That sounds like a no to enforcing the law.

Speaker, back to the Premier: Almost 10 years ago to the day, the headline of pay-for-plasma centres is back in the news.

Grifols, this private for-profit company from Spain, has pinpointed it down to postal codes with the highest unemployment rates and the lowest income in the province. They plan to set up shop and prey on our most vulnerable by way of an exemption loophole, in a community where many are unhoused, waiting in long food bank lines and struggling day to day to make ends meet.

Does the Premier think it’s appropriate that people will be selling their blood to survive?

I would like thank Barb MacFarlane for this petition.

“Blood and Plasma Donations Not for Sale...:

“Whereas in the 1980s, 30,000 Canadians were infected by HIV or hepatitis and 8,000 died after receiving tainted blood transfusions; and

“Whereas the resulting royal commission of inquiry led by Justice Horace Krever made recommendations to protect the integrity of blood-product collection; and

“Whereas recommendation 2(b) of the Krever inquiry states donors of blood and plasma should not be paid for their donations; and

“Whereas British Columbia and Quebec have forbidden deals between Canadian Blood Services and the for-profit plasma industry to outsource collection and pay donors;

“Whereas Ontario has legislation that forbids the private sale of blood and plasma under the Voluntary Blood Donations Act;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To immediately act to forbid Grifols pharmaceutical from setting up for-profit clinics and paying donors to sell their plasma....”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Paras to bring it to the Clerk.