Good morning, everyone, and good morning to the guests we have in the House. It is an honour for me—and I’ve met some, especially at the recent museum opening, and I’ve had the privilege of hearing about your stories. So I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this motion and to have you all here this morning. I represent Scarborough Southwest, and as the deputy leader of the official opposition, I also feel a great, great load of responsibility, speaking to this today. I believe I can say this for all of us—and it has been spoken in the House already: The last week has been an extremely, extremely difficult week. So many of our communities are still in shock, while for some, it’s even more personal, with family members and loved ones suffering immense loss and trauma triggered from the atrocities.

As an immigrant myself from a nation that was born out of a liberation war and a genocide, and as a daughter of the descendants of people who faced subjugation and were treated as second-class citizens in their own country just for who they are, for their language, for their religion—a country that experienced the horror of genocide, which was committed not too long ago, just in 1971—I stand before this House with a heavy heart, reflecting on the painful and horrifying events that unfolded in Israel and Palestine over the past week.

I know that I stand amongst colleagues and friends on both sides of the House who can relate to the anguish and the sorrow that come with such painful stories and history, and experience of violence, colonial violence—some carrying a much heavier burden of pain and suffering of their families and, in some cases, themselves. We have heard in this House about the Tamil genocide from our colleagues; the Armenian genocide; the Sikh genocide; the horrific killing in Jallianwala Bagh; or, just recently, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the systemic violence carried out on the people of this land, here in Canada.

And we can never, ever forget the dark chapter in human history of the Holocaust—a harrowing chapter in history, when the world witnessed the systemic genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany, a state-sponsored killing. Jews endured unimaginable suffering in concentration camps and extermination camps, with mass shootings and inhumane conditions. It is a stark reminder of the depths to which hatred and bigotry can lead. I was able to have the interactive demonstration that we have at the museum—which will bring you to tears, to learn about that history.

I want to make this very clear: Hamas’s senseless violence—war crimes and attacks on innocent civilians, women, seniors, babies—has caused unimaginable pain and trauma for not only Israelis but for Jewish communities across the world. I know that many Jewish Canadians are feeling unsafe—terrified at seeing targeted violence on this scale.

Last week, we were shocked by the brutal attacks on civilian lives in Israel—over 1,600 dead and thousands injured, children and families kidnapped.

In this House, today, we mourn the lives of the five Canadians who lost their lives in this violent conflict: Shir Georgy, Adi Vital-Kaploun, Ben Mizrachi, Alexandre Look, and Netta Epstein.

We have heard from friends and family members—I have in my community, and I know some of you have as well—who are worried and waiting to hear from family members in Israel. I know that many of you in this House have had similar conversations in the past, and it is heart-wrenching. At the same time, we have also heard from friends and family members who are in fear and waiting to hear from their family in Palestine. So many Palestinian family members are feeling anxious and scared.

I want to be very clear: The Palestinian people do not represent Hamas, just like the State of Israel does not represent all people of Israel and all Jewish people.

Sometimes in this House we talk about or we debate on opposite sides about an action a government does—and it is the people, it is their voice, that should be the loudest, that truly matters.

But more than that, the struggles that we are seeing right now are what I want to talk about. It is an honour for me, also as a Muslim Canadian, to start by saying that there is an Arabic phrase that I will translate: “Harming one single human is a harm to all humanity.” If you harm even a hair of a human, an innocent civilian, you’re harming all of humanity. That is the belief that I truly believe in as a Muslim and as a Canadian, and it is the deep-rooted understanding that I come with.

Today, when I speak to this issue, I want to share some of the things that I have received over the last five, seven days—because I have talked to community members who come from both sides, and it has been an extremely, extremely painful week. I don’t think, in my career as an MPP, as a representative, I have had this difficulty, navigating through this as I did this past week, just hearing the stories, and I cannot imagine what the community is feeling—because it is horrendous, what Hamas did. One of the things that I want to make very clear is that when something like that happens, it doesn’t just harm the one side—and their action has also hurt Palestinians. We have heard from those family members who are waiting to hear back.

So when we look at this motion and understand, how do we address the atrocities and how do we make sure that we stand with the people who have suffered this immense loss—so many Palestinian families are feeling anxious and scared, or, more than that, their struggles are neglected and undermined by the rhetoric of those in power and a lot of mainstream media, and their story has not fully been told.

When I look at the difference between those who return to Canada and Canada’s effort in Israel—it has been very different in the reality of Palestinian Canadians and Palestinians in Gaza. While we hear about the stories, we also heard from NCCM—where Hala Alshaer, who lives in Ottawa and is a Canadian, talked about her family, who are still waiting to return. Hala shared about the killing of her 16 family members, who were killed after the Israeli attacks.

I want to thank the federal government—and this is part of something that I want to make clear: I want to thank the federal government for the safe return of 1,300 Canadians from Tel Aviv. I think that we need to make sure that we urge our government to do much more in ensuring that all Canadians, all Jewish Canadians who are stuck, must return safely. I would like to put in a motion to make sure that I add onto the—and so, Speaker, I would like to move that the following sentence be added to the end of the main motion: “And that this House calls on the government of Canada to advocate for immediate release of all hostages and protection of all civilians in accordance with international law, an end to the siege of bombardment of Gaza and for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians urgently without restriction.”

Further debate?

I rule this motion out of order. There is already an amendment and an amendment to the amendment before the House. Until the subamendment has been disposed of, no other amendment can be moved.

Further debate?

Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about what has happened as well in our communities over the past few days since this attack. I think it’s very important for us to make sure that we act on this. The Toronto police have investigated two recent acts of vandalism at a local mosque, both believed to be hate-driven, one of which occurred on October 12 at a mosque at Danforth Avenue and Donlands Avenue, which was targeted with hate symbols and hateful writings. At the same time, we have heard about the school closure and the horrific anti-Semitic attacks across the city, where police had been called to make sure that people across Toronto can feel safe.

Speaker, the impact that all of this has had—the rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate has increased immensely. There are people who are Palestinian Canadians, who are Israeli Canadians, who are Jewish Canadians, who are Muslim Canadians. And I think sometimes it’s forgotten or missed by many of us that there are Palestinian Christians, there are Palestinian Jews, and there are Palestinians of other religions as well who have been impacted by this—including the 1,100 Christians who are stuck in a church looking for safety.

It is extremely incumbent on us to make sure—and I know that the motion did not go through, and I hope that the House will listen—that we do everything to push the government of Canada to advocate for an immediate release of all hostages, the protection of all civilians in accordance with international law, an end to the siege of bombardment of Gaza, and humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians urgently.

The reason I say this is because we need to also look at the root cause of all of this. I got to learn a lot from some of the experts—and I say this from lessons that I have learned from people who are family members, are Holocaust survivors who have shared their side of the story. Recently, one of them is David Hearst, a journalist who talked about the impact and looking at the root cause of this.

Right now, when we look at this, we know that we have a responsibility to listen and understand the issue. I know this may be the first time many people across the province are tuning in to the issue of Palestine and Israel. As sad as that sounds, there are a lot of people who have called me with anger and rage, and after we had a conversation, they said, “I will go and find out what the issue is on both sides.” And I know that there are a lot of people who have their own personal stories, who know and learn about what took place. So, today, when we talk about this, we have to make sure that we tell the full story. We have to make sure that we allow for our communities to be heard in a fair way that is important.

The difference between those who have been returned from Israel and those who have returned from Palestine is very simple, and I’ll tell you why. While 1,300 Canadians from Tel Aviv were safely returned, there was a stark difference in the way Palestinians were treated when they tried to get back to their homeland, to Canada—so for that, we need to step back and understand what took place. When Palestinian Canadians tried to go back, they had to take a bus to Jordan and book their own flight and return to Canada. They did not have our local MP, Minister Bill Blair, putting out the flight that went and carried them back. They didn’t have that. So I ask this House: Do Palestinian Canadians not have the same right? Do their lives not have value in the same way—to make sure that they also return home safely to their loved ones? When Hala talks about her 16 family members who were killed and one family member who is still waiting to return—does that family member not have the right, just like anyone else, just like any other human being?

When we have people who are Palestinian Canadians telling us their side of the story, we need to make sure that we hear that as well. And today, I hope that our government will listen. As a provincial government, we don’t have the power to move policies, but we do have power in our voices, in our words, to make sure that we influence the federal government to make that change.

We also need to make sure that we look at the root cause of this. We know that the violence did not start last week—

I apologize to the member from Scarborough Southwest, but we are now moving on to members’ statements.

Debate deemed adjourned.

Halloween is coming upon us, and last week I had no idea what I would be in store for when I accepted an invite to visit Scarehouse Windsor, my region’s premier Halloween experience. On display was the world premiere of The Boo Crew, a new television docuseries which chronicles how Scarehouse Windsor truly came to be.

As members here in this House, we have so much to be proud of within our communities. Director Gavin Michael Booth delivered an experience for all viewers that truly captures the many traits that can evoke our hometown pride. The series chronicles owners Shawn and Colleen Lippert and Dario and Michelle Silvaggi. It was their sweat equity that created Scarehouse Windsor as a seasonal attraction that rivals any experience in North America, and it was born out of the demise of their much-beloved past Windsor business, Bentley’s Roadhouse.

You cannot help but admire the ambitious and infectious entrepreneurism that was captured throughout the series, but unpredictably, it was the inclusivity and accepting of so many young people who question their place in the world, who were part of Scarehouse Windsor, that truly shone through.

Speaker, you’re already able to stream The Boo Crew on Bell Fibe TV1 today, so be sure to check it out.

To The Boo Crew: Thank you for doing your part to make the Windsor-Essex region, bar none, a place I’m proud to call home, a place I’m proud to represent, and a place that’s worth living each and every day.

Today is Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. These educators create a safe and loving environment where children can flourish and develop essential life skills. They instill a love for learning and curiosity that will last a lifetime. Their role extends beyond mere supervision; they are our children’s first mentors and role models, shaping their early experiences and laying the foundation for their future success.

But ECEs tell me that they’re not feeling very valued today. So how can this government step up and ensure the child care sector is there for families and children when they need them?

For over a year, we’ve been raising alarm bells that the workforce crisis threatens child care in this province.

The minister needs to release the report they conducted back in January—where the ministry’s own summaries consultations revealed to “pay ECEs more.”

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, experts and workers have told this government that the $10-a-day child care program is under threat because of low pay and poor working conditions, with the average ECE staying in the field for just three years.

You need child care workers in child care spaces.

This minister and this government promised ECEs a wage increase in June. So we are asking the minister: Will he keep his promise and commit today to a salary scale of at least $30 per hour for RECEs and $25 for non-RECEs to get the program back on track, and to get parents the affordable child care spots they need and deserve so they can get back to work?

Speaker, just over two weeks ago in my community of Thornhill, we experienced an unimaginable tragedy: Atara Cohen, aleha hashalom, just nine years old, lost her life. It was devastating not just for her parents and siblings, but for the entire community. Atara was a bright light of joy and warmth. She was kind, compassionate, imaginative and playful. She had an incredible laugh, bubbly personality, and she brought happiness to everyone around her. The Cohen family lives in a small co-op. It’s a tight-knit community, a warm group of people, and every single member felt this loss—not only in Thornhill, but in Ontario. It was a vehicle-pedestrian accident—an accident—but that doesn’t lessen the impact on the family and the community. She was incredibly loved and will be dearly missed.

Often, when mourners come to a funeral service, they form a long chain along each side of the hearse as it drives past. This path went the entire length of the road from the synagogue to the main street. We were so proud to be there, along with so many community members, in unity.

To Atara’s parents and her siblings and her family: My heart is with you. Our community grieves for Atara, now more than ever. We are truly cognizant now of how precious life is. May her memory always be a blessing.

Mr. Speaker, who is America’s number three trading partner? It’s not Germany. It’s not Japan. And it’s not even India. America’s number three trading partner is Ontario. But I’m not satisfied with that. I want Ontario to be America’s number one trading partner.

That’s why I’m excited about the memorandum of understanding, signed by this government, between Ontario and the state of Michigan. Ontario and Michigan are already each other’s number one trading partner. But under this new memorandum of understanding, Ontario and Michigan are going to work together to build better vehicle supply chains, technology, cyber security and agriculture. We’re going to make our relationship with Michigan even stronger, and we’re going to build an end-to-end vehicle supply chain.

Mr. Speaker, once upon a time, Henry Ford crossed the Detroit River and he set up a manufacturing factory at the old Walkerville Wagon Works. That started a manufacturing revolution and made Ontario the economic powerhouse of Canada. Well, keep your eye on Ontario, because we are going to do it again.

I rise today with immense pride and admiration for a transformative project that exemplifies the potential for sustainability, cultural respect and collaboration with Indigenous communities in the field of education and architecture. The A-Building, located at the Progress Campus of Centennial College, is more than just a structure; it is a testament to the power of visionary partnerships and the profound impact such projects can have. At the heart of this remarkable initiative is the college’s commitment to fostering reconciliation and collaboration with Indigenous communities. The collaboration with the Indigenous-owned, Ontario-based architecture firm Smoke Architecture serves as a model for how institutions can support and empower Indigenous businesses. This partnership underscores the importance of actively engaging Indigenous voices and perspectives in projects that directly affect their communities.

What truly sets the A-Building apart is its deep-rooted connection to Indigenous culture and heritage. The building takes inspiration from the beautiful poetry of Chief Stacey LaForme, chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Its design reflects traditional Indigenous structures and is constructed using sustainable timber sourced from Quebec, highlighting the significance of sustainable practices and materials in modern construction.

I wholeheartedly commend Centennial College for their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to reconciliation, sustainability and cultural respect.

I’m pleased to rise in this House today to talk about the recent Brantford Bulldogs home opener.

Brantford–Brant is no stranger to hockey. As we all know, we are the birthplace and childhood home of the great one, Wayne Gretzky.

This morning, in the members’ gallery, we have Peggy Chapman of the Brantford Bulldogs Foundation, and His Worship Kevin Davis, mayor of Brantford.

If not for the work of Matt Turek and the Bulldogs organization and, of course, Michael Andlauer, the owner of the Brantford Bulldogs, who was also in attendance, there would not have been a home opener—and not to mention the incredible work of Vicano Construction in getting the civic centre ready.

We celebrate the return of OHL hockey to the Brantford civic centre for the first time since 1984, as well as a 5-2 home opener victory against their division rivals, the Oshawa Generals.

Having had the privilege of attending the home opener, I was proud to see over 3,000 Bulldogs fans cheering on their team.

These improvements have ushered in a new chapter in the history of Brantford and its rich hockey culture.

Go, Bulldogs, go. All of Brantford–Brant is in the doghouse, but in a good way.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

Applause.

Introduction of visitors. The member for Brantford–Brant.

It’s an honour to rise to talk about Perth–Wellington today, Speaker. I know we talk about our ridings a lot in this place, and it’s great to be able to do that. I’m thinking, really, of—we did celebrate agriculture week and Thanksgiving and all the bounty that our farmers collect every year, and the great work our government is doing to support our farm families, whether it’s through our Grow Ontario Strategy and the investments we’re making there.

As the member from Essex—I heard briefly in his remarks about the trade that we have. The amount of exports and agriculture that we provide to the States and across the world is truly great. I know, with our Minister of Economic Development and under the leadership of our Premier, we’ll continue to do that moving forward, ensuring that our agriculture sector remains strong.

But it’s not just our agriculture sector that we continue to support; it’s also Small Business Week in Ontario—and I know there’s plenty of small businesses in my riding of Perth–Wellington. The Minister of Tourism is in front of me here, and I know he has been to the beautiful riding of Perth–Wellington and to Stratford and has seen the many small businesses.

Whether that’s in the hospitality sector, whether that’s in the manufacturing sector—truly, Ontario is thriving again because of the leadership of our Premier and our ministers in our cabinet.

I think of the great announcement yesterday that was made in eastern Ontario: 600 net new jobs—that’s just direct jobs.

We’re going to continue to build Ontario for the next generation and going forward.

In my riding, we have a number of exceptional and award-winning musicians, and one of those individuals is Melissa Knott, more commonly known as Missy.

I first met Missy when we were organizing the Special Hockey International tournament in Peterborough. Missy was already well known in the area as a singer and had released a number of albums at that point. She volunteered to sing the national anthems for us at the opening ceremonies, with teams from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Not only is Missy an artist, but she’s also a music producer. Her production company, Wild Rice Records, is focused on helping Indigenous artists succeed. Missy is also an advocate in our community, helping to spread the word about various causes. One of those causes has been to spread the word about the tragic death of one of her friends, Cileana Taylor, a young lady from Curve Lake First Nation. All of this is to say that Missy is active in the arts, in the Indigenous community and as a spokesperson.

Speaker, I am so proud to announce my friend Missy Knott has been appointed to the Ontario Arts Council. She’s the first member of Curve Lake First Nation to ever be appointed to the OAC. Her experiences as an artist, as a music producer and as an Indigenous role model will serve her well in this capacity. She’ll provide an invaluable voice at the table and will be someone other Indigenous artists can look up to as an example for success.

Congratulations, Missy. We’re all very proud of you.

I’m very happy to welcome members of the Ontario Autism Coalition to Queen’s Park: Alina, Tony, Bruce, Laura and Michau.

Thank you very much for joining me this morning. It’s great to see all of you. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I want to welcome representatives from CAA Club Group who are here for their annual advocacy day at Queen’s Park: Marrianne Bridge, Quentin Broad, Brenda Rideout, Matthew Turack, Rhonda English and Anita Mueller.

Members are encouraged to join CAA at their evening reception beginning at 5 p.m. in the legislative dining room.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Alfred and Marion Schneider from beautiful Blenheim, Ontario. They are here to visit their granddaughter, our exceptional page Margo Koenig. Welcome to the Legislature.

It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Stephen Abrams from Scarborough Southwest, who is here with the Ontario Dental Association. Welcome to the House.

I’m very excited to introduce Allison and Craig Koenig, who are the very proud parents of page Margo from Etobicoke–Lakeshore.

Welcome to your House.