Nothing is more important than the safety of Ontarians, and through this government’s support, we’re helping to build safer communities as well as ensuring Ontario’s police services have the resources they need to address the issues that matter most in communities like the region of Durham to do their jobs effectively.

Unlike the official opposition, this government is committed to reducing illegal gun and gang violence by providing resources to local police services, like the Durham Regional Police Service, prosecutors and community partners across the province. This investment also includes supporting mental health programs for the Ontario Provincial Police and other police services like York through their association with Wounded Warriors Canada, who were here at Queen’s Park earlier today, and $9 million for the first responders centre here in Ontario to serve first responders, including police services overall.

As part of our strategy, we’re investing in initiatives including funding programs across Ontario to support major investigations that involve multiple police services to target organized crime areas that fuel gang operations, such as drug, gun and human trafficking, and also more supports for survivors of human trafficking, including dedicated prosecution resources and future enhancements to the Safer and Vital Communities Grant.

Speaker, as MPPs, one of our most fundamental responsibilities is to preserve law and order in our society. It’s obvious, as I’ve said many times, all over the region of Durham, that when we have a safe community, we have absolutely everything: We have a place to work, we have a place to play, we have a place to raise our families, we have a place to shop and we have a place to pray. Without safe communities, we have nothing. Safety is the springboard for all we have.

Our government’s support for police officers is absolute and constant. Speaker, I’m proud as a Progressive Conservative to stand up and ensure law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying citizens, young people and seniors are able to live a life in this province of freedom and security. It’s for that reason I’m voting for this motion, and I encourage every member in this Legislative Assembly to do the same this evening.