I have some guests in the gallery today who are here for the debate of Bill 54, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act. From the SEIU, I have Andrea Gordon, Erica Valentine, Sandee Green, Vivienne McDougall, Jacqueline Haynes, and Michael Spitale. From CLAC here today, I have Ian DeWaard, Mira Ponomarenko, Carol Bartley-Fray, and Julie Garner. Thank you very much for being here.

I appreciate the opportunity to talk about some of the things that we’ve been able to do to, in fact, keep emergency rooms open, because we know the temporary closures are very disruptive to local communities. Of course, the member opposite would know that there has not been a single closure of an emergency room north of the French River, which covers the entire northern part of the province. We’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure that those temporary coverages, where committed physicians are prepared to go into communities that are not their host communities, working those hours to make sure that we have that covered—as I said, there has not been a single emergency department closure. That is a result of the coverage that we’ve been able to do with physicians. We’ll continue to do that work.

I’m guessing the member opposite is specifically referencing Mindemoya. We’ll make sure that we work with all of those partners to ensure those coverages.

In fact, it is our government, under the Premier, which has ensured that if you are a physician in any part of Canada and you want to live and practise in the province of Ontario—come on down. We have made it easier for people to do that.

It was, of course, a Progressive Conservative government that opened a northern medical school.

And it was our government that actually expanded those positions so that we have more physicians being trained in the province of Ontario.

We have more access for individuals who want to practise in the province of Ontario. We will continue to do that work because we see a population that is expanding, aging and wanting health care and housing.

I have two points. The coverage is not explicit enough in the bill as it is for firefighters.

Regarding climate action by this government, I simply need to point to the greenbelt and the giveaway of farmland; the giveaway of farmland that we’re seeing in the Hamilton area and the loss of wetlands and the things that they were told—“Absolutely, do not do this.” They were begged for months and months and months: “Do not do this. It will be harmful to the environment. It undoes anything else you might be doing to address climate change.” You can’t just take away with one hand and do something over here and expect they will never come together.