I would like to welcome, from my riding, Pete Dyson, Nathan Langille, Brad Whittle and Cory Devereaux, who are here today on behalf of the Oshawa Professional Firefighters Association Local 465. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome the members of the Thunder Bay firefighters’ association to Queen’s Park today. I look forward to meeting with you this afternoon, and thank you to all the firefighters for the tremendous work you do in our province.

I’d like to give a warm welcome to Wayne Currie and Kris Matton of the Windsor Professional Firefighters Association today.

I’d like give a warm welcome to Lauren Jervis, the VP external of the Postdoctoral Association of Western University, as well as Craig Thompson, the president and executive producer at Ballinran Entertainment and the founder of the Southwestern Ontario Film Alliance. He’s here with FilmOntario. I welcome all members to visit them at 5 p.m. today in the dining room.

I’d also like to welcome the London Professional Fire Fighters Association and thank them for their great work at LIFE*SPIN’s Lights and Sirens Toy Drive. I hope that all members can visit them at 5 p.m. in room 230.

Page Max Weatherhead is a page captain today and his parents, Sharon Navarro and Brian Weatherhead, are in the audience today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Also Mike Tucker, Bob Brandon and John Hanlan from the Whitby Professional Firefighters: Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I just wanted to say, to the Toronto Professional Firefighters, thank you very much for your work. You run in when most of us would run out. Thank you for your work.

I have a few people to welcome here today. I would like welcome the McLean family, obviously up in the Speaker’s gallery.

More importantly, though, my staff are here today from Queen’s Park and also from the riding. We have Michael Pew, Kasia Kaminska, Jesse Bowman, Emily Vanderkolff and Scott McNab. Thank you so much for all of that you do.

I’d like to welcome all of the members of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters representing 32,600 firms and 773,000 employees across Ontario.

I would also like to welcome Paul Auger from the North Bay Professional Firefighters.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for making sure I got my squats in today. I’ve been up and down quite a bit. You’re looking after my personal well-being. I love it.

Just want to say hello and welcome to some of my staff here today: John Mark Da Re, Melissa Candalaria and Nathan Cockram. I’d say welcome to Queen’s Park, but you’re here every day, so keep doing a great job at Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome a couple of people from the Peterborough firefighters’ association, Mikaela McGill and Captain Jim Woodley.

I too would like to welcome all the firefighters to Queen’s Park today, as well as a good friend, Jim Corcoran, who’s here from Northumberland–Peterborough South.

I would like to introduce the Barrie firefighters Eric Webster and Joey Baker. Welcome and thank you.

I just want to give a quick shout out to Waterloo firefighter Adam Overgaard for answering my many questions, and Cambridge firefighter John Holman for being one of the two-man team who built my Santa Claus parade float.

I want to take a moment to welcome Matthieu Quirion from the constit office in Timmins, Ontario. Welcome, Matthieu.

I would like to give a warm welcome to one of my amazing volunteers, Adam Rodreigo. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters, and in particular Tori Goulart, as well as vice-president John Maclachlan. I look forward to our discussion this afternoon.

My question is to the Premier. This government has refused to listen to people on Ontario Works and ODSP who are being legislated into deep poverty. The NDP invited social assistance recipients to a round table to share their experiences with the Premier and the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. We’ve brought their voices to the House in a report, which was delivered to the minister and to the Deputy Premier this morning.

The stories that people shared are profoundly heartbreaking and enraging. Like Trevor, who only gets to eat one meal a day. Or Declan, who wasn’t able to get a haircut before going to his mother’s memorial service. Will the Premier listen to Ontarians, double the rates and ensure that everyone in Ontario can live a healthy, dignified life?

I am also delighted to welcome the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association here, Local 3888, but more specifically Andrew Curtis and Bill Morris to the House here. I’m sure they’re somewhere around in one of the galleries.

I think it’s always important to hear from citizens, Ontarians, about their life experiences, and that’s why our government has made a decade’s—a historic investment in ODSP. It is historic, the largest increase in decades, and we’ve indexed that to inflation—never been done before in Ontario’s history. We’ve raised the threshold and created an earnings exemption that we quadrupled from—well, quintupled from $200 a month to $1,000 a month.

These are all measures that we’re taking to help people who can work, but we’re also helping people who can’t work and we’re continuing to use a multi-ministry, cross-government effort: the micro-credential programs, the mental health programs, the child care benefits, the LIFT and CARE tax credits, the minimum wage. These are all things that we have done to improve the lives of citizens across Ontario, particularly those who are vulnerable and dependent on support from government. But we’re enabling people, creating meaningful and purposeful employment and filling the jobs that exist today, putting them back into—

“We are pleased with the announcement. This means more money in the pockets of the people we support, as well as improving their quality of life. We thank the government of Ontario for their continued support.” That’s Valérie Picher, chair of the board, Community Living Toronto.

“This announcement is a signal from the government that they are listening. This is a definite step in the right direction. We look forward to continuing our work with the government,” says Chris Beesley, CEO of Community Living Ontario.

“A game-changer and change in a very, very significant way,” says Mark Wafer, interim CEO of the Abilities Centre.

We’re making positive change, Speaker—