The employers of Westray coal mine deliberately ignored safety concerns until the day it exploded and killed 26 miners. This preventable incident resulted in Bill C-45. The Westray law allows criminal liability of bad bosses for preventable workplace deaths and injuries. Unfortunately, Westray is nearly 20 years old and is rarely used, Speaker.

The OFL and the Steelworkers have worked with police forces across Ontario, and they agree that there’s a need for Ontario to develop a standardized C-45/Westray law investigation policy. This policy would include the training, awareness and resources so Ontario’s police officers can be successful in investigating preventable workplace deaths.

My question is, will the Premier commit to providing Ontario with a standardized C-45/Westray law investigation policy and direct the chiefs of police to implement consistent protocols across Ontario?

My question is for the Premier. Across our province, we’re seeing more and more reports about an alarming rise in violence and major crimes impacting our communities. Our government must act now to improve public safety and provide greater protection to the people of Ontario.

I was proud to serve my community as a front-line OPP officer, and I will always support my fellow officers and encourage anyone interested in joining this rewarding profession. In order to better support our police services, it is essential that our government provide improvements to the recruitment process so we can get more officers in our communities. Speaker, can the Premier please explain how our government is removing barriers for police services across the province to recruit and train more front-line officers?

Local police services are in urgent need of more officers who are trained and equipped to respond to the ever-increasing complexity of calls. Among the many people considering a career in this profession, some may not have attended a post-secondary institution, but they still have valuable skills and valuable life experience to contribute and to serve their communities.

Speaker, can the Premier please elaborate on the actions our government is taking to remove barriers for a career in policing?