On November 26, I attended a ceremony at the Holodomor Memorial at Exhibition Place in my riding of Spadina–Fort York. The Holodomor is a genocide committed against the Ukrainian people by the Soviet government that took place between 1932 and 1933. The Soviet government came into Ukraine, stole every bit of food—they searched houses and barns to find every bit of food—then they sealed the borders and let millions of people starve to death.

At the memorial, we heard from one of the survivors of this 1932-33 genocide: 95-year-old Mr. Latishko. He told us of the horrific crimes against humanity that had been committed against Ukraine.

When Ukraine was invaded by the Russian army on February 24 this year, the people of Ukraine have fought back with incredible courage and resilience because they recognize that this is another generation of a Russian government that has come in to complete the genocide that had begun 90 years ago.

But the attack on Ukraine is not just an attack on Ukraine. It’s an attack on democracies everywhere. Demo-cracies around the world are under threat, from both within and without. And the only way that we can guarantee freedom against oppression and against future genocides is to support the government of Ukraine until the democratic government of Ukraine has been restored to all of the borders of the Ukrainian country.

Last week, in a question in question period regarding sewage spillage, the Minister of the Environment said that he believed in full transparency and actually was requesting an audit.

In that spirit, I would once again like to ask the Minister of the Environment for the release of the full documentation of the application and the monitoring documents of a human sewage lagoon located in the township of Armstrong. The people have been asking for the documentation. There have been some legitimate questions raised, starting already with the consultation process. I brought the first issue up more than a year ago.

At this point, we don’t want a technical briefing. We don’t want a letter that specifies one issue or another. We want the full documentation so people can actually see for themselves that the ministry is doing what they claim to be doing, because so far they haven’t seen it. What they’re being told isn’t the same as what they’re seeing on the ground.

Once and for all, please, in the full spirit of transparency, will the Minister of the Environment release the documentation of the sewage lagoon project in the township of Armstrong?

I would like to welcome and thank D. Williams from OPSBA along with executive director Rusty Hick for a wonderful meeting this morning.

I would also like to say that I recognize PDSB trustee Kathy McDonald in the members’ area—good to see you as well.

And last week, Juanita Jones came to the Legislature. She is with OPSEU, a health care worker and RPN for over 25 years, working full-time. I want to thank her for coming to Queen’s Park last week.

I’d like to welcome, from the Toronto District School Board, trustees Alexis Dawson, Deborah Williams, Michelle Aarts—and other OPSBA representatives: Jennifer Jennekens, Susan Humphries, Karen McGregor, Jennifer McIntyre. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I just want to rise to introduce Bruce Whitaker from Stratford, a newly elected trustee in the Avon Maitland District School Board, who is here, obviously, as well, for the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. I look forward to meeting with you after question period, Bruce.

I just got a note from Barbara Stevens. I know she’s watching on TV. She’s really excited and hopes that the President of the Treasury Board gets a question today.

I’d like to welcome all the trustees who are here today for the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association advocacy day, with a special welcome to two trustees who I met with this morning: Jan Johnstone from the Bluewater District School Board and Martha MacNeil from the Upper Grand District School Board in my riding of Guelph. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I want to rise to acknowledge three trustees who I met with this morning: Julia Burgess from the Greater Essex County District School Board, and Lori-Ann Pizzolato and Sherri Moore of the Thames Valley District School Board. Thank you very much for visiting.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the brilliant first-years from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. They are the future of our province, and I welcome them.

I’m very pleased to welcome all of the trustees from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association today, but especially my own trustee, Alexis Dawson.

I also want to recognize in the House today with us two friends from Napanee: Barb Linds and Eric DePoe, who was the 2022 NDP candidate in Hastings–Lennox and Addington. Welcome to the House.

I’d like to welcome students Ethan McQueen, Logan Wolf, Michael Finelli and Hunter Parass, and their mothers, Andrea McQueen and Karen Wolf, from my community. In September, 11-year-old Ethan and his friends held the second annual Sleep Out to shine a light on youth homelessness and human trafficking for Covenant House Toronto. They raised a record $16,000.

I’m looking forward to a meeting later on this afternoon with Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the members Kate Baggott, Tiya Patel, Julia Burgess and Jack Fletcher. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to acknowledge and welcome Kathy McDonald, PDSB trustee, wards 3 and 4. I’m looking forward to seeing you this afternoon. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I want to build on the member for Waterloo’s welcome to the members of the Ontario Public School Board Association: Their president, Cathy Abraham, is with us, as well as Kathleen Woodcock, first vice-president, and Elaine Johnston, who is the chair of the Indigenous trustees’ council.

I see a variety of other friends: Nadeem Mahmood from York region; Kathy McDonald from Peel District School Board; I also know Lori-Ann Pizzolato from the Thames Valley District School Board, and many others. Thank you for your leadership, and welcome to the people’s House.

It’s a pleasure to rise in the House this morning. Last Friday, November 25, was the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which starts 16 days of activism and will end on December 10, the international UN Human Rights Day.

This November marks Woman Abuse Prevention Month and the 10th anniversary of the Wrapped in Courage campaign in Ontario. Gender-based violence agencies across our province ask community leaders to wear purple—a scarf or a tie—to show their commitment to ending femicide and all forms of gender-based violence in our province.

I would like to pay tribute to two non-profit organizations that provide critical shelter and support services for the women and their children experiencing domestic violence in my riding of Simcoe–Grey: My Sister’s Place in Alliston has provided shelter and traditional services and supports to women and their children in the region since 1987; and My Friend’s House has been supporting women and their children in south Georgian Bay, including Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Clearview and Town of the Blue Mountains, since 1991.

I am proud to say that our government provided significant financial supports to both organizations during the pandemic through the Resilient Communities Fund, with grants of $72,500 to My Sister’s Place and $101,000 to My Friend’s House.

The courage of a woman alone is not enough to end gender-based violence. It takes the support of an entire community to end this devastating violence together, and I know that all of us in this House commit to doing that.

As the official opposition education critic, it’s my pleasure today to welcome trustees from OPSBA for their lobby day, including members of the executive council: president Cathy Abraham, Kathleen Woodcock, Kathryn Pierroz, Arlene Morell, Michelle Aarts, Jaine Klassen Jeninga, Susan Humphries, Donna Danielli, David Green, Elaine Johnston; and Rusty Hick, the executive director. And a special shout-out as well to Lynn Scott and Antang Han from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, whom I had the pleasure of meeting with this morning.

Over the weekend, I had the honour and privilege to welcome His Grace Bishop Archilidis as the first-ever papal vicar for the Coptic Orthodox archdiocese of Toronto. This important historic event at the St. Mark Coptic Orthodox cathedral was filled with joy and spirituality. May his many years of service be strong, fruitful and peaceful.

As the first elected Canadian of Egyptian and Coptic origins, I am proud to see the Coptic Orthodox archdiocese grow and prosper here in Toronto. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to organize the event and the thousands who attended.

Also, in the last couple of weeks, Canada and Ontario welcomed the new ambassador of Egypt to Canada, His Excellency Ahmed Hafez, and the new consul general, His Excellency Mohamed Fakhry. I had the pleasure of meeting them with the Egyptian community and wish them all the best on their newest appointment. I’m looking forward to our future collaboration to serve Canadian Egyptians here in Ontario and Canada.

Yesterday I was on a Mississauga tour with the active Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and the Mississauga MPPs. He reconfirmed the government’s mission to help new Canadians to be able to work in their fields and in their careers. With the current shortage of labour in many sectors, we need to tap into the new Canadians who have the right skills and training and expertise to fill that gap. They are here. We need to accelerate their integration, like the IMGs, nurses and skilled workers. The system is in dire need of their skills after many years of inaction from previous governments. On this side of the House and this government, we did Working for Workers Act 1 and 2. We are the only ones that are getting it done.

I would like to thank the minister and the Premier for their unprecedented initiatives.

I’m pleased to recognize one of my colleagues in elected public service who is a trustee on the Halton school board: Jeanne Gray, who is here. Welcome to Queen’s Park. It’s good to see you.

I’d like to welcome Claudine VanEvery-Albert, a trustee representing students from Six Nations in the Grand Erie District School Board. Welcome to Queen’s Park.