Good morning. Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

I wish I was standing up here this morning to share good news, but the news from the north is sad today.

Elaina Beardy, age 11, took her own life in my home community of Kingfisher Lake First Nation.

At this time, words are not enough. Her family, classmates and all of Kingfisher Lake and Sachigo Lake are affected. Their grief is unimaginable.

I am going to share what was sent out by her family:

“Elaina was always a happy young lady, always had a ready smile for everyone. She was always willing to lend a helping hand, especially to her friends that she left behind. We called her Princess Elaina or ‘Baby,’ because that was who she was with us. She loved everyone around her. Princess Elaina will be forever missed and will be forever in our hearts.”

Her family requests continued prayers for her friends.

Meegwetch for listening, and if you have a moment today, think of Elaina, her family and friends. Our hearts and prayers are in Kingfisher Lake and Sachigo Lake today.

Applause.

Thank you to my colleague from Cambridge for his remarks.

Speaker, I know the weather is getting a little cooler. The snow is starting to fly and has flown in some parts of this province already, and many seniors in my riding have time-shares in warmer climates. They’re obviously complicated contracts, ensuring that our seniors are protected, that they know what they’re getting in to.

Many time-share operators currently don’t offer buyback or take-back programs, so this can leave consumers locked indefinitely into an agreement, and often timeshares have little to no value on the resale market. So if the owner of the time-share falls on hard times, the costs often increase for the consumer, and nothing can be done.

My question to the member from Cambridge is, can the member please tell us what this new legislation will do in order to keep time-share owners accountable and to provide options to consumers when they are investing?

Thank you to my colleague for her remarks.

I know long-term leases on home-comfort appliances like HVAC have been a focus for bad actors in Ontario.

And I know our government wants to ensure, with this legislation, that all Ontarians feel protected when they make a significant purchase for their home.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to reducing costs for terminating long-term leases.

I’m pleased to see that the members opposite, in their remarks this afternoon, have been supportive of these efforts.

I was wondering if the member could elaborate on how this bill will help her constituents, who are in some of those long-term leases, with HVAC and other home-comfort appliances.