Good morning. Let us pray.

Prières / Prayers.

There is a deferred vote on private members’ notice of motion number 69, standing in the name of Mr. Jones, Chatham-Kent–Leamington, prior to the deferred vote on the motion for second reading of Bill 38.

The updated version is available at the table.

Resuming the debate adjourned on October 25, 2023, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 139, An Act to amend various Acts / Projet de loi 139, Loi modifiant diverses lois.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

Welcome back to Queen’s Park, Alex. It’s good to see you.

Welcome to Queen’s Park. I’m so delighted that you’re here.

Good morning, Speaker. Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

We have lots of people in Kiiwetinoong who are on dialysis. To get treated, they have to travel to Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, Dryden or Kenora. They have to leave their homes. They have to leave their families. And when they go home, it isn’t because they’re getting better; they go home because they have to go to their own funeral.

When is this government going to ensure that there is dialysis care close to home for the people of Kiiwetinoong?

Interjections.

I’ll say this much: The health care system does not work for Indigenous people. I’ll also say that the system is not broken; it is working exactly the way it’s designed to, which is to take away the rights of the people to the lands and the resources. It’s designed to harm Indigenous people. If you say or do nothing to improve that, you are part of the problem.

Speaker, I ask this government, will this government support my motion today to recognize colonialism and being Indigenous as a determinant of health? Yes or no?

Interjections.

This morning.

I can tell you, like we always find out during these things, we all know about—

What I would really want to make sure is that who gets appointed to the Niagara Escarpment board is not always just either defeated PC candidates or donors. I would like to see that citizens actually who aren’t in that ring—we get other people to sit on that board who may have some experience in Niagara Parks. I think that would be really good.

So to answer your question, anything that’s going to help the Niagara Escarpment I think is good. I think it’s good for the province of Ontario. I think it’s good for Niagara. Modernizing is always a good thing, so I appreciate the question.

The reason why I raised it today is I’m trying to say to the MPPs on that side of the House, when you make a promise to a community, my suggestion is you keep that promise. Because we are having residents from 60 to 90 who don’t have a family doctor, who have to drive to St. Catharines—or find some kind of transportation—or to Niagara Falls. So that’s why it’s important to raise those issues here in the House so my colleagues can hear some of the things—