It was interesting listening to the people who came in and did deputations. All of them agree on one thing: Our home care system is not able to recruit and retain a stable workforce. They are not able to meet the needs of the people who qualify for home care right now and who cannot gain access because the different contractors are not able to hire PSWs.

What in this bill have you got to make sure that our home care system will have enough PSWs and other staff to meet the needs of the people who presently qualify for home care and will continue to qualify for home care? We put forward the motion to make PSW jobs good jobs, permanent full-time jobs and well paid. Where in this bill do you address the number one issue in home care?

We all know that Ontario health teams will also soon be dominated by for-profit. Now that we have for-profit long-term-care homes, for-profit home and community care, many of the big players of the Ontario health teams will be for-profit. Many presenters asked to make sure that the care coordinators do not get delegated to a for-profit agency. We put amendments forward to do just that. Those were voted down.

Aren’t you afraid of the conflict of interest once a care coordinator works for a for-profit agency?

Very clearly, Ontario Health atHome fails to assume the same responsibilities that the local health integration networks previously assumed. The minister implied during public hearings that she expects the hospitals to take on all the responsibilities, even through they’re not capable of doing that. What will she do to ensure that hospitals get the support that they need?

While we are working through all of the details, we need to make sure that our Ontario health teams are prepared. I can appreciate the member is anxious to get this up and running in his community. We need to make sure, and that’s why we have set the 2025 date. I believe that you will see your constituents will now have a far better appreciation and understanding of what to expect as they leave hospital and go into home and community care. It won’t matter, frankly, which community they are living in; they will have a consistent approach in that transition from hospital to home.

Further questions?

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

We managed to table a lot of motions and amendments to this bill in the very short period of time that we had been given, but it didn’t matter if we talked about, number one, making PSW jobs good jobs so that they can recruit and retain a stable workforce; that we talked about the conflict of interest of having care coordinators working for for-profit agencies; that we talked about the Information and Privacy Commissioner writing to us and asking us to make changes to the bill to make sure that we protect patients’ privacy; that we asked for changes to the board so that we can see what is happening with the boards of the LHINs, that we have access to their minutes, we have access to their meetings. None of this will be available once the LHINs are no longer there in Ontario Health atHome. They voted each and every one of those amendments down.

How can you ensure transparency—

I first met Patty in 2015 when she was elected as secretary-treasurer of the OFL, and she has not stopped impressing me ever since. Patty changed the OFL for the better. Her leadership style is completely different. She’s a collaborator. She brings people together to co-operate, to accomplish goals as a team. Patty is able to listen, in sometimes pretty tense situations, and hear what unites us, not what divides us. She brings together those pieces that everyone agrees on and uses them to unite allies with very different perspectives and priorities. Over the last four years under her leadership, the OFL was able to rally members towards a united labour movement.

Patty’s leadership came to the forefront last year, when this government introduced the Keeping Students in Class Act, an unconstitutional bill that was an attack on every union member, every worker, every student and every parent in this province. They won. The OFL, under Patty’s leadership, brought together workers in a united front that forced this government to step back.

I will miss you, Patty, but remember: I kept your phone number.

Once again, it’s a pleasure for me to stand and advise the assembly of some great things happening in the riding of Essex. As we know, one of this government’s goals is to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, and one of the organizations that’s going to help get to that goal is the Women’s Enterprise Skills Training, or WEST, organization.

WEST concentrates on giving skills and training women, especially women in underrepresented groups, in the skilled trades. WEST has a collaboration with another great organization called LIUNA, the Labourers’ International Union of North America Local 625. Together, WEST and LIUNA are going to help build the skills we need to build homes.

All of this is made possible in part through a generous grant given to these organizations by the government of the province of Ontario. I want to thank the great people at LIUNA and the great people at WEST, especially Rose Anguiano Hurst, who is from my hometown of Amherstburg, Ontario, for helping us help the people get the skills that we need to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.

I rise today to speak about the insidious grip of extremism in its various forms taking hold in Ontario. It casts a dangerous and hateful shadow upon the very fabric of our society: trans students bullied and assaulted at schools, Indian residential school and Holocaust deniers emboldened, Jewish-owned businesses and synagogues vandalized, Arabs wearing their keffiyehs targeted, women wearing hijabs harassed, and three generations of a London family murdered because they were Muslim by a driver radicalized by the dark web and extremely hateful rhetoric from ultra-conservative politicians.

White supremacy, with its vile ideologies, seeks to assert dominance, tearing apart the rich tapestry of our multicultural landscape. Transphobia and homophobia deny individuals the fundamental right to live authenticcally and without fear. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia propagate hate and discrimination against religious communities, creating a climate of insecurity and prejudice.

We must combat these ideologies vehemently through legislative action, education and community engagement. Let us work together across party lines to eradicate extremism. Let us denounce and outlaw disinformation campaigns which breed misogyny, radicalization, white nationalism and domestic terrorism. Our actions today can ensure that unity and inclusivity prevail.

Speaker, this is Bullying Awareness Week. In school boards across the province, classes are taking time to discuss ways to combat bullying in schools.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reports that over one in five students have reported being bullied at school. Many of us in this House have experienced bullying as children or teens or have children that have experienced it.

Bullying can take many, many forms, including physical, verbal, written or even cyberbullying these days. Typically, it’s an aggressive behaviour that repeats over and over again. The results are that children and teenagers may develop mental health challenges, social anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem or even a physical illness, all because of bullying. They may become ashamed or discouraged to “tattle” on the bully.

To all the parents out there, please watch for signs that your child may be the victim of a bully. They may not want to go to school or join in activities. They may act differently than they normally do. They may start to lose money or personal items.

But most importantly, to the students across Ontario, please, remember that you are not alone. Tell an adult you trust. Talk to your friend or your sibling about it, or call the kids help line or text “CONNECT” to 686868. We, together, can stop bullying across Ontario.

Today, I want to talk about the Learning Disability Awareness Month flag-raising that I went to by the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury. It got me thinking about my son Sam. When he was in grade 3, my son Sam hated going to school—absolutely hated it. If there was a supply teacher, it was so difficult for him because he felt stupid, and we let him stay home if the supply teacher was there for more than one day.

The thing is that Sam had a learning disability. It was undiagnosed at the time, but because of that, although he’s a very bright young man, he felt like he was stupid. It’s organizations like the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury that worked with my son to help with adaptations so that he could be strong and successful as a student, like they do with many students.

At the flag-raising, we had members there from Sudbury Five, the basketball team, and Sudbury Wolves, our local hockey team, and one of the members, when he spoke, said, “We all play for Sudbury.” I love how that resonates with me; the importance of “we all play for Sudbury” and that these kids with learning disabilities can be so successful—so incredibly successful—with the right adaptations, the right way of looking the things, the right way of helping them to learn the way they were designed learn.

My son Sam, many years later, now almost 26, is going to be graduating. Next year he’ll be a teacher, and he’ll have that knowledge and information going forward, reaching other kids who learn differently, just like he did.

One of the things I get to really enjoy—I think we all should hopefully take the time to enjoy, and I trust we all do. This time of year, we, as elected officials, get to participate in our Santa Claus parades in a lot of our communities across the province.

In Sault Ste. Marie, we had our annual Santa Claus Parade that is hosted by our Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie this past Saturday. I had a great time participating in that. We put a float together. I want to thank my staff, Kathy, Jen and Edie, for working so hard to put it together. I want to thank my mom, Lina, and my kids, Jayden, Jackson, and Jarrett, who participated with me in walking down Queen Street in Sault Ste. Marie and handing out candy canes to thousands. I think we distributed just shy of 3,500 candy canes on Saturday.

One of the fun moments is being able to participate with your family, I find, in these parades, getting to walk up and down the streets and shake hands with the members of your community. It is a fun moment that I think we all have as elected officials. I trust so many of you enjoy that as well.

Of course, the one drawback, Mr. Speaker, as I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of parades as well, is you never—and my kids point this out as we’re always leaving the parade route. That’s when you actually see the floats, as everybody is dismantling them along the parade route. You don’t get to see them, Mr. Speaker, but it’s fun to participate and welcome Santa Claus to town.

Mr. Speaker, our young people in this province are all concerned for their future in this province. I have spoken to so many young people in Scarborough, and here’s what they tell me: Life is unaffordable. They have more student debt than ever, because the Conservatives cut OSAP grants. They don’t make enough to buy food, to pay rent, and pay back their student loan. They cannot move out of their parents’ homes, because the cost of rent is so high and this government has not built affordable housing.

Our young adults deserve to be able to live independent lives, but instead we’re seeing them driven to food banks. We all want a better future for our kids, but they can’t afford to thrive here anymore in Ontario. Many of them are leaving our province, abandoning Ontario because Ontario is abandoning them.

But I want the young people of our province, from Scarborough and beyond, to know I am here to always fight for them. They are our future now, and they are our future generation to come and our leaders for tomorrow.

Today I want to take a moment to acknowledge two amazing women in Ajax that have been an example of leadership and compassion: Pastor Fredrica Walters from Christian Life Outreach Centre and Elaine Gardener from Durham region.

Both of these women, along with others, have continued to devote themselves to ensuring the smooth transition and integration of refugees arriving in Ajax and Durham. Many of us witnessed the plight of refugees on Toronto streets earlier this year. Even though this is still an ongoing concern, these women rallied together and galvanized the community to support these newcomers in Ajax. Their unwavering commitment stems from a profound empathy and understanding of the hardships faced by others fleeing conflict and persecution. With boundless energy and a warm, welcoming spirit, they orchestrated various initiatives aimed at providing essential resources, language assistance, and emotional support for these newcomers to my community.

Many thanks as well to our Ajax welcome centre, and to Hermia and her team, who worked closely with these wonderful ladies to facilitate and support the initiatives. Whether organizing community gatherings to foster connection or spearheading educational workshops, they have been an amazing team—putting together resumés, applying for jobs. They exemplify the true essence of empathy and solidarity, inspiring others in Ajax to join hands in embracing and empowering the newest members of our community.

Thank you for all that you do.

Being inclusive means embracing diversity with open arms, valuing every voice, to foster belonging for people with different abilities. It’s about creating spaces where everyone feels respected, heard and appreciated.

December 3 marks the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Despite a strong job market, in 2022, the employment rate for 16- to 64-year-olds with disabilities was 15 points below those without disabilities.

As we look toward marking this day, I want to emphasize the importance of supporting people with disabilities by removing barriers, by providing equal opportunities, access and support to thrive in their chosen careers. That is why the Ontario government is supporting over 3,700 individuals with disabilities to gain meaningful employment by investing $6.5 million through the SDF. Additionally, government is supporting businesses to champion the cause with the Discover Ability Roadmap, enhancing inclusivity through the EnAbling Change Partnership Program.

In Mississauga-Malton, Jake’s House Employment Training Program is an innovative, adaptable program that supports individuals with disability to enter the workforce in fields like construction and security. Thank you, Jake’s House, and everyone, for working together to build inclusive communities and to make change for the better.

Together, let’s nurture every dream, ensuring inclusivity is not just a buzzword but a cornerstone of success.

Colleagues, yesterday, Sharif Rahman of Owen Sound was honoured as the 2023 recipient of the YMCA Peace Medal. This award recognizes special people who commit time without special resources, community status or money to promote and build a better community for us all.

Sharif is a very deserving winner of this award. Sadly, though, he is receiving this award posthumously. Sharif grew up in Bangladesh, attained a master’s degree at the University of Glasgow, and lived in England before moving to Canada in 2013. He bought The Curry House in downtown Owen Sound in 2015.

Sharif always looked for ways to help others in the community and did so in so many ways, but on August 17, everything changed. Sharif was the victim of an assault outside his restaurant after a dispute with three customers who refused to pay. The assault left him unresponsive and on life support. A week later, he died. He was 44.

The Owen Sound community was deeply impacted by this event. The night before Sharif’s passing, hundreds of people walked silently through the downtown. Many stopped at The Curry House to place flowers and shed tears.

The YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce praised Sharif’s “unwavering dedication” to the community and “the genuine warmth with which he touched the lives of everyone he encountered.” Thank you, Sharif, for all you did for others, always thinking of those around you before yourself. May you rest in peace.

Applause.

This morning I have some powerful women in the House today. I have Mohini Datta-Ray, executive director of Planned Parenthood Toronto; Krista MacNeil, executive director of Victim Services of Durham Region; Amanda Black, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ottawa Hospital and president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada; and Dr. Elaine Jolly, Research Chair in Women’s Health Research. I would like to welcome them all to the House, and thank you for being such a strong advocate—thank you, Dr. Black.

It’s not every day that we have First Nations leadership here. I’d like to welcome Chief Melanie Boucher, Matachewan; Chief Jennifer Constant, Mattagami; Chief Murray Ray, Flying Post; Chief Anita Stephens, Chapleau Ojibwe; council member Kevin Tangie, Brunswick House; council member Stan Fox, Matachewan; Jason Batise, Wabun Tribal Council; and from Chapleau Ojibwe, Joshua Memegos and Leonard Stephens.

Also, from Hydro One: Matthew Jackson, Sean Tutak, Jessica Maga and Aaron Ward. Meegwetch for coming.

I’m very pleased to introduce the CAO of the beautiful town of Perth, Ontario: Michael Touw and his partner, Janelle Warren.

It’s great to be—

However, I am thrilled to have my wonderful wife Melissa joining us today up in the west gallery.

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome constituent of Thornhill and author of You Don’t Make Friends with Salad, Jessica Gerlock.