My daughter is not here today, but it is her 10th birthday and she’s watching in her class, Ms. Vandermeer’s class, at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Ingleside, in my riding.

I want to introduce Rose Cataldi, my EA, who keeps me organized every day, to her first Queen’s Park live.

And happy 83rd birthday to my father tomorrow.

I want to give a warm welcome to my father, Bill Crawford, who’s up in the gallery. He’s here with MIRANET, the city-wide network of ratepayer and residents’ associations of Mississauga. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome students from W.H. Morden school in Oakville. They will be performing in a choir and instrumental performance by the grand staircase just after noon.

I hope you’ll enjoy your visit to Queen’s Park.

I encourage everyone here to come and listen to the wonderful singing and music from the Oakville students.

I would like to introduce my lovely spouse, Chantal, who is with us today.

Please join me in welcoming and recognizing the 2022-23 class of government of Ontario interns. Today we have with us interns from the Ontario Internship Program, the Indigenous Internship Program and the Black Alliance Internship Program. Please join me in wishing them all the best.

I’m happy to introduce members from Brampton’s oldest Rotary Club, established June 12, 1940: club president, Uche Okugo, and members Matthew Samatas, Badar Shamim, Vijay Kotamarti and Mike Shrestha. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to introduce a few residents of Timiskaming–Cochrane: Terra and Jamie Dabner and their son Krew, the family of our page Kennedy Dabner.

He’s not here today, but I know he’s watching, because I asked him to watch this morning—I want to say hello to my father, Ron Smith, and wish him a happy 80th birthday.

I’d like to welcome the volunteers from my last campaign to the House: Jenna Scheske, Karen Langill, Tara Bijan, Emily Yan, Heather Vickers-Wong, Andrew Yang, and Rosemary Fleming.

I’d also like to take this moment to introduce two other people, who are not able to be here in person today—my parents are both celebrating their birthdays next week. My mother, Gwen Glover, will be turning 86, and my father, Len Glover, will be turning 90. I wonder if everybody could give them a round of applause.

Applause.

I would ask the members to keep their introductions brief and to avoid political statements.

The member for Toronto Centre.

We’ll continue, if there are no objections, with introduction of guests.

I’d like to welcome, from the Central York Professional Firefighters Association, Jason Beuving, local president, and Andre Bourrie, secretary-treasurer, from my great riding of Newmarket–Aurora. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I also would like to introduce Dr. David Jacobs, who’s not only a friend but also the president of the Ontario Association of Radiologists.

I’m very excited to introduce two wonderful young people from Scarborough Southwest and graduates of Birchmount Park Collegiate to the House today: Aqib Abbas and Michael Tucker. They have taken on the initiative for road safety in Scarborough; more specifically, in Scarborough Southwest. Please welcome them to the House.

It’s my distinct honour to welcome Ms. Tara Bijan, my intern from TMU, who has been a wonderful addition to our constituency office. This is her very first time in the House.

Today I want to wish our grandson Leopold Gianni Michele Colucci, who lives in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, a happy eighth birthday. And tomorrow our son Zachary will be 44. Happy birthday.

I’d like to recognize Ema MacAulay, our page from Sudbury. Her dad, Kevin MacAulay, is here today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to introduce my EA, Navita Sukhdeo, and her daughter Elliana Ali. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

If I can take a second before we begin the last question period of 2022, I’d like to wish members on both sides of the House and all Ontarians a safe and happy holiday season with those they hold dear.

On behalf of the official opposition, I’d like to also extend my thanks and best wishes to the wonderful staff of the Legislative Assembly for their incredible work on behalf of the people of this province.

To the amazing cohort of pages, I thank you for your service these past few weeks. I really hope you enjoyed the experience.

A special farewell to our outgoing Sergeant-at-Arms, Jackie. Thank you for your service and your commitment to MPPs and the legislative staff. May the next chapter bring you the best that life has to offer.

And last but not least, although a number have already said this, it remains to be said: a huge thank you from the NDP caucus to Kevin Modeste. Kevin has served our caucus in many capacities over many years. His service to us and to the Legislature as a whole has been outstanding. We’ll miss him greatly, but we’re delighted he’ll be able to spend more time with his wife and two daughters. That’s exactly how it should be. Thank you, Kevin.

Speaker, thank you for your indulgence.

My question is to the Premier.

Yesterday, the Premier said the government is throwing everything they can at the health care system, but it’s clear that whatever the Premier is doing is not working. Hospitals are overcrowded, staff are burnt out, and patients are waiting longer than they ever have in our ERs.

To the Premier: Why didn’t this government do more to prevent the current crisis in our health care system?

Today, not only has hallway medicine officially returned to Ontario, but somehow this government has made the situation worse than it has ever been.

Has the Premier forgotten his promise to Ontarians?

But our health care system is in crisis, and this minister and this Premier are sitting on their hands.

Families can’t find a hospital to deliver their baby, local ERs are closing, staff are having their wages suppressed, and for what? For this government to save a few dollars? You know that is shameful.

The government is sitting on billions of dollars of unallocated funds that could be spent on meaningful investments in health care right now. Will this government commit to doing that today?

I just want to give a shout-out to the volunteers who are stuffing Christmas cards in my office right now.

Adrienne, thank you for all your volunteer work.