Thank you to the member for Niagara Falls for passionately talking about firefighters. This bill addresses firefighters. Firefighters are everyday heroes who put their lives on the line to save our lives. We go to sleep because we have wonderful firefighters in our city and the province.

Firefighters are diagnosed with cancer up to four times higher than the general population. Will the member support our proposal to expand WSIB presumptive coverage for thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer for our province’s firefighters?

Speaker, I’m relatively new to this House and I will admit that I’m oftentimes perplexed by some of the presentations made in the House. A little while ago, we heard the member from Niagara Falls speaking about the things that are not in this bill. And in that, I always thought that as we presented speeches here, we were supposed to speak to the items that are in the bill. So I really appreciate the member from Oakville for speaking to the items that are in the bill.

But I would like to ask the member from Oakville, if I could, what else has this government done to provide services and support to the workers here in Ontario?

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health: On April 12, I put forward a motion to maintain full emergency department and acute care services at the Welland hospital. All parties voted in favour, including the member from Niagara West, who said he was “pleased to speak in support of this motion and to reaffirm our government’s commitment to the health of the people of Niagara and the Welland hospital.”

Last month, surgeries, an on-call physician and ICU capacity were cut from the Welland hospital permanently. Were this government and the member from Niagara West telling the truth, yes or no?

The minister has not responded to my request or the request of local mayors for a meeting—didn’t even respond. The member from Niagara West has suddenly developed amnesia. Why has this government broken its word and abandoned the citizens of south Niagara in Welland, Port Colborne, Thorold, Wainfleet and Pelham?

I’m struck by the fact that we have a member in Niagara who has been advocating for and working with Niagara Health. That, of course, is the member from Niagara West.

When this member had the opportunity to vote for investments in health in the Niagara region, they chose to vote against it. When the member opposite had the opportunity, through budgets, through fall economic statements, to vote for investments in their region, they chose not to. I again will contrast that with the member from Niagara West, who from the beginning has advocated and worked with their community to make sure the Niagara region has world-class health facilities.

Last week, through investment in Infrastructure Ontario, Niagara Health was able to announce a successful bidder to ensure that the Niagara region has increased access to health care in the system. Will the member opposite vote—

You need to work with your health care partners. You need to work with your communities. The communities understand that they want a world-class facility in the Niagara region, and under Premier Ford and our government, they’re getting it.

I would like to ask a question to our great Minister of Health—to share with this House what we are doing for the great people of Niagara and the historic investments we are making in Niagara.

It’s an honour to be able to rise in this House and share details about the investments in health care that are being made in Niagara, under the leadership of this Premier and this Minister of Health.

We’re seeing a new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital for the first time in our region.

We’re seeing 1.3 million square feet of new health care coming on board in the new South Niagara Hospital.

We’ve seen the doubling of the nursing program at Brock University, going from 300 to 600 new nursing students each year.

We’ve seen free tuition and expanded personal support worker supports at Niagara College, bringing many new PSWs on board.

Palliative care expansions—adding over 24 new beds to the region, going from 16 to 40 palliative care beds in Niagara region.

We’re seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars in increased supports for Pathstone’s youth mental health.

We’ve seen the new mobile health mental clinic going in through the south Niagara region as well.

We’re seeing $8 million for a new community paramedicine program, supporting seniors aging in place across the province.

We’re seeing a new youth—

Interjections.

I am happy to present several hundred signatures on this petition to save the Welland hospital emergency department.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the current Niagara Health system restructuring plan approved by the Ontario Ministry of Health includes removal of the emergency department and associated beds and ambulances service from the Welland hospital site once the Niagara Falls site is complete, creating inequity of hospital and emergency service in the Niagara region and a significant negative impact on hospital and emergency outcomes for the citizens of Welland, Port Colborne and all Niagara;

“Whereas the NHS is already experiencing a 911 crisis in EMS, a shortage of beds and unacceptable off-loading delays in its emergency departments across the region;

“Whereas the population in the Welland hospital catchment area is both aging and growing;

“Whereas the Ontario Legislature passed a motion by Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch on April 13, 2022, to include a full emergency department and associated beds in the rebuild of the Welland hospital;

“Therefore, be it resolved that we call on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to work with the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Niagara Health system to implement motion 47 to maintain the Welland hospital emergency department and adjust its hospital plan accordingly.”

I’ll affix my signature and hand it to the Clerk.

I was pleased to get this petition from students and faculty at Notre Dame school in Welland.

“Protect the Greenbelt and Build Real Affordable Housing: Repeal Bill 23.

“In the middle of a climate and housing crisis, we as students and staff at Notre Dame College School in Welland, Ontario, are calling on you to repeal Bill 23. This bill will destroy wetlands, farmland and woodlands and undermine important environmental protection. We need real investment in affordable housing, and this bill will only deliver more money to developers while worsening the housing emergency.

“We, the undersigned, urge you to stop Bill 23. Our school community values our environment, and we want our lands protected for this generation and future generations. Specifically, the Niagara region has some of the most valuable farmlands and ecosystems in all of Ontario. How can a greenbelt be considered green if you plan to allow the land to be built upon and developed?

“This petition was signed by members from our entire school community, including staff, educational assistants, secretaries, custodians and students.”

I affix my signature and send it to the Clerk.