I just want to wish our colleague Jeff Burch a very happy 39th birthday.

D-Day, the 6th of June, 1944, was the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. The Allies used over 5,000 ships and landing craft to land more than 150,000 troops on the beaches of Normandy.

The Allies banded together more than 80 years ago to put an end to the tyrannical rule of a dictator—a dictator who convinced his countrymen to abolish the rights of minorities, to turn a blind eye to crime, stoking the fires of hate and division while fighting to eliminate democracies across Europe. Through populist propaganda and simplistic slogans, attacks on education, experts and the media and a constant effort to hide the truth and to hide their true intention, fascism prevailed.

There are lessons to be learned as history is always perilously close to repeating itself. Notwithstanding a century of civic progress, some current-day leaders have launched attacks on individual freedoms and rights. We must challenge this at every opportunity.

Speaker, we owe our freedoms to those who landed on the beaches at Normandy. One such hero is a long-time Kanata–Carleton resident, Dr. Roly Armitage, who is 99 years old. He landed at Normandy and fought bravely for his country. He returned home and became a long-time community leader and veterinarian in West Carleton and the Ottawa Valley. When asked what he remembers about landing in Normandy on D-Day, he humbly says, “I got my feet wet, and I wasn’t welcome.”

Like so many, Roly doesn’t see his selfless service as anything extraordinary. His service is a constant inspiration, and I am privileged to call him a friend.

To my colleagues, to my friends, to all Ontarians, I ask you—I implore you—to honour Roly’s service to our country, to honour the sacrifice made by thousands of Canadians who never returned from war. Our democracy is a priceless legacy paid for in blood and sacrifice. It is our constant duty, our responsibility, to raise our voices in protest wherever and whenever we encounter the tools of tyranny. Lest we forget.

Point of order.

Point of order, the member for Hamilton Mountain.

I recognize the member for St. Catharines.

I’m seeking unanimous consent to allow members to wear poppies today, Wednesday, June 5, and tomorrow, Thursday, June 6, in remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government.

I rise again to recognize the great privilege to stand to participate in representing my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this Legislature as we collectively lead an important moment of reflection for Canada’s military history. It is the veterans who sacrificed it all for our communities. They have made it so we all can enjoy and respect the freedom we enjoy today.

Today, I stand to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Normandy landing. When those who served our country first enlisted, they did so as ordinary citizens, some lying about their age. They felt pain and joy. They made memories with their friends and loved ones back home in hockey rinks and schoolyards, in living rooms and community centres. They lived a life here as we all do today. Eighty years ago, they left as ordinary people; when they marched onto the beaches of Normandy, they were forever changed. They became our heroes.

On June 6, 1944, Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen were sent into the bloodiest battle of World War II—1,074 Canadians were injured and 359 did not make it through the battle that day. To put that number into perspective for those of you sitting in this room, the lives lost on that day is more than double the number of elected individuals we have sitting in this chamber.

By the end of the Battle of Normandy, we lost more than 18,700 Canadians. What sets them apart is their unwavering service, their willingness to risk and, for some, give the ultimate sacrifice to each and every one of us. In donning a uniform, they represented us; they fought for us; they gave their lives for us. We are honour-bound to remember them. In each of our own ways, we honour those who have defended our freedoms and made the ultimate sacrifice.

My colleague from Ottawa Centre visited those beaches recently, honouring his grandfather, and the feeling and the emotions that would overcome him with grief, pride and honour.

My community in Niagara, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada and across Ontario have deep roots that will be expressed in events and memorialization. I encourage all of the members of this House and this chamber to attend their own local events.

I am proud to live in a province where our government, the official opposition and the independent members of this Legislature will always stand by our service members, be it past, present or future. We honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada 80 years ago on the beaches in Normandy. We honour those sacrificing every day in some way in active duty right now, defending our freedoms on the front lines. For that, we owe them a debt that we can never repay. We owe them the honour of remembering them today, tomorrow and in the future. We will remember them.

It’s an honour to rise today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal moment in Canadian and world history.

On June 6, 1944, British, American and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne military invasion in history, which played a central role in ending the Second World War and the march of tyranny across Europe.

Canadian soldiers, sailors and aviators were instrumental in D-Day’s operation. Some 14,000 Canadians bravely landed on Juno Beach and pushed further inland than any of the Allied forces. Their bravery and sacrifice played a critical role in the Allied invasion, which ultimately led to victory in Europe and the end of the Second World War, the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.

There were 1,096 Canadian casualties, of whom 381 lost their lives. Many of those heroes still remain laid buried in France, while others suffered injuries to body and mind that they would carry for the rest of their lives. Eighty years later, it is imperative that we remember the ultimate sacrifice they made.

Speaker, all of us in this House have a duty and a responsibility to honour their sacrifice by defending the freedom and democracy they fought for and died for, so today we honour the men and women who risk their lives on the beaches of Normandy, and we take time to reflect on the many privileges we have today as a as a result of their sacrifice. Lest we forget.

The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

I’m pleased to say that we also have with us the Poet Laureate of Ontario, Randell Adjei, and his mother, Esther Ablorh; his father, Fawkins Ablorh; and his friend Mark Stoddart. Randell has done a superb job as Poet Laureate, and we thank him for his service to the Legislature and the people of Ontario.

Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier.

This government knows how to spend big on vanity ads and projects that favour their friends. In fact, their fiscal plans are going to see Ontario’s deficit triple this year. Across Ontario, meanwhile, people are wondering what they’re getting for that money. Rural emergency rooms are closing, northern highways are shutting down, and schools are running out of buckets to catch the leaks.

How can the government justify spending nearly a billion dollars to break a Beer Store contract that is already set to expire?

It’s the Premier’s priorities that are completely out of whack with where Ontarians are at. If he spent some time talking to them instead of for them, he might learn something.

I want to take that Beer Store contract again, for example—even people who are looking forward to having beer in convenience stores are asking why we would ever fork over as much as a billion dollars to make it happen when the contract is going to expire anyway. They want to know why there’s no money to fix the air conditioners in their kids’ schools, but they have hundreds of millions of dollars for that.

Does the Premier think that this billion dollars is money well spent?

Interjections.

Anyway, back to the Premier: In February, we saw the loss of 300 school board positions that support children with special needs in Mississauga, in Brampton and in Caledon. A new report from People for Education found that nearly half of our schools are experiencing a shortage of educational assistants every single day.

Students with disabilities have a right to education in safe and supportive classrooms. So my question to the Premier is, why are children in Ontario being shortchanged by this government?

You don’t need to wait for a coroner’s inquest to start right now to make sure that kids don’t die at school. So my question back to the Premier is, what changes will this government be making today to ensure that no other parent has to go through what Landyn’s mom, Brenda, is going through right now?

Interjections.

The minister hasn’t even said Landyn’s name. He is not a data point; he was a child and he was Brenda’s child.

There is a theme here of a government that is cutting funding and programs that support children. We used to have a children’s advocate in this province until this government got rid of him. Families have been coming here to this place for the last six years warning about the risks and the consequences of this government’s choices.

I want to ask the Premier: Will he contradict his minister and agree that you do not need to wait for a coroner’s inquest to do right by Landyn and other kids like him?

To reply, the Minister of Finance.

The supplementary question.

Minister of Finance.

Minister of Education.

Thank you for the question, to the member opposite.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: The number that she’s putting forward, of course, is a hypothetical number that you can only get to—get this—if you raise taxes and raise fees. Which side of the House wants to raise taxes and fees? I would submit that it’s that side of the House and that side of the House, except for the middle here. This side of the House wants to cut fees and cut taxes for the people of Ontario and the businesses of Ontario.

As we saw last week, we had a number of businesses say that this was a good thing. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said, “Speeding up the process to allow more Ontario small retailers to sell beer and wine is a very positive move for entrepreneurs and consumers.”

What does the member opposite have against—

And where is this money going? Through this Minister of Health and the whole team on this side, this money is going to build more hospitals and acute-care beds across the province. Fundamentally, also, this Minister of Health led the charge to increase the funding for primary care—$600 million—so that there are more patients being taken care of.

But she didn’t stop there. Do you know what she did? She put in a request, and we’re funding $2 billion more for home and community care so we can take good care of people at home.

That’s what we’re doing for the people.

Let’s continue to look at some of the support here from the Ontario Craft Brewers: “These changes are critical to the success of the new system so craft beer operators have a chance to compete and thrive in Ontario.”

The Grape Growers of Ontario: They want to expand their grape growing in Ontario.

The Convenience Industry Council of Canada: They want to increase the ability to sell beer and wine across the province.

One concept that I think the member opposite can’t seem to handle is that we can be fiscally responsible and grow the economy at the same time. This party is getting it done.

We are firmly committed to the safety and security of those very children, which is why, in the most recent budget, we increased the staffing and increased the funding for special education. Speaker, to the member opposite, we’ve now increased spec ed funding to the highest levels in provincial history. It is up over $110 million this year compared to last year.

There are 3,500 additional EAs within our schools as a consequence of our Premier and government’s investment. This year, we launched a new investment to train our staff specifically dealing with a plan of care co-created by the school and the parent for children that have prevalent medical conditions—a new investment we announced some months ago and put in place.

We are committed to the success and safety of children. The funding is there. We’ll continue to increase it and the staffing and the training to keep our kids safe in our schools.

The school board in question, as required by the province, has a plan of care. They actually have a plan for any child with medical conditions. They are required to implement it. This year, to the member’s question of what’s new, we added an investment specifically to deal with consistent training of our staff when we’re talking about children that have these issues. We’ve developed training modules and new investments put out this year to help those very children in our schools.

The member for Hamilton Mountain, please come to order.

The next question.

The Minister of Education.

The next question.

Minister of Energy.

The spin stops here. We are now in full force in our farming season in Ontario. The farmers are out there, and that includes, in my riding, the grape growers, those great wineries like Huff Estates and Rosehall Run and Sandbanks that we all enjoy. They’re out there producing great Prince Edward county wines.

Since day one, our government has been focused on bringing costs down. Even in our recent budget, the Minister of Finance cut the wine tax by 6.1%, a great step. We’ve also focused on cutting energy costs, and that’s a break of 10.7 cents a litre at the pumps.

Not only are our farmers out there in the field every day, but they need to get their products to market. The Grape Growers of Ontario, with a group of farm organizations not too long ago, with the Premier and agriculture minister, said that they just can’t survive the federal carbon tax supported by our provincial Liberals, NDP and the Green Party.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, gosh, Mr. Speaker, you look great today.

My question is for the Minister of Energy. I don’t need any political spin; I want a straight answer. My question is: At a time when inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, the federal government has decided to further burden Ontarians and hike the carbon tax by 23%. Time and again, the federal Liberals and their buddies in the Ontario Liberal Party, led by the carbon tax queen herself, Bonnie Crombie, have continued to put failed policies that show a lack of empathy for Ontarians who are struggling with the cost of gas, groceries and heating their homes.

When the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, was mayor of Mississauga, she hiked taxes, just like her federal buddies are doing now. Ontarians cannot afford this Liberal tax grab. The carbon tax must come to an end.

With summer quickly approaching, could the Minister of Energy please explain how the carbon tax continues to affect—

The queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, knew well when she was mayor of Mississauga the cost of the carbon tax, particularly on public safety. The carbon tax costs a police car $6,500 per year; for a fire truck, $15,000 per year. We haven’t done the numbers, but I imagine the carbon tax is pretty pricey for private jets as well.

All parties in this Legislature, including the Ontario Liberals, including the NDP, should be calling on the federal government to abolish this punitive tax. Instead, the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals, led by the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, are choosing to do nothing. Ontarians deserve better. That’s why our government will continue to fight this disastrous tax until it is scrapped for good.

Can the minister explain what our government is doing to stand up against the carbon tax and put money back into Ontarians’ pockets?

I appreciate the advocacy of the member from Kiiwetinoong and the Minister of Education and, frankly, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, who collectively have worked with us to build a very effective partnership with Nishnawbe Aski Nation. We recently committed $2.6 million in funding to support a number of activities to ensure that children in school, especially from the Far North, get the mental health supports that they need.

Part of that funding went to Keewaytinook Okimakanak to lead the NAN Hope program that provides community-driven, culturally appropriate services for young people in crisis. Other supports included students who have come from the isolated communities to places like Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay and ensuring, whether it’s crisis teams or just partnering with a mentor, they have the resources in those schools for mental health supports.

Of course, to the member’s question about the immediacy of support, especially for youth in crisis, part of those resources was dedicated to make sure that Nishnawbe Aski Nation as an organization had the vehicles necessary to get to locations to meet students coming from the north or in cities—

When dealing with a tragedy of a child, the responsibility of government and Parliament is to make sure that there is an independent, fulsome investigation, which the coroner of Ontario is leading, supported by the OPP. That young man, Landyn, has every right and deserves this investigation for his family and for his mother.

That’s why, to the member’s question of what is new, this government stepped up with an investment that took effect this year, specifically to deal with the consistent training of our staff with respect to children that require a plan of care. Every school board is required to have that.

Interjection.

I would hope the members opposite would allow that investigation to take place without the inclination of trying to exploit it for their own political—

Interjections.

We have expanded the Rapid Response Northern School Teams, with an $800,000 expansion this specific year, to assist with respect to connecting access to mental health supports for families and communities, particularly for our children in the most remote parts of Ontario.

We have stepped up with an overall investment in mental health. Because of the parliamentary assistant and the member from Burlington, we have expanded a mental health module developed by SickKids in school mental health. We also have ensured there is culturally responsive mental health services for Indigenous peoples.

We will continue to work with the member opposite and all members to ensure the safety of those in the most remote parts of Ontario.

Speaker, this year’s Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario survey reveals high levels of violence in our schools: 77% of their members have experienced violence in the classroom.

It’s worse in the north. The wait-lists are up to 24 months to access mental health supports. Some students must travel four to eight hours to access service.

Will the Premier commit today to addressing the student support deficiency in the north?

Interjections.

Teachers working in Kiiwetinoong school boards recently told me that the classrooms get evacuated so often because of violence that the students are desensitized. Class sizes and wait-lists for support have only increased under this Premier.

Will the minister commit to increasing the per-student funding for students in the north?

Shame on you.