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February 23, 2009

39th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2009-Feb-23 (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO

Monday 23 February 2009 Lundi 23 février 2009

ONTARIO BUDGET

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

PREMIER'S ATTENDANCE

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO ECONOMY

RURAL HEALTH SERVICES

CHILD PROTECTION

CHILD PROTECTION

HOSPITAL FUNDING

GREEN POWER GENERATION

TOURISM

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

HOSPITAL SERVICES

PUBLIC TRANSIT

MANUFACTURING JOBS

SMALL BUSINESS

CHILD PROTECTION

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

MORRIS NEWSPAPER GROUP

HOSPITAL FUNDING

SANTÉ WINE FESTIVAL

CARDIAC CARE

WINTERLUDE

INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

THUNDER BAY BLUES FESTIVAL

RENEWABLE ENERGY

ENERGY CONSERVATION

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

GREEN ENERGY AND GREEN

ECONOMY ACT, 2009 /

LOI DE 2009 SUR L'ÉNERGIE VERTE

ET L'ÉCONOMIE VERTE

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

PETITIONS

SALES TAX

LONG-TERM CARE

EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

HOSPITAL FUNDING

CHILD CUSTODY

SALES TAX

MULTIPLE MYELOMA

MULTIPLE MYELOMA

CHILD CARE

HOSPITAL FUNDING

FIREARMS CONTROL

LUPUS

TOM LONGBOAT

COMMUNITY MEDIATION

ORDERS OF THE DAY

FAMILY STATUTE LAW

AMENDMENT ACT, 2009 /

LOI DE 2009 MODIFIANT DES LOIS

EN CE QUI CONCERNE

LE DROIT DE LA FAMILLE

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 inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers.

ONTARIO BUDGET

Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today regarding the announcement of the budget date. The finance minister had ample opportunities last week to announce the actual date of the budget in this House, while all of the members were assembled. You would know, Mr. Speaker, from presiding in the chair during question period, that members of the PC caucus asked many budget-related questions. Instead, breaking from the custom and tradition of this chamber, he chose to announce the date of the budget in a media scrum on Thursday, February 19.

This was followed later in the day by a media advisory. The end result of these announcements is that most members of this assembly learned from the media, rather than the finance minister himself, the actual date of the delivery of the budget in this Legislature.

In your ruling of February 18, regarding the member from Oshawa's concerns, you said, "... but I will say to the Minister that it is less about the timing of the announcement outside the House yesterday and more about the fact that the announcement did take place outside the House."

In the spirit of this ruling, I ask, on behalf of my colleagues in the PC caucus, that you apply this precedent to the matter at hand. I also ask that you consider in your ruling the spirit of democracy under which the majority should rule. An overwhelming majority of our 107 elected members were not present at the media scrum to learn information to which they are entitled as MPPs.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The member opposite is correct. They did ask a variety of questions; they didn't ask the date of the budget. I went out to scrum and was asked what the date of the budget is, and we responded. This is not, in my view, a point of order. Budget dates have been announced outside of the House on many occasions, including the Magna budget announcement, which was done outside of the House, as the budget was–

Interjections.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: That plant is still open, Mr. Hudak, and you shouldn't be speculating on something like that. This is neither a point of order—it just represents an opposition that's divided, doesn't have its act together and has no plan for the economy.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order: I would just take note that last week, you did rule in this House about an announcement that was made through a question to the Minister of Infrastructure that was on the opposite side of the point of order that the opposition House leader is making today. I think they should actually determine which way they would like it.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I thank the honourable members for their comments. I anticipated that this issue may arise today and had the opportunity to confer with the table this morning prior to coming to question period. I will continue to remind members of the statement I made last week and that previous Speakers have made.

In the discussions we had this morning, the focus of that statement had been on a policy announcement being made outside of this chamber and those questions being raised within the chamber. In this instance it was the specifics of a date that were announced. I'm not going to take any further action but I do appreciate the member's bringing the issue forward.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Mr. Bill Mauro: I'd like to introduce to the assembly today, repatriated back to the city of Thunder Bay—stolen back from Burlington—the relatively new city manager, Tim Commisso.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I'm pleased to introduce the representatives of the township of Georgian Bay and some members of my constituency; so with that, I'll share this with Mr. Miller. They are all attending the ROMA conference. I'd like to introduce Mayor Jim Walden and his wife, Anita; the chief administrative officer, Brenda Black; and the public works supervisor, Rick McMaster, and his wife, Kim. Again, they're all attending the ROMA conference. Thank you very much, and welcome.

Mr. Rosario Marchese: I would like to introduce three representatives of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union who are here with us today: Brenda Wall, Roger Couvrette and Candy Lindsay. Welcome.

Mr. Khalil Ramal: I would like to introduce the president of Tourism London, Brad Rice, and also the acting director, John Winston, just here in the gallery.

Mrs. Julia Munro: I'm very pleased to be able to welcome the parents of Rachel Trow—Betty Fallis Trow, her father, Phil, her grandmother Jacky—and friends Ashley Hopper and Liz Westlake. Welcome to the assembly.

Mrs. Liz Sandals: I'm delighted today to be able to introduce representatives of the GRCA, the Grand River Conservation Authority, the best conservation authority in Ontario. We have with us today Paul Emerson, Alan Dale, Joe Farwell and Lorrie Minshall in the west gallery. Welcome.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I am delighted to introduce the members of the Black Education Awareness Committee from the Children's Aid Society of Toronto. They're joining us in the public gallery today. Their names are Tre Bailey, Teka White, Tyler Lloyd, Trina Amin, Stephanie Bedard-Dempster, Melanie Bedard-Dempster, Asher Khan, Brenda Akumu, Julia Hejazi, Crystal Adams, Tyler Bryant, Bernard Dobrovolski, Clunis Johnson, Merle Fleming, Moy Bromfield, Patricia Malcolm, Naiomi Singh, Denise Anderson, Sophia Mazurek, Clayton Greaves, Charmaine Hylton, David Henry and Michael Bowe. Welcome to all of you.

Mr. Bob Delaney: I'm very pleased to introduce Irena and Jas Rosic, the parents of page Andrej Rosic from Mississauga—Streetsville.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: It's a big day in the Legislature today: it's Tourism Day at Queen's Park today. I'm delighted to introduce, in our galleries here, the president of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, Bill Allen, as well as a variety of board members and members of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario: Terry Mundell, with the Greater Toronto Hotel Association; Tim West, the chair of the TIAO, and with the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs; Michelle Saunders, with the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association; David Hornstein, the past chair of Tourism Sault Ste.

Marie, and with Dynamic Hospitality; Garrett Klassen, the vice-president of the Federation of Bed and Breakfast Accommodation and the owner of Three Bears B&B in Elora; Beth Potter, the executive director of the Ontario Private Campground Association; Bruce Gravel, the president of the Ontario Accommodation Association; Nancy Adamo, president and owner of the Hockley Valley Resort; Susan Cudahy, general manager of the Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corp.; and John Winston, of Tourism London.

I would welcome all of our members to the reception this afternoon at 5 o'clock in the dining room, on behalf of the tourism industry.

Mrs. Maria Van Bommel: I'd like to introduce the mayor of Brooke-Alvinston, Don McGugan, and his wife, Ann. They're here for the ROMA conference, and they're from my riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

Mr. Bruce Crozier: I want to introduce somebody who is not exactly a visitor here today, but new to the world, and that is Cate Robin Crozier, who came into the world this morning at seven pounds, five ounces.

Applause.

Mr. Bruce Crozier: Mother Jolean, father David, brothers Benjamin and Cowan are doing well, as well as grandma and grandpa.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I want to take this opportunity to welcome, in the east public gallery today, students from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Scarborough, and a special welcome to my brother Joe and an extra-special welcome to my nephew Nicholas, who is here today. Welcome to Queen's Park.

PREMIER'S ATTENDANCE

Mr. Tim Hudak: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: We were told that the Premier would be in question period today, and we note that he is not. We have not been informed that he would be missing today's question period.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Government House leader?

Hon. Monique M. Smith: Sorry, I am unaware of any assurance that the Premier would be here this morning.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I'm going to go back to the government House leader. I see a note arriving.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: Thank you. As I should have known, because I was there this morning, the Premier is at OGRA/ROMA this morning. I believe the opposition was aware that he was speaking at OGRA/ROMA this morning.

Mr. Tim Hudak: With respect, it makes the functioning of us holding the government to account far better when the House leader or members opposite inform the opposition when ministers will not be available. We were notified, for example, that Minister Best would be away, that Minister Bryant would be late and that Minister Bradley had a commitment later in question period—Mr. Bryant has, in fact, arrived. We would appreciate the respect due to the official opposition by letting us know when the Premier is not going to be here in question period.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I thank the members for rising on the point of order. As much as some of you may wish, there is nothing that allows me, as Speaker, to compel the Premier or a minister to be here at question period. I just ask that, as has been done in the past, courtesy be extended about members who will or will not be in attendance.

It is now time for oral questions.

ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO ECONOMY

Mr. Tim Hudak: In the absence of the Premier, I will direct to the Minister of Finance. Minister, while other Premiers were announcing—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Member from Niagara West—Glanbrook—and I appreciate the efforts of the armchair Speakers on the other side—we have the custom within this Chamber of not making reference to people being or not being here during questions.

Mr. Tim Hudak: I have a question to the Minister of Finance. While other Premiers were announcing economic stimulus plans, Premier McGuinty visited your hometown—a community beset by the highest unemployment rate in all of Canada and plunging real-estate values—to speak to the chamber of commerce, where he gave this deep economic insight: "We're going to be okay." He topped that on November 27, 2008, when he told Ontario families worried about their jobs or their ability to pay their mortgage to go out and buy a fridge to kick-start the economy.

Minister, can you inform the Legislature how many jobs were lost since the Premier dispensed this pearl of economic wisdom?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: Well, having been at the speech, I can tell you that the Premier received a standing ovation at the end of his speech. The Premier reminded the Windsor Chamber of Commerce that three weeks earlier, the city of Windsor had received $21 million in infrastructure money, which that member voted against. The Premier reminded the audience that when Saskatchewan announced a $500-million infrastructure program for 2007-08, we did $9.9 billion. When Nova Scotia released its economic update, they said they'd wait until after the federal budget to address issues; we did a full fall update.

President Obama is going to speak about the American economy tomorrow and his budget for a fiscal year that began last October. This government is the only government that has introduced budgets and fall statements on time, before the beginning of fiscal years. Our government's record on infrastructure—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Mr. Tim Hudak: How soon the minister forgets. He promised us an early budget only a few weeks ago; now we find out it's the last Thursday of the fiscal year. I'm here to say that the minister probably mistook a standing ovation in Windsor for the growing number of people lined up at the unemployment office down the streets of his home community.

Minister, when the PCs were in office, our pro-job-creation policies helped create 1.2 million jobs in the province of Ontario, a record that stands to this day. Since Dalton McGuinty talked about going out and buying fridges, durable goods sales have plummeted in Ontario and 105,000 Ontarians lost their jobs. What Ontario families worried about their mortgage and jobs want to see is a leader in the Premier's office. Instead, they're seeing a deer caught in the headlights.

When are we going to see some action to revive our economy, or are you looking for more jobs as Dalton McGuinty roadkill?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: After the Premier gave his speech to the Windsor chamber, we attended the Ford retraining centre, which this government set up to help displaced workers. The Conservative members who laughed about unemployed people in Windsor ought to be ashamed of themselves. We set up a skills training program—$1.5 billion—that is helping unemployed people across Ontario. That member and his party voted against it. The one thing unemployed workers in Windsor need today is earlier and more access to employment insurance. His friends in the Conservative Party in Ottawa said no to that at the very time they should have been endorsing it.

This government has laid out a plan to deal with the world financial crisis; that party is nothing but hot air and smoke. We'll continue to speak for the unemployed in Windsor and right across Ontario.

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

Mr. Tim Hudak: I don't know what the finance minister himself is smoking. What we're laughing at over here is a Premier confronted by families worried about their jobs and mortgages, and they hear the Premier telling them to go out and buy a fridge. They hear a Premier say, "Steel yourselves." They hear a Premier say, "Don't worry; we're going to be okay." What a bunch of horse feathers. They want to see a leader in the Premier's office, not some third-rate inspirational speaker.

Minister, PC policies of lowering the tax and the red tape burden helped create some 1.2 million jobs in the province of Ontario. What you claim to create in five years, we created in one. I want to see you get off your duff, bring forward a budget, help businesses create jobs and bring this province out of the have-not status that you dragged it into.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: The member opposite must be missing the world financial crisis and what's going on. To compare the situation to the late 1990s is an absolute absurdity.

But let's see what the Tories have said about job hiring. On the weekend, John Tory laid out his sixth five-point plan. In fact, it's a three-point plan when you look at it. In it, he very clearly says that government shouldn't be spending on stimulus to create jobs, that we shouldn't be hiring in the government. We reject that. We reject your leader, and we reject your policies. I guess they had a bit of a celebration of Mike Harris last weekend, and let me tell you, we reject that. We reject that whole ideology.

Our government has invested in infrastructure. Our government has invested in training. Our government has invested in targeted tax cuts. Our government has invested in red tape reduction. That member and his party have no plan, no vision—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. The member from Kitchener—Waterloo.

RURAL HEALTH SERVICES

Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer: My question is for the Minister of Health, in the absence of the Premier.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Do I need to remind the member again about making references to attendance?

Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It's just that we weren't informed.

Minister of Health, there is growing fear and trepidation in rural Ontario about your government's clandestine plans to close emergency rooms and beds and eliminate services. In fact, the rural mayors are in Toronto this week to ask you about your policy on rural hospitals. Despite your Premier's promise not to cut services, we now know about your plans to close the emergency rooms in Port Colborne and elsewhere. Can you tell the people in rural Ontario: What is your plan for rural health?

Hon. David Caplan: I thank the member for the question in the absence of the Leader of the Opposition. I had a very constructive—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): There is a Leader of the Opposition who is here, and the same reminder that I just gave to the honourable member I give to the Minister of Health. These silly games need to come to an end.

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: He's a silly person.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member from Halton will withdraw the comment that he just made, please.

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: Withdraw.

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

Minister of Health.

Hon. David Caplan: I can tell the House and the member opposite that today I had a very good and constructive meeting with the mayor of Port Colborne, in fact outlining the various steps that this government is taking relating to strengthening investments in health care, in Niagara in particular, but also right across the province. So far, $62 million invested in small and rural hospitals since 2003; more than 130 foreign-trained doctors are today working in—

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

Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer: To the health minister again: The residents of Lindsay and surrounding communities are also concerned about the possibility that there will be cuts made—in particular, the cut to the mental health unit at Ross Memorial Hospital. We've seen this happen at Rouge Valley. I ask the minister today: Will you guarantee that the mental health unit at Ross Memorial Hospital will not be closed or any services reduced?

Hon. David Caplan: I don't know where the member comes up with these scaremongering tactics. The only people who have closed facilities are that member and her colleagues opposite when they were in the privilege of serving as the government of Ontario. In fact, they cut and closed thousands of beds across the province. They fired 6,000 nurses. Coming into office, in their first two years, they cut 7.5% from health care spending right away. And it gets worse, because it is the avowed position of the member opposite and her colleagues to cut another $3 billion in health care funding.

I say that Ontarians have rejected that approach. Ontarians want an approach which encourages more investment, as we have seen: a 37% increase in health care spending under this government, and we're going to continue to hire more nurses, hire more doctors, expand services and, in fact, provide better quality of care—

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

Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer: Maybe the member opposite would like to read the editorial in the Toronto Star from Saturday about what happened 20 years ago to the Peterson government and the emergency room crisis. I say to you today, Mr. Minister: Letters are flooding in from all over rural Ontario. They refer to the decimation of our public health system. I've got them right here.

I would say to you: Are you today prepared to share with the people in this province, the mayors and the councillors who are gathered here for the first time in about six years, what your plan is for rural Ontario hospitals?

Hon. David Caplan: As I indicated in the answer to the first question, so far, to date, $62 million invested in small and rural hospitals; more than 130 foreign-trained doctors currently working in underserviced communities; 44 family health teams, in service to over 1,000 rural Ontarians; $1 million for new tuition fees for new rural nurses; and 19 new community health centres and satellites in rural communities.

That stands in stark contrast to the efforts and the record of the member opposite, who cut services in those communities, who supported the work of the Health Services Restructuring Commission as they went from community to community closing and slashing their services. This member fired nurses. Her Premier called them hula-hoop workers.

This government is hiring more nurses. This government is having more doctors in—

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

CHILD PROTECTION

Mr. Howard Hampton: My question is for the Deputy Premier.

The Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth tells us that 90 children a year are dying in Ontario's child welfare system. The children and youth advocate further says that this number of deaths in Ontario's child welfare system is too high by any standard.

My question is this: How does the McGuinty government explain the deaths of 90 of the most vulnerable children each year in Ontario's child welfare system under the McGuinty government's watch?

Hon. George Smitherman: To the Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I want to start by thanking the advocate for his work.

Every death of a child is a tragedy. These 90 deaths are 90 separate tragedies. I can assure the member opposite that we take them very, very seriously. We work with the chief coroner every time there is a death reviewed. We take it very seriously and make sure that we take the steps necessary to prevent future deaths.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Mr. Howard Hampton: The minister says that the McGuinty government takes this situation seriously. This has been going on for some time. The McGuinty government has presided over this for five and a half years. It means that more than 500 children have died in Ontario's child welfare system while the McGuinty government says that it takes the problem seriously and is doing what it can to address it. How can that be? How can this be happening every year—90 of the most vulnerable children dying? How does the McGuinty government explain five and a half years of inaction while 90 of the most vulnerable children are dying a year?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I would urge the member opposite to carefully read the pediatric death review committee report. I think it would be a mistake that none of us would want to make to interpret these results differently than our coroner has reported to us.

Let me just tell you about some of the changes that we have taken as a result of the pediatric death review committee report. One of the big factors when it comes to infant death is sleeping arrangements. When my children were young, we put them on their tummies with toys and stuffed animals. That is no longer understood to be the best way to put a child to sleep, so now we train child protection workers and parents so that they understand that the safest way to put a child to sleep is on their back, without any of the toys. That is making a difference—

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

Mr. Howard Hampton: The fact remains that under this government's watch, 90 of the most vulnerable children a year, children who've been taken under the control of child welfare agencies, are dying.

The child and youth advocate makes it very clear: He says that most of these deaths were preventable. These are suicides. Some of them are homicides. Some of them are situations involving children between the ages of 12 and 18 years old which clearly could have been prevented.

How does the McGuinty government justify presiding over this situation year after year after year while the most vulnerable children are dying under your watch and under your control?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Let me repeat: We take each death very, very seriously. When we think about kids who die from suicide, that is something we take extremely seriously. That's why, in the support that we are providing for crown wards and kids in care, we take their mental health very seriously. We've funded community partnerships between CASs and mental health agencies.

I'm not going to, for one minute, pretend that everything is perfect. The number of deaths of kids in care has actually remained constant since 1991.

We are continuing to make improvements. Last week, I was with the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announcing yet another step in our transformation of child welfare to improve outcomes for kids in care.

These kids are our kids. These kids belong to all of us—

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

CHILD PROTECTION

Mr. Howard Hampton: The McGuinty government says that you're doing all you can to prevent this, but the child and youth advocate sees it quite differently.

Interjections.

Mr. Howard Hampton: To the same minister, Speaker.

In fact, just this past December, the child and youth advocate had to go to court and fight the McGuinty government to gain access to an investigation report from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, your ministry. The child advocate's report makes it clear that this kind of stonewalling by the McGuinty government is repeated and repeated.

Tell me: if the McGuinty government is doing all that it can to protect these children, why is the McGuinty government continuing to stonewall the efforts of the child and youth advocate, who is only trying to do his job and protect these children?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I'm very happy to be able to actually report to the member opposite that in fact a protocol agreement has been signed between the advocate and our ministry so that the information will flow. We obviously have to respect privacy considerations. When we made the office an independent office, which I think was the right thing to do, we had to ensure that privacy considerations were addressed. In fact, today the advocate is meeting with members of my ministry staff to ensure a smooth implementation of that protocol.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Howard Hampton: Today, after the child advocate releases his report, after the child advocate has had to go to court to fight the McGuinty government, after 500 children have died under the McGuinty government's control, suddenly the McGuinty government says, "Oh, we have to get together and talk." But this is not the first time that the child advocate has made these points. To quote him, "These are obviously very critical documents for the understanding of the events leading to the death of the child or youth, and entirely necessary for the work of the advocacy office."

Why again, when these documents are needed, when the child advocate is simply trying to do his job for this Legislature and protect these children, is the McGuinty government doing everything it can to inhibit the work of the child advocate?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I just completely reject the premise of the leader of the third party. My ministry shares the concern for kids that the advocate exemplifies. I have tremendous respect for the work he does. I have tremendous respect for the person he is. His background speaks volumes about his concern for the most vulnerable children. I think he was a brilliant choice as a child and youth advocate for this Legislature.

We are working very hard to work with him. As I said, today he is meeting with my ministry officials to talk about the flow of information. We had to work hard to reach that protocol agreement, but it's important that the privacy of children and youth is respected as we go through this.

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

Mr. Howard Hampton: More words from the McGuinty government, but they're just words. This is what the Premier had to say a year ago: "We accept our responsibility to do more to help the poor, and poor children in particular. If it's not simply a moral imperative, it's a matter of enlightened self-interest. If our children do well, then we all stand to do well."

But here's what the child advocate had to say yesterday. He says he is "struggling ... to build working relationships within the ministry itself." He says of the McGuinty government, "It's hard to tell what is smoke and mirrors and what isn't," because you continue to try to inhibit him from doing his work.

I say again, this is not about whether the child advocate is credible or whether he's a good person. This is about the McGuinty government's failure: 500 children in five and a half years, and the child advocate says you continue to do all you can to stonewall his work and make it difficult for him to protect children. Why?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I would suggest that the member opposite actually look at the report. It's dated December 31, 2008, and he says that as of this writing, we are working on reaching that protocol. In fact, we have reached that protocol, and we are implementing that protocol as we speak.

I think it's important to note that according to the coroner, the death in most cases was not a preventable death by the CAS, and the CAS involvement was not a factor in the deaths. That is not to say that any death is an acceptable death, but I think it's important what you infer from this report.

I also think it's important to contrast our position with the position of the NDP. When you were in office, you cut CAS staff. In fact, the number of CAS staff has gone up by 20% since we were elected, and that is because we take our—

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

HOSPITAL FUNDING

Mr. Frank Klees: My question is to the Premier, and it relates to a question that I asked him last week. It deals with the issue of downloading provincial health care costs to the municipalities.

York region passed a measure that adds $12 million for hospital capital costs to the local tax base for property taxpayers. John Taylor, the regional councillor for York region and a former Liberal candidate, said that this is essentially "voluntary downloading," raising the fact—and he said specifically—that "this is really a provincial responsibility."

So I ask once again, on behalf of taxpayers in York region: Why is the provincial government downloading essential hospital costs to taxpayers in York region?

Hon. George Smitherman: I have utmost respect for my honourable friend, and indeed for John Taylor as well, but I think they misunderstand some elements of history on the file of community contributions for purposes of health care capital construction. When Elizabeth Witmer—when the member from Kitchener—Waterloo—

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

Hon. George Smitherman: —was Minister of Health, the funding relationship on capital projects was either 50-50—provincial, community—or, at the highest, 70% provincial, 30% community. We've raised that to 90%.

There is, inherent in the construction of new hospitals, a recognition that communities should and must be involved. In the case of York region, rather than relying only on contributions from individuals and businesses in the community, the region has decided to take a leadership position to raise those resources through the tax base. I see that as leadership. There are other models and mechanisms, but at all times there's a community—

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

Mr. Frank Klees: East Gwillimbury Mayor Jamie Young agrees with York regional councillor and former Liberal candidate John Taylor that what is happening in York region is fundamentally wrong. The fact is that this government slapped a new health care tax levy on people across the province, including people in York region, under the guise that it would pay for growing health care costs. We know full well that this government has abandoned fast-growing communities because they are not funding their rightful amount of costs.

In the past, yes, it's true that communities have raised costs to help with capital construction. However, we in York region are growing at the rate of 35,000 people a year, and this government is not keeping up to that rapid growth; they know they're underfunding health care. Why now are they insisting that the local municipality download costs onto the property taxpayer that he knows they should be paying?

Hon. George Smitherman: The honourable member sure does stretch himself into a pretzel with some of what he has to say. He talks about not funding growth in high-growth regions as if he can't see that in Richmond Hill there's a great big construction crane adding an element to the hospital. It's as if the honourable member doesn't know that in the last five years, a small hospital in York region, in Newmarket, has emerged as one of our biggest and has under way at the moment a regional cancer centre.

It's as if he doesn't know that in Brampton, at Credit Valley, at Trillium hospital, in Oshawa and in Ajax at present, there is hospital construction under way. And it's as if the honourable member from York region doesn't know that new hospital construction will begin very soon in Markham, and that work is under way to build on the community health centre that's already under construction in Vaughan, with new health care facilities. Our government has constructed more hospitals in the last five years than the last five governments in the province of Ontario.

GREEN POWER GENERATION

Mr. Paul Miller: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development. January's job numbers from Stats Canada show a collapsing job market, with 71,000 jobs lost in January alone. Over 300,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost over the past four years.

The NDP is a strong supporter of green energy jobs, but we also know that without a strong buy-Ontario component to the new act, green energy manufacturing jobs will be created in Europe and the USA.

Will the green energy act, Minister, require wind turbines, solar panels and other green energy components and inputs to be manufactured in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Michael Bryant: To the Minister of Energy.

Hon. George Smitherman: I want to thank the honourable member for the question. I really appreciate his anticipation of the introduction later today of the Green Energy Act. It's a comprehensive piece of legislation that, amongst other things, does carve out the capacity to establish by regulation domestic content guidelines on a case-by-case basis. Wind turbines and biogas may reflect different opportunities to build an Ontario supply chain, and the piece of legislation will most certainly give us the opportunity to do that.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Mr. Paul Miller: The problem is that the government is really off to a bad start on this issue. Of the 2,200 estimated jobs to be created by the six new wind farm projects announced in late January, there are absolutely no manufacturing jobs being created with them. According to the energy ministry staff, the jobs are primarily short-term construction jobs, with some ongoing maintenance and operations work. Any energy project, green or not, will create some short-term construction jobs.

I repeat: Will the Green Energy Act require wind turbines, solar panels and other green energy inputs to be manufactured in the province of Ontario, or will most of the 50,000 new jobs go to the United States or Europe?

Hon. George Smitherman: The 50,000 new jobs associated with the Green Energy Act over the course of three years do most certainly depend upon the creation of enhanced manufacturing capacity in the province of Ontario. This will be substantially aided by the legislation itself, which will have domestic content provisions, if supported by the Legislature.

On that point, I do believe that when my honourable friend has an opportunity to review the legislation when presented, if passed, he will see the opportunities to build a much greater domestic supply chain in the province of Ontario.

We have wind turbines rising up to provide energy from what the wind has to offer. We want to make sure that they're standing on steel that has been milled by the good people of Sault Ste. Marie and by the good people of Hamilton. I think that's one of the reasons that the honourable member, I hope, will be encouraged to find support for today's forthcoming Green Energy Act.

TOURISM

Mr. Bruce Crozier: My question is for the Minister of Tourism.

Minister, recently a report was presented to you entitled Discovering Ontario: A Report on the Future of Tourism, by the member for Vaughan, who last year was appointed to chair the tourism competitiveness study. The chair met with tourism operators and other stakeholders throughout the province to hear what they had to say on how to improve the industry. In fact, I am aware that the chair heard from Windsor Essex Trolley Tours, the convention bureau of Windsor-Essex county and the township of Pelee, and the town of LaSalle.

Now that the report is complete and the recommendations have been provided to the minister, I ask the minister to provide this House with the next steps the province will be taking with regard to this report.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I'd like to thank our new grandpa, the member for Essex, for the question this morning.

It being Tourism Day at Queen's Park, it also gives me a great opportunity to thank again the member for Vaughan, Greg Sorbara, and his team, who did such a great job in preparing the report that the member for Essex was referring to.

We're currently reviewing the report. It is a very substantial report, with 20 recommendations that are going to have a great impact on the entire tourism industry across the province.

Many of those who participated in the consultations in the drafting of this report are here today with us in the Legislature, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them.

This study was commissioned by our government to take a total overview of the tourism industry. We committed to this study in our 2007 election platform, and I'm very proud that within two years we've delivered on this study. We involved over 500 stakeholders in 13 public consultations across the province, including in the areas of Windsor, Niagara Falls—

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

Mr. Bruce Crozier: As the minister mentioned, the chair's recommendations in the competitiveness study are advice to our government, and his report contains suggestions to help government work with the tourism sector.

In the report, the chair proposes several recommendations on how to strengthen the tourism industry. The second recommendation outlined in the report, as a matter of fact, is to establish tourism regions to better coordinate tourism marketing and management across the province.

I know of tourism marketing organizations that exist to promote my riding, such as the convention bureau of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island. I ask the Minister: How would this recommendation, if implemented, affect these local organizations and initiatives?

Hon. Monique M. Smith: Thanks again to the member for Essex. I had the opportunity to meet with the good people in the town of LaSalle this morning at OGRA/RAMA. There was a lot of interest around this study and around some of the recommendations in this study, particularly one about the creation of regions.

Tourism in Ontario is an economic driver, and it's important for everyone in this Legislature and for the people of Ontario to understand what an economic driver it is. We are looking, through this report, to create regions across the province, and to provide more support to our regions in order for them to market themselves across the province and around the world. We want to create strong regions and strong organizations within those regions. We will be consulting closely with our industry partners across the province as we work in co-operation with our industry partners to create these regions and organizations.

Again, I want to thank the chair for drafting this report for us. I want to thank the many, many stakeholders and private citizens across the province who provided the—

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

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development. Minister, you're aware that the auto agreements in the United States keep coming to fruition; they keep moving down that road. What we hear from your ministry and what we hear from you is that we're still negotiating.

In 30 days, President Obama put together the most comprehensive stimulus program that the world has ever seen. In that same time, Ontario announced that our budget is going to be delayed by 30 days. There's a timeliness associated with these things, and we have to move down the road in concert with the United States and keep in lockstep with them.

Minister, can you tell us if the negotiations are going on well, and can you also tell us whether or not the legacy costs of the automotive industry are on the table?

Hon. Michael Bryant: The member asks a very good question. This is the challenge that the companies are facing because of the huge risks that would take place with respect to either filing under

Chapter 11 or CCAA. The effort is to undertake a massive restructuring outside of that scenario that requires the companies to address their legacy costs.

The plans that were submitted by General Motors, quite comprehensively, and Chrysler, in a more compact form, sought to address that. The government of Ontario continues to work with the federal government and the auto companies. There is an exchange of information. It is satisfactory to date. Yes, this is the second round of negotiations. They have provided an ask, which doesn't necessarily mean that that is what the government is going to provide, and we will continue—

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

Mr. Ted Chudleigh: To the same minister: I think I heard that the legacy costs are on the table, along with many other issues. Minister, are you aware that those legacy costs could amount to as much as $40 billion of Canadian and Ontario taxpayers' dollars? Are you willing to go down that road?

Hon. Michael Bryant: I can safely say that there will absolutely not be a $40-billion give from Canada to those auto companies. So, no, that ain't going to happen.

North American-wide, the decision that the United States makes is going to be one in which we collaborate significantly with Canada, but the situation that we have here is a proportion of the North American industry at large. What Canada wants to obtain is proportionate and continued viable growth by these companies, in exchange for a proportionate loan or other delivery of financial assistance that the government may negotiate with these companies.

So that number that you threw out there is in a different stratosphere. What we're trying to do is deal with the Canadian issues, on Canadian terms, in a very Canadian—

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

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Mr. Rosario Marchese: A question to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities: In October 2008, the McGuinty government changed the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act to recognize a worker's right to join a union and take

part in collective bargaining. From January 19 to February 5, more than 3,500 people voted at 60 college locations around Ontario to see if they wished to join the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. These workers, however, are being denied the results of their own vote. Ontario's community colleges are blocking the votes from being counted. They are using every option available to stop part-time and sessional faculty from knowing the results of their legal vote. Will the government call on the colleges to drop their opposition to counting the votes and support the democratic rights of their employees?

Hon. John Milloy: To the Minister of Labour.

Hon. Peter Fonseca: First, I want to commend the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for bringing forward the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, 2008.

I want to say to the member opposite that this government is committed to restoring balance and fairness to labour relations in Ontario. That is what we have done for the last five years, working with trade unions, working with employers and working with the employees.

The collective bargaining for college employees is governed by MTCU. The matter that the member brings forward is before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment because the matter is before the board.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Mr. Rosario Marchese: It seems to me that this government supports the existence of democratic rights but not their actual implementation. You know what, Minister? I believe that you don't mind the delay in this process. In fact, I think you would be very happy if these workers were denied their rights until after the next election.

In light of your enthusiasm for your own bill, I hope you would prove me wrong today. Will this government honour its own legislation and instruct the colleges to drop their opposition and count the votes?

Hon. Peter Fonseca: Just to repeat to the member, we were the ones who introduced this piece of legislation. I would hope the member doesn't want me to presuppose what the board's decision will be. Right now, it is before the board.

What I can tell the member is that we work very closely on labour relations. Our ministry is always there to assist with our mediators. We have the best labour relations in this province that we have seen in the last 30 years. That is bringing stability. It is bringing fairness. It is working with our partners, our employers, our labour unions and our employees.

Allow the board to do its work, I say to the member, so that we can continue with the type of labour relations we have had over the last five years and continue to build on that.

HOSPITAL SERVICES

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Many Ontarians feel they are waiting too long to receive care in hospital emergency rooms. I know it's a problem that is not isolated to this province alone. Patients across the country are having similar complaints. I also know it's a challenging problem. Wait times in emergency rooms depend on a number of factors: what other options exist in the community, the number of available beds in a hospital, the number of health care professionals who are able to work, and the list goes on.

Ontarians are eager to see ER wait times come down. Can the Minister of Health tell the House what he is doing to reduce the amount of time that Ontarians spend waiting in hospital ERs?

Hon. David Caplan: I'd like to thank the member from Ottawa Centre for his question and for his advocacy, because, in fact, most recently this government has begun setting targets for time spent in emergency departments. As Dr. Eric Letovsky, head of Credit Valley Hospital's emergency department, said recently, "This is really the first time we've seen government make emergency wait times a political priority."

Since our government was elected in 2003, we've launched a number of initiatives to help reduce emergency department wait times, including a $109-million emergency department strategy. We're helping patients learn about health care services in their communities other than emergency rooms where they can go to get care. We have accomplished this through our new website called Your Health Care Options. We're creating more family health teams and nurse-practitioner-led clinics. We're paying hospitals incentives to improve ER performance. We're addressing the alternative-level-of-care challenge, combined—

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

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: I'm glad to hear that the government is taking steps to reduce ER wait times, and I'm pleased that the minister has decided to take measures on the amount of time Ontarians have to spend in the ER and set wait-time targets. Still, looking at the hospital in my riding of Ottawa Centre, I'm concerned. The total time patients will have to wait in the ER at the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital is above the provincial target. Though I know the hospital is working hard to meet the newly established goals, I also know that my constituents are no doubt concerned about the length of time they may have to wait to get there.

Can the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care explain why he decided to publicly report the length of stay in Ontario's ERs, and when Ontarians can expect to see progress?

Hon. David Caplan: When Ontarians need to use an emergency department, we want to make sure that they can get fast, appropriate and a high quality of care as quickly as possible. We're beginning to report on how long Ontarians may have to wait in a provincial emergency room because we govern on the principle that if you track it, you can improve it. We're committed to improving hospital emergency department wait times in this province. There is no doubt in my mind that meeting these targets will take time, but I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing from our hospitals.

Dr. Naveed Mohammad, site chief of emergency at Brampton Civic Hospital said, "The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and our LHIN are taking a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to improving things. This is something we will solve but we will solve over time. I am confident that as the data comes out every few months, you will notice that things are getting better." I agree with Dr. Mohammad. I know that with our continued investment and support, Ontario's hospitals—

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

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is for the finance minister. On December 2, the Premier wouldn't commit to funding Ottawa's $278 million in shovel-ready projects like the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge and rapid transit routes, yet you've been hoarding $200 million, first promised in 2004. Since then, times have changed. We're in a massive recession and we need to bolster transit after our strike. Your government has a responsibility to kick-start our local economy and move Ottawa's transportation plan forward.

Will you put your money where your mouth is and work with the other levels of government to fund projects like the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: As much as I would like to take the response, I'll pass it to the Minister of Infrastructure.

I could tell my honourable friend—I know she has a good relationship, as I do, with the federal minister for transportation with responsibility for infrastructure—that a quiet conversation with Minister Baird might provide the honourable member with some backdrop for the extent to which we're all very committed to finding solutions that can advance on the much-needed public transit infrastructure investments in the nation's capitol.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I appreciate the minister speaking with me, but I have had conversations with both levels of government over the weekend and they are concerned. It's now been three months since the city set its priorities; it has been over five years since your government first promised $200 million to Ottawa, yet it has not flowed. How can we trust any commitment your government is going to make with respect to infrastructure if it has taken five years for $200 million to flow?

Your days of making phony photo-ops are over with. We're in a recession and we need you to act. When are you going to let 2004's money flow so that shovels will be in the ground for the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge and other transit priorities in the city of Ottawa, or is that $200 million just a broken promise?

Hon. George Smitherman: The honourable member used the word "phony" in her question. She ought to practise her questions like other members of the opposition do, in front of the mirror, because the word applies rather well here, as if none of us know that the Ottawa community itself, the city of Ottawa, had been struggling somewhat with what their transit priorities are. We have been waiting patiently, as one that's very, very eager to participate in these projects. Not that bridge project; we've been clear on that.

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

MANUFACTURING JOBS

Mr. Paul Miller: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development. Bauer Industries, a 120-year-old manufacturer in Waterloo, without any warning told its employees not to come back to work until further notice. Many Bauer employees have given 25, 30 and more years of their labour to this employer but were shut out without their last week's pay, without their severance, without their record of employment. What is the government's plan to help Bauer Industries and these long-term workers?

Hon. Michael Bryant: I obviously want to agree with the member and thank him for raising this issue, in the sense that this is a heck of a time for those people. They're going through a heck of a time. The lack of information, the jolt of losing their job, the impact on their families and communities must be enormous. I appreciate that the member's doing everything he can to assist, and certainly, on behalf of the government, I want to make the same commitment.

The individuals, the workers, may be eligible for some assistance working through the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and I'm happy to follow up with the member on that. In addition to that, the work with the federal EDC or BDC or the existing funds here in the province of Ontario—if there is a way in which we can provide assistance to the companies so as to provide them with a jump-start within the criteria that exist, I'm more than happy to do that.

Mr. Paul Miller: Thank you, Minister, for your concern. However, the government has failed these employees, with scant protection for their hard-earned wages and severance.

In 2007, I tabled Bill 6,

An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000, to provide for an Employee Wage Security Program, which would provide these workers with their earned wages and severance. This government has deliberately held Bill 6 off the table of a standing committee, and these hard-working employees of Bauer face a long, drawn-out, costly process to try and get their money back. Will this government finally stand up for workers in Ontario and bring Bill 6 onto the committee agenda for public consultations and hearings immediately?

Hon. Michael Bryant: I'm going to refer that supplementary to the Minister of Labour.

Hon. Peter Fonseca: As the Minister of Economic Development said, it is always very difficult when somebody loses their job—the impact on the individual, their families and the community. The ministry has been working with the federal government on the wage earner protection program, which is now in force. I've also written to the federal Minister of Labour. I know that my colleagues Minister Bentley and Minister Duguid also wrote to the Minister of Labour, because when it comes to bankruptcies and insolvencies, it does fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

The wage earner protection program will go a ways to helping employees who have unfairly lost their jobs, but we want to get more for them, and that's why we're working with the federal government to see if they can enhance those programs.

SMALL BUSINESS

Mr. Jean-Marc Lalonde: My question is for the Minister of Small Business and Consumer Services. Minister, every day we see stories in the paper about the challenges that businesses are faced with in the current economic climate. Some businesses are closing, and others are struggling to stay open.

What is the government of Ontario doing to support small businesses in these tough economic times?

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar: I want to thank the member from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for asking this question. I also want to thank him for actually doing a lot for the small businesses when he was the chair of the Small Business Agency of Ontario.

Our government has a lot of programs and services that we provide to small businesses. I know these are tough economic times, because of the global crisis, for our families and also for our businesses.

But I want to talk especially about one program which we have, which is the Ontario craft brewers opportunity fund. This is a program that we introduced to assist the small brewers in our local communities who provide a very useful service and add a lot of value to the local communities. This is an $8-million fund over a four-year period, and some of the breweries that operate in our province and provide a very useful service are eligible for this fund. I would be more than pleased to—

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

Mr. Jean-Marc Lalonde: Minister, the craft brewers opportunity fund is a great initiative by the McGuinty government, and the government should be applauded for recognizing that it is important to help these small businesses succeed. Recently I was at Beau's Beer, the best beer in eastern Ontario, the all-natural brewing company in Vankleek Hill, to announce their funding grant. Can you tell us who is eligible and if any other grants have been made?

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar: I want to thank the member again for asking this question. There are 40 craft brewers in our province, and they contribute between 15% and 20% of the jobs of the Ontario brewing industry and produce about 300,000 hectolitres of beer annually. These are quality products that they produce in our local communities, and they contribute a great deal to our communities as well.

In the first phase of this program we already distributed the funds, and my colleagues from Kitchener—Conestoga and Kitchener Centre made the announcement for the Brick breweries in Kitchener. Also, my colleague from Huron—Bruce made the announcement at Steelback Brewery in January. Overall, we have paid about $1.79 million to 33 breweries who are eligible under this fund, and this is a program that will assist them greatly to do the kind of work they do in our local communities—

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

CHILD PROTECTION

Mrs. Julia Munro: My question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services. The Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth released his annual report today, called 90 Deaths: Ninety Voices Silenced. He asked the question: Why did 90 children die in care in 2007? The only things standing in the way of his answering the question are your ministry and your government. Last year he had to sue you to get the information he needed to protect children. In response to an earlier question this morning, you referred to the protocol as a current work in progress. However, the advocate says in his report that the protocol speaks to the process, not the information itself.

Will you guarantee that this new protocol will give the advocate all the information he deems necessary?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I think it's important to note that the advocate's report that highlights the death of 90 children who were in the care of the children's aid society actually comes from the report from the Paediatric Death Review Committee and the Deaths Under Five Committee, which that reported in June last year. The information is contained in this report and is not available through our ministry, but rather through the coroner. The protocol, which now has been signed, is designed to ensure that information can flow to the advocate in a way that is timely and fulsome.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mrs. Julia Munro: Whenever a child dies in care, the children's aid society prepares reports for the coroner and your ministry. You have decided that these reports must remain secret for privacy reasons. Minister, why won't you let the advocate receive these reports on children who have died so he can use them to help those still in peril?

Hon. Deborah Matthews: There is nothing more important when a child dies than that we learn from that death and make changes as a result of that death so that other children will not die in the future. We have a very clear approach. When the coroner recommends that changes be made, we make those changes. We will all, in this House, remember the tragic death of Katelynn Sampson, and we all are aware in this House of the changes that have been made as a result of that tragedy.

The Paediatric Death Review Committee and the Deaths Under Five Committee are the vehicles where we examine these deaths, and they make recommendations. Our ministry is completely committed to acting on the recommendations of those committees.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

Mr. Michael Prue: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Ontarians across the province are waiting up to a year for a MRI scan, a scan that can provide life-saving information for a patient with cancer or other acute conditions.

The residents of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock are not even so lucky as to be on the waiting list. There is no MRI machine in that entire riding. Will the minister provide a date when the good people of this riding will have the MRI machine for which they have waited so long?

Hon. David Caplan: I can't provide a date for that. However, I can tell you that 16 new MRIs have opened since 2003: three in Ottawa, one in Owen Sound, one in Richmond Hill, one in Markham, one in Halton, one in Windsor, one in Niagara Falls, one in Orillia, one in Guelph, one in Belleville, one in Cobourg, one in Bradford, one in Chatham and one in Hamilton.

In fact, the result of these investments in new capacity and in new MRIs right throughout the province has meant that MRI wait times have declined 22%. This is the first government, I say to the member from the New Democratic Party, that has taken this concerted action to expand capacity for MRIs right across the province. The results have been better service for Ontarians, and I say quite confidently to the member that we're going to continue with those actions.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Michael Prue: I listened to that great, big, long list, but the list never included the good people of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock. There's no mention of Lindsay or any other city or town in that riding.

In 2007, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock was promised an MRI machine. The community desperately needs the scanner, just like every other community. Residents have raised the funds to purchase an MRI machine, yet the province has refused to deliver on their end of the promise. For communities like those in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, the government's response of launching yet another study confirms their fears that the wait will continue.

Will the minister admit that his government has failed the people of this good riding and all the communities in it?

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Minister?

Hon. David Caplan: I'll admit no such thing. In fact, no commitment has ever been made to this riding or to this hospital foundation or corporation for additional MRIs. In fact, we have expanded significantly services to there.

I've had an opportunity to speak with Rick Johnson, the candidate who I believe is going to provide the kind of representation that the riding deserves. I think the member opposite is confused in the representation, understanding that, back when New Democrats were in government, they cut nurses. Back when they were in government, they cut medical school spaces.

Rick Johnson is the kind of member who will make sure that residents of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock have the kind of access to primary health care—have the kind of access—whether that's family health teams or nurse practitioner-led clinics. That's the kind of work that I know the people of Kawartha—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. The time for question period has ended. This House stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The House recessed from 1143 to 1300.

INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS

Hon. George Smitherman: It's my privilege to introduce in the members' gallery several guests, most notably my husband, Christopher Peloso, Chief Charles Fox and Meladina Hardy, Chief Isadore Day of the Serpent River First Nations, Deb Doncaster from the community energy fund and the Green Energy Act Alliance, Don McCabe from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and Ken Elsey from the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Mr. Mike Colle: I'd like to introduce the former member from Thornhill and one of the best councillors to ever come out of York region, Mario Racco.

Hon. Monique M. Smith: I would like to introduce David Clancy, who is in the gallery today. He is one of my staff members who doesn't often come over to the House, so we're excited to have him with us.

Mr. Phil McNeely: I'd like to introduce Chris Chopik in the gallery today: chief agent of change, Bosley Real Estate. Thanks for being here, Chris.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: I'd like to introduce Kristen Annis, who used to be my senior policy adviser. Anything that I did well is her responsibility; anything I did badly is my responsibility.

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: I just want to introduce three members of the great riding of Scarborough—Rouge River: Steve Szilard, Shamoon Poonawala and Murad Hussain. They are here to observe the Legislature.

Mr. Bob Delaney: I would like to welcome Erika Mozes in the west gallery, a former staff member who now works for GlaxoSmithKline in the proud Mississauga—Streetsville riding.

Mr. Reza Moridi: It's my pleasure to introduce Mr. Ghulam Sajan in the west gallery.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): For anyone who wasn't introduced today, welcome to Queen's Park as well.

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

MORRIS NEWSPAPER GROUP

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Last week, the news actually made the news in Nepean—Carleton. I learned last week that my good friends at the Manotick Messenger, the Morris group of newspapers, were up for several awards at the OCNA: best newspaper for the Manotick Messenger; OCNA columnnist of the year for Jeffrey Morris—he's also nominated for OCNA reporter of the year; and best editorial for the Barrhaven Independent.

But they also made the news last week because they lost their advertising executive, who was a very close personal friend of mine. As Mr. Morris, the owner and publisher of the Morris group of newspapers, said, "the celebration is somewhat hollow without Glen Dicks here to share it with us. Dicks, who was the Independent's advertising manager until he went on medical leave in January, passed away last week at the age of 48. Glen was a part of everything we did. He was heavily involved in the community and he was the one who gave us so many leads or acted as a sounding board for us."

I can attest to that. Glen campaigned for me in two elections. But he was also the type of character we all have in our ridings, one who knows everybody, attends every community event, and always brings a camera. About a month ago, Glen stopped into my office. I didn't know he was sick. He hid it from all of us because he was so active in the community. He was apparently at the time on medical leave but didn't want to let me know that, and it was the last time I saw him. He was bringing in the community newspapers, which he had done every Friday for the past three years.

So to Glen's family, his wife, Debbie, and all of the staff at the Manotick Messenger, Barrhaven Independent and other papers of the Morris group of newspapers, I want to send them my condolences in what must be a very stressful and strenuous week, but also congratulate them on the wonderful awards they are up for.

HOSPITAL FUNDING

Mr. Paul Miller: "Save Our Hamilton Hospitals": This is the theme at the Hamilton-wide rally tonight, where residents will fight to end our local health care crisis.

We are calling on the McGuinty government to give Hamilton hospitals the funding they need. We cannot afford to be squeezed any further: 400 nursing job cuts, $21 million cut from Hamilton Health Sciences, speech and language services cuts, babies' Best Start program cut, rehab beds cut. The pain continues: Funding for 70 transitional beds is running out, housekeeping and food services are being threatened with contracting out, our fertility clinic is being privatized and we have lost an emergency room.

It's appalling that the government supports these cutbacks. Have they thought of the cost: more backlogs, more delays and more infections?

Let's stop gambling with the health of Hamiltonians. My message to the Premier and Minister Caplan is clear: Properly fund and save our Hamilton hospitals from future tragedies.

We in Hamilton are once again getting together, as we did in the VON crisis, and there will be many, many people out to this rally tonight to send a strong message to Queen's Park. I hope they're listening.

SANTÉ WINE FESTIVAL

Mr. Mike Colle: The Santé International Wine Festival, from May 5-10, is for wine and food lovers alike. It is an opportunity for Ontario to compete and showcase our superb wines on an international scale. The Santé International Wine Festival is a chance for people to savour the diverse flavours of international wines from all over the world, meet winemakers and sample premium vintages. If you are a wine enthusiast—as you are, Mr. Speaker—you will enjoy a variety of events at the Santé international festival.

The festival attracts people from everywhere and brings together many culinary talents. This year, guests include American iron chef Cat Cora, as well as Toronto celebrity chefs Corbin Tomaszeski and Anna Olson, and even Greg Couillard is coming.

Among the Santé wine festival's events is the ultimate winemakers dinner, which pairs celebrity chefs with world-class wines. The festival's highlights also include international wine tasting, along with sip, savour and learn seminars aimed at wine connoisseurs as well as novices.

As you know, our hospitality industry employs tens of thousands of Ontarians in tourism and also employs tens of thousands of Ontarians in making Ontario's wines, which are some of the finest in the world. I invite everyone to participate in the Santé wine festival, which was supported last year by a Celebrate Ontario grant of $75,000. Let's all enjoy Ontario wines and world wines at the Santé wine festival.

CARDIAC CARE

Mrs. Christine Elliott: Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the first annual Wyatt's Warriors Have a Heart Gala in Whitby. The event was held in support of Wyatt Steven Berndt and the cardiac critical care unit at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. It was a wonderful evening filled with a five-course meal, dancing, auctions and live entertainment, and very fitting, considering it was held the day before Valentine's Day.

Wyatt was born in April 2007 in Ajax and weighed in at six pounds, three ounces. He was immediately transferred to Sick Kids Hospital, as he was clearly lacking oxygen. Wyatt was later diagnosed with a multitude of cardiac problems and DiGeorge syndrome. Wyatt has spent 18 of the first 20 months of his life at Sick Kids Hospital, and his family can't say enough good things about the hospital.

In his short life, Wyatt has been through five open-heart surgeries, two cardiac catheterizations, two airway stents, a tracheotomy and countless other procedures and tests. Wyatt definitely is a warrior, and so are his dedicated and loving family members.

I'd also like to take this time to recognize Wyatt's aunt, Laura Celsie, who worked tirelessly to organize this wonderful and successful gala.

Recently, we've heard that Wyatt is going through another difficult period and may be fighting off a case of meningitis and is awaiting another catheterization. I would like to ask that the members of this House keep little Wyatt and his family in their thoughts, in hopes of a favourable outcome for this little champion who has fought so hard.

WINTERLUDE

Mr. Yasir Naqvi: Over the past three weekends, my riding of Ottawa Centre has been honoured to host Winterlude, one of Canada's most famous winter carnivals.

Every February, hundreds of thousands of people, more than one third from outside the Ottawa area, take

part in Winterlude's many activities. Now in its 30th year, its success relies on the support of the community, the private sector, the media and all levels of government. That said, I'm very proud that the McGuinty government invested $300,000 this year to help strengthen the festival through the Celebrate Ontario program and help support the production of a new multimedia sound and light show called Ukiuk that celebrated Canadian winters.

Winterlude also helps to generate more than $82.5 million of economic spinoffs throughout the national capital region. It is estimated that this year alone, over 650,000 people visited Winterlude in Ottawa. I want to thank the over 800 volunteers who made this year's celebration a success.

INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I'm pleased to rise today, and it's my pleasure to welcome all the delegates of the Ontario Good Roads Association and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association. As a person who has spent 18½ years in municipal politics, I have a lot of respect for municipal politicians as, each and every year, they try to face the challenges and come up with a reasonable tax base.

Earlier today, I introduced some friends of mine and some constituents who reside in the riding next to me, the township of Georgian Bay, which is in Mr. Miller's riding. They're here to try to solicit some appropriate meetings with some of the ministers. So far, they've been unable to actually get meetings with the appropriate ministries.

But, you know, an example of why people come to the good roads conference is to try to get some of the issues resolved. An issue they had is with the infrastructure announcement at AMO last year. They have 18,000 residences in their municipality, but only about 2,500 permanent residences. They received an infrastructure grant of $79,000. But a municipality almost exactly the same size, with exactly the same number of residents but with 14,000 permanent residents, received $800,000. It's a true discrepancy. Those are the kinds of discrepancies that we have to try to resolve.

I wish all the delegates all the best as they try to resolve the discrepancies and move forward to do the very best they can for their constituents.

THUNDER BAY BLUES FESTIVAL

Mr. Bill Mauro: The Thunder Bay Blues Festival will be held from July 3 to 5 at Marina Park on the city's waterfront and will feature two of North America's top blues groups, the Lost Lonely Boys and the Robert Cray Band, among 18 different acts.

Adjacent to Lake Superior and overlooking the legendary Sleeping Giant, Marina Park provides a spectacular setting to enjoy a wide range of blues performers. Through the contributions of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism's Celebrate Ontario, which donated over $32,000 to the festival, corporate sponsors and over 300 volunteers, the festival has had an average attendance of 15,000 fans, making it one of the most anticipated annual musical events in northwestern Ontario.

In addition to its potential for increased tourism and economic development for Thunder Bay, profits from the festival are donated to the George Jeffrey Children's Centre and Camp Quality, which provide support to children with cancer and their families. Blues fans come from all over northwestern and southern Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, and as far away as England and the United Arab Emirates.

More than music, the blues is everyone's psychologist, confidant, personal adviser and friend. The blues is realistic. It keeps life in perspective, offering frank discourse, humour and shared sorrow as valid options for dealing with the tribulations that periodically come our way. In so doing, the blues is a refuge where optimism and human resiliency reign, souls are cleansed and spirits raised.

A very special-thank you goes out to Bob Halvorsen, the hard-working staff at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and the tireless volunteers who make this festival happen. Come to the Thunder Bay Blues Festival this July 3 to 5, 2009, for the best in blues music, great food and a world-class location.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Mr. Lorenzo Berardinetti: It's with great pleasure that I rise and remind members about the McGuinty government's commitment to creating a cleaner, greener and healthier Ontario. We all recognize the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and increase the province's sources of renewable energy to help clean our air, combat climate change and stimulate Ontario's economy.

After eight years of increased reliance on coal and no long-term energy plan under the previous government, the McGuinty Liberals have been moving forward with the most ambitious climate change initiative in North America: the elimination of coal.

We have already cut our coal generation by one third, and by 2011 it will be cut by two thirds. We're also supporting renewable energy projects, from wind and water to bioenergy and solar. We're increasing capacity at the Sir Adam Beck generating station, which will produce an additional 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of clean, renewable electricity per year. In 2003, there were only 15 megawatts of wind power in operation in Ontario from 10 wind turbines. Ontario now has 964 megawatts of wind power online from 589 wind turbines.

These investments are examples of the McGuinty government's commitment to Ontario's environment and future generations through renewable energy sources that allow us all to breathe easier.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Mr. Pat Hoy: Climate change is quickly becoming the central issue of this new century. The McGuinty government understands that energy conservation must involve everyone working together to use less energy, whether it is in our houses, businesses, schools or industrial operations. We also recognize that government has a primary role by making resources available and conservation affordable.

More than 124,000 Ontarians have participated in the Ontario home energy savings program, which provides homeowners with up to $150 toward the cost of a home energy audit. More than 42,000 Ontarians have completed retrofits and received rebates of up to $10,000 for retrofits that address the energy issues identified in that audit.

The Ontario solar thermal heating incentive has allocated up to $14.4 million to assist Ontario institutional, commercial and industrial organizations in advancing solar water and solar air installations.

My colleague Phil McNeely also introduced a private member's bill in this House that would require home energy rating reports. This bill received praise from many organizations, including the Consumers Council of Canada.

These initiatives underscore the McGuinty Liberals' commitment to being a leading jurisdiction in energy conservation. We will continue to work hard for Ontarians to show that it's actually pretty easy to be green.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

GREEN ENERGY AND GREEN

ECONOMY ACT, 2009 /

LOI DE 2009 SUR L'ÉNERGIE VERTE

ET L'ÉCONOMIE VERTE

Mr. Smitherman moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 150,

An Act to enact the Green Energy Act, 2009 and to build a green economy, to repeal the Energy Conservation Leadership Act, 2006 and the Energy Efficiency Act and to amend other statutes / Projet de loi 150, Loi édictant la Loi de 2009 sur l'énergie verte et visant à développer une économie verte, abrogeant la Loi de 2006 sur le leadership en matière de conservation de l'énergie et la

Loi sur le rendement énergétique et modifiant d'autres lois.

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 minister for a short statement.

Hon. George Smitherman: I will make a statement during ministerial statements.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

AND RESPONSES

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

Hon. George Smitherman: It's a pleasure to welcome guests to the Legislature today.

Since 2003, the government of Ontario has been moving forward with the most ambitious climate change initiative in North America: the elimination of coal. Our progress to date, a renaissance of our energy system, reflected by billions in new investments, has been so successful that today Ontario is raising the bar on our collective ambitions.

If the Green Energy and Green Economy Act that has been introduced today is passed, it would make this province North America's green energy leader. The act, which would in turn amend no less than 15 existing statutes, has two equally important thrusts: first, making it easier to bring renewable energy projects to life, and secondly, creating a culture of conservation, one where we go about our daily lives using less energy. These two thrusts combined would support a new green economy for this province and help create sustainable green employment for Ontarians.

Economic modelling predicts that the act would help create more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in the next three years: employment in construction, manufacturing and assembly, servicing and installation, engineering and trucking; vast job opportunities and more efficient building design and retrofits involving architects, engineers, contractors and installers; work for builders, financiers, electricians and inspectors; and jobs in technology as we build on our smart-metering initiative and move toward a smart grid.

If passed, the act would turbocharge the creation of renewable energy in this province and set the standard for green energy policy across this continent. It would make this province the destination of choice for green power developers and incent proponents, large and small, to develop projects by offering an attractive price for renewable energy and the certainty that creates an attractive investment climate: certainty that power would be purchased at a fair price; certainty that wherever feasible, the power would be connected to the grid; certainty that government would issue permits in a timely way.

If passed, the act would ensure that new green power doesn't get tripped up in all kinds of red tape, but instead that new renewable generation would be built and flowing into the system faster, complete with service-time guarantees on our processes. And it would enable the government to set reasonable domestic content requirements for renewable power projects to ensure that more dollars are spent right here at home.

Our proposed legislation would create a best-in-class renewable energy feed-in tariff, a feed-in tariff that would offer an attractive price for renewable power, including wind, both onshore and offshore, solar, hydro, biomass, biogas and landfill gas, and would not limit the size of projects; a feed-in tariff that would guarantee that price for the life of the contract. With this single bold move, Ontario would join the ranks of global green power leaders like Denmark, Germany and Spain. We would also adopt a new and very different approach to the development of the grid infrastructure necessary to take the energy to market.

Our green energy experiences over these past several years have told us volumes about where our best renewable opportunities lie. Working proactively with our energy agencies, we would initiate investments in the development of new transmission capacity, and the act would replace the snail's pace with a sense of urgency.

Nowhere would our intentions be clearer than when it comes to streamlining the cumbersome processes that have created a patchwork of municipal bylaws. Like the Smoke-Free Ontario Act that came before it, this act would build on municipal leadership, uploading responsibilities to Queen's Park. The current model, where different municipalities have imposed varying setbacks on wind projects, would be replaced by universal setbacks from adjacent homes and other sensitive areas.

The proposed legislation would coordinate approvals from the Ministries of the Environment and Natural Resources into a streamlined process within a service guarantee. And so long as all necessary documentation is successfully completed, permits would be issued within a six-month service window. My ministry would emerge with new capabilities and new leadership to support the facilitation of renewable energy projects.

The proposed act contemplates the emergence of thousands of smaller projects, especially in our urban areas. The reliability of our electricity system would be substantially enhanced with distributed generation projects that, for example, transform roofs that currently reflect the sun to rooftops that put it to use, for, while the bill may be called the Green Energy Act, make no mistake that the conservation thrust is just as important. Without a doubt, the least expensive energy to be found is the energy that we do not use in the first place.

This legislation and the policies that it engenders seek to create a culture of conservation. We know that Ontarians themselves support this. Their actions speak volumes of their intentions. Recall Earth Hour, when we banded together in respect of our natural environment: one hour's worth of reverence that helps to stimulate awareness and create momentum for the culture of conservation, a culture capable of easing the burden on Mother Earth and our pocketbooks at the same time.

We've seen recent data that shows that people are changing their behaviour. For example, when it comes to changing light bulbs, a recent survey found that 84% of Canadian households have at least one green bulb in their home. We can build on that awareness to make even more impressive inroads.

If passed, the act would amend Ontario's building code, making energy efficiency a central tenet. We'll establish Energy Star as the energy efficiency standard so that household appliances sold in Ontario achieve continued reductions in their energy use, and implement standards for the efficient use of water, as this too has a direct impact on the electricity grid.

Building on the unanimous support offered by members of the Ontario Legislature to the bill introduced by the member for Ottawa—Orléans, my parliamentary assistant Phil McNeely, this proposed legislation would enable us to mandate home energy audits on all homes at the time of sale, and we won't stop there.

We must and we will take even bolder steps to address energy use in our own government operations and those that we fund. We'll establish Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—LEED—silver as the new standard for the new buildings, and we will work with our broader public sector players like colleges, hospitals, universities and municipalities to develop energy plans to reduce their energy consumption.

In partnership with the private sector, we will invest in making commercial and industrial operations more energy-efficient and more productive at the same time. Because all energy consumers would reap the benefits of an improved energy system, we want to recognize that our investments in certain initiatives and programs that would be made possible by the legislation would be borne through energy rates.

This bill, this Green Energy Act, continues to transform Ontario's electricity generation system into one of the cleanest, greenest energy supply mixes in the world. Indeed, we've made great strides already, and the Green Energy Act would stimulate an even greater focus in this area. Make no mistake: The things that we want, that all Ontarians want, are a cleaner climate, jobs in the green economy, enhanced productivity, a culture of conservation and a break for Mother Nature.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I'd just remind our guests: It's a pleasure to have you all here today; you are certainly welcome to observe but not to participate in the democratic process that is unveiling before you.

Responses?

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

Mr. John Yakabuski: It's my pleasure to respond to the minister. I must commend him on his choice of neckties today. I searched through my closet, but the only green tie I could find was one with shamrocks on it. I just didn't think it would fly.

Anyhow, he did say to me the other day, "You know, Yak, there are things in this bill you're going to like more than others," and he's absolutely right about that.

The environment has no greater friends in this Legislature than the members of the PC Party. I'll give you a couple of examples. Lands for Life, which was brought in by the previous government, was the biggest set-aside of protected lands in the history of this province; also the Smart Growth initiative that the current government borrowed much of when it came out with its current growth plan.

But the act that he is presenting today leaves us with a whole lot more questions than it does answers. The act is vague in many ways, and in the briefing that I had earlier today from ministry staff, they conceded that there are so many things yet to be determined through consultations with the OPA and other groups. As I said, there are so many questions about what this act will actually do. In fact, as the minister showed—he even gave me a CD today—there are no less than 15 statutes and acts that this act being presented today will actually amend here in the province of Ontario.

So it's a very broad and far-reaching act, but we're getting very little information about what it will actually directly do.

One of the questions that people ask, and one of the questions I hear when we're out—this has been in the news because the minister has been out on a pre-selling tour this last little while with his supporters about this act. One of the questions we're getting is: "What will it actually mean to the ultimate price of electricity?" One thing about our economy here in the province of Ontario, and indeed the tremendous standard of living that we have enjoyed for decades: It has been built on access to reliable, abundant, affordable electricity.

So there are some questions as to what this act will actually mean to the price of electricity. I know the Premier is talking about 50,000 new green jobs as a result of it, and he talks about some of them being in the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector is one of the ones that is most affected by the price of electricity, and indeed the forestry sector as well.

The other group of people who are most affected by the price of electricity, and the minister knows this, are the people who are in the lowest level of incomes. If you're making a six-figure salary, the price of electricity is a relatively small part of your budget. But with the things that you cannot eliminate from your budget, such as food and housing and clothing, if you are a low-income resident of the province of Ontario, that electricity component of the bill is indeed significant, and we need to have some answers as to how this is going to be affected by this initiative.

There's no question that conservation is important. No watt, no kilowatt, no megawatt, should ever be wasted. I can tell the minister, and I've told his predecessor, that several years ago my wife and I, along with our children, embarked on a program to conserve energy in our own home. We reduced our usage in our home by 40%, but over the last few years that has kind of levelled off, so we haven't done much better over the last couple of years. But we did do a pretty darned good job between 2003 and 2005 in making the changes in our home to reduce our usage of electricity.

I think that is an important thing, and I think there are some gains to be made out there today in that part of this act.

The conservation part of this act, I think, is a little easier to understand than some of the things such as the feed-in tariffs that the minister is talking about, which indeed will offer incentives to produce new, green, renewable power. I think the people in the province of Ontario have a right to know what those incentives are going to be and how much they're going to be.

For example, in the latest RES III buy-ins that you recently awarded 492 megawatts of wind, there has been no release of even the average price that you paid in that, which is unusual, given that those average prices were released on the earlier renewable energy standard offers that were awarded in the province of Ontario. So there are issues to be asked about.

The minister talks about and the Premier talked about the municipal component and how they're going to remove some of that red tape. Well, this is the government that has instituted more red tape in the last five years than any government before them. So we do have to see how that's going to roll out.

We will have a chance to debate this further in the House—

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

RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Today, Ontario kind of accepted Denmark's point of nearly 40 years ago. In the 1970s, Denmark decided that one oil crisis was enough. It had choices to make about its future: Would it invest heavily in nuclear? Would it develop renewable power? In fact, Denmark in the 1970s made the right choice, and now 20,000 people work in their wind industry.

In Germany, the second-largest purchaser of steel is the wind industry. Nine thousand people work in Pennsylvania, in Ohio, in their solar industry. In 2006, Portugal passed mandatory solar standards for homes. Australia today is fighting recession with a program to insulate two million homes—not 42,000; two million.

It's the new energy economy, and we are way past due for actually paying attention to what the rest of the world has been doing. Time is running out. Oil is running out. The climate is moving fast. We need to move fast, too.

The fact that this government is finally saying it will link jobs with climate change is welcome. It opens the debate. My goal in this process is to see that what we actually have come out at the end is a Green Energy Act that provides hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ontario, that transforms our economy, that actually does, George—Minister. Sorry, Speaker. My apologies.

Hon. George Smitherman: You're my constituent. You can call me George.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Now, George, as I was saying, my goal is to see that we actually deliver, that we don't get trapped in the timidity that I see in the bill before us. To that end, we'll work with trade unions, businesses, communities and all of those people who see the connections that have to be made if we're actually going to transform our economy and take advantage of what's happening in the rest of the world.

Like the other critic, when I had my briefing at noon, there weren't hard targets, there weren't hard numbers—"Wait for the IPSP; wait for the OPA." So what we have is a bill without targets for renewable energy. I asked whether this was going to affect the investment in nuclear. Right now, as far as they know, no.

So I have to ask myself: If this is a bill that's going to transform our economy but leave everything else the way it is, what really is happening here? We need large-scale energy retrofits in the hundreds of thousands, in the millions, in this province. I'm not seeing that in the material before us. We need to be working with industry to transform both the way they consume energy and the way they produce it. Every factory, every smelter, every steel mill and every refinery in this province should be an energy generator. They should be making money by selling into the grid and making sure that people have jobs.

There's a statement that there will be domestic content requirements. Quebec already has a 60% domestic content requirement for wind turbines; that's kick-starting their wind energy industry. We need that here. We'll get a chance to speak to this bill later this week, but for a government talking about 21st-century energy, still addicted to 20th-century nuclear power, there are real problems. The approach doesn't make sense. We're not actually taking on where the rest of the world is going. We're sticking with high-spending, risky nuclear alternatives instead of taking on fully what the world has to offer.

It's very belated that this government is acknowledging that there is an economic crisis and a climate crisis that can be addressed through the means of renewable power. We in the NDP will fight for a real green energy program, one that puts people to work—puts people to work in Hamilton, puts them to work in Welland and puts them to work across this province. We will fight to ensure that this proposal today doesn't act as a deflection, as a cover, for what is your largest investment, and that is in nuclear power. Face the facts: As long as you go down that road, it is going to be difficult to get over to the right road, the road that will build this province.

PETITIONS

SALES TAX

Mr. Frank Klees: This petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

"Whereas the auto industry in Ontario and throughout North America is experiencing a major restructuring; and

"Whereas the current economic crisis is affecting the auto manufacturers and the front-line dealerships throughout Ontario; and

"Whereas many potential automobile purchasers are having difficulty accessing credit even at current prices; and

"Whereas the three-month tax holiday of the GST and the PST on the purchase of new and used cars and trucks would stimulate auto sales;

"Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the provincial and federal governments to implement a three-month tax holiday, and that the Ontario Minister of Finance include the PST holiday in the next provincial budget."

I believe strongly in this initiative. I sign it and present it to the table.

LONG-TERM CARE

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

"Whereas understaffing in Ontario's nursing homes is a serious problem resulting in inadequate care for residents and unsafe conditions for staff;

"Whereas, after the Harris government removed the regulations providing minimum care levels in 1995, hours of care dropped below the previous 2.25 hour/day minimum;

"Whereas the recent improvements in hours of care are not adequate, vary widely and are not held to accountable standards;

"Whereas there is currently nothing in legislation to protect residents and staff from renewed cuts to care levels by future governments; and

"Whereas care needs have measurably increased with aging and the movement of people with more complex health needs from hospitals into long-term-care homes;

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

"Immediately enact and fund an average care standard of 3.5 hours per resident per day in the regulations under the new Long-Term Care Homes Act."

I fully support this, and will send it to the clerks' table with page Yan.

EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

Mr. Pat Hoy: "To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the federal government's employment insurance surplus now stands at $54 billion; and

"Whereas over 75% of Ontario's unemployed are not eligible for employment insurance because of Ottawa's unfair eligibility rules; and

"Whereas an Ontario worker has to work more weeks to qualify and receives fewer weeks of benefits than other Canadian unemployed workers; and

"Whereas the average Ontario unemployed worker gets $4,000 less in EI benefits than unemployed workers in other provinces and thus not qualifying for many retraining programs;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to press the federal government to reform the employment insurance program and to end this discrimination and unfairness towards Ontario's unemployed workers."

I've signed the petition.

HOSPITAL FUNDING

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition to do with Burk's Falls health centre:

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the Burk's Falls and District Health Centre provides vital health services for residents of Burk's Falls and the Almaguin Highlands of all ages, as well as seasonal residents and tourists; and

"Whereas the health centre helps to reduce demand on the Huntsville hospital emergency room; and

"Whereas the operating budget for Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare is insufficient to meet the growing demand for service in the communities of Muskoka—East Parry Sound; and

"Whereas budget pressures could jeopardize continued operation of the Burk's Falls health centre;

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

"That the McGuinty government and Minister of Health provide adequate increases in the operating budget of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare to maintain current health services, including those provided by the Burk's Falls health centre."

I support this petition.

CHILD CUSTODY

Mr. Jim Brownell: I have a petition from some residents of the riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry:

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"We, the people of Ontario, deserve and have the right to request an amendment to the Children's Law Reform Act to emphasize the importance of children's relationships with their parents and grandparents.

"Whereas subsection 20(2.1) requires parents and others with custody of children to refrain from unreasonably placing obstacles to personal relations between the children and their grandparents; and

"Whereas subsection 24(2) contains a list of matters that a court must consider when determining the best interests of a child. The bill amends that subsection to include a specific reference to the importance of maintaining emotional ties between children and grandparents; and

"Whereas subsection 24(2.1) requires a court that is considering custody of or access to a child to give effect to the principle that a child should have as much contact with each parent and grandparent as is consistent with the best interests of the child; and

"Whereas subsection 24(2.2) requires a court that is considering custody of a child to take into consideration each applicant's willingness to facilitate as much contact between the child and each parent and grandparent as is consistent with the best interests of the child;

"We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to amend the Children's Law Reform Act as above to emphasize the importance of children's relationships with their parents and grandparents."

As I agree with this, I shall sign it and send it to the clerks' table.

SALES TAX

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition to implement a sales tax holiday for vehicle sales, similar to what my father did as Treasurer in 1980. I shall read the petition. It reads:

"Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the auto industry in Ontario and throughout North America is experiencing a major restructuring; and

"Whereas the current economic crisis is affecting the auto manufacturers and the front-line dealerships throughout Ontario; and

"Whereas many potential automobile purchasers are having difficulty accessing credit even at current prices; and

"Whereas a three-month tax holiday of GST and the PST on the purchase of new and used cars and trucks would stimulate auto sales;

"Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the provincial and federal governments to implement a three-month tax holiday and that the Ontario Minister of Finance include the PST holiday in the next provincial budget."

I support this petition.

MULTIPLE MYELOMA

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

"Whereas Health Canada has approved the use of Revlimid for patients with multiple myeloma, an incurable form of cancer; and

"Whereas Revlimid is a vital new treatment that must be accessible to all patients in Ontario for this life-threatening cancer of the blood cells; and

"Whereas multiple myeloma is treatable with the proper therapies, thereby giving hope to the 2,000 Canadians diagnosed annually;

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

"Immediately provide Revlimid as a choice for patients with multiple myeloma and their health care providers in Ontario through public funding."

I absolutely agree with this and affix my signature hereto.

MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas Health Canada has approved the use of Revlimid for patients with multiple myeloma, an incurable form of cancer; and

"Whereas Revlimid is a vital new treatment that must be accessible to all patients in Ontario for this life-threatening cancer of the blood cells; and

"Whereas multiple myeloma is treatable with the proper therapies, thereby giving hope to the 2,000 Canadians diagnosed annually;

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

"Immediately provide Revlimid as a choice for patients with multiple myeloma and their health care providers in Ontario through public funding."

As I agree with this petition, I will affix my signature and send it to the centre desk.

CHILD CARE

Mr. Norm Miller: I have a petition I received from the Windermere Women's Institute, and I shall read it.

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the Minister of Community and Social Services, Madeleine Meilleur, has decided that grandparents caring for their grandchildren no longer qualify for temporary care assistance; and

"Whereas the removal of the temporary care assistance could mean that children will be forced into foster care; and

"Whereas the temporary care assistance amounted to $231 per month, much less than a foster family would receive to look after the same children if they were forced into foster care;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately reverse the decision to remove temporary care assistance for grandparents looking after their grandchildren."

I will affix my signature to this petition.

HOSPITAL FUNDING

Mr. Bob Delaney: I have a petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly, signed by my neighbours from all over western Mississauga—in Streetsville, Meadowvale and Lisgar. It reads as follows:

"Whereas wait times for access to surgical procedures in the western GTA area served by the Mississauga Halton LHIN are growing despite the vigorous capital project activity at the hospitals within the Mississauga Halton LHIN boundaries; and

"Whereas 'day surgery' procedures could be performed in an off-site facility, thus greatly increasing the ability of surgeons to perform more procedures, alleviating wait times for patients, and freeing up operating theatre space in hospitals for more complex procedures that may require post-operative intensive care unit support and a longer length of stay in hospital;

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

"That the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care allocate funds in its 2008-09 capital budget to begin planning and construction of an ambulatory surgery centre located in western Mississauga to serve the Mississauga-Halton area and enable greater access to 'day surgery' procedures that comprise about four fifths of all surgical procedures performed."

I am very pleased to sign and to support this petition, and to ask my page, Andrej Rosic of Lisgar, to carry it for me.

FIREARMS CONTROL

Mr. Mike Colle: I have a petition from the students and staff of Yorkdale Adult Learning Centre. It's a petition in support of Bill 56.

"Say No to Drive-by Shootings and Illegal Guns in Cars....

"Whereas there are a growing number of drive-by shootings and gun crimes in our communities;

"Whereas only police officers, military personnel and lawfully licensed persons are allowed to possess handguns;

"Whereas a growing number of illegal handguns are transported, smuggled and being found in cars driven in our communities;

"Whereas impounding cars and suspending driver's licences of persons possessing illegal guns on the spot by police will make our communities safer;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass Bill 56, a bill proposed by MPP Mike Colle and entitled the Unlawful Firearms in Vehicles Act, 2008, into law so that we can reduce the number of drive-by shootings and gun crimes in our communities."

I support this petition and affix my name to it.

LUPUS

Mr. Kim Craitor: I'm pleased to introduce this petition on behalf of the Lupus Foundation of Ontario, signed by many people from Ridgeway, Crystal Beach and Stevensville. The petition reads as follows:

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas systemic lupus erythematosus is under-recognized as a global health problem by the public, health professionals and governments, driving the need for greater awareness;

"Whereas medical research on lupus and efforts to develop safer and more effective therapies for the disease are underfunded in comparison with diseases of comparable magnitude and severity;

"Whereas no new safe and effective drugs for lupus have been introduced in more than 40 years. Current drugs for lupus are very toxic and can cause other life-threatening health problems that can be worse than the primary disease;

"We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to assist financially with media campaigns to bring about knowledge of systemic lupus … and the signs and symptoms of this disease to all citizens of Ontario. We further petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to provide funding for research currently being undertaken in lupus clinics throughout Ontario."

I'm pleased to sign my signature in support of this petition.

TOM LONGBOAT

Mr. Mike Colle: I have a petition from the good people of Six Nations and their chief, William Montour, whose grandfather was a great friend of Tommy Longboat.

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas Tom Longboat, a proud son of the Onondaga Nation, was one of the most internationally celebrated athletes in Canadian history; and

"Whereas Tom Longboat was voted as the number one Canadian athlete of the 20th century by Maclean's magazine for his record-breaking marathon and long-distance triumphs against the world's best; and

"Whereas Tom Longboat fought for his country in World War I and was wounded twice during his tour of duty; and

"Whereas Tom Longboat is a proud symbol of the outstanding achievements and contributions of Canada's aboriginal people;

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to recognize June 4 as Tom Longboat Day in Ontario."

I sign this petition in support, along with the good people of Six Nations and Chief William Montour.

COMMUNITY MEDIATION

Mr. Lorenzo Berardinetti: I have a petition, and I just want to recognize Mr. Sheikh Motalieb, who is here today from the riding of Scarborough Southwest. The petition is addressed to the Ontario Legislative Assembly and reads as follows:

"Whereas many types of civil disputes may be resolved through community mediation delivered by trained mediators, who are volunteers who work with the parties in the dispute; and

"Whereas Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services established the Peel Community Mediation Service in 1999 with support from the government of Ontario through the Trillium Foundation, the Rotary Club of Mississauga West and the United Way of Peel, and has proven the viability and success of community mediation; and

"Whereas the city of Mississauga and the town of Caledon have endorsed the Peel Community Mediation Service, and law enforcement bodies refer many cases to the Peel Community Mediation Service as an alternative to a court dispute; and

"Whereas court facilities and court time are both scarce and expensive, the cost of community mediation is very small and the extra expense incurred for lack of community mediation in Peel region would be much greater than the small annual cost of funding community mediation;

"Be it therefore resolved that the government of Ontario, through the Ministry of the Attorney General, support and fund the ongoing service delivery of the Peel Community Mediation Service through Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services."

I agree with this petition—I hope we set the same thing up in Scarborough—and I affix my signature to it.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

FAMILY STATUTE LAW

AMENDMENT ACT, 2009 /

LOI DE 2009 MODIFIANT DES LOIS

EN CE QUI CONCERNE

LE DROIT DE LA FAMILLE

Resuming the debate adjourned on February 19, 2009, on the motion for second reading of Bill 133,

An Act to amend various Acts in relation to certain family law matters and to repeal the Domestic Violence Protection Act, 2000 / Projet de loi 133, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne des questions de droit de la famille et abrogeant la Loi de 2000 sur la protection contre la violence familiale.

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

Mr. Peter Kormos: [inaudible] I have this opportunity as critic for the NDP [inaudible] very, very important bit of legislation. I truly believe that this warrants a broad and thorough consideration, not just here in this legislative chamber but in the committee process.

I also want to thank the Attorney General for abiding by the tradition and protocol of either he or his parliamentary assistant being here when one of his bills is going through the process. Some newer members don't understand that that is a very important tradition, and have, from time to time—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I'd just ask the honourable member: Your earpiece around the mike is causing some challenges. I know that you especially, as an honourable member, do not want to cause a health and safety issue for any of our interpreters.

Mr. Peter Kormos: [inaudible] providing feedback that was totally inappropriate and unwarranted.

As I say, I was complimenting the Attorney General for abiding by that protocol, and I know that his colleagues take note of that and will ensure, I'm sure, that either the minister or his or her parliamentary assistant sit through this very important process.

There are basically three parts of this bill that I want to speak to. One is the legislative amendments that deal with the valuation of a pension, of a defined benefit pension, because these are going to be controversial. I'm worried that that particular set of amendments may end up flying under the radar. There's been a cry in the legal community for a simplification of what can become a very expensive actuarial process and a contested one to boot, but I'm not sure that the legislation, especially in the context of 2009, where defined benefit pension plans are diminishing in their number—and they're also diminishing in terms of funding.

I want to speak to the repeal of the Domestic Violence Protection Act of 2000. That was supported by all three parties in this House after some considerable committee hearing. Of course, I want to speak to the amendments to the Children's Law Reform Act. While I acknowledge that the Attorney General noted the name of that little girl, that tragic victim Katelynn Sampson, as did Ms. Elliott when she spoke on behalf of the Conservatives, I note also that she was referred to very sotto voce, perhaps but in passing.

When I speak to the amendments to the Children's Law Reform Act, I know that Ms. DiNovo, my colleague from Parkdale—High Park, has a strong interest in this, not just as a justice advocate, because this girl was her constituent. She knew the community, she knew the three people, so she has a strong interest not just as a justice advocate but as the MPP for this little girl.

It's especially noteworthy that here we are—why, this morning, question period was dominated, at least from the New Democrats' point of view, by questions about the inability of the province of Ontario to protect children in its care: 90 kids dead, children, babies, young teens, and the vast majority of those deaths preventable, according to our province's child and youth advocate.

Irwin Elman, our child and youth advocate for the province of Ontario, who has been frustrated at every step of the way trying to investigate concerns around the safety and welfare and health of children in the custody of the state—blocked at every opportunity; given no opportunity—has also, as we all know, called for an inquiry into the death; oh, let's not dignify it by calling it a death. It was a brutal murder of Katelynn Sampson.

The 20-year veteran homicide detective sergeant who found Katelynn's body said she suffered severe and complicated injuries that he characterized as among the worst that he had seen in those two decades as a Toronto police officer. Katelynn Sampson died a brutal, painful and oh-so-undignified death.

I want to address the matter of pensions first, and I want to appreciate or acknowledge the assistance of an actuary down in Welland, Jamie Jocsak, who has written to me about Bill 133, whom I have had the opportunity to speak with and who has provided some very strong guidance for me in response to this bill. I know that my colleague Ms. Elliott addressed this portion of the bill. As I say, I think it's very important that this part of the bill dealing with pension valuations doesn't end up under the radar or swept aside, which is why we need full public hearings.

I have no doubt we're going to want to hear from members from the family law bar, family lawyers, matrimonial lawyers. We're also going to want to hear from the actuaries who have been doing this work and from people who have experienced some of the problems. We acknowledge, everybody here acknowledges, that pension valuation, in a perfect world, would be as simple as the determination of child support using the federal and provincial child support scales. But it's not that straightforward.

Let me give you an example. You know, down where I come from—you were down there this weekend, Speaker, monitoring the Conservative policy convention and trying to scoop press wherever you could. That's your job. Don't think the Tories don't do i