To the member from Ottawa Centre: The supply chain of illegal drugs which is reaching the people he spoke about on the street doesn’t come from the street. The supply chain of illegal drugs that is harming people on the street and causing the problems of which the member from Ottawa Centre spoke comes from the supply chain established by organized crime. For example, the RCMP seized 60 bricks of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge in April of this year. One of the ways you save people on the street is you bust up that supply chain.

So my question to the member from Ottawa Centre is this: Why is he abandoning the people on the street by promoting a “defund the police” policy?

This past week, I had the privilege of attending the York Regional Police Appreciation Night, where our community gathered to honour and recognize their outstanding contributions. I have a personal connection to law enforcement, as I proudly served as a member of the York Regional Police Services Board in 2005.

While we celebrated their accomplishments, our joy was overshadowed by the devastating news of the tragic loss of OPP Sergeant Eric Mueller. At only 42 years old and a father of two, he was fatally shot while responding to a disturbance. Our hearts go out to his grieving family, as well as to the two other OPP officers who were injured in the ambush. We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice.

In expressing our gratitude, we must not forget the invaluable support provided by the families and loved ones of our officers. They understand the challenges and uncertainties that come with this profession.

As we observe Ontario Police Week from May 14 to May 20, let us focus on raising awareness and recognizing the exceptional work of our police services. May God bless and protect them as they continue their noble service to this great province.

I want to thank the great member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington and I also want to thank him for being an OPP officer for years. We’re so proud to have him down in the Legislature.

As we tackle the crime that we’ve seen around the province, we’re making sure we’re giving the police services across Ontario the tools that they need to get the job done; to make sure our communities are a lot safer; that you’re able to walk out at night and you’re able to take transit here in Toronto without worrying about being abused or physically hurt.

We’re adding more recruits to the Ontario Police College every single year. We’re investing another $13 million—to fight guns and gangs—that will stop illegal drugs from coming into our province. We’re cracking down on auto thefts, adding $51 million in new measures to find and dismantle crime networks across this province.

That’s why in our budget we announced an additional $9.6 million to support the Runnymede Healthcare Centre to provide mental health supports and PTSI treatment tailor-made for the unique needs of our police officers and front-line workers. We must always ensure that our dedicated first responders have the access to the highest quality of mental health and addictions care that meets their needs. We will always ensure the brave women and men that serve on our police forces are treated with dignity and respect.

My question is for the Premier. With a growing wave of crime everywhere across Canada, communities are rightfully concerned. In Ontario, we’re seeing a rise in crime in cities of all sizes and in our rural communities. Everyday, we see and hear new reports of serious crime throughout the province. These trends are disturbing and this is not acceptable. Everyone in Ontario deserves to be safe in their communities, including the police officers who respond to these calls to protect us. Our government must take urgent action now and explore all options to combat the surge in criminal activity.

Speaker, can the Premier please explain what actions our government is taking to make Ontario’s communities safer?

In the past, most officers attempted to cope with trauma on their own and without professional help. All police officers deserve to have access to the care and supports when they need it, where they need it.

Speaker, can the Premier please explain what action our government is taking to support the health and wellness of all our front-line officers?

The member from Don Valley West and I both listened at finance committee—and I just heard the member from Essex talk about defunding the police. What does she make of the fact that this Conservative government actually is defunding the police? They’ve lost the OPP detachments in Gogama, Foleyet, and the OPP is now fighting for the French River area.

So the great irony is that you are defunding police services in northern Ontario, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for that.