Further debate?

Further debate?

Ms. Scott has moved third reading of Bill 41, An Act to amend the Consumer Reporting Act and the Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act, 2017 with respect to certain debts incurred in relation to human trafficking. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carries? Carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion. Congratulations.

Third reading agreed to.

The House recessed from 0940 to 1015.

It’s an honour today to rise to speak to Bill 41. It’s an even deeper honour to be one of the co-sponsors of this bill. I want to thank my colleague from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, my colleague from Spadina–Fort York, and I’m most thankful to my colleague from Ottawa–Vanier for taking the lead on bringing this legislation forward.

If passed, Bill 41 would be the second bill in Ontario’s history to be sponsored by all four political parties here in the Legislature. This bill is especially important, Speaker, because it will make a huge concrete, practical difference in the lives of survivors of human trafficking.

I want to, as my colleagues have mentioned, give a shout-out to Richard Dunwoody, who first brought to my attention the issue and the financial challenges that survivors of human trafficking face. I want to thank everybody who has provided input on this bill, provided feedback on this bill and has worked hard throughout the process of this bill; getting it to the place it is this morning. I know the details of this bill—we’ve had some long conversations about it, some conversations in committee about how it would be implemented, but I want to say that what has been unequivocally clear to me throughout all those conversations is the unanimous support for this bill and what this bill intends to accomplish.

If passed, Bill 41 will provide great relief to the survivors of human trafficking from incurred fraudulent debt and, in doing so, allow them to move one step closer to reclaiming their freedom and their lives as survivors of human trafficking. Speaker, 65% of police-reported human trafficking cases in Canada in the last decade were right here in Ontario, with 95% of those cases affecting women, teenagers and marginalized groups in our society. In most of these cases, survivors were unaware of the accumulating fraudulent debt that they were accumulating because of their trafficking situation.

If you think about it—think about the trauma, think about what it has done to your life, and think about the courage it takes to survive and remove yourself from human trafficking. And then think about how you must feel when you realize that the debt that has nothing to do with you but is fraudulently in your name is preventing you from getting a student loan or applying for a car loan, applying for a mortgage, possibly renting an apartment, securing a credit card. So many of the things and the financial tools and instruments that so many people just take for granted as part of everyday life—imagine that being denied to you. That’s what’s so important about this bill.

But I will say, in my conversations with survivors of human trafficking, there’s even a deeper importance to this bill. I had one survivor tell me that every time she heard the phone ring, it retriggered her trauma. Most of the times when that phone rang, it was a debt collector trying to collect the debt that her trafficker incurred in her name. She said to me, “Yes, I want my financial life back. I want the independence and freedom that brings. But what I want as much or more than that is just for the phone to stop ringing, so I don’t have to relive that trauma each and every time I hear it.”

When we talk about what we can do and what a difference this bill is going to make in somebody’s life, I think of those stories. I think of those stories, Speaker. This bill will open doors of financial opportunity that will allow survivors to move forward.

I want to say to my colleagues on all sides of the House that by coming together today and—I’m hoping—unanimously voting in support of this bill, we are enabling survivors to move past a dark chapter of their life.

I want to echo my colleague from Spadina–Fort York’s comments about some of the other things we can do, because we know that while this is a vital step, there are more steps to take. Today, Ontario interval and transitional housing supporters are here as part of the Wrapped in Courage Campaign. We know that a number of survivors of human trafficking end up in shelters, and those shelters are underfunded. Those shelters need support. We need support for victim compensation. We need to ensure we address the housing affordability crisis so those survivors have a safe, affordable home to go to.

Speaker, I’m proud of the work that we’ve all done together across party lines to bring this bill forward. It’s a positive step. It’s a step I believe we can all be proud of. Once again, I want to thank my colleague from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, not only for your advocacy on this bill but for your advocacy on human trafficking. My colleague from Spadina–Fort York, thank you for standing up and bringing Richard Dunwoody’s vision to reality through this bill. And my colleague from Ottawa–Vanier, thank you for having the insight to say, “You know what? Let’s bring all parties together to sponsor this bill, to not make it just in my name, but to make it in the name of all four parties.” Because I think it is so important, Speaker, to send a direct message to the survivors of human trafficking that this is a bill, and you as a survivor—we see you, we hear you, we’re going to act for you and we’re going to do it in a way that brings everybody in this Legislature together, to say that all Ontarians have your back. And we’re going to give you the tools to have financial freedom.

Thank you, Speaker, and thank you all for your participation in today’s debate.

No further business.

On Monday, November 27, members of the Sikh community celebrated Gurpurab, the 554th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.

Gurpurab is a holy and religious holiday for members of the Sikh community, including myself. This most sacred day in the Sikh calendar is traditionally observed by attending gurdwaras and participating in “seva,” selflessly serving others without expectation of recognition or reward.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji travelled on foot with a mission of uniting the world through love and kindness. His teachings and lessons contributed to the creation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is the central holy religious scripture in Sikhism. The three core teachings in Sikhi are Naam Japna, remembering God at all times; Kirat Karni, earning an honest living; and Vand Chakna, sharing your earnings with the less fortunate.

Speaker, I would like to emphasize Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s selfless and compassionate nature, always preaching for kindness and unity. Gurpurab serves as a commemoration of his life, accomplishments and, notably, his enduring legacy.

Heart and Stroke is at Queen’s Park today. Since I was elected, we have worked together many times to call on the government to introduce health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.

I am happy to report that thanks to their support, we have taken many steps forward. Ontario has banned flavoured cigarillos; they were marketed to youth to get them addicted to nicotine. Restaurants now put calorie labelling on their menus to help people make healthier choices.

In 2019, Heart and Stroke joined me in support of a bill to create an automatic external defibrillator registry that 911 operators could use to direct callers in the event of a cardiac arrest. Although it became law three years ago, it is still not implemented, but I am hopeful.

Heart and Stroke is here today because there’s so much more that needs to be done. Ontario needs to be informed, educated, and raise awareness about heart and brain health. We need to accelerate critical research to improve outcomes for people living with heart disease and stroke. And we need to support people in their health journey and recovery.

Heart and Stroke does all of this with their advocacy for public policies, for healthier environments, for improved access to support services and for a strong and equitable health care system. Thank you, Heart and Stroke, for all you do and for all that your volunteers do. Ontario is healthier because of your hard work. Thank you. Merci.

I would like to thank the Associate Minister of Housing, Minister Flack, for his visit in Glengarry–Prescott–Russell last week. We had the opportunity to participate in the inaugurations of two new senior citizens’ housing projects in St-Albert and Vankleek Hill. Our government did provide close to $3 million to help create affordable housing units in the united counties of Prescott and Russell to support our seniors.

The new building at the Résidence Lajoie in St-Albert consists of a two-storey building with 26 units, six of which are fully accessible. Residents have access to fitness equipment, a shared recreational space and a meeting room. The new three-storey building at the Vankleek Hill Senior Citizens Manor includes 30 housing units. The building is also energy-efficient and designed to meet VisitAbility standards with accessibility features such as wide doors and everything.

It was nice to meet with the new tenants that had moved only a few days prior to our visit. We were able to reiterate on our commitment to helping more Ontarians find a home they can afford and that meets their needs. I would like to thank the board members from both non-profit organizations. They have some opportunities from different governments for funding, but it takes their implication, through these volunteers on the boards, to do the work and make it happen.

Me and the minister stopped by the St-Albert cheese factory to get some cheese curds and also stopped by Beau’s beer and Dunrobin Distilleries in Vankleek Hill to shop for Christmas presents. It was a great day.

It’s Christmas parade season, and all across the valley, communities are getting together to do something that everybody loves.

In my riding, each and every parade is a special experience that speaks in a very visual way about the people, the organizations, the businesses, and their expressions of community spirit. This past weekend, I was able to attend parades in both Cobden and Pembroke.

The Cobden parade is a daytime parade that brings out people from all around the area and sends out the message that Christmas is near. As the first parade of the season, that is most appropriate. I even had the opportunity to entertain the crowd with my rendition of the Burl Ives classic, Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.

The Pembroke parade is an evening event, and this year’s edition was truly spectacular. Over 100 floats took part in the parade, witnessed by the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen. The floats and the work that goes into them is something to appreciate. My hat goes off to all those who work so hard to make these parades so very special.

What really is the most wonderful part of the Christmas/Santa Claus parades is the joy and excitement shown by the children as they anxiously await the arrival of the jolly old elf.

As I move along the route, exchanging greetings with so many people, it is the reactions of the children that leave the most lasting impression. The joy of children; isn’t that what it’s all about?

I look forward to experiencing more of it this weekend.

Today, the members in the Legis-lature are wearing purple scarves in honour of the Wrapped in Courage campaign. And today, we have many agencies that support female victims of violence and that are also fighting for an end of violence against women. This Wrapped in Courage campaign was organized by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses. They note that it takes an entire community to bring an end to gender-based violence, and they’re asking everyone to support survivors of gender-based violence and become part of Ontario-wide efforts to bring an end to this violence. They’re in the House today, and I met some of them before this, just a few minutes ago.

That they’re in the House today is very auspicious, because this morning we had the third reading of Bill 41, which is a bill to bring an end to coerced debts for survivors of human trafficking. This bill was passed by all parties. It’s an all-party bill, and we’re looking forward to the implementation so that survivors who are encumbered by debts from their trafficking, by their traffickers, will have those debts expunged so that they can get on with their lives.

I want to thank all of the agencies who are here for the Wrapped in Courage campaign for all of the work that you do to provide supports to women who are victims of abuse, and also to survivors of human trafficking. Thank you for being here.

We’re looking all looking forward to the day—November 25, we will note that it’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It’s a day that we should all recognize and all commit ourselves to do our part to bring an end to gender-based violence.

Last weekend, our country and, really, the world lost a remarkable individual. Mr. George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada, passed away at the age of 86. And I wanted to honour his memory in the House today and acknowledge his incredible legacy and impact on our province and country.

Although George was born in Chicago, he believed completely in Canada’s distinct identity. He made sure that he used Canadian suppliers, and included the red maple leaf logo in the Canadian arches in McDonald’s.

In 1977, he created McHappy Day. And in 1981, he brought the first Ronald McDonald House to Canada. Today, there are 16 houses across the industry helping over 26,000 families a year and giving them a place to stay while their children face health issues in hospitals.

He has been honoured with so many distinctions for his philanthropy, including the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.

In 1982, Toronto’s Santa Claus Parade almost came to an end, and George stepped up and he saved and he preserved it—and usually, he dressed up as a clown and he joined in on the fun.

When he was asked about his biggest accomplishment, George said this: “Getting involved with McDonald’s allowed me to do for other people. And that’s the charities—the Ronald McDonald Houses; the McHappy Day. The pride I have ... not only to sell hamburgers ... but to be a good member in communities around the world—to help society.”

For George, it was always about community over self. May his legacy live on.

Ontarians are relying more on food banks than ever before, yet the Premier says Ontario is 1,000 times better now than when he took office in 2018. Speaker, make that make sense.

Feed Ontario released its 2023 Who’s Hungry report on Monday. It shared concerning statistics about the reality for hundreds of thousands of Ontarians. Food banks are struggling to keep up with the continued rapid rise in demand. Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, over 800,00 people accessed a food bank in Ontario, visiting nearly 5.9 million times; this is an increase of 38%, and 36% over the previous year, and the largest single-year increases ever recorded by Ontario’s food bank network. In Windsor, pre-pandemic, they were serving about 300; now it’s about 1,500. The report states that two in five visitors had never visited a food bank before, an increase of 41% over the previous year. Workers are turning to food banks in greater numbers, with more than one in six visitors now citing employment as their primary source of income. Social assistance remains a significant driver of food bank use, with recipients of OW and ODSP increasing by 17% over last year. The majority of food banks are worried about meeting the need in their community, with 69% of food banks concerned about having enough food and 53% indicating that they were worried that they do not have enough funding to adequately sustain service.

Speaker, poverty is a policy choice; it’s this Conservative government’s choice. Ontarians deserve better.

I want to pay tribute today to the recipient of the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce, 2023 Award of Excellence for Citizen of the Year, in my riding, my friend, Mr. Tom Russell.

As a community volunteer, Tom has played instrumental roles in fundraising campaigns that have secured millions of dollars in support of many, many worthy causes. In his professional capacity as the long-serving executive director of the Thousand Islands Community Futures Development Corp., he has played a critical role in supporting hundreds of small businesses with tens of millions of dollars in financial assistance and countless hours of professional advice, helping to create thousands of jobs along the way.

Tom has worked has worked closely with a variety of stakeholders to author or co-author numerous funding applications, which have collectively generated additional millions of dollars in support for community projects. His extensive volunteer and professional roles have Tom sit or chair on many influential boards and committees over the years in my riding.

Tom was born and raised in Brockville and has been with his lovely wife, Kimberley, for 34 years. Tom Russell is one of those special people who has dedicated his life to public service. My riding really owes him a debt of gratitude. Congratulations, my friend. Your parents, Ron and Emma, would have been so very proud of your accomplishments. Congratulations.

It is my honour to introduce some fine ladies who work at Women’s Habitat in Etobicoke: Carla Neto, executive director; Lina Almanzan, who is director of philanthropy; Alicia Whyte, who is manager of programs and client services; and Sheila Baroro, who is manager of finance. Thank you, ladies, for the work you do in our community every day.

It is an honour to welcome the northern representative of the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses, Jennifer Chamberlin, and the executive director of the New Starts for Women in Red Lake. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Josh Van Horne from the Brantford Professional Firefighters Association; Elise deBlieck’s grade 6 class from Hope Reformed Christian School; and Natasha Dobler from Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services of Brantford. Great to have you all in the people’s House.

November, as you know, marks Woman Abuse Prevention Month. Today, we were greeted by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses with their Wrapped in Courage awareness and advocacy campaign.

I would like to thank OAITH executive director Marlene Ham for your incredible work along with your team: Amber Wardell, learning and development coordinator of OAITH; Lauren Hancock, policy and research coordinator of OAITH; Sherece Taffe, digital office support of OAITH; OAITH board members who are here today: Melanie Ducharme, executive director of Pavilion Women’s Centre; Jessie Rodger, executive director of Anova: A Future Without Violence; Jyoti Singh, executive director of Nellie’s Shelter; Erin Baydak, team manager of Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre; Tessa Mcfadzean, director of Good Shepherd Women’s Services; Sly Castaldi, executive director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis; Jennifer Chamberlin, executive director of the Red Lake Emergency Women’s Shelter; Carla Neto, executive director of Women’s Habitat; as well as some other organizations that were here today: Yasmine Youssef, executive director of Nisa Foundation; Daniela Giulietti, director of public affairs of YWCA Hamilton; Alicia Whyte, manager of programs and client services of Women’s Habitat; and finally, the fantastic team from Aura Freedom International.

It is my pleasure to welcome Windsor Professional Firefighters: Kris Matton, Shay Currie and Jeff Goldthorpe. I look forward to meeting with them later in my office. I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to wish a sincere welcome to so many from Windsor and Essex county. From the Windsor Professional Firefighters Association, Kris Matton, Jeff Goldthorpe and Shay Currie; from the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors, Maggie Chen, Mark Lalovich, Elica Berry and Krista Gionet. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to welcome Greg Bostajian, honorary consul of Lebanon in Toronto, and Manal Saaidoun, head of the consular department. I would like to invite all the members for the Lebanese flag raising in front of the Parliament after 12:15, marking the Lebanese Independence Day and the Lebanese Heritage Month. They will be cutting cake in my office, 262.