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May 31, 2010

39th Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2010-May-31 (PDF)

L037A - Mon 31 May 2010 / Lun 31 mai 2010

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 31 May 2010 Lundi 31 mai 2010

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

ORAL QUESTIONS

TAXATION

TAXATION

TAXATION

TAXATION

TAXATION

FLU IMMUNIZATION

SERVICES FOR THE

DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

TAXATION

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

GOVERNMENT SERVICES

HEALTH CARE

LIQUOR LICENSING

PEDIATRIC FORENSIC

PATHOLOGY INQUIRY

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

TAXATION

VISITOR

SPECIAL REPORT,

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER

OF ONTARIO

SIGN-LANGUAGE

INTERPRETATION

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GROVES HOSPITAL

VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION

HEALTH CARE

FRANK ALVAREZ

FRUIT WINES

CARLETON TAVERN

FRESHWATER SUMMIT

VOLUNTEERS

REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

LARRY RUDD

REPORTS BY COMMITTEES

COMITÉ PERMANENT DE LA POLITIQUE SOCIALE /

STANDING COMMITTEE ON

SOCIAL POLICY

STANDING COMMITTEE ON

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE

AGAINST PICKETING ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 VISANT À PROTÉGER

LES GENS VULNÉRABLES

CONTRE LE PIQUETAGE

CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

AMENDMENT ACT

(PROTECTION OF DRUG

ENDANGERED CHILDREN), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LES SERVICES À L’ENFANCE

ET À LA FAMILLE

(PROTECTION DES ENFANTS

MENACÉS PAR LA DROGUE)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

AMENDMENT ACT

(STANDING COMMITTEE

ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS FOR

HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR L’ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE

(COMITÉ PERMANENT DES COMPTES

PUBLICS SUR LES SOINS

DE SANTÉ ET L’ÉDUCATION)

PROTECTION OF MINORS

IN AMATEUR SPORTS ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LA PROTECTION

DES MINEURS PARTICIPANT

À DES SPORTS AMATEURS

MOTIONS

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ PUBLIC BUSINESS

HOUSE SITTINGS

VISITOR

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

NATIONAL ACCESS

AWARENESS WEEK /

SEMAINE NATIONALE

POUR L’INTÉGRATION

DES PERSONNES HANDICAPÉES

PETITIONS

HOSPITAL FUNDING

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

SERVICES DIAGNOSTIQUES

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

ONTARIO PHARMACISTS

REGISTERED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS

WIND TURBINES

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

ORDERS OF THE DAY

OPEN FOR BUSINESS ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 FAVORISANT UN ONTARIO PROPICE AUX AFFAIRES

The House met at 1030.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Good morning. Please remain standing for the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a moment of silence for personal thought and inner reflection.

Prayers.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Ms. M. Aileen Carroll: I’m delighted to welcome to the Legislature today paramedics from throughout Ontario but especially the representatives who are here from Simcoe county, including Kenneth Priestman.

Mr. John Yakabuski: On behalf of my colleague from Lanark–Frontenac–Lennox and Addington, Mr. Hillier, I’d like to introduce Robin Hawe, councillor for the town of Smiths Falls, and his wife, Anne, who have joined us here in the members’ gallery today.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: On behalf of our wonderful page, Tristen Groves, we have his mother here, Victoria Lavine-Groves. We welcome her to the gallery.

Mr. Dave Levac: Today is the first annual Brant Day. There are over 75 people from my riding who have come down to the reception to share with my fellow members that Brant has lots to offer. I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park today.

We also have, as the lead for this, the former member for Brant, Ron Eddy, mayor of Brant, along with a plethora of visitors who are with us: Lesley Lovett-Doust, the president of Nipissing University; Paul Armstrong, Neil McMahon and Lauren Olson from Mohawk College; Councillor Marguerite Ceschi-Smith and Councillor Greg Martin from the city of Brantford; Kevin Klein, Leslie Cooper and President Max Blouw from Laurier; and representatives from TCO. Let’s just say we’ve got the best of Brant in the gallery today. Welcome, and I thank our members for being here.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I have a number of guests here today. I’d first of all like to welcome a new parliamentary press gallery intern, Nidhi Sandillya. She is here today. Please welcome her. Her father is also a chef in our parliamentary dining room, so it’s really nice that she has come full circle here today. I want to welcome her.

I’d also like to welcome some guests who are in the west gallery: Cyndee Todgham Cherniak from Lang Michener is here with her mother, Lynn Todgham.

I also have Grant Wright of Wright Sales Tax Recovery; Jim Garchinski from the Police Pensioners Association of Ontario; and Al Olsen, the president of the Police Retirees of Ontario. Please welcome them.

Hon. Brad Duguid: I want to welcome Kevin Leung. He’s another intern here today; he’s working in my office.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Further introductions?

I too, on behalf of the House, would like to welcome Ron Eddy back, who was a member from the 35th Parliament representing Brant–Haldimand. It’s great to have you back today, Ron.

We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today the first secretary of the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Eljan Habibzade. Please join me in welcoming our guests today. Welcome.

On behalf of the member for Thornhill and myself as Speaker, I’d like to welcome to the Speaker’s gallery today the grade 7 and 8 students from Henderson Avenue Public School and my friend and one of their teachers, Malcolm Crawford. We welcome them to Queen’s Park today.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I’m sorry; I’m a little late on the welcomes. But I wanted to welcome the president of Nipissing University, one of the finest post-secondary institutions in the province. Dr. Lesley Lovett-Doust is here today with us, and we welcome her. She’s part of Brant Day, because we have a campus in Brantford.

ORAL QUESTIONS

TAXATION

Mr. Tim Hudak: A question to the Acting Premier: As you know, Dalton McGuinty is going to force Ontario families to celebrate Canada Day with a massive new HST hike on everything. Families will also remember, as they’re paying Dalton McGuinty’s new greedy tax grab, that back in 2003 Dalton McGuinty was so eager to convince people he was not another tax-and-spend Liberal that he staged a photo op where he signed a promise not to raise taxes on families without their explicit consent, but then he increased taxes across the board anyway, including his massive health tax hike. I ask you, Acting Premier, why did Dalton McGuinty tell families something that he definitely is not?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: This government has made strategic investments in health care and education and was re-elected in 2007 on the basis of those kinds of undertakings. Unlike the member opposite, we don’t think the status quo is good enough. We are taking a tax change that will not raise taxes but overall will reduce taxes for some 93% of Ontarians. That’s why Jack Mintz, that leader’s expert witness at last year’s budget hearings, says it’s absolutely the best thing we could have done. That leader and his party supported it. That leader and his federal counterparts, Mr. Flaherty, Mr. Baird, Mr. Clement—all of them support this. They recognize, as that member used to recognize, that—

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: Quite frankly, Minister, the only thing Dalton McGuinty has been strategic about is more inventive ways to take money out of the pockets of Ontario families and seniors. Let’s look at some of the examples since Dalton McGuinty famously broke his promise to Ontario voters. He helped David Miller raise taxes for property taxes, vehicle registrations, property transfers, garbage collection and even plastic bags at the grocery store.

Then Dalton McGuinty himself increased personal, corporate and small business taxes across the province; seniors’ property taxes; taxes and fees for eye exams, visits to the chiropractor or physiotherapist; and even fees for students and on their athletic and extended health plan fees.

Minister, wasn’t it just a shameless use of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation—

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

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The electorate of Ontario cast their judgement in 2007 on that issue.

What I will say is this: It is complete fiction, what the member has just said. This year, as of January 1, Ontario has the lowest tax rate in the country for the first $37,000 of income, which he voted against. We will have the lowest marginal effective tax rate on new businesses in North America; that member and his party voted against it. We created then doubled the seniors’ property tax credit; that member and his party voted against it.

That member’s expert said that our policy will create 600,000 net new jobs in the next 10 years. That’s what it’s about: a brighter future for our children and our grandchildren.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: During the 2007 campaign the minister talks about, Dalton McGuinty was asked if he was going to increase taxes. Dalton McGuinty said no, the critics—“They’re wrong, they’re wrong, they’re wrong.” But Ontario families knew better than to believe Dalton McGuinty when it came to his plan on taxes, and they were right.

Let’s see what he’s raised since the 2007 election: taxes on hydro, desktop and laptop computers, printers, television sets, BlackBerrys, iPods, digital cameras, telephones, DVD players, tires, commercial vehicle operator registrations, camping, destination marketing fees and more—now, Canada Day, your greedy HST tax grab.

Minister, isn’t enough enough? Which of these items will you lower taxes on and actually give Ontario families a break?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: That question is pure fiction. Let me tell the member opposite, 93% of Ontarians are getting a tax cut this year. He and his caucus voted against it.

Why isn’t he so passionate about the cost of generic drugs? They’re against that and for big pharmacy. Why did they vote against the seniors’ property tax credit?

Premier McGuinty has set in place a policy that will create jobs, will create investment and will create a better future for our children. That member and his party want to go back to the days of Mike Harris, when you fire nurses, when you don’t train enough doctors, when you undermine our schools and close hospitals. That is the wrong direction. This government, with the support of his federal cousins, is moving forward on an aggressive tax package to make our economy more competitive and better for—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Simcoe North.

New question.

TAXATION

Mr. Tim Hudak: Back to the Acting Premier: Let me tell you, Ontario PCs stand against his cuts to front-line pharmacy care, as we stand against his increases, his excessive greedy tax grabs.

On Canada Day, Dalton McGuinty is bringing his HST tax grab on everything. Dalton McGuinty is adding taxes to haircuts; cable bills; Internet bills; magazine subscriptions; vitamins; dry cleaning; ice rentals; ballet lessons; karate, judo and boxing classes; hockey school; and memberships to the YMCA, Curves and fitness clubs.

Minister, I’ve got to ask you, isn’t this extraordinarily greedy, even for Dalton McGuinty’s standards? When will you stand up and lower taxes on items so Ontario families can make things meet in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: In his typical—and I wish to respect you, Mr. Speaker; I don’t want to be unparliamentary—disingenuous fashion, he has neglected to tell everybody—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): No; just withdraw the comment, please.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I withdraw that. I’m trying to find a word. In a typical less-than-clear way, the Leader of the Opposition has refused to acknowledge the largest tax cut in the history of this province to individuals and corporations. He failed—

Interjections.

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

Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: —failed to acknowledge the—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Simcoe North, you were doing really well. I just started to sit down, and you started.

Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: —failed to acknowledge the largest sales tax credit in Canada. He failed to acknowledge a range of other tax credits—which he voted against—that will help seniors, help the lowest and most modest.

Now we hear it unequivocally: They’re for Big Pharma. They’re for higher generic drug prices. They’re for paying more. They’re for making sure seniors pay the highest generic drug prices in Canada.

Our plan is the right plan for jobs, for growth, for our children and our grandchildren. It’s the right plan for Ontario’s future.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Tim Hudak: Dalton McGuinty’s attack on the pocketbooks of Ontario families has no end. On Canada Day, Ontario families will face higher taxes to fix a leaky faucet or a bathtub, to improve electrical wiring, to repair a broken furnace or water heater, or help with snow removal, lawn care, gardening or house painting. Now we see the government contemplating taxes on water bills and a second stage of the health tax.

How big is your appetite? How far does Dalton McGuinty’s greed grow? What in the world aren’t you going to tax since you’re taxing everything under the sun beginning July 1 in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Mr. Speaker, 83% of what the typical Ontario consumer spends will not be affected by our changes. The member opposite insists on neglecting the other side of the story. I look at his colleagues sitting next to him—

Interjections.

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

Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Let me read to him what a fellow named John Tory had to say. He said about our tax policy, “It was a courageous and the right thing to do. It’s being done right in Ontario as we speak, and it is, in many respects, a right thing to do for investment and job creation.” That’s John Tory. His federal counterparts have made this all possible because they recognize that, overall, it’s a tax cut for Ontario families and businesses.

The people of Ontario will see through that argument. They recognize that this change is the right change for jobs, investment and higher family incomes. That’s why we’re pursuing it: for a better future for our children and our grandchildren.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: I still can’t believe the finance minister is spinning this tale that his HST tax grab is a tax cut for Ontario families. Even your Premier was finally forced to admit that it’s a tax grab—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. You can be spun some place as well, too.

Please continue.

Mr. Tim Hudak: The minister in Wonderland says it’s a tax cut to put the HST on air travel, on train tickets, on boat and bus trips and on the gas they will use to get to their destination. When they get there, Dalton McGuinty is waiting with the tax machine as they arrive—agricultural fairs, Shaw and Stratford Festivals, comedy clubs, plays, galleries, summer music festivals and increased taxes on accommodations when they want to lay their head down at night.

Minister, what will Dalton McGuinty do to help people in Niagara, Prince Edward county, Stratford and the communities around Algonquin park when people can’t travel this summer because of your greedy HST tax grab that will take money out of their pockets?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: That’s why we created the tax cuts and tax credits for all Ontarians. That means 93% of us will pay less in—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Leeds–Grenville will withdraw the comment that he just made.

Mr. Steve Clark: I withdraw.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Let me read on about something his former leader John Tory said: “I think [Hudak] has not acknowledged something that pretty well everybody else has. A lot of people call and say it is going to help with productivity and job creation and investment and the cost of capital. So I felt dishonest if I came out and said I was ... against it because that benefit is significant.”

John Tory has the courage of his convictions. John Tory has said what he would do. That member and his party and that caucus will not say what they’ll do with the HST.

We’re moving forward. It’s right for jobs, it’s right for investment, it’s right for income. I only wish that—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Order, Minister, member from Hamilton East, member from Sarnia. It’s the last week, and I’ve tried very hard not to name anyone, but you’re pushing me. I can start with some ministers too.

New question.

TAXATION

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Acting Premier. There are only 31 days before the McGuinty government’s HST kicks in. Ontarians are bracing themselves for the new unfair tax. They’ve been writing to me by the thousands, because they’re very, very worried.

Lori Summerhays writes this: “My husband and I both work and have two children, seven and three.... Our family will be forced to find an extra $100 to pay for taxes each” and every “month. Please try to understand how difficult it is for the average family right now to just try and make ends meet.”

Does the Acting Premier understand the plight of the Summerhays family, or is he simply out of touch?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I respect the points of view and concerns that are raised by people, but let me read a few other comments to the leader of the third party that others have made with respect to our HST policy: “Ontario’s economy will grow by 3.5% this year and ... 3.7%” next year, leading all Canadian provinces. This is the Conference Board of Canada, an independent expert group. Households “will benefit from income tax cuts and from temporary sales tax transition benefits as the province moves to harmonize the provincial sales tax system with the federal goods and services tax … in July 2010.”

What that means is that all the independent observers—the Chamber of Commerce, anti-poverty groups like the Centre for Policy Alternatives and even Hugh Mackenzie—have said this is the right policy. We’re pursuing it. It will create—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, perhaps the Acting Premier needs to know that families are united against the HST, because on average they’ll be paying about $800 more each and every year. More than a quarter of a million people have signed the NDP’s petition to stop the tax, people like John Parent from Windsor, who writes, “I’m a 65-year-old pensioner on fixed income.... I figure the HST will cost me $805 a year.... I am now considering doing a lot of shopping” across the border “in Michigan.” And Fiona Alford of Hamilton says, “I am a mom who works full time, married with a teenager and a seven-year-old. I just ... found that we will be paying out an additional $955 per year!”

What does the Acting Premier have to say to Ontarians like Mr. Parent and Ms. Alford?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I would say, don’t take the NDP numbers as what they say they are. They are false.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Hamilton East, please come to order.

Mr. Paul Miller: Dalton admitted it was right.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I just called you to order. We can just let the clock run. We could get through four question periods this week.

Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The NDP numbers are simply inaccurate. They’ve been torqued to make it look like people are spending more than they will, which is typical of the NDP.

What I would ask Ontarians to do is look at what the Conference Board of Canada has said, look at what Hugh Mackenzie has said and look at what the Centre for Policy Alternatives has said. What was the title of their paper? Not a Tax Grab After All.

The leader of the third party can attempt to torque numbers and try to tap in to angst and fear. The fact is that New Democrats across the aisle asked us to raise the provincial sales tax 1%. We said no. We created a new system that will improve jobs—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: One would think that the finance minister of this province would have more respect for the people whose numbers I’m using—not NDP numbers, but the families of this province who sent us their numbers. Opposition to the McGuinty government’s HST reaches every single corner of this province, from families to small business owners. Barrie gym owner Lynda Keffer writes, “Adding this tax will surely impact members who can barely afford the $44.95 per month—it adds the equivalent of an additional month” of fees “per year” for people.

Cliff Heaney says this: “What this tax is going to do is really hurt my business of selling steel roofs. The HST will add another $1,143 to the price. This is going to seriously hurt my sales.”

Small business owners know that the HST is going to force them to cut jobs as their revenues fall. Why doesn’t this government get it?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: We have a great deal of respect for the people of Ontario, and that’s why we are moving forward to create jobs and lower prices in investment for all Ontarians. The leader of the third party again ignores the tax cuts, the input tax credits. It is a complex piece, and folks who want to move forward understand—folks like the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, people like the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, people like the Conference Board of Canada.

It’s about 600,000 net new jobs; it is about an 8.8% rise in income; it is about $46 billion in net new investment in the next 10 years; it’s about a brighter future for our children and our grandchildren. I rely on those organizations, those bodies, much more than I do on the leader of the NDP, who wanted us to raise—

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

TAXATION

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Acting Premier. This morning I was at Toronto city hall for the start of Bike Month. Cyclists want to see this province take active transportation much, much more seriously. Instead, what do they see? They see the McGuinty government making it more expensive. In 31 days, buying a bike and a helmet is going to cost 8% more. Why is the McGuinty government going to tax children who ride their bikes to school, and their parents who ride their bikes to work?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: One of the reasons I think Ontarians are suspect of New Democratic Party numbers is the following: It was this government that provided the retail sales tax exemption, and that member and her party voted against it. You voted against it. She wants to have it both ways; she wants to tell part of the story. Those same people who buy a new bicycle are seeing their personal taxes cut; they’re seeing sales tax credits unequalled anywhere in the country. There you go again, and that’s why I rely on Hugh Mackenzie, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

They say one thing; they do another thing; they distort the numbers; they refuse to acknowledge their own vote against that temporary sales tax exemption that went into place. It’s absolutely shameful.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This morning at Nathan Phillips Square there were hundreds and hundreds of cycling advocates, and they all say that the McGuinty government should be making active transportation as accessible as possible, just as this government should be doing everything it can to take cars off the road, reduce smog and promote healthy lifestyles. My question is a simple one: Why, then, is the government making cycling 8% more expensive for people?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I don’t imagine the leader of the NDP told the folks at Nathan Phillips Square that she voted against the reduction in the PST. I imagine that was just a convenient lapse of NDP memory. I’ll bet she didn’t tell the folks at Nathan Phillips Square that the NDP want us to raise the PST by 1%, having voted against the exemption on bicycles. I’ll bet she didn’t tell the folks at Nathan Phillips Square that the NDP government in Nova Scotia just raised their HST by 2 points, to 15 points.

The NDP want to have it both ways. They ignore their own experts; they ignore their own advocates, including the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. This is the right policy for jobs, for growth, for investments and for a healthier economy. That’s why we don’t support anything she says.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I think it’s quite hilarious that the finance minister has decided to make NDP policy for us. Thanks very much, but no thanks. Also I think it’s important to note that the CCPA has put in writing this very quote: “Accordingly, it is not correct to state that the CCPA supports the HST….” So the minister is totally off base.

A few years ago, the Premier said, “We want to encourage more Ontarians to get outdoors, spend time riding bikes as a family and with friends, or try riding to work if possible, leaving the car at home.” And he added, “Together, we’re building a culture of health and well-being across Ontario by encouraging more families to embrace active living.”

Will the Acting Premier then explain to Ontarians since when embracing active living meant having to pay 8% more?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: You know, it’s typical of the NDP they would take out of context the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Let me just read her the title of this document. It’s called, Not a Tax Grab After All: A Second Look at Ontario’s HST. It goes on to explain to the leader and her friends that in fact, most Ontarians will see a tax cut, some will be even and a very few, a small percentage, will pay more; generally speaking, higher-income people.

The NDP’s record is on the record. You voted against the exemption. Check Hansard. We have a letter signed by her predecessor urging us to raise the PST by 1%. The record of the Nova Scotia government is crystal clear and subject to a vote.

Ontarians want consistency and a Canada response to a better future: That’s what Premier McGuinty offers. That’s in sharp contrast—

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

TAXATION

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is for the Acting Premier. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation broke it to Ontario families that Dalton McGuinty’s HST will add between $250 and $400 a year more to the cost of gas and to fuel. For months, the McGuinty Liberals, they dodged, they ducked and they hid what they knew about the impact that Dalton McGuinty’s 8% HST tax grab—

Interjections.

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

Please continue.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Was it because you planned to bury the HST in the price of gas at the pump so nobody would notice your greedy HST tax grab?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: A range of Conservative experts have told us that the HST will create jobs. Let me tell you the start with Jack Mintz: “Within 10 years, Ontario will benefit from increased capital investment of $47 billion.” We will increase annual worker incomes by $29.4 billion and we will create some 591,000 net new jobs.

I think that’s why Jim Flaherty, Cheryl Gallant, Tony Clement, John Baird, even—here’s what Tim Hudak said in March 2009. He said, “We understand how that (single sales tax) can help the economy.”

Unfortunately, all the bluster in the world can’t replace serious, sound policy that will create jobs for our children and grandchildren. It’s right for our future—

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

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Let me dumb it down for the minister. It is going to cost Ontario families between $250 to $400 more for gas in their cars once his HST tax grab takes effect. Even Stéphane Dion’s carbon tax wasn’t going to tax gas. British Columbia’s HST doesn’t tax gas either. BC made a decision to protect families from paying more for fuel in their vehicles to get them to work and to take their kids to school or to go on family vacation. British Columbia didn’t want families to pay more for fresh produce either, or other groceries that would cost more to be trucked to market. You had choices, so why did you choose to make Ontario families pay more for everyday non-discretionary items?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Mr. Speaker, I would actually like to upgrade the debate in the House, as you have called on us to, refer to some facts and try to keep a cool perspective as we move forward.

Here’s what another member of the CTF said: “Harmonization has some clear benefits.” That’s from the director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in Saskatchewan.

This tax policy, in fact, will lower taxes for 93% of all Ontarians.

Laughter.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The opposition wants to laugh. They want to ignore the recommendations of their federal counterparts. They want to ignore their own past when they spoke in favour of it. It’s no doubt that it’s a difficult policy that requires a great deal of work and explanation. We’re committed to that because it will create jobs for our kids and our grandchildren. After all, I think that’s the most important thing that any government can do.

FLU IMMUNIZATION

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée. A report that will be released tomorrow by Toronto Public Health finds that the H1N1 vaccination rate for Toronto residents was a mere 28% thus far. This is way below the provincial target of 75%.

Toronto Public Health’s director of communicable diseases said, “The public health unit was stymied by changing directives from the provincial health ministry.” Given what we’ve learned here in Ontario with SARS, given all the preparation time for the pandemic planning, how can the Minister of Health have bungled the communication and management of this issue so badly?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Thank you for the question. I think that, as a little time has now passed since the H1N1 crisis was upon us, now is the time to be learning lessons from that episode in our health care history.

It certainly was a time when we were working under difficult circumstances. We had an uncertain supply, as the member opposite will recall. The federal government was responsible for the supply of the vaccine; the provincial government and the health units, for the distribution of the vaccine. Because of the uncertainty of the supply of the vaccine, it meant that we were working in real time, and we did have to make decisions quickly so that we could get the vaccine to as many people as quickly as we possibly could.

I look forward to the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

M me France Gélinas: On November 19, the minister said that “between 45% and 50% of Ontarians are planning to get the vaccine. We need to do better than that. Getting the shot is the single most important thing someone can do to protect not only themselves but the people around them....”

Minister, if that was the case, how is it that we missed the mark by so much, after all the press releases, the news releases, the ads assuring Ontarians that you were on the ball, that the targets were being met? How can Ontarians trust that this government will get it right the next time?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I understand that our chief medical officer of health is working on a report that will address that issue, as well as others.

I do think that, if we remember back to the time, last October, November, when we were dealing with this issue, there was a time when there was great demand for the vaccine, quickly followed by a time when we had the vaccine, we had the clinics, we were able to immunize people, and they did not come to the clinics in the numbers that we had hoped for. Getting the message out—getting the vaccine is the best way to protect themselves and their families is a message that we will be addressing.

I think it’s only fair, though, to acknowledge that Ontario in fact had one of the best uptakes in the world. Was it perfect? No. Relative to other jurisdictions we did a very good job, thanks to the very hard work of those who worked on the front lines—

SERVICES FOR THE

DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mr. Jeff Leal: My question is to the Minister of Community and Social Services. Minister, many families have been affected by the worldwide economic recession. Families who have a child with a developmental disability and who are facing emergency or crisis situations are looking to the government for help in these very difficult times. These families need the supports and services that developmental service agencies offer.

In 1995 and 1996, the previous government cut funding in the developmental services sector. Is the McGuinty government doing the same thing?

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: I would like to thank the member from Peterborough for his question. My answer to his question is no, we are not.

Since 2003, we have invested half a billion dollars in the developmental services sector. Even in these difficult times we are increasing funding to this sector by $56 million; $36 million will go towards supporting individuals in emergency and crisis situations.

Whether it’s an aging parent who needs long-term care and can no longer care for their child, or a situation where there are acute mental health concerns, we are investing and working with our agency partners to ensure that these people get the supports they need.

We have made great strides, but we know there is more to do. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Jeff Leal: Thank you, Minister, for that very clear and direct answer.

The McGuinty government is clearly taking a very different approach from the government of 1995 and 1996. While I acknowledge that support for those in emergency situations is crucial, I’m also concerned about the fairness of our system. Parents have told me that the current system is not transparent, that it is confusing to navigate and that it is a burden to their already-complicated lives.

Minister, what can I tell these parents? What is the government doing to address these very pressing concerns?

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: What the member can tell them is that this government has heard their concerns, and $20 million will go towards the transformation of the developmental services system to make it fair, transparent, accessible and sustainable—changes that no previous government ever took on. The new system will have a single point of application for each region, consistent eligibility criteria and a single assessment tool for the entire province. Perhaps most important, we will offer choice for how people receive the supports they need.

Where other governments cut agencies’ budgets, this government sees agencies as key partners in the system, and we will support them through this transformation.

TAXATION

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a question for the Acting Premier. There are still 31 days left before the McGuinty Liberals unleash the HST tax grab, but they’re already plotting the next new tax grab. Dalton McGuinty refused to rule out a tax on tap water. When Jeff Rubin proposed a carbon tax at Dalton McGuinty’s summit, his caucus gave rapturous applause. Last week, the transportation minister told the Economic Club of Canada she plans to have a “conversation” about road tolls, and we all know what that means. Dalton McGuinty’s economic advisors at TD Economics called for a new health tax.

My question is, which new tax grab does Dalton McGuinty have his eye on implementing first?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I would caution anybody against wild speculation of that nature. The fact of the matter is—

Interjections.

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

Acting Premier?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The fact is tax policies are set in budgets. For instance, we lowered the tax rate on the first $37,000 of income; that member and his party voted against it. We created a seniors’ property tax credit; that member and his party voted against it. Then we doubled the seniors’ property tax credit—

Interjections.

Mr. John Yakabuski: There’s nothing you guys won’t tax. It’s unbelievable.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): It is unbelievable how difficult it is to hear.

Supplementary.

Mr. Norm Miller: I think it would have been wild speculation to think that the Premier would break the signed oath that he made in 2003 not to implement new taxes.

Dalton McGuinty is a tax-and-spend Liberal. He introduced the single largest income tax increase in Ontario history with his so-called health tax in his first budget. He introduced the single largest sales tax increase in Ontario’s history, the HST. Ontario families are not even officially paying the HST yet, and he’s already salivating over the next new tax grab.

Why are none of the Liberal caucus or cabinet members standing up for middle-class families who Dalton McGuinty keeps taxing and taxing and taxing?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: This caucus and government are about jobs; that’s why we’re pursuing a large tax cut for personal and corporate contributors. We are about 600,000 net new jobs, and we’re consistent about that, unlike that member and his party who used to say a harmonized sales tax was the right thing and now say it’s not necessarily the wrong thing, because we still don’t know why they won’t repeal it or undertake to repeal it.

We’ve set out a policy that will create 600,000 net new jobs, increase family incomes and increase investment. It’s the right policy for our children and grandchildren. It will lead to a healthier, stronger economy, even according to their own experts, their former leader and all of their federal cousins.

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

Mr. Peter Kormos: To the Minister of Community Safety: Two more inmates stabbed at the Don jail, a third slashed; Don jail—understaffed, overcrowded, neglected. Why is the minister ignoring the crisis at the Don jail?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: We’re doing anything, everything except ignoring the crisis. Ignoring is something they would have done when they were in government. They reduced funding to correctional services. They cut staff.

Here on this side of the House, we take it very seriously. That’s why we’re looking at the changing face of corrections. That’s why we’re investing in new facilities, unlike them, who didn’t invest one cent in any facility with regard to expansion. We are on a 15-year plan whereby we are creating additional spaces, meeting the ever-changing needs of the corrections community. We will continue to do that because this is a government of action, not inaction.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Kormos: The minister doesn’t seem to understand that these knifings tell us that the inmates are armed with deadly weapons. Don jail—20 job vacancies as we speak. The promised institutional security team doesn’t exist at the Don. Correctional staff continue to work in deplorable and dangerous conditions. When will this government finally fix the Don jail?

Hon. Rick Bartolucci: The fact of the matter is, we’re investing in two brand new facilities. The fact of the matter is, we’re investing in human resources. The fact of the matter is, we’re investing in new technology, unlike the NDP government, who, when they were in office, cut corrections funding by $20 million in 1993 and 1994, cut funding by $13 million in 1994 and 1995, cut funding to correctional services by $25 million in 1995 and 1996. They didn’t build a single jail during their time. They didn’t build a single cell during their time.

But they did put forth a contract called the social contract to demoralize the correctional officers. We are about building capacity, not about demeaning the correctional officers.

FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: My question is for the Minister of Education. Parents in my riding are very supportive of our move towards full-day early learning. However, I have been hearing concerns in my community about the potential impact this program may have on existing child care programs, from changes to the age groups of children accessing child care to potential impacts on staffing.

Parents understand that continued support for child care is essential to the success of full-day learning. Supporting child care as we move to full-day learning in Ontario will ensure a continuum of services for families in our communities. Can the minister please explain to my constituents and child care providers the steps our government is undertaking to minimize the impact for existing child care programs and to ensure that we maintain and enhance child care services for families across our province?

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: We have been listening very carefully to the child care community and to parents. They certainly support the leadership of our government in continuing to support our youngest learners.

With respect to the support for child care facilities, we are providing for those facilities $51 million annually at full implementation to help stabilize the child care sector. In addition, we’ve also provided $12 million to child care facilities so they can refit their businesses to accommodate younger children. In addition to that, in our last budget we provided the $63.5 million that the federal government did not provide—

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

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: Thank you, Minister. It is reassuring that municipalities and child care centres have clarity about the support our government will be providing as we transition into full-day learning for four- and five-year-olds.

Full-day learning, as we know, was a recommendation of the Premier’s early learning adviser, Charles Pascal. His report offers a series of recommendations for moving ahead with early learning in Ontario and sets out a plan for how Ontario can be the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce full-day learning. A big piece of his report was the integration and coordination of services for kids and families, both while they’re at school and before they are school-aged.

I have heard concerns that we are not moving quickly enough to implement Dr. Pascal’s full vision. Could the minister tell us what our government is doing to better support our parents with younger kids and ensure we have the best possible conditions for our kids to learn and grow in Ontario?

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: To the Minister of Children and Youth Services, please.

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I’m very pleased to have a chance to respond to this issue and say how proud I am to be working with Dr. Pascal at present and in the months ahead as we embark upon an exciting initiative in this province.

We’re looking at ensuring that all services for children zero to six are better integrated, better coordinated, and moving from a chaotic mix of services to one where every single parent, every single caregiver, every grandparent will know what door to use with their child to get them the services they need so that they will be ready when they start all-day junior kindergarten at the age of four.

Dr. Pascal’s vision is one that builds on the Best Start networks. We’ll be working with communities right across the province to help ensure that every single child in Ontario gets the best possible start in life, from the day they’re—

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

GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Mr. Ted Arnott: My question is for the Minister of Government Services, who is responsible for the ServiceOntario program.

A few days ago when I was in Georgetown, more than one person expressed to me concern about the impending closure of the Georgetown driver and vehicle licence issuing office and the possible loss of an important local service to our community. Will the minister inform the House why he’s closing the licence issuing office in Georgetown?

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar: I want to thank the member for asking this question. I want to tell him that ServiceOntario is absolutely committed to providing services in Georgetown and the neighbouring areas as well. We have selected a new vendor of record through the procurement process, and the contract was awarded on April 26, 2010. The contractor, through the agreement, is supposed to open the new office within 90 days. So I’m very pleased to tell you that the new office will be operating and the residents of Georgetown will have the services they need and deserve.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Ted Arnott: I thank the minister for that response, but I have to tell him that for longer than anyone in town can remember, the staff of the Georgetown licence issuing office have been providing outstanding, efficient services on the main street of Georgetown. Where there have been years of courtesy and professionalism, there is now uncertainty and doubt.

Can the minister explain how this new office that he says he’ll open will be an improvement? Can he assure us that the new location will be conveniently located, as the last one was, and that there will be absolutely no interruption of service to my Halton Hills constituents?

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar: I’m actually very pleased to share with the member that we are modernizing and integrating ServiceOntario services under one roof. The new vendor we have selected is an experienced vendor and will be providing the same kind of services that had been provided before. I also want to tell you that we will not only be providing just drivers’ licences and vehicle stickers, but we will be adding health card services as well. So we will be expanding services. They will be available 90 days after the contract was signed, and it will be by an experienced operator.

HEALTH CARE

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Actually, I’d like a page to bring this over to the Minister of Health, please.

This question is to the Minister of Health on behalf of Robert Brackenbury and his family. Mr. Brackenbury sent the minister a letter on May 14 about the surgery that he urgently needs for a grossly herniated bowel and an aneurysm. These serious health conditions follow cancer surgery that he had last October.

Mr. Brackenbury is a senior who lives in Kitchener–Waterloo. He is described by his doctor as a survivor, but he is now facing lengthy and unconscionable surgical delays.

The McGuinty government repeatedly claims that health care will be there for people where and when they need it. When will the minister do something to ensure that that’s going to be the case for Mr. Brackenbury?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Of course, I cannot speak to this particular case, but I’m happy to look into it.

I think the success of our government in bringing down surgical wait times is one of the true successes of this government. We have gone from not even knowing what wait times are to measuring wait times, publicly reporting wait times and actually developing a strategy to bring those wait times down. We have been very successful. In fact, we have been able to bring down wait times by over a year in some cases.

We are still working to continue the improvement, and as I say, I will look into this particular case to understand what’s happening here.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I appreciate that because this letter was sent to all of us about two weeks ago—myself, the minister and others.

Mr. Brackenbury is just one of many who can’t access timely health care in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario. He has an open wound on his stomach measuring 28 centimetres by 23 centimetres. I’ve sent the pictures over to the minister to indicate his condition. Unless his aneurysm can be dealt with quickly so that his intestinal surgery can go ahead in August, Mr. Brackenbury knows that he faces a life or death situation. His doctors want to operate quickly but they can’t.

Will the minister commit today to look into Mr. Brackenbury’s case and get him the urgent treatment he desperately needs before that aneurysm bursts and he dies?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: As I said in the first question, yes, I will absolutely commit to looking into this particular case to understand why this surgery is not proceeding.

I think it is important that the member opposite acknowledge the progress we have made on wait times—and it is not just our numbers. The cancer quality index report was released last week and it is publicly available. It demonstrates that we’ve actually gone from being a laggard when it comes to radiation, for example, to being one of the leading jurisdictions in the country when it comes to wait times for that particular procedure.

As I say, this is a government that is committed to transparency and to public reporting of wait times. That public reporting allows us to make the strategic investments we need to make to continue improving health care.

LIQUOR LICENSING

Ms. Leeanna Pendergast: My question is for the Minister of Consumer Services. The World Cup is here and in South Africa for the first time on that continent. Many of us are huge soccer fans. In the last month I have been in Richmond Hill, Windsor, London and upcoming in Peterborough with my son, who’s a keeper for the boys under 12. They’ve won three tournaments this month for Kitchener Spirit.

Speaking of spirits, the city of Kitchener passed a resolution in council regarding the request for licensed establishments to extend their liquor serving hours by one hour during the World Cup. In the spirit of the World Cup, bar and restaurant owners in my riding of Kitchener–Conestoga have asked to extend their serving hours to attract more World Cup fans.

Can the minister advise the House what she is doing to address this issue?

Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis: Thank you to the member for the question. I am happy to tell this House that on Sunday—yesterday—at Ace Family Restaurant in Hamilton, I announced that Ontario will allow licensed bars and restaurants to serve alcohol an hour earlier during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ontario is one of the most diverse, multicultural communities in the world, and our government recognizes the significance of the World Cup to many cultural groups in the province. That’s why it’s making this special exemption to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s policy on extending bar and restaurant hours.

The games are being televised from South Africa, which represents a six-hour time difference within Ontario. Some games will start as early as 7:30.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Ms. Leeanna Pendergast: There will be great support for all 32 qualifying countries right here in Ontario, and it’s a great opportunity for businesses to generate further revenue, such as the Edelweiss Tavern—Lorne and Jason Miller—and Bob MacMillan of the Heidelberg in my riding of Kitchener–Conestoga.

But my first concern as a soccer mom and a former coach has always been the safety of my sons, their team-mates and all the youth in Ontario. I’d like to know how the government will address concerns that some may have around safety in the province by promoting the consumption of alcohol?

Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis: That’s a very important question. Our government understands the need for social responsibility with relation to the service of alcohol. With this extension, we have balanced the requests from businesses and World Cup fans, while understanding the need to maintain appropriate standards for the responsible service of alcohol.

During the extended period, municipalities will be responsible for enforcing the Liquor Licence Act. But municipalities do have a choice. They have two options: They can decide to participate in allowing local establishments to serve an hour earlier, or the other option is to opt out in writing by sending a letter to the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming.

It’s an exciting time in Ontario. We’re really glad that the World Cup is here.

PEDIATRIC FORENSIC

PATHOLOGY INQUIRY

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: My question is to the Attorney General. Minister, five weeks ago, I asked when you would have answers for victims of Dr. Charles Smith. The Premier said, “Very, very soon.” You said, “Very shortly.”

“Very, very soon” is long past; “very shortly” is up. Do you have a compensation process ready to begin for the victims of Dr. Charles Smith?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: We all meant exactly what we said. The cases that are the subject of the question span many, many years and many decades, including many years when my friend sat in government.

We had a very important inquiry. Commissioner Goudge came forward with some extremely important recommendations, and one of the things he asked us was, instead of requiring every potential plaintiff to go through the normal civil litigation system, which they are able to do, can you find a shortcut for all of these different and disparate fact situations? We had a three-party expert group. They’ve been working very hard. We are coming forward very soon and we’re quite hopeful of achieving the promise.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: Minister, after a year and a half, you have the nerve to use the term “shortcut”? No one believes you anymore. If your words were said in good faith, you would have an answer. We all agree these problems are complex, but I disagree with you that a year and a half is a justifiable time to wait for a solution.

Minister, are you waiting for the summer to avoid critical assessment of your decision in this House? If five weeks doesn’t define “very shortly,” what does? Or will you have an answer for this House before it rises?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: I don’t know about the honourable member, but I’ll be working on June 5, I’ll be working on June 6, I’ll be working on June 7, and I’m surprised you aren’t.

I’m sure whenever we come down with the answer, we expect you to be able to read it; we expect you to be able to criticize it; we expect you to be able to comment on it. I mean, come on—

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The honourable member from Halton knows the rules. If he’s not satisfied with the answer, he can file a late show with the clerks’ table.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Order.

Minister?

Hon. Christopher Bentley: These issues are enormously complex, and that’s why Justice Goudge asked if—if—we could come up with something. That’s why we asked some very well-thought-of experts to give us advice. That’s why we’re attempting to do something that the law doesn’t easily do, which is to reconcile very disparate claims in very different circumstances through one approach. You could, in different cases, make these a class action, but it would be very difficult in a civil litigation system to do that. We’re working very hard, we’ll be able to report, and whenever we do, I know my friend will be able—

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

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: My question is to the Minister of Housing. Last week, a group led by the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation launched a landmark legal challenge to address the appalling lack of housing in Ontario and across the country. The applicants say that the Ontario government has failed to address homelessness and housing over the past decade. This challenge has come because this government continues to drag its feet on affordable housing. To the minister: Will this government oppose the legal challenge?

Hon. James J. Bradley: Of course, this matter is going to be before an adjudicative body, and the member will know that it would probably be inappropriate for me to comment on it at that time. She’s a long-time member of the House now, and she knows that.

However, I do want to say that I know the member would want to extol some of the virtues of what has been done by our Parliament lately. I want to give credit to you: $622 million, over two years, contributed by the province, matched by our federal partners. That is a tremendous amount of money that we’re investing in affordable housing in this province. I think we’re already seeing, in various communities across the province, the difference that that is making. We have taken a number of other initiatives as well: rent supplements; we are fixing up the buildings that are there so that people—

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

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I assume, by his response, that means that they are opposing the legal challenge by housing activists across the province. This government’s record on housing, by the way, is absolutely terrible.

Today, the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and the Ontario region of the Co-operative Housing Association have shown that average rents increased three times the rate of inflation across the province in 2009. Waiting lists for assisted housing have over 142,000 families throughout Ontario. One in five Ontario renters are still spending more than half their income on housing. When will this government release its affordable housing plan, the long-ballyhooed one, to address this absolutely shameful record?

Hon. James J. Bradley: That’s a subjective evaluation, using the terminology that you did. I won’t repeat it because in politics you don’t repeat those charges.

However, I want to say this: First of all, I remember the rent guidelines under the NDP—I hate to go back into history. Under this government, under the present Liberal administration, the increases are the lowest they’ve been since we’ve had rent control in the province of Ontario. They used to be skyrocketing under the NDP. I know you didn’t mean to do it, but it happened; it’s a fact of life.

I want to say as well that units built under the affordable housing program are required to have rents at or below 80% of the average market rent. Harvey Cooper says, “Recent government initiatives show that the province understands the central role of housing to people’s lives and the economy”—

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

TAXATION

Mr. Dave Levac: My question is for the Minister of Revenue. As Ontario’s economy begins to recover from the global economic downturn, we have an opportunity to make our province more competitive and straightforward. Ontario currently provides the point-of-sale exemption for the provincial sales tax to First Nations in Ontario. With the move to the harmonized sales tax, the federal government must now provide that exemption.

My question for the government is: What are we doing to make sure that the First Nations’ exemption is indeed maintained? I understand that the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and the Minister of Revenue have been working closely with the Chiefs of Ontario, and they’ve been able to come to a memorandum of agreement regarding the point-of-sale exemption. On May 27, they did sign that memorandum.

Recent reports indicate that Minister Flaherty has signalled that he may be interested in a discussion. What steps have we taken—

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

Hon. John Wilkinson: I want to thank the member for the question. I particularly want to thank him for his leadership on this file and his approach to it, and the work that he has been able to show us about how we have to stand shoulder to shoulder with First Nations in the province of Ontario to be able to get something that we need in this province, which is the federal government to agree to administer the point-of-sale exemption that we have requested of the federal government under the HST. It’s why the Premier and Minister Duncan and myself have written our counterparts.

But for us to be able to get to that, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder. I was particularly pleased to hear from our Minister of Aboriginal Affairs that just recently, the political confederacy did ratify the memorandum of agreement that was entered into by the two of us and Chief Toulouse. It’s by working together that we’ll be able to get to where we want to be, which is a point-of-sale exemption—

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

VISITOR

Mr. Dave Levac: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: I’m sorry. I know it’s unorthodox, but I wanted to let you know that the other half of the plethora of Brant came. I want to introduce Walter Gretzky, lord mayor of Brant. I want to thank him for being here today.

SPECIAL REPORT,

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER

OF ONTARIO

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I beg to inform the House that I have today laid upon the table an annual greenhouse gas progress report from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario entitled Broadening Ontario’s Climate Change Policy Agenda.

There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1140 to 1300.

SIGN-LANGUAGE

INTERPRETATION

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I believe we have unanimous consent that sign-language interpreters may be present in the east gallery to interpret proceedings for guests in the gallery.

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

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I would like all members to join me in welcoming a guest to the Legislature today: former East York member Gary Malkowski from the 35th Parliament. Welcome back to Queen’s Park today, Gary.

Mr. Reza Moridi: It’s my pleasure to welcome members of the Azeri community of the greater Toronto area as they celebrate their Independence Day. They actually celebrated Independence Day on Friday, May 28, so I welcome them in the public gallery.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

GROVES HOSPITAL

VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION

Mr. Ted Arnott: One of the most eloquent public figures of our time once exhorted his nation, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

This call to action has motivated generations of volunteers around the world to get involved, help organize, build their communities or lend a hand to those in need, all for the public good.

I was born six months before John F. Kennedy died and I first saw the light of day at the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus. In the 20 years that I’ve been privileged to serve in this Legislature, I’ve always been very impressed in the extreme by the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association, who have taken President Kennedy’s suggestion and made it their own.

Later this afternoon, the 250 members of the volunteer association will celebrate the fact that their activities have raised $1 million for the hospital, fulfilling a pledge they made seven years ago. This comes on top of the half-million dollars they have raised over the past two years for our new CT scanner—raised one year faster than originally planned.

This amazing community success story didn’t just happen. It involves literally thousands and thousands of hours of volunteer labour at two Opportunity Shops in Fergus and Arthur, as well as the hospital gift shop and TV rental service for patients—that and a sense of community spirit that is second to none in the province.

In closing, I want to thank all in the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association for the great work they do. Once again, as I have so many times in the past, I urge this government to show its appreciation by giving Groves the approval and support to move forward to the next stages of planning for the new Groves hospital that our community will soon need in this 21st century.

HEALTH CARE

Mr. Peter Kormos: Fourteen-year-old Stefanie Nadeau of Welland is a beautiful young woman who lives each day in excruciating pain, and there doesn’t seem to be room for her in Dalton McGuinty’s health care system.

Paul Missiuna, orthopaedic surgeon and in fact a pediatric orthopaedic specialist, writes to me telling me that this young woman, Miss Nadeau, has a rare condition for her age of a curvature of 64 degrees of her spine from T6 to T12. She requires immediate surgery if she’s to be relieved of the pain and if she’s going to begin to recover from this health condition. But there’s no room for her; there’s no space for her; there’s no time for her in Dalton McGuinty’s hospitals here in the province of Ontario.

Dr. Missiuna is ready, the operating room personnel are ready, the nurses are ready, but the waiting lists persist. This young woman, Stefanie Nadeau, lives out each day as a child growing into an adult, knowing that the only thing she will remember is the daily pain day after day.

I say it’s time for Mr. McGuinty to step up to the plate and create some room for Stefanie Nadeau and so many others who are stuck on long, unconscionable and painful waiting lists in our health care system today.

FRANK ALVAREZ

Mr. Charles Sousa: I am pleased to announce that on the morning of June 5, during this year’s Portugal Day Parade, the city of Toronto will be honouring an outstanding Canadian of Portuguese heritage, the dynamic Mr. Frank Alvarez.

Frank immigrated to Canada in 1967 and became a media icon. He is president and CEO of CIRV Radio and FPTV, Festival Portuguese Television.

Thanks to the efforts of Jose Eustaquio and the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario, Frank will be formally recognized with a street name dedication along the Dundas Street West corridor from Shaw to Ossington. This vibrant community area will be unveiled as Frank Alvarez Way.

Frank is being honoured for his tremendous contributions to the community. His leadership has inspired radiothons to support many charities that helped victims of tragic natural disasters such as the devastating floods in Mozambique and Madeira.

Frank’s exceptional service includes being co-founder of the Canada-Portugal Chamber of Commerce and the Vila Gaspar Corte Real, and past president of the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals.

Frank has been applauded for his exemplary work by many levels of government and organizations. In 1998, he was inducted into the Order of Portugal as Commendador of the order of merit, and he received the Canadian Ethnic Journalists and Writers Club award in 1999. That same year, he received a key to the city of Toronto.

His service has been recognized by others, including the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and the commemorative medal of the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.

This well-deserved unveiling of Frank Alvarez Way appropriately occurs during Portugal Week festivities. As communities around the world join and commemorate June 10 Portugal Day and Dia de Camoes, local organizations and volunteers have asked me to welcome everyone here to participate in the special occasion to honour Frank and Portugal Day.

On behalf of the Legislative Assembly and its many friends, congratulations, Frank, and happy Portugal Day.

FRUIT WINES

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to recognize the fruit wineries, who are here today for the fruit wine tasting this evening, and I want to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on the work you have done to promote great Ontario food, including fruit wine, in this Legislative Assembly.

At last year’s fruit wine tasting, we were celebrating that Bill 132, introduced by my colleague Bob Runciman, would be getting committee hearings. That bill would give fruit wineries access to more consumers by allowing fruit wines to be sold at Ontario farmers’ markets.

During committee in December, the OFA said, “Bill 132 just makes sense from a market development, rural economic development and tourism development sense.” But the Liberal members on the committee didn’t support it. They voted down every single clause of the bill, even the title.

Less than a year earlier, this Legislature unanimously gave the bill second reading. Liberal members supported it enthusiastically; not one spoke against it. In fact, the PA to the Minister of Agriculture said, “The idea falls in line with OMAFRA’s commitment to encourage rural economic development and promote innovative and unique branding and marketing opportunities for producers in this province.” But the Liberals in the committee voted it down.

Bill 132 addressed the difficulties that fruit wineries have getting their product to consumers. The current LCBO system doesn’t work for them, and they need a way to deliver their products to consumers.

This evening, I hope members will do more than just taste great Ontario fruit wines. I hope they will talk to the people who run the wineries and listen to their challenges.

CARLETON TAVERN

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: I’m pleased to rise today and share with the House a milestone for the Carleton Tavern, a landmark of the Hintonburg community in the heart of my riding of Ottawa Centre.

The Carleton is, of course, a favourite of residents and workers in downtown Ottawa for refreshments and live shows, but they also do good work for their community.

One of the most prominent events is a free, open-to-all Christmas dinner, courtesy of owners Simon and Sam Saikaley. This annual event is where many members of the community come together to celebrate the holidays and make much-needed gift donations for kids and adults in need.

The Carleton Tavern also hosts a free Thanksgiving dinner for those in our community who are less fortunate, and is frequently utilized by members of our community as a venue for grassroots fundraising and awareness events on a variety of topics.

With this great contribution to our neighbourhood, both as a place of gathering and friendship, and also as an institution that gives back, I’m pleased to commend the Carleton Tavern for their role in my community, and congratulate them on 75 successful years in Hintonburg. Keep up the good work.

FRESHWATER SUMMIT

Mr. Norm Miller: I’m pleased to announce the start of the upcoming 2010 Freshwater Summit taking place on June 1 and 2 in Parry Sound–Muskoka. This forum on fresh water seeks to highlight issues and trends surrounding the management of fresh water and will strive to develop sound policy options to deal with those issues.

The goal of the summit is to identify the stresses on inland lakes and rivers and then develop a communiqué on proper freshwater management. That communiqué will then be presented to the provincial and federal government as well as the Canadian contingent at the G8.

I am proud to announce that the summit is being hosted by the town of Bracebridge, the district municipality of Muskoka, the Muskoka Watershed Council and Nipissing University. The forum consists of six keynote speakers, including Henry Lickers, Norm Yan, David Schindler, John Smol, Maude Barlow and our Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller. A parallel summit is being held for high school students across the Muskoka region in order to educate youth about their role in protecting our fresh water.

Freshwater management is a critical issue, as it has economic, social and environmental implications. The 2010 Freshwater Summit is an important step in developing a comprehensive plan to protect our inland lakes and rivers. I would invite all those interested in the future of our fresh water to attend.

VOLUNTEERS

Mr. Jim Brownell: I rise in the House today to recognize the many volunteers from the township of South Stormont in my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry. Recently, the township of South Stormont held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Gala at the Spot Light banquet hall. Eighteen volunteer communities were represented and honoured at the event, an event that celebrates the volunteer contributions made by the countless volunteers of the township in 2009.

Robert Thompson, a resident of Ingleside, was the recipient of the 2009 Fran Laflamme Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of his long-standing volunteerism to the community. This prestigious award is presented annually by the township of South Stormont, and it honours one of the township’s outstanding volunteer members, the late Fran Laflamme. During her lifetime she was a model of volunteer commitment to community.

Robert “Bob” Thompson, a retired educator from Rothwell-Osnabruck High School, in his hometown of Ingleside, has volunteered as a youth coach and organizer for more than four decades. He is more recognized for his contributions on the hard court. Thompson has been a great advocate for youth basketball programs and continues to coach numerous teams at Rothwell-Osnabruck. He is also recognized as one of the founders and the first president of the South Stormont Sports Hall of Fame, which was established in 2005. He currently contributes his work to this committee and is an integral part of the organizing committee for the annual induction ceremony for the hall of fame.

Through their energy, creativity and thoughtfulness, our volunteers contribute in making our communities healthier places to live. Volunteerism is alive and well in the township of South Stormont.

REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

Mr. Reza Moridi: I rise in this House today to honour the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as they have just celebrated their Republic Day on May 28. Republic Day commemorates the day Azerbaijan first declared its independence from the Russian Empire in 1918, becoming the first-ever Muslim democratic republic.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was crushed by the Soviet forces in 1920. In its two short years of independence, Azerbaijan made great strides in state building, education and economic growth. The republic was even ahead of many western countries in granting the right to vote for women in 1918.

Azerbaijan’s second opportunity for freedom and independence began in 1991 after the collapse of the USSR. Modern Azerbaijan is a secular democratic republic. In recent years, Azerbaijan has reached remarkable progress in improving its Legislature, boosting the economy and reducing poverty.

The achievements of Azerbaijan were acknowledged by the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Azerbaijan is promoting trans-regional projects, first of all, in oil and gas, delivering oil and gas from the Caspian sea to global markets via a network of pipelines.

I would ask my colleagues to join me to congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on the 92nd anniversary of Republic Day and to renew our commitment to further develop and strengthen the bonds between our two peoples.

Remarks in Azerbaijani.

LARRY RUDD

Mr. Dave Levac: I’ll be seeking unanimous consent for a moment’s silence after this statement.

On May 24 at 12:30 p.m. local time, Trooper Larry John Rudd, a 26-year-old soldier, was killed by an IED in Panjwayi, near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Trooper Rudd was the fourth member of the Canadian military killed in Afghanistan in just one month. Trooper Rudd was on a routine security operation when he lost his life. He was known to his colleagues and his friends as the Gentle Giant. Someone who never complained, a friend to all, Trooper Rudd stood tall, both in his height at six foot six and in his maturity, by showing the utmost commitment, dedication and sacrifice to the Canadian Forces.

Trooper Rudd moved to Brantford at the age of 7 and made Brantford his home, where in his formative years he was a bouncer at a local bar: respected, befriended and never violent. He joined the armed forces in 2008. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons and served with the First Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment based in Petawawa, Ontario.

Trooper Rudd was the 146th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2009. Panjwayi district is the birthplace of the Taliban and is notoriously dangerous. He took it in stride. In June 2008, another Brantfordian, Captain Richard Leary, was killed there as well. Unfortunately, dozens of Canadians have been injured or killed in this district.

I can’t begin to imagine the emotions that Trooper Rudd’s family is feeling today. My thoughts and prayers at this time are with his mother, Helen Zuidema.

I deeply admire Trooper Rudd’s bravery. I had the opportunity to meet and know him, and want to take a moment for us to remember him and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and have given life and limb.

Let me offer an ancient Gaelic blessing to the family and friends in our community.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

Deep peace of the gentle night to you.

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you.

Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world, to you.

God bless Trooper Rudd.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d ask all members and guests to observe a moment of silence in memory of Trooper Rudd.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

REPORTS BY COMMITTEES

COMITÉ PERMANENT DE LA POLITIQUE SOCIALE /

STANDING COMMITTEE ON

SOCIAL POLICY

M. Shafiq Qaadri: Je demande la permission de déposer un rapport du Comité permanent de la politique sociale et je propose son adoption.

I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Social Policy and move its adoption, and send it to you by way of page Emma.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Tonia Grannum): Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:

Bill 21,

An Act to regulate retirement homes / Projet de loi 21, Loi réglementant les maisons de retraite.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Pursuant to the order of the House dated May 20, 2010, the bill is ordered for third reading.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Mr. Norman W. Sterling: I beg leave to present a report on community mental health from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and move the adoption of its recommendations.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Mr. Sterling presents the committee’s report and moves the adoption of its recommendations.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Mr. Norman W. Sterling: This is a report stemming from the auditor’s report

section 3.06, dealing with community mental health.

This report of the auditor outlined the many weaknesses with regard to the reporting and information we have about community health across the province of Ontario. I think it’s fair to say that the public accounts committee felt that there needs to be significant improvements in the information which the Ministry of Community and Social Services is receiving in order for them to make proper allocations of resources across our province.

Presently, our system is basically one of giving more money to communities that have existing mental health services. There are 330 various agencies across our province delivering these kinds of services. The committee, I think, feels—as did the auditor—that there isn’t a good enough grasp by the ministry of what services are being provided in what communities across our province. This leads, of course, to an unevenness or an unfairness in some communities, in not having the same kinds of mental health services as other communities have.

Therefore, the majority of our recommendations deal with asking the ministry to report to the committee on how they are improving their collection of information and setting benchmarks for the provision of mental health services across the province of Ontario.

It is hoped that the committee will urge the ministry to speed up its process of finding the information that is necessary, so that the ministry and future governments can be fairer in allocating resources to all communities across Ontario; so that we can ensure that it’s not just one particular community that has a service for handling a problem for one of our citizens, but that all communities across Ontario will be treated equally.

With that, I will adjourn the debate.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Mr. Sterling has moved adjournment of the debate. Is it the pleasure of the House the motion carry? Carried.

Debate adjourned.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE

AGAINST PICKETING ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 VISANT À PROTÉGER

LES GENS VULNÉRABLES

CONTRE LE PIQUETAGE

Ms. Jones moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 83,

An Act to prevent picketing of supported group living residences / Projet de loi 83, Loi visant à empêcher le piquetage devant les résidences de groupe avec services de soutien.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

Mr. Peter Kormos: On division.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Carried on division.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Ms. Sylvia Jones: The bill governs the picketing of supported group living residences in connection with labour disputes.

Section 3 of the bill would prohibit the picketing of supported group living residences where persons with developmental disabilities reside.

CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

AMENDMENT ACT

(PROTECTION OF DRUG

ENDANGERED CHILDREN), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR LES SERVICES À L’ENFANCE

ET À LA FAMILLE

(PROTECTION DES ENFANTS

MENACÉS PAR LA DROGUE)

Mr. Dunlop moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 84,

An Act to amend the Child and Family Services Act to provide protection to drug endangered children / Projet de loi 84, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les services à l’enfance et à la famille pour protéger les enfants menacés par la drogue.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: The bill amends the Child and Family Services Act to add drug-endangered children as a category of children in need of protection. A child is drug-endangered in circumstances such as those where a child is exposed to a substance that is used to illegally manufacture an illegal drug or is exposed to that manufacture or production.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

AMENDMENT ACT

(STANDING COMMITTEE

ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS FOR

HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION), 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 MODIFIANT LA LOI

SUR L’ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE

(COMITÉ PERMANENT DES COMPTES

PUBLICS SUR LES SOINS

DE SANTÉ ET L’ÉDUCATION)

Mr. Ouellette moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 85,

An Act to amend the Legislative Assembly Act to establish the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for Health Care and Education / Projet de loi 85, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur l’Assemblée législative pour créer le Comité permanent des comptes publics sur les soins de santé et l’éducation.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Mr. Jerry J. Ouellette: The bill amends the Legislative Assembly Act to establish a new Standing Committee on Public Accounts for Health Care and Education.

Being that the ministries responsible for health care and education utilize in excess of 62% of the provincial budget, this bill establishes a new committee whose sole focus is working with the Auditor General directly in completely reviewing the ministries’ operational and fiscal aspects pertaining to health care and education in the province of Ontario.

PROTECTION OF MINORS

IN AMATEUR SPORTS ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 SUR LA PROTECTION

DES MINEURS PARTICIPANT

À DES SPORTS AMATEURS

Mr. Ouellette moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 86,

An Act to provide protection for minors participating in amateur sports / Projet de loi 86, Loi visant à protéger les mineurs qui participent à des sports amateurs.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Mr. Jerry J. Ouellette: The bill enacts the Protection of Minors in Amateur Sports Act, 2010, with respect to amateur sports programs in which persons under 18 years of age may participate. An organizer of such a program is required to obtain a copy of the criminal record from a police force for every person who acts in a position in the program that involves dealing with persons under 18 years of age on a regular basis, whether or not the position is for remuneration.

If the police force is legally prohibited from releasing a copy of the criminal record, the organizer is required instead to obtain a written response to that effect. The organizer must obtain a copy of the criminal record or the written response, as the case may be, no earlier than four years before the day on which the program begins or no later than 90 days after the day on which the program begins.

The positions affected include the positions of referee, other officials, trainer or coach. A person is not allowed to hold any of these positions without consenting to have a police force release a copy of his or her criminal record to the organizer.

The minister responsible for the administration of the act can appoint investigators to enter and inspect any premises without a warrant if the investigator has reasonable grounds to believe that an organizer of an amateur sport program is using it to run the program or to store a copy of the criminal record of a person acting in an affected position in respect of the program.

It is an offence to contravene the requirements that the act imposes on organizers and affected persons.

MOTIONS

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ PUBLIC BUSINESS

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I seek unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding private members’ public business.

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

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I move that, notwithstanding order 98(g), notice for ballot item 32 be waived.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

HOUSE SITTINGS

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I move that, pursuant to standing order 6(c)(ii), the House shall meet from 6:45 p.m. to 12 midnight on Monday, May 31, 2010.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

All those in favour will say “aye.”

All those opposed will say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

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

The division bells rang from 1330 to 1335.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Ms. Smith has moved government notice of motion number 18. All those in favour will rise one at a time and be recorded by the Clerk.

Ayes

Aggelonitis, Sophia

Arthurs, Wayne

Balkissoon, Bas

Bartolucci, Rick

Bentley, Christopher

Best, Margarett

Brown, Michael A.

Brownell, Jim

Chiarelli, Bob

Colle, Mike

Delaney, Bob

Dickson, Joe

Flynn, Kevin Daniel

Gerretsen, John

Hoskins, Eric

Jaczek, Helena

Jeffrey, Linda

Johnson, Rick

Kular, Kuldip

Kwinter, Monte

Lalonde, Jean-Marc

Leal, Jeff

Levac, Dave

Mangat, Amrit

McMeekin, Ted

McNeely, Phil

Meilleur, Madeleine

Moridi, Reza

Murray, Glen R.

Naqvi, Yasir

Pendergast, Leeanna

Qaadri, Shafiq

Ramal, Khalil

Ruprecht, Tony

Sandals, Liz

Smith, Monique

Sousa, Charles

Van Bommel, Maria

Zimmer, David

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

Nays

Arnott, Ted

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Chudleigh, Ted

Clark, Steve

Dunlop, Garfield

Elliott, Christine

Gélinas, France

Hardeman, Ernie

Jones, Sylvia

Kormos, Peter

Miller, Paul

O’Toole, John

Ouellette, Jerry J.

Prue, Michael

Tabuns, Peter

Yakabuski, John

The Clerk of the Assembly (Ms. Deborah Deller): The ayes are 39; the nays are 17.

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

Motion agreed to.

VISITOR

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome in the west gallery Charles Beer, who represented York North in the 34th and 35th Parliaments. Charles, welcome back to Queen’s Park today.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

NATIONAL ACCESS

AWARENESS WEEK /

SEMAINE NATIONALE

POUR L’INTÉGRATION

DES PERSONNES HANDICAPÉES

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur: Today marks the beginning of National Access Awareness Week. It’s a time for Canadians to think about what it means to live in a society that welcomes people of all abilities.

Nous célébrons cette année le cinquième anniversaire de l’adoption de la Loi de 2005 sur l’accessibilité pour les personnes handicapées de l’Ontario par l’Assemblée législative.

When people with disabilities cannot fully participate in our community, we miss out on our own potential.

N’oubliez pas non plus les personnes âgées. La population de la province vieillit. Cela veut dire qu’un plus grand nombre de personnes vont être confrontées à des obstacles qui leur étaient étrangers auparavant.

Accessible customer service is now a requirement for our broader public sector, and 96% of Ontario’s broader public sector has either reported full compliance with the standard or is in the process of reporting.

Dans moins de deux ans, la norme d’accessibilité pour les services à la clientèle entrera en vigueur dans les entreprises privées et les organisations à but non lucratif. Nous tendons la main à ces organisations en leur fournissant les outils et l’information dont elles ont besoin pour assumer leurs engagements.

The development of the information and communication employment and transportation standards is currently under way. During the public review process, we heard consistently that businesses want the requirements of the standards to be aligned. We listened and we agree.

Notre prochaine étape consiste à incorporer les trois normes—emploi, transport, et information et communications—dans un projet de règlement rationalisé. Nous afficherons l’information au sujet de l’harmonisation de ces normes dans les prochains mois pour satisfaire au processus d’examen public.

This integrated approach will make the standards easier to understand and implement. It will offer greater flexibility and reduce costs and regulatory burden, all in keeping with our government’s Open for Business initiative.

I am also pleased to table the independent review of the AODA that was recently completed by Mr. Charles Beer, who is in the House today. From September to December 2009, Mr. Beer consulted extensively with individuals and organizations across the province. I would like to thank Mr. Beer for his dedication to this project.

Le rapport de M. Beer formule des recommandations spécifiques. Pour certaines d’entre elles, comme l’harmonisation des normes, je suis fière de vous annoncer que nous avons déjà fait de grandes avancées.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Responses?

Ms. Sylvia Jones: I rise today on behalf of Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative caucus to mark National Access Awareness Week. Each year, National Access Awareness Week encourages Canadians to think about and find ways to break down the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities.

The barrier can be a building or a space design that limits mobility; communication that limits understanding of information or lack of technology that prevents information access; potentially limiting policies and practices; and attitudes that foster discrimination. “Access” means more than just removing barriers; it means changes in attitudes and supports that allow all people with visible or invisible disabilities to be part of community life.

While this experience gave me a deeper appreciation for what people in wheelchairs experience daily, I know that I only experienced a small portion of what that experience is like. I am sure there are many other daily tasks like grocery shopping, transportation and work that are more difficult and more time-consuming, which I did not get to experience.

While we made some progress in ensuring that our elections process is fair and accessible to all Ontarians, we know we can do better, and it is incumbent on us as legislators to keep that pressure on.

Mr. Michael Prue: I listened intently to the minister, and she started by making the statement: “It’s time for Canadians to think about what it means to live in a society that welcomes people of all abilities.” I don’t disagree with that statement, but I think a much stronger statement—and the statement that should have been made—is that it’s time for Canadians and this Legislature to take all the initiatives that are necessary to make full participation a reality, and that’s what I’d like to talk about today.

It was five years ago when we were in this House that the government introduced a bill and talked about making participation a reality for everyone in Ontario. Unfortunately, I think the one drawback to that bill was that it has a 25-year time span, and 25 years is a long time for people to wait to have equality. Twenty-five years is a long time in a government’s or in any society’s life to tell people they have to wait and wait. A child born at the time that legislation was proclaimed would be finished university and starting a job, never having known what it was like to have full equality.

I stand here today saying that I celebrate the contribution of people with disabilities, but I think the government needs to do far more than simply talk about it. The government needs to do far more than just say we’re having more reports and more studies, and two years from now there are going to be some regulation changes. I believe that the government has an obligation, through the financial levers it has, to do a number of things.

The first is to start building supportive housing, especially for people who have disabilities. That would include individuals with mental health issues, addictions and disabilities of all types, so that they have supportive housing, because we very often find that people with disabilities are among our poorest citizens.

The second thing that I think the government needs to do is increase the number of supportive housing units that are available to people with disabilities. I think we need to change that ratio, so that people have full access.

We have to start looking at our attendant care legislation. For example, people with spinal cord injuries require more hours of attendant service than are currently available, and I am given to understand that most people are limited to three hours a day of attendant service once they find themselves in a chair, once they find, through spinal injures, that they’re no longer able to care totally for themselves. They are limited, most times, to three hours a day for attendant service, and I think we can do better.

We need to start looking at the inadequate Ontario disability support incomes for our most vulnerable people and those who are disabled, because right now, it’s a maximum of about $1,000 a month, which is totally inadequate to live in anything except poverty. It is tantamount, if you are disabled, for many people, to have your life lived in poverty. There’s no real way out of it. I think we need to look, if people are disabled, that we can do better than simply giving them $1,000 a month. I would suggest that if the government can find monies to bail out banks and to give tax breaks to the wealthy, then they should be able to find money for our most needy citizens.

I think the government has also removed key income supports, such as the special diet allowance, which isn’t doing much to help those who are disabled in our community.

My colleague from the Conservative Party talked about changes to the Election Act. New Democrats voted against that act, not because we didn’t like what was in the act but because we didn’t think it did enough for the disabled community. David Lepofsky came and suggested some 20 amendments that could strengthen the act so that persons with disabilities could run for office and could vote. We put forward all 20 of those amendments. Every single one of them was defeated by the government.

Accessible voting places was defeated by the government, accessible returning offices was defeated by the government, accessible ballots was defeated by the government, and accessible all-candidates meetings was defeated by the government. I think we, as a Legislature, have to say that we can do more, and we should have done more in that.

Last but not least, I want to just say that Gary Malkowski, a former member, is here, and he is advocating flashing-light smoke detectors. It’s a small item. I hope the government is listening to that one.

PETITIONS

HOSPITAL FUNDING

Mr. John O’Toole: It’s a pleasure to read a petition. It’s actually from Northumberland Hills Hospital. It reads as follows:

“Whereas the government-appointed local health integration network (LHIN) has approved a budget proposal by the Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) that includes plans to close 26 hospital beds, outpatient rehabilitation and the diabetes education clinic; and

“Whereas these cuts will leave no outpatient rehabilitation (including physio- and occupational therapy) available for patients in Northumberland county;”—Lou Rinaldi’s riding—“and

“Whereas this cut leaves all patients with insulin-dependent diabetes without education and support that is vital to prevent serious health decline; and

“Whereas these cuts will result in for-profit privatization of hospital beds and services and new user fees for patients; and

“Whereas private, for-profit, unaccredited retirement homes are not safe or appropriate to house patients who need professional nursing and health care; and

“Whereas the NHH is considered a very efficient hospital in comparison with peer hospitals and the people of west Northumberland have already made a huge sacrifice regarding hospital services;

“Therefore

be it resolved:

“That the McGuinty government act immediately to protect patients in Northumberland Hills, fund the hospital to maintain the current services, and stop the hospital bed and service cuts.”

I’m pleased to sign and support this on behalf of the coalition as well as the hospital employees.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

M me France Gélinas: I have a petition from the people of Nickel Belt.

“Whereas the Ontario government is making ... PET scanning a publicly insured health service available to cancer and cardiac patients under” certain “conditions...; and

“Whereas” since “October 2009, insured PET scans” are “performed in Ottawa, London, Toronto, Hamilton and Thunder Bay; and

“Whereas the city of Greater Sudbury is a hub for health care in northeastern Ontario, with the Sudbury Regional Hospital, its regional cancer program and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to make PET scans available through the Sudbury Regional Hospital, thereby serving and providing equitable access to the citizens of northeastern Ontario.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and send it to the Clerk with Emma.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Mr. Dave Levac: I appreciate this opportunity. This is dedicated on behalf of the hard-working members from Ancaster–Dundas–Flamborough–Westdale and Hamilton Mountain. This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas MTCU has notified Neighbour to Neighbour Centre (Hamilton) of its intent to close its employment services effective July 31, 2010;

“The Hamilton Mountain community requests that funding be continued so that Neighbour to Neighbour Centre (Hamilton) can continue to offer employment services and support to the most vulnerable in our community.”

I sign my name to this petition on behalf of those two hard-working members.

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mr. Steve Clark: I want to thank Ted Shuh and the folks from Community Living North Grenville for the petition. It’s a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas almost 12,000 Ontario citizens who have an intellectual disability are on waiting lists for residential supports;

“Whereas another 7,000 individuals are waiting for other supports;

“Whereas 80% of the 1,500 parents providing primary care for their adult children waiting for residential services are over the age of 80;

“Whereas the government of Ontario made a commitment in 2007 to provide a 2% base funding increase to agencies providing developmental services every year up to 2010-11;

“Whereas the government has decided not to provide the 2% funding increase promised for the current year;

“Whereas the failure to honour this funding commitment will cause further deterioration of supports and services for people who have an intellectual disability;

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

“That the government of Ontario reinstate the 2% base funding increase promised four years ago to service providers in the developmental services sector.”

I’ll sign the petition and present it to the table. It’s been certified and I’ll give it to page Dylan.

SERVICES DIAGNOSTIQUES

M me France Gélinas: J’ai une pétition des gens de Sudbury.

« Attendu que l’Ontario fait de la tomographie par émission de positons (TEP), un service de santé assuré par le régime public pour les patients atteints du cancer et de maladies cardiaques …; et

« Attendu que » depuis « octobre 2009, des TEP assurées » sont « effectuées à Ottawa, à London, à Toronto, à Hamilton ainsi qu’à Thunder Bay; et

« Attendu que la ville du Grand Sudbury est une plaque tournante pour la santé dans le nord-est, qui compte l’Hôpital régional de Sudbury et son programme régional de cancer, de même que l’École de médecine du Nord de l’Ontario;

« Nous, soussignés, demandons à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario d’offrir de la TEP par le biais de l’Hôpital régional de Sudbury, donnant ainsi un accès équitable aux résidents du nord-est de l’Ontario. »

J’appuie cette pétition et je demanderai au page Yidu de l’amener.

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mr. Reza Moridi: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontarians with developmental disabilities deserve a system that is fair, simple and sustainable;

“Whereas the McGuinty government passed developmental services legislation and invested nearly half a billion dollars to strengthen and expand services;

“Whereas the McGuinty government is now helping over 16,000 people with developmental disabilities live in the community, close to their families and friends;

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

“That all members of the Ontario Legislature continue to support those with developmental disabilities and their families by supporting the government and its efforts and investments in transforming this sector to create a society where people with developmental disabilities are engaged and included in their communities.”

I’ve signed this petition and I fully support it. I’ll pass it on to page Emma.

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mr. Robert Bailey: I present this petition on behalf of the member from Cambridge.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas almost 12,000 Ontario citizens who have an intellectual disability are on waiting lists for residential supports;

“Whereas another 7,000 individuals are waiting for other supports;

“Whereas 80% of the 1,500 parents providing primary care for their adult children waiting for residential services are over the age of 70;

“Whereas the government of Ontario made a commitment in 2007 to provide a 2% base funding increase to agencies providing developmental services every year up to 2010-11;

“Whereas the government has decided not to provide the 2% funding increase promised for the current year;

“Whereas the failure to honour this funding commitment will cause further deterioration of supports and services for people who have an intellectual disability;

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

“That the government of Ontario reinstate the 2% base funding increase promised four years ago to service providers in the developmental services sector.”

I agree with the petition, send it down with Caroline and sign my name as well.

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mrs. Maria Van Bommel: I’m presenting this petition on behalf of 56 of my constituents in Wallaceburg and area.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas almost 12,000 Ontario citizens who have an intellectual disability are on waiting lists for residential supports;

“Whereas another 7,000 individuals are waiting for other supports;

“Whereas 80% of the 1,500 parents providing primary care for their adult children waiting for residential services are over the age of 80;

“Whereas the government of Ontario made a commitment in 2007 to provide a 2% base funding increase to agencies providing developmental services every year up to 2010-11;

“Whereas the government has decided not to provide the 2% funding increase promised for the current year;

“Whereas the failure to honour this funding commitment will cause further deterioration of supports and services for people who have an intellectual disability;

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

“That the government of Ontario reinstate the 2% base funding increase promised four years ago to service providers in the developmental services sector.”

ONTARIO PHARMACISTS

Mr. Jerry J. Ouellette: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Tim Hudak and the Ontario PC caucus support public health care and protecting access to front-line care;

“Ontario families have already given Dalton McGuinty $15 billion in health taxes, which was wasted on the $1-billion eHealth scandal. Now the McGuinty Liberals are cutting front-line public health care and putting independent pharmacies at risk;

“Dalton McGuinty’s cuts will:

“—reduce pharmacy hours during evenings and weekends,

“—increase wait times and lineups for patients,

“—increase the out-of-pocket fees people pay for their medication and its delivery,

“—reduce critical patient health care services for seniors and people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and breathing problems;

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

“That the McGuinty government stop its cuts to pharmacies.”

I affix my name in full support.

REGISTERED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS

Mrs. Liz Sandals: I present this petition on behalf of registered marriage and family therapists from around Ontario.

“Whereas the government’s passing of the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 and the process in place to establish the new College of Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario is a great step in promoting and protecting the public when it accesses mental health services in the province; and

“Whereas the Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy represents over 800 members and over 500 of whom are registered marriage and family therapists (RMFTs); and

“Whereas RMFTs have among the highest and most rigorous training standards of any mental health professional in Ontario, which includes a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field; and

“Whereas family therapists are highly trained and uniquely qualified mental health professionals who work in hospitals, in family health teams, in family counselling agencies, in children’s centres, in addictions agencies, in mental health agencies and in private practice; and

“Whereas the public needs to be able to easily distinguish and access the most appropriate specialist within the psychotherapy profession to meet their health care needs; and

“Whereas marriage and family therapy is a distinct mental health profession and has statutory recognition and title protection in all 50 US states and the province of Quebec; and

“Whereas specialty title recognition for registered marriage and family therapists (RMFTs) that formally recognizes this mental health service as a specialized distinct and separate profession within psychotherapy will assist the public in accessing the proper qualified mental health service provider to meet their specific needs;

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

“That specialty title recognition for registered marriage and family therapists be established in Ontario.”

I will affix my signature and give this to Luke.

WIND TURBINES

Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It reads as follows:

“Whereas multiple industrial wind farm projects are being considered by the government of Ontario in the absence of independent, scientific studies on the long-term effects on the health of residents living near industrial wind farms;

“Therefore, we, the undersigned, respectfully petition the government of Ontario to put a moratorium on any renewable energy approvals for the construction of industrial wind farms in the province of Ontario until such time as it can be demonstrated that all reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects on the health of residents living near industrial wind farms have been fully studied and addressed.”

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Mr. Glen R. Murray: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas hundreds of individuals are in dire need of residential supports due to emergency and crisis situations;

“Whereas aging Ontarians who provide care for their loved ones in their family homes require support when they can no longer provide support themselves;

“Whereas the McGuinty government has supported the developmental services sector with unprecedented funding increases in past years, creating new spaces and client supports while strengthening agency base budgets and employee wages;

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

“That all members of the Ontario Legislature support those with developmental disabilities and their families by supporting the government’s decision to provide $36 million in much-needed funding to care for those in emergency or crisis situations while not reducing transfers to agencies.”

I’ll affix my signature to it.

SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED

Ms. Sylvia Jones: My petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas almost 12,000 Ontario citizens who have an intellectual disability are on waiting lists for residential supports;

“Whereas another 7,000 individuals are waiting for other supports;

“Whereas 80% of the 1,500 parents providing primary care for their adult children waiting for residential services are over the age of 70;

“Whereas the government of Ontario made a commitment in 2007 to provide a 2% base funding increase to agencies providing developmental services every year up to 2010-11;

“Whereas the government has decided not to provide the 2% funding increase promised for the current year;

“Whereas the failure to honour this funding commitment will cause further deterioration of supports and services for people who have an intellectual disability;

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

“That the government of Ontario reinstate the 2% base funding increase promised four years ago to service providers in the developmental services sector.”

I support this petition and I am pleased to give it to page Joshua.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

OPEN FOR BUSINESS ACT, 2010 /

LOI DE 2010 FAVORISANT UN ONTARIO PROPICE AUX AFFAIRES

Mr. Gerretsen, on behalf of Ms. Pupatello, moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 68,

An Act to promote Ontario as open for business by amending or repealing certain Acts / Projet de loi 68, Loi favorisant un Ontario propice aux affaires en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Further debate?

Hon. John Gerretsen: I will be sharing my time with the member from Mississauga South.

Interjections.

Hon. John Gerretsen: Thank you very much. May I continue?

I’m pleased to begin the second reading debate on our government’s proposed Open for Business Act. As I mentioned before, I’ll be sharing my time with the member from Mississauga South.

An important part of this legislation is that, if passed, it would ensure that the environment is rigorously protected while introducing a faster and more efficient approvals system. In fact, our aim is to enhance environmental protections as well as public transparency.

To accomplish both of these goals while also making Ontario a great place to do business, we simply need to modernize our approvals processes within the Ministry of the Environment. We need a smarter, faster, better system that reflects the environmental values of the 21st century and the way business is done in today’s world.

Under the current process, the Ministry of the Environment receives more than 6,000 requests for certificates of approval each and every year. Every single one of those applications is subjected to exactly the same process, even though they do not all require the same level of review. A significant number of the applications we receive are for activities that pose a low risk to the environment and to human health.

On top of that, the current system is a paper-based system that has been in effect for well over 30 years. We’ve sometimes received applications, quite frankly, that filled rooms with boxes and boxes of paper. It is clear that we need an updated system to reflect both the environmental and economic values of the 21st century.

Last September, we took the first step by eliminating a backlog of some 1,700 applications, some of which were outstanding for up to 18 months. Yet quite often, the organizations that needed these certificates were operating during the time that the approval process was taking to actually approve those certificates, and that simply wasn’t correct. Therefore, in March of this year, we launched the Ministry of the Environment’s searchable electronic certificates of approval library. This online library enhances the transparency of the certificates of approval process and makes it easier for businesses to find and access past certificates of approval.

We’ve already received a very positive response from many and numerous stakeholders on this new electronic library. Now we want to move forward with a proposed new risk-based approach to environmental approvals. The proposed legislation, if passed, would allow for the creation of a searchable online registry for activities that pose a lower risk for the environment. This would allow us to focus our resources within the ministry and efforts on the approvals process for the high-risk activities that pose the greatest threat to the environment and to our public health.

It would reduce paper and allow us to concentrate on environmental outcomes and further our goals in protecting the environment and human health. Our concerns within the Ministry of the Environment and within the government should always be about the environmental outcomes rather than the processes.

Our new approach would also increase public transparency by creating a searchable public website with detailed information on all the activities, both the high-risk as well as the low-risk ones, that are subject to approval or registration in Ontario. This web-based electronic system would make it easier for any member of the public to look up the details of any activity that might be taking place near their homes or businesses.

This would make it faster and easier for Ontarians to get the information they need without having to resort to time-consuming and costly freedom-of-information requests, which is currently the case. It will also facilitate public oversight and appeals, helping us ensure compliance with our regulations.

Let me absolutely assure this House and everyone who may be listening or watching that all registered activities will continue to be subjected to a full range of compliance tools, including audits, field inspections and orders, in order to maintain and enhance the protection of the environment and public health. There’s nothing in this bill that takes anything away from the strong protections with respect to the environment that we currently have in this province of Ontario. At the same time, the act would make it easier for businesses to work with government by introducing a more flexible and user-friendly approach that remains fully protective of our environment.

Under the current system, for example, a large manufacturing plant may require multiple approvals for emissions to air, land and water. This quite often leads to a complex process for both the manufacturer as well as the ministry. The new process that we are proposing would enable a single multi-media approval for the whole plant, covering all types of emissions. Not only would this be a more efficient way to process the application; it would also enable us to assess the plant in a holistic fashion. We would be better able to assess all of the combined impacts of the plant on the environment and on human health.

It would allow us to look at the cumulative impact on the environment that those in the environmental community, quite frankly, have been advocating for years. Now, this is not something that is as easy with the current process, since it requires several different applications and approvals for a single plant.

The new process we are proposing would clearly enhance our ability to protect our environment. The new system would also introduce operational flexibility to allow the applicant to make certain changes to their facility without having to apply for an amendment to the approval. Again, environmental protection would, as always, be paramount here, and operational flexibility would only apply if the proposed changes were within certain previously defined bounds.

These proposed innovations to the approvals process are based on our best scientific knowledge. We are far more aware today than in previous generations about how certain industrial activities that are commonplace today will impact our environment, and we are better able to adjust our approvals process so that it’s flexible while remaining fully protective of the environment.

On that note, I should add that the proposed act, if passed, would also enable us to level the playing field in terms of approvals. Under the current system, some older facilities are operating under earlier environmental approvals that, quite frankly, no longer meet our current standards.

We propose to deal with this by putting in place a periodic updating procedure requiring facilities to apply for regular reviews of their approvals. Once again, this simple step would enhance our environmental protections by ensuring that all facilities, even the older ones, are in line with the latest and best science on the issue.

This would be a modern and effective way of dealing with approvals, and it would put Ontario in line with the way the world is doing this right now. This risk-based approach is already up and run