I’d like to introduce Dan Arcari and Julie Sutton-Yardley from my constituency office in Burlington. Thank you for all of your hard work, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome my staff, wherever they may be in this great hall: Grace Camara, Melissa Young, Ana Maria Ruiz and Carol-Ann Breton. Thank you for coming today.

I have a large number of people to welcome here today into the Legislature. I have my entire campaign team here with me today. I want to introduce to the chamber Stephanie Nakitsas, Mosheh Herdsman, Hannia Cheng, Kowrika Suntharalingam, Shirven Rezvany, Amy Lester, Angela Bae, Laura Nguyen, Bruno Marchese, Lorei De Los Reyes, Ashley Da Silva, Lourdes David, Greg Denton, and my partner Jordan Berger. Thank you all so much for all you’ve done—oh, and one last person, my campaign director, who just became a new Canadian citizen this morning, Dave Clark.

It’s with great pleasure I announce the presence of the Honourable Orontes Castro, consul general for the Philippines in Toronto, who is just above me to the left, Eusebio Aquintey, Shirley Aquintey, Antonio Insigne, Erlinda Insigne, Lolita Oabel, and my very amazing legislative assistant Sheldon James, constituency assistant Delia Marquez and executive assistant Daniela Tabachnik.

I would like to welcome members from my constituency office: Anthony Goncalves, Punar Sidhu, Manpreet Kaler and Arsheen Parmar.

As well, I would like to introduce the family of our parliamentary page, Serena Joseph: Surean Joseph, Venetta Joseph, Tarnya Joseph, Travin Joseph, Tharsika Puvenendran, Thalika Camilus and Premila Anjalin Pilavendan. Thank you for being with us today.

If there are no objections, I’d like to continue the introduction of visitors.

And I understand she has a second point of order as well.

I understand the member for Toronto–St. Paul’s has a point of order as well.

I’d like to welcome my staff at the constit office: Amanda McFarlane, Jason Leung as well as Nicole Wang. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, as you’ve probably noticed by now, there are over 100 members of the PC caucus staff present today. On behalf of the entire PC caucus, welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Good morning. It’s good to see everyone here. I’d just like to welcome everyone. As a First Nations person, as the First Peoples of this country, I’d like to welcome you to our traditional territories. Meegwetch.

To my wonderful and hard-working constituency staff, Michael Zwiep and Marietta Linde, who are joining us today: Thank you for being here.

I’d like to welcome the students and teaching staff of Sprucecourt Public School, located in historic Cabbagetown in Toronto Centre. It also happens to be my very first public school when I arrived in Canada and the place where I learned to speak English.

I’d like to introduce members of my constituency office that are here today: Elizabeth Pike, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Harjit Sandila, Sukhjot Pannu and Tanjot Gill.

I’d like to welcome members of Brampton Centre, my constit staff: Amani Malik and Kadiah Dabreo. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome to the Legislature my excellent staff: Thomas DeGroot and Chad Crew. Welcome, and enjoy the day.

I’m very pleased to welcome today Food and Beverage Ontario. They’re hosting a reception immediately following question period in rooms 228 and 230.

I’d also like to recognize and welcome the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association. The chair, Charles Stevens, is here from Newcastle. He’s a proud graduate of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program. He’s joined by his board members Jan VanderHout and his son, Daniel; Shawn Brenn from Waterdown; Mike Chromczak from Tillsonburg—Jan is from Waterdown as well; as well as their executive director, Alison Robertson, and Gordon Stock.

I would like to welcome Colin D’Mello to the media gallery this morning.

I do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am seeking unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statement by the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services regarding the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, 2022; and that five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statement by the Minister of Francophone Affairs regarding the modernization of the French Language Services Act.

Thank you, Speaker. If you seek it, you will find that there is unanimous consent for me to say a few words as we remember the victims of the Montreal massacre today.

Speaker, before I put my question, I want to welcome our next leader, Marit Stiles. Marit, we’re all confident that you’ll do great things as the next leader of the Ontario NDP. Congratulations.

Applause.