The greatest challenge we have in our hospitals right now—indeed, in our health care system—is not having enough people to care for those people who need care. There is a health care human resources crisis in Ontario, and what it means is, we’re not fully using our operating room capacity, we still have emergency room closures, and the surgical backlog from the pandemic persists, all because our hospitals are desperate for nurses, doctors and other front-liners.

Bill 60, as it stands, risks setting up a parallel for-profit system that is only going to make it harder for our hospitals to retain and recruit the people they need to clear that surgical backlog. It will pit patients’ interests against the interests of shareholders. If we’re going to effectively cure the backlog and reduce wait times, Bill 60 must be amended.

Il existe une crise des ressources humaines dans le secteur de la santé en Ontario. Les temps d’attente restent élevés et l’arriéré chirurgical dû à la pandémie persiste parce que nos hôpitaux ont désespérément besoin d’infirmières, de médecins et d’autres travailleurs de première ligne.

Le projet de loi 60, dans sa forme actuelle, risque de mettre en place un système parallèle privé. Cela ne fera que compliquer la tâche de nos hôpitaux, qui auront du mal à recruter les personnes dont ils ont besoin pour résorber l’arriéré—

March 31 marks the International Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a day to celebrate the achievements of transgender people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. This day encourages us to recognize that trans and non-binary individuals continue to resist oppression by simply being who we are.

Challenges, however, do exist. This is exactly why we are seeing a rampant rise of bigotry and violence against trans, non-binary and queer communities. Driven by irrational fear and destructive political gamesmanship, there are 431 pieces of legislation pending across America that target transgender people—those numbers are hard to get out, Speaker.

A week ago, the Ugandan Parliament passed anti-homosexual legislation that imprisons people for just identifying as 2SLGBTQ+. Some offences carry the death penalty. Such a hateful and violent law must be condemned by every parliamentarian in this House.

Here in Ontario, we have the opportunity to be a world leader on trans human rights, starting with improving access to health care this year, with my private member’s bill, the Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act.

And don’t forget, this government could show its commitment to trans health care today by committing to restart the Connect-Clinic with an alternative funding plan so that everyone in Ontario, no matter how remote-access they are, has access to gender-affirming care.

To all my trans and non-binary community members in Ontario: The Ontario NDP sees you, supports you and values you today and every other day.

We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today Mr. Luca Zelioli, consul general of Italy in Toronto. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guest to the assembly today.

Joining us today from the Ontario Motor Coach Association we have Vince Accardi, Shawn Gerry, Brian Denny, John Temple, Doug Badder and Ray Cherry. Welcome to the Legislature.

I would like to welcome Evan Dickson, Kourtney Adamson, Steve McEachen, James McVeety and Jamie Di Laudo, who are here with the Ontario Road Builders’ Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would also like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council who are in the chamber today and attending meetings throughout the day. I’ll be meeting with them this afternoon.

Thank you for the important work you do throughout our province to keep building Ontario. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I’m delighted to introduce some special people, entrepreneurs and doctors from the riding of York Centre: Dr. Lew Pliamm, Mr. Alaa Tamous, and Dr. Robert Cooper and his wife, Mrs. Simone Cooper.

At the risk of being repetitive here, on behalf of the government, I would like to welcome the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council. I value their work with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

And a special shout-out to my good friend Michael McSweeney—thank you for being here.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Fanshawe College today. They’re going to be hosting us in room 228, so please make your way there after question period.

I’m delighted to welcome a group of political science students from the University of Toronto today. They are our future, and I’m delighted that they’re here to witness democracy in action.

I, too, would like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council; specifically, Mark Mallett, Doubra Ambaiowei, Steve Manolis, Matt Powell and Alfredo Maggio, who I’ll be meeting with later today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Speaker, I wish a warm welcome to David Colle of Green Infrastructure Partners, Peter Hamstra of Dufferin Construction, Andrew Hurd of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association, Rick Tamburro of Miller Group, and Steve Smith of Roto-Mill. Thank you so much for being here with us today.

I’d like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council from across this province to Queen’s Park today. We’re looking forward to meeting with them.

With us we have Brianna Puigmarti, Ivan Levac from R.W. Tomlinson, Lisa Laronde from Powell Contracting Ltd., Mac Carmichael from Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. and, perhaps, one of my most favourite constituents, Michael McSweeney.

I would like to welcome to the House Francis Lindayen, CEO for ITS Electronics, a leading global supplier of advanced microwave amplifiers, frequency converters and intelligent wireless sub systems for commercial, government and defence customers.

Welcome, Francis Lindayen.

I would like to welcome Vince Accardi, president of the Ontario Motor Coach Association and other members of the coach association: Brian Denny from Denny’s Bus Lines and Shawn Geary from McCoy Bus Service.

Welcome to the House. It was a pleasure to meet with you.

I’d like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council who are in the chamber today, and especially the board chair, Mario Villeneuve, who’s from my riding.

Bienvenue, Mario. Thank you for the important work you do throughout the province. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Ben de Haan, the father of page Ryan de Haan, who’s here from my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

I’d like to welcome to the House Canadian Olympian and champion marathoner Krista DuChene and her family: Donald, Aimee, Aidan, Genvieve, Martin and Leah.

I know the member just mentioned the TTN is going to be here for their reception tonight, but he left out the best part, Mr. Speaker. While everybody is going to the ORBA reception—TTN has brought in some star power tonight for their reception: Doug Gilmour, Shayne Corson and Ric Nattress. A bunch of Toronto Maple Leafs all-stars are going to be there. So come on down and get your picture taken.