I would like to recognize the delegates from the Canada-Nigeria Trade Expo who are here in the House today: Bose Odueke, Bola Oduyale, Festus Adebayo, Umar Abdullahi, Osobase Omo, Dr. Hayatuddeen Awwal, Chikodi Onyegbula—and all the other guests from Nigeria. Thank you for coming to this wonderful province. Welcome to the Legislature of Ontario.

Applause.

Also in the members’ gallery are other members of Ontario Place for All: Peggy Leake, Caroline Haddad, Catherine Bruce, Janet Summers, Anne Pedersen, Emily Switzer, Sue Holland, Julia Louise Pereira, and Heather Johnston.

And since today is the last sitting day, I want to give a special shout-out and thank you to my OLIP intern, Olivia Collver.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome. I think they’re up in the members’ gallery. I’m looking forward to having lunch with them—the incredible team from Campbellford Memorial Hospital. They do so much work.

John Russell and Erik Kowal, I’m looking forward to having lunch with you gentlemen. Thanks for all you do for our community.

This morning, I’d like to welcome Jasmine De Fina and Maggie Beatie from SafeHope Home, which helps victims of human trafficking. Welcome.

I’d like to welcome to the House, also from Ontario Place for All, Ric Amis, Tim Maguire, Kendall Savage, Kathleen Hearn, Anastasia Listsova, Lisa Latimer, Gehna Banga, and Monica Tap. Thank you for all your hard work and advocacy.

Tuning in from Ottawa Centre is Megan Mick. This is Megan’s last day working in her short-term placement with us in Ottawa Centre.

Thank you, Megan, for tuning in this morning and for all you did for the great people of Ottawa Centre.

I want to introduce Dave and Maria Hartney, who are in the gallery, from the beautiful riding of Perth–Wellington.

I would like to introduce and thank my first and wonderful OLIP intern, Razan Akiba, who has been a wonderful addition to our team. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

I’d like to take a moment to welcome and thank all of the good folks from Ontario Place for All for joining us here today. Thank you for all of your hard work and advocacy.

Interjections.

Members please take their seats. There are no political statements associated with introduction of visitors.

I’ll first recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

As I planned my member’s statement for today, I intended to deliver a message encouraging everyone to shop locally and support their local economies. But I was inspired by some of my colleagues on both sides of the House to take a slightly more artistic approach. So, with the help of my amazing staff, may I present some advice from St. Nicholas:

‘Twas the weeks before Christmas, and all through the town

The parents were shopping as flurries came down.

Getting gifts for their children from local shopkeepers,

Then shopping online as the snow just got deeper.

But a local business supports so many things

From hockey to splash pads, and much in between.

From the shirts and the jerseys on local sports teams,

To the new park equipment—just look at it gleam!

While enjoying the stores, seeing people they know,

They are laughing and smiling with their faces aglow.

These local shopkeepers, so friendly and warm,

Also employ people, with kids of their own.

So we ask you to choose them and choose your home city

While enjoying the street scenes decorated so pretty.

With the many supporters, our stores are successful

So merry Christmas to all, and to all we are grateful!

I just need to take a moment to wish the very best of the season to all the residents of Hastings–Lennox and Addington, to all my colleagues here in the House and the staff. I wish you a very happy holiday season. Joy, peace, laughter and rest.

I’d like to introduce board members from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses—Marlene Ham, Amber Wardell, Carla Neto—and Susan Wells from Family Service Ontario. Thank you very much for your advocacy, and thank you for joining me this morning. Welcome to the House.

I am delighted this morning to welcome Sofia Olaya, who is a high school co-op student working in my constituency office, and my executive assistant, Amanda Stratton. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to welcome the Newmarket Huron Heights Warriors football team to Queen’s Park, who will actually be arriving later this afternoon. The Warriors won 37-2 in the Golden Horseshoe Bowl on November 28, and this game marks the team as top in this great province. Congratulations to the Warriors.

From Ontario Place for All, we have Nicholas Jennings, Sheila Toller, Abdulkadir Celik, Marybeth McTeague, Beth Kapusta, Thomas Varey, Janine Miedzik, and Michelle Smith. Welcome to your House.

I think it will come as no surprise to the Leader of the Opposition that I look at things a lot differently.

When I look back at this past year, I see over 700,000 people who have the dignity of a job, who didn’t have that before. I see billions of dollars worth of investments that have come to the province of Ontario because of the policies of this government—the policies that have reduced red tape, cut taxes. We are investing in infrastructure to support the investments that are coming into this province. We’re investing in transit, transportation.

I look at our students, and for the first time, this Minister of Education has delivered peace in our school system. I say that quite sincerely. Probably for the first time in my life, there is peace in our school system.

I look at the work that the Minister of Labour has done to ensure that we improve access to skilled trades. I look at the amount of women who are coming into the skilled trades.

When I look back, I see a really good year and much to look forward to in the years ahead.

Moreover, we are making significant progress on our commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term-care-home beds—which are homes for seniors. We’re making progress on that.

We are bringing economic development to parts of the province of Ontario that have never had it before. I look at the people in Loyalist township, who will have one of the largest investments ever made in their community—jobs and opportunity for them.

I look at the Minister of Northern Development and the Minister of Mines—the fact that we are opening up the resources of the north to support investments that are coming in the south.

Good news for all.

First of all, I can’t believe what’s coming out of the leader’s mouth across the aisle about housing, when the NDP and the Liberals and the Greens have voted against every single housing initiative that we’ve ever put forward.

We could go back five and a half years, when people were leaving the province, 300,000 jobs were leaving.

But the good news is, we’ve created the climate and the conditions for 715,000 people to be working today who weren’t working under their government. There are over 300,000 jobs available. We had over 800,000 immigrants show up to Ontario last year alone. That’s what’s causing the housing crisis. But do you know why they’re coming here? This is the engine of Canada. This is the engine of North America. Everyone in North America knows we’re the hottest place anywhere in North America to open a business, to start a family, to buy a home. That’s what the real solution is—by creating that environment.

Thank you for the question from the Leader of the Opposition.

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.

Next, I’ll recognize the leader of His Majesty’s loyal opposition.

The government House leader.

Stop the clock.

Interjections.

Interjections.

Restart the clock.

The Leader of the Opposition still has some time.

The Premier can respond.