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.

I just want to take a moment to welcome a couple of members of our team from the Milton office: We’ve got Kiren Dhah and Megan Saliba. 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 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.

I’m going to quote the chief nursing executive at CHEO, who said, “It has been all hands on deck at CHEO this viral season as we have responded to unprecedented volumes due to RSV, the flu and COVID.”

It is not lost on our government that, in the last month alone, CHEO has essentially doubled their pediatric ICU unit. It is an incredible amount of work that they’ve been able to do very quickly. We have now permanently made the investment to ensure that those pediatric beds will stay at CHEO, because we know that that hospital, in particular, because of its large catchment area, has many, many community hospitals that they are serving.

They are doing that with a minimum amount of help from the Red Cross. They are partnering with the Red Cross to return the staff who have been redeployed, and working in those pediatric ICU units to make sure that they can go back to doing their important work.

I’d like to welcome, from my constituency office, a proud member of Tuscarora Nation, Samuel Anderson, and also Julie Barnard, my constituency assistants.

I’d also like to introduce my staff. It’s their first time at Queen’s Park: Camila Budylowski and Nabeel Ranmall. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Enjoy your day.

I’d like to welcome my staff: Sam McDonell, Josee Seguin and John Cameron. Sam is the nephew of Jim McDonell. He’s working in my office. We’re lucky to have you here.