Tell another cow story.

Folks have a lot of questions about how there was the Oshawa kangaroo. It was hopping around for days and everyone was really interested in making sure the kangaroo was able to be safe at the end of the story, which, yes, it is.

However, where on earth did this kangaroo come from? Apparently, it was being transported from one zoo to another. They stopped so it could stretch its legs, and it literally hopped over a fence and ran away. So, who was transporting this and why?

Interjections.

Interjection.

There is stricter legislation that needs to be considered when it comes to zoos. We are famous for roadside zoos, and some of you might feel affectionate towards them, but we do not have regulations. You, too, could have a roo.

Somewhere in some zoo, there are kangaroos that this province doesn’t know about, because these roadside zoos are not licensed, they’re not anything. The government does not have eyes on it unless they get a complaint. Okay? But hopefully there are vets looking after those animals, one would hope, but again, when Ontario is ranking dead last in zoo regulations report cards, the government knows this, that there is that gap.

So you’ve got animal professionals, veterinarians that are being called to look after animals that shouldn’t be allowed to be there. So there are some pieces that I imagine you will hear from the veterinary community, but again when this government calls a bill Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, then I would say that all zoos should ensure that they have professional care for animals. Thank you.

It was a Sunday morning, and my staffer got a call from the police and was asked if he worked for Jennifer French the MPP, and when he confirmed, they said, “You have to come to the office.” He did not know what he would find. There were five or six cop cars, and a deer had run through my glass window, done a lap around my office, left me messages and left again. We saw the security footage. It was quite a day. That deer ran back and had stories to tell. There were two other deer that came to Oshawa that day. We don’t know where one of them went; the other one ran into a bar. That deer ran into a bar and passed the bar, and the bartender was behind, and one person got up and ran behind, and the other sat there and didn’t miss a sip. That deer stood at the back for four or five hours, waiting for karaoke, until the vets and the ministry came to peacefully tranquilize it, take it out on a sled, get it care and release it, also with stories.

So, welcome to Oshawa. But all that to say, a vet probably doesn’t know what their day is going to look like, especially on a Sunday in Oshawa.

What we also are glad to see is more spaces, but we need to make sure that those vets have the support they need to stay in practice, and that they can indeed be found across communities where they’re needed. And those who are from other countries—I have read that it’s also a recommendation to be able to get them into practising in a fair way, but make sure there’s a clear path for those who come with—