Thanks to the member for Niagara Centre for raising this issue.

I think it’s important to consider the reason for so many of the investments that we’re making into the province of Ontario and into the Niagara region, and it’s to address the health care concerns of constituents in all of our ridings and also to ensure that we’re building up a health care system that meets the needs not only of communities that are large and urban, but also smaller communities such as those also in southern Welland.

That’s why our government has introduced measures to not only increase the amount of new internationally educated nurses, but we’ve doubled the nursing program at Brock University, going from 300 nurses to 600 nurses—including five other nursing programs across the province.

We’ve launched two new medical schools to ensure that we’re graduating hundreds of new doctors who are able to provide the services that are needed.

But where was the member opposite when it came to funding these important investments to ensure that services were being maintained across Niagara and Ontario? Nowhere to be found, voting no every single time when it came to making sure that the rubber hit the road and the money was put where it’s needed.

We’re the government that’s going to get the job done for the people of Niagara, for health care across your riding and mine.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health: Back in April, all parties in this House supported my motion to keep full emergency department services and acute-care services at the Welland hospital. Yet, recently, folks across my riding in Welland, Port Colborne, Thorold and Pelham were shocked to learn that Niagara Health is permanently removing after-hours emergency services in Welland as of February 27, next week. So if someone in need of emergency surgery shows up at the Welland site, they will be put in an ambulance and sent to another hospital.

What specific steps will this government take to stop these cuts and uphold my motion to ensure that full services remain at the Welland hospital so that families in south Niagara have safe and equitable access to health care?

Is the government willing to leave the people of south Niagara without timely access to life-saving care, or will the minister honour my request and meet with me immediately to resolve this dangerous situation?

I rise in accordance with standing order 59 to outlay business for next week, and just to thank, again, all members for a wonderful first week back in the service of the people of the province of Ontario.

On Monday, February 27, we will be continuing debate on Bill 63. In the afternoon, we will have opposition day motion number one.

On Tuesday, February 28, we will have further debate on Bill 60. In the afternoon, we will return to Bill 63. In the evening, there will be private members’ business standing in the name of the member for Don Valley West, which is Bill 50.

On Wednesday, March 1, in the morning, we will have further debate on Bill 60; in the afternoon, debate on Bill 63; and in the evening, we will have private members’ business standing in the name of the member for Peterborough–Kawartha, which is Bill 31.

On Thursday, March 2, in the morning, we will be debating a bill which will be introduced soon. In the afternoon, we will continue debate on that wonderful bill. In the evening, we will be dealing with the member for Niagara Falls’s private member’s motion number 22.

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 47, An Act to amend the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Condominium Act, 1998 to require emergency power generators / Projet de loi 47, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2006 sur la location à usage d’habitation et la Loi de 1998 sur les condominiums pour exiger la présence de génératrices de secours.