I have some guests in the House today from OPSEU representing youth correctional workers. We have Joe Davies, David Farrugia, Jeff Tynes, Johnathan Guider and Jim Reilly. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

My question is to the Premier.

All Ontarians are shocked, angered and deeply disturbed by the recent news that convicted murderer and sex offender Paul Bernardo is being transferred to a medium-security prison. Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, torture and killing of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as admitting to sexually assaulting numerous other women. He truly is the living embodiment of evil.

Justice Patrick LeSage, the judge who convicted Bernardo to life in prison, stated that Bernardo is a dangerous, sexually sadistic psychopath, and should have no right to ever be released. This is why there is something truly troubling in the discovery that Bernardo has been quietly moved from his maximum-security prison to a reported open-campus medium-security prison.

Can the Premier please add his voice and demonstrate strong leadership by standing with all Ontarians and with the families who were victimized by these crimes in raising our concern to the federal government and Correctional Service Canada?

Once again, can the Premier please provide his support and leadership in calling on the federal government and Correctional Service Canada to take the right action, respect the French and Mahaffy families, and hold Bernardo truly accountable for his heinous crimes?

My question is for the Premier. Youth correctional workers and transfer payment agencies under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services are not receiving the same rights and protections as their counterparts in OPS. These workers are not covered under WSIB, but OPS workers are. These workers are not covered under the Ontario first responders act or have the same protections and tools that OPS workers do even though they handle the same youth.

Both groups of workers receive government funding and do the same job, yet they are not being treated as such. Can the Premier commit today to eliminating systemic inequities and ensure all youth correctional workers receive the same rights, benefits and protections?