Last week, the Art Battle Toronto All-Stars competition took place in The Great Hall in my beautiful riding of Spadina–Fort York. The New York Post describes Art Battle as Iron Chef, but with paint. The whole evening is a blast. Music is pumping everyone up. The bar is open. The host, Tanya, stokes the crowd. Meanwhile, six artists are arrayed on stage in the middle of the room with a canvas and acrylic paints. When the battle starts artists have 20 minutes to complete a canvas while the audience walks in a mass circle and watches the progress.

Meanwhile, the event is being live-streamed while colour-commentators Morgan and Tyson provide the play-by-play and people vote online and bid on the pieces as they are being created. Kudos to the artists who, in this incredible pressure cooker, created phenomenal canvases. Kudos to the winner of the evening, Julie Amlin, and even more kudos to Simon Plashkes and Chris Pemberton, who held the first Art Battle tournament in Toronto 14 years ago and are now exporting it to Reno, Minnesota, Pawtucket, Pocatello, Mexico City, London, New York, Chicago and 50 other cities.

We’re all looking forward to the next Art Battle, coming on March 30 to Ottawa and then returning to The Great Hall in Toronto on April 25. Support local artists and have a blast. Come out to the Art Battle.

Two weeks ago I tabled a motion aimed at improving the safety of our youngest citizens. The motion reads: That, in the opinion of this House, day cares and child care facilities should be required to report absent children to parents, guardians and caregivers, similar to the safe arrival program in our public schools.

The idea behind this motion came from a discussion with a person in my riding named Sandra Camara. Devastated by the death last summer of a young boy who died after he was forgotten in a family vehicle, Camara reached out to my office. Camara, a day care provider herself for more than 15 years, described being shaken to the core by the little boy’s death.

In a letter, she wrote, “It should be mandatory that a day care centre, licensed and unlicensed home day care providers be required to contact both parents if the child is more than 30 minutes late. If they are unable to reach the parents or have not heard back from them in five minutes, the parents’ place of employment should be contacted, followed by a listed emergency contact. This process would follow the regular school board processes where a parent is contacted if a child is absent or late and it has not been reported to school.”

Mr. Speaker, it is often these meaningful talks that we have with people in our riding that lead us to positive changes for Ontarians. I believe my conversation with Ms. Camara was one of these conversations.

It is an honour for me to rise today with my member’s statement on behalf of the people of Scarborough–Guildwood. For more than 30 years now, Not Your Average Daycare, NYAD, has been an integral part of the local community; in fact, it started in my riding of Scarborough–Guildwood. Over this time, the organization has expanded and evolved, offering a range of programs, and focusing on accessibility.

I recently met with the executive director, Danielle Wittick, and members of the NYAD team, and what I heard was deeply concerning. Their stories provided context to how licensed child care in Ontario is facing the worst workforce crisis in its history. They spoke about the $19 wage floor for RECEs, and they can neither recruit nor retain these workers as a result. The severity of this situation can be clearly seen at the YMCA, Toronto’s largest child care provider, which recently reported that having so few staff—16,000 children enrolled in a 35,000-licensed-space facility.

Across the province, child care programs need more support, and families are counting on the Ford government for help.

I want to thank Danielle and her team at NYAD for all the work that they do each and every day for our youngest learners.

And I urge this government to invest in the child care program—especially to those workers who need the help the most.

I too want to welcome our friends from labour, with a special shout-out to Janice Folk-Dawson from the great city of Guelph. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I know there are a lot of guests in the House today, but on my list I have a few. I have the MP for Hamilton Centre, Matthew Green; his wife, Jayde Jarvis; and their son, Langston Green.

And then from my constituency office, I have Heather Lambert-Hillen, who is with us; her daughter, Charlise Hillen; and former page Daunte Hillen. Welcome back to Queen’s Park.

I want to welcome to Queen’s Park the Ontario Road Builders’ Association, ORBA. Mr. Speaker, today we have Mario Villeneuve, Andrew Weltz, Malcolm Croskery, Kevin Machej, Kieran Hawe and Christian Dover, as well as Michael McSweeney.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce people from my riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas: the wonderful Daniela Giulietti—welcome to the House. Also I’d like to welcome the Hamilton school board trustee Sabreina Dahab and her sister, Batool. Welcome to your House.

I just want to welcome to the House Michau van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition. He celebrated his 28th birthday last week, so happy birthday, Michau.

I too would like to welcome our friends from labour. I’ll reiterate: Patty Coates; Andria Babbington, for the Toronto and York Region Labour Council; Yolanda McClean from CUPE; and also I can’t help but re-welcome Matthew Green, who is part of the federal Black caucus. It’s really wonderful to see you and your family here today.

I rise with great pleasure today to welcome the family of Ethan Blonski, who is part our page team this week: Stephanie Joyce, Ken Blonski, and brother Ryan Blonski. And, Speaker, Ryan is one of the people who signed up to be a page, but, because of the pandemic, couldn’t. So, Ryan, special props to you for signing up. Thank you so much to the family of Ethan for being here.

It’s a great day for Niagara Falls today. Our page captain today is Claire Fish, from my riding. Claire, welcome.

I’d also like to welcome her family who are also here today: Stephen Fish, Kathleen Taylor, Evelyn Fish. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Claire is doing an absolutely amazing job on behalf of all the pages, so thank you very much.

I do, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the attention. I am seeking unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 45(b)(iv), the time for debate on opposition day motion number 3 be allocated as follows: 54 minutes to each of the recognized parties and 12 minutes for the independent members as a group.

I’d like to welcome many people from labour to our House today: Patty Coates, Ahmed Gaied, Janice Folk-Dawson from the OFL, Yolanda McClean from CUPE. From OPSEU Local 428, we have Jody Pringle, the president; Lee MacLaren; Michelle Langlois; Tina Faibish; Melissa Coenraad; Chrisy Tremblay; Hilary Cook; and, of course, J.P. Mrochek—sorry; J.P. Mrochek is a friend of mine—JP Hornick from OPSEU/SEFPO, who is also a friend of mine. Welcome to your House.

I’ll continue with introduction of visitors unless there are any objections.

Good morning, Speaker. I’d like to welcome Lycée Français de Toronto school to Queen’s Park. Bienvenue au parc de la Reine.

I’d also like to welcome the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists’s Yolanda McClean, who is the CBTU president and international board member; Andria Babbington, the president of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council; Ahmad Gaied, the OFL secretary-treasurer; Patty Coates, OFL president; Janice Folk-Dawson, executive vice-president of OFL; also JP Hornick, sitting on the government side; as well as Michau van Speyk, an autism advocate who we all adore. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to wish a very warm welcome to a good friend of Windsor, a good friend of the province of Ontario, His Worship Mayor Drew Dilkens.

The certificate bears today’s date, is addressed to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and reads as follows:

“Dear Mr. Decker:

“A writ of election dated the 15th day of February, 2023, was issued by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of the province of Ontario and was addressed to Ryan Leverton, returning officer for the electoral district of Hamilton Centre, for the election of a member to represent the said electoral district of Hamilton Centre in the Legislative Assembly of this province in the room of Andrea Horwath who, since her election as representative of the said electoral district of Hamilton Centre, has resigned.

“This is to certify that, a poll having been granted and held in Hamilton Centre on the 16th day of March, 2023, Sarah Jama has been returned as duly elected as appears by the return of the said writ of election, dated the 24th day of March, 2023, which is now lodged of record in my officer.

“Yours sincerely,

“Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer.”

Ms. Jama was escorted into the House by Ms. Stiles and Mr. Vanthof.

Congratulations to the member from Hamilton Centre on your victory and coming here to join us in the House.

Absolutely, we as a government understand the valuable work that our immigrant workers play, which is why we continue to fund those services through OHIP-funded services. The member opposite has on the NDP website today, right now, false information, Speaker, and I don’t use that word lightly. They are suggesting to the general public that individuals who have come to Ontario are not going to get services in the province of Ontario. It is factually incorrect. And it continues to be on their website, even though multiple sources, including the Toronto Star, have told them that in fact that is not the case.

Would the member opposite respectfully remove that false information from their website?

I want to reinforce: We have 75 community health centres spread across Ontario that have funding models that ensure that they can provide necessary health services for individuals who, for any number of reasons, do not have an up-to-date OHIP card. We have temporary foreign workers who have programs provided by the federal government to ensure that they have health care funding in the province of Ontario.

Again, Speaker, I would urge the member opposite to take down the misinformation because it is seeding unnecessary fear in the people of Ontario, and it’s wrong.

Interjections.

The only change is how hospitals, community health and midwifery centres will be reimbursed for insuring and providing that care.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to you and to the House Sarah Jama, member-elect for the electoral district of Hamilton Centre, who has taken the oath and signed the roll and now claims the right to take her seat.

My question is to the Premier. Not every Ontarian has an OHIP card—migrant workers who help keep our agriculture sector going through back-breaking labour, out-of-status workers in the construction sector who face risks on the job, and refugees fleeing violence in conflicts around the world. Through you, Speaker: Does the Premier think the uninsured should be eligible for urgent medical care?

That this government is making these cuts while redirecting public money out of public care and into the private pockets of a few connected people makes this even more shocking.

Speaker, my question is to the Premier: Why did his government choose to eliminate this simple, yet compassionate, program?

I want to try this out on you: “Devastatingly cruel”; “A big mistake”; “A regressive decision”; “Harmful and cruel”; “Unconscionable”—not my words, Speaker, but those of physicians across this province who are talking about this government’s decision to eliminate this program.

Speaker, the Premier seems to have no problem finding ways to help out people that he knows, his friends, but when it comes to helping Ontarians who are in need, he’s willing to turn his back.

So my question to the Premier again is: Will he reverse his decision to end this program and finally put those in need ahead of his insider friends?

Interjections.

Interjections.

The NDP has proposed many ideas to achieve this, such as updating zoning rules to allow more affordable missing-middle housing and investing in hundreds of thousands of new affordable and non-market homes.

The government has said no to every single solution we present. Instead, they focus their attention on carving up the greenbelt, a decision that will only help a few insiders while everybody else is being left behind.

Speaker, the government’s own budget shows that new housing starts are going down in Ontario instead of up. Does the Premier really think that his plan is working?