Good morning, Speaker. It feels really good to be here in the Legislature today.

My mother has been hospitalized for almost two months, and I’ve been able to be right by her side—I promised I wouldn’t cry—as her primary caregiver, thanks to the support of the leader of the official opposition and my Ontario NDP colleagues. Thank you.

I want to thank my staff for their support, as well as other staff who have reached out. I want to thank other members, including government members who also shared their concern. I won’t ever forget it.

Over the last several weeks, my mother has been cared for by dozens of hard-working doctors, specialists, nurses, OTs, PTs and PSWs. I can’t thank them enough. Only about 10 days ago, after hundreds of vials of bloodwork, tests, consultations and two biopsies, we got a diagnosis: neurosarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune-related multi-systemic disease that involves inflammation of the brain, spinal cord, meninges, cranial and peripheral nerves. It attacks the central nervous system. This disease has no cure, but remission might be possible. I have seen it ravage my mother’s body and brain and mind and strip her of her independence, but she is a fighter.

Thank you to the Speaker for giving me a few extra moments.

The treatment for this disease is incredibly difficult on the body with its own laundry list of complications, some of which can be life-threatening.

I want to thank countless constituents in my community of St. Paul’s across party lines for their love and support, phone calls and text messages.

I especially want to show gratitude to our local faith leaders and many congregation members at St. Michael and All Angels, St. Matthew’s, Holy Blossom, Verity Centre for Better Living, previous pastors from MCC Toronto, and right here at the Legislature, Charlie the chaplain, for their consistent shoulder and faith when I’ve had none.

To my chosen family, family members, dear former caucus members and education colleagues and friends, my mom’s friends, thank you.

To my partner, Aisha, thank you for being my rock.

Speaker, to all of the members in the House: I don’t know what our future holds, but my mom and I are so lucky to have experienced all this compassion during this unbearable time, and I cannot thank you all enough.

Minden’s local hospital closed on June 1 due to a staffing shortage and despite overwhelming opposition from the local community. Minden is far from alone. Lanark county, Guelph, Hamilton, Perth, Grand River, Windsor, Alexandria, Wingham, Thessalon, Kemptville, Seaforth, Ottawa, Bowmanville, Clinton, Orangeville, Carleton Place, Essex county, Kingston, Waterloo, Credit Valley, Smiths Falls, London, Chesley, Fort Erie, Port Colborne—all communities that have seen either no ambulances available or the closure of hospital services in the last year due to staffing shortages.

The staffing crisis continues in our health care system, and the government still refuses to repeal Bill 124 that suppresses the wages of health care workers. At the same time, staffing agencies like Canadian Health Labs are convincing hundreds of health care workers to leave their workplaces by offering them double the salaries they normally earn. The company made $154 million from just 500 nurses and PSWs they hired out of our public health systems. Their plan is to hire as many as 5,000 people. These agencies take health care workers out from the public system and sell them back at huge profits.

This is the systemic destruction of our public health care system, and we the public end up paying way more for declining services. I can only think this is happening due to the Conservative agenda to undermine the public health care system, because no one can be so incompetent to not see the damage these policies are creating.

Last month, I had the sincere privilege of joining the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, who hosted the Ontario Engineering Project Awards, which was the 20th holding of that event. I’m very proud to recognize a winner from my riding of Windsor–Tecumseh: the sewer and coastal flood protection master plan. It was certainly a privilege to join Stacey McGuire, Ryan Langlois and Laura Herlehy of Dillon Consulting and the city of Windsor as they accepted the award.

Also recognized were:

—BBA’s Great Adventure onboarding program;

—Tulloch Engineering’s Hockey Night in Huntsville;

—Dillon’s Collins Creek wildlife mitigation project;

—Lea Consulting’s water management plan by site 46X-0176/BO;

—Hatch’s process gas project and particulate emissions project, Sudbury smelter—this one was led by my former classmate from the University of Ottawa, Benoit Paillé;

—Entuitive for its Port Lands bridges project;

—Eramosa Engineering for its mine remediation cloud SCADA integration;

—J.L. Richards for its Manotick watermain link, phase 1, and North Island watermain link;

—Hatch for the Kingston Third Crossing;

—Eramosa Engineering’s electrical power studies and arc flash models for multiple waste water facilities;

—McIntosh Perry for the Ducks Unlimited project inspections for 250 sites in Ontario;

—R.V. Anderson for Central Bridge replacement and additional works;

—R.J. Burnside for the Godey water supply project; and

—AECOM Canada for the Ontario Line immersive sound studio.

To all my engineering colleagues who are awardees this year: Thank you. You’ve made our profession proud.

Critical metals, like cobalt, lithium and nickel, go into batteries. Rare earths like dysprosium, neodymium and praseodymium go into electric vehicle motors and wind turbines. Recycling these critical materials is a strategy which would give Ontario workers a shortcut into the value chain between the mine and EV.

Right now, rare earths mining and processing is led by China, which also dominates in other critical minerals such as graphite. Australia and South America are leading sources of lithium. Indonesia leads in nickel, but much of this is controlled by Chinese companies, as well.

In the future, for economic, environmental and security reasons, a circular economy must develop for critical materials.

Today, production of critical metals and rare earths involves value-added work in chemical processing, and it is performed offshore. However, Ontario is amongst the global leaders in technology to recycle critical metals and minerals.

To maximize the economic benefit to you and me of EV and battery production in Ontario—production for which the federal and Ontario governments have agreed to pay dearly—I believe we must be a first mover and leader in the cyclic economy for critical materials. This means supporting the ecosystem around critical minerals processing and recycling before other regions in North America begin to dominate.

I just wanted to welcome two of my very dearest friends, who have been so for a very long time, Jamie and Joanne McCormick. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I just wanted to give a warm welcome—she’s always watching us every day—to Barbara Stevens. Thank you for tuning in through this entire session. It’s great to have you as a phenomenal supporter in the riding of Kitchener–Conestoga.

It is my great pleasure to welcome Thornhill resident and cofounder of the Indigenous Action Committee and most excellent guitar player, Mr. Matthew Bergman.

I’m delighted to welcome, from York Centre, Lisa Fruitman, a person who has followed in her own parents’ footsteps as a great innovator and advocate, especially for Reena; together with Colin Ruskin; Stan Greenspan; and Rabbi Sean Gorman. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

I’m pleased to inform the House that we have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today a delegation of members from the Standing Committee of Selection from the Parliament of Ghana. They are accompanied by Mr. Hakeem Balogun, who is the consul general of Ghana in Toronto. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests from Ghana.

Applause.

It’s all about timing. I just want to mention that all of the staff are here today from the Ministry of Education, the engine that keeps us running. I want to thank you for all you do, and welcome.

I would like to thank Milan Viswanathan, who is one of our pages, from St. Paul’s, for doing a wonderful job. I understand his mom and grandfather, Karen and Ashok Gautam, are in the audience today in the members’ gallery. It’s very, very nice to see the two of you.

I also want to say hello to Ross Dixon and Joanna Dixon and their son, Silas, who is a wonderful young man, who has also been a page. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’m delighted to introduce to the House today two of my dedicated constituency staff, up to Toronto for the first time: Jada Malott and Brianna Robinson. Welcome to the House.

I’m very happy to introduce Elaine, a marvellous volunteer from my riding of Scarborough North. It is her first time here today at the Legislature. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Elaine.

Speaker, as the 43rd Parliament rises for the summer, I’d like to acknowledge my fellow MPPs on both sides of the House for your continued dedication to your constituents and connecting with them over the summer months.

As we look forward to a season full of family gatherings, graduations, vacations and day trips to some of the most beautiful destinations in Ontario, I invite you to visit my riding of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston. From hiking the trails to taking in live music at one of the world-famous festivals, there is something for all ages.

Enjoy cultural events like the Spirit of the Drum Pow-Wow this Saturday and Sunday in Smiths Falls. Experience one of our festivals, like the world-renowned Stewart Park Festival in Perth, Puppets Up! in Almonte, the Sydenham Lakes and Trails Festival and the Blue Skies Music Festival in Clarendon, just to name a few. Families will enjoy our many fairs in Lombardy, Carleton Place, Pakenham, Mississippi Mills, Smiths Falls, Perth and many others.

Experience canoeing or kayaking along the natural waterways in Lanark and Frontenac counties and take in the pristine, protected wilderness, or travel the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Rideau Canal, which passes through Perth, Smiths Falls and many other towns from Ottawa to Kingston.

Mr. Speaker, I wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy summer, and if you’re thinking about a day trip or a multi-day adventure, remember: There is much to do and see in Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston.

I want to welcome Gulshan Bakshi, a retired CAF veteran air officer, and his daughter, Aananya Bakshi, our page captain for today, sitting to your right.

I’d like to welcome my EA from MCU, Navita Sukhdeo, who is here today in the members’ gallery with her daughter, Eliyanna Ali, and also my EA from my constit office, Caroline Raskin, who is here today with her husband, Steve Raskin.

I would like to welcome two amazing ladies from my constituency office, Barbara Greene and Yesenia Morillo. I’d also like to wish a very happy birthday to Yesenia’s daughter Mia, who is watching from home today and graduating from school. All the best.

I noticed in the gallery one of my interns, Adshayah, is here. Also, Spencer Fair from my office—he says it’s his mom, but I think it’s his sister: Valerie Fair is with us as well.

I’d like to introduce L’Arche Daybreak to Queen’s Park today: executive director Trish Glennon; regional director Jeff Gilbreath; and core members and my very dear friends, Amanda Winnington-lngram, Kim Lageer, Darryl Dickson. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Thanks very much for being here.