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.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just rising in accordance with standing order 59 just to remind members, of course, that we will be returning on Tuesday, February 21, and, as I always do, I very much look forward to contacting the opposition House leaders and working closely to let them know what business will be coming ahead.

On behalf of the government, I also just want to congratulate and thank Kevin Modeste for his exceptional work here on behalf of you, but on behalf of all of the House. It is a very, very difficult job, a very, very difficult task being in the House leader’s office—even more difficult, I would suggest, being in the opposition House leader’s office, and he has done an exceptionally good job of doing it. To his wife, Shawna, and his daughters, Reya and Riley, congratulations; your dad has done an extraordinarily good job and we congratulate him and wish him all the best in the future.

Also, I just want to, again, Speaker, thank you for what was a wonderful reception last evening. I know that many members had a great time. It was very, very nice to see everybody back after a couple of years’ hiatus.

To all of my colleagues on all sides of the House: Thank you for what was a very, very productive session—more great work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario by all members on all sides of the House.

And of course, to the wonderful staff here, who have done extraordinary work in keeping this place going—we’ve said it before: not only the only Legislature that continued to sit during COVID in person, a testament to their hard work, but bringing us back strong and working very hard for us. We all thank you very much for your hard work.

Applause.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario entered the chamber of the Legislative Assembly and took her seat upon the throne.