I rise today with the honour to speak on behalf and in support of Bill 26, the Strengthening Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act, 2022. The Minister of Colleges and Universities continues her great work on behalf of Ontario students, and I’m pleased to contribute to her work today.

Our government is committed to ensuring students have access to a secure and safe learning environment. We’ve taken recent steps to strengthen supports for post-secondary students reporting sexual violence or harassment. We must also specifically address sexual misconduct by faculty and staff toward students. That is why we’re proposing legislative amendments that would require publicly assisted post-secondary institutions and private career colleges to have specific processes in place that address, and increase transparency of, faculty and staff sexual misconduct.

If passed, these changes would better protect students who experience faculty and staff sexual violence by:

—strengthening tools available to institutions in order to address instances of faculty or staff sexual misconduct against students; deeming sexual abuse of a student to be just cause for dismissal is one example;

—preventing the use of non-disclosure agreements to address instances where an employee leaves an institution to be employed at another institution and their prior wrongdoing remains a secret; and

—requiring institutions to have codes of conduct regarding faculty and staff sexual misconduct.

As a parent, I am sure I’m not alone in this. We raise our children knowing that at some point they will leave the safety and security of the family home. We do our very best to prepare them and provide them with the skills and the tools for success and their safety, but we still must let them go.

We have recently seen a series of stories regarding sexual misconduct in publicly trusted institutions. Clearly, more must be done to protect the children of this province, and that’s why I’m speaking today in support of Bill 26.

Speaker, if you’ll indulge me this opportunity, I’d like to quote the minister on introduction of this important bill. The minister stated, “Our government believes that no one should have to worry about sexual violence or misconduct on or off campus. And from day one, we have been clear: this government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment, or any other forms of violence or misconduct. All post-secondary institutions have a responsibility to provide a safe and supportive learning environment and are expected to do everything possible to address issues of sexual violence and misconduct on campuses. While our government has taken action to strengthen the policies that protect post-secondary students who report incidents of sexual violence or harassment on campus, we must also address acts committed by faculty and staff towards students.”

I know that the Minister of Colleges and Universities is passionate about this issue, as she too is a parent. As I said earlier, we as parents do our best to prepare our children for the rigours and risks of the real world. That’s why we are here today, to enhance the safety of our children and students in the post-secondary world.

That’s why last summer the minister held consultations with more than 100 stakeholders, including representatives from post-secondary institutions, labour and student groups, private career colleges, faculty associations and community organizations. Today, I am pleased to support the minister on the legislative amendments contained in Bill 26 that, if passed, would require publicly assisted colleges and universities and private career colleges to have specific processes in place that address and increase transparency of faculty and staff sexual misconduct on post-secondary campuses.

Again, the strengthened policies would allow institutions to:

—deem the sexual abuse of a student as just cause for dismissal;

—prevent the use of non-disclosure agreements to address cases where an employee leaves an institution to be employed at another institution and their prior wrongdoing remains a secret and unknown; and

—require institutions to have sexual misconduct policies in place that provide rules for behaviour between faculty, staff and students, as well as disciplinary measures for faculty and staff who break these rules.

These changes would not only help protect students in cases of faculty and staff sexual misconduct, but also allow the institutions to better address complaints when they arise. The changes also build on the new regulatory amendments that our government introduced last fall to protect students from inappropriate questioning or disciplinary action when they report acts of sexual violence. All of us have a role to play in creating learning environments where students feel safe and supported, and with these legislative amendments we will ensure that all post-secondary students in Ontario can feel safe on campus.

The Strengthening Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act, 2022, if passed, would further protect students by providing measures for post-secondary institutions to address faculty and staff sexual misconduct towards students on campus. I can’t say it better than the minister, so I’ll once again share her powerful words upon her introduction of Bill 26, words I feel all of us in this great House can get behind and support.

The minister stated, “All students deserve to learn in a safe and supportive learning environment. From day one, we have been clear: This government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment or any other forms of violence or misconduct. That’s why we’re taking action to better protect students from sexual violence and misconduct on and off campus.”

Additionally, I would like to point out that through Bill 26, if passed, our government is introducing legislative amendments so Ryerson University can legally change its name to Toronto Metropolitan University. The proposed change in name supports our government’s efforts to ensure Ontario has a post-secondary system that embraces diversity, inclusivity and promotes success for all learners, including Indigenous learners, so they can find rewarding careers. These legislative amendments contained within Bill 26, if passed, will help Toronto Metropolitan University begin a new chapter in its history and better reflects the current values and aspirations of the institution.

Bill 26, the Strengthening Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act, is about combining student safety and student protection as they go about their learning experience at Ontario’s 23 public universities, 24 colleges or 400-plus registered private career colleges.

Heading off to post-secondary school is a new-found freedom for many of our children. It’s an exciting time of their lives in a new environment, maybe a new community far from their home. This exciting time in our students’ and our children’s lives should serve as a safe and secure experience for learning. That’s why I’m speaking today on behalf of my colleague’s important bill. Any effort we can take to protect our children, our students, is something I can proudly stand in the House and support.

The member talked about Egerton Ryerson within the context of the piece of legislation, around the renaming and the importance of that. And he said that there was some resistance, I think, to contextualize Ryerson’s role in establishing the design and the implementation around residential schools. And so my question to the member is, how important is it to recognize the truth of our history, and in a moving-forward way, how important is it that that history be taught in a safe and accurate way?

Questions?

Further debate?

Questions and answers?

Further debate?

Thank you to the member opposite for your comments today on this bill. Sexual assault on campus is a huge issue that needs to be addressed, and a couple of the things that we in the opposition have asked the government to do—I’m wondering if your government is willing to incorporate these into this legislation.

One is that the government disbanded the Roundtable on Violence Against Women. We’re asking that this be re-established, and we’re also asking that a private member’s bill from a member on our side to create a consent awareness week also be established in this province. Would you be supportive of these two initiatives to help address sexual assault on campus in Ontario?

This government invests $6 million annually in the campus safety program. These funds assist and support publicly assisted colleges and universities with campus safety, and initiatives include safety training for staff, student leaders and volunteers; consent and healthy relationship workshops or programs; security cameras, lighting, safety apps and emergency notification systems; safe walk programs; sexual violence prevention websites and programs; safety and sexual violence prevention workshops, conferences and speaker series; assault prevention programs and bystander/upstander training.

Thank you to my colleague for his speech and remarks this morning. I’m just wondering if he can comment on how the government is helping to keep publicly assisted colleges and university campuses safer, including campus sexual violence prevention.

What does the member think about the idea that the bill mentions colleges that are publicly supported, rather than having public colleges who are supported by the government to teach our kids?

It’s just over a year ago that the sexual allegations came to light from Western University. I know that the minister has spoken out repeatedly about this and how there is no tolerance anywhere in Ontario for this. I know the member talked about it during his speech, I know that he has touched on it a little bit with some of the other questions, but could the member give us a little bit more about specifically what this bill does to help prevent some of those problems?

The normalization of the use of the “notwithstanding” clause should alarm all of us. Prior to this government, the “notwithstanding” clause had never been used in Ontario. At its inception, no one could predict a government that would override fundamental freedoms in such a cavalier manner. It was designed to be a nuclear option, not a convenient loophole when the work of governing is difficult.

In 2018, this government threatened to use the “notwithstanding” clause to reduce the size of Toronto’s municipal council. And it used it in 2021 to uphold a law that limited the ability of third parties to advertise during an election—an election that happened this summer and had the lowest voter turnout in Ontario’s history.

Bill 28 will fundamentally change labour rights in this province. Governments in Ontario throughout history survived strikes; this government has halted collective bargaining before that bargaining even reached an impasse. Today is a day in constitutional history, a day when this government threw us into a constitutional crisis simply because it was inconvenient for them to bargain in good faith.

What other matters will be too inconvenient for this government to respect charter rights? This government has put legislation before this House that sections 2 and 7 to 15 are notwithstanding. Section 2 is the freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression; section 7, life, liberty and security of the person; section 15, that every individual is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection without discrimination.

I urge every government member to sit down and think about what they will be voting on today. Party discipline is not a matter of law. The fundamental freedoms of the people of this province are. Do not support Bill 28.

And that is all the time we have now for debate.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Good morning. As Remembrance Day comes closer and we don our poppies proudly to remember and honour our brave Canadian men and women who fought for your freedom and ours and often paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve peace, democracy and the rule of law, Polish Canadians and Poles around the world celebrate November 11 as Polish Independence Day.

This year marks Poland’s 114th anniversary of national independence, also known as Narodowe Święto Niepodległości. We salute the brave men and women who fought and died courageously to preserve Poland’s sovereignty. We ponder the numerous struggles Poland has endured over the last century on the road to freedom and self-governance, including 123 years of partition, the devastation of two world wars, and the hardships endured at the hands of the communist regime.

Madam Speaker, throughout all the hardships and wars, the spirit of Poles and their yearning for freedom could not be crushed. It persevered. As Winston Churchill said, “The soul of Poland is indestructible, and that she will rise again like a rock, which may for a spell be submerged by a tidal wave, but which remains....”

Here in Canada, Polish Canadians make up an essential part of our national character, making up the second-largest Polish diaspora in the world, with over one million Polish individuals who contribute vitally to Ontario and Canada’s economic, social and cultural areas.

Sovereignty and independence are central values of both Canada and Poland. This is why Polish Independence Day signifies personal pride for me. As an immigrant, I am proud of my Polish heritage. I am proud of my homeland, its people, and the fight it had to stand for in order to fight for its freedom.

Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła.

Long live Poland. Long live Canada.

Next week, the Legislature will not be sitting while we observe Remembrance Day week. As we reflect on Remembrance Day, I’d like to speak about a group that has largely been forgotten.

Although First Nation individuals were exempt from conscription, between the First and Second World War, more than 7,000 First Nation individuals voluntarily joined the Canadian Forces to fight for our freedom. At the time, if someone lived off-reserve for more than four years, that person could lose their official Indian status. For many individuals, stationed overseas, fighting for Canada, Canada stripped them of their Indian status, yet many of those individuals continued to give back to their community when they returned to Canada.

Curve Lake First Nation in my riding demonstrated this. During the Second World War, every single eligible male over the age of 18 volunteered to fight for Canada. One of those volunteers was a gentleman named Murray Whetung. Mr. Whetung is someone that I’ve spoken about in this chamber a number of times. His role during the D-Day invasions was to keep the communication lines functioning.

When he returned to Curve Lake, he continued to give back to his community. He was known throughout Peterborough county and revered as an elder, a knowledge holder and a community volunteer. Later today, I will be reintroducing the Murray Whetung Community Service Award to ensure that the positive message he embodied about giving back to communities will be told to our youth.

Mr. Speaker, the Ottawa municipal election recently resulted in the election of three outstanding councillors in Ottawa–Vanier. To Rawlson King and Tim Tierney: I am excited to continue our record of friendship and collaboration. To Stéphanie Plante: I can’t wait to see the great things you will accomplish for our community during this term of council. Ça sera vraiment un plaisir de travailler avec toi.

Je voudrais rendre hommage aujourd’hui à notre étonnant conseiller municipal sortant, Mathieu Fleury. Mathieu et moi travaillons ensemble depuis le jour où j’ai été élue conseillère scolaire en 2010. Il a toujours fait preuve d’une énergie incomparable à défendre les intérêts du quartier Rideau-Vanier, à appuyer nos organismes communautaires et à ouvrir des opportunités pour les jeunes dans les sports. Grâce à sa détermination et à son ardeur, nous avons des parcs et des infrastructures renouvelées, et il a joué un rôle clé dans la création de logements plus abordables.

Mathieu a également joué un rôle important en assurant une présence francophone au conseil, ce qui est absolument vital à Ottawa. Sa participation aux innombrables événements et réunions est légendaire, au point que j’en suis venue à croire qu’il avait sans doute découvert une façon de se cloner.

En 12 ans, il a laissé une marque indélébile avec son éthique de travail, son efficacité, sans oublier son charme.

Mathieu, you will be profoundly missed by so many people, but I am comforted by the fact that this means you will be spending more time with your young family. Thank you for your service, Mathieu Fleury. Merci.

This week, the NDP tried to convince this PC government to increase the rates for ODSP and OW. People are hurting. Doubling the rates would make a real difference to real people who:

—cannot find safe places to live that they can afford;

—are in debt to the utility company because they will never have enough to pay rent, buy food and pay the bills with such a small cheque;

—are celiac but can’t afford gluten-free food to keep from getting sick;

—during COVID, could never afford to bulk-buy food to stay home more often and had to pay to take transit and take more risks than others;

—could never stock up to save money or shop when things are on sale because they are forced to buy what they need when they have the money;

—need to clothe themselves and their growing kids—kids who more often get bullied;

—deserve to feed their family nutritious and real food;

—don’t want to be forced to live beholden to skeezy landlords who take advantage of their desperation;

—need a phone but have no access to credit and must pay the highest rates, usually without data;

—don’t get extra money to replace their bed or belongings when they get bedbugs from substandard housing;

—can’t afford a ticket to a hockey game;

—would love to see a movie or have dinner out with friends, but can’t budget for it;

—want to live with a spouse or companion without losing their independence or money;

—want to work without having that money clawed back; and

—want to live but are choosing to die because the torment of poverty is inescapable.

Who can survive in today’s world on $1,200? No one. Who deserves to suffer in legislated poverty day in and day out with no compassion from this government or end in sight? No one.

This government has chirpy and flippant slogans like, “The best social program is a job.” Well, Premier, those who can’t work can’t, and for the record, the best social program would be compassionate and fair. Raise the rates.

My statement today celebrates the most renewable and sustainable industry in the world: agriculture and food. Throughout the last number of weeks, I have enjoyed listening to my colleagues’ statements in this House recognizing the many summer and fall fairs that have taken place throughout our province. I am excited to announce the culmination of Ontario’s fair season begins this Friday night, here in Toronto at Exhibition Place, where the country truly does come to the city.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Since 1922, the Royal has crowned a century of champions in livestock, poultry, equine and food. Today, the Royal has grown to be the largest indoor agricultural and equestrian event in the world. A win at the Royal is special, whether you are pickling, making butter tarts, raising beef cattle, marketing dairy genetics internationally, or showing a six-horse hitch, you will experience the strength and vibrancy of rural Ontario.

Every year, over 300,000 people come to the fair to celebrate the very best food, livestock and horsemanship Canada has to offer. The Royal is happy to welcome you and your families back in person for the 2022 fair starting this weekend. Come to Exhibition Place and discover the sights, the sounds and the smells of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. If you want to better understand how your food comes to your plate every day, please come to the Royal.

Finally, if you had a meal today, thank a farmer.

Now we know why Premier Ford didn’t have time to appear before the Emergencies Act inquiry: He was busy preparing his latest assault on the charter of rights. Bill 28, which prohibits education workers from striking, also prevents them from petitioning a court to restore the right that was just taken from them; that is, it invokes the Constitution’s “notwithstanding” clause, exempting it from the charter’s scrutiny for the next four years.

This move builds on a record of distrust by not releasing the mandate letters. The principle of transparency would demand that the Premier release these letters. He has chosen not to. He has gone to the Divisional Court, he has gone to the Court of Appeal, he has gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, and he’s even gone to the courts to prevent the people of Ontario from finding out how much all of these court visits are costing. We are learning that his choices against transparency go deeper. This Premier went back to the courts this week to keep the cost of all of these battles a secret.

I bring this up today because the Premier has been asked to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa. Appearing would be a simple act of transparency. Once again, he has gone to the courts to not testify. But as a basic act of responsible government, he should choose to release the mandate letters, reveal the cost of the court cases around them, and appear before the emergency commission in Ontario. If you want to restore trust and accountability, you actually have to show up and do the hard work.

I am happy to rise in the House today and speak about COPD Awareness Month in November. Early detection of COPD dramatically increases life expectancy and quality of life.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a slowly progressing lung disease that makes it harder to breathe. By 2030, COPD is expected to be the third leading cause of death in Canada and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke to many general practitioners, family doctors, respirologists, specialists in lung disease and organizations such as COPD Awareness Canada and the lung association of Ontario. After my research, I came to know that many times the patients are not aware that they are suffering from COPD.

COPD is characterized by a narrowing of the airways that makes breathing increasingly difficult as the disease worsens. Everyday, simple tasks that we take for granted—walking up the stairs, getting dressed in the morning, carrying groceries from the car to the front door, doing house chores—can feel debilitating for those with COPD.

In the majority of cases, COPD is diagnosed in people over 40 years old. The most common symptoms include a cough that lasts longer than three months, coughing up mucus, and feeling short of breath while doing routine activities.

Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of COPD and accounts for approximately 80% to 90% of all new cases of COPD, including others.

While COPD is incurable, it is possible to treat and manage. A diagnostic test called a spirometry test can detect the presence of COPD.

In Ontario, approximately 10% of adults—or 900,000 Ontarians, according to the Lung Association—are living with COPD.

Mr. Speaker, my private member’s Bill 157, COPD Awareness Day Act, 2021, received royal assent on June 3, 2021. According to the bill, the third Wednesday in November of each year was proclaimed as COPD Awareness Day.

We are being joined today by a contingent from Renfrew county, including Warden Debbie Robinson, a number of municipal representatives, county staff and local entrepreneurs.

Renfrew county is the largest county in Ontario, incorporated in 1861. Speaker, many of my colleagues claim to come from the most beautiful part of Ontario, but I actually do. Today you will have the opportunity to hear first-hand just what a fantastic place Renfrew is. Without question, it is Canada’s white-water capital, as well as being home to some of the most picturesque vistas anywhere in the province.

Renfrew county is populated by people who work hard, play hard and pray hard. The county was built on and still relies heavily on our forestry industry. Agriculture is also a key industry back home. And as the world changes and continues to get smaller, tourism is becoming more and more important as an economic driver as well.

Today you will also have the opportunity to meet with some of the most creative and innovative people anywhere, particularly when it comes to the delivery of health care in rural communities. Renfrew county was the birthplace of community paramedicine, a service that has been adopted in many rural areas since. It also created the Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre during the pandemic. VTAC, as it is better known, provides an important medical service, particularly to those without a family doctor, and we are grateful that our government has continued to support it. It could be adapted for use anywhere in Ontario as a permanent component of our health care system.

I want to thank our good friends from the county for bringing their message here today. I encourage everyone to visit them in rooms 238 and 230 and get yourself a taste of good old Renfrew county hospitality.