Last week, I had the privilege of joining several of my colleagues in representing our Ontario provincial government at the Ontario-Quebec Parliamentary Association 28th general assembly in Quebec. The theme of this year’s meeting was artificial intelligence.

Les objectifs de l’association sont de favoriser le développement de la coopération interparlementaire; de promouvoir la compréhension entre les deux Assemblées, en particulier dans les domaines de la législation, de la culture, de l’économie, de la science et de la technologie; et de renforcer notre amitié, la bonne volonté et la compréhension entre les peuples de l’Ontario et du Québec.

The topic of AI was timely, given the cross-partisan agreement moving my private member’s motion on the use of AI in government forward. Additionally, this week we had the second reading of Bill 194, Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024. Artificial intelligence is already being used in many sectors. It was an interesting visit to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec to see how AI has been incorporated into the art-piece-viewing experience. It was a wonderful experience in Quebec; look forward to next year.

There are more than 1.5 million Canadians who trace their origins to Italy, with most living here in Ontario. In fact, their contributions here and across the world stage are so numerous, we have dedicated June as Italian Heritage Month in Ontario.

Speaker, the Italian Canadian community is known and respected for their values and traditions of hard work, ingenuity and dedication to family life in their community. And, of course, Italians have a deep and proud history to draw upon, filling the shelves of libraries around the world. Their ancestors had an empire that spanned Europe and beyond, and their legacy has had a profound impact on all of humanity. Countless great Italian figures have shaped Western philosophy, law, culture, faith, science and so much more. To this very day, Italians continue to be a name on the world stage in science, engineering, sports, cuisine, fashion and much more.

Today in Ontario, there are almost one million Ontarians of Italian descent—Italian immigrants and their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren who literally built so much of the province with their own hands, minds and hearts. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Italian Ontarians, and it is a real honour to recognize their great culture and identity today with all of you.

Happy Italian Heritage Month.

You know what are facts, Madam Speaker? Let me actually talk about facts, okay? The facts are, Madam Speaker, that we have increased funding—I just mentioned that: $170 million over three years to support children and youth. Maybe that’s not important to the opposition; it is to us.

We want to make sure every child, every youth is set up for success, which is why we backed that up by investment. We wanted that support to start as early as 13 all the way up to their 23rd birthday with incentive and support so they can get post-secondary education, they can be connected to the trades, whatever it is they want to explore, because we want to make sure every child and youth in this province is set up for success.

Whether you’re in care or not, your circumstances matter. We’ll keep fighting for you to make sure you have a chance to succeed in your community.

The children’s aid societies ran a $15.9-million deficit last year; this year, they’re forecasting a $50-million deficit. That, to me, is not protecting our most vulnerable children. How could you possibly expect the children’s aid societies to really be able to care for kids, keep kids home with their families where they want to be, if you are underfunding them and providing them one-time funding instead of consistent funding to ensure that they have a forecast and that they are able to properly take care of our most vulnerable children?

A $15.9-million deficit, Minister; a $50-million projected. It kind of counts. It’s facts.

Recently, I was proud to announce that five organizations in Mississauga–Lakeshore have received $310,000 in funding through the Experience Ontario program. That includes $55,000 for monstrARTity for the Bollywood Monster Mashup in July, the largest South Asian festival in Canada; and another $55,000 for the Canadian Community Arts Initiative for their 19th annual Mosaic Festival in August, the largest free South Asian art festival in North America. It includes $125,000 to XL Lifestyle for the Taco Fest in August, the best Mexican festival in the GTA; $55,000 for CreativeHub 1352, formerly known as the Small Arms Society, for the Mississauga Festival of Trees, an annual winter arts and cultural festival in the Small Arms Inspection Building in December; and lastly, $20,000 for Mississauga Italfest.

I also want to invite all members to join us at my own annual Italian Heritage Month event at the Small Arms Inspection Building on June 13 at 6 p.m.

Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport for these grants, and I want to thank these organizations for all the important work they’re doing to enrich the lives of the people of Mississauga and to build stronger communities and a better Ontario. On behalf of all the members, we appreciate everything you do. Thank you.

I think everyone in here can agree that there should be zero tolerance of children being bullied in a classroom, on their school bus or anywhere in the province of Ontario. I’ve had the opportunity to stand both in opposition and here in government to make my mark as best I could to support children who may be vulnerable to such attacks, whether it was anti-Indigenous, anti-Black racism, for children with special needs, the LGBTQ+ population, Muslim students, Asian students and Indo-Canadian students.

I think that we can all agree that every student deserves a safe place to learn in the province of Ontario and to get to school. But since October 7, some children in this province have been impacted quite negatively, and that’s the Jewish students both in Ottawa, Toronto and elsewhere across the province. Jewish day schools have been shot up and children in our classrooms in different parts of the province have dealt with racism. These Jewish students are beneficiaries, of course, of increased Holocaust remembrance education, but we need to do more.

I want to talk a little bit about Tejaswinhi Srinivas, who had to take to the Ottawa Citizen this week to talk about her five-year-old child who was on the school bus and said this: “Someone on my bus told everyone Jewish” person “to raise their hand. But I knew not to do it, Daddy. They sounded mean.” Can you image that that’s happening in Ontario today?

Every member here has said on occasion, at least once a year, that “never again” is now. “Never again” is now. “Never again” is now. And now is the time for all of us to stand up for zero tolerance of bullying of Jewish students in the province of Ontario.

Today, I want to recognize eight food bank superheroes from South Crosby Public School in my riding of Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. These students in Power Up 2, led by their teacher, Mrs. Leanne Huffman, have spent the last year growing and donating produce to two local food banks.

In late October 2023, these eight students in grades 3 and 5 started growing lettuce, and they decided they wanted to donate it to the Elgin Food Bank. In the new year, the Power Up 2 students decided to host staff hot lunches prepared by the students themselves. Also, they sold ice cream sandwiches to their peers. All the proceeds went directly to the Elgin Food Bank.

The students have even been making monthly donations of fresh lettuce grown in their own ZipGrow to the Portland Food Bank, including with each donation an instruction manual on how to grow these plants so that food bank users can grow their own tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce over the summer months.

Since last January, these eight students have raised a total of $1,012 dollars that have been donated to both the Elgin and the Portland food banks.

I want to do a special thank you to Mrs. Huffman and her students: Sheamus Dance, Paisley Wood, Jacob George, Jacob Gordon, Joseph Riley, Jackie Rightmyer, Oliver Worrall and Johnathan Worrall.

Colleagues, please join me in congratulating these eight food bank superheroes.

Last Thursday, I was delighted to host my sixth annual Eglinton–Lawrence Volunteer Service Awards, my favourite event. Each year, these awards give us all an opportunity to recognize community heroes and allows all the attendees, along with friends and families, to reflect on the profound impact of their dedicated service to others.

This year, 110 people from 20 organizations received an award in recognition of their exemplary volunteer service. These organizations include places of worship, hospitals, not-for-profits, Toronto Police Service and others. Each award recipient is recognized for their individual contribution, but also for their work with an organization, emphasizing the notion that, while volunteering starts at the individual level, we’ll accomplish more by working together.

The recipients’ contributions are truly inspiring. For example, those serving the Italian community in my area through Columbus Centre, Villa Charities, received awards this year. One recipient from Baycrest Seniors Support Program, Susanne Treichel, has volunteered as a friendly caller and listened to the calls of the seniors with empathy and compassion for as long as they needed for over 25 years. Also, a volunteer, Clayton Johnson with the Asbury and West United Church, was recognized for all of his work with property maintenance over several years.

These are an inspiring award. It’s always better to recognize people for giving than for what they get, and I really want to congratulate all the Eglinton–Lawrence 2024 recipients for this year.

I’d like to welcome to the House my brand new constituency assistant, Lisa Parsons, and her husband, Kevin. Thank you for being willing to serve the people of Brantford–Brant and Ontario.

It was a pleasure to meet with Jesse Oshell, the deputy fire chief from the city of Greater Sudbury, as well as Harry Baranik, the fire chief for the municipality of Bayham. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me.

I do want to welcome the page captain Westley Tam here from Markham–Stouffville and his family: Alvin, Milan, Blythe and AJ Tam. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to welcome my three interns, Angelina Covino, Elizabeth Becke and Milena Basciano, to Queen’s Park today. Thank you for being here.

I’d like to welcome everyone from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies here at Queen’s Park today, with a special shout-out to Laura Lambie, Doug DeRabbie, Peter Lejcar and Dylan Hemmings. I’m looking forward to our meeting today.

Good morning, everyone. I would like to give an extra warm welcome to the Ontario fire chiefs, especially Ontario’s best deputy fire chief, my brother Stephen Emo, who’s here from Collingwood. Thank you for all you do.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker and thank you. I hope you’ll indulge me for a few moments to introduce this morning because I have an a lot of family here today: my daughter Frances; her husband, Rohan Negandhi; Alma Negandhi; Haren Negandhi; Gavin Lopez; Robin Lopez; Beryl Annette Lopez; Gracian Anna D’Costa; Darryl John D’Costa; Sanjay Peter D’Costa; and Brother Sunil Bosco D’Costa, who was just recently ordained on May 17, 2024, as a Capuchin Franciscan friar. There is life for us after Queen’s Park, as I’ve discovered; he used to work in the AG’s office.

And last, but not least, I want to introduce my wife, who’s here today as well: Silvana Tibollo. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome platoon chief Brent Shea from the London Fire Department, as well as deputy fire chief Mark Parkhurst from the Ajax fire service. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I look forward to our meeting.

I’m very glad to welcome Fire Chief Stephen Barkwell of the Oshawa Fire Services as well as Mark Pankhurst, the fire chief from Ajax fire. I’m looking forward to our meeting. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

This morning, with gratitude, I had a meeting with the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, who are here today. It was fantastic to have Dave Cunliffe, who is the fire chief from the Hamilton Fire Department; Jared Cayley, fire chief, Gravenhurst Fire Department; Simon Worley, who is from the Tecumseh fire department; and Ed Melanson, who is also chief from Saugeen Shores. Thank you so much for your meeting this morning. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome my summer intern students here. We have Tarek Abo Atiaa, Magdalene Barack and Miral Reyad. Welcome to Queens’ Park.