Merci à mon collègue. Ce matin, quand tu as parlé des routes dans ton allocution, on voit qu’il y a tellement d’investissements dans les routes dans le Sud, mais quand ça arrive aux routes comme la 11, la 17 et, encore pire, les routes secondaires comme, tu as mentionné, Dubreuilville—je peux penser à Hornepayne; je peux penser à la 655, la 144, que le monde du Nord utilise beaucoup—bien là, l’investissement n’est pas autant. J’ai aimé ton—quand on voit les cônes et on voit les poteaux. Ça, on voit ça souvent sur les routes secondaires.

J’aimerais entendre que l’investissement—et on sait qu’avec tout le développement du Nord, les ressources viennent du Nord; elles ne viennent pas du sud de l’Ontario. Et qu’on voit nos infrastructures, nos routes, nos ponts, tout ce qui est entouré pour ramener ces ressources-là dans le sud de l’Ontario, puis que le Nord soit oublié—j’aimerais entendre plus là-dessus.

Ce que je veux dire par ça : c’est de l’infrastructure dont on a besoin dans le Nord—nos routes, nos ponts, nos chemins. C’est ça qui nous donne accès à nos emplois. C’est ça qui nous donne accès à nos événements récréatifs. C’est ça qui nous donne accès à nos soins de santé. Puis, on ne les voit pas. On voit des pratiques qui ne sont pas idéales pour les gens du Nord.

Puis, je pense—il y a eu une demande. Ils vont être ici, là, dans une autre deux semaines : Good Roads. Good Roads vont être ici. Et dans leur demande, ils ont demandé que le gouvernement fasse une revue en général de l’infrastructure de tous nos chemins. Est-ce que nos chemins sont bâtis pour accommoder la transportation et puis les gens, les équipements qui sont en train d’utiliser nos chemins correctement aujourd’hui, avec les capacités qu’on a aujourd’hui? Ça, c’est une bonne suggestion que j’encouragerai ce gouvernement de prendre. C’est une bonne revue de tous nos chemins à travers la province.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the debate this morning on the budgetary measures in the province of Ontario.

I am going to start my remarks today at a point where the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore left off. I had heard him making remarks not particularly on this specific motion, but on budgetary items, and they were one-hour remarks. Right at the very end, he said something that I found very important, and I’m going to elaborate on that.

Before I do that, though, I did want to make some comments about the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore, because I find that in this assembly there are many interesting people with fascinating qualifications and backgrounds, and we don’t spend enough time talking about those fascinating backgrounds and qualifications.

I wanted to take an opportunity to just tell the assembly a little bit about my colleague from Mississauga–Lakeshore, who has been inducted into the order of the Knights of Malta. The order of the Knights of Malta is a very ancient order; it’s a thousand years old. It started in the city of Jerusalem. The Knights of Malta were attacked and expelled from the city of Jerusalem, and then they took up residence on the island of Cyprus. They were attacked again and expelled from the island of Cyprus. From there, they took up residence on the island of Rhodes. They were then attacked again and expelled from the island of Rhodes and took up residence on the island of Malta. They were then besieged in what is known as the great Siege of Malta of 1565, which they withstood, and withstood the test of time and survived today as a charitable organization doing good works for people around the world.

We are lucky that the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore is actually a member of this august order, the Knights of Malta, and I did want to take an opportunity to recognize him for that and congratulate him for that.

At the end of his one-hour presentation with regard to financial matters in this House, he touched on something which I felt was very, very important. He said, if I may paraphrase what he said, that in 2018, the total revenue for the province of Ontario—that is to say, the treasury of the province of Ontario—was approximately $150 billion. And today, the total revenue for the province of Ontario—that is, its governmental operations—stands at over $200 billion.

The member from Mississauga–Lakeshore properly observed that that is an increase of over one third in revenue, and that has been accomplished entirely without raising a single tax and without raising a single fee. That is quite an accomplishment. To raise the governmental revenues by one third over the course of six years without raising a tax and without raising a fee is an accomplishment and a very good one and a very important one.

I’m sure if the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade were here, he would give a very brief, succinct and very good explanation of how that was done. I’ve heard him give that explanation before, and I’m going to try to give that explanation now, because it’s important. I think that the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade would say that we were able to increase the revenue of the government of Ontario without raising taxes and without raising fees by doing some very specific things. He would start by saying, “First, we lowered the cost of doing business.” And by saying that, he would give examples, such as reducing the cost of WSIB premiums and other costs associated with doing business in the province of Ontario, to the point where we attracted so much business into the province of Ontario that many, many, many companies—from small ones to large ones to multinationals—are now investing in the province of Ontario, creating jobs, creating economic activity, and thereby increasing the revenue that is being collected by the government of the province of Ontario.

That would be a great success story, and I think it is a success story. I think it’s the success story of the last six years, encapsulated by the fact that this government has not raised a single tax or fee in six years. In fact, we’ve done the opposite.

That brings me to the budget that’s before us now. I have made some reference earlier to pages 71, 72 and 73, which set out a brief host of affordability measures that the government has undertaken, and, by doing so, demonstrating that not only have we simultaneously increased revenue but, at the same time, decreased taxes and decreased fees.

I would like to take this opportunity to mention just a few, and the one that I refer to most commonly is the reduction of the gasoline tax, which saves approximately 10 cents per litre on gasoline. That’s particularly important for people in the riding of Essex and, I would suggest, very important to people in other rural parts of Ontario, because we don’t have mass transit in Essex county. In fact, it’s impossible to deliver mass transit in Essex county because of the rural nature of the riding. And so people have to rely on their cars and their trucks. Every time you fill up your truck or every time you fill up your car and every time you take a trip, whether it’s to the grocery store or whether you’re bringing your kids to the arena or the soccer field, or whether you’re bringing your kids to dance class, you have to take a private automobile of some sort. There are a few exceptions, but very small exceptions to that rule.

And so every time somebody drives across the county of Essex to deliver their kids to wherever they’re going, there’s a cost involved in that, and we’ve reduced that cost by 10 cents per litre, which, accumulated day in and day out, really makes a difference for people, because I can tell you that the most common expense that people have is to put gas in their cars.

Related to the transportation in rural areas is also the cost associated with owning a car and licensing a car and permitting a car. Those costs, as we know, Madam Speaker, have either gone down or been frozen. For example, we removed the fee for the licence plate sticker on automobiles, which saves the average family approximately $240 per year. And that’s an important measure, because that’s an extra $240 per year that people now have to put their kids in soccer or to buy dance classes or simply to celebrate a birthday.

I think that’s an important cost-saving measure. It’s an affordability measure and it helps everybody. It doesn’t help just a certain group of people; it helps everybody who owns a car or a truck, and certainly helps my constituents in the county of Essex. I just thought I would highlight those two measures, which I thought were particularly important.

On that, Madam Speaker, I move that the question now be put.

No further business.

Mr. Leardi has moved that the question be now put. There has been over nine hours of debate, with 24 speakers. I am satisfied that there has been sufficient debate to allow this question to be put to the House.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

All those in favour of the motion that the question be now put, please say “aye.”

All those opposed to the motion that the question be now put, say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, this vote will be deferred until after question period.

Second reading vote deferred.

The House recessed from 1005 to 1015.

Last Friday, our government announced the launch of the Bereavement Support Program, committing over $3 million to support families of first responders and public safety personnel with rapid access to vital mental health supports. The funding will support free bereavement counselling to those grappling with the loss of a loved one who was killed in the line of duty or has died by suicide.

It was an honour to make this announcement in our esteemed town of Aurora at Station 4-5, alongside the Solicitor General and the Minister of Health, a place that embodies the spirit and dedication of Central York Fire Services. Situated at the heart of our community, this station stands as a symbol of safety and resilience, soon to be renamed in honour of our dearly departed Fire Chief Ian Laing, a fitting tribute to his enduring legacy.

This announcement underscores our government’s commitment to those who serve us with such bravery. Our first responders and their families make immense sacrifices. Supporting them through all circumstances is not just our responsibility, it is our profound duty.

Thank you to the families and loved ones who stand beside Ontario’s public safety personnel as they bravely serve and protect Ontarians. Thank you.

In April, members of the Sikh community celebrate Sikh Heritage Month. The month of April holds significance for the Sikh community as Vaisakhi marks the birth of the Khalsa, and the Sikh faith is celebrated during April.

During this time, Sikhs across the world take time to reflect on the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who established the Khalsa Panth. The values that Guru Gobind Singh Ji embodied and promoted were courage, selflessness and preaching equality.

Throughout April, Sikh Ontarians will be participating in various parades to celebrate the birth of the Khalsa and to promote the Sikh religion and values. As such, during these parades, Sikhs can be seen giving back to the community through the act of seva, which is selfless service.

One of these parades will be taking place at Nathan Phillips Square on April 28, and anyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion, is welcome to come visit, celebrate and learn more about the Sikh religion.

Speaker, it is the time to seize this moment to celebrate Sikh Heritage Month with optimism and a commitment to building a brighter tomorrow, where we continue to embrace diversity and promote inclusivity and, together, we move forward towards a future where unity, understanding and respect for diversity prevail.

Gord Singleton: I want to rise today and speak about someone who was an important member of our community, the fastest man on two wheels, Gord Singleton. As one of Canada’s greatest cyclists, Gord was an Olympian, a national champion, a world champion, a world record holder, a generous and dedicated local business owner, but most importantly, he was a devoted husband and father. Gord received the Order of Canada and was inducted into the sports hall of fame. He was a true champion.

After a battle with prostate cancer, Gord passed away on March 24, and we lost an amazing member of our community. Myself and my entire office offer our condolences to the Singleton family.

Gord’s passing is a difficult reminder of how pervasive and common prostate cancer is among men in our province and country. We know that when diagnosed early, nearly 100% of men will survive at least five years after a diagnosis. But right, now Ontario remains one of the last provinces in the country to cover PSA tests under OHIP.

We’ve worked hard with the Canadian Cancer Society to push this government to do the right thing and expand coverage of PSA testing, including introducing a number of motions to grant coverage to men with a doctor’s referral. The more men that are tested, the more lives we save.

Let’s celebrate Gord’s legacy to our province and our country and expand the necessary health care services to ensure we detect prostate cancer early and save men’s lives. Rest in peace, my friend.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of taking part in an event that has been going on in my riding since 2008. The humanitarian group Kids Against Hunger held their annual One Million Meals Peterborough. Their original goal, back in 2008, was to make a million meals for those experiencing malnutrition. Volunteers each raised $65 to help pay for the food that was packed.

We had ground soy—because it’s higher in protein than meat—rice, a mix of ground vegetables and minerals and dehydrated vegetables. All the food was mixed together in a bag of about 400 grams. When you boil that with water for half an hour, it provides enough nutrition for six people for an entire day. And the genius of the process is that you don’t need to start with potable water. By boiling the water for half an hour, that makes it potable.

Speaker, more than 330 people volunteered their time to pack these bags, and I’m proud to announce that, by the end of the day, we had filled enough bags that we surpassed 900,000 meals made since 2008.

I want to give a big shout-out to the Drain Brothers, who will be warehousing the food until it can be shipped where it’s needed, and to EG Gray transport for shipping the cases of food to the port for us. Saturday’s food is destined for Haiti to help in that humanitarian effort.

I really want to thank all of the volunteers who gave their time to make a difference for people they will never meet.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure to attend the 100th birthday celebration of Joe Baxter at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 406, Barry’s Bay. I had the honour of bringing greetings to Joe, his family and the packed house, and to congratulate Joe on his amazing achievement. Joe then sang along as I treated him to a couple of his favourite Irish songs, When Irish Eyes are Smiling and Danny Boy.

It was then Joe’s turn to take the mike. I have known Joe for close to forty years. Joe has gravitas and draws a crowd wherever he goes. Well, he went on to educate and entertain the folks for 45 minutes. That’s right: not four to five; 45 minutes. He treated us with stories and his memories of growing up on a farm near Ottawa and the challenges that it presented, but also how grateful he was to be raised in that environment. He spoke of when his father died young and how many of those responsibilities were passed on to him.

Joe then went on to work for the Bank of Canada, interrupting that career to serve overseas during the Second World War. Following the war, he returned to the Bank of Canada, retiring after 40 years, only to be asked to come back. Well, he worked for another 37 years, retiring permanently at the age of 93.

Joe is indeed a very remarkable man, blessed with a wonderful family and admired in his community. His vitality at 100 is hard to describe, but easy to admire. His energy makes us all feel young again.

The great Waylon Jennings once said that if we could all sing the way we wanted to, we would all sing like George Jones. Well, Speaker, if we can all live to be 100, I think we’d all like to live it like Joe.

Here are 10 outrageous things happening in our health care system under the Ford Conservative government:

(1) Some 2.2 million Ontarians are without primary care.

(2) Clinics charging an annual subscription fee simply to access primary care are growing.

(3) Hospitals are having to borrow money at high interest rates due to underfunding.

(4) Underfunding of hospitals has turned hallway health care into waiting room health care.

(5) Use of private agency nurses has exploded under this government’s watch, costing the system significantly more than hiring directly.

(6) Private clinics are renting space in public hospitals and being paid more for the same services, like cataract surgeries, leaving taxpayers with a higher bill.

(7) The Ontario government owes $6 billion in wages to the public sector, including health care workers, because their Bill 124 to cap wages was found unconstitutional.

(8) Over 280 emergency room closures in communities across Ontario due to underfunding, with people having to travel hours to access emergency care.

(9) Despite promises, still no coverage for take-home cancer treatments, leaving people to pay out of pocket if they don’t have private insurance.

(10) Pharmacists are being pressured by corporate offices at companies like Shoppers Drug Mart to do unnecessary medication reviews, which has cost the system as high as $1.4 million in one week.

Speaker, this government is delivering worse services at a higher cost, with questionable ethics. Are they so incompetent, or is this by design? Either way, Ontarians are getting a bad deal.

The Ottawa Food Bank is seeing new people every day. More and more food bank clients are employed people and families coming from two-parent households, blurring traditional poverty lines.

Cort Sarion’s family have been clients of the Ottawa Food Bank. She said last week, “We are all equally teetering on the precipice of falling into one bad year, month or day away from ending up on the street, not one good year away from making millions.”

Food insecurity in Ottawa has doubled, with a 68% increase in visits since 2019. Other food banks across Ontario have reported similar increases in visits. Food insecurity across the province is a direct result of the rising cost of living, and my community of Ottawa–Vanier is really struggling to keep up. Minimum wage in Ontario is $16.55, but the minimum living wage in Ottawa is set at $21.95. Are we really okay with knowingly paying less than what people need to survive?

As I reflected on the Ottawa Food Bank’s 40th anniversary event, I was reminded of the importance of addressing food insecurity and implementing direct policy solutions. Before the Ottawa Food Bank reaches 80 years, let’s support the hard-working families in Ottawa and beyond coping with the rising cost of living.

I’d like to welcome, from my Oakville North–Burlington community, Alan Harrington, who volunteers with the Burlington Historical Society and the city’s citizens heritage advisory committee. Welcome.

Dave Sopha was a legend in Cambridge. Mr. Sopha was the creator of the world-renowned Portraits of Honour, an oil painting that features the 158 Canadian soldiers, sailors and air crew who lost their lives in Afghanistan. It was a labour of love. Portraits of Honour, a 42-foot by 10-foot-high canvas, took more than 10,000 hours to create. In 2011, Mr. Sopha took his painting on a tour of 120 Canadian cities, where millions of people flocked to see what was quickly becoming a national treasure.

Dave Sopha was a household name in Cambridge. Following his death in 2021, his daughter Terri committed to carrying on her father’s good work by continuing to operate the Portraits of Honour museum and the Portraits of Honour Foundation. Recently, the museum had to find a new home, and it was a challenging time for Terri before space was secured at the Preston Scout House, where her father’s military artifacts and memorabilia are displayed.

I beg to inform the House that the following document was tabled: a report entitled 2022-23 Interprovincial Budget Comparison, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Today is the 10th anniversary of James Michael Flaherty’s untimely death. He served in this Legislature as the MPP for Whitby–Ajax in several roles from 1995 to 2005, including Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance.

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Canada’s former Prime Minister, said appointing Jim Flaherty in 2006 as finance minister was one of the most meaningful decisions ever for this country, as James steered the economy through the global recession of 2008-09 and worked hard to get the country on a sound financial footing in the years afterward.

Jim Flaherty entered public life to make sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, had the chance to live happy lives of purpose and dignity. Inclusion in every respect was his ultimate goal. He and Christine Elliott were instrumental in creating the Abilities Centre, a fully accessible recreational and community facility in Whitby. The centre’s mission is to enrich the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.

We cannot know for certain how long we have here, nor the trials or misfortunes which test us along the way. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures, and we can strive at all costs to make a better province so that someday, if we’re blessed with the chance to look back at our time here, we know that we spent it well and that our fleeting presence has a lasting impact on the lives of others.

This is how James Michael Flaherty lived. That, Speaker, is his legacy.

I think this is the first time I’ve been first; I’m usually last on the introductions. I want to welcome the members from the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders here today. I’m looking forward to meeting with them later today, and there’s a reception tonight in 228. Let’s welcome them to the House.

I have a few introductions. I will try and get through them quickly. I would like to welcome folks here today for the debate on Bill 173: Erin Lee, the executive director of Lanark County Interval House and Community Support; Cait Alexander, who is a survivor of intimate partner violence; Kirsten Mercer, a lawyer who represented end violence against Renfrew county; OSSTF members Kelly Bevan and Tracey Marshall; the vice-president of OSSTF, Martha Hradowy; and all the way from Windsor, Fartumo Kusow, who is here—her daughter was killed by her intimate partner last year.

I also want to welcome Chief Mary Duckworth of Caldwell First Nation, Councillors Duckworth and Heil of Caldwell First Nation, former chief and councillor Larry Sault of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Chief Claire Sault of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to take a few seconds to introduce and recognize today’s page captain, Emirson Ricker, who hails from Dunnville in my beautiful riding of Haldimand–Norfolk. Emirson attends Cairn Christian School. Welcome, Emirson, and I truly hope you enjoy your stay here at Queen’s Park.

Good morning. Before I introduce my visitors today, I’d like to beg the indulgence of the House for just a few seconds, because today is the most significant observance in the Muslim faith. After weeks of fasting and prayer, Muslim Canadian families in Mississauga and across Ontario are observing Eid. To all my Muslim Canadian friends, a very happy and joyous Eid Mubarak and Eid-Ul-Fitr.