It’s important for me to be here to speak to, really, a pivotal piece of legislation. It’s not that long ago—certainly, I think it’s a bit of a shorter time period than some of my colleagues—that my class time was being disrupted.

When we think about the terrible two years that so many kids in our province have gone through with the COVID-19 pandemic, where one day they’d be learning online and the other day they might be in school and the other day they might not be learning at all—that uncertainty and that instability caused by the global pandemic—I think the idea that kids should enjoy a full, uninterrupted year at school is not such a crazy idea. I think that’s an idea that all members in this House should support. So I’ll be supporting this motion, and I hope the members do the same.

It’s a pleasure to rise today.

I want to start by talking to the education workers who are here today, and the teachers. I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for what you do every day. We showed today, when you were gathering here, trying to lobby this Conservative government to talk about the importance of education in the province of Ontario—and they refused to meet with them, all day. They didn’t come to the breakfast—“Hey, this is what’s going on”—to talk to educational workers, and that was wrong.

I want to welcome Patty Coates from the OFL, who represents 1.2 million workers in the province of Ontario.

Interjections.

That lawyer there—I apologize; the member who spoke earlier—said he has been to the bargaining table, so he should know that when you’re bargaining, everything comes together in the last few days. I’ve bargained 150 collective agreements. And do you know what? I had one three-day strike out of those—

The reality is, you know that when you go to the bargaining table, it’s all done in the last few days. You also know, or you should know and your members should know, because I’ve told you enough, that 98% of all labour disputes are resolved without a work stoppage—I don’t know if the Speaker knows that, but, Speaker, that’s the true story in the province of Ontario—and I believe that we’d have 100% if we didn’t have scabs in the province of Ontario, instead of legislating them. I really believe that, because people want to get a collective agreement.

What you’re doing here, rushing this bill through, having us meet at 5 in the morning—which, by the way, I don’t mind; I worked steady midnights for 20 years, so I can come at midnight or 1 in the morning or 5 in the morning. It doesn’t matter to me when you decide to attack workers. I’m going to stand up and I’m going to fight for workers till the day I die. What you’re doing here is disgusting—to some of the lowest-paid education workers in the province of Ontario, who have an average salary of $39,000. Do you know that some days they’re going to work—the kids just love to see their educational workers. They see them every day. And those kids and those parents do not want those education workers, when they get paid on Friday, to get their pay stub and then have to go to a food bank to provide for their family. That’s wrong, in the richest province in Canada. What are you guys doing over there? They defend this. I know my phone is ringing off the hook back in Niagara Falls, from my constituents from the Falls and Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake, from parents who are saying it’s wrong: “Tell this government not to do this.” I’m telling you, I’m standing up and I’ll stand up every day to tell you. A worker is a worker is a worker in the province of Ontario, and you should be treating them with respect and dignity. And how do you do that? You do it at the bargaining table.

I went to a rally last night. I don’t know how many people were there—maybe a couple of thousand. The leaders were there. Yesterday, what did you guys call them? You attacked the leadership of the union movement. The president was very clear, because what you guys probably don’t know—because I don’t know how many of you have ever been to a union—-is that that union leader was voted in by the membership. They were voted in to represent them and be their face. But the other 55,000 workers, the brothers and sisters that are there, they’re leaders. They’re leaders in their schools, they’re leaders in their community. They respect their union. You can’t tell me you respect unions. You can’t tell me you’re working for workers. You can’t do it, when you bring this stuff forward.

You had no intention, quite frankly, of getting a collective agreement. When the PCs said this morning there was no movement, that’s not accurate. There was movement all along. You just didn’t like what the movement was, so you decided, “Do you know what? We’re going to bring in legislation. We’re going to attack workers. We’re going to continue to attack workers.” Because these very teachers that are up here and over here and filling it are next. If we don’t stand up and take this government on today, the labour movement is going to be in trouble, and you’re waking up a giant.

I’ve never seen so many people at a labour rally on such short notice as I saw last night. Speaker after speaker, union leader after union leader was saying—Madam Speaker, I know you’re interested in this, and I’ll talk directly to you. They were saying very clearly—there were skilled-trades workers there, there were teachers there, there were auto workers there, SEIU was there and health care workers were there. The labour movement is coming together to say to you, “You are not going to attack us anymore. Enough is enough in the province of Ontario.” You guys can rush everything you want through, but you’re going to pay a price for this. Make no mistake about it.

I want to compliment the courage of CUPE members, who are being very clear: “Get back to the bargaining table. We want to negotiate a fair and just collective agreement, like every worker in the province does.” Like I said, I’ve bargained a lot of collective agreements. Not one of the members I represented ever said, “Gatesy, can you take us out on strike?” What they said to me was, “I expect you to bargain a fair and just collective agreement.” Whatever company it was, whether it was General Motors or was a little manufacturing place at Iafrate, it was, “Get in there and bargain us an agreement. I don’t want to go on strike.”

And today, nobody wants a strike. They want a fair, just collective agreement, when their food prices—we’re being gouged with our food prices. We’re being gouged with our gas prices. Did the government bring in a bill to stop the gouging of workers in the province of Ontario, union and non-union? You did nothing, nothing at all, to it, and you continue to make record profits, because all you care about is the corporations.

I am saying to these teachers who are here and I’m saying to health care workers: They attacked you under Bill 124. That was the start of it—Bill 115 actually was the start of it.

With Bill 124, you attacked workers, whether it was health care workers, education workers or corrections officers. You took their rights away from them—their collective agreement was negotiated—and said, “We’re not going to honour seniority. We’re not going to honour your vacation time. We’re not going to honour your schedule.” And you can do whatever you want to us under Bill 124—

Interjection.

Further debate?

Education workers make our public schools great. They clean our yards. They maintain our buildings. They supervise our kids at lunch time. They clean our classrooms. They help our youngest kids and our kids with disabilities. We know them by their first names. They are part of our school community.

Education workers earn an average of $39,000 a year. Many work two jobs to make ends meet. Some have to go to food banks because their pay doesn’t go far enough, especially in this inflationary crisis we have. Many are leaving the profession.

I want our kids in class. Everyone wants our kids in class. No one wants a strike. That is why our schools need to receive the funding that they need so our kids can get an excellent education. That is why this government needs to stop violating the charter-protected rights of all workers, stop this bullying behaviour and get back to the negotiating table. That’s why this government needs to use the surplus that they have in their budget to negotiate a fair contract with workers, because that is the right thing to do for our kids, it’s the right thing to do for workers, and it’s the right thing to do for the people of Ontario.

I’m going to recap the actions of this Conservative government in the last 48 hours in this Legislature:

On Monday, the government pre-emptively tabled back-to-work legislation for education workers, using the “notwithstanding” clause yet again to trample over the constitutional rights of workers.

Then the government announced, at the very last minute, that the debate on back-to-work legislation would begin the next day at 5 a.m.—just like that. The same afternoon, we were all scheduled to debate the new government bill on post-secondary institutions, but they simply decided, with no notice, to adjourn the House—just like that.

The following day a debate and vote on a motion to double social assistance rates that was scheduled for 3 p.m. had changed to 1 p.m., sending stakeholders who had planned to be in the House to participate scrambling and rescheduling their day on very short notice—just like that. Let people figure it out.

This government creates so much unnecessary chaos and disruption—the same disruptive pattern we see in our education system, in our health care system, in all public services, in everything that this government is meant to take care of.

Speaker, I am worried. I’m worried that this government is running unchecked, with no regard for the Constitution, no respect for rights, with no compassion and with no basic operational competency. They’re making decisions with no consideration that their decisions have repercussions on people’s lives. They act like they’re some billionaire who thinks they can do what they feel like.

I know, you want me to sit down.

I rise in the House today in recognition of Show Your 4-H Colours Day. I am proud to be sporting my 4-H green, and appreciate all of my colleagues who’ve joined me today to support an organization that has shaped numerous lives across Ontario.

Today we celebrate all the incredible things 4-H youth have done and are doing in their communities, and how the experience they gain through this program enables them to be responsible, caring and contributing young leaders.

For more than 100 years, 4-H programs across Ontario have shaped future leaders and great citizens, and this is why they have been one of the most well-respected youth-serving organizations in Canada.

I want to recognize and appreciate the tireless efforts of 4-H leaders, who work to provide valuable, learn-to-do-by-doing experience for members of all ages. 4-H Ontario plays such an important role in leadership development in our province. So, to 4-H organizers and volunteers, please keep up the fantastic work you do to enable young people to pledge their head, heart, hands and health to better living.

I wish everyone a very happy Show Your 4-H Colours Day. I’m a proud 4-H member too.

It’s my pleasure to rise in the House today to deliver my member’s statement.

Recently I visited Burlington’s Grow for Change Urban Farm. Launched in 2020 by Bunchberry Connections, along with combined contributions from the Molinaro Group, Nurture Growth, Garden NV, private donations and a dedicated team of volunteers, the urban farm grew and donated over a thousand pounds of food to the local Burlington Food Bank in 2022.

Located on a vacant lot in downtown Burlington, the urban farm started out as a two-year pilot project and has now been extended for a third year. The farm teaches the wider community about growing and harvesting food. It promotes relaxation, education and biodiversity in the centre of our community. Connecting people to nature, the farm intentionally promotes and provides evidence-based positive mental health programs, workshops and volunteer opportunities.

With access to the right resources, people become empowered by their own abilities and gain the confidence to fulfill their potential. The urban farm is a place in the city to escape, to promote food diversity and to tackle food insecurity.

I’m proud to rise to share my member’s statement today, especially as the MPP for Canada’s largest 2SLGBTQ community.

I want to acknowledge that, a week ago, Canada marked the 30th anniversary of a landmark LGBTQ human rights case, led by Michelle Douglas, a young military officer who took on the Department of National Defence and won.

In 1992, Michelle Douglas and NDP MP Svend Robinson worked together to put together an end to the LGBT Purge, a shameful, 40-year period in our nation’s history. That purge lasted till the 1990s. LGBT members of the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and federal public service were systematically discriminated against, harassed and oftentimes fired as a matter of sanctioned practice. The careers and self-esteem of a generation of young people were destroyed; an estimated 9,000 victims were denied benefits, severance, pensions and opportunities for promotion if they managed to keep their jobs.

This horrifying period in Canadian history also resulted in suicide, HIV, fear, depression, PTSD, addictions, disownment, criminalization, rejection, isolation, erasure and many other painful, enduring experiences.

It was an honour to be invited to sit at the head table with Michelle and her family at the 30th anniversary gala this weekend.

It is now my honour to invite all members of the Ontario Legislature to join me in publicly acknowledging and applauding Michelle Douglas for her herstory-making role in making Canada a more inclusive and just country.

I’m standing today to celebrate the rebranding of a wonderful organization from Cambridge. It used to have the very geographically long name of the Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North Dumfries, which didn’t exactly roll off the tongue. This is a group that started in 1940 in Cambridge, in response to the economic problems and grief that families were suffering as a result of World War II. It began with knitting socks and making meals, and then it expanded, becoming the geographically long name in the 1960s.

During my campaign, I had the pleasure of meeting their director, Cameron Dearlove. Our first meeting was supposed to be half an hour, and I was there for about two hours. He’s an absolutely wonderful man who does incredible work in the community.

One of the exciting things this group does is, they work with recovery supportive housing, which, as a crown, I really enjoyed, as their entire concept is that those struggling with addictions do not succeed unless they are in supportive housing. They have the honour of, in the past four years, having had 99 people go through their 30-bed program, with 70 of those remaining in stable housing today.

They’re rebranded now as Porchlight counselling services, with the idea being that when you come home from a long journey, seeing that someone has left the porch light on for you shows that you are home and that somebody cares.

I want to congratulate them for the work they do.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Given that it is Diabetes Awareness Month, it is important that we continue to raise awareness and continue to make life better for those impacted by diabetes.

Diabetes is a medical condition that affects 11.7 million Canadians across the country. Diabetes is a disease in which one’s body does not produce, provide or properly use the insulin which causes blood glucose levels to be too high.

Sir Frederick Banting, a Canadian who, alongside Charles Best, discovered insulin—which marked a crucial step towards improving the life for those impacted with diabetes. We’ve come a long way with the progress of new medical management and technology that assists with blood glucose monitoring. However, more work can still be done to improve the lives of people living with diabetes. That is why it is crucial that we continue to raise awareness and work towards finding a cure.

I rise today to recognize the important contributions of WoodGreen Community Services to my constituency of Scarborough Centre. Today in the gallery, we have about 13 members here from the organization, and I want to recognize them for the work they have been doing.

WoodGreen, who serve close to 40,000 people each year, is one of Toronto’s largest social services agencies and is the largest non-municipal affordable housing provider. WoodGreen has over 75 programs and services that tackle the social determinants of health and help vulnerable populations get out of poverty and homelessness and into education, employment and sustainable housing.

These services include helping people to find safe and affordable housing, supporting seniors to live independently, assisting internationally trained professionals entering the Toronto job market, delivering programs for children and youth, and assisting newcomers with settling into Canadian life. They also focus on workforce development and creating opportunities for employment and financial empowerment, which are key components of the social determinants of health.

For example, WoodGreen’s financial empowerment services help thousands of struggling Ontario households stabilize and rebuild their financial health. They offer one-on-one counselling, free tax clinics, budgeting workshops, debt management and other resources to support community members. These financial counselling and support services can create a pathway for different populations, including Ontario Works recipients, to better understand the financial process of transitioning from social assistance to employment.

I want to thank them very much for the work they have done over the years.

Comme plusieurs de mes collègues l’ont fait, j’aimerais débuter par féliciter les élus municipaux de ma circonscription de Glengarry–Prescott–Russell. Certains ont été élus par acclamation; certains ont été réélus et demeurent en poste; et d’autres sont des nouveaux venus. Je tiens à tous les féliciter pour leur dévouement envers nos citoyens, et je leur souhaite un bon succès en politique municipale.

Félicitations aussi à tous ceux qui ont eu le courage de mettre leur candidature lors des dernières élections.

J’aimerais aussi profiter de l’occasion pour remercier mes collègues députés qui m’ont nominé en tant que directeur de l’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie le 4 octobre dernier. Suite à cette nomination, j’ai obtenu le rôle de chargé de mission Amérique. Ce rôle me permettra de faire la promotion de la langue française auprès des parlementaires de toute l’Amérique.

J’étais à Barcelone au Parlement de la Catalogne la semaine dernière pour participer à la 34^e Assemblée régionale Europe de l’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. Accompagné de parlementaires de plusieurs pays d’Europe et du chargé de mission Afrique, nous avons pris part à plusieurs sessions et discussions au sujet de la liberté d’expression et autres—des sujets qui ne semblent pas être une priorité pour nous, les Ontariens, mais qui peuvent être un grand défi pour les citoyens de certains pays.

Avec l’aide de ces partenaires, nous continuerons à faire la promotion de la francophonie auprès des parlementaires à travers le monde. Merci.

As I told members of this chamber yesterday, I have the unique position of being able to see legislation before this House from an independent lens. I can be genuine in my approach, and I have nothing to protect or defend but those interests of my constituents.

I’m a bit cranky with what’s going on here. Who here actually cares about our education workers? Who here actually cares about our students? We have one side of this House who cares about getting even with unions and is, again, threatening the “notwithstanding” clause, and we have another side that encourages political action.

I will give credit to my colleague from Guelph, who, yesterday, encouraged this House to work together, and I was heartened to hear that negotiations had picked up again.

I do find it convenient that there has been all sorts of talk in the past few days about the need to have our students in school. Many of the ministers opposite will know that throughout the pandemic, I was the person coming to them very concerned about the mental health of our young people, and my concerns, at that time, fell on deaf ears.

A word of warning to our education workers: If you decide to walk off the job and the lives of students are severely impacted, you will be blamed, and your union will wear the wrath of Ontario parents. At the same time, the union will have given this government exactly what they wished for. Merry Christmas.

To this government, to CUPE: Stop using some of the province’s lowest-paid workers and stop using our kids as political pawns.

Speaker, it’s time every person in this chamber comes together to tone down the rhetoric, to get the job done. In my maiden speech, I asked members of this House to do politics differently. Today would be a good day to start.

I, too, would like to welcome members of OSSTF who are here today to meet with us all: Karen Littlewood, president; Paul Caccamo, vice-president; Martha Hradowy, vice-president; Hayssam Hulays, executive officer; Malini Leahy, executive officer; Colin Matthew, executive officer; Paul Kossta, our legislative observer; and Richardo Harvey, organizer.

I’d also like to welcome, from AEFO, Anne Lavoie, general manager and secretary-treasurer, and Emile Maheu, executive, government and community relations, to Queen’s Park today.

I’d like to add my welcome to OSSTF members, as well as the contingent from Western University, my alma mater.

I’d also like to welcome a special guest from Don Valley West, TDSB school trustee for ward 11, Rachel Chernos-Lin, who has also brought her daughter and two friends for Take Our Kids to Work Day: Aliyah Sandler, Kinsey Faucher and Pippa Lin. Again, I think they’re still trying to find seats as well, but they’re delighted to be here.

As parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the Ontario Dental Association in that capacity and, of course, the Scleroderma Society of Ontario, who had their breakfast today at Queen’s Park as well. From the scleroderma society, we have Silvia Petrozza, Suneet Campbell, Mark DiRosa, Jeanne Monteir, Lisa Skinner, Maureen Worron-Sauvé, Jennifer Botelho, Joanne Jones, Wendy Vujacic, Erin Stanhope and John Malcolmson; and also, from my riding, Dr. Deborah Levy. Scleroderma: Hard to say, harder disease.

I’d like to welcome Dr. Don Friedlander from the Ontario Dental Association to the Legislature. He’s from the great riding of Carleton and a good friend of mine. Welcome.

Yes, it is indeed Take Our Kids to Work Day. My kids are off at university so they couldn’t come today, but I was really proud to bring Keegan Munk-Philips with me today, a grade 9 student at Western Tech, who is one of my star volunteers. Welcome, Keegan.

I’d also like to acknowledge all the extraordinary OSSTF members that are here today, each one of them an extraordinary leader in our province.