Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to stand here today and address the assembly as I present my inaugural address to Parliament. I want to start out by congratulating the Speaker on his re-election as the presiding officer of the House. It is a job bearing great responsibility to oversee the work of all the members of this historic chamber.

I’d also like to take a moment to express my sincere condolences to the families of the two construction workers in Ajax who lost their lives on Monday in a tragic trench collapse, as well as the two workers who were injured. It is my understanding that the Ministry of Labour is investigating the cause of this incident. My prayers are with their families today, as well as the brave firefighters and first responders who attended the scene.

I look around today and I see the chamber full of elected members from parties of all stripes. Some of us come from rural communities, others from urban ridings. Some of us are sitting here for the first time; others have seen several Parliaments come and go. No matter the party, each member brings different skills, experiences, backgrounds and beliefs to bear.

However, despite any differences, every member of this House brings with them an earnest desire to seek a better future for their constituents and for Ontario. It is a privilege to be here in the company of such passionate, resilient and hard-working members. I look forward to working collaboratively with all of you in the months and years ahead.

Almost two months ago I walked up the main steps of the legislative building for the first time as MPP-elect for the great riding of Ajax. As I stepped through those doors as a Jamaican immigrant who came to Canada as a teenager in search of a better education and a better life, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was overwhelmed by the sense of gratitude for living in one of the greatest countries on earth and for being elected by the people of the province I choose to call home. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of support from the people of Ajax who chose me and chose a responsible Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Doug Ford to serve their interests and to be their voice at Queen’s Park.

Greatness is achieved only by standing on the shoulders of giants. In this House today, my giants are the hard-working men, women and children of Ajax. I’m humbled by the support from my constituents. No matter which way each resident voted, I look forward to earning their trust over the next four years.

I also stand astride the shoulders of the dozens of amazing, dedicated people who served in my election campaign. I would like to thank my two campaign managers, Aleem Sufi and Shawn Byron Beckett, who were with me since day one of my nomination. Given a short time frame, they put together an effective and winning campaign, guiding the team all the way through election night.

I want to thank former MPP Rod Phillips for his guidance as I continued on this journey.

I’d also like to thank my campaign CFO, Ms. Mitchel, who kept us on point, and her husband, Rory, who worked tirelessly in more ways than I can count during the campaign.

I was blessed to have a full team of hard-working, upbeat and motivated volunteers throughout my election campaign. Some of these volunteers are the old guard—long-time riding association members and volunteers who have worked on campaigns for many years. My thanks go out to Irv, Lorie, Adrian, Ginny, Nik, Nancy, Kandy, Savona, Linda, Shaima, Dawn, Dameon, Dave, Sameer, Arshad, Marsha and others. Your guidance and wisdom were essential for this first-time candidate.

My thanks go to the president of my riding association, Gaganjot Singh, in addition to former MPP and provincial cabinet minister Janet Ecker and former MP René Soetens, for their leadership and work on my campaign.

Many members of caucus present here today lent their time, effort and volunteers to knock on doors in Ajax on my behalf. As a new member of the PC family, the support shown by my caucus colleagues cannot be overstated.

I was equally blessed to have a dedicated team of new volunteers, many of whom have never worked on a political campaign before. These volunteers were an incredibly diverse group of individuals—from siblings Sydney and Spencer, who rode their bikes to the campaign office every day after school, to 72-year-old Brent Downey, a long-time resident who never previously participated in politics until passing my campaign office during an evening stroll.

Some of our amazing volunteers include Lavan, Harneak, Hajeera, Nadia, Muna, Maria, Reman, Sabrine, Abisha, Sameer, Melissa, Gloria, Ashik, Dylan, Kyana, Caleb, Jared, Ramanjeet, Tarun and many others.

Most of all, I’d like to thank my family for their love, support and patience.

My mother, Valerie, is as strong a woman as God makes. Every day, during the campaign, she sat at the reception desk of the office, greeting visitors and phoning every household in Ajax to tell them how wonderful her daughter is and to vote for her. No matter the demeanour, no matter how harsh the person on the other line was, she always told them, “Have a blessed day.”

My father, Neville, became a Canadian citizen during the campaign. Since I was door-knocking, I was unable to attend the virtual ceremony. Nevertheless, my father was able to take his oath of citizenship in my campaign office over Zoom, which was an incredibly proud moment for our family. I am blessed to have both of my parents living with me, and I’m lucky that my dad got his citizenship just in time to vote for his little girl.

I remember my aunt Juliet, who passed suddenly on July 1. The pride she felt on my win will always be with me. Her words will be my guiding light as I continue to serve.

On the day that our caucus was sworn in, my parents were awestruck by the grandeur of this building, and they could hardly believe that I would be here every day.

Mom and Dad, this House belongs to you, as it does to all Ontarians. Those of us who work within its walls serve the people of this province, whether they’ve lived here for 50 years or two days.

Public service is the best way of giving back to one’s community, and it is a value that my parents instilled in me.

Finally, my husband and two children were the absolute heroes of my campaign. My family is a busy one. Homework, hockey practice and busy careers don’t leave room for a mom who runs for office. Putting my name forward as a candidate was not an easy decision, but it was a decision that we made as a family. Once the decision was made, my family threw themselves 100% into the campaign, knocking on doors and installing lawn signs from morning until night.

I would not be standing here were it not for the love and support of my wonderful family, and I will forever be grateful to them.

Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to represent the riding of Ajax. It is located on the lands that are traditional and treaty territories of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, which is covered under the Williams treaty. Together with my fellow Durham members and our federal and municipal counterparts, I look forward to developing better relationships with and being more aware of the responsibilities owed to people who first lived on this land.

The town of Ajax sits on Lake Ontario, just east of Toronto. The town was officially incorporated in 1955, but its true birth year is 1941, when Defence Industries Ltd. set up its shell-filling plant to produce munitions for the Second World War. Over time, housing, a post office and other services were established to serve plant workers and their families. This community of plant employees became the town of Ajax. One particular group of munitions plant workers who bear mention are the so-called Bomb Girls, young women who moved to Ajax from across Canada to work at the plant in aid of the war effort. Last June, Ajax was proud to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of the original Bomb Girls, Louise Johnson, to whom the town dedicated a parkette in her honour. Louise is proud to still be living in her original wartime home in south Ajax and is as energetic and feisty as ever.

The town is named after the HMS Ajax, a Royal Navy cruiser that took part in the Battle of the River Plate in 1939, the first naval battle of World War II. Many streets in Ajax are named after crew members who served on the ship, including Harwood Avenue, named after Admiral Henry Harwood.

In June of this year, I was fortunate to attend a reunion of the HMS Ajax and River Plate Veterans Association, hosted by the town of Ajax. The association is made up of British naval veterans of the HMS Ajax, the Battle of the River Plate and their families, who flew in for this event. The veterans were honoured at the 2022 Ajax Mayor’s Gala and with new street dedications honouring sailors who fought at the Battle of the River Plate.

Ajax is built on recent but eventful history. It is now a part of the regional municipality of Durham, served by members on both sides of the aisle.

Today, Speaker, if you come to Ajax you won’t see a munitions plant, but you will see a mixture of new and old. You will see small businesses, such as Petrina’s Billiards, a favourite hangout spot. Businesses like Frank Kakouros are the backbone of Ajax’s economy. It is a riding with big-city conveniences mixed with small-town friendliness, a place where you might pick up something from Costco before heading to our local Sal’s Grocery Store for deli meat or the Bun King Bakery for fresh rolls.

You will see schools, such as Viola Desmond Public School, which I recently visited with the Minister of Education to announce the government’s Plan to Catch Up.

You will see diverse places of worship, led by leaders such as pastors Jason Sabourin, John Kurish, Marie Miller and William and Vanessa Dover; imams Waqqas Syed and Zaheed Rafeek; and, in our Hindu temple, Pandit Rudy Tiwari. These are only a few of the great faith leaders that serve our community. These houses of worship are pillars of the Ajax community and were places of refuge during the COVID-19 pandemic for our most vulnerable.

You will see a vibrant, diverse community of long-time residents living alongside new immigrants in the most diverse municipality in Canada. During the campaign we often provided lunch for our volunteers from one of our many local restaurants. As a testament to Ajax’s culinary diversity we rarely ate the same thing twice. We had sushi, Hakka Chinese, Thai, Jamaican—which is my favourite—Indian, Afghan, Sri Lankan, Filipino, Korean and, of course, pizza. There are very few cuisines you won’t be able to find in Ajax.

I have a standing order that any member of this House who visits me in Ajax will be treated to brunch at the legendary Angelique’s Family Restaurant, owned by Dino and Dimitra Papa. I promise you, you won’t leave hungry. The portion sizes are amazing.

Ajax boasts a beautiful waterfront with walking trails near Rotary Park, community gardens and many green spaces.

Horse racing has been a part of Ajax’s history for generations and it is proudly carried on by the Picov family.

We are home to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 322, where I’m a member. The PC government has always supported Legion halls, especially during the COVID pandemic when event restrictions limited their revenue streams.

Speaker, come to Ajax and you’ll also see the many ways that our government is building back our province by investing in our communities.

There are investments in jobs. Earlier this year I was thrilled to be joined by the Minister of Labour and the members for Whitby and Scarborough–Rouge Park to announce a $1.84-million investment in Computek College to help train, license and hire personal support workers free of charge. This investment will help to fill labour gaps in the health care and long-term-care sectors while supporting our most vulnerable populations.

There are investments in seniors. Earlier this year the state-of-the-art Lakeridge Gardens long-term-care home opened its doors. The facility has a 320-bed capacity and was the first in our government’s accelerated build pilot program, being completed in only 13 months using modular construction methods. This home represents just one of the several projects under way in Ajax which will add more than 600 new long-term-care beds to the community.

There are investments in recreation facilities. Ajax is an active and diverse town with a variety of recreational interests. The government has invested in renovations for ice pads, basketball courts and cricket fields, so residents can be proud of their recreational facilities no matter what sport they play.

Broader investments in Durham region and surrounding areas will also benefit Ajax residents. Improvements to the Ajax GO will expand transit availability for residents and commuters living in Durham. Our government’s recent removal of the tolls on Highways 412 and 418 make it easier and more affordable for drivers and families to get around the Durham region.

Massive investments in the upcoming Tamil Community Centre project in Scarborough, located just minutes away from Ajax, will also serve the very large Tamil community that calls Ajax home.

I would also like to express my thanks to Premier Doug Ford for his guidance and leadership during the pandemic and throughout the campaign. In addition to having the honour of serving as Ajax’s MPP, I was appointed by the Premier as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education, along with the member from Perth–Wellington. I cannot begin to express my thanks to the minister for his mentorship during these past few weeks in this role. My thanks also to his team. Those briefing and transition binders have definitely built up my arm muscles.

Students in this province have had a tough couple of years, demonstrating incredible resilience amid disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic. Over the campaign, I met with staff, students and parents and heard their concerns about education and the path forward.

Recently, I spoke to a young man named Mughis, a student in Ajax whose entire high school experience has been marked by disruption. He wanted to know when things will go back to normal, and what things will look like after he graduates.

What is needed now is more than a return to normal. What is needed is an expanded approach to education that helps students catch up and that prepares them for the challenges of tomorrow.

That is why I was proud to join the Minister of Education and my fellow parliamentary assistant to announce Ontario’s Plan to Catch Up. The plan will see students back in the classrooms in the fall with the supports they need to succeed.

It begins with keeping students safe. Since August 2020, we have invested over $665 million on ventilation systems in schools, including 100,000 stand-alone HEPA filters and major upgrades to HVAC infrastructure. The government has also deployed over 293 million masks and millions of antigen tests to staff and students across the province.

Under this minister, we have seen the destreaming of grade 9 courses and steps to address systemic barriers for students. Ontario students will learn the skills they will need for the jobs of the future.

In keeping with our government’s focus on building job-ready skills across sectors, students will have access to an expanded curriculum with increased offerings in the skilled trades. They will be able to learn and apply coding skills in their science and math curriculums. They’ll see an increase in focus on science, technology, engineering and math. They’ll also learn about personal finance and budgeting in the revised career studies course.

The pandemic also highlighted the need for increased supports for students. Expanding mental health care is one of the government’s major priorities, which is why it has increased mental health funding by 420% since 2017-18, providing $80 million for mental health initiatives for students and an additional $10 million for mental health supports to respond to pandemic disruptions.

We look forward to consulting with parents, students and other stakeholders this fall to better understand how we can continue to support the mental well-being of our students.

Furthermore, I’m particularly pleased by the expansion of literacy and math tutoring made possible by the government’s $175-million landmark investment in tutoring, bolstered by $25 million in funding for evidence-based programs to promote achievements in reading and an increase of $93 million to special education for our most vulnerable.

I’ve spent my time as a school board trustee advocating for better outcomes for students, particularly for those who are vulnerable and racialized. Our government’s Plan to Catch Up will ensure that students like Mughis are able to learn in a safe environment, developing skills for the high-wage jobs of the future and are able to access supports needed for their mental well-being and academic success.

Speaker, our Parliament functions well because of the broad spectrum of backgrounds, experiences and passions that members bring. I would like to share a little bit about my own journey to Queen’s Park.

I was born in Jamaica and immigrated to Canada when I was 18 years old. While I love my mother country, as any Jamaican will tell you in Patois, “Nuh wey nuh sweet tah dan yawd,” but I did not have access to the wide range of the most secondary educational opportunities that were present in Canada.

I got my feet wet in elected politics eight years ago when I decided to run for school board trustee to represent Ajax at the Durham District School Board. I did not run for office because I was a polished politician or had dreamt of being a public figure, but because I was a frustrated mother who wanted a better education for my children and others like them.

As an immigrant and a Black woman in Ontario, my belief in our education system remains unwavering. I believe that we have some of the best schools, teachers and students in the entire world.

I also believe that we can make our education system even better. Many newcomers who land in Ontario come here because of our education system. Education is truly a great equalizer, especially for immigrants and racialized communities.

During my time as school board trustee, I’ve also had the opportunity to serve on the Durham Regional Police Services Board, on its civilian oversight committee. Vulnerable and racialized people, particularly those belonging to Indigenous and Black communities, have often had strained relationships with police. At the same time, Ajax has been affected heavily in recent years by rising gun and gang violence, necessitating more police resources. I’m proud of our government’s recent commitment in April 2022 of over $10 million to the Durham regional police, which will help combat guns and gang violence, especially human trafficking and other crimes. I’m also pleased with the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives taking place in Durham and elsewhere to break down barriers between police and racialized individuals.

It’s very important for me to rise in this House and to speak to its members as a member of the racialized community for several reasons. Firstly, my riding of Ajax has the highest per capita Black population of any municipality in Ontario at 16%. As the first-ever Black MPP for Ajax, I feel proud knowing that I represent a community that has often felt underserved by the political process.

My campaign office was located close to two of our largest high schools in Ajax, J. Clarke Richardson and Notre Dame secondary, both of which boast a significant Black student body. I lost count of the number of times that students on their lunch breaks would pass my campaign office or wave to me from the sidewalk, telling me how great it was that they had a candidate that looked like them. Several of those curious students ended up volunteering on my campaign, having never been involved in politics before.

Secondly, it is important that I’m standing here as a Black Progressive Conservative member of this House. It is an honour that I share with the member from Brampton Centre and the member from Scarborough Centre to be among the first Black members of the PC caucus of this 43rd Parliament of Ontario. It’s not a question of tokenism, but of representation on both sides of the aisle. I want young Black people and anyone who has felt underrepresented in the public arena that they deserve to be at the centre of decision-making. This is a Parliament that truly represents the people of Ontario, and the PC caucus demonstrates the incredible diversity of members who embrace Conservative principles.

Racialized Ontarians may feel as though they must speak, act or vote in a particular way, or risk jeopardizing their own best interests. We are sometimes told that the interests of racialized communities do not intersect with the principles of Conservative politics. I would like to dismiss that paternalistic attitude right here. Like my colleagues on both sides, I value a strong public education system, where kids are in class and learning the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. I value a strong workforce in the skilled trades and manufacturing, building critical infrastructure and housing needed to support our growing population. I value our province being at the forefront of economic prosperity in Canada, unlocking the value of our resources and building technologies needed for the future of electric vehicles. I value a Premier who gets things done and a government that respects taxpayers. I am a Black woman and I am proud to be a Progressive Conservative member of this House.

This being said, the time for campaigning is over; now is the time to govern. Now is the time for us all to work together on both sides of the aisle to deliver for the people of Ontario. It is my sincere desire that this 43rd Parliament of Ontario is not just a party of rhetoric but a party of decision. There are too many things that we need to do. We’re emerging from a pandemic that exposed long-standing vulnerabilities in critical areas of health care, schools, long-term care and the labour market, caused by decades of inaction by successive governments. This is our time to work collaboratively on both sides of this House to build Ontario back up and carry our province forward.

In these unprecedented times, may we be an unprecedented Parliament that inspires unity and confidence in the people we serve.

And the member opposite, the honourable member for Oshawa, supports me in that salute.

Speaker, I also want to talk and focus on our recovery plan for the future. This was outlined in the speech from the throne yesterday. I am so proud to have campaigned on the plan of Premier Ford and the Ontario PC Party to get it done and to build our province. Far too often, politicians have had the tendency to say no. But, Speaker, I am proud that our government, through the speech from the throne yesterday, is saying yes:

—yes to rebuilding Ontario’s economy by creating new jobs with bigger paycheques;

—yes to Working for Workers by raising the minimum wage and investing in skills training and skilled workers;

—yes to building highways and key infrastructure, including public transit, hospitals and schools;

—yes to keeping costs down and lowering the cost of living by reducing the price of gas, eliminating tolls on Highways 412/418 and eliminating licence plate sticker fees;

—yes to staying open; and

—yes to increasing our hospital capacities and investing in hiring more doctors, nurses and PSWs.

Durham residents have witnessed and congratulated our government for policies and plans that are already being implemented. During the campaign this year, individuals and families warmly welcomed us to their doors and greeted us in parks and on main streets, overjoyed with the reality of Ontario being open again, while congratulating Premier Ford and our government for successfully leading us through the many challenges of the pandemic.

Families and individuals welcomed measures to keep costs down with the measures already mentioned. These make a difference to household budgets. They allow families and individuals to decide for themselves how to spend the extra money available as a result. And, as inflation is now on the rise, they are very confident that our government understands and is sensitive to the need to be vigilant to keep costs down.

Furthermore, Speaker, I am also proud that our government has invested, and is investing, in the expansion of Bowmanville Hospital. This is a much-needed expansion as our community grows and the need for quality public health care increases. We said yes to improving our public health care system and we will continue to say yes to hiring more nurses, more PSWs and more doctors.

And, Speaker, the GO train is finally coming to Bowmanville. This project will give families the opportunity to hop on the GO train, for individuals to get to and from work faster, for families to attend a concert or sporting event in downtown Toronto without having to do an additional commute to and from Oshawa. This investment in the expansion of public transit within Durham is just one example in my riding of a province-wide expansion and investment in public transit. It was announced locally by Premier Ford, with me, on May 6 in my riding. As a result, we can now get shovels in the ground and move past the endless delays associated with just talking about it. We are saying yes to getting it done in Durham in every possible way.

These are the pledges, Speaker, that our government is committed to. Building Ontario is essential because Ontario must be the engine of Canada’s economy. When Ontario succeeds, all of Canada can succeed for, as former Premier William Davis once remarked, “I am a Canadian first,” even though in that context he recognized that he was representing Ontario on the national stage.

It was Premier Davis’s leadership that inspired me to become involved as a student volunteer in the 1981 campaign that saw the Ontario PC Party returned to majority status, and that was in large part because of the pledge, which I remember well, “Help Keep the Promise.”

So as we go forward together as equals in this House, let us listen respectfully to each other as democratically elected representatives of almost 15 million Ontarians, being ever mindful of the fragile and precious gift of parliamentary democracy that we have all been so fortunate to inherit. Now more than ever it is our solemn duty, collectively and individually, to uphold, protect and defend parliamentary democracy. Let us together live up to the high ideals of the late Honourable Lincoln Alexander, a federal parliamentarian, cabinet minister and the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. Lincoln Alexander stated, “Let us not just be average, as it is our duty to set a higher example for others to follow, and to do this job and ... do it well.”

There can be no doubt that there will be vigorous debate in this chamber in the context of this 43rd Ontario Parliament. As a trial lawyer for over 30 years, I am well familiar with the fact that in any court—and this House is styled like a court—emotions can get the better of participants, even when they have the best intentions associated with their cause. But let us remember that while fighting the good fight for our respective causes, and being passionate and dedicated as we must be, we must also remember to be wise, to listen to each other in our different points of view and, in doing so, we can set the higher example aspired to by Lincoln Alexander. We can be firm but fair, we can be strong advocates for our side of the debate, but we can and must be civil with each other, to demonstrate kindness and respect to one another. For as Thomas More, the patron saint of politicians, once prayed, please, may I not simply to win a point lose my soul. With that in mind, let us recognize that each one of us comes to this place with the common belief in the nobility of public service and public office.

Finally, to the residents of Durham, I once again wish to thank you for placing your trust in me. I am here to be a fierce advocate for you and I will do my very best to meet and exceed your expectations and to carry out the mandate that can and will be carried out on the basis of promises made, promises kept.

Premier Ford and our PC team, and I as a member of that team, made solemn pledges during the spring 2022 campaign. Those pledges are now contained within the throne speech read yesterday. It is with great pride that I can state unequivocally that this government and its members, having listened to the citizenry and made pledges to the citizenry, and having received a strong, stable majority mandate from the citizenry, this government will now act based on what has been pledged, and the evidence of that commitment is in this speech from the throne.

Further debate?

It’s a pleasure to join the debate today on the throne speech. I have limited time because we’ll go to question period, but for the time being I want to start off, of course, by thanking the very good people of Waterloo for returning me to Queen’s Park for the fourth election. It was a very interesting election, I must tell you, and I’m sure we will be debriefing on that.

I also want to thank the members for Durham and Ajax for your inaugural speeches and for getting the chance to learn more about you. I also share the sentiment from the member for Ajax around collaboration. That said, this morning I just found out that the government House leader shuffled us around at our committees, so I’m hoping that maybe she could speak to the government House leader around collaboration and around respecting the opposition, because I was really looking forward to serving on public accounts.

I also want to say thank you to my family and my friends and my campaign team. I’m supported—unbelievably, actually—in Waterloo by the community and by the election team that has brought me back to Queen’s Park. I hold that trust very closely in my heart. It is a huge responsibility. Actually, it is in the prayer that we start with every day here, where we are called upon to put the people who we serve first in this place. I hope that this is a very different Legislature session than it was last time. One can be optimistic at this stage; it is day 1, and we haven’t had question period yet.

With that, I also want to pass on my congratulations to the Speaker. I must tell you, that was a good day for us on this side of the House, for the opposition and the independent members, and I truly enjoyed dragging you to that chair.

I am going to be sharing my time with the member from Toronto–Danforth, who will continue on with the throne speech comments a little bit later on today.

I want to start off by saying it was very noticeable: The tone of the speech from the throne was very sombre, and it was a sharp contrast, actually, to the first throne speech that was given in this place in 2018. There are two notable increases to the budget—the budget that has never been passed and/or debated, because prior to the election the government dropped the budget and then went to an election. That is not, I think and we think on this side of the House, the best way to provide financial oversight and accountability.

Honestly, that budget did not meet the needs of the people of this province. It did not. And it did not address the inflationary pressures that we see in the province of Ontario: 8.1%. As the finance critic for the province of Ontario, I track the money very closely; there is a very disturbing pattern of the Ford government whereby you budget money for health care, for education, for some investments in infrastructure, but the money does not make it out the door, and that is why we actually have a $4.8-billion contingency fund that is unallocated.

We know that investing in the health and the well-being of Ontarians is good for the economy. We know that because this was a key lesson from the pandemic. When the health and well-being of Ontarians is compromised, we are in a position where the economy comes to a standstill. So I want to preface my comments by saying, Mr. Speaker, that there is a huge disconnect between what happens in this place and how that budget was designed, and the real lived experiences of Ontarians out there.

I’m going to start by saying that there are two additional expenditures that were not in the original budget, and one was around education. I also was a school board trustee for 10 years. I was the president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. Education brought me into politics because education is always worth fighting for, and if you get it right, many other factors fall into place. But in the throne speech yesterday, there was a promise of $225 million to help kids catch up. Now, one thing that we can agree on is that there were serious learning disruptions in our school system because of the pandemic, and that mental health in our system right now, both from a staffing perspective and from a student perspective, has been challenged, and mental health was already a crisis prior to the pandemic, with one in five children suffering from mental health challenges.

This $225 million—no details were given about it, except that it is called a “tutorial program.” If you do the math, this is approximately $90 per student. Now, $90 per student is one tutorial session. That is not a catch-up policy; that is not an earnest policy. That is a gimmick, and it will not work. Not only that, we were very clear yesterday: Our interim leader, when we were asked about this money—that $225 million would go so much further if it was invested in the public education system. All of us hear the same calls for action: We need more educational assistants; we need more child and youth workers; we need more mental health resources in our system. Some $225 million is not a lot of money. So let’s be clear about the intentions of this. And drawing that money out of public education also does not strengthen those values that we have around public education.

The other issue was ODSP: $245 million, a 5% increase to those who live on ODSP, and I have to tell you the finance minister was challenged yesterday by several reporters on this. He was asked a simple question: Can you live on $1,169 a month? The raise will only go to $1,227, which is approximately $50.

I’m going to answer the question for the finance minister right here and right now: This is legislated poverty. That is what it is, and there is a cost to poverty. I always try to make the investment case. When people live in poverty, their health care suffers. There are issues with justice, with police involvement. There is housing instability. There are mental health issues. By not investing in the health and well-being of Ontarians, you are actually working against your goals, the goals that were stated in the throne speech so beautifully delivered by the LG yesterday. The 5% is tied to inflation. So not only are you legislating poverty, knowing—because the poverty rate is $14,724. That’s what people on ODSP live on. That’s impossible. It is not doable, and we all know it.

When you talk about faith and hope and charity, let’s think about this from a moral perspective, because that’s what budgets are supposed to be. They are supposed to be moral documents that tell the people of the province who we are as a population. It should explain what our priorities are because everything else is just words on paper.

The other final issue that really was a missed opportunity—I mean, the government had an opportunity to course-correct with this budget, because the inflationary rate was not 8.1% back in May. The health care crisis: We’ve lost 5,400 health care workers in one year. Wage suppression is undermining our health care system. I cannot say this any more clearly. You have the numbers right before you.

Bill 124 is an insult to health care workers, education workers and the public service as a whole. In our health care system, you can plan all the beds you want, you can cut all the ribbons you want, but if you don’t have a nurse, that bed will not be opened. Bill 124 would have been one hopeful step for the people of this province. If the Premier went to the emergency room, as he’s been invited to go, as has the health minister, and said, “Listen, I see you, and I recognize that a 1% cap on your wages for three years is a cut”—it is a 7% cut when you have an inflationary rate of 8.1%.

At the end of the day, if you truly value health care and if you truly value education, then the return on that investment is worth it, and it certainly is worth fighting for. And I’ll return to that next time.

Debate deemed adjourned.

Being 10:15, I have to interrupt the proceedings and move forward.

Before we begin members’ statements, I need to address the House regarding the participation of independent members in this new Parliament. As members are certainly aware, at the time of the opening of the 43rd Parliament, there are 10 independent members of the Legislature. Eight were elected as candidates for the Liberal Party, one is a candidate for the Green Party, and one is without a party affiliation. For the purposes of the standing orders, none of these members belong to recognized parties, since a recognized party is defined by standing order 3 as a party with at least 10% of the total seats in the House, which is currently 12 seats. Accordingly, and pursuant to the standing orders, it falls to the Speaker to determine the appropriate parameters for participation by the independent members in a number of proceedings, including various debates, question period and members’ statements.

In exercising my discretion on these matters, I must ensure that each individual independent member has the same opportunities for participation as any other individual member of the Legislature if party status were not a factor. Fortunately, I’m able to look to several precedents from the 42nd Parliament for guidance.

I will start with the independent members’ participation in the debate on the motion for an address in reply to the speech from the throne, as it is the first substantive business before the House in this new session of Parliament. Standing order 44(a) provides that there shall be 12 hours allotted to the throne speech debate. Following the mathematical approach that was taken in the 42nd Parliament, as described on July 19, 2018, at pages 26 to 28 of the Journals, in a 12-hour debate each of the 123 individual members of this Legislature could expect to be allotted approximately six minutes of debate time. Accordingly, both the member for Guelph, Mr. Schreiner, and the member for Haldimand–Norfolk, Ms. Brady, will each be granted one six-minute allotment of speaking time for this particular debate.

The affiliated status of the eight Liberal independent members requires a slightly different approach for this and other debates. Consistent with my statement of July 19, 2018, and the subsequent conduct of debate for the duration of the 42nd Parliament, the Liberal independent members will be permitted to pool their speaking time into longer allotments. The eight members will be allotted a total of 48 minutes, which, for the purposes of the throne speech debate, will be broken down into four 12-minute segments.

Further, and pursuant to the precedent established by the statement I made on March 6, 2019, at pages 303 to 304 of the Journals, the Liberal independent members will be permitted to share these 12-minute allotments of debate time with one another if they so wish. This decision conforms to the language of standing order 26(d), which provides that speaking time may be shared among members of the same party during certain debates, including the throne speech debate.

A similar approach will be taken to debates on second and third reading of government bills and on substantive government motions. In calculating the allotment of speaking time for individual members in the 42nd Parliament, I made the assumption that a typical debate is at least six and a half hours long, as that is the point at which the government can allocate time to the remaining stages of the debate, pursuant to standing order 50. Members can therefore reasonably expect that debates on second reading of government bills and on substantive motions will last for at least 6.5 hours, which breaks down to about three minutes of speaking time per individual member.

The member for Guelph and the member for Haldimand–Norfolk will thus be allotted three minutes for all debates on second and third reading of government bills and on substantive government motions. This time may be banked so that if the members do not wish to participate in a certain debate, their three-minute allotments will be recorded in a time bank which they may draw on in future debates in order to permit longer speeches. Over time, this will ensure that these members have approximately the same opportunities to participate in debates as any other individual member.

In keeping with the approach to the throne speech debate and the precedents of the 42nd parliament, the eight Liberal independents will be permitted to pool their speaking time into 24 minutes of total time, or two 12-minute allotments per debate. If the Liberal independent members do not use this time before speaking times are reduced to 10 minutes pursuant to standing order 26(c), then the speaking times will be 10 minutes, not 12. This time may be shared pursuant to standing order 26(d), but it may not be banked.

Moving on now to the conduct of question period: As I did on July 16, 2018, I must consider the opportunities to participate in this proceeding that are afforded to all individual members. In a typical 60-minute question period, following the daily leadoff questions and the supplementary questions that are granted to the official opposition, there will be approximately 12 questions asked per day, each followed by a supplementary question. Given this total, each individual member can reasonably expect to be recognized to ask a question once every 10 days.

In order for the House meeting schedule to accommodate this expectation, I am prepared to recognize one independent member to ask a question per day with a second question by an independent member every Tuesday. However, in keeping with the statements I made on March 6, 2019, the ability to pool question period allotments is afforded to recognized parties only. In order to ensure that the independent members are not granted a disproportionately high number of opportunities to ask questions, each of the 10 independent members will be recognized a maximum of once during every two-week period of House meetings.

Finally, we’ll turn our attention to members’ statements. Every day, nine members of recognized parties will make members’ statements and be recognized to do so. Each of the 82 members who are currently eligible to make statements can reasonably expect to make one statement every nine days. I will recognize one independent member to make a statement every day, again ensuring that no one member is recognized more than once in every 10-day period.

Before I conclude, I would like to advise the independent members that they will be required to inform the Chair in advance when they intend to participate in a debate, in question period or in members’ statements proceedings. I will also take this opportunity to remind members that while the standing orders give the Speaker discretion to arrange the participation of independent members in the way I’ve described, the House, of course, is master of its own proceedings, and I would welcome any recommendations that the House might have in this regard if it feels that a different arrangement to provide for participation by the independent members would suit it better.

Thank you, Speaker, and congratulations on your re-election.

On June 23, I was honoured to be sworn in as the member of provincial Parliament for Kitchener Centre, and on day one I got to work. You see, at the same time, CUPE Ontario was delivering a press conference on behalf of education workers across the province, and with them they brought over 30,000 letters to the Premier, each one calling for Bill 124 to be repealed.

Speaker, after a three-hour standoff in the mailroom, some very hard conversations and, perchance, a dance party, because that is how I roll, we secured those letters, which read in part:

“Even before the pandemic, understaffing among education workers was a problem in Ontario schools. Many school boards can’t recruit and retain qualified education workers, in large part because wages are so low and jobs so precarious.”

In a 2021 CUPE education worker survey, the union found the following: 51% worked at least one additional job to make ends meet, 64.5% of these were sole-income earners and roughly 75% of their members identified as women. This means the gender wage gap is widening with each year.

Speaker, this is why I stand with Ontario residents who are calling for the repeal of Bill 124 because “education workers are critical to providing the public services that must be part of an equitable pandemic recovery plan for children and families across Ontario.”

I rise today to say that it’s an honour to represent the people of Ajax, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing much together.

This past June, I had the privilege of announcing a $1.8-million investment in Computek College in my riding of Ajax. Computek College is a college that offers health care supports and PSW training. I joined my colleagues the Minister of Labour, the member from Whitby and the member from Scarborough–Rouge Park to announce tuition-free, accelerated digital skills-enabled training for aspiring personal support workers.

Under the Premier’s leadership, we are taking the right steps in investing in developing future resources, whether natural, technological or human capital. The pandemic may have highlighted some of our weaknesses, but these will soon be our strengths. In particular, investment in the skilled trades and jobs of the future will be important to my constituents in Ajax.

As part of the Ontario’s Skilled Trades Strategy, the PC government is investing $1.5 billion between 2020 and 2024. This investment builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support and protect workers. The residents of Ajax and all Ontarians deserve well-paying jobs that allow them to stay close to home. I’m confident that our government’s investment in jobs and skilled trades will make Ontario a global place to work.

It’s an absolute honour and a pleasure to rise in this esteemed assembly and kick off my second term as MPP for Kitchener–Conestoga. I want to extend my sincerest appreciation to my constituents for putting their faith in me and this government, so that we may continue to build on the great work that we have done over the last four years.

On a local level, our government has prioritized Waterloo region by focusing on housing, long-term care, health care and hospital expansion, and we have supported small businesses, local infrastructure and public transit. I could list a number of projects that we’ve seen throughout Waterloo region over the last four years, but I just want to touch on a few:

—a brand new Wellesley Arena and community centre;

—the New Hamburg arena rehabilitation project;

—long-term-care investments which brought 136 new and 312 upgraded beds to Kitchener and St. Jacobs just this past year;

—the new House of Friendship ShelterCare facility and oneROOF youth housing expansion; and

—just before we wrapped up the last session in May, I was honoured to announce nearly $85 million in hospital funding for Waterloo region’s three hospitals, including a new planning grant for a new hospital.

Speaker, I’m excited to hit the ground running. I look forward to a productive term alongside my colleagues here in the Legislature, both new and returning, in service of the people of Ontario.

Merci, monsieur le Président, et félicitations sur votre élection comme Président.

Je veux remercier les citoyens de Carleton de m’avoir renouvelé leur confiance. C’est un honneur et un privilège d’être capable de continuer mon service aux constituants de Carleton à la 43^e session législative de l’Ontario avec Premier Ford.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations on your election.

I’d like to thank the people of Carleton for placing their trust in me once again this past election. It’s an honour and privilege for me to continue serving my constituents in the 43rd legislative session.

I’d also like to thank Premier Ford for his unwavering support for the people of Carleton and across Ontario.

We were elected on the promise of getting it done for Ontario, and that includes the great people of Carleton—building more schools for a growing province, lowering the gas tax, solving the housing crisis, supporting local fairs like the Richmond Fair and local organizations like the Osgoode Youth Association and Rural Ottawa South Support Services through provincial grants and hiring more essential care workers.

I look forward to working with our government over the next four years, and Premier Ford, to continue getting it done.

I am honoured to return to Queen’s Park for a second term to represent my home community of Toronto–St. Paul’s. I thank my campaign team, hundreds of volunteers, our donors, my mom, my partner, my closest friends and chosen family, staff—both local and central—my colleagues and every single voter who put their faith in me again or for the first time.

St. Paul’s, I promise to continue fighting for a just Ontario for all of us whether you voted for me or not. I will continue to advocate for real affordable housing, rent control for all buildings and an end to renovictions—too many of our people are being displaced through demovictions as well and are experiencing homelessness or contemplating MAID due to unlivable ODSP/OW rates that must be at least doubled.

I’ll continue to fight for more mental health, addictions, rare disease and eating disorders resources, as I know this pandemic, coupled with insufficient government supports, has exacerbated many of our physical and mental health challenges.

I will also advocate against hate of all stripes and for equity.

We are officially celebrating Emancipation Month this August, for the first time in Ontario’s history.

In St. Paul’s, at Spadina Museum, reimagined as Mrs. Pipkin’s Manor, I invite you all to witness and experience Dis/Mantle, an arts exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists. I thank lead artists Gordon Shadrach, Umbereene, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism unit and Cheryl Blackman for their trailblazing work and relentless advocacy against anti-Black racism in the name of positive Black representation through arts, culture and economic development. Thank you for seeing us and for demanding others to see us too.

St. Paul’s, I promise to continue fighting for a just Ontario for all of us, whether you voted for me or not. I will continue to advocate for real affordable housing, rent control for all buildings and an end to renovictions. Too many of our people are being displaced through demovictions as well and are experiencing homelessness or contemplating MAID due to unlivable ODSP/OW rates that must be at least doubled.

I will continue to fight for more mental health, addictions, rare disease and eating disorders resources, as I know this pandemic, coupled with insufficient government supports, has exacerbated many of our physical and mental health challenges.

I will always advocate against hate of all stripes and for equity. We are officially celebrating Emancipation Month this August for the first time in Ontario’s history, courtesy of a bill we all put forward. In St. Paul’s at Spadina Museum, reimagined as Mrs. Pipkin’s Manor, I invite you all to witness and experience Dis/Mantle, an arts exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists. I thank lead artists Gordon Shadrach, Umbereene, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism unit and Cheryl Blackman for their trail-blazing work and relentless advocacy against anti-Black racism and in the name of positive representation through arts, culture and economic development. Thank you for seeing us and demanding that others see us too.

Bien sûr, je veux remercier les gens d’Ottawa–Vanier de m’avoir réélue une autre fois pour les représenter, mais aujourd’hui je veux saisir cette première opportunité qui m’est donnée de me lever devant l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario pour rendre hommage à quelqu’un qui nous a quittés récemment, une personne admirable, une personne que l’on qualifiait de grande dame, et cette dame, c’est Gisèle Lalonde.

M^me Lalonde était et sera toujours une icône et un fort symbole de la résilience des Franco-Ontariens. Elle était passionnée et a manifesté sa passion pour notre belle culture francophone de plusieurs façons.

Le départ de Gisèle Lalonde a généré un mouvement de solidarité qui s’est propagé partout à travers la province et surtout dans ma circonscription d’Ottawa–Vanier, car, en effet, M^me Lalonde a marqué l’histoire de la communauté de Vanier lorsqu’elle est devenue sa première mairesse, dans le temps où Vanier était encore une ville. Son leadership exceptionnel dans la lutte pour conserver l’Hôpital Montfort, qui est aujourd’hui une institution reconnue pour son offre de soins exemplaires dans les deux langues officielles, lui vaut une reconnaissance éternelle de la part de la communauté franco-ontarienne.

Gisèle Lalonde est un exemple de persévérance, de détermination et de courage, et son sens de l’humour était contagieux et rassembleur. Elle a su nous inspirer et continuera à le faire.

Grâce à l’héritage de valeurs qu’elle nous laisse, nous nous souviendrons qu’il vaut la peine de se battre pour les choses auxquelles on croit.

Merci, Gisèle. Repose en paix.

I thank the members for their patience. I want to thank our staff at broadcast and recording services for reinstating the microphone service for all of us.

I’m going to invite the member for Toronto–St. Paul’s, if she wishes to do so, to redo her statement now that the microphones are working.

I rise today to [inaudible]. I am proud that our government passed the Emancipation Month Act in December 2021 to ensure people of African descent receive the recognition, justice, and access to opportunities they deserve.

Our goal is to eliminate discrimination by use of educational support systems while continuing to advance the importance of racial equity. To this end, our government has implemented initiatives like the Black—

Failure of sound system.

The House recessed from 1028 to 1058.

Our goal is to eliminate discrimination by use of educational support systems while continuing to advance the importance of racial equity. To this end, our government has implemented initiatives like the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan and the Racialized and Indigenous Support for Entrepreneurs Grant program. These are tangible examples that work toward eliminating race-based disparities and help remove economic barriers by providing funding, training and culturally relevant services to our Black community members.

On August 1, I had the honour to participate at the Emancipation Day ceremony at the Aurora town hall, hosted by the Aurora Black Caucus. I listened to the Black leaders of Aurora as they addressed our town. I recall the words of the president of the Aurora Black Caucus. Milton Hart said, “Black issues are not just Black issues ... they are Canadian issues.”

As I commence my work in the 43rd Parliament of Ontario, I remember Milton’s words—a great community leader. Black history is Canadian history.

It’s my pleasure to introduce Corey Scott to the Legislature. Corey is a bright young man with a keen interest in politics, and I’m pleased that I’ve hired him as my legislative assistant. So welcome, Corey, to the Legislature.

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to give this assembly an update with regard to a key piece of infrastructure in the riding of Essex. I’m speaking of course of Highway 3, which stretches from the southeast corner of the riding, near Kingsville, to the northwest corner of the riding, arriving eventually at the international crossing between Ontario and Michigan. I’m pleased to state that the government’s commitment to widen this highway to four lanes is ongoing and in full progress.

The four-lane expansion will make travelling safer for thousands of commuters who rely on Highway 3 for safe transportation. In addition, approximately 1,500 trucks per week, from food producers to greenhouse growers in the Kingsville area, rely on this key piece of infrastructure to reach the international border and markets in the United States.

Essex county residents are very pleased with this four-lane expansion and are looking forward to the completion of this key piece of infrastructure.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

I recognize that everyone is enthusiastic about the visitors, just as I am. The prolonged standing ovation is eating into the time that we’re going to have. We only have a minute and forty-five seconds, and a number of members want to introduce guests. So if we could just keep the ovations to a minimum from now on, I think we’d all appreciate it.

Start the clock. Member from London North Centre.

I would like to thank some of my constituents here: Milton Hart and his son Matthew. Milton is the president of the Aurora Black Caucus, who I mentioned in my member’s statement today. Thank you for being here.

I’d like to introduce two members of my team, Jess Tan and Dianne Dance, who are both here at Queen’s Park in the members’ gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park and thanks for your good work.

Applause.

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your role as Speaker.

I would like to introduce Natalie, who is returning as a page from the great riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. Welcome, and I hope you have a great week here.