Hello and greetings. Communism Combat and New Sleek are very privileged today to have with us eminent historian of ancient Indian history Professor K. M. Shimali sir will speak to us about the discipline itself the challenges for the history teacher and the history learner In the midst of what India is facing politically and what we are all facing as citizens globally. Hello, Mr. Shimali Thank you so much. Thank you. My pleasure. There's so much to talk about when it comes to the discipline of history So where shall we begin? What are the immediate threats and challenges to the discipline in India today? I think the challenge that we historians have been facing in more recent past come largely from the specific conception of history that this present political dispensation has really imbibed and One on which this dispensation is working for many many years The crux of this dispensation vis-a-vis history is to kill the spirit of inquiry to suppress the dissenting voices to suppress alternative opinions and Make a serious attempt to homogenize Indian culture. That I think is the biggest threat that we historians have to combat in so far as Our discipline has always worked in the direction Which has sustained the idea of India through the decades that we know You're also working on three books at the moment. I'm told all of them coming out soon in Hindi and one of the books deals with Prachin Dharmokaitias, meaning ancient religions, religions in ancient India How does that and the project to homogenize India's culture work out? Obviously, that will question this very project. Let me try to define what I call the historian's Dharma And if you want to really comprehend the nuances of that, I would say that just as Tantric system Sustained itself on the Panchmakaras the five Mers Madhya, Maas, Madhya, Maithun, Mudra Talking about fish eating, meat, drinking, sex and physical gestures, etc Similarly The threat that historians are facing from the RSS position on history Strems from their five M's These five M's for RSS are Mil, James Mil, Makaleh, Max Mula, Marx and Muslims. I would say that in many ways these five M's have conditioned their view of writing history and And even the image of nationalism that they try to project Ironically comes from some of the fundamental postulates of the colonial view of writing ancient history in particular It's not Indian at all. To give you the first illustration The Periodization itself you talked about Hindu period the periodization itself The basis of that periodization on which RSS view thrives is Coming from James Mil Who tried to periodize Indian history into Hindu period Muslim period and Ironically again Not the Christian period but the British period the crux of this tripartite division is Resting on what Max Mula tried to defend of The numerous works at Max Mula did and produced. I Will take up just one small book Which is called India. What can it teach us? I am picking it up because that was a work based on seven lectures That it delivered in 1882 In Cambridge to those people who were aspiring to come to India as civil servants And it is in these seven lectures that he's trying to glorify What in modern terminology can be called? The golden period of the Hindus the glorious period The high heritage period of Indian history It is in this series of lectures That's Max Mula created what today we call the other his hatred for the Muslims His soul idea of India being understood in terms of Aryan superiority The darkness of the period of the Mughals the Muslims He called the period of the Muslims as the inferno He's the who he's the one who defined the parameters of us and they It is from such people That the RSS has derived its inspiration Take up the example of the notion of Aryans as indigenous people Who gave rise to that It is people like Colonel Lalkat and Madden Bravatsky of the Theosophist Society It is from them that they have taken up this idea so coming back sir to your work and your Expertise in ancient India in ancient period How does the postulates of the colonial historians? Appropriated now more viciously or vigorously by the RSS Actually sit with the historical Evidence we have which is completely to the contrary. Well, I would say that I Have been privileged enough to teach quite a few courses on history of Indian religions at the post graduate level and I've done that over a period of more than four decades More than four decades. Yes 44 years and The Isis that I have tried to imbibe through my teaching about the way in which one can understand Indian religions is To really see them in a historical perspective To see religion not as something which is Exclusively standing somewhere An autonomous institution such as that no It's very much part of the society and evolving all the time One notion that the colonialist handed over to us That Indian culture has always been spiritualist metaphysical and have nothing to do with this word That can be really put upside down completely Because if you try to understand the evolution of Indian religions It demolishes very convincingly The myth of the static society of India Which again was created by these colonialist writers Can you just illustrate that for the young listener? Well, one example that can always be cited is that Indra Who is supposedly the hero of the Rigveda? one who is described there as Gopati Lord of cattle He becomes Indra with a plow By the time of the later Vedic I Know for sure that for the RSS people The difference between the early Vedic and the later Vedic doesn't mean anything Because for them Vedas are Vedas Whether you are talking about the Rigveda or Satyar Prakash of Swami Dayanand. It's well homogenous whole but that's not true for a historian it is of paramount significance that Temporal and spatial differences are always kept in mind Without that you cannot understand the discipline of history so Indra who was initially supposedly a leader of the pastoral people is taken over as a deity par excellence by Agriculturalists and still subsequently with the growth of two type of land relationships The kind of land ownership that is vested in the kings Indra becomes Bhupati the Lord of land so that's how we can see the evolution of Indian religious So two queries one is about ancient India again ancient period the entire discovery of the Indus Valley civilization in the 1920s which suddenly catapulted us to on the world stage To civilization 2500 BC, you know, which was there was no evidence of that earlier And now the desire by the same forces who want to recognize culture to claim some Connection between the Vedic period and that how does that sit with historical evidence? Well Honestly speaking, this is one area which is very dear to the artist's point of view Because they are interested in pushing back the antiquity of Indian culture As they understand, I don't share their view of Indian culture. Anyway, so pushing back the antiquity of what they would say the Vedic civilization and for them Vedic civilization is the Hindu civilization and That is for them the Indian civilization and so on that forgetting about that equation for the time being But the manner in which these people have been trying to rewrite the paradigm of that phase Is to project the antiquity of the Vedas backwards, I Remember as soon as the present political dispensable came to power in 2014 There was a seminar organized in department of Sanskrit in the University of Delhi and The fundamental assumption of that conference three-day conference was That Vedas were written around 8,000 BC Conclusion had already been reached and There was no historical inquiry about it. It was already decided that this is what we are going to say so this is not the way of writing history and another classic example of how these people have tried to manipulate fabricate manufacturer facts to suit their convenience is the So-called horse play on which front line came out with a wonderful feature which said and firmer had written phenomenally how with the help of Computers they try to convert unicorn into a horse and try to say that the Harappans knew Horses That went to the silver screen with Mohenjo Dharo's Yes, yes, that's right. Where again you saw the corrosion on the horse. Yes So so the whole idea of pushing that the antiquity of the Vedic civilization Making it the earliest civilization earlier than that of the Harappans also is something which says obviously cannot be sustained By any specific material of this. It's only their assumption that They are trying to push forward that kind of an idea so the second query I had related to the ancient period relates to the some degree of perception different between the Aryan entire question of the Aryans whether indigenous or not and the Dravidian history and Dravidian cultures and the subcultures which Have also been explored to a large extent by historians And there seems to be an interpretation around around Dravidian cultures as well I don't know how developed that history has been become historically But there's certainly a lot of discourse around it if you look at the writing of Jyotiba Phule and Ambedkar and others How does that sit with the discipline of history in terms of how far it has been explored? I think it would be very unfair to for me at this stage to really talk about that kind of divide Because I don't subscribe to that kind of divide the whole idea of India of the Aryans and India of the Dravidians is taking some kind of a racist view of history, which is just not sustainable I think the moving forces in history of humanity Have been along the lines of the movement of people across the globe as they have known through the millennia and there have been Mixtures and intermixtures of people from different areas different regions of different values of different cultural systems so it is very very difficult indeed to really sustain that kind of Divide that is I am aware of discourses along those lines, but Discourses, which I think are not sustainable to a right kind of thinking historian So you mentioned this comment on the ICHR and what the ICHR is doing with the recent article that was published you had also Discussing the recent happenings in the ICHR you had even mentioned the fact that Out of the 18 people on the panel you have a couple of people who are very closely Involved with justifying the Babri Masjid demolition I think Gupta and Lal and there were another four or five who were kind of aggressively involved in discrediting other historians Were independent and who were recognized as good historians. What exactly is happening at the Indian Council for historical research a premier body founded for historical research in the country What is happening there just now? I'll put it very briefly To underline the point that under the present dispensation at the ICHR right from the chairman Down to the council It's a collection of people most of whom And I know them are not even proper historians and they are Shamelessly carrying out the agenda Which is the agenda of the RSS They are just not bothered about What people are saying or what professional historians have been talking about writing about They are indeed going ahead with that Two examples can be cited in that context One is as soon as the president chairman took charge of the organization He invited a gentleman called S. N. Bal Gangadhar to deliver the Abul Kalam Azad Memorial Lecture and it is in that lecture that the Speaker said What's the good use of having history as a discipline? It's a fetish If you have Raman and Mahabharat That's good enough. You don't need to study history. I am being told By some people within the establishment that the kind of books which are being purchased in the library nowadays Are also being monitored very closely And anything which is Not really in tune with the RSS point of view is not easily Purchased in the system there. How can this be reversed? I mean, this is a serious threat Very serious threat to as you yourself said to the discipline to thinking India To our future. I mean, how can this be resisted when you have a government in power determined on destroying the discipline? well I as a professional historian can only say that we'll keep on doing our work We can keep on questioning these people And I'll appeal to all my friends and colleagues and students Who would really be manning the show in the years to come To be up to the mark and be on their feet and resist such forces which are Against the voices of reason To my mind history is a discipline of reason not of faith See Within within within weeks of this government coming to power a couple of statements found in echo even in the election campaign of the Prime Ministerial candidate Just a few examples. I recall one is that you know and and they can be laughed away But they're very very serious for instance, you know where you look great Nalanda or Takshila whether you talk about Plastic surgery being present in ancient Indian times and give the example of Ganesha's head Lord Ganesha's head or you say that you know the fact that Kunti And and the way she gave birth to a children suggests that stem cell research was existing in ancient times now I'm You we can laugh at these because we've had the benefit of a more thorough historical Subject study, you know, I mean as a student of history, but what frightens me is that a man like Dinanath Bhatra Was part of that Shikshabh Bihar or whatever Shikshabh Shikshabh Chawandolan Who was also responsible for the getting Wendy Doniger's book pulped And also getting the removal of the SC of Ramanujan from Delhi University Exactly under a different political regime that this man is today has authored these nine part Supplementary texts in Gujarat which are reaching 400,000 students and similarly also Haryana These are two states where Bhatra supplementary texts are being used Now if you look at what the Prime Minister said these four examples I gave and You have a close reading. I've read those books in Gujarati. Look at those books That's exactly what Dinanath Bhatra is talking about stem cell research in ancient times plastic surgery in ancient times why you why you man that is Arrow dynamics in ancient India. So obviously, this is the history that is taught at the RSA Shaka, you know and What really worries me is 400,000 kids in Gujarat Thousands of students in Haryana tomorrow. It could be many other states in the country What will this do to critical inquiry and scientific temper that you're talking about very interesting question and It needs some detailed Explanation now, let us take the very recent development within the Ministry of Human Resource Development They have released not the full report of the new education policy But about 44 pages of what they called some inputs for the draft new education policy 2016 If you look at the preamble of that And some of the contents of the Inputs One is left with very little doubt as to where exactly are they heading? They do talk about The rich heritage They do talk about high values They do talk about national unity They do talk about glorious India's past Etc. Etc. And need to create space for the dissemination of Indian culture Very lofty ideals Nobody should have any dispute with that But the moment you ask certain questions Whose heritage Which past Whose past Etc. Etc. Then you realize that the cat is getting out at the back Because the moment you get into This act of seeking answers to this question The kind of hints that you get there in the preamble and the contents of that draft inputs You know full well that they are focusing only on the preservation of the Glorious ancient Indian past of the Hindus Only a section of the Hindus They are not concerned about what the medieval period did and And in their terminology it is the period of the Muslims Which is not to be seen anywhere Nalanda and Taxila are mentioned with inflated technology that a part Where would you find reference to Mother's side beader or Mother's side housecast in Delhi Don't you deserve a mention of the huge library of Dara Shikho Who was representative of the confidence of the Hindus in the Muslims through his numerous translations of the open etchats and the kind of Growth that Sanskrit literature had even during the times of the Mughals and so on and so on no reference to that Sanskrit is to be taught at all levels schools and colleges and universities and even in IIT's From Sanskrit they want to teach the development of technology and that's a kind of examples that come to our mind What kind of technology and science and scientific temper they would like to Inculcate and evolve and disseminate and if it all it has to be done through Sanskrit Isn't there a case for Arabic in Persian? Pali prakrit The kind of scientific developments that were achieved in the times of the Mughals in the times of the sultans and The Arabic writings and its contribution to science and mathematics They are not to be found anywhere at all so it's a very skewed version of history and skewed version of Heritage that they are trying to evolve and one can easily think that this is indeed an agenda Or they have always been concerned about one people one nation one culture Multiplicity of ideas multiplicity of cultures of multiplicity of people multi languages multi ethnicities Multilingualistics this is not the plurality of Indian culture the plurality Which has been the bedrock of the idea of India is not their view of India last two and a half years Cow vigilantism cow Taliban this kind of complete terror on the ground mobs and lesion the name of what you're eating What you're how you dress what you think and how you speak? And the love jihad garwapsi This kind of non-state actors with the full impunity granted by the state connecting it up to your Area of research and work ancient India particularly because of the whole discourse around vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism I Historians have said again and again that Locating vegetarianism in ancient India is ludicrous There is evidence to the contrary in the Vedas and yet you want to kind of impose a vegetarianism in the name of purity so how would you Locate this campaign against non-vegetarianism against beef eating protection of the cow, etc. Well obviously those who have been watching the scene over the years know full well that There's more politics in it than the actual concern about the cow protection per se and The beef eating is uncontestable as far as historians are concerned. There's no point in Reminding ourselves of phenomenal evidences that are available to us right from the Vedic text down to modern times And we know for a certain that Hindus eat be even today in different parts of India and that's the reason why The laws against beef eating is not for a cow slaughter are not available in Goa and Bengal and so on and so forth. So there is a lot there is there is obviously Politics behind old days Which to my mind is similar to the kind of politics that they did on the Ramzan boom is you where? Religion or faith was less of a factor and a position of power was a greater force To really mobilize people along the so-called nationalist urge. It was all phony nationalism it was a struggle for power that was being conducted and The cow vigilantism is part of the agenda which is being carried out like a typical Fascist establishment. I have no doubts about it. This has been an absolutely fascinating discussion So and I think we've covered a wide range of subjects if you think there's anything else that I have not brought up And you'd like to touch upon please Otherwise, I think we've covered a wide range of subject. Well, I think I hope people would be interested in Taking such ideas seriously and For me most important thing is That people should really imbibe not just those who are studying history But Indian people What they should really be imbibing From discourses such as this That you need to be inquisitive that you need to be asking questions That you need not be afraid of what is being passed on as religious and sacred That is fantastic and a very very good note on which to end the interview. Thank you Thank you


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The CIA now run the drone programs. The drone programs have targeting. When you read that a wedding party has been destroyed or a cottage funeral has been destroyed, this is targeting. It's not accidental. It's not because they saw a group of people dancing that they sent the drones down and blew it up. They destroy the high points of society. The high point of the society is when two young people come together and the resources of the society and the living culture is represented by those two youthful people coming together to produce the next generation. That is the high point of human existence. It provides the next generation and provides continuity for the culture and worship of the ancestors in the sense that the immediate ancestors take the young people and push them forward.  The destruction of 7 million people in the Middle East was a policy. The creation of 37 million refugees over the last 20 years wandering the world looking for homes and ruining the societies that they came from and endangering the societies that they move into is a policy. I don't imagine taking up their way of seeing life, buying a gun and shooting people. I would like to see them humiliated, of course. I would like to see them removed from power, of course. I would like to see decent policies and I would like to see that these institutions that are so embedded in thinking about death in order to organise life, the absurdity of that proposition I would like to see that changed very much and I work towards that in my own simple and modest way.


It is now time for a question period. The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The headline in the Toronto Star Red Premier win Blast John Tory over his budget complaints. You know, the Premier refused to meet Mayor Ford and now the Premier is attacking Mayor John Tory. There is one common denominator here in this equation and that's the Premier. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to give the Premier a chance to apologize to Mayor Tory for this recent attack. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier do the right thing? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have a very strong working relationship with John Tory. We have a long, long-standing relationship, Mr. Speaker. One born in conflict but forged in those days of conflict into a very strong bond. We have a very collegial and collaborative style. Mr. Speaker, the reality is that there's a disagreement at this moment and I understand that there will be disagreements from time to time but my modus operandi, Mr. Speaker, is to keep talking, to make sure that we find a way through the challenges and that we get to a good place because, Mr. Speaker, the people of this province and the people of this city and every municipality in Ontario want all levels of government working together, Mr. Speaker. They know that that's how problems get solved and that's how government and communities are strong. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. You know, the Premier is talking about her great relationship at Toronto City Hall. Well, the Premier said, I quote, there are statements being made out of City Hall that are simply not true. She implied that she wasn't having, I quote, a fact-based debate and conversation with Mayor John Tory and Toronto City Council. The Premier is trying to imply that Mayor John Tory and his city council are not telling the truth to the people of Ontario.  This is not a constructive relationship. The way the Premier is attacking Toronto City Hall. If we need to return to the last couple of days with warnings, I will fulfill that and I will not take a long time to decide to do it. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, this attack on the Mayor in Toronto City Hall is not acceptable for a proper working relationship. So, Mr. Speaker, let's give the Premier one more chance. Questions? Will you apologize to the Mayor of Toronto and Toronto City Hall? Mr. Speaker, let me just talk about this relationship with the City of Toronto. Let me first talk about it in the context of investments in transit and transportation infrastructure because I believe that one of the largest challenges confronting not just the City of Toronto but the region of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area is transportation, Mr. Speaker. So, let's talk about some of the investments. And we are funding, we must not forget, we are funding 70%, of the transit projects that are being built in the City of Toronto right now, Mr. Speaker. And $3 billion for the Eglinton Crosstown. $1.2 billion for the Finch West LRT. $3.7 billion for regional express rail within Toronto, which will enable SmartTrack, which is the plan that the Mayor ran on, Mr. Speaker. $150 million for planning and design for work on the Toronto Relief Line, which is a future project, Mr. Speaker. We are showing Toronto a lot of love, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier and surprise, surprise, there is no apology to the Mayor and the Premier seems to be okay with the fact that she called Toronto City Hall and the Mayor a liar. That's not a proper relationship with Toronto City Hall. Now, let's see the specifics of what Mayor Tory has raised as legitimate concerns for the City of Toronto. It's not the clock. We're going to warnings. That's enough. Finish, please. Toronto Community Housing has an ambitious 10-year, $2.6 billion capital plan. The City, the Province and the Federal Government all need to be part of this. The City has made their commitment. The Federal Government stated that they're interested in paying their share. The Province, other than a few energy retrofits, absolutely nothing. Mayor Tory is right to be upset. Toronto City Hall is right to be upset that this Government is absent from the conversation. So, Mr. Speaker, one more opportunity to the Premier. Will you support the City of Toronto? Will you apologize to the Mayor of Toronto? Will you do the right thing for the people of Toronto? Thank you. Premier. Mr. Speaker, will we support the City of Toronto? Yes, absolutely, and we are. Let me talk about housing, Mr. Speaker. The member from Stormont is warned and the Minister of Community Safety is warned. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, look, I'm glad that the Federal Government is interested in investing in housing. Mr. Speaker, we're actually investing in housing. So, $2 billion in affordable and sustainable housing across the province over the next three years. And on Toronto specifically, Mr. Speaker, $130 million for social housing repair, $340 million for homelessness prevention, $130 million for affordable housing, Mr. Speaker, and a specific request by the Mayor of Toronto, provincial land worth up to $100 million to build 2,000 new affordable renting housing units in the city. Mr. Speaker, we are there. We are investing and we are working with the City and with the Federal Government because we need all players at the table, but we're already there, Mr. Speaker. Any questions? The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, why did the Liberals block an attempt to put cameras on school buses to catch drivers that are blowing by school bus stop signs? Can the Premier explain why her Liberals did this? Very good question. Thank you. I know the Minister of Transportation is going to want to speak to this, but Mr. Speaker, let me just say that we are very eager to see a piece of legislation go through committee that would make school zones safer, Mr. Speaker, that would allow, Mr. Speaker, school zones are not just about school buses. They are about all the kids who walk to school, whose parents drive them to school, and we believe... Madam Kent Essex is warned. We believe that as municipal leaders from different parts of the province have asked that having the opportunity to have photo radar in those districts, Mr. Speaker, will keep communities safer. That's what municipal leaders have asked us for, and we're very eager to get that piece of legislation through. We wish that the Opposition was as eager to get that legislation through the committee, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. The Premier did not answer my question. The question was why did the Liberal members vote down an attempt to make sure that you can't have drivers drive right by a school bus? It happens all the time. A Mississauga pilot project found each bus had on average two blow-bys a day. Children are at risk, and we have the Premier answering an unrelated question. I want to know why they voted down this amendment. I want to know why Liberals are saying no to a conservative amendment. It shouldn't matter that it's a good idea from this side. Do the right thing for children. No more partisan games. Support our children. Will you support this amendment? And will do it again? Yes or no? Thanks very much, Speaker. I know we covered some of this ground yesterday. I've said not only in this chamber, but I've said this to media. I've said this repeatedly. Any measure that can be brought forward that will help us deal with those who are most vulnerable on our roads, on our streets, supporting our municipalities like Toronto, Ottawa, and so many others is something that the Ministry of Transportation and this government will always look at very seriously. Seeker, I think it's really important to note that there is nothing that currently stops school buses from having cameras on them at this current time. It is measures, in fact, in some communities like Ottawa, there are pilot programs for which this technology has already been deployed. But fundamentally what this is about today, Speaker, this question from the leader of that party, following up on the situation that took place in this chamber yesterday, Speaker, fundamentally that leader... Member from Prince Edward Hastings is warned, and Member from Leeds Grendel is warned. If you haven't got the message, I'll give it to you. Finish. Thanks very much, Speaker. Fundamentally that leader is embarrassed and rightly so because for day after day after day in this chamber during debate on Bill 65, his members stood up and repeatedly through every single ploy at the wall to try and delay passage. They've repeated the same shameless or shameful behavior at committee, Speaker. They've brought forward hundreds of members to this legislation to go. Thank you very much. Minister, when I stand you sit. Final supplementary. My question was about having cameras on school buses to prevent cars that simply drive by and put the children's safety, school children's safety at risk. This government is good at answering different questions. They do not want to explain why their members voted down this reasonable amendment. And I get it. There's politics at play here. It was a good idea from a progressive conservative MPP. A good idea from a progressive conservative MPP shouldn't be voted down by the government majority simply because it's not a liberal idea. So here's another opportunity. You want to find someone who also supports this idea, Mayor Bonnie Cromby. Our children are being subjected to a high rate of risk or injury or fatality every time they exit school buses because of a concerning number of drivers simply do not stop when school buses stop to let off. Bonnie Cromby wants cameras on school buses. Parents want cameras on school buses to protect their children. Will the government do the right thing and not this petty partisan politics and voting against emotion that they know is good? Minister. Thanks very much, Speaker. I said in my initial response here today on this that there is currently nothing that stops this technology from being used.  Speaker, pilot programs exist. I'm sure more of that will take place. And again, let me stress the Ministry of Transportation will always take a serious look at any measure that's brought forward that will actually help us deal with road safety. But, Speaker, again, again, this question, this line of questioning, the press releases that have gone out and the shameful behavior of that leader, Patrick Brown's members at committee this week, Speaker, more than 300 amendments put forward to delay and disrupt this bill. Bill 65 from passing committee coming back to third reading here in this chamber, Speaker, so it can be considered, Speaker, fundamentally it is disgraceful. It's something that's not befitting a leader. It's not befitting members of his caucus. We should be working together on this. It's about the kids. It's about vulnerable road users, Speaker. We want Bill 65 passed, and I call on that leader and that member. Thank you. New question. The leader of the third party. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Yesterday this legislature heard about Olive Bird from Sudbury. Olive spent two nights in the ER, 20 nights in the hospital TV room, and one night in the shower room. All across Ontario people in our hospitals are being treated in hallways, broom closets, TV rooms, and in the showers. Stories like olives are the result of a decade of liberal cuts. The Premier should take a moment and ask yourself why the government is crowing about a budget that is $300 million short of the hospital funding that's needed. Will this Premier take responsibility for creating this horror story in our hospitals? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we have invested as a result of this budget, Mr. Speaker, an additional $7 billion for healthcare over the next three years. We recognize that there is a need for this kind of investment, and that includes over $500 million in funding, over half a billion dollars specifically for Ontario's hospitals. That represents a 2% minimum funding increase for each hospital around the province and across the board, over 3% increase. We recognize that there is a need for hospitals, and we have heard from the Ontario Hospital Association that this is a substantial increase. We also recognize that there is a need for increased investment in home care. Mr. Speaker, the OHIP Plus Pharmacare Plan, which will allow young people from the age of 0 to 24 to access free medication, all of that recognizes healthcare as fundamental to this province. There are stories like olives all across our province. Jamie Leiball is here in the legislature today. I want to thank her for speaking up. She showed up at Brampton Civic Hospital with internal bleeding. As a result of the Premier's cuts to hospital budgets, instead of getting care in a hospital room, Jamie Leiball spent five days on a stretcher in a hallway. Does the Premier think that that's acceptable, Speaker? Mr. Speaker, first let me just say to Jamie Leiball, I'm not sure which person you are, but I'm sorry that that happened to you, and I think that we need to recognize that those situations shouldn't happen, which is exactly why, Mr. Speaker, there is such a substantial increase in funding in our budget for healthcare across the province, including a substantial increase in funding directly to hospitals. We will continue to work as the healthcare system transforms, because the reality is, Mr. Speaker, there is more need for care in communities. There is also need for investment in capital, Mr. Speaker. I was at the Trillium Health Centre this week, Mr. Speaker, to announce with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance increased funding so that there could be a new facility built in that region, Mr. Speaker. That is happening across the province, and we recognize that on top of that, the increase to operating budgets is extremely important. Thank you. Final supplementary? Mr. Speaker, these situations are happening because this Premier and her government have made them happen. It is their fault. Introducing a budget that barely keeps up with inflation does not fix the problem either, Speaker. So let's be clear. This budget will not fix hospital overcrowding. It won't end hallway medicine. It's a slap in the face to the olives and the Jamie Lees and every other person in Ontario who's stacked up in a hospital hallway, a broom closet, a TV room, a shower. Will the Premier take responsibility for a decade of liberal health cuts, stop bragging about a budget that barely keeps up with inflation and commit to actually fixing this problem for the patients at the Hughes Hospital here in Ontario? Mr. Speaker, please. Mr. Speaker, please. The Minister of Economic Development and Growth is warned. Minister of Health and Long-term Care. Well, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Brampton Civic, which is part of the William Osler Health System, that's why, and they're facing unprecedented population growth there as well, that's why we increased the budget last year of that hospital system by 6.5%, Mr. Speaker, by $31 million. That's why just recently, several weeks ago, the Premier opened the Peel Memorial Wellness Centre, which is in the same catchment area to provide and enhance health services to that population. But this year alone, more than half a billion dollars, a 3% increase to the bottom line, the base funding for our hospitals, we're currently building 35 or redeveloping 35 hospitals. The new Mrs. Saga hospital as well that was built. And so I want, and I've said clearly to... Answer? To Ms. Ball, I've said clearly in this legislature that it's completely unacceptable what happened to you at Brampton Civic. That's why we're making these investments so that your situation never happens again. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is for the Premier. Yesterday, I was in Peterborough, where I met Louise. She has asthma and COPD. And she's older than 24. She pays $300 a month out of her own pocket for her drug insurance. That's $3,600 a year. Under our plan, Louise wouldn't be playing paying out of pocket for insurance. Why is this Premier refusing Louise's coverage for the medications that she needs? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, as I have said, there actually is no disagreement between the leader of the third party and me and our party. On the need for a national pharmacare plan, Mr. Speaker, that would cover all Canadians across this country. It's something we've been advocating for for a number of years, Mr. Speaker. Our Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has taken the lead on that. We have, as a result of this budget, we will have in place a program as of January 1st, 2018 that will cover 4 million Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. Young people from the age of zero until their 25th birthday and all of their medications for all of their conditions, Mr. Speaker. That's more than 4,400 medications will be covered by OHIP Plus Pharmacare. This is a huge leap forward, Mr. Speaker. This is the biggest change in Medicare in, I say, a generation. The Minister of Health says since Medicare came into place, Mr. Speaker, we know that there's more to be done and we look for that national pharmacare plan. Well, Mr. Speaker, the people of Ontario look to the government to lead on a national pharmacare plan by starting right there, not universal pharmacare, Mr. Speaker. And Dr. Steve Morgan is one of the preeminent experts on pharmacare in our country. He wrote, responding to the Liberal budget and their drug plan, and he said the Liberal drug plan will provide, quote, coverage to the age group that uses medicines the least often. Many working-age Canadians or Ontarians, rather, who are far more likely to require medicines than children will still remain uninsured. Thank you. Universal Pharmacare working-age people. Thank you. The member from Ottawa South is warned. Premier. Minister of Health and long-term care. Well, Mr. Speaker, you know, I think we should all be celebrating the fact that Ontario is demonstrating leadership to the rest of Canada, demonstrating that a place where all Ontarians, all Canadians, are able to access the full complement of medicines. In Ontario's case, that's more than 4,400 medicines, and they should be able to do so without any annual deductible and without any co-payments, Mr. Speaker. And I know the member opposite was in Peter Burl yesterday. I hope when she spoke with families in the media, she told them of our Pharmacare program coming in January 1st, subject to the budget being passed, which will benefit 34,000 children and young people in Peter Burl alone. That's her. You know, I have to say, I was somewhat surprised that more than 11,000 families in Peter Burl are going, they have children, they will benefit from this program. Thank you. And starting the beginning. Thank you. Speaker, according to the experts, working age people need drug coverage the most. Apparently, the Liberals just don't care about them because the Liberal Drug Plan will not help them. It will leave people like Louise and thousands and thousands of other people in Peter Burl, millions of people around the province, paying their thousands and thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for the medications that they need. Even worse, it leaves millions of people unable to even afford the medications that they should be taking. Will this Premier actually step up to the plate, be real with the people of Ontario, be honest with the folks out there? The only way to get to a National Pharmacare Plan is by taking that step here in Ontario and having a real universal pharmacare plan, not another drug plan in our province. Thank you. Minister? Mr. Speaker, their plan is not universal. They have a co-payment that is income tested. They have 4,275 fewer drugs than we do. They have an aspirational target of 2020. Ours begins in January 1st of next year. Mr. Speaker, Nav Perso, an expert, Nav Perso. The member from Timid's James Bay is warned that later the third party is warned. The minister of tourism, culture and sport is warned. I'm not losing my resolve. Finish, please. Steve Morgan, an expert on pharmacare who stood side by side with the leader of the third party as she made her announcement, said bravo to our program, said it's critically important. Nav Perso said who's another expert here in Toronto, this announcement is potentially historic. Daniel Martin allotted it and applauded it as well.  Thank you. A new question. The member from Nipissing. Good morning and thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. We've been asking questions all week long about the troubled mortgage lender, home capital and their chairman, Kevin Smith. They received a $2 billion bailout from the Healthcare Ontario Pension Plan, or HOPE, where the same Kevin Smith is also on their board. Now, Jim Cohane is HOPE's CEO and he was also on the board of home capital. You see, Speaker, both guys are with both companies, the borrower and the lender. So after the $2 billion deal... Second conversation taking place goes outside. Somebody's already on the warning list, which means you can't come back. Finish, please. The $2 billion deal was done. They resigned from each other's boards all within 24 hours. Does anybody believe this passes the smell test? Where is the oversight? I asked the Premier for a definitive answer. Is an investigation into this perceived conflict of interest underway? Mr. Finance. Mr. Finance. I appreciate the question yet again. We have made it clear that OSSI, which is a regulator federally, overseeing home capital is involved. We have the Ontario Securities Commission, which is the regulator also involved and which predicated some of what's happening now because they're doing their job, Mr. Speaker, in regards to the activities of home capital. Furthermore, we have FISCO, which is the provincial regulator who has also been involved throughout the process and has already taken action against two individuals. Mr. Speaker, the member is making accusations with regards to some of the directors on the board. He's rightly stated that they have resigned to avoid conflicts of interest, but the matter is before the regulators. It is being reviewed. We're allowing them to do their job, Mr. Speaker. Even the Federal Minister of Finance has referenced that as well. Thank you. Supplementary. To the Premier, please. As chair of home capital, Kevin Smith earns $357,000 a year for a total of a million and a half in stock. This is a big job. He attended 31 meetings last year. The company is troubled. They're under OSC investigation. Their depositors are leaving. Their stock is tumbling. This is all hands on deck time. But Smith is also the $720,000 a year CEO of St. Joseph Health System and Niagara Health System. He earns $14,000 a week and took six weeks just to attend home capital's meetings. His hospital contract states, quote, the employee shall devote his whole of his working time and attention to the business and affairs of the system. If the government is paying that kind of money, you would expect full time service. While the Premier has been cutting and gutting St. Joe's and other hospitals, where was Kevin Smith? Question. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the member opposite, I think rightly understands and knows that both home capital and who are independent of government and their private organizations and the directors themselves have fiduciary duties primarily to support and protect the interests of their respective companies. And Mr. Speaker, that is what we regulate. That is what is being done as we speak. Thank you. Thank you. New question. Member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question to the Premier. 85% of Ontarians want Hydro One to stay public. Public ownership means money for our hospitals and for our schools. It means lower costs for families and for businesses. It means ensuring our electricity system serves Ontarians those instead of private investors. Can the Premier tell Ontarians why her budget doubles down on the sale of Hydro One? Minister of Energy? Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I was pleased to talk about the great work that Hydro One is doing at becoming a better run company, Mr. Speaker. Being more customer focused and recognizing that they can do better and we've seen that, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the broadening ownership of Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, we're on track to raise the $9 billion and $4 billion of that, Mr. Speaker. We'll be going directly to infrastructure. $13.5 billion in the GTHA, the Go Regional Express Rail, will quadruple Mr. Speaker the number of weekly trips to $6,000. $5.3 billion in the Eglinton Crosstown LRT tripling the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to $300 million, Mr. Speaker, which will then continue to see more infrastructure built in this province. We're building Ontario up, Mr. Speaker. We're creating jobs and Hydro One and broadening the ownership of that is one small part of our overall plan, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Hydro One is a bad idea. Businesses think selling Hydro One is a bad idea. Energy experts think selling Hydro One is a bad idea. In fact, everyone thinks selling Hydro One is a bad idea. I would guess a large number of those MPPs on that side of the chamber think it's a bad idea and I know their constituents think it's a bad idea. The Premier could have shown that she gets it. If she stops the sell-off, people got a message from the budget. The only way to stop the sell-off of Hydro One is to change government. Does the Premier get that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the people in Mississauga and Brampton think the $1.4 billion in the here Ontario LRT is a good idea, Mr. Speaker. The people in the Waterloo regional area, they see the regional transit hub as a good idea. I know $173 million being spent to expand Highway 69 and making that a four-lane highway. I know the folks in Sudbury, they think that's a good idea, Mr. Speaker. The one thing I know, Mr. Speaker, that the people of Ontario don't think is a good idea is that party, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. See you then, please. See you then. Do you have a question to the member from Davenport? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Ministry of Education. With the best possible start in life through our publicly funded education system. Our government has made significant gains in all four publicly funded education systems to provide a strong foundation for our students. Each year, during the first week of May, Ontario's education community comes together to honour student achievement and education excellence. I know that last month, our government announced the details of the grants for student needs for the upcoming school year. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you share with this House the great investments this government is making to help better support students in the classroom and continue to improve education for our children? Thank you, Minister of Education. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank her for her great question and I want to thank her for the work she's doing on behalf of her constituents. We were just there this morning with students from the French public, French Catholic School Board. It was a great morning. I also want to welcome the students that are visiting Queens Park today and those that are watching, because Mr. Speaker, this is Education Week. It is time to pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of students, parents, teachers and students. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who works tirelessly to support Ontario's children and students. Guided by our renewed vision for education, Ontario's publicly funded education system continues to build on its world-class reputation. I was proud to announce that Ontario is increasing its investments to students and to schools. This coming school year, total education funding will increase to $23.8 billion. Thank you. $12,100 per student. Thank you, supplementary. Thanks, Minister. The accomplishments and investments we continue to make in education. And I was pleased to join you, Minister, in my riding of Davenport this morning, at L'École Scandère Toronto-Est and L'École Scandère Saint-François-André, to meet with students in Principal, Sharp and Rambo. I know that for them and for students and educators in Ontario, this means smaller class sizes, more staff and special education, and a focus on local community needs. Mr. Speaker, this year we are also marking another important occasion. Canada and Ontario are celebrating their 150th anniversaries. Schools provide an essential space to enhance understanding of our shared history and to build our collective future. That's why I'm pleased to hear that Ontario is the theme of this year's Education Week. Minister, can you please tell us how we are celebrating Education Week in Ontario 150, engaging parents and students across the... Thank you, Minister. Thank you to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The MPP for Davenport. How much we can accomplish and also a chance to engage our next generation, our students. The Ministry of Education and my ministry have made empowering youth a priority in this year's celebration, and that's why we've created a youth partnership program. This Ontario 150 Youth Partnership program is supporting 87 youth-led projects that will help our youth give exciting opportunities to them to actively participate in their communities both inside and outside the classroom. We're funding a great range of exciting and unique projects such as entrepreneurship programs, dance and theater workshops, women's hockey programs, and entrepreneurship programs for Indigenous youth in remote First Nations communities. As we celebrate Ontario's like a series of projects, we'll chart our future. Mr.  We are... Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance claims their plan is going to stabilize the real estate market and stop the out of control price increases of housing. So, can he explain why his budget document predicts an increase of almost 500 million in land transfer taxes next year? Does the Minister still expect the price of homes to increase that much, or is that number wrong? Thank you, Minister Finance. Mr. Speaker, transactions of real estate activity will continue. And, in fact, economists and independent individuals predicted even greater activity throughout the years, and we tempered that amount just to be prudent, Mr. Speaker, and that's how it's proceeding. In regards to the market itself and the measures that we've taken to address a cool demand at the same time increased supply to the mix are appropriate measures to provide greater predictability and sustainability, but market forces will prevail, Mr. Speaker. There's no doubt of that. What we want to make certain, though, is we provide certain measures and assistance while we proceed forward in the marketplace. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It appears the government has no idea what they're doing when it comes to housing. One day, the Minister of Finance says foreign home buyers are 8% of the market. The next day, he says they're only 5% of the market. Now the Toronto Real Estate Board says it's less than 1% of the market. He claims a foreign home buyer's tax will stabilize that market. But the budget document showed the government is expecting housing prices to keep rising and the result and result in another and other $500 million in land transfer tax. Either the government's housing measures are going to fail and prices will keep going up or the government has almost a $500 million hole in their budget. Can the Minister tell us which it is? Thank you, Minister. Well I can tell this House that obviously they have no plan yet again on this file because they've offered no solutions and no ideas. We put forward a 16 point plan, a comprehensive measures to address with many things. One of which is speculation. Try to ensure that if you're a non-resident Canadian and you're speculating on someone's home and crowding out families that want to live here, put up roots here, start a equity here, well then they're going to have to pay a little bit more Mr. Speaker and that's what we've done in this measure. We've also done that with domestic speculators to ensure that they don't crowd out those families and that they too should pay their fair share. It's one of 16 measures that we're doing to increase supply, address demand and ensure the people of Ontario have a better opportunity at home ownership, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member from Bruce Gray, Owen Sound is warned. New question to Member from Welling. Mr. Speaker, while there was nothing in the budget about minimum wage or any improvements to outdated labour standards for that matter, the Premier does have a new minimum wage Facebook add up. Money well spent, I'm sure. In the ad, the Premier asked Ontarians if they agree with a raise to the minimum wage. Well, I think I can answer that question. Speaker, 70% of Ontarians have already said they want a $15 minimum wage. One in ten Ontario workers make minimum wage today and low income work is on the rise. Ontario New Democrats have heard these hard working Ontarians and we committed in April of 2016 to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Will the Premier commit today to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, thank very much to the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, on this side of the house what we want to ensure is that every family in this province benefits from the strong economy that we have in the province of Ontario today. The world of work is changing Speaker, we're seeing jobs in place that simply didn't exist a few years ago Speaker and we need to be aware that the world is changing. That is why, that's precisely why this is the party, this is the government that put the changing workplaces review into place almost two years ago Mr. Speaker. These gentlemen that we appointed have traveled the province of Ontario they've got advice from organized labour they've got advice from business poverty advocate speaker they've got advice as to what the government should do. Speaker the report is finished, it's being translated Speaker it will be on my desk very very shortly, it will be in the hands of the public very very shortly and it speaks exactly to the types of questions that the member is asking Thank you Speaker. On February 23rd in response to an NDP question the Liberal Labour Minister once again would only answer that the scheduled minimum wage increase is predictable he repeated the same on March the 8th and again on April the 25th and anytime this Liberal government has been asked if they'll raise the minimum wage the answer has always been the same predictable so I asked the Speaker will the Premier commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour today predictably Thank you Minister Speaker as the Premier said publicly this is more than just protecting people's wages and their ability to earn a good living. It's about that Speaker but it's about so much more it's about the way that the world of work is changing. What we did a few years back Speaker is we got all parties that were interested in this around the same table we established a process we set a foundation for the minimum wage Speaker we got opinions from organized Labour from business from poverty advocates for everybody from the workers themselves Speaker we got everybody who was interested in this issue we got them around the same table we put a process in place Speaker for the past few years has worked very very well Speaker what I will say Speaker is that at the time we tried to get everybody who was interested to the table the NDP didn't come to the table Speaker that was the time to speak out Speaker they were missing an action when they were needed the most Thank you. New question to the member from Beats is east York. Well thank you Speaker my question is to the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for poverty reduction strategy. Speaker evidence shows that the 1991 exemption on rent controls has not resulted in new rental units being built in fact in Ontario 14,000 rental units were built in 1991 yet five years later after rent controls were removed for new builds the number of new rental units dropped to under a thousand and according to housing lawyer Timothy Collins rent regulations have been the single source of affordable housing for middle and low income households Speaker despite this evidence the official opposition refuses to accept that rent controls are not the reason why developers are not constructing new units instead of looking at the facts the opposition has voted against a fast-track the rental fairness act Speaker the longer the opposition stalls the longer tenants will have to go without the protections from unreasonable rent hikes. So Speaker can the Minister please explain to this house how rent control is very important to strengthening our community Thank you. Minister of Housing Well thank you Speaker and to the member from Beats is east York for his question and his continued advocacy on this very important issue Speaker the economist Jason Mason argues that rent controls give tenants a greater stake in their community and incentivizes them to put time energy and even money into their homes as liberals we believe in inclusive neighborhoods where people have the confidence to put down roots the full removal of the 1991 exemption would ultimately result in better outcomes for tenants and significantly improve housing affordability in Ontario Speaker we do not want to create another two-tiered rental market housing system where tenants in newer units are vulnerable to unaffordable rent increases going forward Speaker every renter in Ontario will have the peace of mind knowing their rent is not going to increase beyond roughly the rate of inflation Thank you supplementary Well thank you Speaker and thanks to the Minister for his very complex and very thoughtful response to finding opportunities for affordable housing in Ontario in the last week I had the opportunity to listen to a lot of the debate on the rental fairness act and as you know Speaker the act would expand rent controls to all rental units including those built or occupied after 1991 so if passed the bill will bring predictability affordability and opportunity to Ontario's rental market but during debate the official opposition party has made it clear they believe expanding rent controls would as the member from Oxford said would make us chill on building in the rental market and also the member from Niagara West Glenbrook even referenced an overly dramatic quote stating that after bombing nothing destroys a city sooner than rent control Speaker would the Minister please set the record straight and explain to the House how expanding rent controls along with the suite of incentives that are contained in a fair housing plan will not restrain but will encourage the building of new rental units Minister well thank you Speaker and again I'd like to thank the member from Beaches East York for the question Speaker it's regrettable the official opposition needs to paint such an unpleasant view of the world to justify their positions in fact it is a fact of matter the fact of the matter Speaker Ontario is constantly ranked as one of the top places to live in terms of stability healthcare education environment infrastructure as a result people are moving and investing in Ontario Speaker I would also like to point out that 80% of the rental market is currently protected by rent control and you know what Speaker these rental units continue to appreciate in value and attract new capital investment and so the real world is nothing like the grim world view of the opposition the reality is that by passing this bill thank you the member from Dufferin County thank you Speaker my question is to the Minister of Health learned that in the last 10 years there's been a 60% increase in hospitalization and emergency room visits by children and youth due to mental health disorders the minister responded by suggesting that drugs were the answer does the minister truly believe that the solution for this mental health problems thank you Minister of Health long term care well Mr. Speaker I'm quite certain that that wouldn't have been my response so I'll give the opportunity to the member opposite to perhaps clarify her recollection and the supplementary but I'm very proud of the investments that we have made and are making in children and youths and adults mental health in fact we when we first launched our five year plan for mental health that came out of a select committee of all parties that gave remarkable advice to the government to this government we focused in the first instance on children's mental health and we were able to expand the services to more than 50,000 additional children that would benefit we made investments in the orders of hundreds of millions of dollars and in fact Mr. Speaker we continued that important work and we're investing in that critically important transitional period mental health services for youth and I'm happy to talk including about what we've announced in the budget last week thank you supplementary thank you I'm pleased that you are talking about the select committee on mental health and addictions but that was eight years ago minister today 12,000 children waiting for mental health services in Ontario in Toronto the average wait time for counseling and therapy service is 208 days in Barrie the wait time is 354 days in Ottawa children wait 575 days for mental health services our kids can't wait instead of suggesting that drugs are the answer when will this minister ensure timely access to counseling and therapy service for our children thank you I'm glad the member opposite mentioned Barrie and I might have to defer to the member from Barrie for part of this answer because not that long ago several months ago we announced a brand new child and youth mental health service in Barrie at the Royal Victoria hospital and inpatient service but also an outpatient service which is going to benefit tens of thousands of children and youth in that area and it's one example of the investments that we're making 140 million dollars of additional funds announced in this budget for cognitive behavioural therapy for a proven psychotherapy intervention which is remarkably effective for individuals including children and youth that have mood disorders such as anxiety and depression 1150 new supportive housing units these are the kinds of investments that we continue to make not just for children and youth but for the entire population thank you my question is to the minister of corrections and community safety I along with other Ontarians would like to first thank and acknowledge the province's correctional staff for the vital work that they do each and every day on our behalf a new democrats have long called for a new approach to corrections which is going to be overcrowded and thereby dangerous facilities in Ontario that have become warehouses we don't forget that Adam Capay was held in administrative isolation in Thunder Bay jail for four years before staff and the human rights commissioner not the minister first sounded the alarm about his conditions when will the liberal minister provide the resources that have been missing to implement and enable the recommendations of the ombudsman to the minister I would like to thank the members for his question and certainly reiterate the great work that our correction officers are doing every single day in Ontario our parole and probation officers Mr. Speaker and I also want to say thank you to Mr. Saapers for the great work that he has done in Ontario thank you to Mr. Saapers for his report today you know I think about Mr. Saapers and the ombudsman are deeply the concerns that they are raising are deeply concerning and completely unacceptable and I acknowledge and we acknowledge we must do better and Mr. Saapers has recognized the important initiatives in action that our ministry has already taken without this government's commitment to transform our correctional system he also clearly point out where we have challenges in this system and that there is much more to be done so Mr. Speaker as I announced today and I will go on my supplement some key initiatives that we are taking in Ontario thank you Speaker the use of administrative segregation and isolation has only increased after 14 years of government and now they can't wait to fix it yes more beds are needed but correctional staff inmates in the public don't need another poorly privately built Toronto self facility with its broken locks and windows and unused nursing stations Speaker Ontarians want to know will this late to the game money be another liberal make their friends rich scheme with correctional staff left to pick up the pieces Mr. Saapers so I will just I want to say very clearly in this house Mr. Speaker that segregation will only be used as the absolute last resort and certainly I want to point out that the extremely difficult conditions our correctional officers and our staff are working every day and the tremendous work that they actually do Mr. Speaker I have touched upon the number of reform as I alluded this morning and I want to talk to you about some of the designs that our current facilities have and it's called warehousing inmates and when we talk about transformation within our correctional system I think it's important that we look at everything and that's why this morning we talked about introducing a new legislation looking at the definition improving the condition of confinement we talked about the aspect to ensure that health care is better delivered in our facility so again Mr. Speaker we are transforming our correctional system thank you new question the member for Barry my question is to the minister of international trade as you know Ontario's economy is flourishing and businesses in all regions of the province are growing last year our GDP grew by 2.7% and nearly 700,000 net new jobs have been created since the global recession our economy is in a state that is conducive to further growth and I know that the minister's efforts to market Ontario abroad will do just that our latest budget outlines the importance of ensuring that Ontario businesses have the ability to expand abroad and grow the province's economy here at home over the past decade Ontario has made stride in diversifying exports and raising Ontario's profile internationally can the minister speak to the types of supports that his ministry offers for companies looking to scale up and increase their market share in both developed and emerging markets thank you minister of international trade thank you thank you speaker honourable member from berry for asking speaker as the member had mentioned Ontario's economy is globally competitive and our proactive approach to diversify trade will continue as part of our global trade strategy Ontario offers a wide range of support for local businesses that include introductory exporter education seminar and workshop one-on-one consulting by programs in market trade supports and outbound missions that include participation in exhibitions speaker in 2015 alone Ontario led 71 trade missions in which 699 companies started exporting to new markets generating an estimated 941 million in potential export sales companies around the world with the promise of taking advantage of our support this is result in significant growth of our export capacity thank you speaker thank you speaker it is exciting to hear about the increasing amount of companies that are making use of the ministry's trade supports as a mean to diversify their revenue source however with the constant shifting of the global trade climate is increasingly more important to ensure that Ontario is not simply reliant on one single export market one of the ways of facilitating trade with emerging markets is to work at reducing and eliminating barriers to access I know that business owners in my writing and Barry appreciate the ability to freely access foreign markets thanks to the support of this ministry speaker through you to the minister can the minister speak to the work our government has done to reduce trade barriers and provide greater access to emerging markets thank you speaker again want to thank the honourable member from Barry for asking again speaker our government has long prioritised trade diversification in both the market that we trade and the sectors that we trade within those markets this is why our government has invested 15 million over 3 years to expand Ontario's food in key international markets around the world as a member mentioned reducing and eliminating barriers is a good way of limiting trade dependency this is why our government worked tirelessly to ensure that comprehensive trade agreements like CIDR will sign speaker I know that all Ontarians will feel the benefits of this deal as it will save 100 million in tariffs annually creating roughly 30,000 new Ontario jobs and posting the promised GDP by 4.5 billion dollars thank you speaker any questions for the member from the west member my question is to the minister of education I read with interest your ironic news release promising consultation on rural education it claims you recognise the value that schools bring to students and communities as a whole minister the constituents in my writing know you don't really care if you did you would come to Niagara and listen to the people who rely on those community schools instead not a single one of your consult speaker not a single one of this minister's consultation meetings will be taking place in the Niagara region will you step outside of your ivory tower commit to ensuring Niagara has a voice in the consultation process and promise there will be a consultation meeting in Niagara member from Davenport is warned and somebody just saved somebody else from getting warned minister of education it's a pleasure to rise and to speak about our education system because we have one of the best publicly funded education system in the world the very important role of schools and the importance of schools to communities which is exactly why we are doing an engagement across this province with our focus on rural with our focus on rural and northern remote communities just last week I issued an engagement paper that outlines the very importance of focusing on these areas in our province because we want to ensure that we are providing the best education possible for all students across this province and we can only do that by listening and engaging nonsense minister you don't even want to personally face the rural residents you're hurting instead you're sending out your let it go address the chair yes speaker the minister doesn't even want to personally face the rural residents she's hurting instead she's sending out her parliamentary assistance to bear the brunt of people's anger and dutifully tell her what she wants to hear she shouldn't need consultations to know that rural communities don't want their schools closed these consultations would be redundant if the minister would just issue a moratorium on school closures but it's doubly insulting and arrogant that she didn't even want to include the communities of Niagara in so-called consultation sessions so my question is very simple why is she ignoring the residents of Niagara and the residents of rural Ontario it's very important that we have this consultation because we want students to access the latest classroom technology and a wide range of options and I know that we're going to hear great things when we engage with our communities and just so the member officer knows that this Friday I will be in Merrickville Mr. Speaker along with the parliamentary they do have a new school there because Mr. Speaker we want to ensure that we hear from all communities across this great province and we want to ensure that we make those investments in our students in our communities in our schools so that we can provide the best and absolutely funded education system possible for our students across this province Mr. Speaker this is Education Week we are celebrating our students celebrating our great teachers and educators and that's why we're engaging in these we have a deferred vote on the motion of second reading of bill 124 an act to amend the residential tenancies act to 2006 calling the members this will be a five minute vote will all members please take their seats on April 25th 2017 Madame Lalon moves second reading of bill 124 an act to amend the residential tenancies act to 2006 all those in favor please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Anthony Stoney Creek. Ms. Sattler. Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor. Mr. Natashak. Ms. Fyfe. Ms. Fyfe. Ms. Forrester. Ms. Forrester. Ms. Campbell. Ms. Campbell. Ms. Yamonta. Ms. Yamonta. Ms. Gretzky. Ms. Gretzky. Mr. Gates. Mr. Gates. All those opposed, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the party. The ayes are 81, the nays are zero. The ayes being 81 and the nays being zero, I declare the motion carried. Second reading of the bill. Dismantiation du projet de loi. Pursuant to the order of the House dated May 3rd, 2017, the bill is now referred to the Standing Committee on General Government. Minister of Education on a point of order. I would like to welcome an intern working in my office, a student from Humber College, Jordan Chevalier. Thank you. There being no further deferred votes, this House stands recess until 1pm this afternoon.