We have several members from the TVO branch of the Canadian Media Guild. A few of the executive are here: Meredith Martin, Cara Stern and Dan DiMillo.

Let me tell you about Tim, Speaker. Tim is an insulin-dependant diabetic with long-term disabilities. When his family doctor passed away, Tim was left without a family practitioner. He contacted Health Connect Ontario to no avail. He visited numerous family practices and nurse practitioner clinics—had no success. Tim eventually had to go to the waiting room of the emergency room for hours just to get his prescriptions filled.

Tim is not alone, Speaker. One out of eight northern residents don’t have access to a family doctor. This is why NOSM needs this money.

So to help people like Tim, will the Premier commit today to a permanent $4-million increase in the base funding for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine?

It’s shady.