I’d like to acknowledge that today’s page captain is Tristan Joseph from the wonderful riding of Spadina–Fort York, and his parents, Odessa and Harry Joseph, are also in the audience today.

I’d also like to welcome Save the Minden ER to the House—including Patrick Porzuczek, Ken Trinka, Helen Trinka, Aidan Johnston, Joyce Webster, Kimberly Perry, and Cathy Mauro.

I want to wish a special greeting to a good friend of mine, Terrence Bishundayal. I’ve known him since he was in high school. His advocacy for students with disabilities led to the TDSB having a truly accessible washroom on the ground floor of their main office building, and also to the creation of a wheelchair ramp to the front door of Martingrove Collegiate in Etobicoke.

Welcome to the House.

If the member opposite had actually attended the consultations, he would have heard loudly and clearly that the residents of Ontario do not want their tax dollars going to subsidize a Therme spa.

This government has been planning changes to Ontario Place for some time. In 2021, they even hired a special adviser on Ontario Place—a job that paid as much as $171,500 per year. They gave the job to a close ally of the Premier’s—one of their candidates and the candidate the Premier endorsed to be mayor of Toronto, Mark Saunders.

Speaker, to the Premier: What work did the special adviser on Ontario Place do?

Back to the Premier: Can the Premier show any evidence that his special adviser produced any advice?

This petition is “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Haliburton Highlands Health Services board of directors has, without consultation with the affected stakeholders, closed the emergency department located in the municipality of Minden Hills, Ontario, on June 1, 2023;

“Whereas the loss of service is jeopardizing the lives of residents in the community;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Health to use her powers under section 9.1 of the Public Hospitals Act to immediately reopen the Minden emergency department.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and pass it to page Sophia to take to the table.