To the Premier: After a decade of Liberal scandals, this Conservative government came in promising transparency, but, since then, we have seen the most egregious displays of preferential treatment from a government in Ontario’s history. Apologies ring hollow when every day new details trickle out that show we don’t yet have the full truth about the Premier’s involvement in these donor deals.

Can the Premier please tell us how he will increase the powers of the Integrity Commissioner and the Auditor General to bring an end to Conservative and Liberal scandals?

This afternoon, the NDP will be tabling a bill that will make some vital reforms to our democratic system, the most important of which will be to finally ban preferential treatment under the Members’ Integrity Act. This will mean no more billion-dollar greenbelt grabs for Conservative donors, no more shady bidding processes leading to a 100-year giveaway of public parkland at Ontario Place.

This government has to work for everyone, not just the Premier’s insider friends. If you agree, will this government support the NDP’s motion?

Interjections.

I certainly will. The bill amends the Auditor General Act. Subsection 10(1) of the act is re-enacted to provide that the duty to furnish information applies to documents and information that are otherwise confidential or subject to certain privilege rights.

Subsection 10(2) of the act is also re-enacted to provide that the Auditor General’s right to access information applies despite other rights of privacy, confidentiality and privilege.

The bill also amends the Members’ Integrity Act, 1994. Clause (a) of the definition of “family” in section 1 of the act is amended to include adult children, siblings and parents.

Section 2 is re-enacted to provide that a member of the assembly shall not make a decision or participate in making a decision that would lead to the reasonable perception that there is an opportunity to further the member’s private interests or improperly to further another person’s private interests.

The bill adds section 6.1, which provides that no member of the assembly shall in the exercise of an official power, duty or function give preferential treatment to any person or organization based on the identity of the person or organization.

Section 31 of the act is amended to allow the commissioner to conduct an inquiry if the commissioner determines it appropriate to do so, even in the absence of a referral from a member of the assembly or the executive council. At any time before the conclusion of the inquiry, the commissioner may expand the scope of the inquiry if the commissioner determines it is appropriate to do.