It’s now time for questions and answers.

Bill 26 proposes changes that, quite frankly, are long overdue. Protecting students at colleges and universities is so important, and I’m so glad to see this government making these changes. I thank the minister and the PA for the work they’ve done on this. Can the member please outline how these measures will specifically support students and survivors of sexual misconduct?

I would like to say that I think this is a positive step forward.

The member spoke about quite a few other things during her talk, and I’d like to address one of them. Students, during COVID, received increased grants from the federal government through OSAP; however, if they were on ODSP—in other words, they were struggling to have enough money to go to university, and they had a disability—their money was clawed back. So students who didn’t have a disability were able to keep the entire amount of the grant, but students with a disability actually had to give some of that money back. I’m wondering if the member is able to speak to that at all, because it did put students with a disability at a further disadvantage.

I want to congratulate the parliamentary assistant not only on her presentation but on her long-standing stewardship on what we’re debating today.

I’d like her to expand on her presentation and speak about how the regulations that we introduced a year ago and this particular piece of legislation will help, together, to better support students in post-secondary education.

I thank the government for bringing the bill forward. As we know, this week we talked about gender-based violence. We had presentations on how it impacts our society, how it impacts all families—every member of the family. So I’m glad to see that this initiative has been taken, especially for young people going to university and college, and that these measures are happening. But I need to talk about prevention. The member from Nickel Belt alluded to education. I think that’s such an important piece in order to make sure that we can look to the future for eliminating or mitigating it not happening.

How are universities and colleges getting the best practices and standardized policies universally throughout the system so that there’s not a patchwork being done and everybody’s on board with the same topic and can proceed with the good work that this bill has started?

A loud thud was heard yesterday across Ontario at 11 a.m. It was the dropping and the introduction of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission report. It was a 650-plus-page document detailing the problems we’ve had with our LRT system. It’s something I have fought for in this place—thanks to residents and community members back home, who I want to thank for their work.

Sometimes, the truth hurts, and it certainly hurts this morning for advocates of public-private partnerships in infrastructure, because Justice William Hourigan, who led this report, said the following: “The P3 model caused or contributed to several of the ongoing difficulties on the project ... the city traditionally had a hands-on leading role in projects, given the lesser role it played under this mode, the city was left in a position where it had limited insight or control over the project.”

P3s are an accident waiting to happen. They will not offer the transparency the public deserves. That is the lesson, I believe, from Ottawa’s LRT failure.

But right now, as I speak, the same P3 consultants and contractors who made a mess out of Ottawa’s LRT are building the Eglinton Crosstown.

I call on this government to read Justice Hourigan’s report, to learn the lessons, to not waste the public money, and to make sure the mess that happened in Ottawa never happens again.

On Friday, October 2, 2020, Cindy Devine was killed at the young age of 35 in a two-vehicle accident. She was a wife to Richard and a mother of four. Richard is here today.

Cindy was alive shortly after the crash, but she was completely entrapped in the car and could not escape. Unfortunately, Cindy died after her vehicle caught on fire.

This tragic incident resulted in a campaign now called Extinguishers for Cindy, and they are calling for Cindy’s Law to be established in this province. The Extinguishers for Cindy campaign has now raised over $45,000 in the past three years. This campaign has a lot of well-deserved support and momentum in my riding of Elgin–Middlesex–London. In addition to the money that the campaign has raised, Extinguishers for Cindy has also handed out approximately 1,000 fire extinguishers to local residents.

Speaker, this is a friendly and impassioned reminder to all members of this House and those watching from home: Fire extinguishers are not only important to keep in our homes, but they should also be kept in our vehicles. Fire extinguishers save lives.

Keep up the good work, Richard and team.

Once again, Bill 26 speaks to sexual misconduct of staff and faculty toward students.

In terms of prevention, colleges and universities are autonomous institutions and have their own policies and procedures in place around codes of conduct for students and codes of conduct for employees. It may be something that the government considers, moving forward, in the form of a directive. We do meet with our stakeholders in colleges and universities regularly to talk about best practices in this and other areas, and we are looking to share those practices with all other post-secondary institutions.

Madam Speaker, we have some of the best faculty and staff at our colleges and universities, and in no way is Bill 26 an attack on our faculty and staff or a way to limit their rights. In fact, many of the faculty and staff see this as keeping them safe as employees, as well as keeping students safe.

Today, December 1, is AIDS day. One of the most important messages that AIDS taught us is the importance of protecting our blood supply. In the 1980s, AIDS in our blood supply unknowingly infected hundreds of Canadians who needed blood transfusions, leading to the royal commission of inquiry on the blood system in Canada, better known as the Krever inquiry, which concluded that blood is a public resource, that donors should not be paid, that Canada must increase self-sufficiency in all blood and blood products, and that no part of the national blood operator’s duty should be contracted out.

In 2014, a private company was prepared to open paid plasma collection centres in Toronto and Hamilton. Recognizing the threat, the government passed the Voluntary Blood Donations Act. I was proud to vote in favour of that bill, along with the current Minister of Health, Minister Jones, and eight members of the current government, to shut these clinics down.

Now, eight years later, Canadian Blood Services has signed a deal with Grifols pharmaceuticals in order to contract out plasma collection to a for-profit collector.

We must remember the Canadians, the Ontarians who became sick, who died. We must remember the lessons of the past and respect the Krever inquiry.

The Ontario Minister of Health is the lead supervisor of Canadian Blood Services. She has a duty to act right now to protect Ontarians and Canadians by shutting down this deal.

Today I want to talk about the launch of an exciting idea and acknowledge the good work of our Minister of Colleges and Universities and our Minister of Education to support our young people to explore and find a rewarding career. This is a good-news story. From the recognition of missed career opportunities for a new generation, to the rollout of the dual credits secondary school program, supporting the needs of a dynamic and changing workforce—this is an idea with wings.

When news of an additional $4.8 million in program funding reached the secondary schools of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

Smith Falls District Collegiate Institute principal Terry Gardiner said, “The Dual Credit Program represents an outstanding opportunity for students entering trades, or trying a course in their area of interest. It allows them the opportunity to ‘try on’ college and many students see that they can be successful.”

Janet Sanderson, principal of Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake, said, “It gives our students a chance to ... get a taste of the college life ... explore post-secondary options and test the waters. One student remarked, the Dual Credit Program gives him a reason to like school again.”

With one in three tradespeople over the age of 55, the infrastructure of our future will be built by the next generation. Experiential learning is an invitation to explore pathways to robotics, electronics, carpentry, health care, mechanics and more, all under the guidance and mentorship of skilled trades teachers, college partners and industry professionals.

Ontario’s Dual Credit Program has created a buzz in Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, and it’s powered by the purest form of clean energy: the curiosity and inventiveness of our youth.

For 10 years the United Way/Centraide of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry has been kicking off the festive season with their annual holiday gala. This past weekend at the gala, Karen and Ray Brunet were recognized with the André Mailhot Award, which is the United Way’s highest volunteer honour. Although this award was announced at their AGM in early June, United Way Canada representatives attended the annual gala to present the award to Karen and Ray in person. With this being the 10th year of them being chairs of the gala, the timing couldn’t be any better. The award honours a volunteer who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community, philanthropy and the United Way movement. The individual is recognized by his or her peers as exemplifying the United Way values of leadership, volunteerism, inclusivity, community engagement, commitment and respect. Karen and Ray were selected from among nominations that came from many of the 69 United Ways across Canada. Karen and Ray have put in over 5,000 hours of volunteering at my local United Way and can be linked to the majority of sponsors and donations that this event receives. They therefore ensure the event’s success year after year. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is truly thanks to their selfless dedication and community connections that this event has raised over half a million dollars in the 10 years it has existed.

We have time for one further question.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

I’m honoured to rise today to highlight the amazing people-powered organizing that is taking place all across this province right now.

Last weekend, I participated in a day of action with hundreds of people—knocking on doors from Thunder Bay to Windsor to Ottawa and cities in between; speaking with neighbours to talk about how vital it is to protect the farmland that feeds us, the nature that protects us; and calling on the Premier to keep his promise not to open the greenbelt for development. In a few hours, people collected nearly 4,000 petition signatures and identified hundreds of sign locations, calling on the Premier to keep his greenbelt promise.

This weekend, there will be rallies again all over the province.

Organizers like Environmental Defence, GASP, Water Watchers and Stop the Sprawl are mobilizing to defend the greenbelt, calling on the Premier to “keep your hands off our greenbelt” and to keep his greenbelt promise, because we know people power works.

Speaker, a healthy democracy requires citizen engagement and mobilization.

I’m inspired by the people taking the time out of their busy lives to demand that the government maintain the integrity of the greenbelt.

I will be there this weekend with the people, defending the greenbelt and calling on the Premier to keep his promise.

The holiday season is upon us, a time of kindness and goodwill towards all. During this time, many groups, associations, places of worship and more organize important acts of charity, but sometimes a single person or family steps up to do something remarkable. These acts of joy and kindness and charity come in many different forms, each with their own story of inspiration.

The De Sario family was inspired by the care their daughter received at SickKids hospital for juvenile diabetes, so in 1999 they began a yearly tradition of decorating their home with Christmas lights to raise money for SickKids—and when I say decorate, I mean over-the-top beautiful, with tens of thousands of lights, probably visible from space, and every other decoration you can imagine. It’s a wonderful sight that captures the hearts of all ages. And this year, they’re hoping to raise $20,000.

Speaker, as you know, SickKids hospital is known as a place of legends, where every one of their patients has a legendary story that inspires us all. It is also home to the largest hospital-based child health care research institute in Canada, and we’re so proud and fortunate that it is located here in Ontario.

The De Sario Family Festival of Lights begins this Saturday, December 3, at 5 p.m., at their home at 165 Benjamin Boake Trail in the Keele and Sheppard area, in Toronto’s northwest end, and it runs until the end of this year. I thank them for their hard work to spread joy and help children in need.

Whether you happen to be in the area or not, I encourage you to come by and view the sight for yourself, and perhaps that visit may become a family tradition for you as well.

Happy holidays.

As 2022 is coming to an end, I would like to revisit our recent Markham–Unionville funding announcements to wrap up the year on a generous and bestowing pitch.

Foremost, I would like to recap that November 17 marked the 40th anniversary of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Partnering with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport—I thank OTF for awarding funds to those in need and facilitating culture and sport events in Ontario. I look forward to engaging more in-person recognition in the future.

The Ontario Arts Council’s OAC operating grant continues to help enrich our cultural lives by supporting the display of some wonderful collections by Canadian artists at our gallery in Markham–Unionville.

The Seniors Community Grant Program from the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility is another great program. This year, Markham–Unionville has four recipients. It’s great to see senior clubs reconnect and keep their members active again in Markham–Unionville.

Ontarians’ health and safety is at the top of our government’s agenda.

Earlier in November, through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund and the Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund, Markham Stouffville Hospital and Hong Fook mental health Markham branch have received respective funding that allows them to provide quality care to their patients.

Funding is an important tool for us to work well with our community members.

My congratulations here to all successful applicants.

Our government is building a strong, secure food supply chain and securing Ontario’s position as a food leader in Canada by releasing our Grow Ontario Strategy. The strategy outlines the province’s plan to strengthen the agri-food sector, to ensure an efficient, reliable and responsive food supply, and to address ongoing vulnerabilities through new innovations by focusing on three priorities: strengthening agri-food supply chain stability; increasing agri-food technology and adoption; and attracting and growing Ontario’s agri-food talent. This is particularly important in my home riding of Brantford–Brant, as agriculture is our single largest economic sector. This plan is a bold vision of pride and trust in the quality and quantity of food produced in Ontario, grown on the foundation of a competitive agri-food industry that serves the needs of Ontarians, Canadians and the world.

That being said, today I would like to welcome, in the gallery, the Paris fair ambassador, Bronwyn Monkhouse, and the Burford fair ambassador, Doug Archer, and his parents, Scott and Elizabeth. They supported and advocated with distinction the Brantford–Brant agricultural sector, farmers and food processors that feed us all. Many of us remember the gaps in grocery store shelves, on and off, during the pandemic. These young people who act as ambassadors for the agricultural sector remind us that food does not magically appear on grocery store shelves, but rather that our food is planted, cultivated, raised and processed by some of the best farmers in the world right here in Ontario.

And remember this: Farmers make up less than 1% of the population, but 100% of us eat.

It is an honour to stand in the House today to mark an important anniversary that Romanians all around the world celebrate. Every year, on December 1, Romanians come together to celebrate Great Union Day, also known as Romania’s National Day—the unification of the Romanian provinces into one country, which took place at the end of the First World War, in 1918.

Romanian Canadians make up an essential part of our national character. In fact, Canada is home to over 250,000 Romanian Canadians.

Mississauga is home to close to 4,500 Romanian Canadians, who continue to contribute to the cultural, social and economic fabric of Mississauga and of Ontario.

Canada would not be the same without athletes like Bianca Andreescu or politicians like Andrew Scheer.

Mississauga’s own Bianca Andreescu, who is a proud Romanian Canadian, is the highest-ranked Canadian in the history of the Women’s Tennis Association.

Speaker, Romania today is a historically mature country whose binder has passed the test of time.

Canada has excellent relations with Romania, as evidenced by the strong political ties highlighted by shared memberships in NATO and la Francophonie.

Today, I am very happy to welcome Ms. Oana-Raluca Gherge, the consul general of Romania; Mr. Florentin Titov Gherghe, consul; and my dear friend Raul Dudnic from OMNI TV to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. I would like to take a moment to wish them and all of our Romanian Canadian friends a happy Romania National Day here in Ontario as well as worldwide. Merci.

I am very delighted to introduce Paul Persaud and Samuel Allicock, two wonderful grade 10 students from Woburn Collegiate Institute who are visiting Queen’s Park to discuss student safety at schools. We’ve had some really tragic incidents of violence at Scarborough schools.

I’m also delighted to introduce the parents and family of our page captain from University–Rosedale, Joel Bozikovic. We have Liv Mendelsohn, Susan Cohen and Alex Bozikovic in the House today. Please welcome them.

We don’t want him to take it off; that’s for sure.

Laughter.