Last Friday marked the anniversary of our government being given a second mandate by the people of Ontario. In 2018, we promised we would work for the people. In 2022, we promised that we would get it done. Speaker, I can proudly say that we are delivering on both promises. We are getting it done for the people of Ontario. I am so proud of what we have accomplished.

In my own community of Oakville North–Burlington, investments include:

—five new schools in four years, with an investment of $142 million for 4,403 student spaces and 352 child care spaces;

—a total of 1,153 new and redeveloped long-term-care beds for seniors, with four hours of direct care each day;

—$138 million more in base funding for Halton Healthcare and $69 million for Joseph Brant Hospital; and

—$295 million of a total of $1.8 billion investments so that Ford Canada can become an electric vehicle hub in North America, creating 3,000 new, good-paying jobs.

The government, under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford, has made significant and positive changes in the lives of people across the province. We have made life more affordable for families, seniors and small businesses. I look forward to continuing to serve my community of Oakville North–Burlington and thank you for the trust you have given me.

I am pleased to share with you that Christine Elliott, the former Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, will be presented with an honorary degree from Trent University at the 2023 convocation on June 16. Leo Groarke, the president and vice-chancellor of Trent University, had this to say: The individuals receiving these honorary degrees “exemplify the spirit of challenging the way we think to make a difference in our communities, our province, across the country and around the world.”

Former Ontario Minister of Health and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott will receive an honorary doctorate of laws in recognition of her service to Ontario as Minister of Health from 2018 to 2022, during which she oversaw the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as her advocacy and volunteerism for vulnerable community members in the region of Durham—for example, the Abilities Centre, which she and her late husband, the Honourable James Michael Flaherty, established, and the Grandview children’s treatment centre, now situated in the riding of Ajax.

Congratulations, Christine.

It’s my pleasure this morning to recognize the hard work and dedication our teachers and support staff provide to the students of my riding of Simcoe–Grey. Recently, I have toured many elementary and secondary schools in my riding, and I visited two Simcoe County District School Board schools in Clearview township on Take Your MPP to School Day.

My first stop was Stayner Collegiate, where Principal Kimberlee Hand took me on a school tour. Speaker, Stayner Collegiate is one of only two grade 7 to 12 schools in Simcoe county. They have a very active and robust student body and have achieved many milestones over the past year. I was joined by board trustee Brandy Rafeek and the board superintendent, Greg Jacobs. We then visited Clearview Meadows Elementary School, where we met Principal Lisa Saunders and Vice-Principal Amanda Harrison.

Speaker, of special note, I’d like to recognize Stayner Collegiate’s skilled trades program. This program prepares students for much-needed jobs and for some careers in the trades. As you know, this is an agenda that this government has been working very hard on, and it was wonderful to see it taking form at Stayner Collegiate. It combines computer training on AutoCAD and hands-on woodworking training in the well-equipped studio shop. In addition, Stayner Collegiate operates an extensive co-op program, providing students with valuable first-hand on-site work experience and establishing important contacts with tradespeople throughout Clearview.

Speaker, I again recognize the commitment to excellence of the Simcoe County District School Board and want to congratulate the teachers and staff for their excellent work.

Ottawa is experiencing record levels of food insecurity. The Ottawa Food Bank had the highest number of food bank visits in their entire 38-year history last year with 403,467 visits; that’s a 40% increase compared to 2017. And unfortunately, things are getting worse, not better. The Caldwell Family Centre food bank in my riding of Ottawa West–Nepean served 53% more families in April 2023 than they did in April 2022. I’m hearing this from all of the food banks in my riding, Speaker. The demand is so high right now, and the capacity to meet it is being seriously strained.

We need this government to treat the affordability crisis like the urgent situation that it is and take swift action to address rising levels of hunger and poverty in our communities. That means doubling ODSP and Ontario Works so that people on social assistance can actually buy food and pay for rent. It means increasing the minimum wage so that food banks can stop extending their hours into the evening and weekends for people who are working full-time. And it means bringing back real rent control so that rent isn’t taking up 80% or more of people’s paycheques.

The wealthy lobbyists and developers that this government listens to might be doing fine, but in our communities, people can’t even put food on the table.

Enough is enough, Speaker. It is time for action.

I’m pleased to draw members’ attention to a special guest in the Speaker’s gallery today. Mr. Tim McGough has been selected by a panel of MPPs to be considered by the House to serve as the Legislative Assembly’s next Sergeant-at-Arms. Mr. McGough is present today to observe as the House considers the motion to order his appointment.

Mr. McGough has close to 40 years of experience in policing. He began his career with the Royal Military Police and served in various roles with the Medicine Hat Police Service in Alberta.

If appointed by the House, he will assume his role as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on June 19.

Welcome, Mr. McGough.

I would like to take this time to congratulate the Ottawa Riverkeeper organization for their recent gala, which raised over $340,000.

The Ottawa River forms a boundary of the riding of Ottawa–Vanier. It is the lifeblood of the city, where we get our drinking water, where we fish, swim, boat, play and cool off. The river also connects us to the Indigenous people who have lived along, fished in and travelled on the Ottawa River for millennia. The name “Ottawa” itself derives from the Algonquin word “adàwe,” meaning “to trade.”

The gala paid special tribute to Algonquin elder Claudette Commanda, who thanked the organization for being collaborative and for respecting the Algonquin people and their heritage. Through many years of careless custodianship and lax environmental laws, the river has fallen into a polluted state. I recognize and appreciate the work done by the Ottawa Riverkeeper, whose goal is to ensure a healthy Ottawa River watershed for everyone.

For over 20 years, the Riverkeeper organization has been monitoring the health and the levels of pollution in the water and engaging and educating our youth to become the next generation of river stewards. These efforts all take a network of volunteers, compassionate staff and substantial donations to keep doing this work on behalf of our city’s residents.

I congratulate Riverkeeper Laura Reinsborough, her team, board chair Geoff Green and the organizing committee of the Riverkeeper gala for their tireless work and success.

I recognize the government House leader and Minister of Legislative Affairs.

Once again, the government House leader.

Motion agreed to.

On behalf of my friend and colleague from Kingston and the Islands, I’d like to welcome visitors from his riding: Gemma, Milo and Cole Zelmanovits, and Scott Grant, who are here to support their nephew and page Luke DeBoni.

I’d like to welcome Jonathan Crozier to the House today. Jonathan made us some fantastic martinis down in the Legislature the other night from Vodkow. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Justin Watkins to the House. He’s working for the city of Kitchener, but we used to volunteer our time with the United Way of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

I would like to welcome to the House my husband, Albert Wai, who comes to Queen’s Park to celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary with me. Thanks for all your support as I serve Ontarians.

I also, as we’re celebrating birthdays, would like to wish my good friend and colleague Jeff Burch a very happy birthday today.

Luke DeBoni is also page captain today. Joining us in the House are Luke’s parents, Jill Zelmanovits and Ross DeBoni, and Luke’s grandparents Judith Zelmanovits and George Zelmanovits. Welcome.

It’s my pleasure to recognize our page captain today, Sally Tabachnick, from my riding of Davenport. Sally’s parents, Scott and Nadia, and her brother Alfie, who was also a page here, are with us in the members’ gallery. I look forward to meeting with them all later today. Congratulations, Sally.

To the Premier: How many more ERs like Carleton Place will have to close this summer because of his government’s inaction?

Their plan is not working, and ordinary Ontarians are worried about what this means for them. Nearly 400,000 Ontarians took action in the Ontario Health Coalition’s citizen referendum. Members opposite dismissed it as a stunt, but this past weekend, across this province, tens of thousands of Ontarians everywhere took action with the Ontario Federation of Labour to tell this government that enough is enough.

Speaker, if the Premier is truly for the people, will he actually listen to the people?

I’d like to welcome two amazing members from my constituency team today: Victoria Varela and Aleks Draca. Welcome to your House.

Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to move a motion without notice concerning the appointment of the next Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly.

The temporary or permanent closures are disturbing for communities, but I have to say, as we continue to invest in health care, the party opposite, the NDP, continue to vote against those investments, whether it is 50 new expanded renovations of hospitals in the province of Ontario, whether it is Learn and Stay programs that ensure paramedics, lab technicians and nurses can train in the province of Ontario and have their tuition covered if they are prepared to serve in an underserved community.

You continue to defend the status quo, and we continue to make the investments that are going to make generational changes in the province of Ontario. We’re doing that work. I only wish that the party of the NDP and the party of the Liberals, when they were in power, were making similar investments so that we were not, in Ontario, finding the same thing that is happening across Canada and, in fact, worldwide: shortages of—

Good morning. I have some guests today from IBT College: James Rice, Joe Shokour, Don Fenn, Anna Simonyan, Ken Rice, Andrea Kurth and Tenzin Norsang.

From the consul general of the Philippines’ office: Rodney Jonas Sumague, Gil Galang and Jennifer Alog Lopez.

I also have a friend who is visiting who is a recent graduate of the PSW program and a recent IBT PSW award-winner: Patrick-Mary Okafor.

I invite all members to join the IBT lunch reception in room 230 following question period.

We are having a family affair today. Last week, I introduced Chris Golder. We now have Keiko Yano, who is the mother of one of our wonderful pages, Arisa. I’m so pleased to welcome Keiko to the House.