Our government, in 2017-18, came in with a mandate to increase mental health funding, because the former Liberals underfunded this area, investing roughly $16 million to $18 million per year. Under our Premier’s leadership, we’re investing over $110 million, over a 550% net increase in funding, a commitment to invest.

We also announced a plan to mandate mental health within the curriculum, to reduce the behavioural challenges we’re seeing, but also to strengthen the resilience of young people. We were the first province in Canada to mandate it in every single grade. And then, under the leadership of the member from Burlington, we codified a tool kit developed with School Mental Health Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Mr. Speaker, if we want to deal with violence, then we need to unite people around our shared values, not subdivide them, as many members of the illiberal opposition would want us to do.

We need to stand up for shared values in Canada. We have to make sure young people know that through mental health and upstream investments we can prevent the distractions in class and keep every single child safe in our system.

I know the Leader of the Opposition can’t bring herself to accept matters of fact as confirmed by school boards in the province of Ontario, but if she is so committed to mental health, then why have you voted against each and every single mental health worker, psychologist, psychotherapist, social worker we’ve hired?

I know the inconvenient truth of the NDP: They voted against budgets. They voted against curriculum. They even voted against a tool kit developed by SickKids Ontario.

But, Mr. Speaker, we brought forth a plan to actually go after the issue of distractions in schools by eliminating vaping and—

Interjections.

I would like to express thanks to London West resident Johanne Nichols, who collected about a hundred signatures on a petition that addresses increasing costs in health care for corporate executives and administration. She notes that our health care system is in crisis. She is concerned about ensuring that funding is going to direct patient care instead of senior administration salaries. She is recommending that the Legislative Assembly institute parameters to specify the percentage of health care budget and funding that should be going to administrative and corporate personnel.

I will affix my signature to this petition and send it to the table with page Riley.

I will affix my signature and send this petition to the table with page Ethan.

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table with page Riley.

We have all heard from constituents who want to see some improvements to the program to improve access to the program and also to make timely repairs. This petition has a number of measures that the government could and should take.

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and send it to the table with page Jasnoor.