.

Mr. Jack MacLaren: It’s my pleasure to introduce guests in the members’ gallery from the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association: Sharon Armstrong, Michael Scott and David Hanratty; and also, from Miller Paving, Tom Jones; and from Skelton Brumwell and Associates, Anne Guiot.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I’m also pleased to welcome the two women I had breakfast with this morning from the RNAO, Maria Rugg and Mary Lynch. Thank you for all you do. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Bob Delaney: On behalf of myself and the member for Mississauga–Erindale, we are pleased to welcome some very good friends here today in the members’ east gallery: Junaid Kayani, Moezzam Alvi, Zahra Vaid, Imran Hasan and Shahid Rashdi. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure to introduce Debbie Kane, Anita Purdy and Betty Oldershaw from the great riding of Chatham–Kent–Essex.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister responsible for disabilities—

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: And government and consumer services. Thank you, Speaker. Good morning.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That, too.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Thank you. It’s my pleasure to introduce people from RNAO, Durham Northumberland chapter: Maria Rugg, Beatriz Jackson, Misbah Manesiya and Kathleen Pikaart, and from the Scarborough side, Rhonda Seidman-Carlson. Thank you for having me for breakfast this morning.

I’d also like to introduce a very good friend and constituent, Anela Jadunandan, from Pickering–Scarborough East. She’s here for the Islamophobia motion today. Welcome.

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very happy to welcome to Queen’s Park today an emergency nurse from the Clinton hospital. Thank you to Kristi for making the trek from Huron county.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, watching on TV is an outstanding advocate in our community. Her name is Irene Gabon, who is always looking at our policy and always talking about what we should do next. She’s 80 years old on February 25. Happy birthday, Irene.

Mr. Todd Smith: From the Quinte

chapter of the RNAO, I’d like to welcome Elizabeth Edwards, Chad Duff and Sue Munro to the Legislature for question period.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: It’s that time of the year again: one of the most anticipated Queen’s Park lobby days ever. RNAO is with us today. I’m so pleased and excited to have so many members of the nursing profession here with us in the Legislature today.

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’d also like to introduce, from my local

chapter of RNAO, Jill Staples and Sheena Howard, whom I had breakfast with this morning. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. James J. Bradley: From the Niagara region RNAO: representatives Julie Rubel, Holly Rogers and Gwen French.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: Please join me in welcoming Rudy Cuzzetto and the students from St. Luke Catholic elementary school in Mississauga, who are accompanied by Principal Wayne Brunton, Ms. Xenerios, Mrs. Gaglia and Mr. Capasso.

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: Il y a des représentants de communautés musulmanes de partout en Ontario qui sont ici aujourd’hui.

I am so pleased to welcome representatives from Muslim communities from all over Ontario, in particular the Association of Progressive Muslims, who are here today. I want to welcome them. They are too numerous to mention.

Mr. Paul Miller: I’d like to welcome the nursing contingent from Hamilton. There are several, and two who presented to me were Elizabeth and Carol. Thank you very much. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and I hope you have a great day.

Hon. Glen R. Murray: I have a large delegation from the Muslim community and the seven mosques of Toronto Centre: Emad Hussain, Jamal Hussain, Sureya Ibrahim, Mustak Ahmad, Jakirr Hussain, Mohammad Azazul Chawdhury, Mohammad Abdur Razzak, Harun Razzak, Sayed Chowdhury, Khadija Sheku, Mavet Zdyea Mwanawasa, Asad Uddin, Imran Hussain Chowdhury, Jamshed Miskat Chowdhury, Sami Chowdhury, Samsul Muktadir, Mohammad Akther Chowdhury, Fahim Sultana Rigi, Nazim Uddin and Ahmad Nawaz Chowdhury.

Mr. Michael Harris: I’d like to welcome Larissa Gadsby from Kitchener with the RNAO today, as well as a McMaster medical student. Thanks for meeting me this morning.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I would also like to welcome my constituent Janet Hunt from RNAO, who is here this morning along with Akuah Frempong, Aric Rankin and Sheila Boamah.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: I would like to welcome to our Legislature all of RNAO, but particularly two nurses from our correctional institutions that I had the great pleasure of having breakfast with: Amber-Lynn Ward Mahoney and Wence Asonganyi—we had a great discussion about corrections and mental health—and also, Shirley Kennedy, who is the president of the Ontario correctional nurses. I would like to welcome them to our Legislature and shout out to all of you for what you do every day.

Mrs. Julia Munro: I want to welcome Zakyr Rhemtulla, who is from Dunbarton High School in Pickering. Tomorrow, he will be representing York–Simcoe in the model Parliament.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I’m delighted to introduce Brenda Hutton and Morgan Hoffarth from RNAO. Welcome. We are so proud of what you do. Thank you.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I’d like to introduce a delightful young man from Oakville. His name is Keith de Silva-Legault. He’s here for the model Parliament, from Blakelock high school.

Also, I had a wonderful breakfast today with Louela Rankin from the RNAO. She also is from Oakville. Please welcome her to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Yvan Baker: I just wanted to ask everyone to join me in welcoming the grades 5 and 6 students from St. Gregory Catholic School in Etobicoke Centre. They’re joined by Jane Pires and Denise Abboud, the teachers, and all the parents from our community. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Soo Wong: I’ve got a couple of guests who are here today: Rita Palmieri, who is the stepmother of page captain Azaria Inniss-Zdjelaric; Carol Timmings, the president of RNAO and a good friend—welcome to Queen’s Park—as well as Alissa DeJong, a nurse at McMaster Hospital.

To all my colleagues who are here today: Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: I’d like to ask you all to help me give a warm welcome to some amazing members from Halton. Here today are Ibrahim Daniyal, Mohammad Sultan Qureshi, Sohail Naseer, Fawd Malik and Faisal Elahi. Please welcome them to Queen’s Park. Welcome.

Mr. Arthur Potts: I’m happy to introduce two constituents: Doris Grinspun, CEO of RNAO, and her director of communications, Marion Zych. Also, my good friend Shamsh Kara is here with Progressive Muslims. It’s great to see you all.

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: Please join me in welcoming the CEO of RNAO, Doris Grinspun, a long-standing friend of mine, and all of the RNAO representatives here today. Thank you.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: [Inaudible] Shaheen Butt, a councillor with the city of Pickering and a representative from the Pickering Islamic Centre as well. Welcome, Councillor Butt.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’m pleased to welcome to Queen’s Park this morning, from Thunder Bay and the RNAO—a great breakfast this morning—Carine Gallagher and—I apologize, but I forget your first name—Nurse Edwards, from the third-floor surgical unit at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: I’d like to introduce Rebecca Harbridge, an RNAO member from Barrie.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: May I join you in welcoming anybody else in the room that hasn’t already been named and welcomed to Queen’s Park? Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That used to be my line a long time ago.

The government House leader.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to wish happy birthday to my chief of staff, Dave Phillips.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I want to thank all of the members for setting a record for the nicest and most impressive filibuster I’ve ever been a part of.

I, too, have some introductions. First and foremost, I’d like to introduce and thank the members from the riding of Brant for being here for nurses day. I appreciate our conversation.

I would also like to introduce a former member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry in the 38th and 39th Parliaments, former MPP Jim Brownell. Thank you for joining us, Jim.

Also with us today is a former member from Simcoe Centre in the 36th, and Barrie–Simcoe–Bradford in the 37th and 38th, and uncle to the opposition leader: Joe Tascona—and former Deputy Speaker.

I thank all members for their introductions, and I thank and welcome everyone here. It is now time for question period.

Oral Questions

Health care

Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier. Ontario’s health care administration is already bloated to new heights. Will the Premier scrap her plan to hire 84 new vice-presidents to oversee the LHINs? Yes or no?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: First of all, let me add my words of welcome to everyone who is here today. I want to just say that, in my remarks to RNAO this morning, I thanked them for being such a good partner in the development and the evolution of health care in this province, Mr. Speaker. They have provided guidance, they have provided advice and they have been practical partners as we have evolved the role of nurses in the system and as we have worked to change the relationship, particularly in primary care.

There is a transformation of health care going on in this province. I understand that the Leader of the Opposition isn’t supportive of that. I guess he thinks that the status quo is where we should remain. The status quo can always be improved. We can always do better, and that’s exactly what our Minister of Health is working to do, with organizations like RNAO.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Patrick Brown: Back to the Premier. We already heard from the Auditor General that administration is reaching new heights: 39% on home care. We are taking precious funds away from front-line care. This hiring of these new executive vice-presidents—executive paper-pushers—is happening under the veil of secrecy.

The growth of administration, I repeat, is taking away precious funds from front-line care. The Liberals have already taken the Ministry of Health from five associate deputy ministers to 20. We don’t need more executive bureaucrats. We need more money on the front lines. To put this into context, Mr. Speaker, one of these associate deputy ministers has the same value of 5,000 home care visits. There’s a real cost to this bloated administration.

When will the Premier put patients first, not more VPs, in health care? It’s about patients. It’s about RNs. It’s about doctors. Support front-line care.

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: The Leader of the Opposition can say whatever he would like to. The reality is, there are no new 84 vice-president positions being created. In fact, by merging the CCACs and the LHINs, if he took the time to actually read the materials and understand the policies, we are decreasing the number of management positions by 59. In fact, we are guaranteeing, as a result of a decrease in management positions and a decrease in administrative costs, a savings of 8%—financially guaranteed. That translates into more than $10 million that will be reinvested into front-line care, into home and community care, into other important resources that people need.

Mr. Speaker, he’s just plain wrong when he suggests that somehow there’s a—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to request that the talking over your own minister stop.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Can you believe that?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): And the rebuttals from the other side. Stay nice today.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’ll conclude, Mr. Speaker, by just imploring the Leader of the Opposition to stick to the facts. The facts are 59 fewer managers and 8% savings financially. We’re investing all of that into front—

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): If I wait this long again, I’m going to warnings.

Final supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier. The Minister of Health is splitting hairs. Whether it’s LHINs or sub-LHINs, there are 84 new vice-presidents being hired in these new sub-LHINs—more bureaucracy. They can criticize anyone who doesn’t agree with them. They criticized the Auditor General when the Auditor General pointed out we now spend 39% on administration in home care. Frankly, you’re here welcoming RNAO, and RNAO has already criticized this plan to create 84 new sub-LHINs. Are you going to attack RNAO? Are you going to attack the Auditor General?

There are patients out there who aren’t getting care in Ontario. Our hospitals are struggling, and the government just has more spin and more talking points. When is this government going to put patients first? That’s the real question.

Interjections.

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

Mr. John Yakabuski: A novel idea for the Liberals: patients first.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The thin ice just cracked.

Minister?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’ll tell you, Mr. Speaker, what we’re not going to do. We’re not going to fire 100,000 front-line workers or anyone in the health care sector. We’re not, like that government did, going to fire 10,000 front-line nurses in this province. What we’re not going to do is make decisions to close dozens of hospitals.

In fact, we inherited a bureaucracy in the Ministry of Health when we came into power that had more than 6,000 employees. Today in the Ministry of Health, we have 3,053 employees. CIHI estimates our overhead, our administrative costs at 5.6%. The Leader of the Opposition himself said that the gold standard for administrative costs is between 5% and 6%. We’ve hit that gold standard. I can’t understand what he could possibly complain about.

Health care

Mr. Patrick Brown: Again to the Premier: I’d like to thank the RNAO for joining us here today. They are amazing and tireless advocates for patients. But what I want to flag here is that Ontario has the lowest RN-to-population ratio in the country. The government can say whatever spin they want, but I repeat: Ontario has the lowest RN-to-population ratio in Canada.

This government has let patients down. They have let RNAO down. Mr. Speaker, directly to the Premier: How do you justify having the lowest RN-to-population ratio in the country? And please don’t have someone else justify this; I’d like an answer from the Premier on this embarrassing statistic for Ontario.

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’m so proud of what this government has done since we took office in 2003. I think our record demonstrates our commitment—right up to the present day—to nurses, the 140,000 nurses who are employed in this province. That’s 26,000 more nurses, including 11,000 registered nurses, who have begun work in Ontario since we took office in 2003. In fact, the number of nurses employed in this province has increased every single year consecutively, for the 12th consecutive year. This is a clear and consistent trend line.

More than 64% of those nurses are in full-time positions. We need to continue to increase that number. We’re proud of our record, unlike the record of the party opposite, whose record was to refer to them as hula hoops—

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

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

Supplementary.

Mr. Patrick Brown: Since the Premier does not want to answer on why we have the lowest RN-to-population ratio in Canada, let me try something else. Maybe we can get the Premier on the record.

The city of Ottawa recently closed a specialized unit in one of its long-term-care homes. The unit gave extra care to seniors with dementia. It was a dedicated unit for seniors who needed the highest level of health care. The program was meant to be funded entirely by the province, but the funding did not keep up with costs. Now the unit is closed.

Why did the Liberals allow this unit, which they previously funded, to close? Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: Why did you allow these seniors in Ottawa to be abandoned?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: It’s one of my privileges as Minister of Health to oversee our province’s more than 600 long-term-care homes. That is a responsibility that I take very, very seriously. I’m proud to say that this government takes that responsibility very seriously as well.

We acknowledge and recognize that the acuity, the complexity of residents—and they are residents because this is their home—that the acuity and the complexity of those individuals is increasing as they age, as we’re seeing a higher prevalence of dementia in our long-term-care homes as well. We need to modify our approach to be able to adapt to those changing realities.

That’s why, in last year’s budget, we invested an additional $10 million for behavioural supports for precisely those same types of residents who need that extra specialized care so they can manage in their lives.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Dufferin–Caledon, come to order, please.

Final supplementary, the member from Nepean–Carleton.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Back to the Premier: Last month, I hosted a lunch-and-learn on dementia with the Ottawa-Renfrew Alzheimer society, and they told me that there’s a high growth of dementia in the city of Ottawa.

As you can appreciate, this unit was very important. At the same time, at the same long-term-care home where an 88-year-old resident was suffocated and where another senior was charged with murder but was found unfit to stand trial because of dementia, the unit was saving lives, and the growth is going to continue for the need. But when the long-term-care home turned to the local LHIN to help keep the unit open, they were told there was nothing to be had.

Speaker, this is a callous disregard for those seniors struggling with dementia in the city of Ottawa. How could the Liberals allow this unit to close, and will they reopen it?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: As I referred to in my previous response as well, we’re seeing a higher incidence and prevalence of dementia, indeed, around the world, let alone in Ontario and in Canada. It’s important that we put in place the supports that seniors and others with dementias face, including Alzheimer’s. It’s one of the great challenges, I think, of our time.

But we are making those important investments. We have provided $31 million in funding to the Alzheimer Society. We, as I mentioned, have increased the level of support for behavioural supports across this province—where we have mobile, as well as stationary, behavioural support teams of nurses and other associated professionals.

We are developing a province-wide dementia strategy, and I’m glad to see that the member opposite is participating in that exercise. It will allow us to have a uniform and strong approach to provide that support.

Energy policies

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. Since the Liberals came to power in 2003, how much money have people and businesses paid to private and foreign companies in Ontario’s hydro system?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: In relation to that question, we have invested heavily in rebuilding our system. One of the things that we have done is to ensure that we have a reliable system and a clean system. Putting that on the burdens of affordability, we want to make sure that we can make it as affordable as possible for ratepayers. We had to spend $50 billion in generation and transmission. We cleaned up our system and made it reliable, and we know there has been a cost to ratepayers on this and that has been significant, and that’s why we’re acting.

When it comes to generation, we have hundreds of companies in this province that are doing a great job of ensuring that we have a reliable system, one that we can count on and one that we know is clean and green and reliable.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, the Conservatives say the high cost of hydro is green energy, not private ownership. The Liberals say it was replacing coal with private gas plants and privatized wind power, and not private ownership.

What neither the Conservatives or the Liberals will talk about is that people and businesses aren’t paying for the cost of power, Speaker. They’re paying for power plus guaranteed profits for private and foreign companies, now and for years and years to come.

Can the Premier tell Ontarians how much privatized energy is costing them on every bill?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: The one thing that the third party is not looking at is, for example, our nuclear generation, something that we should be proud of in this province. The Candu reactors are being sold around the world, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in this province, Mr. Speaker. The refurbishment of Darlington and the refurbishment of Bruce are going to continue to see our GDP grow and grow.

They’re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in this province. The investments that we’re seeing—like great companies, for example, in Cambridge: BWXT. I was in Port Hope with Cameco. There are jobs from Ottawa to Windsor to northern Ontario that are happening because this government invested in Ontario companies to ensure that we have generation that is going to give power that is clean and reliable, something we should be proud of.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Does the Premier believe that it’s in the public interest for our transmission system, which is a monopoly with no competition, to be controlled by private interests for the benefit of shareholders, or would she agree that something as important as the electricity grid should be managed by the public in the public interest, in the interest of Ontarians?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Again, if I can continue talking about the importance of what we’re seeing in the generation, in the transmission of companies that we have here in Ontario that are creating thousands and thousands of jobs—that’s something that we all know will benefit our overall economy and our overall GDP.

When we have companies that are investing in Ontario and making sure that we’re creating jobs in wind, in solar and in biomass, that is something that we should be proud of, especially when I talk about companies, again, like Laker in Burlington—fantastic work that’s happening out at Laker. They’re creating work and jobs. They’re expanding their business. They started with 75 employees; they’re now up to 150. And you know what? They’re going to expand again.

That’s because this government recognized the importance of investing in generation, investing in a system that is clean and reliable—something we can all be proud of—but at the same time, creating jobs in every part of this province.

Hydro rates

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. The Premier is promising to reduce hydro rates by taking money from health care, education and transit. Does the Premier understand why that makes people cynical?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, we have committed to reducing the costs that people are paying on electricity. In fact, the leader of the third party has been talking about this for some time. I know she understands that the 8% reduction on people’s bills this month was a part of that, but I know she also understands that that’s not enough, that there’s more we need to do.

She also needs to know that we will continue to invest more in education, more in health care. I point to the free tuition for post-secondary that starts this September. Students who are living on a low income will have free, or better-than-free, tuition. That’s an increased support for people; that’s an increased support for our education system. I know the leader of the third party would support that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: For nearly 14 years as an MPP, cabinet minister and Premier, this Premier has driven up hydro bills. She’s ignored the people of Ontario. Now, with an election on the horizon, she claims to suddenly get it.

But as Libby Keenan—you remember Libby Keenan, the farmer from Essex who she met at Queen’s Park—wrote in an open letter, “Your political ambitions have run amuck and your priorities have little to do with the people you were elected to serve.”

Does the Premier understand, Speaker, how frustrated people are with the hydro crisis that this Liberal government has created in our province?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, I was privileged to meet with Libby, and I have spoken to many people across the province about their concerns on electricity prices. That’s exactly why we began some time ago to reduce electricity costs, to take costs out of the system, to put in place programs like the Ontario energy support program for people living on low income, the 8% that came into play in January that people will see on their bills. That’s part of the strategy. But there’s more that we need to do.

Mr. Speaker, my political ambition has been to make life better for people in this province, to make sure that education, health care, a clean, renewable electricity grid, infrastructure, support for people in their lives today, and strong economic growth into the future—that’s my political ambition, Mr. Speaker.

Interjections.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, this week, people saw that the Liberal government will pass legislation to stop hydro disconnections, but only if they got the credit. The Liberals will make promises to lower bills, but only if they see a political benefit. The Premier thinks hydro costs are unacceptable, but only after 14 years of making things worse, making those bills unacceptable.

Can the Premier explain why people’s problems don’t really seem to matter at all until they become political problems for the Liberal Party?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have been working for some time to take costs out of the system. Long before the leader of the third party was going on this subject day after day, we were already renegotiating the Samsung deal; making a decision not to build new nuclear, which was in the order of a $15-billion saving—that’s a cost that will not be put into the electricity system—making sure that there was a low-income support program in place; and taking the provincial portion of the HST off people’s bills.

I recognize that this is a concern of people across the province. That is why, before the budget, we will bring out further measures to help people with their electricity bills.

Electric vehicles

Mr. Steve Clark: My question is to the Premier. We know that yesterday the Liberals received the provincial Teddy waste award for their luxury car subsidy. It happens to be a subsidy that gives $14,000 cheques for buying $100,000 Tesla cars.

But just a few years ago—here’s a quote from the Premier: “If anybody’s paying that amount of money for a car, they probably don’t need a $5,000 rebate....”

Apparently, Speaker, what she meant was that $5,000 wasn’t enough for her Liberal friends.

Why are luxury car owners being given $14,000 cheques from Ontario taxpayers? And, Premier, why the sudden U-turn?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Of course, I want to begin by thanking the member opposite for the question and for him expressing, I would say, belated interest in what is a very successful program that our government put forward, starting a number of years ago.

I’m not completely sure that members of the Legislature are aware of all of the details that are contained in this program that’s been growing, with respect to its subscription or its popularity, over the last number of months and years.

Speaker, just to be really clear about this, back in 2010, this government launched our first electric vehicle incentive program. To date, this program has provided Ontarians with incentives to help purchase close to 7,400 electric vehicles and approximately 1,900 home and workplace chargers. On average, of course, some electric vehicles can cost up to 85% more, compared to equivalent conventional gas-powered vehicles.

The list goes on with respect to the progress this program has made. I would be happy to provide additional information to that member and members of the House in the follow-up question.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Steve Clark: Again, back to the Premier: The government announced the changes to the $14,000 Tesla luxury car subsidy on February 1. According to his LinkedIn profile, Iain Myrans, Minister Murray’s former chief of staff, started working for Tesla in February.

Was this just a coincidence? When was the decision made? How was the decision made? This certainly doesn’t pass the smell test, Speaker.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I thank the member for the follow-up question. There are a whole host of reasons that our government is making significant investments that run the full gamut of helping to ensure—

Interjections.

Mr. John Yakabuski: There are 14,000 good reasons.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, come to order. The member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, come to order. Thank you. We’re now in warnings.

Carry on.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Speaker, as I was saying, there are a whole host of very positive reasons that we are making a wide range of investments to ensure that—

Ms. Sylvia Jones: You shut down a dementia unit.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Dufferin–Caledon is warned.

Carry on.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: —to make sure that the transportation sector, which currently accounts for 35% of the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced in the province of Ontario, is reduced. It’s why we’re investing in transportation solutions to lower those amounts right across the province.

But the other really important thing that the member from Leeds–Grenville misses is that these are the kinds of programs that are helping to feed the innovation and the job creation in the leading sectors in our economy. That’s why we’re working hard to—

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

The member from Timmins–James Bay, new question.

Hydro rates

Mr. Gilles Bisson: My question is to the Premier. Premier, hydro prices is a real issue for real people. It is not an abstract thing. There are citizens across this province, and businesses across this province, who are being hurt. I want to give you but one story.

In Kapuskasing live Monsieur and Madame Oliva Sylvain. They have to heat with wood because there’s no natural gas where they live. They’re off the grid. They use electricity only as a backup to wood if the wood fire was to go out. They are there all the time.

They used to pay about $275 a month for their electricity bill, but it started to go up some years ago, so they decided to take your advice and that of your ministers and to do everything they could to reduce their electricity bill by reducing consumption. They have taken stuff offline. They have bought all of the LED lights they can get. They’ve done everything they’re able to in order to reduce their hydro bill, but yet it went up. This month, they got their hydro bill and it’s 375 bucks.

How can anybody have confidence in your government when they do what you say they are to do and yet their bill still goes up?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I thank the member for the question and for explaining the situation that many families in northern Ontario are facing.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to recognize that those in the north and in rural areas are seeing their bills go up, and that’s why we’re going to take more action. We did come forward with the RRRP reduction of $60 that they are seeing on their bills.

The one thing that it is important to recognize when it comes to conservation programs is that they do work. They do work in the sense that when we conserve energy—if every household continues to save energy, to conserve energy—we don’t need to build more generation. And if we don’t need to build more generation, we can keep our costs on a downward rate. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.

But in that instance—I don’t know the full story about the couple from Kapuskasing, but I do recognize that in the north and in rural parts of Ontario, we can do more and we will do more.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Minister, it doesn’t work for Oliva. He has done everything, along with his wife, that they can do to reduce consumption. They’re doing what you asked, but their bill still goes up. This is why people are so frustrated. It’s not just the fact that they pay more; it’s the question that they do everything to save, and yet it still goes up.

Why don’t you admit that your entire hydro policy is a failure and that what we really need to do is to find a solution to reduce their hydro bills and stop talking about it and do something to help Monsieur and Madame Sylvain?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Mr. Speaker, I wonder, when they were in power and they cancelled the conservation programs, if that actually helps the families. We had to reinstitute them. We had to rebuild the entire system, and that comes with a cost.

For all families in Ontario, the one thing that we’ve done is we phased out coal. That has actually helped every family in this province. By phasing out coal, we’ve saved $4.3 billion in our health care system. We’re seeing a 23% reduction in air pollution deaths and a 41% reduction in air pollution hospitalizations.

We’ve built a system that people can rely on. We no longer see rolling brownouts or blackouts. But we know we can do more. We want to see more conservation, we want to see a stronger grid, and we’ll make sure that we find ways of helping that family in Kapuskasing and all families around the province.

Public transit

Mr. Michael Harris: My question is to the Premier. As this government considers pay increase proposals for Metrolinx executives, we see more examples of how the Liberals’ transit agency can’t get anything right. The latest is a $770-million 182-train disputed contract with Bombardier that, after years of delay, has devolved into a war of words and legal threats.

Now, it’s no secret that some of the projects where the Liberals had planned to send the 182 light-rail vehicles have fallen off the rails, leading some to wonder if Metrolinx is trying to sneak out and avoid paying for these trains they ordered. Those suspicions grew when we learned that Bombardier has had a test vehicle ready for inspection since October. The media saw it yesterday, yet Metrolinx refuses to inspect after filing for contract termination.

Premier, it’s a mess. Can you explain what the heck is going on here?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: You know, it’s always remarkable to me to hear the member from Kitchener-Conestoga—frankly, any member from the Conservative ranks—stand up and talk about challenges that might be faced in the transportation and transit realm. Everybody in this Legislature, everybody watching at home and everybody across the province knows that literally year after year, month after month, decade after decade that party has had no plan to invest in transit. It’s had no plan to put forward initiatives that would suggest that we’d ever be able to transform GO, that we would build LRTs.

We all know the story, but it bears repeating. It’s important for people to be reminded of the fact that they killed and filled the Eglinton subway project the last time they were in power; that literally every single year, every single provincial budget I have seen since I became a member of provincial Parliament, which has contained unprecedented amounts for transit and transportation, has been rejected by that member, by their leader, by this party, and yet they have the audacity to ask a question on this particular topic—

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

Mr. Michael Harris: Yet he has the audacity not to answer the question that I actually asked.

It was this Liberal government that negotiated the terms of the contract, and now we’re going to foot the bill for their mismanagement, not just for the delays running right through the entire $770-million deal, but now for legal proceedings and a potential new tendering process for a replacement. Meantime, Bombardier claims everything is on track for the 2021 delivery.

Everything this government’s transit planners at Metrolinx set their sights on runs off the rails, with the cost going directly, of course, to the taxpayers—UP Express, upside-down bridge trusses and now LRV trains. The people of Ontario aren’t asking for much here. They just want their trains that they paid for.

Will the Premier tell us when we will get our LRVs and how many millions more we will have to actually pay for them?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I appreciate the follow-up.

Listen, on this side of the House, this Premier and our government—here’s what we’re doing in transit. We are standing up for the people of Waterloo region. We are investing to make sure the ION LRT is delivered on time. We’re standing up for the people of the GTHA. We’re building GO regional express rail. We’re building LRTs along Hurontario, in Hamilton, along Eglinton with the Crosstown, and along Finch West with the Finch West LRT. We are literally building transit. We’re expanding into Niagara, we’re expanding into Bowmanville. We are building transit every single day of the week.

The challenge I have with that question is, it sounds to me like it was written by Bombardier. We’re here on the side of the people of Ontario to build transit, to deliver the positive outcomes. We’re going to continue to focus on that. I would encourage that member to get onside with the people of his own community and help us deliver the outcomes they’re expecting.

Interjections.

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

A very soft reminder that I’ve already said the warnings are on, and if you don’t think I’m going to, then let’s find out.

New question.

Minimum wage

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la première ministre. Nurses—many of them are here with us—devote their lives to providing great care. That care is based on needs, not on ability to pay. Nurses are strong advocates for the determinants of health. They know that better incomes mean better health. That’s why nurses, like New Democrats, support a $15-an-hour minimum wage. So why is the Premier refusing to support a $15-an-hour minimum wage, when all of the nurses are telling her it’s the right thing to do?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know the Minister of Labour is going to want to comment on our strategy around minimum wage and the work that we have done in that area. But I wanted to say to the member opposite that this morning, when I spoke to RNAO, I made that exact point: that they have been partners in guiding us in health care, in the evolution of the health care system, but they have also been strong, strong advocates in advocating for strong determinants of health.

They understand very well that housing, child care, decent wage and lack of precarious work—that all of those things feed into healthy outcomes. We appreciate their advocacy. We appreciate working with them on the health care issues, but also on those important social justice issues as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: Every day, nurses see the impact of poverty and low wages on their patients’ health. Poverty is the number one determinant of health in Ontario. People cannot live healthy lives when they cannot afford nutritious food, when they’re working two or three part-time, low-paying jobs but still can’t make ends meet.

Under this government, nearly one in 10 workers is taking home a minimum wage that leaves them on the edge of poverty or below. We have to raise the minimum wage to improve the health of the most vulnerable workers of this province.

When will this Premier start listening to all of the nurses that came here today, and many more, that are here to tell you and finally support a $15 minimum wage in Ontario?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Labour.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: I would like to thank the member for that question.

You’ve got a government on this side of the House that I think has been working very, very hard to make sure that minimum wage is tied to the rate of inflation.

Between 1996 and 2003, the minimum wage was frozen at $6.85. Since taking office in 2003, we have raised that nine times—nine times since 2003. We’ve made those changes based on the advice of a group we got together. We had poverty advocates. We had organized labour. We had business. They wanted predictability and they wanted to make sure—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you, Speaker.

When we held those hearings, a lot of people came to the table—a lot of advice from the people of Ontario, a lot of advice from business, organized labour. Who didn’t we get advice from? Who made absolutely no submission to that panel? The New Democratic Party.

Anti-racism activities / Lutte contre le racisme

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: Ma question est pour la ministre de la citoyenneté et immigration.

Madame la Ministre, j’ai eu l’occasion de rencontrer de nombreux membres de la communauté musulmane dans mon comté d’Ottawa–Vanier. Ils ont soulevé avec moi leurs préoccupations à l’endroit de divers incidents de discrimination à leur égard.

Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of Ontarians believe in an open and inclusive society. However, we have observed recently that our province is not immune to displays of Islamophobia in our neighbourhoods.

Can the minister inform this House what the government is doing to address systemic racism, including Islamophobia across the province?

Hon. Laura Albanese: I want to thank the member from Ottawa–Vanier for this important question.

I know that MPPs have been meeting with Muslim community leaders across our province. I want to say that there is no room in Ontario for racism and there is no room in Ontario for Islamophobia. Ontario must and will lead the way in building a society where all people can live free from fear, from racism, from hate speech and from violence.

Our ministry has directly challenged Islamophobia by funding a public education awareness campaign called breakthebehaviour.ca through the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. Our province, from its earliest days, has been built on immigration, and our province is committed to building a society where all people of all backgrounds live free of fear.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: Merci à la ministre pour sa réponse. La diversité est une caractéristique importante de l’Ontario.

Our province is home to approximately 61% of the total people of Muslim faith in Canada. Over the years, the Muslim community has contributed significantly to the richness of Ontario’s cultural fabric, economic growth and humanitarian initiatives.

However, the devastating tragedy in Quebec City has awakened fear. Speaker, can the minister share what the government is doing to ensure that Ontarians of Muslim faith feel welcome and safe in this province?

Hon. Laura Albanese: Once again, I want to thank the member for the question. I want to reiterate that our government does not tolerate any form of racism or discrimination against any group.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight that later this afternoon the member from Ottawa–Vanier will bring forward an important motion for debate. As you know, and as we heard yesterday, the Premier has appointed Minister Michael Coteau as the minister responsible for anti-racism. We heard yesterday from the minister that he has held 10 public meetings across Ontario. He has heard stories and spoke about the devastating impacts of systemic racism. We also heard that we’re bringing forward a provincial plan very soon to address systemic racism.

We are strongly committed to addressing systemic racism and believe that all Ontarians deserve to feel safe and included.

Interjections.

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

New question.

Hydro rates

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Premier. Ryckman Farms is a quail farm in Chatham-Kent that was once expanding but is now struggling to keep up with the cost of doing business in Ontario. In November, in their hydro bill, their electricity usage was $590. However, the total bill came to a ridiculous $5,900 thanks to a delivery charge of nearly $1,800 and a massive global adjustment fee of over $2,700. That’s not an adjustment, Speaker; that’s highway robbery. His bill was 10 times his electricity usage.

Scot and Cheryl Ryckman are doing what they can to survive. Your government, Premier, isn’t doing enough.

To the Premier: How can Ryckman Farms and all Ontario businesses account for such outrageous extra fees?

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Thanks for the question, because it is important for us to talk about the investments that we had to make after the system that they left us was in a mess. Those farms wouldn’t have been around. Many businesses wouldn’t have been around if we were to continue to have rolling brownouts and blackouts. It’s catastrophic for a business—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Prince Edward–Hastings is warned. Anyone else? Thank you.

Minister.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: It’s catastrophic for a business when it can’t even turn the lights on. We invested in the system—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Huron–Bruce is warned. And if I sit down and it happens again, I’ll get the next person.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that there are some businesses out there, along with families and other ratepayers, that are having a hard time with those types of bills. So we invested in building a system and we’ve also invested in putting forward programs that will help many of these businesses. If they’re large enough, they qualify for the ICI program, the IEI program, the Demand Response Program and many others. If they’re part of the retail price plan, they’ve got an 8% reduction, and the saveONenergy program is helping businesses like that and many others.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary, the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound.

Mr. Bill Walker: My question is for the Premier. Pat Cottrell and Peter Knipfel are small business operators and they are hurting under this Liberal government’s failed energy policies. They’re finding it harder and harder to stay in business. In 2011, the cost for electricity was $8,000 per year. Today, at $37,000 a year in hydro bills, Pat’s seasonal family campground won’t be able to stay in business. It’s unaffordable.

And with Peter’s hydro bills at $119,100 a year, 120% higher than in 2003, how long can his store keep absorbing the costs of Liberal mistakes, mismanagement and ideology?

To make matters worse, the Wynne Liberals have slapped a $2-billion cap-and-trade tax on Ontarians struggling to make ends meet.

The Premier says she is listening. However, her policies and ideals are forcing businesses to either shut down or move out of Ontario.

Why should anyone trust the Liberals’ energy plan any more today than the past four years under her leadership?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Minister of Economic Development and Growth.

Hon. Brad Duguid: As the Minister of Energy indicated, that very business will be getting 8% off their energy bill as a small business, which actually is—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound is warned.

Finish, please.

Hon. Brad Duguid: At the same time, the member is dead wrong when he says that Ontario is uncompetitive when it comes to business. Just look at what we’ve done on the tax side. The capital tax saved by businesses is $2.3 billion a year. Our corporate tax rate is saving businesses $2.5 billion a year. Even the Leader of the Opposition, yesterday, in Mississauga had this to say: “We have an advantage right now with our corporate taxation rate.”

Maybe the member ought to connect with his leader; for a change, he was reading out of the facts part of the library instead of the fiction part. It was good to see. It’s a first, and we’re very pleased that the Leader of the Opposition is actually using facts in the Legislature for a change.

Health Care

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. For months, hospitals in Windsor have been bursting at the seams. Patients who already face long wait times are waiting even longer. Some are even being admitted without a bed. Hospitals are forced to choose between performing surgery and admitting a patient. The state of health care in Windsor has truly reached a tipping point.

Will the Premier admit that years of chronic underfunding and frozen budgets have put families at risk?

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

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Perhaps I can begin by thanking our hospital workers—our nurses, our physicians, all of those who work in the hospitals—because it has been a difficult flu season. There have been a number of capacity issues because the outbreak of flu this winter season was worse than it was last year. Fortunately, of course, the flu vaccine was an almost exact match to the flu we have seen. But that did bring some specific and time-limited problems and challenges to our hospitals including—if the member opposite has listened to the hospital leadership itself, they will attribute a lot of what they saw to the flu outbreak itself, including in the Windsor region.

It’s important that Ontarians understand that not only do the vast majority of the more than 150 hospitals in the province exist far below that 100% capacity, but the investments that we’re making are making a fundamental difference in terms of them addressing those challenges.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I actually called the minister’s office about the crisis with the outbreak of the flu at our hospitals and what I was told was that, tough luck, the cupboard is bare. The doctors and nurses you just applauded will just have to make do.

It’s the same answer we got when over 150 registered nurses in Windsor received pink slips.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The member from Beaches–East York is warned. I had a choice.

Finish, please.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Thank you, Speaker.

Again to the Premier: Hospitals should be equipped to deal with an influx of patients during flu season, yet this government’s chronic underfunding leaves hospitals and health care workers scrambling to fill the gaps.

Emergency department wait times in Ontario have reached their highest point in nine years. In Windsor, at least 20 surgeries have been cancelled because hospitals simply do not have enough resources.

Will the Premier finally admit that her government has let patients down and commit to providing enough funding to allow our hospitals to meet the needs of our community?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Again, I don’t want to attribute everything to the flu, but it’s important to understand that for Windsor hospitals—as of December 31, 2016, the Windsor hospital metro site was at 84% capacity, the Maryvale site—is that correct? It says “Mary Valley” here—was at 68% and the Ouellette site was at 94%.

The 3% increase in hospital funding that we announced as part of last year’s budget, and, last fall, that nearly-half-a-billion dollars, makes a big difference. What doesn’t make a difference is if we follow what the NDP did by closing 24% of all of the acute hospitals in the province and 13% of the mental health beds. I know every single one of my 25 staff well, and everybody in this Legislature knows they would never respond to an inquiry like that.

Student achievement

Mrs. Cristina Martins: My question is for the Minister of Education. As a mom of two young boys, I know that good schools become great schools when parents are engaged in their children’s learning. Research shows a positive link between parent engagement and student achievement and well-being. The greater the support that families provide for their children’s learning and educational progress, the more likely their children will do well in school and continue in their education.

I understand that, as of this morning, the Parents Reaching Out Grants applications are now open for the 2017-18 school year. Speaker, through you to the minister: Can you tell us more about the importance of this program and what this means for our students?

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I want to thank the member from Davenport for her question and for always speaking out on behalf of her schools in her riding.

This program is important, because research shows a positive link between parent engagement and student achievement and well-being. That is why we want to make it easier for more parents across the province to participate in their child’s learning and well-being inside and outside of the classroom.

The Parents Reaching Out Grants—or the PRO Grants—are supporting projects across the province that help parents tackle these everyday challenges, and it gives them an opportunity to be more involved in their child’s learning and in their school community.

We’ve made these grants available to school councils, parent involvement committees and not-for-profit organizations working with parents to help remove barriers to parents getting involved in their child’s learning. I am pleased that today the grants are now open for applications.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Thank you, Minister. I’m pleased to hear that we are enabling local solutions to enhance parent engagement in support of the achievements and well-being of students.

I couldn’t agree with you more when you talk about the need to make it easier for more parents across the province to support their children’s learning and well-being inside and outside the classroom.

Through past projects, students and parents in my riding of Davenport have had access to funding for these special projects. One project that comes to mind was put forward by the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s St. Rita Catholic School—actually my very own old elementary school—where sessions were organized for parents to support their children’s math skills.

Minister, can you please tell us more about what our government is doing to enhance parent engagement and support of children’s learning and well-being?

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: Thank you again to the member from Davenport.

Being a parent can present overwhelming demands at times, whether it’s helping with math homework, encouraging our children to pick up a book and read or just worrying about online safety. That’s why, since 2006, the government has awarded over 19,500 PRO Grants to school councils and 799 regional/provincial grants, a total investment of nearly $31 million.

Some examples of projects include family math night for parents and students to work together through math activities and learn more about the math curriculum, and workshops for parents to learn more about cyberbullying awareness and prevention to ensure we keep our students safe when they’re online.

Today’s news is proof to Ontarians that for our youngest learners and their parents, the adults involved in their lives and in their education are working together and are focused on their path to success. I encourage all members of the House to share this news with their communities.

Beverage alcohol sales

Mr. Jim Wilson: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Minister, my question is simple. Craft brewers and wineries are taxed through a graduated per-litre tax rate which allows lower taxes for smaller producers. Craft distillers, on the other hand, are penalized by much higher rates of taxation. In fact, their tax rate is 10 times the rate that the wine industry enjoys for sales at their own on-site vineyard shops.

Minister, why are craft distillers not taxed the same as craft brewers and wineries in our province?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question. The member may know that we have been in deliberations with the craft distillers over some time. They recognize that we’ve increased their margins from 39% to 45% as we proceed forward with the changes we made in the recent fall economic statement. We are continuing to do even more, but it’s critical to note that even members of the craft distillery industry have welcomed the changes that we’ve made and are encouraged by the steps that we’re taking going forward.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jim Wilson: Minister, I don’t know who you’re listening to, because we’ve all had meetings with craft distillers across the province. Steve Clark, the member for Leeds–Grenville, is meeting with the association on behalf of our caucus regularly, and they’re very disappointed with your new tax rules.

Beattie’s Distillers in my own riding has a potato vodka distillery. Their choice now—and watch this, folks—is they can either pay a 139.7% markup to the LCBO to sell their product or a 61.5% sales tax recently added by your government. Those are the highest taxes in the entire nation.

BC allows the first 50,000 litres to be sold tax-free, with no provincial tax. That’s what they’re looking for, a model after the BC model. If BC can do it and support BC farmers and BC products, why can’t we do the same in Ontario?

Interjections.

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

Minister?

Hon. Charles Sousa: Again, these seem to be alternative facts that are coming from the opposition. I’ll tell you why—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’m going to caution us against using any of those catchphrases that we’re adopting from some other place. Let’s just keep things on the parliamentary level, please.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m just trying to remind the member opposite of the facts. The facts are that we reduced the overall tax rate for craft distilleries in the last go-round and we are looking at graduation, going forward, similar to what we’ve done with the wine industry, for example. Those discussions are on right now. They’ve always recognized that we were proceeding in that form.

We also recognize that the grain industry and the agri-food business are reliant on spirits, as well. That impact on our economy is tremendous. That’s why we’re working closely with the industry. Furthermore, the craft distillers who got involved were involved under an old tax regime that was higher, which they recognized to be the case. We’ve made it better.

We know we can do more, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Health care funding

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Minister of Health. More than 10 years ago, my constituent Travis Bailey was mistaken for someone else and was shot in the head. As a result, he has a severe brain injury.

CCAC has been cutting his care and has never been able to meet his complex needs. Instead, he found a private provider with staff trained to work with brain-injured patients, and he has been using his criminal injury compensation to pay for it. That money will run out in a few days—money he should never have had to use for services in the first place.

How can the minister allow an innocent victim of extreme violence to suffer in this way?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I appreciate the question. I can’t begin to imagine the challenges that this individual has faced through no fault of his own—not that that should matter. It is a tragic case.

Not having all the details, I can’t and shouldn’t speak to the specifics, but I am certainly more than willing—enthusiastic, in fact—to discuss this particular individual with the member opposite to see if there might be something that can be done.

At the foundation of this is that we rely on and expect our CCACs, through objective assessment of the needs of any individual, to provide the level of care that they can according to the situation, and I would anticipate that that is being done in this case.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Miss Monique Taylor: Just so the minister knows, I have been working with his office for over a year on this file and it’s still outstanding.

Speaker, in a response to a question I asked a couple of years ago about acquired brain injury, the Minister of Health at the time, now the Chair of Cabinet, said, “We are transforming health care.... If services can be provided in the community, then they should receive those services in the community.”

I would like to know: Did the minister at that time forget to mention that services in the community would be private and that people would have to pay for it?

Will the current minister step in, make sure that Travis Bailey is reimbursed, and ensure that he gets the care he needs from this point forward?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I do know that my staff have been working with the office of the member opposite for some time on this. Certainly, it isn’t necessarily or always straightforward. I would hope that the member understands that I would want to do whatever we could under this and other circumstances, but we need to follow a process, a process that is uniform for all Ontarians across this province. I am, of course, as I mentioned in the first part of the question, more than willing to have a conversation with the member opposite and to see if in this specific case there might be something else that can be done.

Nurses

Ms. Soo Wong: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Our government is proud to have stood alongside nurses since 2003. We recognize the contributions of nurses in the Ontario health care system. In my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt, we have incredible contributions by our nurses. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting nurses in RNAO Region 7, and I want to thank each one of you for what you do every day within Ontario but, more importantly, to champion for causes that matter to your patients every day. Whether it is no-smoking bylaws, childhood obesity or helmet safety, that’s what yo