Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. But first, I’d like to congratulate you and all members in this Legislature for your election. I look forward to serving the people with each and every one of you.

Inflation is negatively impacting all Ontarians, especially the most vulnerable. It’s impossible for people with disabilities to live on $1,169 per month. An extra $58 will force them to continue to live in legislated poverty. It’s wrong. This is a moral issue. The people of Ontario want to care for the most vulnerable, and I would hope that the members opposite would as well.

Will the Premier do the decent thing and double ODSP rates so that people with disabilities can at least live at the low-income cut-off?

Poverty and rising food prices are driving food bank use to all-time highs. Geopolitics, excessive grocery profits and climate-fuelled droughts are disrupting local food supply chains and pushing food prices through the roof.

There are solutions—things like doubling ODSP rates, protecting local supply chains by permanently protecting prime farmland, legislation to stop price-gouging in concentrated grocery retail markets.

Will the minister commit to implementing any of these solutions to make groceries more affordable for people, especially people living with disabilities?

I just wanted to correct my record from this morning. In debate I suggested to the Minister of Health that it wasn’t her right to respond in one of Canada’s two official languages. That was incorrect and wrong and I apologize to the Minister of Health for making that remark this morning. I’ve got to be better than that.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive” a maximum of “$1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line,” respectively;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates” until recently “since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was 5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on” the Ontario Works program, “and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I’m happy to sign this petition and send it to the Clerks’ table with page Adam.