Merci, monsieur le Président. Je dois vous dire que je ne suis pas trop heureuse cet après-midi d’avoir à parler de cette motion qui parle de changer l’heure du début de la journée parlementaire demain, où l’on reviendrait à 13 h plutôt que de revenir à 15 h.

Pourquoi est-ce qu’on fait ça? On fait ça parce que le gouvernement a mis de l’avant un projet de loi qui empêche les travailleuses de l’éducation, qui font à peine quelques dollars de plus que le salaire minimum—on veut leur enlever le droit d’aller en grève, un droit pour lequel tous les travailleurs et travailleuses de l’Ontario ont travaillé très fort. Quand il y a un conflit, la travailleuse n’a pas beaucoup de choix. Le seul choix qu’elle a, c’est d’enlever ses efforts, d’enlever son travail. Ce droit-là, le gouvernement veut le leur enlever.

Plutôt que de demander aux gens de venir ici à 5 h demain matin, plutôt que de demander aux députés de revenir ici, pourquoi ne pas utiliser ce temps-là pour s’asseoir avec les représentants syndicaux de ces femmes-là pour voir comment on fait pour s’assurer que les emplois des travailleuses, qui font deux, trois, ou, si elles sont chanceuses, quatre dollars de l’heure de plus que le salaire minimum—pourquoi ne pas prendre le temps de leur demander comment on fait de ces jobs-là de bons emplois, de bons emplois où une éducatrice de la petite enfance, une adjointe à l’enseignement et celles qui font l’entretien ménager ont un emploi permanent qui leur permet de payer le loyer puis de nourrir leurs enfants? Elles ne demandent pas de faire des millions, ces femmes-là. Elles demandent d’avoir assez d’argent pour payer le loyer puis nourrir leurs enfants. C’est tout ce qu’elles demandent. Pourquoi est-ce que le gouvernement n’est pas capable de s’asseoir avec elles, de les écouter et de les respecter?

Ces femmes ont vécu deux ans et demi de pandémie. Ces femmes ont vécu le projet de loi 124, qui limitait—puis là, encore une fois, le gouvernement va passer une loi contre ces femmes-là, ces femmes qui font deux, trois, quatre dollars de l’heure de plus que le salaire minimum.

Mais ces femmes-là font toute la différence dans les vies de nos enfants : les enfants qui, pour une raison ou pour une autre, ont besoin d’un petit peu d’appui; les enfants qui vivent des moments difficiles, qui ont besoin d’être entourés; les enfants qui veulent apprendre et ont des besoins spéciaux. C’est ces travailleurs-là qui font que ces enfants ont l’opportunité d’avoir du succès dans la vie.

C’est ce qui fait de notre système d’éducation—pourquoi est-ce qu’on en est fier? Pourquoi est-ce que, en Ontario, on est connu pour notre éducation? C’est parce qu’on a des travailleurs comme ça dans nos écoles. C’est sûr que nos professeurs—

Interjections.

De nous forcer à revenir ici pour enlever des droits à ces femmes-là me brise le coeur, monsieur le Président. On ne devrait pas avoir à revenir ici à 13 h demain. On ne devrait pas avoir à revenir ici à 5 h demain matin. On devrait plutôt voir notre ministre de l’Éducation—et je vous dirais, le ministre du Labour également—aller rencontrer les représentants du syndicat et voir comment on fait pour s’assurer que nos écoles restent ouvertes.

À la fin de la journée, ces gens-là sont des êtres humains. Les êtres humains, quand tu ne les respectes pas, quand tu ne les traites pas de façon équitable—bien, on est tous des êtres humains, monsieur le Président—ça va paraître dans la façon qu’ils font leur travail. Ça va paraître dans la façon qu’ils vivent leurs vies. Puis ça, ça va avoir un impact direct sur chacun des enfants qui va à l’école en Ontario.

On n’a pas besoin de venir ici demain à 13 h. On n’a pas besoin de venir ici demain à 5 h du matin. On a besoin que le ministre aille à la table de négociations et négocie une convention collective qui respecte les travailleuses—point à la ligne.

It’s my honour to rise in opposition to this anti-democratic motion of fast-tracking this legislation through the House. I also am somebody, as a former educator, who supports education support workers—doesn’t just support them, but supports them in thought, word and deed, unlike this government. We hear words from this government, but we see actions like this fast-tracking motion, which is completely anti-democratic, anti-student and anti-education worker.

We’ve heard in this House that education workers, many of whom have to work a second job—that should give us pause. This government? They’re looking at their phones. We also heard in this House that one quarter of education support workers are using food banks, and, again, from this government crickets, because, quite frankly, Speaker, they do not care. They do not care about education support workers. They do not care about students, despite claims to the contrary.

This time allocation motion is a clear example of the government not being able to bargain. Conservatives cannot bargain, they cannot negotiate and they do not stand for students. Quite frankly, the fact that this government would stand up and applaud when they’re talking about trampling on democratic rights should give this entire province pause.

Right now, in classrooms across Ontario, education support workers are clearly reading the news and feeling demoralized. They’re feeling demeaned and they’re feeling disregarded by this government.

CUPE is waiting at the table, Minister. What’s the government afraid of? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of being fair? Are you afraid of doing what’s right? Are you afraid of doing what’s democratic? Instead, we see this hammer of a legislation coming down. This motion is completely ridiculous.

As a former educator myself, when children are losing, when they’re losing at a game, you know what they do? They try to change the rules, Speaker. They try to change the goalposts. Suddenly the rules that have been agreed upon are ones that are no longer in play, and they try that manipulative tactic. This is exactly what we are seeing from this government.

It’s a clear admission from the Conservatives that they’re incapable of bargaining. They’re incapable of negotiation. They’re incompetent. They’re ineffective and quite frankly, Speaker, they’re impotent when it comes to doing the right thing.

The NDP though, here on this side of the House, we stand for fairness. We stand for the rule of law. We stand for students, and we are the party of workers—end, stop.

Further debate on the motion with respect to the sitting times for tomorrow in this House? The member for Sudbury.

Thank you for the reminder, Speaker.

I’m going to try to be brief, because I know there are many of my colleagues who want to speak to this as well. We are talking about changing the schedule, but we’re talking about changing the schedule to 5 a.m. and sitting early—3 p.m. to 1 p.m.—so that the Conservative government can rush through legislation to attack the most vulnerable and lowest-paid workers in the education sector. This is cruel, and this is heartless.

Today during question period, I talked about Charity. I reminded this Premier that I spoke about Charity in August, and today again I spoke about Charity and the fact that she works full-time and goes to food banks to feed her kids. Essentially, the minister and the Premier are her employer, and they are comfortable—the Minister of Education, the Minister of Labour, the Premier of the Conservative Party are comfortable that their employees have to go to food banks to feed their kids. And, Speaker, they have the audacity to say this is about taking care of children. The Minister of Education said “equitable access to nutrition.”

I want to tell you, Speaker, I’ve talked about growing up below the poverty line, growing up poor. My back-to-school clothes for every year of my life until I was 16 were from the Salvation Army. You could collect clothing, and you paid 25 cents for a bag. They wouldn’t charge 25 cents to my mom, because we were that poor.

There are people in this province who are living in deep, deep poverty, and this Conservative government gave a standing ovation when they attacked these workers. It is disgraceful. And asking us to come back so you can attack them earlier, so you can hit them earlier, kick them while they’re down, is disgraceful.

I promised earlier I was going to be short, but I want to circle back to Charity, who messaged me after the question. She said, “I am terrified. I already have to go to food banks. What’s going to happen next when they do this? My kids tonight will be going trick-or-treating in the same Halloween costumes as last year because I can’t afford new ones.”

This is an embarrassment for the party, and I hope that all workers remember this.

I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words with respect to the motion that’s on the table, Speaker. As you know, the motion does set out that the House will—

Interjection.

The ayes are 71; the nays are 32.

The government House leader.

Interjection.

I’ll recognize the member for Oshawa.

The member for Oshawa has the floor.

Mr. Calandra has moved that the meeting schedule of the House for Tuesday, November 1, 2022, as set out in standing order 9(a), be revised by substituting 1 p.m. for 3 p.m.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be a 30-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1430 to 1500.

Mr. Calandra has moved that the meeting schedule of the House for Tuesday, November 1, 2022, as set out in standing order 9(a), be revised by substituting “1 p.m.” for “3 p.m.”

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time to be recognized by the Clerk.

Motion agreed to.

I recognize the government House leader.

The House adjourned at 1504.