It’s good to engage with my brother in the House. I completely agree, and I think the Minister of Mines would agree also, how important it is that we do proper Indigenous consultation—I don’t have that exact definition here in front of me.

I was wondering if the member could comment for a moment on how important it is that we share the wealth of the land with Indigenous peoples and how important it is that we work together for the long-term prosperity—not just for Ontario; indeed, for the entire world—with the resource extraction that we can do up north and what that could potentially do for the Indigenous territories in his riding.

It has been interesting listening to debate. I haven’t heard a lot of negatives from the opposition—other than the need for good consultation. I know we have a strong commitment from our minister in order to make sure that happens, and I understand those concerns completely.

When this came, we saw the opposition supporting this on a voice vote on second reading. Of course, it went to a full vote. I believe this legislation will be coming up for a vote, if not today, in the next couple of days.

I was wondering if I could ask the member from Algoma–Manitoulin, knowing the importance of the benefits that this can have for Indigenous peoples across the province of Ontario, if he will be voting in favour of the legislation when it comes for a vote.

Nipissing.

My question is for the Minister of Education.

Today, my son is working in a trade. He’s 18 years old, and he’s learning how to be an electrician. That’s so exciting to me.

But Ontario continues to experience the largest labour shortage in a generation. There is a tremendous need for skilled trade workers across Ontario, including in my communities in Brantford–Brant.

Unfortunately, for 15 years, the previous Liberal government ignored the importance of equipping students for the jobs of the future. As a result, Ontario has seen a decline in the completion of apprenticeship certification and trades diplomas. That is why our government must do all that we can to encourage students who are interested in pursuing a career in this vital industry.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is empowering students with early exposure to technology and the skilled trades?

In fact, it was about a year ago that the minister came to Brantford–Brant and we announced a new Catholic high school. I’m working with the Catholic board to make sure that’s a trades-focused high school. But we need to do more.

In my riding of Brantford–Brant, Patriot Forge is a leading employer that needs more skilled trade workers so they can meet their growing demands, expand operations and provide financial opportunities to their employees. It is outstanding companies like Patriot Forge that are helping Ontario remain competitive and further our economic prosperity. Their success as a local business and our success as a province depend on a highly skilled workforce. This starts with students getting interested in the skilled trades from a young age.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on the actions our government is taking to ensure that employers in Ontario can attract and retain the workers that they need to succeed and thrive?

It’s so good to hear the support from the member from Guelph on this bill. I’ve had those conversations with him for the last few years on how critical it is to expand the battery and electric vehicle market in Ontario and the necessity of the resources that we can source from Ontario for these.

I’m curious, though, and this is something that I think is a province-wide issue: When we’re having those conversations and discussions with Indigenous territories that are directly impacted by this, how far out should that net go? Is it just any Indigenous territory in the province of Ontario? Is it just directly those whose traditional lands are in that area?

I was just wondering if the member had any advice for us on exactly what that consultation should look like within that spirit of reconciliation.

I really appreciated the speech from the member from Ottawa South. It’s really good to hear a member who was here when the Liberals were in power talking about a duty to consult, because as a lot of people here will remember, when there were wind turbines going up all over the province of Ontario, I believe that that government actually made it illegal for municipalities to be consulted on this and purposefully left that out of that part of the—and other members can speak to that much more here. I was going to ask the member if he regrets, then—since he’s pontificating in the House today about a duty to consult—the actions of his government when they completely cut out massive chunks of rural Ontario from consultations on wind turbines.

It gives me great pleasure to speak to Bill 99, An Act to provide for safety measures respecting movable soccer goals, or Garrett’s Legacy Act, this afternoon. I, too, am carrying the ball as the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington is carrying the ball that was first fielded in this place by the member from the Bay of Quinte, the current Minister of Energy, who can’t bring forth private members’ bills.

I don’t know if I have a whole lot to add, but I love being here in this place during private members’ business because it’s where we get to bare our souls on the things that matter so much to us and so deeply to us.

It wasn’t too long ago—I have to thank the member from Burlington, who was taken away from this place by other—I can’t refer to her absence; I apologize. But she couldn’t speak to it this afternoon, so I’m here filling in her place and carrying the ball a little bit further.

It seemed only just a couple of weeks ago where her big personal piece was the death of her child, and for her to be able to make a mental health announcement about mental health in schools—it’s deeply personal, and that was a member’s motion that I think she brought forward a few months ago, and to be able to congratulate her on that work and to see that come to fruition. Those opportunities in private members’ business when we get to bring those things that are really close to our hearts here are just absolutely amazing.

The word “legacy” is such a powerful word, and it’s something that’s passed along. My office is down the hall at the end of the northeast corner on the second floor, and I walk past the pictures of all the people who sat here before us—we’re in a very exclusive club—and I wonder sometimes, what is the legacy that they left?

We have these opportunities—I see the member from Sarnia–Lambton, who has probably passed more private members’ bills than anyone else who’s sitting in this place right now, and the passion he brings for those things, and I just so appreciate that. This is an opportunity to do such a good thing. I remember the current Minister of Colleges and Universities talking about the death of her sister because of a school bus accident when the member from Kitchener–Conestoga brought forth a simple change to school buses that would make them much more safe.

These are the things we get to do here, colleagues. We get to play politics and we get to yell at each other and heckle a little bit and do all of those things, but once in a while, and especially during private members’ business, we get to do some stuff that is very, very good, and this is one of these things that is very, very good. So I would encourage all members—now that we have the opportunity, let’s make a lasting legacy for Garrett Mills. Let’s pass this piece of legislation this afternoon and let’s see if we can do everything we can to see this come forward for third reading and passed again and make it the law.