No. 140 No 140 ISSN 1180-2987 Legislative Assembly Assemblée législative of Ontario de l’Ontario First Session, 39th Parliament Première session, 39e législature Official Report Journal of Debates des débats (Hansard) (Hansard) Monday 27 April 2009 Lundi 27 avril 2009 Speaker Président Honourable Steve Peters L’honorable Steve Peters Clerk Greffière Deborah Deller Deborah Deller Hansard on the Internet Le Journal des débats sur Internet Hansard and other documents of the Legislative Assembly L’adresse pour faire paraître sur votre ordinateur personnel can be on your personal computer within hours after each le Journal et d’autres documents de l’Assemblée législative sitting. 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Hansard Reporting and Interpretation Services Service du Journal des débats et d’interprétation Room 500, West Wing, Legislative Building Salle 500, aile ouest, Édifice du Parlement 111 Wellesley Street West, Queen’s Park 111, rue Wellesley ouest, Queen’s Park Toronto ON M7A 1A2 Toronto ON M7A 1A2 Telephone 416-325-7400; fax 416-325-7430 Téléphone, 416-325-7400; télécopieur, 416-325-7430 Published by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Publié par l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario 6263 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE OF ONTARIO DE L’ONTARIO Monday 27 April 2009 Lundi 27 avril 2009 The House met at 1030. Mr. John O’Toole: I’d like to welcome two famous The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Good morning. guests from my riding of Durham: One of them is the Please remain standing for the Lord’s Prayer, followed chief of Durham Regional Police, Mike Ewles, as well as by a moment of silence for personal thought and inner Mike Roche, who is a leader in the MS Society for reflection. Durham region. I’d like to welcome them here to Prayers. Queen’s Park today. Hon. David Caplan: I too was going to introduce Mike Roche, from the MS Society, but there are several INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS others: We have Jeanette Elliott, Lynda DaSilva, Andrea Hon. Rick Bartolucci: I have a bit of a list here for Butcher-Milne, Gordon Keith, Barbara Dickson, Jan welcoming people. There are going to be names that I Richardson, Stacey Trottier-Mousseau, Yassemin Cohan- miss, but I know that the individual members will—today im and Mike Augustine, all here to bring awareness to we are privileged to have the Ontario Association of multiple sclerosis. Chiefs of Police and members of the Ontario Association Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I’d like to welcome to the of Police Services Boards. We want to welcome warmly House today—I’m not sure where they are at this point— all of the guests that are here: Chief Dan Parkinson from Jeanette Elliott, chair of the Simcoe county chapter of the Cornwall, who is the new president; Chief Kent Moore; MS Society, along with Susan Latter—I know that Kim Chief Dan Rivett; Chief Bob Herman; Chief Rene Ber- Steele has coordinated a lot of this today. I’m not sure ger; Deputy Commissioner Chris Lewis; Deputy Chief whether the minister mentioned Deputy Commissioner Bob Kates; Chief Brian Mullan; Chief Richard Laper- Chris Lewis, who is here in the House today. I have al- riere; Chief Denis Poole; Chief Mike Metcalfe; Deputy ready met with him. Chief Mark Neelin; Deputy Chief Thomlinson; Inspector Mr. Bruce Crozier: I would like to introduce a good Steve Beckett; Chief Gary Smith; Deputy Chief Joe friend and a member of the Lakeshore police services Matthews; Chief Matt Torigian; Chief Derek McElveny; board, Mike Fenchack, all the way from the great county Chief Ian Davidson; Mary Smiley, who’s the chair of the of Essex. Ontario Association of Police Services Boards; along Mrs. Julia Munro: I’d like to welcome Chief Ar- with other members. mand La Barge, from York region. Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I want to introduce Hook Avenue Mr. Dave Levac: I’d like to introduce today a high residents who are spending the day here at Queen’s Park: school buddy of mine who grew up to become chief of Marla DiGiacomo, Mary Boudart, Roxanne MacKenzie, police for the city of Brantford, Derek McElveny, and Megan Finlayson, Glenn Sernyk, Bryce Smith, Roxanne also the police services board chair, Mr. Larry Kings. McKenzie, Margaret Marissen, Dominique Beaulieu, Thank you for being here. Angela Rentzelos, Dawn Elascherk, Carol Ursa, John Mr. Mike Colle: I would like to introduce the great Sweeney, Jonathon Wilkinson, Claude Bergeron and transit advocate and chair of the region of York, Bill Sylvia Bergeron. Welcome all. Fisch. Mr. Khalil Ramal: I’d like to welcome to the east Hon. Monique M. Smith: I would like to welcome gallery the deputy chief of the great city of London, Ian Jan Richardson, who is here with the MS Society, and Peer, who is with us here today. deputy chief of police Al Williams, who are both here Hon. Monique M. Smith: I believe we have unani- from my riding. mous consent that all members of this Legislature be per- Mrs. Joyce Savoline: I’d like to welcome Deputy mitted to wear red carnations this morning in recognition Chief Bob Percy, from Halton region, to the House this of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. morning. The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Agreed? Agreed. Mr. Paul Miller: I’d like to welcome the police chief Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I welcome today to question from Hamilton, Brian Mullan—if he’s brought anyone period Bruce Bishins, Simon Parry and Paul Vynyslyky. else, I didn’t get the names. Each have been affected by the Conquest closure. I’m Mr. Wayne Arthurs: Joining me are Chief Ewles, pleased that they’re here today. Deputy Chief Whiteway and chair of the police services Ms. Helena Jaczek: I’d like to introduce the Honour- board, Terry Clayton. Welcome. able Pauline Browes, former member of Parliament for The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I’d like to wel- Scarborough Centre, in the west members’ gallery. come, in the Speaker’s Gallery today, Michael Barrett, 6264 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO 27 APRIL 2009 chief executive officer, and Norm Gamble, board chair, in the 21st century. It’s not about that member saying, of the South West LHIN. Welcome to Queen’s Park. “No,” and other members saying “Well, we’d do it, but To anyone who is feeling left out with our massive we’d lower the rate.” It’s about taking a position, stand- round of introductions today, welcome to Queen’s Park. ing by it, building the long-term confidence in this econ- omy and, ultimately, the ability to preserve our public health care system and our public education system and ORAL QUESTIONS provide jobs for the thousands of people in Ontario who want new jobs— The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Final supplementary. TAXATION Mr. Tim Hudak: I’ll tell the minister why he’s going Mr. Tim Hudak: A question to the Minister of Fi- down in history. It’s for the bizarre decision to hike taxes nance: Will you confirm in the House today that your by some $2.5 billion on middle-class families in the new sales tax grab will raise the price of gasoline, mutual depths of an economic recession. fund investment fees, morning coffee and doughnuts, Let’s look at one particular item: the cost of your new home heating fuel, home electricity, natural gas, home sales tax on gasoline. For a typical car, a Honda Civic for Internet service, home TV service, cellphone charges, example, at a modest 80 cents per litre, it would cost a rink rental fees and magazine subscriptions. Can you typical family more than $200 per year because of your please confirm the accuracy of that list and tell us what new sales tax grab. Minister does your Premier’s internal the impact of that tax grab will be on a typical Ontario memo also explain why it makes sense to increase the middle-class family? cost of travelling to work, taking your kids to swimming Hon. Dwight Duncan: What I can confirm is that this lessons or trying to find a way to visit family, particularly government is cutting small-business taxes by 18%; I can in the depths of a recession? confirm that we’re cutting the manufacturing and pro- Hon. Dwight Duncan: The member opposite forgets cessing tax by 17%; I can confirm that we’re cutting the to tell people that we have the largest sales tax credit in general corporate tax rate by close to 33%; and finally, Canada coming for those people, that Ontarians earning unlike the member opposite who votes against everything less than $80,000 a year will see a cut in their overall this government does, I can confirm we’re cutting taxes. personal taxes by $10.6 billion: the right response at the Let me remind the member what the Ontario Conserv- right time for this province and its people. ative Party wrote in their 2009 pre-budget submission. Mr. Tim Hudak: Well, thank you. I don’t think the Here’s what he said as finance critic: “The official oppos- minister quite answered my question on that long and ition calls on this government to heed the call of the growing list of everyday items that are going to take even federal government and take immediate action to fix On- more taxes out of the pocketbooks of middle-class fam- tario’s uncompetitive tax structure.” They say one thing ilies and seniors.