Deferred vote on the motion that the question be now put on the motion for second reading of the following bill:
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): We have a deferred vote on the motion for closure on the motion for second reading of Bill 39.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): On October 27, 2016, Mrs. McGarry moved second reading of Bill 39, An Act to amend the Aggregate Resources Act and the Mining Act.
All those in favour of Mr. Colle’s motion, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): All those opposed, please rise one at a time to be recognized by the Clerk.
Mrs. McGarry has moved second reading of Bill 39, An Act to amend the Aggregate Resources Act and the Mining Act. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): There are no further deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.
Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Last spring, our community experienced the tragic loss of five youths to suicide. No one knows the cause, but this tragedy has opened new conversations with local youth about the challenges they are facing.
As I have been meeting with youth, they told me about their significant struggles with bullying. This week is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. It’s a time to speak up about bullying and talk about how we can stop it in our communities. Bullying is happening in our schools, but it doesn’t end when school is over. Cyber-bullying follows the kids home. As many of the youth told me, people may not think words have an impact online, but they do.
People in Oxford are working to create a more inclusive community where bullying doesn’t have a place through campaigns like Sea of Pink. They know that bullying doesn’t show strength and that it isn’t acceptable in any form. It takes a strong person to reach out to people in need and build them up instead of breaking them down.
If you see something, say something and do something to help those who are being bullied. Reach out to those who are being bullied and be an encouragement for them. You never know the struggles they may be facing. I encourage everyone to be a someone and take a stand against bullying.
Mr. Taras Natyshak: It’s my pleasure to use my member’s statement to recognize this year’s winner of the Charles E. Brooks Labour Community Service Award. As you know, Speaker, the labour community has been the backbone of Windsor and Essex county for generations. Each year, the United Way of Windsor-Essex along with the Windsor and District Labour Council honours one local activist with the Charles E. Brooks labour service award. It gives me great pleasure and pride to also honour this year’s recipient, Brian Brown, here today in the Legislature.
Brian began his career in 1977 at the University of Windsor as a sessional instructor and shortly thereafter became involved with the Windsor University Faculty Association. He then played a key role in leading the fight to gain rights and benefits for sessional instructors under the collective agreement.
Over the years, Brian has also served on numerous committees, including the Windsor University Faculty Association and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, as well as the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Brian has also volunteered his time as a member of the Art Gallery of Windsor planning committee and the Windsor Endowment for the Arts board. He has been a staunch supporter of the United Way by championing the university campaign, but also as a member of the United Way Community Impact Council.
Brian exemplifies the spirit of Charlie Brooks through union and social activism. We want to thank and congratulate Brian.
Also, I would like to send a special thanks to Maureen Curtis of the United Way of Windsor-Essex. Maureen works hard every year to organize this year’s event, and each year is always better than last. Thanks, Maureen, and congratulations to Brian.
Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Today I would like to recognize an important company in my riding of Barrie: Innovative Automation. This manufacturer of robotics and assembly automation technology was formed in 1989 and has since become a success story and a model for other businesses to follow.
IA consistently demonstrates their dedication to their employees. This year alone, they have invested over $150,000 in new training initiatives. They also believe in allowing their employees to grow in the company, including through the hiring of high school co-op students who they mentor through their post-secondary training and apprenticeship until they are fully qualified innovators.
In recent years, they have partnered with companies like Tesla Motors and Faraday Future, which has allowed them to grow. In the last two years alone, they have doubled both their production and their workforce all while being recognized as one of Canada’s safest employers.
Last Tuesday, I was pleased to join president Stephen Loftus, his daughter Stephanie and his other employees at the groundbreaking ceremony of Innovative Automation’s new 62,000-square-foot facility, which they plan to expand by a further 24,000 square feet within five years.
In an age when even high-tech manufacturing jobs are going overseas and on-the-job training is becoming increasingly rare, I’m proud that my city is home to this innovative business which continues to thrive and provide good-paying, much-needed jobs for my constituents in Barrie.
Mr. Jim Wilson: Mr. Speaker, it’s a real honour for me to rise today to tell the House about Mr. Mervyn Denney, a much-loved and respected resident of my riding of Simcoe–Grey. Sadly, Mr. Denney passed away at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston on Sunday, October 23. He was 87 years old.
Over the years, Mr. Denney invested so much of his time in our community, and he did so in many different ways. From 1960 to 1961, Mervyn was the reeve of Essa township. In a story on Simcoe.com, current Essa mayor Terry Dowdall described Mr. Denney this way: He was “one of the good ones.” I certainly agree with that sentiment.
Mr. Dowdall also said of Mervyn, “He was one of those guys that whenever people moved to town and needed a hand, Mervyn was there. He was probably one of the most respected people in the township.”
For many years, Mr. Denney served on Essa’s committee of adjustment and planning board, providing sage advice on matters of local importance.
When I was first running for the nomination for the PC candidacy in Simcoe–Grey in 1990, Mervyn was a great supporter. He was one of the few people at that time who believed in me, as a 26-year-old, and for that I am forever grateful. I remember his tenacity, his energy, his great humour and the tremendous respect that the people had as he took me through Essa township from farm to farm to farm to farm to farm to farm to farm.
Mr. Percy Hatfield: Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a private screening of an upcoming television show on life-saving organ transplants. Dr. David Suzuki was the host. The program will be seen on the CBC this Thursday night at 8 o’clock. I recommend it to all members of the House. The bottom line for me is that we’re just not doing enough when it comes to signing up to be organ donors.
One organ donor can save as many as eight lives, and tissue donations can benefit more than 75 people.
Surveys show that more than 90% of Canadians support organ and tissue donation—but, for whatever reason, fewer than 20% of us have actually made plans to do so.
Every year more than 1,600 people are added to the waiting list for transplants, and the sad fact is that too many Canadians are dying every year on that waiting list because not enough people have registered to be donors.
The Nature of Things on Thursday night is a behind-the-scenes look at an organ transplant team at a hospital in Alberta. It’s a very emotional experience. I don’t mind telling you that I had tears in my eyes several times while watching the preview at the ROM last night, as did the member from Nickel Belt.
Ms. Soo Wong: This year marks the 175th anniversary of St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Anglican church in my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt. St. Paul’s Anglican church has been serving their congregation since 1840, when the first bishop of Toronto consecrated the church.
Since then, St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux church has achieved many milestones. They are a leader in protecting the most vulnerable in our community. This includes the establishment of affordable seniors’ housing on the church property, along with the creation of the St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Centre, established in 1978. For almost 40 years, this centre has provided affordable diverse care, services and housing for seniors.
Recently, St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux church has expanded their community outreach to involve youth in a music program. The original choral program now also includes a string ensemble, a wind ensemble, a South Asian dance ensemble and a children’s choir.
Mr. Speaker, the achievements and growth of St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux church and their continued community service are commendable.
I would like to recognize Father Dean Mercer and his entire congregation for their tremendous work and their exceptional vision in service to their community.
I look forward to this Sunday’s service where I will be joining the 11th Archbishop, Colin Robert Johnson, in celebrating the 175th anniversary of St. Paul’s, L’Amoreaux Anglican church.
Mr. Jagmeet Singh: I think it’s fair to say that many Canadians are deeply troubled by the results of the US election. The fact that someone could campaign on a message that was misogynistic, racist, xenophobic and that was based on fear and division, and could win, is something that troubles all of us.
I think it also points to a deeply flawed electoral system. The reality is that the majority of Americans didn’t actually vote for Mr. Trump, but Mr. Trump has now won and is the president-elect with all power. It shows that we really need to hold our federal government to account to ensure that we have a more just electoral system. That’s why we really need to work for having a proportional representation system in our politics.
Often we see that Canada is influenced by the US. The US is a larger country and it often influences us. It’s troubling that that might influence the climate in Canada, to make it acceptable to be racist, xenophobic or misogynistic. That’s why many people in the States are now looking north, to us, for guidance. We can provide a vision where you can build a fair society that’s not based on blaming minorities, religious or otherwise; you can actually build a fair society by working together.
We need to show that leadership, that a fair and just society is made more powerful and strong when we work together. When we work on inclusivity, that’s when we come up with a more powerful and fair society.
Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: Today I stand alongside my colleagues as we wear purple to shine the light on the fact that November is woman abuse awareness and prevention month. In light of this, I wish to take this opportunity to commend the Women’s House in Kincardine, an organization that has been helping women and children in my riding for 30 years. For over the past three decades, the Women’s House has helped over 15,000 women and 2,000 children escape abuse. Every year they field over 4,000 calls, an alarming number.
The Women’s House is a significant operation that requires support on all levels in order to operate and offer these services. I have toured the Kincardine facility and recognized immediately that this safe haven is so much more than accommodation. The vast supports offered to women and children are invaluable. That’s why I would like to thank everyone who supports Women’s House.
This past October, the Women’s House hosted their annual gala in Kincardine. It is their biggest fundraiser and the event helps them help so many in our communities. I want to congratulate the Women’s House not only on their 30 years of service, but also on their successful gala. This year, it raised a whopping $28,000, which will go towards helping the Women’s House continue their efforts in making our community a safer place.
I want to encourage everyone to wear a purple ribbon or clothing during the month of November to show support in ending violence against women and children, to help make our province, country and world a better place to live.
Mr. Arthur Potts: I’m pleased to rise today to talk about a very unfortunate incident that happened in my riding of Beaches–East York. Parents going to school yesterday morning came across a whole series of hateful posters posted around Stan Wadlow Park, and it was very disturbing to many of them. I don’t want to spend any time dignifying the commentary. It was clearly hate-fuelled and possibly Trump-induced.
What I want to do is focus on the incredible community reaction to it. Local constituent Kevin Kerr immediately posted on Twitter, Joseph Travers put it on our Woodbine and Danforth Facebook group, and immediately all the residents started to rise up and go down—they found the posters. They dispatched the city staff. We went all over the community and they were ripped down and pulled down. It was so incredibly quick, the reaction of the community, to take issue with the messaging that they were seeing on these posters, concerned both about what their children would be reading and what their children would be seeing. They took action.
I especially want to applaud Jen Leis, who is an artist and a local high school teacher. She has prepared an alternative poster, which has the words “Welcome” and “Love” in many, many different languages that she’s going to be posting around all the window fronts and the retail stores of my community.
The Danforth East Community Association is also taking this issue up so they can have a positive message to take back to the community about the inclusiveness of our country and of the kinds of values that we share.
As well, a local group called East Toronto Young Mothers made it their mission to make sure these posters did not last more than a few hours.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 98(c), a change has been made to the order of precedence on the ballot list for private members’ public business such that Mr. Vanthof assumes ballot item number 27 and Ms. Fife assumes ballot item number 36.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I beg to inform the House that today the Clerk received a report on intended appointments dated November 15, 2016, of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. Pursuant to standing order 108(f)(9), the report is deemed to be adopted by the House.
Mme France Gélinas: The bill proclaims the second full week of November in each year as Nurse Practitioner Week.
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced university education who provide personalized, quality care to patients. Ontario nurse practitioners provide a full range of health care services to individuals, families and communities in a variety of settings, including hospitals and community-based clinics in cities and smaller towns in Ontario. They work in partnership with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals such as social workers, midwives, mental health professionals and pharmacists to keep Ontarians well.
It is appropriate to celebrate and recognize the valuable contributions made by nurse practitioners in Ontario. It is also important to draw attention to the remaining barriers to their full integration into Ontario’s health care system.
Hon. Steven Del Duca: This bill amends the Highway Traffic Act to address the ability of municipalities to set speed limits within their borders and the use of automated speed enforcement systems and red-light camera systems.
Specifically, the legislation will, if passed, allow municipalities to: use automated speed enforcement in school zones and community safety zones; establish a zone within an urban area in a municipality within which a reduced speed limit may apply to all roads, unless excepted, but with signs only posted at the perimeter of the area; participate in a red-light camera program without requiring individual regulatory approval; and make consequential amendments.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Before I call on the member for a statement, I want a reminder that comments are to be taken from the explanatory notes and that any editorial is to be left for debate.
Mme France Gélinas: Thank you, Speaker. The bill is quite simple. It proclaims the first Tuesday in April in each year as Family Caregiver Day.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Motions? The Minister of Government and Consumer Services and francophone affairs.
Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding Bill 41, An Act to amend various Acts in the interests of patient-centred care.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The minister is seeking unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice. Do we agree? I heard a no.
Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Mr. Speaker, I believe we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice with respect to the format of printed bills.
Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: I move that, effective January 1, 2017, the format for printed bills of this assembly be revised from two-column side-by-side bilingual format with paragraph notes to English-French flip format.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Madame Lalonde moves that, effective January 1, 2017, the format for printed bills of this assembly be revised from two-column side-by-side bilingual format with paragraph notes to English-French flip format. Do we agree? Agreed. Carried.
Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: Mr. Speaker, I believe that we have unanimous consent to put forward a motion without notice regarding Bill 41, An Act to amend various Acts in the interests of patient-centred care.