I agree with you 100% that we have to keep our physicians—have all our health care providers working to full scope and minimize the amount of administration they have to do. Central intake is certainly one of those things. The government is working with the OMA on red tape issues, and that will continue as well. Our Minister of Health has provided funding for interdisciplinary care. There have been proposals received and waiting for approval.

In my riding of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, we’ve seen the expansion of the Ottawa Valley Family Health Team from Almonte; it’s now going to be in Carleton Place as well.

Those are great models of care, because they allow the physicians to really scope on doing doctor work and not running a business, not hiring staff, not worrying about whether the hydro bill got paid. The interdisciplinary model, the CHCs, the family health teams, are great models, and the minister has supported that initiative.

I’d like to talk about something that I believe falls within the bill—but also, because of the words “common sense.”

I received a letter this morning from Unifor Local 4212, and I think it goes to all of us. The seaway, right now, is a very important part for transporting grain, our food—and everything along the St. Lawrence Seaway. They said, “We write to you, as a member of provincial Parliament from Ontario representing a constituency along the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., operating the Welland Canal. We aim to express our deep solidarity and strongly urge the employer to engage in meaningful—with the workers’ last offer, which unfortunately resulted in a breakdown of negotiations.

“Our collective goal should focus on establishing fair wages and working conditions by negotiating in good faith with Unifor for your workforce along the seaway, both in Niagara and beyond. The Welland Canal and the entire St. Lawrence Seaway is a beacon of pride for Niagara. The nearly 400 Unifor workers and their families that go to work at the Welland Canal deserve nothing less than their full commitment to ensure their rights and livelihoods are met.

“These are more than workers. They are our neighbours, community volunteers, our local leaders, that make contributions to Niagara every day, and they deserve to be treated with fairness and respect.

“In these challenging times, we have seen inflation rise by double digits. It is critical to acknowledge the tenacity of the workers to stand up for fair wages, pushing back about the recent efforts towards contracting-out of skilled workers and good-paying jobs.

“We understand that negotiations are complex, and there are many factors at play. However, the importance of the strike on Niagara workers”—and, I’ll add, right across the province of Ontario—“for our economy cannot be underestimated. It implores the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. to approach these negotiations with the urgency and the sincerity that it requires.

“Together, we stand with the workers in Niagara fighting for a fair contract. Our combined teams are ready to assist in any way possible to facilitate a fair negotiation and support workers in Niagara and our communities through our difficult times.”

I’m suggesting that all parties write a letter to support getting back to the bargaining table. We have grain that is sitting out on our lake here, Lake Ontario, that’s not getting to our customers to feed people. They’ve got to get back to the table and get a fair collective agreement. And I will say very clearly that I stand with all the workers at Unifor Local 4212.

I know it might be a little off the red tape part, but I thought I’d read that letter because of the importance of the St. Lawrence Seaway and those workers to our food sources and other materials for small, medium-sized and large businesses. So I appreciate the time to read that letter. I know you’re probably not happy with that, but I had to get it out. So I appreciate it, and I’ll move on.

Madam Speaker, speaking to this bill is a great opportunity to discuss the details, but also to discuss the real lack of direction from this government. They seem to continue to fail to meet the moment. We have a bill here that does a number of technical amendments and changes, many non-concerning, but it’s also one, again, that misses so many important opportunities.

Let’s really think about what we’ve done in this session so far. Has this government come out and said they are truly going to tackle the major challenges people are facing in their lives today? No, they haven’t. Affordability, health care, housing—they seem to ignore all of them.

The housing file is potentially one of the biggest areas of concern. The new minister spends more time complaining about the federal government than actually doing his job. The minister, who has recently been the poster boy of flip-flopping and backtracking on bad decisions, is not getting housing built and most definitely not getting affordable housing units built in all our ridings. How can the minister even do his job when he has to spend so much time filling in for the Premier in question period? It’s a fair question.

Madam Speaker, government is all about priorities, and this government’s priorities are all over the place. The member for London North Centre put forward thoughtful, pragmatic legislation to get affordable housing built. Guess what this government did? They said no. They voted it down, because we all know they don’t want affordable housing built in this province. They aren’t concerned with the couple in their mid-thirties making a decent living who can’t move out of their parents’ house and will never be able to afford a down payment on a home. Those aren’t their donors, and they don’t create policy to help them.

What this bill tells us right from the beginning—this government continues to fail to meet the moment in this province. I’m going to read that again, because it’s important. This bill tells us, right from the beginning, that the government continues to fail to meet the moment in this province. It’s more status quo, just like we saw with the previous Liberal government.

This government seems to follow in the same direction as the previous Liberals when it comes to underfunding health care, but this time it’s even worse, because you’re going into privatization of our health care—one of the biggest mistakes I think your government will ever make. This legislation and the bill brought forward before it this session have done nothing to address the growing health care crisis in our province.

I can talk to it because I’m from Niagara—as you know, Madam Speaker, from our years of knowing each other. You know I’ve lived in Niagara my entire life.

The story of Fort Erie—it’s a community; it’s a border town. They had a hospital there. There were decisions made to close that hospital, and then it became an urgent care centre. In Fort Erie, we’re growing—in the next few years, we’re going to have over 40,000 residents living in that community. We had an urgent care centre that was 24/7; just recently, they decided to only open it up 10 hours a day.

I’ll give you a couple of examples of what happened in Fort Erie. There was an 11-year-old boy who had an appendix attack, and he went to the hospital in Fort Erie, when it was still 24/7. If he’d had to go to Niagara Falls or to St. Catharines—because they’re the two hospitals that people have to go to after 8 o’clock at night now—he would have died. But, because it was open, those nurses and the doctors who were on shift saved his life. That’s one example.

I have an example of a senior who had a heart attack and, again, because it was 24/7, he went to the Fort Erie hospital. They were able to stabilize him, and then they sent him off to Hamilton, where he had open-heart surgery. Again, do you know what happened, Madam Speaker? Those nurses and doctors in Fort Erie, because it was open 24/7, saved his life. And yet, the decision that’s being made today is that it’s going to be open 10 hours a day.

You say to yourself, why are those decisions being made? We hear from the government all the time—and, Madam Speaker, you know this—that we’re investing record numbers of dollars into health care, even though it’s not completely accurate. But that’s what they’re saying.

So I’m saying to this government—you always say we never come with solutions. Well, I want to give you a solution around the red tape. Why do we continue to fight Bill 124 in the courts and attack our nurses and our health care workers? Why don’t we get rid of Bill 124, reinvest those dollars that you’re paying high-priced lawyers in Toronto, invest in workers and nurses and health care, and make sure that Fort Erie’s hospital is open 24/7 for the residents?

The one thing I want to add to that is that over 25% of all residents who live in Fort Erie are seniors, and there aren’t a lot of transportation options in Fort Erie.

I’ll give you one more example of why it needs to be open. We’re getting close to Christmas. I saw somebody in the elevator yesterday for the PCs who had Christmas cards—

Interjection.

Last Christmas—I think it was December 23; I might be out by a day—we had that terrible ice storm. Does anybody remember that ice storm we had that was down in Niagara—more in the Fort Erie area—where in Buffalo people froze to death in their cars? In Fort Erie, we lost a couple of people who had had heart attacks and couldn’t get out of their rooms. Guess what happened? They closed the highway. The highway was shut down for five days—five days. As a matter of fact—and I think you worked for CHCH at one time, Madam Speaker—the crews couldn’t get to Fort Erie. They got stuck on the highway and ended up in the ditch.

Well, in Fort Erie, now that it’s only open 10 hours a day—meaning it’s closed from 8 at night until 8 in the morning—what do we do in that same situation if it happens this Christmas? Where do they go to get service? More residents are not going to have their health care.

It’s important that we make sure that Fort Erie is taken care of. Our public—

Further debate?

Speaker, it is time. It’s time for symbolic gestures, the ones that come cheap, to be done. We stand at a crossroads, faced with an epidemic of intimate partner violence. Two weeks ago in Niagara, it took an innocent life, and just yesterday, in Sault Ste. Marie, five more. We have lost mothers, children, friends, community members, and it’s time to say, “No more.”

Speaker, I lost a friend to femicide. I rarely speak about it in this House. However, I know almost every woman in this chamber carries a similar story, a shared grief.

Last year, alongside my colleagues, strong and fierce advocates from London West, Toronto Centre, Toronto–St. Paul’s—all united, urging this government to respond to the Renfrew county inquest recommendations. When the response came, it was in half measures, refusing to declare intimate partner violence a crisis, refusing annualized funding to the sector.

Now it’s time for a real commitment to accept all of the Renfrew county recommendations—not just the easy ones, not just the cheap ones, but all of them.

My advocacy and the advocacy of my colleagues is built on the shoulders of giants, the women in the sector doing the work. It is time we support them fully and unconditionally. It is time. It really is time.

Bill 139 does talk about less red tape and more common sense, so I’m talking about the common sense part of the bill. That’s the name of the bill. You put it in the title, so in my thinking, these are common sense things that we can do that make life better for the residents of the province of Ontario.

I don’t like the words “common sense,” by the way—I’ll say this just because you raised it. The last time I saw it used in the province of Ontario—do you know who used that as a slogan to get elected? Does anybody remember? You must remember—long before you ran. It was Mike Harris. Remember? He talked about common sense.

Interjection.

That was at a time when he decided, under the Common Sense Revolution, to cut services. I can talk about Walkerton, where we had seven people die from tainted water. Again, “common sense”—they used it. And I can talk about how they closed 26 hospitals and laid off 6,000 nurses.

So when you ask me about common sense, I think these are common sense things that we can do—I’m begging you to put 24/7 back into my hospital in Fort Erie. I think that’s fair. I think it’s reasonable. I think that is common sense. I don’t think any resident, because they live in Fort Erie, should die between 8 at night and 8 in the morning. I’m sorry; I think it is common sense.

I’m going to get on to another health care issue, if that’s okay with you. The closure of health care facilities is another worrisome trend. The loss of essential services can have devastating consequences, especially for vulnerable populations. I just talked about Fort Erie. Many residents rely on this facility for urgent medical attention, and the closure left them in a difficult situation. I’ve been working tirelessly to raise awareness about this issue and push it to reopen 24/7. I’m asking you guys to do that again.

I’m going to talk about another part of my riding, Niagara-on-the-Lake. I know the member, Madam Speaker, has been in Niagara-on-the-Lake a lot. I’ve seen her down there a few times. I’m going to turn your attention to Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s concerning that there is a lack of primary care service in our town. As you know—maybe you don’t know, but you closed our hospital in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Every resident deserves access to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner, yet many are left without their basic health care needs. I am fully aware of the urgency of the situation and have been actively advocating for a solution. The arrival of a nurse practitioner in Niagara-on-the-Lake would be a positive step, common sense. Nurse practitioners play a critical role in our health care system, providing essential primary care services—

Point of order: We’ve indulged the member from Niagara Falls for some time now, but pursuant to standing order 25(b)(i), I ask, through you Speaker, that the member from Niagara Falls please return his remarks in this debate to the subject matter of the bill.

I apologize to the member.

I recognize the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

I’ll let you continue.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Today I stand before you representing the amazing people of Ajax. I rise to recognize Durham Youth Services, located in Ajax and led by Shannon Jackson and her dedicated team. They extend a helping hand to youth in Ajax and the Durham region, offering them a lifeline during a difficult time.

Under Premier Ford’s leadership, our government recognizes the immeasurable value that organizations like Durham Youth Services offer to residents facing challenges in Ontario.

This year, Durham Youth Services was the recipient of over $180,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund.

I’ve met with Shannon and her team and have seen the amazing work that they do.

DYS was also this year’s charity of choice for the Home Depot Canada Foundation. The foundation selects one project in Canada for a community build each year. Over 70 Home Depot associates, partners and vendors from across Canada came to Ajax to work on this project. In just two days, two homes were transformed with new siding, landscaping, fencing, updated doors, kitchens and bathrooms, storage solutions and much more—all at no cost to the charity.

Thank you to Shannon and her team and the Home Depot Canada Foundation for the great work they do every day to support our youth in Ajax and the Durham region. We appreciate your passion and your dedication.

Today I’m excited to share an invite to my annual pumpkin party happening this Saturday, October 28. The fun will be at T.B McQuesten Park from noon until 2:30. Many will know this amazing park is located at 1199 Upper Wentworth Street on Hamilton Mountain, which has tons of free parking, is fully accessible and is on many HSR bus routes.

This annual event is family friendly, free of charge and sure to get you in the Halloween spirit, so wear your costumes and come join in the fun. We have free pumpkins to carve and all of the pumpkin carving tools you will need to make your perfect jack-o’-lantern—and the best part is you can leave all the messy parts behind.

A big thank you to the volunteers who will be making sure you have hot chocolate, popcorn, treats and a goodie bag.

While you enjoy the afternoon with your family and friends, you can also head over to our photo booth and snap a picture of a day that is to be remembered.

New this year is the Hamilton Fire Department stopping by to say hello and to bring some very important information about fire safety and prevention.

Come out this Saturday, bring your costume, your carving skills and creativity. Let’s spend the afternoon together as a community at T.B McQuesten Park and have a spooktacular time. As always, full details are available through my office and online. Give us a call, drop us an email if you have any questions. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Have a very happy Halloween.

The member from Hamilton Mountain mentioned volunteers, so it’s a great segue.

Communities throughout Ontario are built on the backs of volunteers. We depend on them. These dedicated and passionate individuals donate their time, skills and knowledge in the communities they call home and beyond. They are instrumental in supporting families, patients, students, seniors and children. Without volunteers, many organizations, events and services would not exist.

On Thursday, September 21 and Tuesday, October 17, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism held special Ontario Volunteer Service Award ceremonies in Brockville and Kingston, respectively. Many residents from my riding of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston were recognized for their years of service, like:

—Vivian Buchanan, who has dedicated over 29 years to Perth Seniors Fellowship and 10 years with the Table Good Food Bank;

—Kathryn Mellon, who has given 35 years of her time and talent to the United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington; and

—Edward Wilson, for his 20 years of dedication to the North Lanark Historical Society.

There are many benefits to volunteering. It offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes and the community. It also connects you, the volunteer, to new friends, reduces stress and provides a sense of purpose.

To all of the Ontario Volunteer Service Award recipients, a resounding thank you from everyone you have assisted over the years. And if you haven’t done so already, consider volunteering. It’s a great experience.

The people of my riding of Cambridge are blessed to be served by countless non-profit organizations that provide life-changing support on a daily basis. Among them is YWCA Cambridge, which, this month, is celebrating its 75th year of serving women and girls in the Cambridge riding.

The YWCA is a trusted community leader that lends a voice to the needs of women and girls through innovative and responsive programs, services and advocacy.

Like all non-profit groups, the YWCA relies on the generosity of donors. Recently, on a cold, rainy Saturday morning, many supporters of the YWCA gathered outside city hall to participate in an annual event called Walk a Mile in Their Shoes. The walk raised just shy of $10,000, and donations can still be made by contacting the Y.

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes supports the YWCA’s free, community-based violence protection programming for youth across Waterloo region. It’s important to note that this event is much more than a walk through the streets of downtown Galt. Rather, it’s a strong show of unity against gender-based violence.

Speaker, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations and gratitude to the YWCA staff and volunteers as they mark 75 years of providing support and services to our community.

On that note, I would just like to add, to the women in this chamber: How you walk around in high heels all the time—I find it amazing, because I can’t do it.

I was honoured to tour the new location of the London Children’s Museum with the MPPs for London West and London–Fanshawe.

Founded by Carol Johnston in 1975, it is the oldest children’s museum in Canada, and it is a one-of-a-kind destination for all of Ontario and the United States. Children have opportunities to watch, interact, move, problem-solve, collaborate and think critically, which instill in children lifelong skills, ones which are prized by employers today and well into the future. They offer fantastic curricular supports for school tours and also help children who come from low-income households. The children’s museum inspires lifelong learners.

Everyone in London has fond memories of the children’s museum and remembers what they learned in that space. It has launched careers because of its engaging nature. Speaker, it was actually my very first job, as a young volunteer.

Their new space at 100 Kellogg Lane reflects the London community through exhibits of the forest, community displays, agriculture, space, archeology, a maker space to support the trades, water, gears and pulleys, and much more. It’s designed by children for children.

London MPPs were surprised to learn the provincial capital contributions to this project were minimal, while federal and municipal governments have stepped up with millions in support.

We look forward to hosting the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport at Canada’s oldest children’s museum, a world-class facility where kids learn, grow and thrive with a second-to-none educational experience.

I will even drive you there today.

All the best to the great people at the children’s museum for their ongoing work to help children build confidence, foster relationships and ignite curiosity.

J’ai l’immense plaisir de reconnaître aujourd’hui la Zone d’amélioration commerciale de Vanier pour son travail remarquable lié au Hub Vanier.

La ZAC Vanier a transformé un ancien terrain de stationnement en un hub communautaire innovant et elle a remporté, plus tôt ce mois-ci, the international Downtown Achievement Award. Ce prix prestigieux reconnaît « une excellente réponse à un défi de gestion d’un lieu urbain » et les projets gagnants proviennent de villes de partout en Amérique du Nord.

Le Hub Vanier fournit un espace accessible où les membres de la communauté peuvent se réunir pour célébrer, apprendre, et tisser de nouveaux liens les uns avec les autres. Organisée en partenariat avec le Centre des services communautaires de Vanier, la programmation au Hub comprend des soirées feu de camp, des soirées cinéma, des soirées musicales, et d’autres événements qui nous permettent de célébrer la diversité et l’inclusivité de notre communauté.

Last year, I attended the popular Halloween party at the Hub. I had a lot of fun disguised as Scarlet Witch, distributing candies and exchanging with families. And I even won the friendly costume competition with the other elected officials.

Events like this help forge a strong, vibrant community.

On behalf of all the residents of Ottawa–Vanier, I want to congratulate the Vanier BIA for winning the international Downtown Achievement Award. Congratulations.

I rise to recognize the importance of Small Business Week, celebrated from October 15 to 21. Even though that was last week, our small businesses should be remembered all the time, as they play a crucial role in driving our local economy.

I was once a small business entrepreneur.

In York region, more than 84% of our businesses are classified as small businesses, highlighting their contribution to the region’s prosperity. They are the heart and soul of our community, fostering job growth. It is the backbone of businesses in Richmond Hill.

I’m delighted to share the success of the fourth annual Entrepreneurship Finance Conference, hosted by city of Richmond Hill economic development on October 19. This virtual conference provided entrepreneurs with insight into capital and financial resources through interactive sessions and professional advice. The Honourable Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, attended the conference.

Our government supports them and continues to cut red tape to save businesses time and cost.

Let’s continue to champion the over 400,000 small businesses in Ontario, ensuring they have the support and resources that they need to grow and thrive.

I rise today to acknowledge Scarborough Health Network and its foundation for their efforts in serving one of Canada’s most diverse communities, right here in my riding of Scarborough Centre, for the early detection, prevention and treatment of breast cancer through breast screening programs. Our government, through the Ministry of Health, worked very hard to support these programs, and I thank them.

As we celebrate October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to thank David Graham, president and CEO of Scarborough Health Network, and Alicia Vandermeer, president and CEO of Scarborough Health Network Foundation, for their efforts to encourage women from all walks of life to put their health and well-being first by booking mammograms, which have the potential to save lives.

All three hospitals under the network are equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging programs that are fully integrated with the hospital’s comprehensive cancer care services to provide care every step of the way, from access to breast cancer screening for its early detection, to prevention, assessment, diagnosis and treatment for all breast abnormalities.

Again, I’d like to thank Scarborough Health Network for their services to the people of all of Scarborough and beyond.

I do. I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond during statements by the ministry and responses today.

It’s my great pleasure to welcome John Brunet and Jo Brunet, the grandparents of today’s legislative page captain Clara Brunet. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

People in Sault Ste. Marie and across this province are mourning the tragic, horrific loss of five people, three of them children, as a result of intimate partner violence.

Tragically, gender-based violence and femicide is on the rise in our province, and it’s long past time for change. A report from July of this year found that Ontario had 30 femicides in as many weeks—30 women killed in 30 weeks.

My question is to the Premier: What actions will the Premier take to prevent further tragedies like we saw in Sault Ste. Marie?

I also want to quickly recognize our friends from Ottawa. Alex Cullen, Councillor Kavanagh, it’s nice to see you.

A quick thanks as well to the midwives for that delicious breakfast.

Also, I want to acknowledge François Desmarais, who has been in the building—public affairs for Alstom.

Thank you for being here.

I seek unanimous consent for members to wear their purple scarves in recognition of Dress Purple Day, to show our support for children in care and the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.