Firstly, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank our officials from the Ministry of Legislative Affairs and our partner ministries for their incredible work on the Queen’s Park Restoration Act to get us where we are today.

I’d also like to take a moment to thank the parliamentary assistant, the member from Kitchener–Conestoga, for his work on this file.

I would also be remiss if I did not also thank the Ontario legislative staff, who work so hard day in and day out to keep this place running, as well as our colleagues on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs who have dedicated their time and efforts to bring us one step closer to beginning this important work.

Speaker, when we last sat here in the Legislative Building to debate this legislation, I was very keen to hear members from both sides sharing their first-hand experience with the current state of the building. We know the history of the building, and the special significance it holds for each of us will share common themes but also some unique perspectives. We know that we all care equally about the important work of democracy and legislation that takes place within these walls and the sense of public service and duty each of us has towards the work that we do here.

But each of us has also witnessed the little quirks and the deficiencies of the physical space too: the shoddy wiring; the outdated infrastructure; the almost complete and total inability to regulate the internal temperature in just about any season; the leaks through the ceilings, through the floors—the list goes on, and I’m sure we’ll hear more about the shortcomings that need to be addressed.

One thing I believe we agreed on in second reading debate was the necessity to not delay the vital task of restoring and modernizing this building.

Speaker, during second reading, I looked back at the history that has taken place since the last major renovation here at the Ontario Legislature. So let’s take another look: A north wing addition to the Legislative Building was completed in 1912 and soon accommodated a new legislative library; the original was destroyed during a 1909 fire in the west wing. The west wing was rebuilt using Italian marble and the addition of two more floors to house government departments. Since the television had not been invented at the time of the last major renovation, parliamentarians of the day would have read about the project in daily newspapers. Perhaps they picked up a copy of the Globe or a copy of the Mail and Empire, which would later merge and form the Globe and Mail several years later. Or maybe they saw coverage in the Toronto Daily Star, as it was known in those days.

Given that the Toronto Maple Leafs take to the ice tonight as they try to fight off a sweep, let’s take a look at what has changed in the NHL over the last 100 years. The Maple Leafs, led by Syl Apps from my riding of Brantford–Brant and Turk Broda, became the first NHL team to come back from being down three games to none in a playoff series. That was in 1942, 30 years after the addition of the north wing. Of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not even exist the last time this building underwent a major restoration. They were known as the Toronto St. Pats at the time, changing to the Maple Leafs a few seasons following the completion of the project. Maple Leaf Gardens also did not exist at the time parliamentarians walked through that recently renovated building. The NHL’s all-time leading scorer at the time was Newsy Lalonde. The penalty shot was introduced into the league in 1934, over a decade after the last major renovation to this place. The Zamboni was invented in 1949, several decades after the last major renovation to the Ontario Legislative Building. And then several years later, helmets would become mandatory for new players entering the NHL.

Speaker, all hockey references aside, it has been a long time since this building saw a major renovation—an unacceptably long time. The Ontario Legislative Building was built in 1893, more than 130 years ago, and has not undergone any major restoration work in over a century. Major infrastructure components of the building—including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, IT systems and physical security—have greatly exceeded their lifespan. To date, only minor, piecemeal repairs have been made to cover up these deficiencies. Further piecemeal repairs may buy some time, but they are only temporary and pretty much equal to putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. If we want to save and restore the building for future generations, we must take action now and get the job done right.

As I mentioned, we have all witnessed these building deficiencies personally over the years—offices with wiring coming out of the floors, unsafe drinking water and inefficient heating and cooling, just to name a few. These are critical building systems and features that must be in good working order and that are essential to meet modern safety and operational standards. The vast amount of restoration work is increasing day after day. This is not something we should delay any longer.

Speaker and colleagues, we have an obligation to restore and save the Legislative Building. Queen’s Park symbolizes our enduring commitment to democracy and responsible government, and we need to uphold that commitment for the constituents we serve and the people of Ontario. To define it simply, I would say that the Legislative Building serves as the centre of government where Ontario’s elected representatives debate and pass laws. That definition really does not do much justice to the importance of the space and all the tangible effort that it takes to keep things running smoothly. I mean that in reference to our healthy democracy and the day-to-day operations of this building. Queen’s Park houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, offices of the members of the assembly, offices of members of the press and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. And although we are privileged and fortunate enough to walk through the building every day, the Legislative Building really belongs to the people of Ontario.

It took six years to build. It is made of pink sandstone quarried from the Credit Valley near Orangeville, Ontario, and carved on the grounds by English stonecutters, giving it its characteristic nickname, the Pink Palace. It stands tall and proud in the heart of Toronto. We have all felt our eyes drawn to it when driving or walking up University Avenue. Queen’s Park holds great architectural and cultural significance in Ontario’s heritage. It is lined with beautiful wood carvings from mahogany and sycamore trees. It houses beautiful paintings and artifacts, each telling a piece of our province’s and our country’s unique history.

At its very core, Ontario’s Legislative Building is a public space. For many generations, it has been a place for people to come together, to connect with one another, to express themselves and to make real change in their communities. It has been a place of discovery and curiosity, where students and visitors can learn about the history, the traditions and the operations of our Parliament and our democracy, where people can even envision themselves sitting one day to help make a positive difference to and for the people of Ontario.

The Ontario Legislative Building has endured a rich and complex history since its construction in 1893. The building has stood the test of time and has remained a symbol of democracy, public service and civic engagement in Ontario to this day. It represents an important part of the province’s cultural heritage and history.

Speaker, colleagues, we stand here to debate bills as part of our job. And while we certainly don’t agree on everything, I am confident that we can all agree on one thing, and that is that we share a commitment to public service and to serving the people of Ontario to the best of our ability. To uphold that commitment, the time has come for us to give back to the building that we all know and that we all hold so dear. That is why, in March of this year, our government introduced the Queen’s Park Restoration Act, 2023, which would create the stable foundation for a complex multi-year restoration project of the Ontario Legislative Building. A full restoration of the building and fundamental infrastructure systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, IT services and physical security, is needed to bring it up to modern safety, environmental and accessibility standards. Not only is this needed to address health and safety risks, but this restoration work will also help meet the needs of elected representatives who work in the building and enable them to serve the people of Ontario for years to come.

This project would be led by the government in collaboration with the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and overseen by parliamentarians from all parties. With this legislation, we are laying the foundation to set the project up for success. To guide this work, if passed, the Queen’s Park Restoration Act would establish a governance structure for the restoration project by establishing a robust accountability, collaboration and reporting framework.

First, the act would establish a ministry called the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat that would be responsible for overseeing and bringing the restoration project to completion.

Second, to ensure that the needs of the assembly are respected and taken into consideration, the act would define the oversight role of parliamentarians and set clear reporting and consultation requirements between the secretariat, a standing committee of the assembly and the Board of Internal Economy. The secretariat would be responsible for maintaining strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, partner ministries and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

To enable and support the work that the secretariat will spearhead, we are also proposing amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act would provide appropriate oversight for the project by mirroring the roles and responsibilities that would be assigned to the secretariat. These amendments would also ensure the continued operation of the Board of Internal Economy by allowing the board to appoint alternate commissioners if a member is absent or unable to fulfill their duties and upon dissolution of Parliament. This would mean that the Board of Internal Economy could remain fully constituted to ensure the continuity of board operations and the ability to carry out its powers and duties, including providing advice to the secretariat for the restoration project.

In addition, the amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act would tie the role of government House leader to the minister of the secretariat. This ensures that the minister responsible for the execution of the restoration project is closely linked to the Office of the Assembly stakeholders and the oversight bodies, the Board of Internal Economy and a standing committee of the assembly.

Furthermore, the amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act would allow the responsibility for the legislative precinct to be temporarily assigned to the secretariat to facilitate the relocation of the assembly during the restoration work on the Ontario Legislative Building.

I want to touch on the subject of decanting the Legislature for the duration of the restoration. It is a vital step in this process and intended to keep everyone safe and our business of governance running smoothly. With all the risks to our health and safety that we have in this building—the asbestos, the fire hazards, an inefficient steam heating system—there is no way to complete this project properly other than decanting, to get us all out of here. This means moving us all out of Queen’s Park and into another location to allow for the critical restoration work to happen.

If passed, these legislative changes would provide for consultation with stakeholders on options for a potential temporary location to house legislative business. While the government will be responsible for preparing a temporary location for the Legislature, parliamentarians will have approval of the decision to relocate through the Board of Internal Economy.

To protect the autonomy of the Legislative Assembly and allow for the free flow of information between the assembly and the government throughout the project, we are proposing an amendment to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, also known as FIPPA. This amendment would create a time-limited exemption for records prepared by the assembly in respect of the Queen’s Park restoration project until 20 years after the repeal of the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat Act, 2023.

This time-limited FIPPA exemption is necessary to maintain the existing exemptions which the Legislative Assembly currently has through the duration of the project. This would ensure that the assembly records and advice can be freely shared with the secretariat without the need for redaction or concern over disclosure. Any project records created by the secretariat would remain subject to FIPPA as well as the Archives and Recordkeeping Act.

Given the extensive scope of the project, the creation of a secretariat with a single focus is essential to ensure an appropriate governance structure is in place to implement such a large-scale project. The complexity and scale of this project and the relationships among stakeholders require a distinct administrative unit of government to oversee it.

We have seen how well an all-party committee has worked with the Board of Internal Economy and in many other situations. By collaborating with the Office of the Assembly, the Board of Internal Economy and a committee of members from all parties, we can leverage our significant expertise in managing large-scale infrastructure projects. This also means that, regardless of which government is in power, the project will be completed effectively, efficiently and in a way that is responsive to the unique needs of parliamentarians and the people that they serve.

We have taken so many strides forward and made history as a society. Over the past 130 years, we have seen the discovery of X-rays in 1895, which revolutionized medical imaging; the first commercial radio broadcast in Canada, in 1929, which was made by station CKGW in Toronto; the first human space flight, in 1961; the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in 1982, a cornerstone of Canadian democracy; and the growing popularity and production of electric cars and self-driving cars in more recent years.

Just in the past few decades, we have seen technology continuing to advance at such an unprecedented rate since the introduction of the Internet, which has now arguably become essential to our lives. From how we work to how we communicate, technology has made life easier and more convenient. It has made us feel more connected than ever before.

At the time the Legislative Building was built, these things were never, ever considered. We obviously did not have all of these technological advancements that are so deeply rooted in our lives today. We cannot allow ourselves to fall behind and to remain behind. The Legislative Building—the core of Ontario’s democracy—needs to be modernized to keep up with the digital world and to serve Ontarians better.

Ontario’s Legislative Building sits on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The area of Queen’s Park, where we are today, was an important gathering place for First Nations communities. This land was once home to other Indigenous groups, including the Huron and the Haudenosaunee. With this restoration, we have an opportunity to reimagine the building, to make it meaningful and accessible for Indigenous communities and for all Ontarians. And, Speaker, both the Mississaugas of the Credit, their territory is in my riding—and the Haudenosaunee people, the Six Nations’ territory is in my riding.

We need to restore the physical elements of the building and also to really look at the building from the top to the bottom, to evaluate its potential and how we can enhance the role it plays in the lives of all Ontarians. Consultation with stakeholder groups and the public will be a critical element of the project. It will be a considerable undertaking, but this is absolutely necessary. The important public role of the Legislative Building means it is imperative that all Ontarians have the opportunity to provide input on its future state.

While security has been enhanced in the building over time and it is always top of mind, we need to consider and incorporate accessibility and inclusivity also. The restoration project also creates a unique opportunity to consult with specific populations, to ensure that the reconstructed Legislative Building reflects the diversity, the needs and the experiences of all Ontarians. Whether you are a visitor or whether you work in the building, all Ontarians should see themselves in the work that has to be done here. We need to consider how we can represent the people we serve and create a sense of belonging for everyone. We need to make it open and accessible for everyone, so people can access the building and places of democracy.

As part of the design and implementation of the restoration project, we will take on a variety of approaches to integrate best practices around accessibility, security, environmental sustainability and energy-efficiency standards. This includes the creation of advisory committees with relevant subject-matter experts, including persons with disabilities, accessibility groups and industry experts, who will provide advice and work with the secretariat to incorporate lessons learned from similar infrastructure projects.

While costs may be significant, the state of the Legislative Building’s systems leaves us with no alternatives. A comprehensive restoration of this 130-year-old building is extremely overdue. Speaker, if we delay this project any further, we will risk critical failure of fundamental building systems and additional safety risks that would prevent Parliament from operating.

I’m going to stop there, Speaker, because I have a few pages left, but I see my time is winding down. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to sit in your chair and to be Speaker for a model Parliament for high school students that were visiting. It was an incredibly moving opportunity to see young people filling all the seats in this chamber, debating legislation. They gave me the opportunity to speak, and I had no idea what I was going to say, but I reflected on the feeling that I had the first time—and I share with Mr. Romano in the back, there, every time we stand back there and look at this place. This is a very special place.

What makes our democracy function is a sense of faith and confidence in a system that works. That requires, after 800 years of the Westminster system, that we hold on to things that are old. We need to hold on to traditions. To me, that’s what makes rebuilding this place so critically important. We could do something else, and we could do it somewhere else, but holding on to these pieces of history, renewing them for future generations, is critical in order to maintain that faith that we have been handed and must pass on to those who come after us.