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.

I’d like to introduce Kathleen Woodcock, Nadeem Mahmood and Jennifer McIntyre, all here for their OPSBA lobbying day. As the past president of OPSBA, I’m so pleased that you’re here today.

The member opposite knows that the consultation that the government is engaged in is welcoming comments from the public. We made it very clear. We were open, transparent and honest with Ontarians when we indicated that, at the end of the day, there would be over 2,000 acres added to the greenbelt. The greenbelt would be grown after this procedure. But at the same time, the criteria for the land that is part of that posting is very specific. It’s got to be adjacent to an already urbanized area. It has to have servicing, either on that property or very, very close to it.

The fact is, we’re in the middle of a housing crisis and we have the opportunity to, at the end of the day, grow the greenbelt but at the same time have a minimum of 50,000 new housing starts. It’s a good day for Ontario.

Again, this person, this party, the opposition have a particular bent against building homes. They continuously talk about the fact that they acknowledge we need to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, but every time—we’re going to see it today after question period, when the time for them to stand in their place and look the next generation of Ontarians in the eye and say, “We’ve got your back, and we’re going to be building for you so you can realize the dream of home ownership”—every single solitary time, they vote against it. I think it’s pretty rich coming from that party opposite, the New Democratic Party, to be talking about—

Interjections.

I have some special guests to introduce from Brampton: a good friend, Nirvair Singh Sidhu; Amarjeet Singh Dhami; and a special guest from Punjab, Professor Gurinder Singh, a retired associate professor who is visiting Queen’s Park with us today.

As we’ve heard, we have a building filled today with Ontario Public School Boards’ Association folks. I’m looking forward to meeting with Debora Oldfield, Emma Cunningham and Rusty Hick, trustees from my neck of the woods. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to introduce three individuals I met with this morning at about 8 o’clock: Jack Fletcher from Sarnia with the public school board, Arlene Morell from Strathroy and Bruce Whitaker from Stratford, here with the Ontario public trustees.

I, too, would like to recognize all the trustees who are here from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and, in particular, I’d like to say a special welcome to Deborah Williams, the newly elected TDSB trustee for Toronto Centre, my own home riding, and, of course, Jaine Klassen Jeninga, vice-chair of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and representative for the township of Alnwick/Haldimand, town of Cobourg, township of Hamilton and municipality of Trent Hills. Welcome.

I want to welcome all the members of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association for being here today, and I’m looking forward to meeting with some of you this afternoon. I want to give a special shout-out to D. Williams, Alexis Dawson, Michelle Aarts and Jan Johnstone. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to congratulate Mabel Follis, who is today’s page captain. Mabel’s family are here with us today. Welcome to her mother, Carolyn; her father, Sean; and her brother, Finnegan, who also participated in the page program in the past—all nice people from the beautiful riding of Glengarry–Prescott–Russell. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I, too, would like to welcome, from the Rainbow District School Board, a trustee, Judy Kosmerly—she’s a constituent of mine from Val Carron—and Ryan Sitch, who is from the Lakehead District School Board. They’re here from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, as well as Lee Ann McKenna, who is here for Bill 23.

I would like to introduce Zane Colt, a former staff member at the ministry of northern development, mines, natural resources, forestry and energy, when we were all of that.

I just welcome everyone from OPSBA and a special welcome to two constituents of mine, Jaine Klassen Jeninga, who is up in the gallery, and Cathy Abraham. I’m looking forward to meeting with you after question period.

I’d like to welcome a couple of good friends of mine from Belleville—very good friends: Mitch and Lisa Panciuk. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

To reply, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

We’ve been very clear on this side of the House. While we embrace innovation, while we want to see those exciting opportunities that will ensure our surgery backlogs and our individuals have access to critical health care in their community—we’re doing that. We have also been very clear that it will continue to be an OHIP-funded system in the province of Ontario.

This government has taken a hatchet to farmland over the past few weeks, removing thousands of acres from the greenbelt and destroying existing urban boundaries. Frankly, it is no surprise to find out that these changes will benefit powerful landowners, like Silvio De Gasperis and Michael Rice, who have donor and political ties to the Ontario PC Party.

Given how suspicious this looks, the least the government can do is be transparent about what has been happening behind closed doors. So I ask the Premier, how did the government choose which lands were going to be removed from the greenbelt?

It’s all a bit curious, so I will give the government another chance to set the record straight. Prior to the public announcement of changes to the greenbelt, did the Premier or the minister or any of their current or former staff share any information about changes to the greenbelt with owners and developers that was not already available to the public?