Hansard Transcript 1993-Apr-15 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Mr Hans Daigeler (Nepean): Guess what? The NDP has added a new acronym to the socialist dictionary. It's SC. What, I wonder, could SC mean in Bob Rae's vocabulary? Sinful cabinet minister? Scandal count? Sheer comedy? Stifled competition? Stagnant cash flow? Sour caucus? Sorry choice? No. It means social contract.

What in the world is a social contract? Does it mean you sign a form before you go dancing with someone? Does it mean getting a caterer for your next party? No, wrong again. According to the government's PR material "social contract" means "containment of compensation costs" exchanged for "empowerment in planning processes," and that's a quote.

Why all the pseudo-intellectual gobbledegook, I ask the Premier. Why don't you come clean and say, "I want wage restraint for power sharing"? Premier, don't hide the real tough issues behind fanciful words.

RAIL SERVICE IN ALGONQUIN PARK

Mr Leo Jordan (Lanark-Renfrew): My statement is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Mr Minister, Canadian National Railways and CP Rail are currently developing plans to merge their rail lines through the Ottawa Valley. CP Rail's Ottawa River route is to be abandoned and the CNR route along the Petawawa River in Algonquin Park is to be retained and used to provide a route for both CNR and CPR traffic.

A growing number of people are concerned that a poorly planned and improperly monitored expansion of the railway in Algonquin Park could result in serious ecological, aesthetic and economic impacts on Ontario's oldest provincial park. People are concerned that the increased frequency of rail traffic through the park will disturb park visitors, create a safety hazard to hikers and portaging canoeists and perhaps kill and injure park wildlife.

As Minister of Natural Resources, you have an obligation to administer, protect and conserve Ontario's provincial park system. You have a duty to ensure that any rail line expansion proposals are socially and environmentally responsible. Mr Minister, you must get involved in the planning process that would result in any railway expansion within a provincial park, especially when 1993 marks the centennial year of Algonquin Park, the jewel of the park system in the province of Ontario.

HEALTH CARE

Mr Mike Farnan (Cambridge): I would like to draw attention to the remarkable and continuing participation of the entire Cambridge community in fund-raising for a new ambulatory care centre with an enlarged day surgery and a new intensive care-cardiac care unit at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Last year, a year in which many of us felt the pinch of hard times, Cambridge residents strengthened their commitment to this capital project. In the year ending March 31, 1993, our community raised $731,000, up almost a quarter over the year before. Since 1986 we have raised $6.6 million for this vital project.

As a community, we recognize the excellence of the care that is available through our local hospital and we appreciate the efficiency with which it is run. In fact, CMH was acknowledged as the most efficient hospital of its size in Ontario. We are proud that the Cambridge Memorial Hospital is actively shifting towards community-based care, in keeping with provincial strategies.

As a community of individual and corporate donors, as patients and care givers, we are anxious to see our contributions put to use. We have committed to paying more than 70% of the cost of the new facility, the government has committed to paying $4.6 million and our regional government is willing to participate in the financial outlay.

The citizens of Cambridge and the hospital staff are all eagerly looking forward to getting on with this project. All we are waiting for is a written guarantee of the availability of the promised provincial funds. We ask for these funds now.

FOOD BANKS

Ms Dianne Poole (Eglinton): On Monday, I went to the Daily Bread food drive to listen to the people's throne speech, delivered by those who knew at first hand what it is like to depend on food banks to survive. This is what recipients believe the Rae government's throne speech should say if the NDP government had any compassion or integrity:

"I sit before you and offer a profound apology.... My government came into power with vast promises. But, ignoring our roots, we have embraced our absolute power and essentially all but forgotten the people and ideals we were elected to represent.

"More than 160,000 people each month in our provincial capital go to a food program in order to survive. In what way has my government contributed to this situation? In all honesty I fear we have contributed greatly."

That's what the people at the food banks are saying about the NDP.

Three years ago, Bob Rae promised he would eliminate the need for food banks. Instead his government has given social assistance recipients the lowest increase in more than a decade, just 1%. The NDP has abandoned a major part of STEP, the supports to employment program, which gave welfare recipients an incentive to work, and Bob Rae's Jobs Ontario program has become a disaster.

To add insult to injury, Bob Rae now says that average citizens, not his government, will have to make sure everyone has enough to eat. The Premier says this when 42% of those using food banks are children. Shame on this government. Shame.

HEALTH CARE

Mr Jim Wilson (Simcoe West): A very serious matter has arisen that I believe the Health minister should move to immediately resolve. At the end of March, hospitals in Wingham, Sturgeon Falls, Elliot Lake and Collingwood were told, without prior consultation or discussion, that their registered nursing assistant training programs would be discontinued effective May 31, 1993.

This arbitrary decision by the government has caused great hardship to incoming students and the teaching staffs at each hospital. Students who applied to the program for the 1993-94 academic year are expecting to hear that they have been accepted into the program. Instead they will soon learn of the program's termination and will not have an opportunity to enrol in a similar program for the upcoming year.

Hospitals in Wingham, Sturgeon Falls, Elliot Lake and Collingwood are asking for a 12-month extension to wind down their RNA training programs. This extension should be given for two reasons: In lieu of the extremely short notice given by the government, laid-off staff will receive hefty severance packages. These severance packages will completely offset the money the Ministry of Health expected to save with its hasty decision to shut down these programs. Two other hospitals in Kenora and Fort Frances have already been given 12-month extensions.

The government's slash-and-burn approach to health care is leaving a string of casualties in its wake. I urge the minister to open her eyes and put down her scalpel and meet with these hospitals to discuss their urgent and reasonable request for a 12-month extension.

ITALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Mr George Dadamo (Windsor-Sandwich): Every year in Windsor, the Giovanni Caboto Club, with a membership of some 1,500 people, searches the city and the county of Essex for a leader possessing sterling qualities and admired by many of his or her peers. Italians in Windsor are proud of this title and gather, young and old, to honour one of their own.

It is an arduous task, never easy sifting through the possible candidates. This year the Caboto Club of Windsor on Parent Avenue, with a search committee headed by Paolo Savio, found such a dynamic person in the name of Father Lino Santi.

Father Santi was born in Italy, spent most of his life in North America, guided by his beliefs and, of course, his chosen vocation. He also spent some years in Thunder Bay, but most of his time in the Windsor area, and specifically at St Angela Merici church on Erie Street or Via Italia, a church which I attend and also had the privilege of being an altar server in some 30 years ago. During this time, I had the honour to serve under Father Lino Santi and I'm now convinced this prestigious award has found the right person.

Recently, nearly 1,000 people gathered to honour the 1992 Italian of the Year at the Caboto Club in Windsor. The award, now in its 10th year, was initiated by the Caboto Club to honour a member of the Italian community who excels in his or her field and whose lifestyle, work and involvement have brought honours.

Along with my Windsor colleague the member for Windsor-Walkerville, it gives me great pleasure to announce Father Lino Santi of St Angela Merici church on Erie Street as this year's 1992 Italian of the Year.

MUNICIPAL FINANCES

Mr Steven W. Mahoney (Mississauga West): I want to congratulate Mayor Hazel McCallion and the council of the city of Mississauga, as well as her senior management staff, for doing something that's completely unheard of in today's economy: They actually lowered their taxes. Can you imagine that?

The city of Mississauga has the lowest municipal tax rate of 25 major Canadian cities. It has been debt-free for 14 years and this year Mayor McCallion and her council were actually able to give the people of Mississauga a property tax decrease. The city has set an example for all levels of government in this country and government can learn from that example. That lesson is sound fiscal management, long-term planning and a no-nonsense business approach that can attract investment, despite policies of an NDP provincial government determined to scare off investment in this province. It can result in a tax decrease, despite a recession that has been worsened by the inept management of this NDP government.

Mayor McCallion does not have to negotiate a social contract with her employees. She accomplished all of this with their cooperation and without losing one single job. Bob Rae, Mr Speaker, ought to commission a bronze statue, with your blessing, for the front lawn of Queen's Park, of Mayor McCallion, to say to the people that she knows how to run a government.

I'm proud to say I was on that council for 10 years. My wife is currently a member, carrying on the Mahoney tradition in Mississauga. Mayor McCallion and her council are leading the way in fiscal responsibility that Mr Premier should listen to and the Treasurer should listen to.

CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mr Allan K. McLean (Simcoe East): There is no doubt as to who the masters of the ice really are. That title belongs to the Russ Howard rink of lead, Peter Corner; second, Wayne Middaugh; third, Glen Howard; and alternate, Larry Merkley, following the second world curling champion triumph in Geneva on April 4.

The Penetanguishene-based team of athletes is an example of just what can be accomplished when people band together to work toward a common goal. For the first time since 1989, when the world championships were held in Milwaukee, Canada claimed world supremacy in both men's and women's curling. The Sandra Peterson rink of Regina beat Germany by a score of 5 to 3, while Penetanguishene's Russ Howard skipped his rink past Scotland 8 to 4. The Russ Howard rink won first in the world crown in 1987 in Vancouver and, after six years of fighting to get back, they certainly earned the opportunity of being number one once again. The Howard rink set the tone early in the world championships by curling aggressively and making every shot count.

I join with the Howard rink's many fans, friends, families and curling colleagues in the Penetanguishene area in extending my heartfelt congratulations and sincere best wishes to the real masters of the ice.

TAX REFORM

Mr Tony Rizzo (Oakwood): As we begin a new session of the Parliament of Ontario, I would like to make a passionate plea in favour of property tax reform. It is a plea that I will never tire of making so long as my constituents keep telling me, as they did last night at St John Bosco school, that they, like hundreds of thousands of citizens in this province, can no longer bear the burden of their property taxes.

Far too often, while canvassing my riding, I see tears in the eyes of the elderly, the unemployed and the disabled. They are losing their homes to mortgage companies and to banks because, in order to pay the exorbitant property taxes, they cannot afford to keep mortgage payments up to date. Let us not be derailed by the market value assessment issue. Even if the Metro plan had been implemented, the tax rebate would still not be large enough to provide real relief for thousands of citizens.

We must proceed as fast as possible on the road indicated by the Fair Tax Commission report. We must no longer use property taxes to fund our educational system. That is regressive taxation. Instead, funding for education should be raised through a progressive form of taxation, one based on a person's ability to pay. In short --

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): The member for Oakwood, the time has expired.

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STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY AND RESPONSES

JOBS ONTARIO YOUTH

Hon David S. Cooke (Minister of Education and Training): Tuesday's throne speech outlined our plan to put Ontario back to work: to create jobs and training opportunities and to rebuild the economy. Our 10-point plan makes it clear we are continuing to invest in jobs and to invest in people.

The recession has hit all communities hard, but our young people, Ontario's next generation of workers, have been hit very hard. Youth participation rates in the workforce are at their lowest level in more than 10 years. Although young people represent about 18% of the workforce, the drop in youth employment levels since 1989 represent 84% of the total net employment decline in Ontario.

This province is facing a very real fiscal problem. As the Premier and the Minister of Finance have said, we are committed to dealing with it through a balanced package of expenditure reductions, an increase in government revenues and the negotiation of a social contract with our public sector partners, but we're not interested in deficit reduction for its own sake. We are dealing with Ontario's debt so that we can continue to make the kind of investments in jobs and in people that I am announcing here today.

Jobs Ontario Youth is an important part of our plan to put Ontario back to work. The skills and work experience gained by participants will strengthen the workforce of tomorrow.

Most young people's first experience with work is through summer jobs. These jobs play a critical role in developing skills to last a lifetime. They build attitudes towards work, saving and lifelong learning.

We recognize the challenges faced by young people as they enter the workforce and we have taken action to increase access to jobs. Spending on youth employment programs has increased by $25 million in the last two budgets.

Last year, under the leadership of the Premier's parliamentary assistant, Zanana Akande, we created the Jobs Ontario Youth program to increase access to summer jobs. Using the skills and contacts of youth employment counselling offices and community organizations, the program matched young peoples' skills with employers' needs. Special emphasis was made to ensure that black and other racial minority youth had access to jobs, as their unemployment rate is far higher than the average youth unemployment rates.

The program was a success: 9,551 jobs were created, 1,051 more than targeted.

This success goes beyond statistics. At closing ceremonies for the program, employers and youth participants were enthusiastic about their experiences.

Employers ranged from businesses with fewer than 10 workers to Canada's largest financial institutions.

The program had an immediate and positive impact on young people. Some acquired skills and work experience that led to full-time jobs. Others returned to high school, college and university with definite career goals in mind.

Ms Akande has continued to consult with youth, community agencies, employers and ministers across government, not only to identify short-term employment issues but also to identify longer-term issues which the government needs to consider as the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board develops. Ms Akande has continued to display outstanding leadership in the area of youth employment. She is committed to increasing educational, employment and training opportunities for youth and for ensuring that all youth have equal access to these opportunities.

Earlier today, she met with young people, employers and deliverers who participated in last year's program at St Christopher House, a community agency in downtown Toronto. Some are in the gallery now, and I ask members to welcome them.

I am pleased to announce that Jobs Ontario Youth is being renewed for 1993. A total of $25 million has been approved for the program. About 10,000 summer jobs will be created and year-round programs and services will be maintained and strengthened.

The first component of Jobs Ontario Youth will provide jobs for young people in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and Windsor. These cities have large racial minority populations and the largest concentrations of unemployed youth. The component has a budget of $14 million and will create summer jobs for 6,000 young people. Field agents for the program will begin placing young people with employers at the beginning of May.

The second component will provide an additional $7 million for three existing summer programs: the Environmental Youth Corps, northern training opportunities program and summer experience. About 4,000 summer jobs will be created.

Youth employment issues are not limited to the summer months. Whether to support themselves or to help pay for their post-secondary education, young people are competing for jobs throughout the year. To help them, a third component of Jobs Ontario Youth will spend $4 million to strengthen year-round employment services for young people.

Youth training and job creation programs will soon be the responsibility of the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board. The board will ensure our programs are effective, reflect real market needs and provide the widest possible access to training.

The province administers a range of programs that address a variety of job needs for young people. Last year, we spent about $180 million on these programs. But money alone does not ensure the needs of all youth are equally addressed. We must ensure that there is no duplication and no gaps in service.

The needs of young people are immediate. This summer we will bring together community organizations, especially groups representing young people, ministries and the OTAB project to form a committee to review youth job programs. The committee will recommend measures to improve client service and to ensure programs are effective.

The work must begin today, because the need is here today. The skills of a new generation of workers must be brought into the workforce. The skills of young people are essential to rebuilding the economy and attracting new jobs and investment. Their skill and energy will secure economic growth and the future of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Statements by ministers? Responses. Official opposition.

Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough North): I want to tell the minister that of course we welcome any announcement of the sort that would create some sort of jobs for young people. But I want to remind him that it was his government that got these young people in this terrible situation today. You have started to erode the ability of young people even to go to school. You have taken away the grants from OSAP, so they have to find jobs in order to pay their tuition fees. You went ahead and increased the tuition fees for these young people, which put pressure on their parents, so therefore they have to go and look for jobs in order to pay their tuition fees.

Of course you have leaned on Mrs Akande, on the work that she went around to do. As I have always said, you seem to have given her a basket to carry water with nothing there, and now you are praising her work and saying that we have created great jobs for young people.

I don't think, being the first statement that was made here today, that this is acceptable. When my colleague Mr Beer went around to the youth employment centres, what he heard was one word: Help. He tried to save them. He came back to this House and emphasized the desperate need of young people there in the youth employment centres. Did they respond? No. What they're going to do is bring old programs back, recycle them and say, "Look how many things we are doing here." I think they should be ashamed of what they have brought forward today, saying, "We have been progressive."

There's no youth employment strategy whatsoever. You come about and say that it's April and May and we've got to try and get some summer jobs made for these young people. It will not help. What they will do is scramble about and try to get some jobs. I hope that the young people you brought in today will see through all your smoke and mirrors, will see that they don't want just summer jobs; they want a youth employment strategy so they can think there's a future that is there for them in order to be a part of this Ontario.

Sure, minorities are in that list, saying that they're worst off in regard to employment. A lot of other youth are desperately hoping not only that they'll get a job but that they'll make sufficient money to go back to school. They are not only making money in order to pay their tuition fees; many young people are finding jobs in order to help to support their families. There is no future out there for our young people if this government continues this way.

As a matter of fact, speaking about the future, when I was the Minister of Skills Development, and my good colleague here, Greg Sorbara, was the previous minister, we brought about the Futures program, a wonderful program. I'm sure the minister hasn't got time yet to go around the province to find out, when they tell you that one of the most creative programs they had was Futures. What have you done with it? You've undermined it and you've killed it.

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I don't think you have to do a lot of thinking today. We've done the thinking for you. The Futures program is an excellent program. Continue to fund it. Don't take our word for it. Go to the youth employment centre and ask them about those programs. They need you to show some leadership. You have lacked leadership in all other aspects. If you just show it in the youth, at least they'll have some spark of life so that when we form the government, we can continue the excellent work we were doing with the Futures program itself.

Statistics have shown that almost 20% of our young people are unemployed, and my God, they come out today and say: "We have a program. We have a program that will help all the young people." It will not work.

Mr Minister, the crisis on this government's hand is a crisis in this province, where young people have nowhere to go, no jobs to get. Tell me, Mr Minister, how will this program be linked to the OTAB program? I don't know. It's not explained in here. I hope that you'll find some continuity in your program, and not putting about a summer program.

I would like to say that if this government thinks seriously about our future, it would think very seriously about our young people. Our young people have no faith in this government. It's not only the young who feel this way; it's all the people, the business people. The businesses are leaving. They can't even get jobs for the parents, much less get jobs for the young people.

I would like, in closing, to say to this minister, that if there's any help, we have extreme experts on this side of the House who are willing to help, because we know how serious it is that the young people come here with their eyes wide open, hoping for these opportunities. Somehow this minister, this new minister, will have some spark in him, some sort of compassion in him, to realize our young people are suffering there without jobs.

Mrs Dianne Cunningham (London North): I would like to take this opportunity, at the first announcement by the new minster, to congratulate him in his new portfolio and to wish him the very best in what I think is one of the most important portfolios in Ontario today.

In broad terms, I think the government should understand from the throne speech yesterday that if in fact we are looking at youth unemployment and if we are looking at opportunities for young people to get work, then this province has to set the tone and the atmosphere for investment in this province.

So I will take the opportunity to say two things: First of all, Bill 40 did not do that; secondly, any discussion about increased taxation does not do that. Mr Minister, your program does. I can tell you right now that if you're targeting young people, the most discouraged persons in our society today -- and some of them are sitting up there right now -- are young people who cannot find work.

I should tell you that we're pleased if this is just the beginning. There's an increase from $20 million to $25 million for these young people. It's not just summer employment, the minister is telling us today; it's ongoing employment throughout the school year. I hope two things will happen: first of all, that there will be accessibility for all, and that the minister will be making these programs available, announcing and communicating with the public right across Ontario, so that everyone has an opportunity to apply and an opportunity to avoid the gaps that he talks about, and a duplication in these programs.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to tell the minister that if he is interested in training young people to meet the needs of tomorrow, he should take a look -- and he still has an opportunity to do this -- at the makeup of the OTAB board, which in fact does not allow for the kind of representation on behalf of educators. That bill is still in committee. We've left it there so that the minister can come to the committee himself and listen to the representatives speak on behalf of educators who feel that they need more seats on that board to speak for these very young people who are here today who want apprenticeship training programs and a major change in the delivery structure for apprenticeship training, not just OTAB but the education system itself, if we're going to train young people for the needs of tomorrow.

I'd also like to say that we, at this time, are talking about disbanding the clerkship stipends for medical students. These are people in training in our hospitals who are working 40 to 60 hours a week in their training, and right in the middle of this year we're talking about disbanding their clerkship stipends, $5,000. It may not be appropriate, but the timing is incorrect. Fair discussion and consultation are extremely important if our young people are to have the kind of confidence we want them to have in government. We have to do that correctly.

I would like to stop my response by saying to the minister that this is just a beginning. We're looking for these kinds of incentive programs, and if he's talking about young people, we have to reach out to them more than we ever have before, and they want jobs.

Mrs Elizabeth Witmer (Waterloo North): I'm pleased to hear that this announcement is going to create 10,000 new jobs, because our young people have been devastated by this recession. However, I question whether 10,000 new jobs are really going to be created, since it's going to depend on two things. Number one, are the employers going to be able to provide positions? Number two, if this is going to be run in a similar manner to the other Jobs Ontario programs, with the bureaucratic delays and the bumblings that have been experienced, I can assure you we will not see 10,000 new jobs for our young people this summer.

Unfortunately, what we have here is an emergency measure by this government. It's piecemeal. It's not going to help our young people in the long run, and I would like to say to this government, this type of emergency measure would not be necessary if this government were providing incentives to the business community, the private sector, to create jobs. That's where the long-term jobs for our young people are going to be: in the private sector.

It's the small business community that creates the jobs. However, if this government, as it has indicated, is going to continue to raise taxes, we're not going to see new job creation. I would say to this government that although I applaud what you have done today, I would encourage you to take a look at stimulating investment in the private sector, because that's where the long-term jobs for our young people are going to be, not in this program that could experience bumbling.

Mr W. Donald Cousens (Markham): Could I call upon the House for unanimous agreement for statements from all parties on Holocaust remembrance day?

The Speaker: Do we have such an agreement? Agreed.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

Mr W. Donald Cousens (Markham): Today, we are honoured to have guests in our gallery, people who know first hand the importance of freedom and why it's worth fighting for.

In the gallery are Holocaust survivors Norma Dimitry, Isaac Jesin, Alex Eisen, Anna Kremer and Morris Greenbaum; also partisan fighters from the second war David and Peter Smuszkowicz, good friends of mine, and Peter Silverman; and also Canadian Jewish war veteran Sam Pasternack.

We are also honoured to have with us the consul general of Israel, Mr Dror Zeigerman and his wife, Asia.

We welcome these honoured guests as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising and Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance day. You are an inspiration to us all.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague Charlie Harnick, the MPP for Willowdale, for allowing me to have this opportunity to speak on behalf of the PC caucus. Mr Harnick has been an inspiration to me and to all for the tremendous commitment he has given to the building of the interest and knowledge about the Holocaust in the Ontario Legislature.

As a Christian, I see this as much more than a Jewish issue. It is a human issue and should touch the hearts and minds of all. I want to take this issue to everyone, to know the horror of the Holocaust and to fight against racism. Our honoured guests are survivors of the Holocaust, living history, who personify the struggle for survival, the fight for freedom, and ultimately the fight against racism.

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We are coming to the end of a generation of Holocaust survivors, the people who were there and who survived. Now more than ever, it is important to deepen our understanding of this dark period of our history. The Warsaw ghetto uprising became a symbol of the struggle against intolerance. We must remember the heroism to ensure that mankind never allows another Holocaust. The Warsaw ghetto uprising demonstrated to the world that individuals could stand up against insurmountable odds and fight against the Nazi war machine.

In 1942, the Warsaw ghetto was comprised of nearly 500,000 Jewish people, and on July 22, 1942, transfers to the death camp at Treblinka began, at the rate of more than 5,000 Jews per day. By January 1943, word reached the ghetto that Jewish people were being executed in gas chambers. Those living in the ghetto organized an armed resistance. On April 18, which happened to be the first day of Passover, they fought off the Nazi army and they were able to hold off the Nazis for four weeks.

It is almost inconceivable to look back some 50 years ago and realize what was taking place then in Europe: the systematic extermination of a race, the murder of six million people. These individuals fought against incredible odds. They truly symbolize the struggle for survival, and at this time it is incumbent upon all of us to remember the past.

Now is also the time to reaffirm our commitment to human rights, for vigilance against another Holocaust occurring, and to redouble the fight against racism, hatred, bigotry and prejudice. We must fight the increase in anti-Semitism. In 1992, the B'nai Brith recorded some 196 anti-Semitic incidents, ranging from the desecration of synagogues, the distribution of hate literature, some the product of Ernst Zundel, to the wearing of swastikas, to the voice of the Heritage Front and to the white supremacist in Peel who is teaching our young.

We as legislators have an opportunity to take concrete action. Our first step must be to stop the publication of hate literature material. We must move to ensure that racists are not allowed to spread their hate, and when they do that they are prosecuted. Currently, Mr Harnick from Willowdale and myself are developing a private member's bill. This bill will prevent the production of anti-Semitic hate literature. I hope to introduce it this session. This is an important step to protect people's rights and especially to remember what we can do to protect all people's rights. Never again should such atrocities occur.

There will be a rally outside the Legislative Building this Sunday in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising and Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance day. The rally commences at 2:30, and I encourage everyone to attend. Our hope and prayer is that through education, vigilance and respect for one another, we will all stand together fighting for true freedom for all mankind.

Hon Elaine Ziemba (Minister of Citizenship and Minister Responsible for Human Rights and Race Relations): On behalf of the government of Ontario, I stand in this place to also commemorate Yom Hashoah, which is the anniversary of the Holocaust and the Warsaw ghetto uprising. I too was at the event this afternoon, where we commemorated the nine men and women who are the survivors and who are members of the Jewish war veterans, people who have lived the experience and people who certainly have given us an insight to that struggle and to understand better what really took place.

On April 19, 50 years ago, the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto took a heroic stand. Sick, starving, quite debilitated, they rose up against the Nazis in a struggle that would last for 42 days. The Warsaw ghetto uprising was an incredible feat. We cannot comprehend what the men, women and children went through in standing up to their oppressors. The Jews of Europe stood their ground against vicious oppressors. For any group of people to challenge this evil force and to have lasted so long speaks well of the human spirit. Many of them joined the partisans who were also in the force in the European countries to fight against the Nazi oppressors, and young people -- 11 years of age, 12 years of age -- joined those partisan heroes.

The Jews of the Warsaw ghetto will be remembered in history, and the Holocaust, the systemic slaughter of six million Jews, can never be forgotten by any of us. This weekend commemorates that particular event. In fact, in Warsaw there are events happening, and one of the largest events that will happening in all of the world will be in Warsaw this particular weekend. I had hoped that I could have been there, but unfortunately I'm here in the House today. But I'm pleased that I had the pleasure to meet the survivors and give the plaque on behalf of the government of Ontario.

In 1993, one would have thought by now that we would have learned one of the most significant lessons of history, that racism and discrimination are wrong. I regret to say that we have not. In fact, rather than seeing a decline, we are constantly reminded, both here and abroad, that we have not learned that important lesson of history. Whether it's defacing of synagogues, which we have seen quite recently, or community facilities or the racially motivated violence in other parts of the world, and here as well in Toronto, it clearly indicates that in fact that we have not learned from the past.

We cannot afford to congratulate ourselves on respecting human rights when racism and anti-Semitism continue to rear their ugly heads in our midst. We need to remind ourselves constantly of these crucial points in history so that the phrase "Never again" will have meaning. But it is not enough to be hopeful that will never happen again. We must take action to prevent it. We must do that now, and all of us must do that in the House.

In closing, last year I stood and spoke about this event and I read to you a poem by a young Jewish girl who was imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto, Franta Bass. I would like to read that poem again, because I think it symbolizes for all of us the feelings and the emotions that young woman felt as she was imprisoned in the ghetto, the feelings of hopelessness and despair, but also of courage and human spirit. If you'll permit, I'd like to proceed with reading it.

A little garden,

Fragrant and full of roses.

The path is narrow

And a little boy walks along it.

A little boy, a sweet boy,

Like that growing blossom.

When the blossom comes to bloom,

The little boy will be no more.

It's surely a horrific thought to think that a child of 11 could see the potential for such human brutality and in such stark terms.

In many of the schools across Ontario, young people as well are learning about the experiences of the Holocaust. I was given this morning a poem, and it's another poem written by a young woman today who's 12 years old. Her name is Ariella Kaufman; she happens to be the daughter of the Deputy Minister of Citizenship. I think it's quite in keeping to read this poem to you, because it means that we have really not forgotten and that people still do remember.

Here behind every shadow

There is death's face

Here people live in fear

They live to beat death

Not in hopes for a better tomorrow

You can see it in those hopeless eyes

Oh! how those eyes haunt me at night

Those eyes saw all they, the people, cannot

In those eyes, you can see they still feel pain

And hunger

You can see that they are still human

And are only parading as "animals"

You can see that they still can feel

Still can love

Sometimes I think it's the "animal" keepers

And killers that can't feel

They are the ones who cannot care for anyone but themselves

But that's stupid

Because

If they cannot feel

Then how can they feel such hatred against

People they don't even know?

Let us never forget.

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Mrs Elinor Caplan (Oriole): As I rise today to join my colleagues in a non-partisan tribute to Yom Hashoah, I'd like to read the words of the leadership that today sponsored the event here in the Legislature. I have the privilege of being able to speak here today. While they're in the gallery, they don't have the privilege of having their words enshrined in history. So with the patience of the members, I'd like to read their eloquent words and quote for you.

From Miriam Goldbloom, co-chairman of the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem:

"Honourable David Warner, Speaker of the House, Honourable Elaine Ziemba, Minister of Citizenship, distinguished members of Parliament, Consul General of Israel, Dror Zeigerman:

"Yad Vashem, Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance, was founded in 1953 by an act of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem. Yad Vashem is affiliated with the Ministry of Education in Israel. It is the world's most significant research centre and repository of documents and exhibits relating to the destruction of European Jewry during the Second World War.

"Yad Vashem of Jerusalem is the quintessential Holocaust museum in the world and stands as a beacon to the world, showing the results of hatred and bigotry. It also shows the depth that men can descend into when prejudice and evil run unchecked.

"Former foreign minister Abba Eban officially opened the Canadian society in Toronto in April 1986. Since then, we have taken the initiative to educate Canadians on the events of the Holocaust and to create a better understanding of that tragic period in our history.

"In 1991, from May 13 to June 16, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem had a photographic exhibit, A Day in the Warsaw Ghetto, in Hart House gallery at the University of Toronto. Over 10,000 adults and students visited the exhibit.

"The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, a monument in Earl Bales Park in the city of North York, was built through the efforts of our organization. The memorial was dedicated in June 1991 to the memory of the six million victims, the partisans, the armed forces and the righteous among the nations who were killed during the Holocaust.

"In July 1992, we sponsored a secondary school teacher for a course at the Centre for Holocaust Teaching in Jerusalem in order to be equipped with the tools to teach the context and components of the Holocaust.

"We and our government must be united to continue to inform and educate Canadians about those who would divide our society with their venom. Freedom and human dignity for all are core values and fundamental principles in a democracy."

In the words of Dr Joel Dimitry, the co-chairman of the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem:

"This is a historic day in the Parliament of Ontario and for the Ontario Jewish community, for we are here to honour Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust in this significant 50th commemorative year. Fifty years ago, the tide began to turn against the Nazis: at Stalingrad, the retreat of the German army; the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Canadian forces land in Sicily, and the Danes' and the Swedes' rescue of the Jewish population of Denmark began.

"We do not have exact figures for the Jewish survivors among those liberated by the allies, but estimates are about 600,000. In the camps, it is estimated that some 100,000 remained alive while 80,000 to 100,000 souls perished during the last months of the war. In Bergen-Belsen alone, 40,000 Jewish souls were murdered on the eve of liberation. Had the war continued one more year, there would be no Jewish survivors in Europe.

"The pain of war does not end when victory is declared. One of the most courageous dramas of the 20th century is still being lived. It is the awe-inspiring story of the daily struggle and triumph of the survivors of the Holocaust. Each story of survival is unique, but the common thread they have is the unconquerable spirit and indomitable will to live.

"This year, the worldwide Jewish community commemorates the 50th anniversary of the revolt of the ghettos of Warsaw, Vilna and Bialystock, as well as in the extermination camps of Treblinka, Sobibor and others. Nineteen forty-three was a year in which thousands of young Jewish men and women left the ghettos for the forests to join the partisan struggle against the Nazi assassins. The countless acts of resistance which took place in all parts of occupied Europe during the Holocaust have been well documented, from France in the west, Yugoslavia in the south and vast areas under Nazi control in eastern Europe.

"Among our honorees here today are men and women who took part in the resistance against the Nazis. Many brave comrades-in-arms did not survive, having died in unknown battles in unknown places. Capture was not an option for the partisans, for it would mean long torture and death at the hands of the Nazis, but given the opportunity and the means to fight, Jewish men and women were in the forefront of the battles.

"I am proud to say that my father, the late Nathan Dimitry of blessed memory, was a partisan in the Vilno area. He died last year in the only battle he could not win, his battle against cancer. David and Peter Smuszkowicz and Peter Silverman were partisans in the same area and lived to write a book, From Victims to Victors, an eyewitness testimony of their struggle for freedom.

"Some 1.7 million Jewish men and women fought worldwide with the allies, with the resistance and in the ghettos. We will honour Jewish war veterans here today under the leadership of Toronto post commander Sam Pasternack. Today we also honour young Canadian servicemen and servicewomen in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice so that the war would end sooner, in Sicily and in Normandy and wherever they were needed.

"The foremost act of resistance was the Warsaw ghetto revolt. November 15, 1940, the Warsaw ghetto was a sealed-tight prison with a population of 450,000. Thirty per cent of Warsaw's population was incarcerated in 2.4% of the city's area. There was no trade or communication with the outside world. Warsaw had the largest Jewish population in Europe, a population four times the size of the Jewish population of Toronto. By April 1943, the population of Warsaw was drastically reduced to about 60,000 due to starvation, disease and deportation to Treblinka death camp. With few arms and no hope of success except to die fighting, the Warsaw ghetto revolted, and for 40 heroic days held off the German army. On May 16, 1943, the ghetto was utterly destroyed. Of the 60,000 Jews at the beginning of the uprising, only a few hundred survived in the ruins of the ghetto.

"The Warsaw ghetto uprising was the first uprising by an urban-based population under German occupation. Uprisings occurred in the following months in almost every large ghetto in occupied Poland and Russia. Those brave Warsaw ghetto fighters unknowingly wrote their own heroic chapter in the history of the Jewish people.

"Over 5,000 Jewish European communities were destroyed between 1933 and 1945. Some of the Jewish communities had continuous histories dating back to Greek and Roman times. European Jewry was a tremendous intellectual well that nurtured every aspect of European culture. No civilized mind could have imagined the tragic fate that European Jewry was to suffer.

"The survivors of the Holocaust are quiet heroes. They were given no medals, no recognition for the life-and-death battle they so bravely fought. They had experienced such pain and terror that the world could not imagine or believe to what depths of depravity it had fallen.

"When Europe was finally liberated, the world rejoiced, but what joy was there for the Jewish remnant? They were broken both spiritually and physically. Before any plan for the future could be made, body and soul had to be healed so that life could continue.

"Sadly, many did not survive liberation. Postwar Europe was in chaos. There were few agencies that could help or protect them. If they expected sympathy and understanding from their neighbours when they returned to their homes, they were cruelly disappointed. The local populations did not want the survivors back. They had already stolen their homes and belongings. With no family, friends, money or protection, what were the survivors to do? Where were they to go? Where were they to live?

"There were millions of refugees spread throughout displaced persons' camps all over Europe. Very few countries were accepting refugees, especially Jewish refugees. The survivors languished in displaced persons' camps for years while the world reluctantly tried to make a place for them. Finally, visas arrived for destinations that were as far away as Australia, South Africa, South America, the United States and Canada, and, in 1948, Israel.

"When survivors finally arrived in their chosen country, the local and Jewish welfare agencies provided whatever physical comfort they could. But what was beyond their hosts' understanding was the terrible psychological traumas of the survivors. How could these safe and normal communities of the west understand the horrors and terrors of the war experience? Can words express the terror of living under a regime where no normal human law exists, where there is no civilized compassion for humanity? The unspeakable was so difficult to express and hear that many survivors and their hosts developed a mutual silence that allowed both sides to interact normally.

"Today, here in this place of law and justice we break that silence to honour men and women who withstood the horrors of the Holocaust, who came to Canada destitute but not broken in spirit, who, given the opportunities of Canada, prospered and became honoured citizens."

Then Joel Dimitry said to those being honoured, "Your courage, spirit, dignity and humanity should be an example to all of us."

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): The eloquent and sensitive remarks by the honourable member for Markham, the Minister of Citizenship and the honourable member for Oriole will be provided to our honoured guests who are with us today.

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ATTENDANCE OF PREMIER

Mr Murray J. Elston (Bruce): On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I rise on the second day after the speech from the throne to raise with you an item which I have raised, it seems, time and time again. It's an item over which you have little control, but it should be noted, at a time when this province needs leadership, that the Premier has decided to vacate the premises so that he does not have to answer the questions of the day.

Mr Speaker, I know the standing orders do not allow you to require attendance, but it seems to me that duty, obligation and the moral need to have leadership displayed by the Premier would have him here in the Legislature barely two days after he comes back from being away for four months or so. I bring it to your attention and I bring it to the attention of the people of this province.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): The House leader for the opposition has stated, quite properly, that there is nothing in the standing orders which would assist me to be able to answer his request.

In a wider context, of course, I would mention to all members that the standing orders are something that the House may wish to amend from time to time and, with respect to attendance, it may wish to look at what is done in other jurisdictions as it affects attendance in the House by all members.

It is time for oral questions and the Leader of the Opposition.

Mrs Lyn McLeod (Leader of the Opposition): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Quite clearly, our frustration lay with the fact that it was our understanding that the Premier would be present and, quite clearly, I had hoped that I would have an opportunity this afternoon to be able to pursue in my questions the responses he gave to my questions yesterday.

ORAL QUESTIONS

JOBS ONTARIO TRAINING

Mrs Lyn McLeod (Leader of the Opposition): In the Premier's absence, I will direct my first question to the Minister of Education and Training.

Yesterday the Premier tried to convince the people of Ontario that the government's job training scheme was working, yet this government, in recognition of the failure of the program, invested an additional $1.5 million in advertising because employers and clients were not picking up on the program. I would ask the minister, why at the last minute was $1.5 million spent in advertising a program that was supposedly so successful?

Hon David S. Cooke (Minister of Education and Training): I indicated very clearly, on the day that we announced the $1.5-million program to promote the Jobs Ontario Training program, that the momentum of the program had picked up significantly. But it was very important that, as the program was being established, to get the infrastructure of the program, the brokers set up across the province, and that took some time.

But if the leader of the Liberal Party is going to say now that this program is not successful when we've got 19,000 jobs created, when that means there are 19,000 people who are being taken off welfare and put back into the job market with obviously less cost to the taxpayers and obviously a better feeling for individuals because they're into the workplace and they're being encouraged to participate in the economy of this province, if that's a failure, then I think she's got it all wrong. This program is working for the people of this province.

Mrs McLeod: I'm sure it's very difficult for all of the people to whom this government has said, "We have financial difficulties and we're looking for every possible way to save money," to convey the message that you needed to spend even $1.5 million advertising a program that's supposedly had wonderful momentum, I just think that takes a little explaining, Minister.

Yesterday we tried to convey the frustration experienced by individuals who applied for this program. The Premier claimed that businesses have written to the government about how successful the program is. For every success story you can produce, I can produce at least three stories of your scheme's failure. I want to share with you this afternoon the experience of just one company.

Ross Pope and Co of Kirkland Lake applied for a training subsidy under your training scheme. A total of 43 pages of correspondence, of faxes, of documentation were sent and all of this resulted in a subsidy of $386. They concluded, needless to say, that the time commitment and the costs that were required to make the application could not be justified and that your government was not being honest about what it expected employers to do.

I ask, how many more examples do we need to give the minister before he admits that his government needs to scrap this training scheme and get on with a plan that will get business back to Ontario so people can indeed get back to work?

Hon Mr Cooke: The government never claimed when this program was being set up that every person who was unemployed was going to find a job in Jobs Ontario Training. If the leader of the Liberal Party is trying to make the claim that that's what we said, it's absolutely ludicrous. We have a whole package of programs, whether it's the Jobs Ontario Training, the Jobs Ontario Capital, other programs that were announced in last year's budget, announced in the throne speech. She knows that very well.

There is no one single answer to creating jobs in this province, but this government is committed, that as jobs are created in this province, welfare recipients and long-term unemployed are going to share in the success as this economy improves. If she wants to criticize that approach, that's fine, but I don't believe the people on welfare, 19,000, nearly 20,000 jobs, which they're now eligible for under this program, would not share her silly criticism of this program.

Mrs McLeod: I am simply trying to get this minister, this Premier and this government to come clean about a particular program which is not working, even though it is the key economic plan of this government's program and even though it is the only program which it is offering to all those people who are so desperately looking for work.

Yesterday the Premier told us and today the minister has reiterated that the government's so-called successful job training program had registered 19,000 jobs. In the Premier's eyes and in the eyes of the minister, this means the program is working.

I would like to share with you the complete picture. Indeed, 19,000 positions have been registered. However, 55,000 people have applied to Jobs Ontario. So how many actually got jobs out of that 55,000? Only 7,600, which translates into an 87% failure rate, a one in eight success rate. This is the government's successful job training program.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Order, the member for Chatham-Kent. The Leader of the Opposition, would she place her question, please.

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Mrs McLeod: I agree with the minister that the people of this province clearly are ready to get back to work and want to get back to work. I simply ask again, why doesn't your government stop wasting its time and its money, our time and our money, put together a real plan that will bring back business, that will create the jobs we need?

Hon Mr Cooke: That's exactly what we're doing. The leader of the official opposition refers to the 7,600 people who have actually been placed. She's correct: There are 19,185 job offers at this point and 7,600 people have been placed. There are a large number of people in pre-employment training and then they get placed in a job.

The jobs are coming in so quickly now, over 1,000 per week, that of course they're not going to be placed at 1,000 per week as well. This is a successful program and I am absolutely shocked that the leader of the official opposition, no matter what the program is, takes the same old-style approach: Criticize it because she's in opposition, even if it's working well. What's your alternative? Come clean. Tell us what you want us to do. Quit your criticizing.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Order. The Leader of the Opposition with her second question.

Mrs McLeod: Thank you, Mr Speaker, although I do want to say that there are going to be only so many times that the members of the government can ask the members of the opposition to tell them how to manage this province.

REPORT ON VICTIMS OF ABUSE

Mrs Lyn McLeod (Leader of the Opposition): Again in the absence of the Premier, to whom I would very much have liked to address this question, I will pose the question to the minister responsible for women's issues and to the Attorney General.

Over the last few months, this government has been rocked by the Piper-Ferguson affair. The member for Kitchener has admitted that he passed Judi Harris's criminal record to John Piper, who tried to leak it to the press. The member for Kitchener is still in the caucus.

Yesterday the Premier said, "The member for Kitchener has apologized to me, and I think to people in question, with respect to what has taken place, and I think that is clearly on the record." But Will Ferguson has refused to apologize to Judi Harris for what he tried to do to her.

Minister, you are responsible for both women's issues and for justice. Your job is to advocate at the cabinet table for women everywhere. I ask, do you really think that Will Ferguson's apology to the NDP caucus is adequate?

Hon Marion Boyd (Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues): The member opposite knows very well that this is a very complex issue for us in this caucus, that we have shown very clearly our disapproval of the actions of Mr Piper and Mr Ferguson. The Premier has shown his disapproval by taking away from them the jobs that he was able to confer. It is quite clear, I think, in terms of the concerns that we have expressed about the message that this may have given to people who have been alleged victims of abuse at Grandview, that they may be fearful of coming forward.

We are very deeply concerned about that whole issue and we feel very strongly that the more the opposition tries to make this the issue, the more the attention of the public is redirected from what is really the issue, which is that abuse was allowed to go on for years and years at Grandview under the Conservative government. There was nothing done under the Liberal government, even though there were many accusations.

It is important for us all in this place to understand that the issue for us now as a province is to ensure that we do nothing to interfere in any way with the investigation that is ongoing at Grandview and with the encouragement of those who may have been hurt in the process.

Mrs McLeod: Minister, let me assure you, there is no question in my mind what the issue is here.

Minister, last night on CITY TV your caucus colleague Will Ferguson said on a televised news broadcast that he had no intention of apologizing to Judi Harris because "At the end of the day, she'll be apologizing to me." Based on any evidence that you may have seen as minister responsible for justice, as minister responsible for women's issues, can you tell us, do you think that Judi Harris should be apologizing to Will Ferguson?

Hon Mrs Boyd: The Leader of the Opposition knows very well that there are actions in front of the court that will be determined by a judge, not by me and not in this place.

Mrs McLeod: Let me try and address a question to the minister that she can deal with very directly and very immediately. Minister, Judi Harris has been made a victim twice: once at Grandview school, as you have noted in your response, and once by the actions of this government. As justice minister you do have an opportunity to do something about that. Next Monday, a case is going to court to make a determination about the release of the report into sexual abuse at the Grandview school. The Information and Privacy Commissioner has said that this report can be released without in any way jeopardizing the police investigation. Let me stress that again: without in any way jeopardizing the police investigation.

Your ministry has obtained an injunction suppressing that report. People like Judi Harris, victims of abuse at the Grandview school, are looking to you to help them put this matter to rest, and I ask, will you undertake today to allow the release of the Grandview report and prevent a needless and expensive court case? Spare these women any more of the trauma that they have been experiencing as a result of your government's actions and inactions.

Hon Mrs Boyd: As the Leader of the Opposition points out, our ministry has a disagreement, as do the Waterloo Regional Police Force and the Ontario Provincial Police, that this would jeopardize the investigation. Our intention is certainly not to suppress the report, but to allow it to be disclosed in the appropriate manner, in the context of the usual disclosure that's made during a legal action. It is absolutely essential, as I have explained, to the survivors' group of Grandview that we not interfere in that criminal process. It is our deep concern that in fact disclosure at this point would intervene in that criminal process. At the end of the day, the greatest protection for the Grandview complainants is to ensure that the criminal process is not jeopardized at all.

LABOUR RELATIONS

Mr W. Donald Cousens (Markham): In the absence of the Premier, my question will be to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. Today's OPSEU rally on the steps of the Legislature has refocused public attention on the issue of the government's so-called social contract. You and your Premier have embarked on a process of hacking up the civil service with a so-called social contract. Certainly we see the need for downsizing the civil service, but in a process that looks at a much bigger picture. Now, weeks later, since your government announced its plans with the social contract, talks already beginning to resume on Monday, no one has any knowledge about what we're getting. It's just a principle; we have no specifics.

Would you tell us what it is you want out of these talks? Some say it is to appease the unions by focusing tax hikes on the private sector, or is it just a hacking of some 18,000 jobs? Would you tell us what your game plan is? Maybe we can help.

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Hon Frances Lankin (Minister of Economic Development and Trade): May I first comment, because a number of members in the Legislature opposite have raised comments about the Premier's absence and I think that, although I know the House leaders and the leaders of the opposition parties have been informed, for the record it should be indicated that the Premier is in Hamilton at McMaster University, hosting and participating in the National Forum of Science and Technology Councils. It was scheduled over a year ago. His participation in it was scheduled that long ago, and I think that's important to the people of Ontario as well.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Order.

Hon Ms Lankin: In response to the member's question with respect to social contract, I think that he's looking for some definition of what the scope of a social contract may be, what might be included in a social contract. May I say to him that, quite frankly, we've been very clear with our partners in the broader public sector and the OPS employers and employees and their organizations that we think what we're going through now in terms of the process of discussions and negotiations will shape the final definition of social contract. We have asked them to be part of defining it.

What do we want? What are we coming at? We've indicated that as a part of an economic package we think that there is a very, very real need to deal with the fiscal situation of the government and we've identified the nature of that problem and we've identified three sources of a solution. One is revenue-raising through taxes and asset sales, the other is through looking at expenditure management measures within the OPS and the third is looking at sitting down with representatives of employers and employees in the broader public sector and looking at total compensation costs, job security, wage adjustment --

The Speaker: Would the minister conclude her response, please.

Hon Ms Lankin: -- a whole range of issues that may help address the whole picture.

Mr Cousens: We have a $17-billion deficit looming. We have a budget looming on the horizon, one that the Premier says will contain job-killing tax hikes. We have a government which is hanging its hat on some big bag of gas that they call a social contract. Minister, when will this process be finished, when will we get an update and how much do you hope to save? Give us some details.

Hon Ms Lankin: Let me tell you that I don't have to resist the temptation; it is no temptation. We're not going to negotiate here in the Legislature. We will be having these discussions with the social contract partners at the tables that have been established. Meetings and discussions have been taking place. Those tables will be pulled together beginning next week, and as discussions unfold there I'm sure that appropriate communiqués will be released by the negotiators involved.

Let me say overall the member identifies the problem of the deficit, and I know that his party has constantly referred to that as an issue that they think needs to be addressed. Our government has looked at the direction of the fiscal situation of the province. We have taken steps consistently over the last two years around expenditure controls. We have consistently said that our goals are to look at creation of jobs, at preservation of essential services and at controlling the deficit. We think the steps that need to be taken now are dramatic and are bold steps, we've engaged our partners in discussions about those, and we know that we need to do this in a way that is fair and that asks all parts of Ontario, including the public sector, to contribute to the solution that we're trying to find.

Mr Cousens: We're quickly into the situation where it's not answer period, it's question period. We'll ask our questions and hope for some answers.

There were over 1,000 civil servants on the front lawn of Queen's Park, and OPSEU president Fred Upshaw was clear that they will not accept wage rollbacks or cuts. So your government has not made any other attempts to control its spending. I repeat: Your government has made no other attempts to control its spending. Tell us, do you have any other game plan if this process that you're calling a social contract fails? What other plans do you have if your discussions on Monday and any other talk fail? We want to know.

Hon Ms Lankin: You know, there's only a certain tolerance for what the member referred to earlier as things like a bag of gas; for example, comments that we have made absolutely no attempts to control expenditures. I think I could characterize that similarly.

Let's take a look at what has happened in this province. For the last couple of years I was involved in the Ministry of Health, and I can tell you that the kind of expenditure measures that we took there have been very effective, and the minister that's there now has continued that. We have gone from double-digit increases in the time of your government and the Liberal government to increases of around 1%. Tremendous efforts have been taken there. Last year within our budget we identified cost-saving measures that we wanted to achieve of $480 million. We made that goal. We made that target, and in fact on top of that we saved an additional $500 million. That's almost $1 billion in expenditure savings throughout the course of the last fiscal year.

Our record on expenditure management is a very good record. The nature of the problem is one that we need to contribute more to solving the problem. We see that as having three parts to it, one of them being the social contract.

The members of OPSEU who are on the front lawn of the Legislature today, people whom I know very well, are people who are concerned about their members' jobs and job security and wage levels. They're right to be concerned and to bring those concerns forward. We will be entering into negotiations. We look to them for help in finding the solutions in these negotiations as well.

CARLTON MASTERS

Mrs Margaret Marland (Mississauga South): In the absence of the Premier, I will address my question to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. In case the minister is inclined to refer the question to a colleague for a response, let me stress that I'm addressing it to her because she is one of the most senior female cabinet ministers and because of her past respon- sibilities for the Health and Management Board portfolios.

Yesterday, the Premier said I had my chronology wrong with respect to when he received the report on the investigation into the Masters affair versus when he made his decision to offer Mr Masters a job and a golden handshake. He did receive the report before offering Mr Masters a new job on the condition that Mr Masters apologize to the women involved. As a member of the inner cabinet, the minister will be able to answer this question: Exactly when did the government receive the report on the investigation?

Hon Frances Lankin (Minister of Economic Development and Trade): I will refer the question to the minister responsible for women's issues and the Attorney General.

Hon Marion Boyd (Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues): The investigation team submitted its report on October 5, 1992.

Mrs Marland: Thank you for that answer. Initially, I could not believe that after receiving a report which found that Mr Masters sexually harassed seven women the Premier agreed to give him a new job.

Let's look at the chronology again. October 10 is the date of the report on the investigation. In November, Mr Masters met with the Premier in a Toronto hotel and was told he would be cleared of the allegations, and I quote Mr Masters: "The Premier said I had his full confidence. In fact, he hugged me."

The Premier also offered Mr Masters a new job as senior economic adviser. Later, Mr Masters was offered a less senior job, on the condition he apologize. Finally, Mr Masters was given a very generous severance package, which included his family's New York living expenses until the end of the school year, a second residence in Toronto, $75,000 severance pay, travelling expenses and moving costs.

What does this say, Minister, after spending $140,000 for an investigation, that the government will ignore its findings? Did the government reach its own conclusion on Mr Masters's innocence or guilt, or did the government think the investigation was flawed? Minister, what on earth happened? What are the people of Ontario to believe?

Hon Mrs Boyd: I'm not prepared to comment on the hearsay evidence presented by the member opposite. I was not present at the meeting that she describes, and so I am not prepared in any way to comment on what Mr Masters says happened at a meeting of which I have no knowledge.

I will say to the member that employers in situations like this, whether they are being approached through their own processes, as was done with us, or whether they are approached through the Human Rights Commission or through other mediating agencies, are responsible to take account of their relationship with employees who are both on opposite sides of a case of sexual harassment. In this instance, the effort was made, as it is in all of these cases, to try and reach a settlement that was going to (a) protect the complainants, and (b) be fair to the accused person in the case. That was what was attempted.

I'm not going to go into any detail of the actual settlement, because that is the responsibility of the minister responsible for Management Board and government services. Management Board is the responsible agency for dealing with the sexual harassment policy. If the member has further questions about that, she should direct them to the member.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Would the minister conclude her response, please. Final supplementary.

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Mrs Marland: You know, Minister, you're the person in this House, for this province, who is responsible for women's issues, and I am very disappointed in your answer. As to hearsay evidence, I'm not talking about hearsay; I'm talking about documents on the public record and I refer you to those documents.

When you talk about employers, I'm glad you talked about employers because I want to talk about your government as an employer. Bill 100, which was introduced to amend the Regulated Health Professions Act to require that health professionals report when their colleagues have sexually abused patients: Sexual abuse, according to Bill 100, would include what we tend to call sexual harassment, such as remarks of a sexual nature.

Health professionals could lose their licences if found guilty of these practices, yet we have a case where one of the most senior government officials, someone with a deputy minister's status who reports to the Premier, was offered another job if he would simply apologize for his behaviour. Even when he would not apologize, he was still given a generous severance package.

Do you, as minister, approve of this double standard of your government's approach to sexual harassment cases? Do you think there should be one set of rules for the health professions and another for senior civil servants and friends of the Premier?

Hon Mrs Boyd: There is clearly a difference between the kind of law that regulates and licenses professions and labour law and the kinds of relationships that people have with employees. It is not a double standard and I reject what the member has said. When we are looking at these two issues, we are looking at very different questions that must be answered by a regulatory board and by an employer. It is inappropriate, I think, for the member to suggest that when this --

Interjections.

The Speaker: Would the minister take her seat.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Minister.

Hon Mrs Boyd: Very clearly, the actions were considered serious by this government. There was an investigation, there was an effort to ensure that the behaviour would not occur again if the person remained in the employ of the government, and when that could not be assured the person left the employ of the government, with severance arrangements. That is very different than the kind of licensing situation that the member tries to make as a comparison.

The Speaker: New question, the member for Halton Centre.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Order.

BLOOD TESTING

Mrs Barbara Sullivan (Halton Centre): My question is to the Minister of Health, whom I'd like to welcome to her new portfolio. Mr Speaker, 375 people of 900 people in Ontario with haemophilia have been infected by HIV as a result of a delay in the implementation of appropriate blood screening programs in the early 1980s; 60 of those people have died. To date, 102 people have been identified with HIV-T; that is, they are HIV positive as a result of receiving blood or blood products associated with surgery during the same period, and of those, 49 have died.

The Minister of Health will know that the security and the integrity of the blood supply is vested, in major part, with the province of Ontario through the Canadian Blood Committee. I'm asking the Minister of Health if she will, today, assure the people of Ontario that the blood and blood products which are in use today are safe and that measures are in place to ensure that they are safe so that we won't have a repeat of the tragedy that we are now facing 10 or 20 years from now.

Hon Ruth Grier (Minister of Health): I can certainly hope that I can assure the member of that fact. As the member is well aware, prior to 1985 there was not the kind of testing of the blood that was donated that there is in place today, and that is why many people face the very tragic situation she has referred to. I feel that is a situation that cannot be repeated and it is certainly my expectation and commitment that all of the measures that can and have been put in place to prevent that from happening again will in fact do just that.

Mrs Sullivan: The minister will know that her government rejected my demands to the Treasurer and to the former Minister of Health, going back as far as November 1991, to deal with the issue of providing a compensation package to haemophilia patients who contracted HIV through a tainted blood supply.

Today, the Hospital for Sick Children -- in fact, I believe the news conference has just ended -- has agreed to contact family physicians and paediatricians of some 1,700 children who received blood during heart surgery that took place between January 1980 and November 1985, after which time the Red Cross began full screening of blood for HIV. Physicians will be asked to explain the potential risks to those children and to offer HIV testing for that particular group of patients.

People in Ontario, I believe, must know what the government's intentions are in dealing with this very important issue. I am asking the minister if she will respond and let us know what her response will be in terms of the implications and where her priorities will be. Is she going to continue to say no to people who've contracted HIV through the blood supply and not involve them in a contractual plan for compensation?

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Could the member conclude her question, please.

Mrs Sullivan: I am, Mr Speaker. Will she take an initiative and demand a federal-provincial agreement for a compensation plan for all who've contracted HIV through a tainted blood supply? Thirdly, will she herself, in Ontario, bring in a compensation package, once again, as her Nova Scotia counterpart has now done, for all victims to ensure that those victims who have received HIV through tainted blood will have some peace for the rest of their lives and will not be spending it taking the government on through the courts?

The Speaker: The question has been placed.

Hon Mrs Grier: The issues of subsistence and support for all sufferers of HIV infections are very serious ones and ones on which I'm very proud that this government and this ministry have taken leadership in this country. The issue of those who have received the infection by way of blood that has become contaminated is one that has been very much on the agenda of all of the ministers of health in all of the provinces, as well as our federal colleagues, for several years.

I suspect the member is well aware that by agreement among the provinces and the federal government, this was an issue in which the federal government had provided support and special compensation in a compassionate way for many of the people who are referred to by the Canadian Hemophilia Society and who are members of that society and for which the society is a spokesman.

The government of Nova Scotia just this week has decided to act unilaterally. In view of that decision, it is certainly my desire to review the situation. Later on today, I will be talking with my colleagues in other parts of the country to in fact examine the situation that the member raises and about which I too am very concerned.

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COMPENSATION TO AIDS PATIENTS

Mr Jim Wilson (Simcoe West): I too want to ask the Minister of Health a question on behalf of those innocent victims, the haemophiliacs in Ontario, some 305 people in number, who through no fault of their own contracted the AIDS virus in the mid-1980s through blood products that were approved by the Canadian Blood Committee. Ontario and all of the provinces along with the federal government are members.

The answer that the minister just gave the House I believe is not fully correct. The minister will recall that in 1989, the federal cabinet agreed to give all haemophiliacs who had contracted the HIV virus through the Canadian blood supply an extraordinary payment. At that time, there was no agreement from the provinces to also partake in compensation to haemophiliacs.

Yesterday, as the minister knows, the province of Nova Scotia had the courage to break the conspiracy that had been concocted among the provincial health ministers, had the courage to go ahead and with provincial dollars compensate the haemophiliacs in that province. Now that the conspiracy has been broken --

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Would the member place a question, please.

Mr Jim Wilson: -- will this minister tell this House today that she believes Ontario has a role to play in compensating these innocent victims?

Hon Ruth Grier (Minister of Health): I reject totally the word "conspiracy" that the member is using and I'm surprised that a member of the Conservative Party would in fact accuse his federal counterpart of being part of any conspiracy. I thought that was the kind of accusation that was frequently made on this side of the House.

The federal minister showed some leadership and took a position that was supported by the provinces and has provided compensation over a period of four years. That compensation will soon be ending, and my colleague in Nova Scotia has, as the member had noted, taken unilateral action. In view of that, as I said in my response to the previous question, obviously the provincial ministers are now discussing their position, and I will be part of that discussion.

Mr Jim Wilson: My supplementary to the Minister of Health perhaps would be best started if I restated some facts; that is, that the federal government in 1989 unilaterally, without the support of the provinces, went ahead on compassionate grounds, without acknowledging culpability, to compensate haemophiliacs through an ex gratia payment through cabinet. Mr Speaker, 80% of Canadians believe that infected haemophiliacs should be compensated. More than 60 court cases remain unsettled involving the province of Ontario and infected haemophiliacs.

Over the objections of the government of Australia, the court there has ruled in favour of compensation, and in France, the minister of health was sent to jail because his government failed to deal with this issue.

Minister, I ask you very clearly: Will you redress this injustice that is occurring in this province? The federal compensation payments ended two weeks ago, as per the original agreement. It's now time for the government of Ontario to live up to its obligation and to compensate these innocent victims who are caught up in this terrible human tragedy. I ask the minister: Will you, yes or no, extend compensation to AIDS-infected haemophiliacs?

The Speaker: The question has been placed. Minister?

Hon Mrs Grier: I share the member's concern about this issue and about the people who are involved. I would point out to him that I was giving credit to the federal government for having shown compassion and acting. But the compassion is still required. The federal government has now cut off their extra payments and has said, "We are not prepared to do it any more."

Those people still need help. In view of the action of the federal government, I and my colleagues in the provinces are obviously considering what we can do in this situation. That is what I have responded, that is what I am doing, and that is what I will be speaking to some of my colleagues about later this very day.

LAND-LEASE COMMUNITIES

Mr Gordon Mills (Durham East): My question is to the honourable Minister of Housing. As she knows, several hundred of the constituents in my riding live in the community of Wilmot Creek in what is known as a home leased-lot development. Most of these individuals are seniors who are retired or on fixed incomes. There have been many concerns because of the nature of the relationship to the owner-operator of the development.

I know that the Minister of Housing is aware of the issues that concern these vulnerable people. They are fed up with unfair property taxes, unfair community rules set by their landlords, restrictions on the size of their homes and a lack of security of tenure. The residents of Wilmot Creek have been hearing for several years that the province is studying the matter and they are understandably anxious for some action.

My question to the Minister of Housing is with regard to the status of the long-awaited solutions to the concerns of residents of leased-lot communities. What is the government going to do to provide protection for these residents and my constituents?

Hon Evelyn Gigantes (Minister of Housing): I thank the member for Durham East both for his question and for his interest in the concerns of people who live in land-lease communities.

One of the problems that has been a kind of umbrella of all the problems he's mentioned has been that, in many cases, people living in land-lease communities don't know the rights that exist now under legislation. As the member for Durham East is well aware, the changes that came to the Rent Control Act effective last August really do provide a breakthrough in terms of protection on many of the items which have been of most concern to people living in land-lease communities.

They do have rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act. In many cases, they don't know of those rights. They do have rights under the Rental Housing Protection Act in cases where there has been pressure to sell land-lease communities. In many cases, they don't know of those rights, and it is our intention, through the Ministry of Housing, to provide as much information as we can, particularly in those cases where there have been immediate pressures on people living in land-lease communities.

We are also going to be undertaking a broader educational effort that I know will be assisted by members, such as the member for Durham East, who care very much about the lives of people in land-lease communities in Ontario.

Mr Mills: I understand that there are many people in other leased-lot communities across the province who may be forced to move because of closures and conversions. Could the minister indicate today whether there are any measures which might be enacted quickly to deal with these problems, not only in my riding but in other ridings?

Hon Ms Gigantes: The member is quite right. There have been a number of communities in which the tenants have been under intense pressure, threatened by the co-optizing, if you want to call it that, by the owner of the park, threatened by a change in the use of the park. In all these cases, we have monitored the situation and provided information and assistance to the people involved so that they would know their rights and get what assistance is now provided under legislation.

We are also reviewing the report of an interministerial task force on this subject to make sure that if changes are required either in regulation or in legislation, we will be able to do that.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): New question, the member for York Centre.

Mr Charles Beer (York North): York North.

The Speaker: York North.

Mr Gregory S. Sorbara (York Centre): I'll ask one if you want, sir.

The Speaker: One question at a time.

EDUCATION POLICY

Mr Charles Beer (York North): My question is to the Minister of Education. Minister, I would also want to welcome you to your new responsibilities and, as our colleague the member for London North mentioned, to wish you well in carrying out your duties.

Minister, I know that since assuming the portfolio approximately three months ago, you, as I and many others, have been out talking with people in the province and have been hearing about the lack of confidence expressed by many in a whole series of areas of educational policy.

Since January at the very least, your predecessor and then you yourself have been talking about the creation of a commission as the primary approach that your government is going to take to resolving many of these issues.

Minister, we are now in the third day of this session. There was a brief passing reference in the speech from the throne about a Commission on Learning. What people who are concerned about education want to know is, Mr Minister, when are you going to announce this commission? Who will be the commissioners? What will be the mandate of this commission, so all of us will have an opportunity to determine whether or not you are really going to be dealing with the fundamental problems in the education system? Minister, when are you going to announce this commission and its mandate?

Hon David S. Cooke (Minister of Education and Training): Very soon. We're working on it. We've been going through a consultation process. The public forums we've had across the province have been part of it. We've been talking to parents' groups, the federations and student organizations. I think all those people and organizations needed to be part of the process to come up with the terms of reference, and I'm now bringing recommendations forward to cabinet.

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I should make sure that the critic for the official opposition knows that the commission will not be an excuse for inaction in the meantime. That's why also in the throne speech we announced some very significant new measures that I believe will provide for some testing across the system, to evaluate the system and find out its strengths and weaknesses in certain areas so that we can move forward to improve curriculum and teaching methods and restore the confidence that I believe is declining in our public education system.

Mr Beer: Certainly, anything you do which is going to bring about greater confidence in the system you will find us supporting, but in dealing with particular issues and expressing the concern that the commission is going to continue through to the end of next year at the very least, there are two specific issues of concern, and I think it will be interesting to see what your response will be to them.

It has been rumoured that one of the items the commission would look at is this whole question of governance, of the operation of school boards and how we run our system of education. In the last few days, there have been comments in the media that you're going to be setting up a series of working groups to look specifically at school boards. We want to know, will the question of governance -- how our system is run -- be part of the mandate of this commission?

Second, there's the question of funding. You've had the report of the New Democratic tax commission. We've had a minority report in terms of the property tax. What people want to know is, are you going to deal with that funding issue: how our system is financed? Is that going to be part of the mandate of the commission? Can you make a commitment to this House that some action on funding, on the role of the property tax, is going to be taken in this session, in the Treasurer's budget?

Do we have to wait another year? Do we have to wait for the commission? When is your government going to act and how is it going to act with respect to governance and with respect to the funding of our education system?

Hon Mr Cooke: I don't want to start defining the mandate of the royal commission by question after question. I think you should wait a couple more weeks, and you'll see the terms of reference for the commission. There will be other items that we will continue to address outside of the commission, because I agree with you: We can't wait till the end of 1994 to take any action on some reforms in the public education system. So just be patient. It'll only be a couple more weeks.

MEMBER'S CONDUCT

Mr Robert W. Runciman (Leeds-Grenville): I have a question for the minister responsible for women's issues as well, based on the responses she's given to questions earlier today.

My question relates to the Ferguson matter, to Mr Ferguson and his conduct and how this minister, who is responsible for women's issues, is responding in this House and outside this House as well.

Our concerns centre on the fact that this minister has had a solid record of standing up on behalf of women throughout this province -- I acknowledge that -- for women's rights and especially women as victims, and I'd like to review her position with respect to how she's responding to this matter.

We have a colleague, a member of the New Democratic Party, a member of the government, who actively engaged -- he has admitted this -- in an effort to smear a woman who indicates she was a victim as a resident of Grandview some years ago. She has made very serious allegations in respect to the member for Kitchener.

There's no question about the responsibility. Mr Ferguson has acknowledged his responsibility in respect to that. As a result, a senior official in the Premier's office lost his job; he resigned. This is an appointed official. We have an elected official, someone lodged with the public trust, a member of the government caucus, who is allowed to remain.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Would the member place his question, please.

Mr Runciman: Minister, I'm asking you, as a long-time advocate for women, women's rights and women as victims, how can you justify defending the lack of action and the fact that Mr Ferguson remains in your caucus?

Hon Marion Boyd (Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues): The member refers quite correctly to the resignation of the one person involved. He did not mention that Mr Ferguson also had his added responsibility removed from him as a result of the founded concerns.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Order.

Hon Mrs Boyd: I am not in a position and would not comment on what goes on in the privacy of our caucus, any more than I would expect the member to comment on the privacy of what goes on in his caucus.

Mr Runciman: Well, that's an extremely disappointing response. You know, when we look at this minister's record, I'm not sure how she feels she can continue to defend the lack of action on the part of her Premier and her colleagues within cabinet in respect to this matter.

We had a press conference some time ago with victims from Grandview, including Ms Harris, who were very concerned about the way this government and the police are dealing with this matter, and certainly a member of her own caucus who is allowed to remain. I make a very clear distinction between an appointed official, Mr Piper, who has had his career ruined, his livelihood gone as a result of this incident, and you're making an analogy between Mr Piper losing a career and Mr Ferguson giving up a stipend but retaining his job as a representative of the public in your own caucus. It's not a fair analogy whatsoever.

My supplementary in respect to the minister, who says she doesn't want to respond to my concerns about Mr Ferguson and her lack of adequate response to that situation: Will she indicate today whether she's prepared to support a request from this side of the House and from many members of the public to have a full public inquiry into this Piper matter to see just how many members of the government, how many senior officials within the ranks of the NDP, were involved in this smear effort against an innocent woman in this province?

Hon Mrs Boyd: Yes, I'm quite prepared to say that, no, a public inquiry is not in the best interests of the public, of those who have been complainants in the case at Grandview. There has been a police investigation, which determined that charges would not be laid, there is court action that is currently going on in respect to the issues raised by the member, and no, I do not believe in any way that a public inquiry would in any way further the information that the public has.

We have been very clear that this incident is not an incident for which we have any kind of defence at all.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Order.

Hon Mrs Boyd: We are saying very clearly that we do not approve of the actions, and have indicated that from the beginning of this incident.

The Speaker: New question, the member for St Catharines-Brock.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Ms Christel Haeck (St Catharines-Brock): My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. Madam Minister, the Niagara Peninsula, as you well know, has been leading the province in its unemployment rate. Our manufacturing base, as all of us have probably informed you and predecessors in your position, is eroding, and those industries that are still operating are, quite simply, struggling to survive.

Layoff announcements are unfortunately becoming all too common in our local media, and Richard Brennan from the Windsor Star has in fact provided one again, beyond St Catharines, giving a clear understanding of the problems we're facing.

As you know, a group locally has been formed, and it's called Fighting for a Working Future coalition. This coalition is sponsoring a purple ribbon campaign and is bringing together labour, business and political leaders in an effort to work cooperatively to find a made-inNiagara solution to our economic woes. Madam Minister, what assistance can your ministry provide to this coalition and to Niagara as a whole in our fight to put our region back to work?

Hon Frances Lankin (Minister of Economic Development and Trade): I appreciate the member's concern and share with her the concern for the state of the economy in the Niagara region. Certainly we are willing to work with partners in the Niagara region towards economic development and trying to identify ways to strengthen area firms and encourage investment and innovation and in fact job creation in that area.

The member will know that we have recently made an announcement of a contribution towards the economic development initiative. The Niagara Region Development Corp is leading that, with other partners that are involved. There was a commitment of funding for that from the provincial government in cooperation with the region and with the federal government, and the efforts there will be to develop a made-in-Niagara blueprint for that region, where they can look together at the strengths and the weaknesses and the opportunities for renewal and use that analysis as an underpinning for an action plan for the Niagara region.

Let me just say that in addition to that, of course, there are ongoing programs of government, like ODC and the winery adjustment program, like the highway infrastructure building that's going on on the QEW.

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The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Could the minister conclude her response, please.

Hon Ms Lankin: We'll continue to work with the people of Niagara to attempt to ensure that these programs are meeting their needs too.

Ms Haeck: I do want to thank the minister and a number of other ministers who've really made a number of contributions and grants to our ridings, the member for St Catharines, mine and the member for Lincoln, but what the coalition and other groups -- there are about 50 different groups in the Niagara region that are looking at economic development, and one of the things that has come out from municipal government, as well as these coalitions, is that we're looking at a Premier's task force to be established to look at what is happening in the Hamilton-Niagara area.

I do concede there's been an awful lot of money and assistance that has come to Niagara, but there are still these problems and the coalition is looking for this task force. So can we ask at this point, will you and the Premier consider setting up a special task force to look at the unique problems we face in Niagara?

Hon Ms Lankin: I'd be pleased to speak to the member further with respect to exactly what she has in mind and what has being suggested. May I say that I think there is an initiative under way and that the whole idea of supporting community economic development is an attempt to give the tools to the communities themselves so that they can develop their own solutions.

I think that if there are those involved in the coalition who feel somehow that their voices aren't being heard in the task force, we can work to try and broaden the partnership and we should be bringing people together as opposed to setting up parallel processes.

That would be my first response. I'd be pleased to have a further discussion with the member about that, however.

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

Mrs Joan M. Fawcett (Northumberland): My question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Food. Last spring the Minister of Agriculture proudly announced a five-part program called the agricultural investment strategy to help farmers facing financial difficulty.

The program was to spend $20 million this past year to help farmers arrange financing. Farmers waited all summer for the application forms, they waited all fall for the application forms, they waited all winter for the application forms, but except for the small commodity loans component, application forms under the agricultural investment strategy are still not available.

Farmers want to know why the program is taking so long to get started. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture says the program seems to have fallen into the black hole of bureaucracy and is probably lost.

Would the minister explain how he justifies this delay and will he make a commitment as to when the farmers can expect to finally receive application forms, and will he be assured that the $20 million of last year will not be lost and will be added to this year's?

Hon Elmer Buchanan (Minister of Agriculture and Food): It would be useful if we knew exactly which application form the member was referring to. There are five components to this program and there isn't one application form for all five; indeed they're separate programs.

The commodity loan guarantee program was out a year ago. It was a little bit late in coming but it was very popular with farmers, and we expect about $100 million to be loaned out under that program this year.

The program that was announced, the details for that were announced a week ago. The private mortgage guarantee program, the application forms for that will be available on May 8, I believe it is, in the local ag offices. Why haven't we had this out earlier? That's a good question. The answer is that we have had farm groups, their committees, which have been working on these programs with the civil servants to make sure we design these programs so that they work for farmers, that they're the kinds of programs they want and that the money that's being invested in these programs will be well spent and received by the farm groups.

When you work with committees getting meetings together, it takes a little longer than it does for one person to sit down and design or dream up a program which may or may not meet the needs of farmers. These programs are designed by farmers for farmers with the support of this government, and that's why they've taken a little bit longer to get out than they normally would like.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): The time for oral questions has expired.

Mr Chris Stockwell (Etobicoke West): On a point of privilege, Mr Speaker: We've spoken in the past about the fact that announcements are made outside this House at various times, and once again I have a news release from the Office of the Premier announcing a media advisory. I think my privileges as a member have been breached. It states:

"Cabinet ministers and officials will hold meetings this weekend, April 16 to 18, at the Metro convention centre dealing with options for spending reductions by ministries. The meetings are a step towards an economic package."

Let's take note of what's going to happen at this meeting at the convention centre. Please note that no final decisions will be taken, no announcements will follow the meetings and consequently no plans are being made for media availability by the Premier or cabinet ministers. In fact they're going to have a meeting --

The Speaker: And your point of privilege?

Mr Stockwell: -- and they're not going to do anything, they're not going to make any announcements to the media, yet they announce a media advisory not in this House. Clearly nothing is being done, nothing is being announced. That's typical of this government; therefore they should have come to this chamber and announced that nothing would be done.

The Speaker: The member knows he does not have a point of privilege.

MOTIONS

Hon Brian A. Charlton (Government House Leader): Mr Speaker, I believe I have consent from my colleagues in the opposition to move this motion without notice.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Do we have unanimous consent? Agreed.

STATUS OF BILLS 24 AND 89

Hon Brian A. Charlton (Government House Leader): I move that Bill 24, An Act to amend the Education Act, and Bill 89, An Act to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, remaining on the Orders and Notices paper at the prorogation of the second session of this Parliament, be continued and placed on the Orders and Notices paper for the third session of this Parliament at the same stage of business as at the prorogation of the second session.

The Speaker (Hon David Warner): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?

All those in favour will please say "aye."

All those opposed will please say "nay."

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

PETITIONS

PENSION FUNDS

Mr Hans Daigeler (Nepean): I have here a petition signed by over 100 firefighters from the Ottawa-Carleton area. This petition is signed to oppose the use of their pension funds by the proposed Ontario investment fund. I've signed the petition.

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

Mr Noble Villeneuve (S-D-G & East Grenville): I have a petition signed by 265 constituents and residents of eastern Ontario, to the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It's addressed to the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

The ministry is presently implementing province-wide cutbacks to sheltered workshops, despite overwhelming criticism by agencies through their presidents, executive directors, the Association for Community Living, support groups, direct care service providers and unions. This is quite a lengthy one and I will abbreviate it.

"We, the undersigned, are gravely concerned and petition to you to re-establish present funding to sheltered workshops with the impetus placed on establishing community options, flow new moneys as they become available into agencies to further develop community options and finally conduct the proposed analysis and complete this process prior to any further decisions on service direction and ensure a full range of services remain available."

I agree and I've signed this petition.

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GAMBLING

Mr Dennis Drainville (Victoria-Haliburton): It gives me great pleasure again to rise in the House and bring this petition from the good burghers of Victoria-Haliburton, who write to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the New Democratic Party government has traditionally had a commitment to family life and quality of life for all the citizens of Ontario; and

"Whereas families are made more emotionally and economically vulnerable by the operation of various gaming and gambling ventures; and

"Whereas the New Democratic Party government has had a historical concern for the poor in society who are particularly at risk each time the practice of gambling is expanded; and

"Whereas the New Democratic Party has in the past vociferously opposed the raising of moneys for the state through gambling; and

"Whereas the citizens of Ontario have not been consulted regarding the introduction of legalized gambling casinos despite the fact that such a decision is a significant change of government policy and was never part of the mandate given to the government by the people of Ontario,

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

"That the government immediately cease all moves to establish gambling casinos by regulation and that appropriate legislation be introduced into the assembly along with a process which includes significant opportunities for public consultation and full public hearings as a means of allowing the citizens of Ontario to express themselves on this new and questionable initiative."

I'm affixing my signature with the good people of Fenelon Falls.

HEALTH SERVICES

Mrs Lyn McLeod (Leader of the Opposition): I have a petition that reads as follows:

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"We, the residents of Sault Ste Marie and Algoma district, request that a dedicated air ambulance be based in Sault Ste Marie on a full-time basis, properly equipped and with adequate staff available 24 hours per day;

"Sault Ste Marie be funded to have at least one neurosurgeon at a local medical facility with privileges at local hospitals;

"Sault Ste Marie be given provincial designation as an underserviced area to help encourage more doctors to practise in Sault Ste Marie.

"We would expect an immediate review of our local health care system and corrective action taken within the next six months."

This petition is signed by over 15,000 people and I have affixed my signature to it.

HOSPITAL FINANCING

Mr Jim Wilson (Simcoe West): I have a petition addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the government of Ontario has only transferred a 1% funding increase to hospital boards this year, resulting in the closure of over 1,500 hospital beds and the layoff of some 2,000 nurses and staff;

"Whereas Collingwood General and Marine Hospital has been or will be forced to close 20 beds and several staff;

"We, the undersigned, petition the government of Ontario as follows:

"That the NDP government make health care a top priority and stop closing hospital beds and laying off nursing staff."

Mr Speaker, I have affixed my name to this signature and I'm pleased to deliver two copies of it, one to the Premier and one to the Minister of Health. Please note that it's signed by some 400 people who are concerned about the plight and the difficulties experienced by the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital.

PINE GROVE FOREST

Mr Jim Wiseman (Durham West): My petition concerns the Pine Grove forest.

"Whereas the Pine Grove Forest is a significant wetland forest complex, a portion of which is designating an area of natural and scientific interest on the east bank of the Rouge Valley, a part of the Petticoat Creek watershed in Pickering;

"Whereas the Pine Grove Forest is an essential gateway to the Duffin-Rouge corridor, thereby providing a crucial link to the Altona forest, Petticoat Creek and Duffin Creek as well as the Lake Ontario waterfront and north to the Oak Ridges moraine;

"Whereas the Rouge Park advisory committee has recommended to the province of Ontario to include all of the Pine Grove Forest within the future Rouge Park,

"We, the undersigned, urge the Premier of Ontario and the ministers of Natural Resources, the Environment and Municipal Affairs to protect the Pine Grove forest by ensuring that the province includes this significant area in the national-provincial Rouge Park. We strongly oppose any urbanization of this area."

I affix my signature to this petition.

SKILLS TRAINING

Mr John Sola (Mississauga East): I have a petition addressed to the Honourable David Cooke. It reads as follows:

"We, the undersigned, students at the Peel Adult Learning Network and those who support this program, are very concerned about the possibility of the provincial government's funding cuts to the Ministry of Education literacy branch labour adjustment initiative.

"We believe that this type of retraining and upgrading program is critical to Ontario's ability to meet its long-term labour and economic objectives. As recently laid-off workers, we have found it necessary to improve our skills in order to cope with today's changing labour market demands. This program provides us with the basic skills that any worker needs and it would be unfair at this time for the government to discontinue it.

"We very sincerely hope that you will take serious consideration to this petition."

It's signed by 44 members of the network, and I will affix my signature.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Mr Robert W. Runciman (Leeds-Grenville): This is a petition signed by several hundred residents of Leeds-Grenville.

"To the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas the Ministry of Health is proposing to reduce by $45 million the budget for Ontario's provincial psychiatric hospitals without first establishing sufficient community programs or services for the severely mentally ill;

"Whereas we believe this move will create more problems than ever before for people suffering from such illnesses as schizophrenia and for their families, as well as being more costly in the long run due to the resultant numerous readmissions and/or incarcerations this illness often sadly leads to when left untreated,

"We, the undersigned, beg leave to petition the Legislature of Ontario as follows:

"We, the Leeds-Grenville chapter of Ontario Friends of Schizophrenics and others supporting our view, wish to petition the Ontario Legislature not to cut back funding to our psychiatric hospitals and their community services."

I have affixed my signature.

NIAGARA ESCARPMENT COMMISSION

Ms Christel Haeck (St Catharines-Brock): I am presenting a petition signed by 989 people from St Catharines and the surrounding area. This petition is addressed to the Minister of the Environment. The petition states:

"We, the undersigned, strongly object to any dismantlement of the Niagara Escarpment Commission. This is the only public forum whose mandate is primarily to protect our unique and beautiful Niagara escarpment, which is so vital to the wellbeing of our fragile and threatened environment. We petition you, as the Minister of the Environment, to ensure that this will not happen and that rigid controls be maintained for its preservation."

I have affixed my signature.

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

Mr Michael A. Brown (Algoma-Manitoulin): I have a petition which carries 832 names. It says:

"To the Parliament of Ontario:

"Whereas in June of 1992, the Minister of Community and Social Services announced a cutback to funding of sheltered workshops of $5 million, with $2 million to be flowed to supported employment services in Ontario;

"Whereas the Espanola and District Association for Community Living had its work-in-training budget cut by 4.1% in 1992-93 and is scheduled for an additional 4.1% cut in 1993-94,

"We, the undersigned, petition the Parliament of Ontario as follows:

"That whereas no consultation between ministry and agencies took place, we strongly recommend that the ministry end any further cutbacks until such time as real community consultation with the stakeholders has taken place, allowing agencies an opportunity to analyse the impact of current and future cutbacks."

I agree with this petition and affix my signature.

RETAIL STORE HOURS

Mr Allan K. McLean (Simcoe East): I have a petition to the members of the provincial Parliament on the amendment of the Retail Business Holidays Act, proposed wide-open Sunday shopping and elimination of Sunday as a legal holiday. This is a petition from last fall.

"I, the undersigned, hereby register my opposition in the strongest of terms to Bill 38, which will eliminate Sunday from the definition of 'legal holiday' in the Retail Business Holidays Act.

"I believe in the need of keeping Sunday as a holiday for family time, quality of life and religious freedom. The elimination of such a day will be detrimental to the fabric of society in Ontario and cause increased hardship on many families.

"The amendment included in Bill 38, dated June 3, 1992, to delete all Sundays except Easter (51 per year) from the definition of 'legal holiday' and reclassify them as working days should be defeated."

That's 157 signatures and I've signed my name to it.

EDUCATION FUNDING

Mr Mike Cooper (Kitchener-Wilmot): It's my pleasure to introduce a petition on behalf of my colleague in Beaches-Woodbine, and it's signed by 65 petitioners from the Notre Dame parents' guild. It states:

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to act now and restructure the way in which municipal and provincial tax dollars are apportioned so that Ontario's two principal education systems are funded not only fully, but with equity and equality."

RETAIL STORE HOURS

Mrs Joan M. Fawcett (Northumberland): I have a petition re the amendment of the Retail Business Holidays Act, proposed wide-open Sunday shopping and elimination of Sunday as a legal holiday.

"I, the undersigned, hereby register my opposition to wide-open Sunday business.

"The proposed amendment of the Retail Business Holidays Act of Bill 38, dated June 3, 1992, to delete all Sundays except Easter (51 per year) from the definition of 'legal holiday' and reclassify them as working days should be defeated."

There are 17 signatures.

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JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

Mr Allan K. McLean (Simcoe East): I have a petition that says:

"To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

"Whereas we, as citizens of the province of Ontario and residents in the county of Simcoe, object to the imposition of junior kindergarten by the year 1994;

"We would ask the Minister of Education to consider a moratorium of a duration of at least two years or until there is some obvious improvement in the economic climate of this country.

"Funding arrangements, as proposed in Bill 88, while of some value to taxpayers initially, will leave the ultimate responsibility for all future funding with the municipalities. Many of these municipalities are already hard pressed to collect taxes as levied to date.

"We understand the proposed program may be of value to some. However, the majority cannot, at this time, afford any further tax increases."

That's signed by myself. There are 149 signatures on that petition.

CHILD SAFETY

Mr Paul Wessenger (Simcoe Centre): I have a petition signed by over 400 of my constituents who are concerned about the safety of their young children in school playgrounds. They are asking to amend the Education Act to coincide with regulations included in the Day Nurseries Act for mandatory fencing around playgrounds used by children under the age of 6 years. I've affixed my signature.

POST-POLIO SYNDROME

Mr Hans Daigeler (Nepean): I have another petition. This petition is signed by some 60 residents of my constituency. The petition reads as follows:

"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to establish a post-polio clinic in the Rehabilitation Centre of Ottawa-Carleton for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients and to disseminate information so that the estimated 1,000 known polio survivors in the centre's catchment area can receive adequate treatment and that the medical profession be educated regarding the post-polio syndrome."

I've affixed my signature to the petition.

HIGHWAY SIGNS

Mrs Joan M. Fawcett (Northumberland): "We, the undersigned, are opposed to the Ontario government's decision to re-sign Ontario's highways with a new sign system. We feel the signs on our highways are quite adequate and the taxpayers of Ontario don't need or want this outrageous expenditure at this time when fiscal restraint is needed and necessary. We request that this program be cancelled immediately."

There are 110 signatures.

WETLANDS

Ms Christel Haeck (St Catharines-Brock): I am presenting a petition signed by 830 citizens from Niagara-on-the-Lake. This petition is addressed to the Ontario government and it states:

"We believe that the SWAMP options" -- that's a constructed wetland -- "as presented by the Friends of Fort George are worthy of further study and expansion. The constructed wetland concept represents a viable alternative to the physical chemical plant proposed for Niagara-on-the-Lake and merits further consideration by Environment Canada, the Ministry of the Environment, Ontario, the Niagara region and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake."

I affix my signature.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

HERITAGE DAY ACT, 1993 / LOI DE 1993 SUR LE JOUR DU PATRIMOINE

On motion by Mr McLean, the following bill was given first reading:

Bill 2, An Act respecting Heritage Day / Loi concernant le jour du Patrimoine.

Mr Allan K. McLean (Simcoe East): Just briefly, I'm reintroducing this bill that I've introduced before. It's because we are a community in Ontario, a community of people from many generations, many countries and many cultures and I feel there should be a special day designated to celebrate our diverse heritage. We're looking at the third Monday in February to celebrate it across Canada. In 1974 we introduced a week-long celebration; it was also introduced in 1986, so I'm introducing this so that we can have a further debate and have a holiday on the third Monday in February.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

THRONE SPEECH DEBATE / DÉBAT SUR LE DISCOURS DU TRÔNE

Resuming the adjourned debate on the motion for an address in reply to the speech of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the session.

Mrs Lyn McLeod (Leader of the Opposition): I am very happy to be able to take part in this debate and to be able to respond on behalf of our caucus to this government's third speech from the throne.

It was just under two weeks ago that I stood in a meeting hall in downtown Toronto where 92% of voters in a by-election had rejected the NDP. This throne speech makes it clear why this stunning and unprecedented repudiation has happened. This throne speech makes it clear that the NDP government is incapable of leading this province into the recovery that it so badly needs. The lack of leadership becomes more apparent with every new throne speech and literally with every passing week.

Le leadership, c'est avoir une stratégie. Le leadership, c'est avoir une stratégie réaliste qui obtient l'appui de la population. Ce discours du trône n'est pas une stratégie qui peut fonctionner. Ce n'est pas une stratégie qui sera soutenue par la population.

After making a long slump longer and a deep recession deeper, this government's lack of leadership will make a weak recovery weaker. This throne speech proposes a 10-point plan for restoring the province to prosperity; last year, it was a four-point plan. I suppose that's 14 points, which, as every New Democrat who was thinking of running again will know, is almost enough to get your deposit back.

The math is actually quite simple. There are three things the government must do to allow Ontario to build a strong recovery: It must develop and execute a sound economic strategy; it must get its own house in order; and it must restore the integrity that makes governing possible. This throne speech meets none of these tests.

Ontario continues to face serious economic problems. Some numbers represent stark reality. Over 550,000 people are out of work. Manufacturing production has declined almost 16%, with a loss of 25% of manufacturing jobs. For every job gained over the last two years, two have been lost. Together, these grim numbers paint a picture of immense human loss. This loss, this denial of hope and opportunity, has fallen perhaps most cruelly on the young people of this province. They are in danger of becoming a lost generation, crippled by bad times and a worse government that can't find a way to help them. For them and for all of us, these are the realities of Ontario in the spring of 1993.

What is this government's plan to better this state of economic affairs? What is the new plan outlined in this throne speech? Sad to say, this government has nothing more to offer than to continue with the failed visions, the blunted thrusts and the misconceived initiatives that have marked the first half of its mandate. It continues to lurch from crisis to crisis.

Les promesses continuent dans le discours du trône. Ce sont les mêmes que celles de l'an dernier et de l'année précédente. Cependant, entre les idées avancées dans le discours du trône et les réalités des politiques actuelles du gouvernement se dresse l'idéologie des néo-démocrates et leur incapacité à gérer.

The same fine promises we have heard before, but between the ideas of the throne speech and the realities of this government's actual policies falls the shadow of NDP ideology and incompetent management.

The throne speech calls for the creation of partnerships to generate economic growth. It's the same call that was made in the first throne speech. But two and a half years and three Industry ministers later, the trust between business and government that must be the basis of any partnership has been irretrievably lost. How can investors trust government by a party whose president solicits funds from its members by accusing business of plotting a conspiracy? How can employers trust a government that has created such a toxic climate for business?

1600

The throne speech promises to help small business, and again it's the same call the NDP has been making since it came to power, but two and a half years and a ministerial reorganization later, all that has been given to small business is more red tape, increased costs and pro-union labour laws.

The throne speech promises to get serious about education and training. It's the same call we've been hearing since 1990. But two and a half years and three Education ministers later, all we get is a commission to find out what the government should be doing, and in the meantime no one knows exactly what students will be learning when September comes around.

The throne speech calls for capital investment in the province's infrastructure. We've heard it before. But two and a half years, three Transportation ministers, three Government Services ministers, two Environment ministers and three capital corporations later, all we really see are accounting tricks designed to take capital spending off the government's books.

We have yet to see anything concrete, literally. Is the Red Hill Creek Expressway built? Is there more subway line in Metro? Has Highway 416 been built to Ottawa? Has the four-laning begun in northern Ontario? The answer is: none of the above.

This province needs a real economic strategy, one that is well-conceived and then acted on. That is the only way we'll get the jobs, the growth and investment the people of this province need.

We need to restore investor confidence. We need to ease regulations, especially on small business. We need to extend a hand to our young people. We need training programs that work and education programs that give students the skills they need. We need capital investment that will build a base for growth and jobs in the future. Most of all, we need a government that believes what it says about the importance of job creation and truly makes that a priority.

And yes, we do need to start by putting government's own house in order. Putting government's house in order is critical, not only to our economy but to people's faith that their government can again be part of the solution. The failure to do so, indeed the mounting chaos of government under the NDP, is one of the most signal failures of the past two and a half years.

This throne speech does nothing to bring a halt to the rising tide of chaos and mismanagement. The throne speech promises to control public sector payrolls. The proposal is, quite simply, too little, too late. This government has been in power for 922 days and it only figured out that it had a public sector spending problem 15 days ago. During those 907 days of blissful ignorance, they weren't just ignoring the problem; they were making it worse, increasing public sector spending by 14% in their first year of government.

We all understand that there are costs and expenditures that come with a recession, but the vast majority of those cost increases went to this government's attempts to spend its way out of the recession, a move that even now it does not understand to have been sheer folly. The Premier continues to boast in this throne speech of being right on track, saying that the budget of 1991 and the budget of 1992 actually made sense, and now they're trying to recover the ground that they so freely gave away.

If the Premier had spent more time negotiating investment contracts in his first two years in office, he might not need to be negotiating a social contract now.

The throne speech promises to cut out unneeded programs. There are two reasons why this approach by this government won't yield the right results. Firstly, we have no faith in this government's desire to cut its truly useless programs, such as spending $26 million to put private day care operators out of business or $37 million on the new advocacy legislation that is unnecessarily bureaucratic and interventionist. Secondly, the only budget cuts that they seem to think about are across-the-board program slashes. There is no real thought, no real understanding and absolutely no plans on how to improve service delivery for greater cost-efficiency.

The throne speech does promise to raise taxes, and this is one promise we know the Premier is likely to keep, and in fulfilling his solemn pledge to raise taxes even higher, this Premier will postpone the recovery even longer.

The Premier has to recognize that he simply cannot go on like this, focusing on everything except the growth and the jobs, which will only come when this government abandons its anti-business ideology.

Lastly, the throne speech promises to control the deficit, and there are a number of questions that immediately arise in the mind of any observer. Which deficit? The one the Premier artificially inflates before the budget to lower expectations? The one that he and his government are likely to produce on budget day, which is shot through with paper transfers and accounting tricks? Or the one that actually has to be paid for by going to the markets with ever larger issues of debt?

The second question is, will he deliver? Will this government actually act to keep its deficit in check? Will it finally realize that without private sector growth, the deficit will continue to break all records? Will the Premier actually provide leadership?

When we look at a government that tries to downsize its cabinet by enlarging it, we highly doubt it.

This government should end the shell-game accounting techniques and give Ontarians the straight facts about the public finances. It should reorganize service delivery to increase efficiency and cut costs. It should hold the line on taxes to allow the recovery to take hold.

This government needs to show leadership. It needs to lead with a sound economic strategy, but in order to lead, it needs integrity. I am not surprised that this throne speech has nothing to say about integrity, because this government no longer has anything to say about integrity.

There is a tendency among my friends opposite to roll their eyes and to look at the ceiling when we in the opposition raise this issue, but may I remind the Premier and his government of what the Premier himself said almost four years ago: "There are those who say, 'Haven't you got anything better to do than to deal every day with this question of scandal?'" He then added: "I think all of us recognize that it is a good question, but what I want to say is this: The question of the integrity of the democratic process is the first question in politics. It is the first question in government. It is at the foundation of everything else a government does."

What happened to that Bob Rae? What turned him into the apostle of that was then, this is now ethics?

The lack of integrity at the top levels of this government has a terrible, insidious effect on the whole government which is almost impossible to reverse, and it carries implications well beyond, for example, the careers of those immediately involved. A fixed parking ticket doesn't mean much in and of itself, but when a Premier excuses it and excuses slander of doctors and excuses smearing victims of the justice system, it creates a terrible tone in government.

1610

The damage spreads beyond these walls. How can a collective bargainer trust a government that has different budget figures for different occasions? How can a deputy minister trust a cabinet office headed by a career backroom New Democrat? How can the financial community trust budget figures that change faster than the metal index? Where does it end?

I'll tell you, Mr Speaker. The collapse of integrity ends up on the desk of a potential investor who is ready to create jobs and get something going here in Ontario, an investor who says: "How can I have confidence doing business with a government that I can't trust? How can I get a government that is always focused on damage control to focus on the problems that I need solved to get a business and jobs and investment going around here?"

Et comment faire cesser tout ça ? Il n'y a qu'une façon de le faire. Les choses changeront lorsque les Ontariennes et les Ontariens en auront assez, lorsqu'ils voteront pour défaire un gouvernement en qui ils ont perdu confiance.

When does it all stop? It stops when over 90% of the people say that they have no confidence in this government and its abilities. It stops in places like St George-St David, where the people have expressed more eloquently than any in this House ever can their utter disillusionment with Bob Rae and the NDP.

That's what happened in St George-St David and that's what's happening all over this province. People are giving up on a government that cannot lead. They are giving up on a government that has no proper strategy for generating jobs and growth. They're giving up on a government that cannot set its own house in order. They're giving up on a government that has fundamentally compromised its fiscal, economic and ethical integrity.

There is a recovery out there waiting to happen. There is hope out there looking for direction. There is a province out there looking for leadership. This government won't provide it and this throne speech does not provide it.

Having expressed some of my views on this matter, which I consider to be of importance in the conduct of our business, and having also expressed my profound dissatisfaction and disappointment with the leadership that has come from this government, it is my duty to move, seconded by the member for Renfrew North, this amendment to the motion.

I move that this House regrets that the speech from the throne only confirms the government's inability to provide a clear strategy to support the recovery of Ontario's economy, generate and encourage economic investment, create jobs and aid those who are unemployed and on social assistance to get back into the workforce, and condemns the government for:

Failing to understand the deep and lingering impact of the recession on the people of this province; refusing to recognize that government initiatives to encourage job creation have failed; failing to take action that would restore investor confidence and build lasting partnerships with the private sector in order to aid in this province's economic renewal; failing to see how increased taxation will hinder economic recovery; failing to provide a carefully considered program to control the deficit, and failing to provide leadership by recognizing that the continuing disintegration of the government's integrity is causing immeasurable harm and a loss of confidence in the government of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr Noble Villeneuve): It has been moved by Mrs McLeod, seconded by Mr Conway:

"That this House regrets that the speech from the throne only confirms the government's inability to provide a clear strategy to support the recovery of Ontario's economy, generate and encourage economic investment, create jobs and aid those who are unemployed and on social assistance to get back into the workforce and condemns the government for:

"Failing to understand the deep and lingering impact of the recession on the people of this province; refusing to recognize that government initiatives to encourage job creation have failed; failing to take action that would restore investor confidence and build lasting partnerships with the private sector in order to aid in this province's economic renewal; failing to see how increased taxation will hinder economic recovery; failing to provide a carefully considered program to control the deficit, and failing to provide leadership by recognizing that the continuing disintegration of the government's integrity is causing immeasurable harm and a loss of confidence in the government of Ontario."

Further debate?

Mr Chris Stockwell (Etobicoke West): In the absence of my leader, Mike Harris, I will adjourn the debate.

The Acting Speaker: The honourable member has moved adjournment of the debate. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried. This House now stands --

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker: The honourable government House leader.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Hon Brian A. Charlton (Government House Leader): The business for next week: On Monday afternoon we will hear the response of the leader of the third party to the throne debate. Then we will move into rotation, continuing the debate on the throne speech, for the rest of Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon, and we will wind up the debate on the throne speech on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday morning, we will proceed with private members' public business, the items that will be debated to be announced once the consultation with the three parties has concluded around the ballot.

I move the adjournment of the House.

The Acting Speaker (Mr Villeneuve): The honourable government House leader has moved adjournment of the House. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

This House now stands adjourned until Monday at 1:30 of the clock.

The House adjourned at 1617.

April 15, 1993

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

LABOUR RELATIONS

RAIL SERVICE IN ALGONQUIN PARK

HEALTH CARE

FOOD BANKS

HEALTH CARE

ITALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

MUNICIPAL FINANCES

CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

TAX REFORM

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY AND RESPONSES

JOBS ONTARIO YOUTH

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

ATTENDANCE OF PREMIER

ORAL QUESTIONS

JOBS ONTARIO TRAINING

REPORT ON VICTIMS OF ABUSE

LABOUR RELATIONS

CARLTON MASTERS

BLOOD TESTING

COMPENSATION TO AIDS PATIENTS

LAND-LEASE COMMUNITIES

EDUCATION POLICY

MEMBER'S CONDUCT

UNEMPLOYMENT

ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

MOTIONS

STATUS OF BILLS 24 AND 89

PETITIONS

PENSION FUNDS

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

GAMBLING

HEALTH SERVICES

HOSPITAL FINANCING

PINE GROVE FOREST

SKILLS TRAINING

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

NIAGARA ESCARPMENT COMMISSION

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

RETAIL STORE HOURS

EDUCATION FUNDING

RETAIL STORE HOURS

JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

CHILD SAFETY

POST-POLIO SYNDROME

HIGHWAY SIGNS

WETLANDS

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

HERITAGE DAY ACT, 1993 / LOI DE 1993 SUR LE JOUR DU PATRIMOINE

ORDERS OF THE DAY

THRONE SPEECH DEBATE / DÉBAT SUR LE DISCOURS DU TRÔNE

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE