ORAL QUESTIONS

ONTARIO SECURITY

Interjections.

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Interjections.

I would say to the honourable member that you have had overnight to go up to the Bruce and to see for yourself that the facts are exactly the way I have been describing them.

I can understand why the minister would be anxious to quickly dismiss this concern and to get it behind him. But let me tell you what the Solicitor General said yesterday. He said, "Clearly, there was a breach, but nobody contemplated anybody coming in from the water." You will know, as the Minister of Energy, that all three of our nuclear sites are situated adjacent to water.

So the question I have for you, Minister: three weeks after the most horrific terrorist attack in the history of North America, how can it be that, when it comes to the security measures at our nuclear sites, there are no security measures in place beside the water?

If the honourable member would attend the site, as, I will tell you, most of the media here have done -- they've gone up and taken pictures, and they're very satisfied. This is a small perimeter fence like you'd see around a schoolyard; it is not our big, huge security fences, which are some three kilometres away. It's a small administrative shack. The phone is there for the purpose that it was used for. We're now making more phones available, so there's no perception at all that someone broke into the nuclear facility. That did not happen. It would not happen, because we are very confident that the measures that we've taken, that Bruce Power has taken, are making our plants very, very secure.

Minister, yesterday you said, "Our plans are as good or better than many of the plans in place for US nuclear sites." So we contacted the Fermi II plant in Michigan to see if they had any suggestions on securing nuclear plants from the water. They refused to discuss specific details, but they insisted that at minimum they have to have the US Coast Guard there establishing a security zone.

So my question to you is, four weeks after September 11, on the same day you tell us that since September 11 you have taken swift action to protect the people of Ontario, why have you not established a secure perimeter zone around nuclear sites in Ontario?

Interjections.

Interjections.

GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING

Our families today feel a tremendous sense of insecurity. They want a sense of personal and economic security to come from this government in real and concrete ways. They want much to be done in terms of improving our security provisions -- and we've just heard from this minister that you're failing to do that. They want to know that you're dealing with the economic downturn. In addition to all that, they want to know you are still protecting health care, education and the environment. Given all that, all those pressing priorities and urgent needs on the part of our families, can you tell us how you've decided that your greatest priority today is to put hundreds of thousands of dollars into wasteful partisan political propaganda?

I appreciate the question from the Leader of the Opposition, but if I could quote: "The events of September 11 were devastating tragedies and the people of Ontario responded generously, lending heartfelt support to those suffering sorrow and pain.

"To everyone who reached out with condolences, who donated blood, who gave money or found other ways to help the victims and families of these terrorist acts -- thank you.

"If ever there was a time when America needs a friend, it is now.

"You didn't hesitate. You responded immediately. So did your government."

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Let me tell you something about our families. They are sick and tired of the fact that there aren't enough textbooks in our schools, they're sick and tired of the fact that the air is making their kids sick, they're sick and tired of the fact that we don't have enough beds in our hospitals, they're sick and tired of the fact that this government is doing nothing in concrete terms when it comes to protecting their economic and personal security. So I ask you again, in light of all of that, Minister, how could you possibly decide that the best way to invest taxpayer dollars is in this political partisan propaganda?

Certainly, in this ad as well, which is very important for us to convey, there are a number of protective measures that we are taking for the province of Ontario. First of all, as you know, we have appointed Norman Inkster, retired commissioner of the RCMP, and also retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie, as provincial security advisers. There are a number of measures that we have taken in Ontario to ensure the safety of people in this province. It's very important for us to convey that message to them. That's what Ontarians are asking for, and that --

Secondly, since the Leader of the Opposition is holding up his copy of this ad, I must say in this ad we talk about many security measures. If I can outline a few, thank you for the opportunity.

"We are undertaking a thorough review of Ontario's emergency response plans.

"We will require all municipalities to maintain emergency response plans and train their employees.

"We will work with owners and operators of large buildings and public facilities to develop appropriate emergency response programs."

These are concrete, real examples of how this government is committed to public safety in this province, something that you certainly don't know anything about.

GOVERNMENT POLICY

Interjection.

I can tell you that our province takes our responsibility very seriously in protecting Ontario's citizens and also balancing that with our fundamental rights and freedoms that we enjoy in this province.

My question is, is this your government's policy? Is it your government policy that people will be put on a police surveillance list based upon hearsay, based upon somebody simply calling up and saying, "I'm suspicious of this person"? Is that your government's policy, that people's civil liberties in Ontario today are worth so little?

ONTARIO ECONOMY

Can you tell us, why are you sitting on SuperBuild money? Why in a time when the economy is in difficulty are you so far behind and so delayed in terms of bringing meaningful municipal capital projects forward?

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The Minister of Finance, along with the SuperBuild Corp, has been doing an excellent job on behalf of the province of Ontario. They've invested $906 million in provincial highway programs, $200 million in hospitals and $48 million in post-secondary education facilities. It's also part of the Canada-Ontario infrastructure agreement and we have approved a number of projects that are waiting for Ottawa's approval as we speak. We hope that we will have these projects announced soon under the protocols that have been reached and that you will see construction on a lot of the projects right across Ontario to benefit the communities we all care about so deeply.

You've made all the announcements, but for some reason these communities aren't receiving the money to do the capital works. At a time when people are losing thousands of jobs in Ontario, tell us, please, when are you going to address the needs of these communities on these important issues and also ensure that much-needed construction projects can go ahead so that people can continue to have a job?

As to the announcements you talk about, there was a series of announcements around the studies that are required to make sure we get the proper numbers. In Sudbury you're talking about the millennium partnership; in the other small towns you're talking about OSTAR led by my colleague from rural affairs in conjunction with the Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

There are announcements. There are actual projects beginning in a serious way to start construction. You will see a lot more announcements and you will see a lot more construction because we believe in rebuilding this province. We have to make up for a lot of lost years and the neglect of Liberal and NDP administrations, which did not invest in the infrastructure of this province.

CHILDREN'S HEALTH SERVICES

In recent days, Minister, you have told those parents that you can't find any more money for their specialized burn unit for children, that you can't find any more money for their cardiac centre specializing in children's care, but it turns out today that this minister and this government found the money to run a full-page ad in the London Free Press. The question I have for you on behalf of southwestern Ontario parents, and particularly those living in the community of London: why is it you can't find money to maintain an adequate level of health care services for southwestern Ontario children, but you can find the money for partisan, political propaganda?

That's the kind of thing the London Health Sciences Centre agreed upon. It's the kind of thing we support. It's the kind of thing that means we'll have better outcomes for the patients he seems to be so concerned about.

Do you know what the problem is, Minister? It's you and your ministry. Yesterday, I spoke to the chairman of the board of the London Health Sciences Centre, and do you know what he told me? He said your ministry approved and signed off the proposal before it went to the board. They were required to do this as part of the renewal plan. So don't stand there and say your government had nothing to do with it and blame it on the local board. You and your ministry are the ones who decided to abandon these children and these families.

Minister, the London Health Sciences Centre is, or at least was, a world-class medical and major academic centre, a centre of excellence. Could you please tell this Legislature when your ministry made the decision to approve the plan that would downgrade the London Health Sciences Centre to a community hospital?

If the honourable member doesn't believe me, that's his right. I can merely read from the local paper, the London Free Press, which said that the plan is to boost core medical services locally, while passing off others that lack the critical mass of patients to those that can supply the service.

We want the best services for our kids, the best services and all the range of care that was hitherto available, in the best location. If the honourable member wants to play politics with that, that's his right, but we want the best results for the people of Ontario.

EDUCATION FUNDING

Interjections.

Thank you. I'll run it. You're House leader; you run yours. I'll be the Speaker. If you want to run for Speaker, run for Speaker next time.

Order. The member for London-Fanshawe.

Minister, yesterday you announced that the government committed $5 million in funding to improve students' reading skills. In the first year, 16 schools --

Interjections.

Interjections.

This is part of that investment, and this piece is dedicated to those schools that have been having the most challenge meeting the grade 3 testing standards over the last two or three years. In our consultations with the sector, they thought some intensive support for that family of schools would be helpful, so we are indeed doing that.

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We've asked all schools to set improvement goals for grade 3 reading over the next three years, to put in place improvement teams to do that. And for the small number of schools that have been struggling the most, we're putting intensive support in for those particular schools, to assist them in helping their teachers teach their children better, to meet the standard. The best practices and the experience we're gaining in those schools is going to be available for all of our elementary teachers across the province.

This responds to best practices in other jurisdictions, it responds to what the research shows will improve student learning, and that's why we've made these investments and are moving forward.

AUDIOLOGY SERVICES

Minister, you should know that Jill's parents already manage significant costs to travel 800 kilometres to the implant centre and to pay for new speech and hearing devices. Now they have to pay for every reassessment of her hearing. Many families could not bear the burden of these new costs, not even for something as important as their children's hearing. I ask, will you reverse your decision and let audiologists work with children like Jill Dean at no cost to their families?

I don't know the particular circumstances of the individual the honourable member is mentioning, but we can certainly provide that information to her directly.

Interjections.

Minister, I have dozens of letters from families and seniors who have exactly the same concerns as the parents of Jill Dean. I also have a letter that was written back in 1993 by the then assistant deputy minister of health, Margaret Mottershead, providing an assurance that if government went ahead and delisted audiology services so that you were no longer paying for them through the OHIP schedule, you would provide alternate funding. Your ministry had intended to do this; they knew how to do it. Why did you, Minister Clement, decide that you would not provide the funding for hearing assessments for children and seniors?

I find it quite passing strange, if I can use that term, that the honourable member lifts a piece of paper up dealing with something in 1993. If the honourable member wants to compare records on how we are committed to health care, to the right kind of health care, to the right kind of people, I will put our record against her record in government any day of the week.

You closed 10,000 hospital beds. You kept the hospitals open; you closed the beds. You call that a health care policy. I call that a shame and a blight on the people of Ontario. You should be ashamed of yourself.

OAK RIDGES MORAINE

To your credit, Minister, and to the credit of this government, you introduced legislation to freeze development approvals on the moraine, a clear signal that at least this government would deal with this issue once and for all. That freeze is scheduled to be lifted on November 17. Can you tell us when can we expect to see the proposed legislation?

The member correctly referenced that people have been arguing about this issue for a generation now. The advisory panel worked very hard over the summer. They built upon the region's and the conservation authority's public forums, they held numerous public forums themselves, and they came out with a document entitled Share Your Vision for the Oak Ridges Moraine. They consulted on that with a number of open houses.

Right now, in answer to the question, we are analyzing that input to see if they have found a reasonable course to move forward at this time.

Prior to the public meetings, the advisory panel incorporated the consultations that were done by the three regions of York, Peel and Durham into the Share Your Vision paper. Certainly the member from Oak Ridges will agree that we have had comprehensive consultation. He referenced the fact that both governments had initiated studies. No action followed up from that, but there were studies that were done. There has been a lot of talk about this issue.

TRANSIT SERVICES

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The Minister of Transportation will be leading consultations and setting up a GO operating agency to make sure we deliver better transit. Our government has committed $300 million in new funds. Municipalities are looking forward to matching that; they're paying 100% right now. We, as partners -- the municipalities and the province -- are calling on the federal government to live up to the commitment it promised in the red book to match that, three hundred million new dollars year over year for 10 years, to have a $9-billion transit investment in this province. That's tremendous news for this province.

PRINCIPALS

Minister, you have not been able to maintain the confidence of educators in this province. I would like you to tell the parents and the students of this province today that you have a plan, that you will make sure something is done to change abruptly the way your education reforms have gone so we don't lose the leadership of our schools in Ontario.

We've done a lot of work with the principals' council and the other two principals' associations, because we quite recognize the importance of principals. They're very key individuals in our schools, key leaders, key managers of our schools, key communicators with our parents. We've been working with the principals' associations through more money for training, more money for supports. For example, we had a specific initiative where we invested money to hire more principals for schools, especially small schools.

So we take the challenge quite seriously. We've been working with them very closely to make sure we have that leadership in our schools.

Sandy MacLean is a principal who retired last year from Mowat collegiate. She's the chair of the east regional secondary principals. She says to you, Minister, that she would not have retired if it wasn't for the Harris government.

This is what principals in schools say today, those who have left: until your approach took away support, resources in the schools, gave bigger class sizes, took away a lot of the things that they had to have success, principals were working.

Minister, this is a study. It reaches over 1,000 principals. It represents the actual situation in this province. I give you another opportunity, Minister, to tell us today: what will you be doing?

But one of the concerns: I know in Durham region, for example, the school board actually was working with teachers to try to have training positions for more principals, teachers who were interested in moving up the career path, and the biggest barrier to that happening was the local union that said they would blackball any teacher who did that.

So if the honourable member is concerned about this, and I'm assuming he certainly is -- it's an important issue and we need to meet this challenge in our classrooms -- it might have been helpful if he had taken a stand when that union blackballed those teachers who wanted to be principals --

ONTARIO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

It was clear during the ceremonies that the OIT is not only the first new university created in Ontario in more than 40 years, but it is also very unique.

As a former board member for Durham College and a graduate of Durham College, I certainly have an idea of what OIT is going to do for the region of Durham. But, Minister, can you tell my constituents and the members of the assembly what will make the Ontario Institute of Technology such a unique institution?

The OIT will link the education and the skills training with the demands of the marketplace, and they'll ensure a responsive, timely, up-to-date program. With this seamless transition from college to university right on the campus of Durham College, they will be focusing on the needs of the job market.

It's a very exciting time in the history of our province, and I was proud to be there along with my colleague.

The institution will serve the needs of the citizens of the region of Durham very well. When you look at the innovative programs that are there that this new university will offer, I'm certain that students from all across Ontario will want to come to study in the region of Durham.

Minister, can you explain what role you see OIT playing in Ontario's broader educational university system?

When I attended the Council of Ministers of Education for Canada last week, ministers across the country were working to ensure that they've got these innovative new kinds of programs. One of the objectives was a closer working relationship between our colleges, our universities and our apprenticeship training programs.

At Durham, they have been discussing the possibilities of applied degrees in health sciences, nuclear technology and safety, and information technology. They're looking at the shortage and, of course, they're looking at unique programs.

We're very proud that we will have an institution that is, and will be, an even greater national leader along with other colleges' and universities' apprenticeship programs and community-based programs in the province of Ontario.

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COMMUNITY CARE ACCESS CENTRES

Across the province, $175 million is needed so that our sick and elderly, our frail and elderly, can get the necessary nursing and home care services that we deserve to give them, which will make them secure and safe in their own house. When are you going to ante up the money -- Kitchener-Waterloo is short $12.7 million, York region is short $12 million and Windsor-Essex is short $2.8 million; I could go on and on -- so that the people in those areas can get the necessary services that you promised them and that you're denying them right now? When are you going to ante up the money?

I also need to remind you that many of the CCACs that you talked about today have a far larger dollars-per-population base than other areas across the province, and we need to look at that to make sure that there's equity all across the province so everyone in the province gets the care that they need and deserve when it comes to community services.

Let me also tell you that his area of Kingston, for example, has 34% more dollars that they're using to fund CCACs than other areas in the province, and still they can't provide the services. I think we have to ask questions about what some CCACs are doing with their money and what they're not. That's why this government has put a review together. We believe that it's very important to ensure that quality services are being provided in every area. That's why we went into Hamilton, for example, and did an operational review, because we knew that services weren't being given to the people of Ontario. We're continuing to do that because we believe that quality services and community --

MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK

Minister, you mentioned yesterday in your statement that it's essential that the stigma of mental illness end. It is important to create an environment where it is acceptable to discuss and to seek information, treatment and support for mental illness. It is equally important to have these services and treatments available at every stage of life and as close to home as possible.

Can you please indicate what our government has been doing to create successful mental health reform?

Since 1995, this government has been putting additional dollars into mental health services, and we have put in $377 million. What that means is that of the total funding that happens in the province now, we spend about $2.7 billion in mental health. We ensure that we have institutions or the general community facilities to ensure that people can move out into the community. We have homes for special care, mental health homeless initiatives, and we have a lot of programs to ensure that we try to strengthen our mental health in the province of Ontario.

Minister, could you please tell us about these nine mental health task forces that have been established to help the Ontario government improve mental health services delivery across the province, including the status of the mental health reform implementation task force, its time limits and how much our government is investing in them?

Interjections.

I've had the opportunity to meet many of the task forces, and I have to tell you that as impressive as yours is, Dr Galt, so are all the task forces across the province. We have brought together some of the best people who have education and knowledge about mental health, and they have come together to ensure that when the task forces do their reports, which will happen about 18 months after they begin their initial consultation, they will truly be making a difference to the people of the province.

COLLÈGE DES GRANDS LACS

Lundi dernier, la direction du collège a annoncé officiellement la fin des opérations du Collège des Grands Lacs. Concrètement, cela veut dire que les étudiants de la première année, qui sont la majorité, devront continuer leurs études au Collège Boréal à Sudbury. La plupart d'entre eux ont déjà fait savoir qu'ils ne sont pas intéressés à aller à Sudbury, et ce matin la direction a eu ce message très fort.

Madame la ministre, je demande la question suivante : pouvez-vous nous donner l'assurance que les étudiants pourront compléter leur année cette année-ci à un établissement à Toronto ?

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As I said to the member yesterday, we do know that we have initiated discussions with Collège Boréal. If there are plans where the students can finish their education right here in Toronto, which was my understanding, then of course I think what he's saying is that everyone will be happy. But if there are other arrangements that have to be made, they will be made with the students, working with the officials, to make sure they get what they need; in fact, to have the best education as francophones in the province of Ontario.

Justement, comme vous le savez, le Collège des Grands Lacs a un nombre d'étudiants qui sont venus de l'Europe. Ils ont payé 12 000 $ pour venir faire leurs études ici à Toronto. Nous, la province de l'Ontario, on les a attirés à venir ici. Pour nous autres de dire tout à coup, après tout ces arrangements que les étudiants ont faits, « Allez-vous-en à Sudbury, » c'est suffisant, je pense. C'est quelque chose qui n'est pas acceptable pour nous dans la province de l'Ontario. Mais, plus important, ça envoie le méchant message aux étudiants en Europe.

Je vous demande de prendre les étapes suivantes : premièrement, on a besoin d'assurer que les étudiants continuent leur éducation ici à Toronto. Si ce n'est pas fait sous le Collège des Grands Lacs, on demande au moins que le Collège Boréal opère un satellite ici à Toronto pour s'assurer que ces élèves ont l'opportunité de finir leur éducation ici à Toronto, soit sous la titulaire du Collège des Grands Lacs, ou sous le Collège Boréal.

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