Thank you, Speaker—and I might be jumping ahead a little bit, but I do want to welcome the family of former MPP Mike Ray to the House. I know you’ll be identifying them later on.

I would like to welcome Lara Suleiman and Sofia Ouslis from Western University, my alma mater, who are joining me today from the University Students’ Council’s Women in House initiative that sends students to shadow a female MPP. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, with utmost pleasure, I want to share the joy of something I have been waiting for for over four years: to welcome my brother, Shalinder Anand, and his lovely wife, Sweety Anand, visiting for the first time this House of responsibility. Remarks in Punjabi. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I, too, would like to welcome three students from the Women in House program, Gia, Iris and Sarah, who are here to learn about our parliamentary democracy and who will be shadowing me today. Welcome to the House.

In September 2015, Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kukyk and Nathalie Warmerdam were murdered by a man in Renfrew county. The perpetrator knew all three women.

Their tragic murders led to the Renfrew county inquest, which last June made 86 specific and concrete recommendations to prevent intimate partner violence. The very first recommendation is to identify the problem and declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. Will the Premier accept the first recommendation from the Renfrew county inquest and declare intimate partner violence an epidemic?

I’ll ask the government again: Will they implement the first recommendation and name intimate partner violence what it is, an epidemic? And furthermore, will they do recommendation number 4 and create the role of an independent survivor advocate to advocate on behalf of survivors and their experience in the justice system?

I beg leave to present a report on Value-for-Money Audit: Condominium Oversight in Ontario, 2020 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and move the adoption of its recommendations.

As Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, I’m pleased to table these four reports today.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the permanent membership of the committee and substitute members who participated in the public hearings and report-writing process. The committee extends its appreciation to officials from all of the ministries and agencies who participated in these respective hearings. The committee also acknowledges the assistance provided during the hearings and report-writing deliberations by the Office of the Auditor General, the Clerk of the Committee and legislative research.

This legislation will support the implementation of the Your Health plan by first establishing a new legislative framework to support the expansion of surgical surgeries in the community. It will also enable Canadian registered health professionals to practise in Ontario immediately, without waiting for registration with the relevant college. It will allow pharmacists to independently initiate prescriptions based on the pharmacist’s own assessment of a patient’s health when providing medication therapies. And, finally, it will enhance privacy obligations for external data indicators and facilitate safe interaction of de-identified health administrative data across the system.

MPP Andrew moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 61, An Act in respect of the tax treatment of psychotherapy services provided by certain practitioners in Ontario under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 / Projet de loi 61, Loi concernant le traitement fiscal des services de psychothérapie offerts par certains praticiens en Ontario en application de la Loi de 2007 sur les psychothérapeutes.

Thank you, Speaker. There’s a bit of a theme. I’d like to welcome Joy Chen and Shreya Menon from Western University Students’ Council’s Women in House, who are also shadowing me this afternoon.

To reply, the Solicitor General.

The House recessed from 1209 to 1500.

Report adopted.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Debate adjourned.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Debate adjourned.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Debate adjourned.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Debate adjourned.

Ms. Jones moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 60, An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system / Projet de loi 60, Loi visant à modifier et à édicter diverses lois en ce qui concerne le système de santé.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. All women and children in Ontario deserve to live without the threat of violence. Sadly, incidents involving human trafficking in women fleeing abuse occur in our province. Many women who leave these circumstances often face challenges in finding support. These obstacles are more pronounced in rural and remote parts of Ontario, where distances make accessing resources extremely difficult.

Everyone has the right to be safe. As a government. we are responsible for directly addressing this issue. What is our government doing to support these women and children?

Speaker, how is our government ensuring appropriate funding for women in rural, remote and northern communities?

Our hearts go out with communities that have lost loved ones. This is absolutely the case. But the Office of the Fire Marshal will support enhancements to public safety in all of Ontario, particularly northern Ontario.

I have remained in close contact with Indigenous provincial and federal partners to ensure that First Nations communities across our province have the support they need. Pour moi, en tant que solliciteur général, rien n’est plus important que la sécurité de notre province.

Over the past six months, provincial ministries have reviewed the jury’s recommendations. The work needed to understand, assess and plan for the recommendations is complex and must be done with care and attention. As the relevant ministries work to provide the Office of the Chief Coroner with an update on these recommendations, we’re committed to breaking the cycle of intimate partner violence and supporting survivors to help keep our communities safe. I look forward to a completed review and recommendations before the summer.

I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statements this afternoon.

I’d like to thank the member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan for the question—a very important question. Our government believes that everyone has a right to feel safe and to be safe, and we believe that no matter where you live, access to support and services should be available for the victims of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, so we acted. We invested up to $6.5 million in support so survivors can access the services and supports they need to heal and rebuild their lives, and to get their children access to the early intervention they need to heal from experiencing and seeing violence at young age.

Under the Premier’s leadership, we are ensuring that timely intervention and diverse care is available to help survivors where and when they need it.

Bill 46, An Act to enact one Act and amend various other Acts / Projet de loi 46, Loi visant à édicter une loi et à modifier diverses autres lois.

The act requires the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to develop a strategic action plan that aims to protect Ontario’s farmland and arable land from development, aggregate mining and the effects of fluctuating commodity prices and the availability of vacant land. The minister is required to engage in consultations when developing the strategy and must prepare a report setting out the strategy within nine months after the act receives royal assent.

The act also establishes the Farmland and Arable Land Advisory Committee, whose mandate is to provide advice and recommendations to the minister that aim to prevent further land degradation in order to protect farmland and arable land for generations to come and ensure short-term and long-term food security for Ontario.

Farmland and arable land is productive, valuable and essential, but most importantly, it is finite and non-renewable. This is an important consideration in the face of increasing pressure to develop housing in Ontario.

Mr. Vanthof moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr14, An Act to revive 1753461 Ontario Ltd.

I want to thank my colleague the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, who is also going to be speaking about this very important topic.

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to recognize Black History Month in the House today. This is a time to celebrate the many contributions Black Ontarians have made to this great province and to have important conversations about issues affecting the Black community. I’ve been honoured to participate in numerous special events over the last few weeks to mark this month and bring greetings on behalf of our government. As a Black woman, Black MPP and Black member of cabinet, I am a voice for the community in my constituency, here in the Legislature and across the province.

The Black community is an integral part of the rich cultural fabric of this province and of our history. In fact, this province is home to more than half of the total Black population in Canada. While close to half of Ontario’s Black population were born in Canada, the other half hail from an astounding 150 different countries. What an incredible wealth of diversity this brings—from art and storytelling to music and dance, to food, traditions, history and academia, and so much more. African Canadian culture has truly contributed to Ontario’s cultural fabric at large. That is something we should be very proud of.

For the Black Ontarians born here, their perspectives are just as valuable. Whether descended from past immigrants who made the journey to this province from around the world or descended from the former slaves who found freedom here after arriving via the Underground Railroad, all are a part of our history and contribute to making Ontario the vibrant place that it is today.

Like my family, many Black people immigrated to Canada seeking employment opportunities and a chance to put roots down in this beautiful country and province we all call home.

As we reflect on the contributions Black Ontarians have made to this province, the examples are countless. There are, of course, the well-known icons, such as the Honourable Lincoln Alexander or Michael Lutrell, a.k.a. “Pinball” Clemons, for instance. But there are also many who are not well known. Yet those quiet contributions have made a difference in the lives of those around them and in their communities, like Myrna Adams, VP of CARP and seniors’ advocate, or Quentin VerCetty, a multi-award-winning Afrofuturist artist responsible for the bust of the Honourable Lincoln Alexander.

From Black youth workers and mentors to coaches and educators, to community volunteers and caregivers, there are a host of role models in communities across the province who are setting strong examples and inspiring Black children and youth each day, like Skye and Orlando Bowen, a power couple advocating for equity and inclusion and elevating the voices of youth, or Obioma Dike, who supports young people along their entire apprenticeship journey to ensure they are successful.

As we recognize all of these contributions, Black History Month is also a time to reflect on the injustices and inequities the community has faced throughout history, some of which continue to this day. Acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done in this province to overcome racism and discrimination is an important step to achieving equity for all Ontarians.

I am proud of the work our government is doing to combat racism and hate and remove barriers to create an equitable Ontario.

As the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, I see first-hand the barriers that many women face in achieving financial independence—and these barriers are even greater for Black women.

Mr. Speaker, as we near the end of Black History Month, I encourage all Ontarians to join members of this House in paying tribute to our fellow Black Ontarians. We do have much to celebrate. But we also must renew our individual and professional commitments to removing barriers so we can create an equitable Ontario that celebrates our differences and our vibrant communities.

Instead of seeing differences as a hindrance, we must draw strength from our different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Because when we work together, we are stronger.

I am a Black woman in a leadership role with a voice at the table. I am an example of what can happen when people are given opportunities.

I thank the Premier for his leadership and commitment to seeing this government reflect our province.

To every young Black person watching this today: If you can see me, you can be me. You are strong, and your voice is important, and you are powerful beyond measure.

Happy Black History Month.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

Mental health care is health care, and it should be part of medicare. It must be made accessible to all those in need of it when they need it, regardless of their financial situation, especially as we’ve seen spikes in depression, anxiety, eating disorders, evictions and other mental health challenges during the pandemic and as a response to the pressures of the affordability crisis and the trauma of systemic discrimination. Here in Ontario, every Ontarian should be able to access mental health supports with their health card and not their credit card.

My bill, Making Psychotherapy Services Tax-Free Act, 2023, co-sponsored by our fantastic health critic, the MPP for Nickel Belt, will immediately remove the 13% HST tax from registered psychotherapy services as a critical, cost-saving first step and an immediate change this government can make to move our province in the right direction towards mental health care being fully incorporated into our publicly funded health care system.

Ms. Brady moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 62, An Act to provide for the development of a farmland and arable land strategy and an advisory committee on farmland and arable land / Projet de loi 62, Loi prévoyant l’élaboration d’une stratégie en matière de terres agricoles et de terres arables et la création d’un comité consultatif des terres agricoles et des terres arables.

Tomorrow is Human Trafficking Awareness Day—a day dedicated to better understanding the warning signs and how we can help victims and survivors when and where they need it. This vicious crime creates lasting emotional, physical, spiritual and mental trauma for victims and survivors. We know that human trafficking poses a real and growing threat to the children and youth of our province.

That’s why, in 2020, our government released a comprehensive, five-year strategy to combat this crime. Our $307-million strategy includes actions across government to raise awareness, interrupt supply, protect victims, support survivors, and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. It is the largest total investment in dedicated anti-human trafficking services and supports in the country.

Today, with my colleague the Solicitor General, we will be sharing some of our government’s progress on delivering that strategy. A key focus is protecting children and youth from sex trafficking, as they are among those most vulnerable to being targeted by traffickers.

In 2021, as part of our strategy, we launched a new model of intervention called Children at Risk of Exploitation Units, or CARE units, with an investment of $11.5 million over three years. These specialized teams pair police officers and child protection workers to proactively identify children and youth at risk of being sex-trafficked and connect them to resources they need. These units have already had life-changing impacts on vulnerable young people. Over six months last year, CARE units had 319 interactions with children and youth suspected of being trafficked. They supported 27 human trafficking investigations, and 77 criminal charges were laid as a result of this work. This new approach has resulted in successful interventions with children—some younger than 12 years old—who were at risk. The success of these units is based on their collaborative approach. CARE unit members have built relationships with children who sometimes have no one else who can understand their trauma.

Another highlight of our work over the past year has been the delivery of cross-sector anti-human trafficking training. This training is designed for front-line professionals most likely to encounter children and youth who are being sex-trafficked, who have been trafficked in the past, or who are at risk. It is an intensive training program that equips participants with the knowledge to better identify suspected instances of human trafficking, including how to respond and support victims. It is also survivor-centred, involving individuals with lived experience at every stage, from development to delivery, as leaders of the training. And 95% of those who have taken this intensive training have said that they felt better equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand, identify and appropriately respond to human trafficking.

Finally, I’d like to mention another community-based service being delivered as part of our strategy and the difference it is making. The Ontario Native Women’s Association is one of the organizations being funded under our strategy to deliver community supports. Over the last year, they helped 316 individuals exit from being trafficked. They connected with more than 5,800 individuals to provide resources and support through street-based outreach work, and they have delivered training and educational programs to more than 5,600 people.

The examples I’ve shared today speak to the results that we have achieved by working with partners to deliver Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy. I am proud that these initiatives are having an impact, and I am grateful to everyone who is taking part.

But there is a role we can all play in stopping human trafficking.

I would like to encourage all members of this House to take the time to learn the signs of human trafficking and exploitation by visiting ontario.ca/humantrafficking. Together, we can make our communities safer places and help victims and those at risk be connected to the supports that they need.

Thank you to my colleague the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity for her incredibly powerful words—and I truly can’t say it better myself here.

I am both humbled and appreciative for the opportunity to rise in the House today to celebrate Black History Month.

Black history is Ontario’s history. During Black History Month, we take time to pause, to recognize and celebrate Black history, culture and individuals whose achievements have played a vital role in making Ontario what it is today.

From the arts and sciences to sports, medicine, business and politics, Ontario has been home to generations of Black leaders who excelled in every field in communities right across our great province—as said earlier, from Lincoln Alexander to Jean Augustine, the first Black man and woman to be elected to the House of Commons and to serve in cabinet; to Doug Salmon, the first Black surgeon in our country; to Wes Hall, a renowned innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist; to Tajon Buchanan, Derek Cornelius, Jonathan David, Junior Hoilett, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Cyle Larin, Richie Laryea, Kamal Miller and Dayne St. Clair from the men’s national soccer team who proudly represented our nation on the world stage last year at the FIFA World Cup.

Looking around this room and in this Parliament, we have remarkable Black leaders on both sides of the aisle, including my government colleagues the associate minister from Brampton Centre and the members from Ajax and Scarborough Centre. Collectively, these members have served their communities in many different ways over the years and continue to use their voice to advocate for their constituents, for Black communities and for the people of Ontario here at Queen’s Park.

These are just some examples of Black Ontarians who have inspired their communities, myself and people across our great province.

But as the associate minister said earlier, there are also many who are not well known, yet whose quiet but mighty contributions have made a big difference in the lives of those around them and in their communities; for example, organizations like the Early Childhood Development Initiative in my riding of York South-Weston, who are doing incredible work to support Black children and families in our communities—and I was proud to have them in the Legislature today.

There is an organization in Windsor that is connecting Black youth to academic supports, career exploration and mental health resources.

There are historical societies that are actively preserving and showcasing the stories of Black Ontarians, from their journey to Ontario and their lived experiences upon arrival.

I also know an organization in Ottawa that is empowering Black entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking and supports.

Ontario’s strength is in our diversity. Ontario is stronger because of the hard work, dedication and resilience that Black Ontarians have shown and continue to show each and every day.

The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Ours to Tell.” While we take pride in the many ways Black Ontarians have strengthened communities, schools, workplaces and all aspects of society, we have the responsibility to listen, learn and further our collective understanding of Black history and the lived experiences of Black Ontarians, both past and in the present.

Today, challenges and barriers that Black Ontarians face are still ever-present, and it’s important that we as a province and a society acknowledge that anti-Black racism and injustice still exist today.

There remains much more to do and much more to learn, but our government and I stand shoulder to shoulder with Ontario’s Black communities, to move forward and continue the ongoing work to recover, build bridges and fight anti-Black racism head-on, not just throughout Black History Month, but every day. The work does not stop on February 28.

Let us all recommit ourselves to being allies and partners in supporting the Black community, now and well into the future. I know that when we work together, we can do anything. Together, we will build a stronger Ontario and a better and brighter future not just for Black Ontarians, but for all Ontarians.