Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the tireless and relentless work of two mothers who live in rural Carleton.

Cheri Nixon of Osgoode and Jennifer Bugden of Munster are among the many parents in rural Ottawa who have had the lives of their families—and their communities—turned upside down because the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority was unable to secure school bus contracts for thousands of students living in suburban and rural Ottawa. Now, many families are facing difficult circumstances. They have a commute into the city of at least an hour for work, but they are left with no way to get their children to school.

I am proud of Cheri Nixon and Jennifer Bugden for wanting to do something about the problem. They organized Facebook groups, started petitions and spoke with class, dignity and passion at my community barbecue on Saturday, September 9. They have stepped up to become valuable leaders in the community, joining me in the fight to get this situation resolved. They met with Minister Lecce in a Zoom call to make him fully aware of what families in rural Ottawa are facing.

In addition, Jennifer has been engaging with the community to reopen Munster Elementary School, which was shut down by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in 2015. The school’s closure put a village full of children on school buses while a beautiful and well-maintained building has sat empty, with the exception of some weekly community events that take place on some evenings.

Mr. Speaker, every riding and every community needs people like Cheri Nixon and Jennifer Bugden. The heart and soul they have transcend the villages they live in. What they have both accomplished in a short time sets an example of dedication, determination and selflessness. Right now, they are inspiring everyone, including their—

Thank you very much.

And I’m pleased to inform the House that we have with us in the Speaker’s Gallery today a delegation from the House committee on international trade of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislature today.

Merci beaucoup.

I want to acknowledge some of my constituency office staff who are here visiting today. Tanya Da Silva and Alastair Munro are here from my office in Kingston and the Islands. I want to thank them very much for their work and welcome them to Queen’s Park.

I also want to introduce everybody to my lovely wife, Tara Sharkey—they’re all in the public gallery. She has walked every step of the way in my political journey, sometimes carried me through difficult times, and she has been a great partner—and lastly, at the risk of embarrassing my daughter Vera-Claire, who’s starting a two-week stint as a legislative page here in this chamber.

Welcome back, everyone.

I’d like to introduce Patrick Macklem, who’s the professor emeritus of constitutional law from the University of Toronto. He’s in the west members’ gallery.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s a great privilege to introduce to the House members of our constituency team in Ottawa Centre. We have with us Erica Braunovan, Ethan Smith-Johnson and Sharon Lee. I would not have been able to make it here this week on my bicycle without those fine folks.

Also tuning in: John Purkis from Ottawa.

Thank you a million times, colleagues, for everything you do.

J’aimerais souhaiter la bienvenue aux représentants de l’Assemblée francophone de l’Ontario à l’Assemblée législative : M. Fabien Hébert et M. Peter Hominuk.

“Dear Mr. Day:

“A writ of election dated the 28th day of June, 2023, was issued by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario, and was addressed to Darryl A. D’Sousa, returning officer for the electoral district of Scarborough–Guildwood, for the election of a member to represent the said electoral district of Scarborough–Guildwood in the Legislative Assembly of this province in the room of Mitzie Hunter who, since her election as representative of the said electoral district of Scarborough–Guildwood, has resigned.

“This is to certify that, a poll having been granted and held in Scarborough–Guildwood on the 27th day of July, 2023, Andrea Hazell has been returned as duly elected as appears by the return of the said writ of election, dated the ninth day of August, 2023, which is now lodged of record in my office.

“Yours sincerely,

“Greg Essensa

“Chief Electoral Officer

“Toronto, August 10, 2023.”

Applause.

“Dear Mr. Day,

“A writ of election dated the 28th day of June, 2023, was issued by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario, and was addressed to Richard Derouin, returning officer for the electoral district of Kanata–Carleton, for the election of a member to represent the said electoral district of Kanata–Carleton in the Legislative Assembly of this province in the room of Merrilee Fullerton who, since her election as representative of the said electoral district of Kanata–Carleton, has resigned.

“This is to certify that, a poll having been granted and held in Kanata–Carleton on the 27th day of July, 2023, Karen McCrimmon has been returned as duly elected as appears by the return of the said writ of election, dated the ninth day of August, 2023, which is now lodged of record in my office.

“Yours sincerely,

“Greg Essensa

“Chief Electoral Officer

“Toronto, August 10, 2023.”

MPP Hazell was escorted into the House by Mr. Fraser and Mme Collard.

It’s my pleasure to welcome to the people’s House Patty Coates, the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Thank you so much for being here with us today, sister.

I’d like to give a warm welcome to my constituent Patrick Macklem, who is in the House. Welcome.

We couldn’t kick off the legislative session without a hello to Barbara Stevens, who loves to watch question period every day. Hi, Barbara.

I’d like to welcome to the House a constituent, Fraser Passmore, and his partner, Luca. Thanks for being here and welcome to your House.

I’d like to introduce to the legislature my new EA, Joseph Scheidl, and my LA, Michael Zwiep, here today. They’re going to be doing hard work on behalf of the people of Ontario in our office.

I also wish to thank Jared Yausie, who is off to the Alberta Legislature, for his service on behalf of the people of Niagara West.

Nous avons beaucoup de francophones aujourd’hui, mais je veux simplement souligner la présence de Melinda Chartrand, conseillère scolaire au conseil MonAvenir, et Isabelle Girard de l’ACÉPO. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

That concludes the introduction of guests today.

MPP McCrimmon was escorted into the House by Mr. Fraser and Mme Collard.

Applause.

It’s my pleasure today to welcome two of my friends and colleagues from the city of Ottawa who are joining me here today: Rudi Asseer, who is the chair of the Dare to be Vulnerable Project, dealing with storytelling for mental health among leaders in our city; and, of course, Dr. Aroldo Dargel, who is a bipolar specialist with the Ottawa Hospital, specifically at the General hospital. I want to say thank you to them for joining me. It is customary for us to get up and down and up and down to try and get somebody recognized around this place, so don’t take anything by it.

I’d like to welcome back to the House, once again, Michau van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition as well as the busloads of folks coming in from Hamilton for the rally on the front lawn today for the Ontario Health Coalition. I am welcoming them to Queen’s Park.

It’s a great pleasure to introduce three constituents of mine who are in the gallery today: Mayor John Logel from Alnwick/Haldimand and constituents Jim Corcoran and Jake O’Connor, who have also made the trip down from Grafton.

Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

It’s my sincere privilege to welcome the great mayor of the city of Windsor, Drew Dilkens, who’s in the members’ gallery today.

Let the honourable member take her seat.

Applause.

During question period, I will recognize the three additional independent members to ask questions during each eight-day period, allowing us to accommodate all 14 independent members into the rotation. This means that one independent member will be recognized to ask a question each day, with a second independent member recognized every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Each independent member recognized during question period will continue to have the opportunity to ask one question and one supplementary question.

Further, as a result of the two recent by-elections in the electoral districts of Scarborough–Guildwood and Kanata–Carleton, there are now eight independent members who sit as part of the Liberal group.

Finally, with regard to members’ statements, there will continue to be one statement allotted to an independent member every sessional day. However, each individual member will now be entitled to participate once per 14-day period instead of once per 11-day period.

I thank the House for its attention.

I understand the member for Ottawa–Vanier has a point of order.

The supplementary question.

The final supplementary.

Welcome back, Speaker, and colleagues.

This summer, people across the province of Ontario were feeling the strain of the rising affordability crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, a housing affordability crisis, and meanwhile, they’ve watched their government lurch from scandal to scandal, crisis to crisis. Now we’ve seen the resignation of three cabinet ministers and two senior staffers so far.

Speaker, my question is to the Premier: How can people trust this Premier to work for them when he has spent the last five years putting his friends and insiders first?

The government said they were going to clean things up. That’s what this Premier ran on, and now he’s embroiled in a scandal that has seen ethics laws broken. Three cabinet ministers have resigned in disgrace or ran for the exits. Staff in the Conservatives’ inner circles are leaving under a cloud of suspicion, and they’re lawyering up, Speaker. The Premier has said the buck stops with him, so let’s hear from him.

Will the Premier finally come clean and explain his personal involvement in the greenbelt scandal?

People out there thought something was wrong, and now we have two independent officers of the Legislature who have confirmed it. The Conservatives rigged the system to benefit their friends. I mean, it’s so bad that it’s being turned over to the RCMP.

Speaker, my question to the Premier is, has he spoken to the RCMP about the circumstances of the greenbelt carve-out?