I have a petition and it reads:
“Gun Violence Is a Public Health Crisis.
“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas gun violence and its devastating impact on communities is a deepening public health crisis in the province of Ontario;
“Whereas the number of firearm incidents is increasing each year, and the widespread trauma associated with acts of gun violence often goes unrecognized and untreated;
“Whereas the government must give communities the resources that they need to heal, including OHIP-funded counselling for those affected;
“Whereas the government must give funding to local public health boards for hospital- and community-based violence intervention programs;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Health to adopt Bill 9, Safe and Healthy Communities Act (Addressing Gun Violence), 2022, into government legislation.”
I will sign the petition and give it to page Tanisha.
I want to thank all the people of Byron who signed petitions at Byron Optometry to save eye care in Ontario. The petition reads:
“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and
“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and
“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and
“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government;...
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”
I support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table with page Ria.