I’d like to welcome members of the Hamilton Police Association: Hope Paiva, Jaimi Bannon and Jason Leek. I look forward to meeting you this afternoon.

I’d like to introduce two police officers from my riding: Sergeant Jeff Chartier and Mark Ballantine.

It is an honour to welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association to Queen’s Park. That includes: Barbara Bailey, Amanda Rainville, Corsita Garraway, Jennifer Clement, Chantal Sorhaindo, Dana Cooper, Lauren Scott, Teresa Wetselaar, Kelsey York, Clinton Baretto, Krysta Cameron, Claudia Mariano, Valerie Winberg, Andrea Anderson, Beth Cowper-Fung, James Lindberg, Jayme Wilson, Thomas Gendron, Noah Mondrow, Vanessa Mooney, Justine Rose, Marcela Killin and Pavarni Jorgensen.

I also want to thank police officers from my riding who are here: Matt Hall, Jacques Roberge and Steve Train. Thank you for coming to Queen’s Park.

As parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health, I’d also like to introduce the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario. Thank you to the member opposite for announcing all their names.

Nurses from across the province are here to meet with MPPs and government officials today to highlight the critical role of nurse practitioners across the province.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

I’d like to welcome Ian DeWaard, provincial director of CLAC, and Karen Renkema, vice-president of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada. Today they are joined by representatives of workers and companies that build Ontario, from Ottawa to Windsor and Toronto to northern Ontario.

Welcome to Queen’s Park today, and thank you for all you do.

I’d like to welcome all members of the Police Association of Ontario who are here today, especially Philip Perrins and Matt Jotham from the city of Guelph.

It’s not exactly an introduction, but I want to wish our granddaughter Adelaide Helena Colucci a happy ninth birthday today, and our granddaughter May Mundt a happy 15th birthday on Friday.

It’s an honour to welcome Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Victor Linklater, Wally McKay and Wendy Caruk. Meegwetch.

I’d also like to recognize Barbara Hall, former mayor of the city of Toronto as well as the former chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and a resident of Toronto Centre. Welcome.

I’m honoured to welcome business delegates from Nigeria, organized by my good friend Bose Odueke. In the gallery is Peace Wisdom, Dr. Chinwendu Bilite Onyegbula and Kehinde Akinsanya. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to introduce Barbara Hall, the former mayor of Toronto, to Queen’s Park today.

I’d like to welcome Bob Murphy from ACORN to Queen’s Park. It’s good to see you, Bob.

As the parliamentary assistant to the Solicitor General, it gives me distinct honour to introduce representatives of the Police Association of Ontario who are joining us today at Queen’s Park: President Mark Baxter; executive director Tyler Callaghan; OPPA president John Cerasuolo—and members of the board and staff: Tim Reparon, Michael Duffy, Lauren Alpern and Karen Peral. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I know my colleague has more to add.

I’d like to continue those introductions and welcome Brad Durst, Cameron Gough, Matt Jotham, Colin Woods, Anne Brennan-Walsh and Jim Mulligan. You’re all invited to their reception tonight.

I’d like to welcome, from the Ottawa Police Association, Barmak Anvari, Brian Samuel, Cameron Entwistle and Matthew Cox. I look forward to meeting them today.

I also want to welcome, from the progressive contractors’ association, a constituent of mine, Matt Hill.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome the Invasive Species Centre and partner organizations attending Queen’s Park for their annual advocacy day—Kyle Borrowman, Terry Rees, Andrea Klymko, Bob Lambe, Mark Ryckman, Belinda Junkin. I invite everyone to attend their reception this evening in room 228.

It’s my honour to rise today to recognize our page captain Nicholas Baryliuk from my riding of Eglinton–Lawrence, and to introduce his proud parents, Ruth and Colin Baryliuk, who are joining us in the east lobby. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The most important thing that we can do to protect our children and protect our hospital capacity is to keep up to date on our vaccinations.

If you qualify for a booster, get that booster. Get that flu shot. Make sure you protect yourself so that you can protect vulnerable people in our society.

We have SickKids nurses who are leaders in childhood and pediatric RSV and flu innovations. They are now offering that expertise to nurses in community hospitals, because they understand that, working together, we will get through this flu season; we will get through this higher rate of RSV. They are doing it because they work together and they are innovating.

It is very unfortunate that the member opposite is suggesting that nothing has been happening, because in fact there have been many positive innovations that have—

Interjections.

Today I would like to welcome St. Enva’s school in Mississauga–Lakeshore here—especially Mr. Otto and his grade 5 class, as well as Nina Chiarelli and her son Hank Quinn from grade 5. Thank you for being here.