Wednesday, April 15, 2026

The House met at 0900.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Good morning, everyone. Let us pray.

Official source

Prayers.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

And now a moment of silence for our inner thought and personal reflection.

Official source

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 14, 2026, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Official source

Bill 101, An Act to amend various Acts in respect of education and child care / Projet de loi 101, Loi modifiant diverses lois relatives à l’éducation et à la garde d’enfants.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Further debate?

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

I appreciate the opportunity to address this bill this morning. Speaker, you won’t be shocked to learn that I am not a fan of this bill, and I hope in the course of the next few minutes to talk a bit about what things are in this bill that I find problematic—a few things. First off, there is nothing in this bill that will actually improve outcomes for students or ensure that they have smaller class sizes. If you are concerned about what is happening in our schools, if you are concerned about the future of the next generation, you should be talking about those issues. They should be at the centre of what you are doing. That is not going to be something coming out of this bill. There is not a focus on special education or mental health supports. And as I talk to teachers, I talk to parents and, frankly, as I talk to students, they say to me, “We aren’t seeing the resources in those areas that we need to see.” I’m not seeing in this bill any commitment to ensuring that those resources are there. In fact, there are not even commitments to basic resources like pencils. Now, I know the minister has said, “We will be giving an allowance to each teacher so they can buy pencils and paper and so on.” I know this sounds strange, but typically in an organization, you have a budget for supplies. You make sure there are adequate supplies so that if a teacher needs supplies for a classroom, they can go to a storage room and get them. The idea that they have not been properly funded and you have to have a special allowance for teachers does not make sense. That is not a good purchasing policy. This bill doesn’t put students first. This is about making sure that the Minister of Education is in a far stronger position than that minister has been in the past. And as you are well aware, the amount of money that is being spent per student, adjusted for inflation, has been dropping. So if you actually think that students are important, if you think that education is important, you would be ensuring that budgets were inflation-adjusted and that the students were getting the inputs they need to be successful. This bill gives the minister more power, and it seems, frankly, to be set up to discourage people from running to be a trustee. That’s of interest to me in part because the minister has said that if there are situations where people don’t run, then he will be appointing trustees. I don’t think having a minister appoint the trustees on a board of education makes sense, certainly not in terms of responsibility to the people as a whole. I know that democracy is a weird idea. Winston Churchill once said it was the worst of all possible systems, except for the others. I think that the election of decision-makers makes a lot of sense in an open society. When I talk to people who are unhappy with a trustee, I say, “Vote them out. There’s going to be an election. If you don’t think they’re up to snuff, vote them out. Run yourself, if you think you’re in a position to do that, and if you’re not in a position to do that, find someone else who you think is good and support them.” I think vesting the power in the minister, who is effectively untouchable by the mass of parents, does not make sense in an open and free society. It’s a substantial mistake. Now, it’s interesting that the bill mentions liability 43 times, while mentioning students five times and classrooms zero times. It’s been interesting to me to watch the bills coming forward from this government that consistently include a clause, or multiple clauses, protecting the minister or civil servants from legal liability for carrying out the act. I don’t remember that being a feature of bills in the past; I think I would’ve noticed it. You have to ask, what is it in the minds of the politicians who direct the drafting of these bills that they think they need protection from legal action? Is it that they understand the consequences of what they’re doing and realize that it’s going to lead to legal action on the part of parents, teachers, communities? Or is it just an all-purpose “I don’t like to have anyone giving me a hard time” approach to life? It’s not clear to me. Some of the new powers for the minister: establishing policies that assess student achievement. During the technical briefing that our caucus staff got, they said this was so the minister could require exams for all grade 9 to 12 students and change how grades are calculated across the province to have one standard that includes attendance. I don’t have a particular rejection of the idea of exams, but it may be that in different school boards and in different schools with different populations you need to have a different method of assessing student achievement, a different method of determining what is actually being learned and a different method of understanding how to get students to perform at their peak. This bill gives the minister power to set regulations regarding budgets, including giving himself the power to approve board budgets in certain circumstances and banning school boards from paying certain expenses. In the briefing, ministry staff said the minister would approve budgets when trustees don’t approve the CEO’s budget, which basically means trustees are at the mercy of the CEO and his budget. So you have to ask, if the trustees actually can’t decide what the budget is for their board—if the CEO gets to run back to daddy and say, “They don’t like my budget. They’re not voting for my budget. We need to cut a lot of teachers; we need to cut a lot of support staff; we need bigger classes, and they’re resisting that. Minister, please step in and make sure that my budget is passed,” that’s effectively what’s happening here. So you have a continued shell of elected trustees but, in fact, the power has shifted fundamentally away from local communities and to the minister. Now, I know—and some people in the House may dispute this—that Toronto is not popular in the rest of Ontario. My colleagues have said to me— Interjections.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

I even got applause for that one. Some colleagues have said to me—the best line they have is, “Do you really want some person in Toronto deciding what happens in your community?”

Official source

MPP Wayne Gates

No.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

See? I got even more support for that. The idea that the minister is setting things up so that the old line, “Hey, it’s just Toronto dictating again,” is actually made real—it is made real. Local boards of trustees will essentially be subject to the minister, and in many ways they will be flack-catchers. I don’t think that this is a good way to operate any sort of democratic system. And I have to note as well the move by the minister to reduce the number of trustees—cap the number of trustees—in a board. So in Toronto, there are 22 trustees. This will be brought down to 12—roughly, one trustee for every two ridings. Speaker, as you are well aware, the average size of a riding is 100,000 people, so that means one trustee for 200,000 people; 200,000 is bigger than most cities and communities in this province. It is a problematic number. I thought one trustee for 100,000 was a problem, but for 200,000, it makes it extraordinarily difficult for anyone to actually deal on a day-to-day basis with the concerns that people bring about their child’s education. I’ll say to the members sitting on the government side, if you’re not doing casework in education now, believe me, you’ll be doing it in the future. I’ve been getting that education casework because people realize that the power has shifted from the board to the minister. It is extraordinarily difficult for us, as MPPs, to do that on top of the other casework that we do. But the reality is, when your parent and your child has got a problem in a school—a school is not working properly—you are going to jump in, and there are vast seas of detail that one has to address when one is addressing education. What this will mean is that, increasingly, parents will not actually be able to have the advocacy for their children or their communities that they need to have. That is a big step backwards in a democratic society. It is a fundamental mistake on the part of this government. The bill gives expanded powers to the minister to determine what constitutes a valid trustee expense, including the power to block payment of expenses to certain persons or for certain purposes. You know, if a trustee or any politician makes a stupid spending mistake, then they should be held accountable in the court of public opinion. That should damage them politically. People should know about that. But to have the minister determine what is a valid expense or not, as opposed having the people decide, is a mistake. That gives the minister power, should they decide to exercise it, to be vindictive in dealing with the expenses of any individual trustee. That is not the role of the provincial government in a democratic society. That is the role of the electorate. Now, that electorate needs to be well-informed. There needs to be the media coverage that will surface those bad actors, but that’s what democracy is about. The bill will set communications policies for boards that will include “public communications made by ... board members acting as representatives of the board.” In fact, this could put us in a situation where the minister doesn’t like what a trustee is saying about the situation they’re facing. Maybe a trustee is saying to the parents, “Hey, there have been ongoing cuts to education budgets, and that is affecting our ability to provide appropriate class sizes, appropriate supports in the school, appropriate staffing in the school. If you’re upset, go the minister.” The minister will be in a position to disallow that and only allow happy talk in the notes coming out from trustees or the emails coming out from trustees. That does not make any sense. Again, if a trustee is communicating inappropriately, vote them out. If any of us are behaving inappropriately—well, sorry; early morning—vote us out. That is the way things get corrected in a democratic system and the way we need to have things set up because if, in fact, the decision makers are not accountable to the public, you get bad decisions. Again, Churchill was right: Democracy is profoundly flawed but better than all the other flawed systems. Boards will now have to have the minister’s approval to acquire new land. This worries me because, as you are well aware with this government, games around land seem to be a pretty common thing.

Official source

MPP Wayne Gates

This is what this is all about.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

One member said this is what this is all about, and that member may be entirely correct. We went through the greenbelt scandal, where the Premier was giving, effectively, an $8.6-billion gift to a bunch of his buddies, people who had come to his daughter’s wedding, an outcome that is now under investigation by the RCMP. We had decisions about a landfill in Dresden, Ontario, where, prior to an election, the government pulled back and said, “No, no, we’ll have a full environmental assessment.” As soon as the election is over—boom—the landfill goes ahead. Again, it was pointed out widely in the media that the owners of that landfill had very close financial connections with the ruling party. The potential for abuse of the public purse and the public trust are profound, and turning that over to the minister—particularly to a government that has shown, on an ongoing basis, its weakness, let’s say, to pressure from buddies who are going to make big bucks—is not a good idea. It’s not a good idea for education, and it’s not a good idea for the public purse. The minister can appoint someone to oversee a capital project, including building, expanding, renovating or repairing a school building, and that includes every component, including the contracts. Seriously? You’re going to have management of, I guess in Toronto’s case, a multi-billion-dollar corporation where the minister reaches in to mess with every contract? If you’re talking about red tape, if you’re talking about decision-making being—what could I say—lost in a maze of approvals, this is a classic example. If you’ve got a board of education, you’ve got elected trustees; you have professional managers. Let them make those decisions, and if they mess up, vote them out—vote them out. If they do good, re-elect them. But effectively having the minister inserted at every layer of substantial decision-making in a board of education does not make sense. Interestingly, this line, that boards need approval to create or continue to “operate ... a school board controlled entity”—and it was pointed out by our critic that there are not a lot of examples of school board-controlled entities in Ontario beyond the Toronto Lands Corp. One has to ask if, in fact, that’s the aim here because the Toronto Lands Corp. has control of school board properties, and the opportunity for development and the opportunity for speculative profits from development on school lands are immense, particularly in Toronto. I have to say that there’s often a short-sighted approach to school lands. I represent Toronto–Danforth. A few decades ago, a school at Logan and Danforth, Frankland, was scheduled for closure, demolition and sale of land. The local community fought hard against that, and they were successful; they were able to retain the school. Within a decade of saving that school, the school playground was full of portables because the demographics had changed. Families that dominated in that neighbourhood, which have had their children—people were moving into their fifties, sixties and seventies and didn’t have kids anymore. The attendance at the school dropped. Those people moved out, passed on, a whole new generation came in with kids, and the school was flooded. I’ve seen over the decades the portables expand and shrink, expand and shrink. There are demographic waves. You have to know that in a city like Toronto—frankly, Hamilton, Sarnia, Windsor—you’re going to get demographic waves. When you lose that school property, your ability to get that property back so that you can actually provide that service is close to nil. It is close to nil. So I believe we have to safeguard that property, and having this government, with all its focus on land deals, suddenly have access to a big portfolio of what will be extraordinarily valuable land in the city of Toronto is something that I find very disturbing, very worrying. Now, the bill, again, as I noted—57 clauses regarding protection of the minister, cabinet and the minister’s appointees against legal cases. There’s only one clause on student achievement. That is a real concern.

Official source

MPP Wayne Gates

I thought they were tough on crime.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

Someone has just said, “I thought they were tough on crime.” If you are constantly trying to pull yourself out of the legal system, if you have written this bill and you understand that you may be in deep legal trouble, then I can see why you would be writing all this get-out-of-jail-free card stuff into the bill. I don’t think that serves the public purpose. I think that it makes sense that those who make decisions have to live with the consequences of those decisions, and this sort of thing says no. I have to touch on two other things in the brief time left to me. One is that we have got a huge problem in Ontario with a lack of teachers and teachers effectively being demoralized and driven out of the system. That is something that causes disruption in individual classrooms and in individual schools. I have teachers come to me and say, “Why do they have such a low opinion of teachers? Why are we seen as a problem and not as a solution to a problem?” I think this government has done a lot to demoralize teachers. I want to talk very briefly about the question of truancy. There was an interesting article in the Star this morning about how truancy has soared since the pandemic. At the beginning of the current government’s term in 2018, truancy was a lot less than it is now. Has anyone done an analysis of what this government’s policies have done to cause a huge increase in truancy? Is this something related to the way the education system is running, or is this related to a tougher and tougher economic environment in which students are increasingly taking work outside of school to keep their families afloat and to—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Mr. Stephen Blais

I listened intently to your presentation. Thank you very much. I do agree with you that if things were reduced to 200,000 per trustee, that would be a lot of constituents to try to represent. I think, though, that that representation forgets the fact that there are four different school boards. So the trustees don’t represent the entirety of the population; they represent the people who vote within that school board. I’m hoping it doesn’t reveal your view that there should only be one school board. I’m hoping you can reiterate your support for fully funded Catholic and French education in Ontario.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

I don’t often say this but thank you. That is a really good question, and I am very appreciative. Yes, we need to have francophone education. We need to have Catholic education. We need a full range of publicly funded education in this province so that all communities are included and equally respected. In terms of the number of trustees, I think that local communities should determine how many representatives they need. What is the number that is appropriate to ensure that the board is responsive and accountable? Having the minister put a cap on the number of trustees doesn’t make sense to me. Obviously, when you’re talking about a place like Barrie, Innisfil or you’re talking about—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Response?

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

You didn’t like that response, Speaker? I thought it was a great response. The number of trustees should reflect the population and the will of the people in that community.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I recognize the member for Thornhill.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I listened to the member opposite. Accountability: We all agree in this House that accountability is important. I think that everyone in this House, specifically the parents—I’m a mother, and for my kids, showing up to class was a priority. It is a priority. Students attending class in high school should be a priority, full stop. This legislation makes attendance part of our students’ marks, an idea that, I should mention, came from the teachers. Will the member opposite support our students and our teachers by supporting this bill, an obvious thing for everyone in Ontario, or Canada for that matter?

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

I thank the member for the question. I think the question of attendance is a really substantive one. If we are seeing dramatic reduction in the percentage of students attending on a regular basis, that’s something that needs to be addressed. So the question that I think the government has to answer is, why are we seeing the drop in attendance? What is causing that? Are there socio-economic factors that are causing that? Are there problems with the way the schools are operating? Is that causing the problem? Will, in fact, what’s being proposed increase attendance, or will it simply mean that students in difficult circumstances are going to be penalized for not showing up? I think the first task of any government is to understand the basis for something happening so that you can take corrective action. And I have seen no—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Response.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

What is it? What is it that caused a big drop from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic? What caused that drop? If the government can show the studies, it would—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I recognize the member from Windsor West.

Official source

MPP Lisa Gretzky

I appreciate the comments from my colleague from Toronto–Danforth. The member for Thornhill asked a question about truancy, and I think my colleague from Toronto–Danforth summed it up quite nicely. It shows just how out of touch you are with what is going on in this province. There are numerous reasons why students are unable to attend school. It could be for financial reasons. There are several high school students who have to work in order to support a household, to keep a roof over their head or food on the table. We have a record number of youth under your government that are now accessing food banks when they don’t have food, when they’re hungry. It’s very difficult for them to not only go to school but then do well when they are there. When we’re talking about accountability specifically, this government has clauses in here to actually absolve themselves from any accountability. I would like the member for Toronto–Danforth to explain, maybe, why the government is not focusing on supporting the students in the classrooms—like those with special education needs that are being excluded from schools—but instead focusing on reigning in power for themselves, but also bringing in legislation for them to avoid any accountability for their decisions.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

I appreciate the question from the member. There are a few items here. This is a government that does not particularly want to be accountable. That’s my experience. That’s what I’ve seen. It will be interesting to see what the RCMP have to say when they finish going through the greenbelt investigation, to see what techniques were used. And frankly, I’ll just point out again that the Premier’s actions to protect his phone information from freedom of information says to me that this is a government that does not want to be accountable in any way, shape or form for its activities. Shutting down a fundamental method to allow the public to understand why and how government makes decisions says to me that respect for accountability is out the window. Why is it that they don’t want to be accountable? Maybe they’re going to do really bad things.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

Thank you to the member from Toronto–Danforth. You mentioned that this whole Bill 101 is about acquiring land. That’s the bottom line. Can you maybe explain that? Help us understand how those dots connect.

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

Thank you for that. I should say that the acquisition of land is not the only thing driving this bill. I think cutting education budgets is another substantial and critical part. But the acquisition of land—let’s face it, all of us: Schools sit on very valuable property in a variety of communities around this province. And the ability to acquire that property and sell it to a buddy at a really good price so they can make a fortune has got to be very tempting for a government that is apparently profoundly driven by speculators and land developers. When you increase their power and decrease their accountability, the potential for land deals that disadvantage the public and make somebody really wealthy—who will be happy to come to the next wedding thrown by the Premier—is a very real risk. I appreciate the question, and I think all of us should be very concerned about the potential for—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Mr. John Jordan

Speaker, through Bill 33 and Bill 101, this minister and this government are all about responsibility and accountability to the students, the teachers and the parents. So no, it’s not okay to wait for an election to do as the member says, throw them out, when we know that things have gone off the track—and that’s the entire time that someone could be in high school. So does the member feel that it’s okay that a student, the teachers, the parents wait for a system to be corrected in the school board, wait for an election for that correction to happen?

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

That is one of the more fascinating questions I’ve had in my time here, because this is a government that engages in some of the most bizarre behaviour I’ve seen in my 20 years—under investigation by the RCMP. After the greenbelt, should this government have been thrown out? Damn straight. If there had been an election, you would have been in deep trouble. So you’re telling me that when it comes to trustees, we should have a higher power overrule them, but when it comes to you and your misbehaviour, you should be able to continue on. Should the Premier of Canada be able to reach into the province of Ontario when he sees or she sees inappropriate behaviour and redirect the government of Ontario? Is that what you’re saying to me, that governments should be in fact kowtowing to the government above them? Is that what you are saying? Because that is the content of their question.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

MPP Wayne Gates

I don’t have a lot of time to get an answer here, but I can tell you, one of my staff is a trustee in Niagara. She does a great job; the board does a great job. They’ve opened up a couple of schools already. But do you know how she got that job? Interjections.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I cannot hear the member asking their question.

Official source

MPP Wayne Gates

Do you know how she got that job, Speaker? She got that job through an election. She was the youngest woman ever to get elected in Niagara as a trustee. She does a great job and has opened up a couple of new schools. Do you believe that this is nothing more about control rather than—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Response?

Official source

Mr. Peter Tabuns

Well, I think this is about setting aside elections. I think this is a bill about making sure democracy has no impact on the education system—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Further debate? I recognize the member for Ajax. Interjections.

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

Hey, hey. Well, thank you, Speaker. I’m pleased to rise today to—

Official source

Interjections.

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

It’s still early, folks. I don’t have the same jokes as the member from Ottawa South, though. I rise today to speak to this bill, the Putting Student Achievement First Act. Speaker, I think if we’re being honest about what’s in front of us today, in my view, I don’t think that this is a bill that is going to be putting student achievement first. I do think it puts some of the goals of the minister, that the minister has spoken about over the last few months, first. It centralizes power, it continues to weaken local decision-making and, in my view, adds bureaucracy into a system that’s already under strain. While I think the government is focused more on control and controlling school boards from Queen’s Park, just like we’re seeing with municipalities and conservation authorities—there is a theme with this government that everything can just be run out of right here in this building or the lovely office buildings that are just down the road—it’s going to be impacting students, educators and families that are still dealing with the real issues within our classrooms. After eight years, people aren’t asking for some governance changes—and which I think the government is using as a distraction from the real issues that are happening in public education. Families, educators, students are asking for help. They’re asking for smaller class sizes. They’re asking for safer schools, and they’re asking for real support for their kids, especially kids with special needs. I don’t believe that’s what the government here is delivering to them. Speaker, this bill doesn’t fix education; it simply reorganizes a part of it. It adds a new layer of bureaucracy, moving essentially the finance official to be the CEO—a bit of a shell game. It continues the trend of centralizing power in the ministry, and it’s taking power away from local communities. Boards are going to be weakened and decisions are going to be pulled back into Queen’s Park. Meanwhile, again, nothing changes for students within the classroom—class sizes being too large, schools not being made safer and supports remaining inadequate. In some ways, it’s really more about managing optics. It’s kind of saying, “Oh, we’re doing something. The government is doing something. The government is fixing education.” But really, it isn’t. It is just leaving the same issues that we have on the table. It’s about the perception of creating these kinds of changes. It’s not a bad communications exercise from the government, but students and families and educators are going to feel that within the classroom. This government still refuses to deal with class sizes. Classrooms are getting bigger and students are getting less support. Since 2018, Ontario has lost nearly 5,000 classroom educators. Fewer educators mean more students per class and less time for each child. Teachers, they’re stretched thin. Students, they’re falling behind. This bill does nothing to change that—not one measure to reduce class sizes, not one plan to put more adults into classrooms. You can’t improve student achievement when students are packed into overcrowded classrooms. Teachers can’t give that individual attention. Students who are struggling fall behind, and students with complex needs go unsupported. That’s what’s happening right now across Ontario, Speaker. I think of a school board in Algoma, the Catholic board there. I believe, in talking to educators there, we’ve got some classes where a teacher is teaching five split grades. Imagine that: teaching five split grades in a class of about 30. That’s really challenging. You’ve got some boards, okay, three split grades—which I still think is too much. Imagine doing that. Those are some of the things that I think that this government should be looking at. They like to talk about schools in rural communities; well, this is one way to improve education in schools in rural communities. I think that would be a very important step. We don’t see something like that within this bill. Violence in our schools is rising, and the government is failing to act. Educators are reporting more violent incidents, more disruptions and more unsafe classrooms, and it’s tied directly to unmet student needs and a lack of supports. But instead of addressing it, the government is looking the other way. It does nothing to reduce violence; it does nothing to support staff dealing with it in the classroom. And you can’t expect students to achieve if students and teachers don’t feel safe, so when violence increases, every student pays the price. Learning is disrupted, classrooms become unstable, teachers are forced into crisis management instead of what they are meant to do: teaching. That is the reality that this government is truly ignoring. Knocking on doors last summer, I had a parent tell me that he’s thinking about putting his kids into private school. I was shocked to hear that, but I asked why. He said that because of the disruptions in the classroom, because of the challenges in the classroom, because of the lack of adults in the classroom, his kids, who just want to achieve, his kids, who just want to do well and go after their true potential, are not getting the support that they need. It’s not because of the teacher. It’s because of the way this education system has been structured and dealt with. It’s failing our students. Safety in our schools should be a top priority. I think this bill is going to make things worse. It eliminates the requirement for school climate surveys, the very tools that track safety, bullying, student well-being, physical safety. That means less data, less accountability and fewer warning signs. We’ll know less about what students are experiencing, about if they’re being bullied, about if they feel safe or if they have struggles with their mental health. This government, in some ways, is choosing to fly blind. You can’t improve safety if you refuse to measure it, and it means that administrators and principals won’t have the data and the information that they need in order to do targeted interventions in classrooms or schools. When you’re building school culture and managing change in communities and trying to build that up, it’s not something where you flick on a light switch and it happens overnight. You need to build trust within school communities, and that means spending the extra time. I used to work at a school board. We had 135 different schools—it’s a big system. We’ve got bigger systems and smaller systems, systems where schools are really spread out in rural areas where the principal really is the person who’s there. To have data, to have tools—and with central office knowing what’s going on, they’re able to provide that support. That’s really, really important because there are going to be some schools where you need to work to improve the school climate and culture, whether it’s among staff, whether it’s among students, whether it’s the relationship between families and the school. I think this is going to be taking a step back. Choosing not to collect data doesn’t make problems disappear. Burying your head in the sand does nothing, and it makes the challenges that students are dealing with much harder. None of this happens in isolation. It affects the people holding the system together every day, our educators and our support staff, who come in because they love teaching. They love seeing the smiling faces of kids in the school, and they love being able to support those kids to go on and hopefully one day be here in this chamber or achieve whatever success that they want to in life. Speaker, there’s a growing teacher retention problem in this province. Educators are leaving the profession, especially within their first five years, and they’re leaving for a reason. Larger class sizes, rising violence, increasing workload and fewer supports: Those are daily realities in our schools. The government knows this, and they refuse to act on dealing with retention. This bill doesn’t do anything to improve working conditions, nothing to retain experienced educators. You can’t have a strong education system if you can’t keep teachers in it. The government will say, “Well, we’re changing the teacher college so we can recruit new teachers and make it easier to do so.” But really, the best solution when we’re talking about retention is to retain experienced educators who are passionate and wanted to go into education in the first place. When I speak to those educators, some of them are sad that they choose to leave public education, but they’re doing that for their own well-being. They’re doing that for their own mental health. I think that is a failure of this government that we’ve seen the last eight years, Speaker, because when experienced educators leave, students lose. They lose that mentorship, stability and quality instruction, and it’s how systems decline. Speaker, nowhere is that more evident than in special education. Special education in our province is in crisis. Students with disabilities aren’t getting the support that they need. Educators are being asked to do more with fewer resources. It’s leaving vulnerable students behind, and it’s putting pressure on every classroom. Yet this bill doesn’t do anything to fix special education—no new funding, no new supports, no plan. I don’t believe this government can claim to support students, Speaker, by abandoning the students who need the most help. I know those students, if they receive that help, will be able to achieve their true potential. When looking through the bill, there are a lot of elements to this, and it is a pretty big bill. I do feel in some ways it really is moving the shell game around. Let’s talk about some of these matters. When it comes to the TDSB going from 22 to 12, I don’t know how those elections are going to work, quite frankly, over this really large geographical area. I think that’s probably going to be a challenge for them to sort out. I do question what is going on there because when you are overseeing a much larger area, I think it’s going to be very challenging to be able to respond to parents, to be able to help parents and help folks. That’s how I look at it when it comes to the TDSB context itself. I think a lot more thinking really needed to be done. It felt like this bill was, in some ways, a bit of a rush job because there was this debate that we were seeing out in the public: “Are we going to get rid of trustees or not?” or “What are we going to do?” Ultimately, the government decided not to get rid of trustees, which I do think, Speaker, was the right call. But the way in which this has been organized, the way in which this has been set up, it really feels like it’s a government and a Ministry of Education that’s a little bit in crisis management mode, trying to figure out, “How do we save face? We’ve talked tough for so long on this, and now this is what it is.” It really doesn’t change overall very much the structure of our public education system. There are a lot of school boards where there are some challenges among trustees and, unfortunately, that serves as a distraction from what the focus needs to be within the classroom. So I do acknowledge that there need to be some changes around how school board governance is operated, around governance training, for example, Speaker, but I’m seeing this, and I don’t know that this is necessarily going to be the right approach because we’re just moving the chess pieces all over the table again. When I talk about the ministry’s supervision powers being expanded, I think this really appears—now that the ministry has control of—what are we at now, six boards, something like that? I’ve lost track of how many boards are under supervision. I think now they’re realizing, “Oh, wait, we didn’t think about this. Oh, wait, we didn’t think about that,” and in some ways it’s, again, Queen’s Park. This is the direct way that Queen’s Park is able to control school boards right now.

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

I said it before, when the previous education bill was here, that at the end of the day I think it is going to be a land play for those school boards. If we look at Peel region, the Peel District School Board owns a very, very large swath of land. I fear—because everything seems to revolve around land and development with this government—they are going to be looking at that property and, “How do we give that property away?” There are properties in Toronto, properties in Ottawa, properties in school boards all across this province, Speaker, that are I think the government is looking at, that I think those supervisors are looking at. I think it is the backdoor way in order to remove some important public properties from communities but do it in a way that doesn’t involve the public consultation that’s needed, do it in a way that may very well set those boards further back. There are properties that should be suplused and that should be sold, absolutely; I will not deny that within our public education system. But I think the way in which it’s being done, frankly—I can’t trust this government to do it. I’ve heard some positive feedback on the changes to teachers’ college. I know that’s always a bit of a debate among folks: Should it be the two-year or the one-year? I will give the government some credit because I think they’re trying to do the best in this situation here. Around school board associations, I think this bill is going to probably mean the end of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, and probably the Catholic trustees’ association as well, by very likely removing the fees that are paid to those organizations. The important part, though, that some of those organizations do play is that they are able to bring together folks that are involved in public education from around the province. It’s things like professional development, things like connections. We’ve got 72 school boards across the province, so I think it’s really important that that communication happens there; otherwise it’s Queen’s Park again putting its head down. Around some of the bargaining changes, I think the jury will be out on that. I know the minister was making a point to say that trustees shouldn’t be responsible for bargaining, but I want to make very clear that the folks working at OBSPA that are doing that bargaining are professional human resource officials, they are professional negotiators. They are professional. It’s not some trustee anywhere in this province saying, “This is how we’re negotiating.” That’s not the case, Speaker, and I feel it’s a bit disingenuous when it’s being referred to as otherwise. Again, it’s a bit of a distraction, a smokescreen. It’s a distraction from the real issues that are going on within public education. When we look at defining education materials, my colleague from Orléans asked a question the other day around learning materials and actually going back a bit to books and pen and paper. I think that’s an important distinction there, and that’s something this government really does need to be thinking about. I think the government also needs to be thinking about some of these e-learning courses that are now currently being offered, that students can access in school boards across the province—not necessarily with the school district that you’re at but another one. And these e-learning courses don’t really have very many attendance requirements: “Oh, you’ve just got to log on once a day.” There’s no verification or knowing what those students are actually doing or not in those courses. Then, when it comes time for assessment, when it comes time for exams, now, with the rise of AI, what educators are telling me is that they’re seeing students using AI. They’re seeing students use that in order to complete sometimes very complex questions. When educators ask the student after, “Can you show your work on that?” the student just laughs. I think there’s some gaps here that this government can be looking at because, in some ways, I feel like grades are being artificially inflated. They want to talk about school graduation. I’m seeing kids graduating grade 12 that can’t read or write properly, can’t do math properly. That is a problem. That’s going to set that individual back, but it’s going to set our society back as well. I think one positive element could be—and it will depend on what the regulation says—that I think there are some elements where it does make a little bit of sense to standardize amongst school boards, to provide a little bit more consistency, to in some ways create the box. I know, maybe some of my former colleagues or folks I know may not fully agree with that, but I do think, between school boards, it makes a lot of sense that you do some of that around communication. But the devil is really going to be in the details. We’ll have to see what’s in the regulation. Speaker, requiring ministerial approval for boards purchasing land—in some ways, I think that does make a lot of sense because, ultimately, we’re at a point now within school boards where the ministry is fully funding those purchases. So unless the whole financial model of school boards changes, some of that makes sense. But I fear, as I’ve said before about the sell-off of school land and my fears about how this government will approach it—will it be local communities, or will it be done right straight through for Queen’s Park? Speaker, after eight long years, this government cannot claim that these problems are new. Aside from those that really, frankly, they’ve created themselves, they’ve ignored known issues until they’ve become problems. They’ve created crisis and chaos, and now they’re trying to distract from their own issues that this government has created. This bill doesn’t meet the moment. It doesn’t address the crisis in our classrooms. It does not support students, and it does not support educators. It takes power away from communities. It concentrates it in the minister’s office even more, and it hopes that no one notices what’s missing. But you know what, Speaker? I’ve received messages from parents and educators over the last couple days. People do notice. Students are noticing, parents are noticing and educators are noticing. And do you know what? As time goes on, they’re going to notice more and more that this is a failing government on public education. I would give this government an F on it. And frankly, students, families, educators and everyone in our school system deserves much better than that.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I beg to inform the House that, in the name of His Majesty the King, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased to assent to certain bills in her office.

Official source

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Meghan Stenson)

The following are the titles of the bills to which Her Honour did assent: An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 / Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2026. An Act to revive Holy Trinity Restaurant Inc. An Act to revive 1955274 Ontario Inc. An Act to revive Faris Team Mortgage Brokerage Corp. An Act to revive Jarm Holdings Investments Ltd. An Act respecting Pickering College. An Act to revive 1000401924 Ontario Inc. An Act to revive 1000401927 Ontario Inc. An Act to revive 1505756 Ontario Inc. An Act to revive Acme Restoration Inc. An Act to revive 1758195 Ontario Ltd. An Act to revive 668986 Ontario Inc. An Act to incorporate the Roman Catholic Bishop of St. Catharines as a corporation sole. An Act to amend the Pembroke and Area Airport Commission Act, 1992.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Questions?

Official source

Mr. Jeff Burch

Thanks to the member from Ajax for his speech. Rather than putting student achievement first, this bill is all about putting the Minister of Education and his ego first. It vastly expands his powers and creates a whole new layer of bureaucracy but limits the advocacy and support that parents receive. I’m wondering if the member could tell us the dangers of creating a whole new layer of bureaucracy in the school system, rather than addressing students’ concerns.

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

What this bill does is it essentially moves the finance official to potentially be the CEO. And the reality is that unless you are an educator that has worked in the classroom, went up and became a principal and a superintendent, you’re not going to know the impact of decisions that are going to affect students and families. Even some of the best business and financial officials within our province do not have that same context. So to have the director, as an educator, making that final call, I think, is better for students. It’s better for families in the systems. The other thing I would say is that that business official is also the treasurer of the board. Nothing really changes in that way. They already present that budget to the school board. They already go through that process. So it’s really just moving pieces around on the table. But at the end of the day, the person now that’s going to be in charge, that’s going to make the final decision, they will not know the same context and information within the classroom.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Mr. Stephen Blais

Thank you for your debate this morning. Part of the bill will require that attendance in class be part of the final grade. I think we can all agree that attendance at work and in life is part of how our employers judge us or how our spouse judges us and how we get judged broadly in society. Attendance in this place is also a way in which the Premier and the cabinet are graded. They only have to show up to two thirds of all portions of question period and that allows them to achieve 100% of the goal. I’m wondering if you think that the rules around attendance in classrooms should mirror similarly the rules around the Premier and his cabinet’s participation and attendance in question period, or lack there of?

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

Frankly, we don’t sit very much in this chamber already, so there are not many opportunities to even be able to ask questions of the government. So when we are sitting, especially with government ministers and the Premier, I think it’s really important that we’re able to do that. The other thing I’ll say, though, about this bill and student attendance is that it doesn’t take into account that students may be dealing with challenges outside of the classroom. They may be supporting a younger family member who is going to elementary school. They may be supporting their parents. They may need to make some money in order to support their family. This bill doesn’t take that into consideration, and I think it will penalize some of the most marginalized students within our schools.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Mr. Andrew Dowie

Thanks to the member from Ajax for his remarks. Listening to your statements—and I’m grateful for some great points—one thing that we’ve noticed down our way, in Essex county, has been the trustees themselves and their relationship with the directors of education. Many years ago, back in 2012-13, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board was put under supervision. Not too long ago, Paul Picard, who was the director of education at the time, said, “You have trustees who are responsible to electors and ... [who] want to get re-elected. There’s some reluctance to make the difficult choices. And so at that juncture ... the ministry stepped in to provide assistance.” Further on he says, “On one side there’s going to be people saying ... local autonomy begins to erode, but on the other side, to get in this constant cycle of deficit financing, it’s going to reach a critical point to where it is impacting ... the most vulnerable.” I know you worked in a board previously. I’m wondering if the director’s comments are valid as he said them?

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

I would say this bill doesn’t actually really change much of that in the first place. So that situation there, this bill doesn’t really change that. You’re still reporting to the board of trustees, so that reporting structure, frankly, doesn’t change. From time to time—and I think we’ve seen it on municipal councils, which is why there is a bill that did come forward that I don’t believe has been enacted or passed yet, to deal with the removal of members. That would be something that we need to start maybe looking at, because ultimately you shouldn’t have councillors behaving badly, you shouldn’t have trustees behaving badly—because there will be, especially in some of these places, some of that dysfunction. I would actually put it back to the member and the government to say that that bill they did, they should have included school board trustees in the bill to remove officials that really went afoul of conflict-of-interest rules, and actually have done it in way that it would have been effective.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Ms. Peggy Sattler

I listened intently to the remarks from the member for Ajax. I’m interested in his perspective on the fact that this bill includes 57 clauses that reference protecting the minister, the government cabinet and the minister’s appointees against legal cases. The bill references the words “liable” or “liability” 43 times. Would the member care to speculate on what the government needs to give itself immunity from with these extraordinary new powers that are included in this legislation?

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

How much time do we have to go through that? I think really it’s a government, with this bill, that is not focusing on student achievement. It is focusing on protecting the minister. In terms of what situations it could be, obviously there are some things—if they’re trying to do this—or some things they know that they’re going to be doing into the future, whether it’s around land, whether it’s around other aspects of school board governance or operations. I think we can brainstorm what a pretty large list it would be. Frankly, it appears to me that it’s just a government that’s backpedaling on public education, that doesn’t actually have a plan, that’s scrambling. And then, they’re trying to clean up their own messes that they’re making.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Mr. Stephen Blais

Earlier you mentioned the municipal accountability bill. And about 20 minutes ago in debate, the government member from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston said it would be inappropriate to allow trustees to continue in their position if they were caught in some form of malfeasance or inappropriate behaviour. I agree. And yet this is a government that has rejected the idea—voted against the idea—of removing city councillors from office who are sexually harassing their staff. And it’s slow-rolling their own bill on that same thing, hoping that we get to municipal election season before they bring it back. And so I’m wondering why they think it’s okay to remove trustees before an election for malfeasance, but they don’t agree that removing city councillors for sexual harassment is something that should be done before an election.

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

Frankly, in this situation—and this highlights why that bill around municipal accountability should have been passed. They actually could have incorporated some provisions within the Education Act as part of that bill in order to provide different levels of discipline for municipal councillors that were acting badly. This is a government that chose not to do that, and it was raised in debate on that bill. It was raised on the sidelines. And it behooves me as to why this government actually isn’t seriously interested in ensuring that our municipal councillors—and I would say even school board trustees—are held accountable for the actions that they take. There’s a lot of talk; there’s actually not a lot of action, Speaker.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Question?

Official source

Ms. Natalie Pierre

Right now, teachers across Ontario are spending hours of their day—personal time—scouring the Internet, looking at sites, Teachers Pay Teachers, just to find basic classroom materials because the system has failed to give them a reliable foundation to work from. Bill 101 extends the existing Trillium List approach for textbooks to digital and classroom resources, giving teachers a high-quality, ministry-approved base to start from while preserving their own professional flexibilities to supplement with their own materials. Bill 101 is about supporting teachers, not second-guessing them. Does the member opposite believe Ontario teachers should continue building their own lesson plans, or would you instead support a trusted, vetted set of resources the government has finally given them?

Official source

Mr. Rob Cerjanec

One, I would say professional judgment is enshrined in the collective agreements that educators have with the province. So the educator’s professional judgment should always be there. The minister and I have had this conversation, especially around the technology tools, because we’ve got 72 different school boards in this province and many different processes—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Further debate? I recognize the member for Algoma–Manitoulin.

Official source

MPP Bill Rosenberg

Good morning, Madam Speaker. I’m pleased to rise today to represent the good people of Algoma–Manitoulin and to speak to Bill 101, Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026, and highlight all the measures the government has done to improve the education system to date. I’d first like it to be noted that I will be sharing my time with the member from Cambridge. During this speech, I will go over a few of the changes that Bill 101, if passed by this assembly, will do to strengthen education in the province. We heard this morning some of the debate—we drifted off into the greenbelt, FOI, and that’s all easy, but since Minister Calandra has been appointed, his goal has been clear. He has been focused on making sure Ontario’s education system supports student success and helps students reach their full potential. At its heart, this legislation is about student achievement. Our education system must give every student a fair chance to succeed. That starts in the classroom, and it continues through school. It carries into life beyond graduation. Students need strong foundations in reading, writing and math. They also need practical skills that can use in everyday life, and they need to be prepared for post-secondary education and the jobs that they will take on in the future, whatever those may be. We must keep building a modern education system that supports learning in every classroom. The latest EQAO results show some real progress. Reading and writing outcomes are at the highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic, an indication our efforts are working, with many students performing better than ever before. Graduation rates are also at a historic high, which speaks to the hard work of students, families and educators across this province. These results give us confidence that there is improvement. At the same time, they show us that we can do better. In some areas, especially math, progress has been slower than we would like. Many students are meeting expectations, but we cannot leave any student behind. Certain student groups and some school boards continue to face gaps in achievement. These gaps are not a reflection of effort or ability; they point to places where students need more support. Our goal is simple: to help every student succeed, no matter where they live or which school they attend. The system is moving in the right direction, and we want to build on that momentum so more students can do even better. That’s why our government has appointed an expert advisory board. Its role is to lead a comprehensive review of student achievement and assessment in Ontario. This review will focus on reading, writing and math; it will look closely at the real causes behind achievement gaps; and it will recommend clear, practical steps to better support teachers, parents and students. Speaker, the review will ask important questions, such as: Are the curriculum and learning materials clear and easy to use? Are teachers getting the preparation and support they need? Do students have the right tools to succeed in the classroom? It will also examine EQAO assessments. The review will consider whether those assessments match what students are learning. It will look at whether they are fair for all students and if the data they generate contributes to improved student achievement. The recommendations will be released publicly. Families, educators and communities deserve to see the steps being taken to improve outcomes for every student. While this review continues, the government is not standing still. We are already taking action; we cannot afford to wait. A big part of the work is supporting teachers and educators across Ontario. Teachers are the backbone of student success. Strong students depend on strong educators. Ontario has talented teachers and dedicated school staff. Many of our schools are among the best in the country. Our responsibility is to make sure educators have the tools, the resources and the support they need to help students succeed. Over the past year, the government has taken practical steps to better equip educators with the tools they need in the classrooms. That is why last month, Premier Ford and Minister Calandra announced the Classroom Supplies Fund. We know that many teachers have been paying out of pocket for supplies. While school boards receive funding for classroom resources, we have not always seen those dollars consistently reach every classroom. That is why we are putting funds directly into the hands of teachers who know best what the students need. Starting this September, eligible elementary teachers will receive $750 each school year to purchase classroom supplies. Teachers will receive a classroom supplies card directing them to the website and instructions on how to access that site. This website will offer a grade-by-grade selection of commonly used classroom items, including writing materials, notebooks, calculators, arts and crafts supplies, facial tissues and paper towels. This will make it easier for teachers to get what they need without paying upfront or waiting for reimbursement. It also helps create more consistent access to supplies across classrooms. This matters because elementary school sets the foundation for future success. Teachers should never have to hold back because materials are not available. The government is also taking steps to better support teachers’ professional growth. Working with the Ontario College of Teachers, the government has removed long-standing barriers for technology education teachers, teachers of Indigenous languages and teachers of Indigenous ancestry, opening clearer paths into school leadership roles. These changes support career advancement and help attract and retain a strong, diverse teaching workforce. Last week, Minister Quinn and Minister Calandra announced a shorter, more efficient teacher education program. Hands-on training and strong mentorship help new teachers feel ready for the classroom, which also means they are more likely to stay in the profession. In addition, our government is investing $16.8 million over three years to increase honoraria for associate teachers. Our goal is to ensure teacher candidates can learn from experienced mentors during their placement. Speaker, all of this reflects our commitment to support educators so they can continue helping students succeed, and it brings us to the introduction of the Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026. If passed, the proposed changes in this bill would allow us to improve consistency and effectiveness in curriculum delivery by giving teachers the tools they need to support student learning. We are also helping improve student preparedness for post-secondary pursuits and ensuring consistent assessment practices for students in grade 9 to grade 12. These are but a few of the proposed changes that would come into effect if Bill 101 passes. As mentioned earlier, I will be sharing my time with the member from Cambridge. I’ll hand over the debate to him and look forward to questions from my colleagues.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I recognize the member for Cambridge.

Official source

Mr. Brian Riddell

It’s always an honour to stand in this place, representing the people of Cambridge. I will be continuing where my colleague from Algoma–Manitoulin left off, highlighting additional areas where Bill 101, if passed, would strengthen education and further support parents, teachers and students all across Ontario. Strong student outcomes depend on a consistency of high-quality teaching materials in the classroom. Ontario has already provided a government-approved list of textbooks. This approach works quite well. It gives teachers a clear structure for their lessons. It also saves time, so teachers are not required to build everything from scratch. Most importantly, it helps create greater consistency across the classroom. We want to extend this same approach to other classroom learning materials. Right now, educators rely on a wide range of independently chosen materials; not all of these are clearly aligned with the curriculum. This has led to differences from classroom to classroom and, in some cases, learning materials that are not appropriate for students. That’s why what the government wants to do is make sure students have access to high-quality, age-appropriate learning resources. These materials should be aligned with what the students are expected to learn, no matter where they attend school. Speaker, the proposed changes, if passed, would allow the Ministry of Education to mandate the use of ministry-approved learning resources in classrooms across the province. It would help to ensure a consistent and effective implementation of the curriculum. Of course, flexibility remains important, with teachers still able to use supplementary materials where needed: for example, to accommodate students’ needs, or support denominational or French-language education rights; this would be one of these areas. The government is working on developing classroom resources to be available for the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. These resources may include lesson plans, student materials—

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

Thank you.

Official source

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Official source

The Acting Speaker (MPP Andrea Hazell)

I beg to inform the House that the Clerk has received written notices from the government House leader indicating that temporary changes in the weekly meeting schedule of the House are required, and therefore, pursuant to standing order 9(h), the House shall commence at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026, for the proceeding Orders of the Day, and pursuant to standing order 9(g), the afternoon routine on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, shall commence at 1 p.m.

Official source

Mr. Brian Riddell

I rise to recognize an important investment in the future of the skilled trades in Ontario. I recently joined Premier Doug Ford and Minister David Piccini in Cambridge to celebrate the grand opening of LIUNA Local 837 training centre, supported by an $8.8-million investment from our government. This new facility is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about investing in people, skills and opportunity. Skilled trade workers are the backbone of our economy, building our homes, infrastructure and communities. Our government is working to ensure these careers are seen as a first choice, while investing in trades training and creating pathways for the next generation. At a time when new technologies are reshaping the workforce, the skilled trades remain an essential item and in demand. Before entering public service, I worked as a mechanical millwright and industrial engineer, and I have seen first-hand the pride and discipline this work requires. This training centre will help prepare the next generation right here in Cambridge, a community with a strong and growing trades sector. I want to thank LIUNA for their leadership in building safer work sites, stronger futures. I congratulate them on this achievement.

Official source

Mme Chandra Pasma

Je prends la parole aujourd’hui pour souligner le travail de la coopérative Ami Jeunesse, un organisme francophone qui se trouve au coeur de ma circonscription d’Ottawa-Ouest–Nepean, au sens propre comme au figuré. Chaque mois, la coopérative prépare des paniers alimentaires pour plus d’une centaine de familles francophones, souvent nouvellement arrivées, à travers toute la ville d’Ottawa. Leur soutien est indispensable au bien-être et à la stabilité de ces familles, surtout de leurs enfants. J’ai récemment eu le plaisir de leur rendre visite et de voir concrètement les améliorations logistiques rendues possibles grâce au soutien de la Fondation Trillium de l’Ontario. Ce réaménagement fait une différence réelle dans leurs opérations. Je tiens à remercier chaleureusement toute l’équipe, les bénévoles et les partenaires pour leur travail inspirant et l’exemplarité de leur solidarité. Leur travail essentiel nous rappelle une réalité difficile : dans notre province, les besoins croissants des banques alimentaires représentent un signal d’alarme que nous ne pouvons ignorer. Nous devons continuer de faire tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir pour ne pas vivre dans une province où un enfant ne sait pas d’où ni quand viendra son prochain repas.

Official source

Mr. Ted Hsu

I want to take a moment to mention some big anniversaries in my riding this year. Congratulations to the Archdiocese of Kingston, celebrating its 200th anniversary. The first Catholic diocese created on British land since the Reformation, Kingston is the mother Catholic diocese of all Ontario. The Kingston chamber of commerce and the Kingston police force are both celebrating their 185th anniversaries this year. Peace, order and commercial success have gone hand in hand for almost two centuries. Congratulations to the Kingston Brewing Company, celebrating its 40th anniversary. It is Ontario’s oldest brew pub, where we warmly welcome visitors, like the leader of the official opposition. And finally, congratulations to Mabuhay Fil-Can, celebrating its first year as a registered not-for-profit in Kingston, as a vehicle for the proud Filipino-Canadian commitment to unity, cultural pride and community service. Je remercie l’ensemble des institutions et des organismes communautaires qui composent notre société civile et contribuent à la force de Kingston. Thank you to all the institutions and community groups that form civil society and make Kingston strong.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

My riding is home to an incredible Persian community that are deeply proud of their heritage, and I recently had the opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of Nowruz with members of this House and our Premier right here at the Legislature. The Nowruz Haft Sin table they crafted represents renewal and hope, and despite the painful reality of their homeland, they had great strength through their community ties that reflect resilience and acceptance. I was reminded of Cyrus the Great. He was a Persian warrior and a founder of the Achaemenid Empire, known for recognizing human dignity and civil society engagement amongst diverse cultures. And he’s also celebrated in Jewish history for ending their Babylonian captivity. Cyrus maintained a policy of religious and cultural tolerance, allowing for local customs and religions to thrive. Here in Ontario, we are so privileged to benefit from the legacy of Cyrus through the contributions of a very vibrant Iranian Canadian community, whose commitment to democratic values enhance our province every single day. An important movement has begun in recognizing April 19 as Cyrus Accord Awareness Day, so please join me in celebrating the Cyrus Accord and how we can positively shape public conversations through principled and peaceful advocacy.

Official source

MPP Jamie West

It’s the end of an era in Sudbury. After 55 years, Jett Landry Music is closing their doors. Jett Landry is the largest independent music store in northern Ontario. It’s a family-owned music store that was started by Jett in 1971. He now runs it with his son, Jett Landry Jr. Jett Landry Music is where Sudburians take their children when they’re interested in music. They do repairs, they offer lessons and, of course, they have a huge selection of musical instruments. In fact, when my son Thomas wanted a guitar, everyone I spoke to said, “You’ve got to go to Jett.” They didn’t sell me the most expensive guitar; they sold me one that was good for beginners and that was easy to play. My story isn’t unique. There’s been generations of families taking their children to Jett Landry to pick out new instruments, to take lessons, to be inspired, to pursue their talents and creativity. Jett Landry Music’s personalized services from community-driven and passionate staff is probably what’s kept people coming back for 55 years. I know I join countless others in Sudbury when I say thank you to the Landry family. We wish you a happy retirement and best wishes for whatever comes next. As Jett always says, music is forever.

Official source

Ms. Natalie Pierre

I rise today to mark Daffodil Month, led by the Canadian Cancer Society. Each spring, the daffodil is one of the first flowers to bloom, a simple but powerful reminder that even after the hardest winters, brighter days lie ahead. For me and so many families across Ontario and across Canada, this message of hope is deeply personal. Nearly half of Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. These are our parents, our siblings, friends, neighbours, co-workers and people that we love, facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. This month is about them. It honours the resilience of people living with cancer, remembering the loved ones we carry with us in our hearts, and inspires us to stand together in support every step of the way. It’s also about the incredible work being done through research, support programs and advocacy to improve outcomes and help people live longer, fuller lives. Because small acts—whether it’s a donation, wearing a daffodil or simply starting a conversation—can make a real difference, together, we will continue to bring hope to those who need it most.

Official source

Mr. Robert Bailey

The government of Ontario continues to make strategic investments in the success of businesses in Sarnia–Lambton. Recently, I had the opportunity to tour St. Clair Mechanical in Brigden, Ontario, which was the recipient of a $500,000 grant from the government of Ontario’s Regional Development Program to help support a $3.5-million expansion of their industrial fabrication facility. The new 10,000-square-foot expansion has helped St. Clair Mechanical increase its metal fabrication, manufacturing and production capacity while also enabling access to new market opportunities in high-growth sectors such as nuclear energy, renewable energy, mining and battery manufacturing. The project’s expansion also includes the installation of new welding systems and fabrication technologies, which have enhanced efficiency, precision and quality, as well as reduced lead times in fabrication to meet customer demand. Ontario is investing over $220 million through its Regional Development Program to help manufacturers across the province to grow while supporting distinct regional priorities. Since its launch, the Regional Development Program has supported more than 180 projects, leveraging more than $2.5 billion in new investments to help create over 4,800 new jobs. Madam Speaker, thanks to our government’s plan to protect Ontario, I look forward to sharing more good news about strategic investments in Sarnia–Lambton in the months ahead.

Official source

Mr. Will Bouma

As many of you are aware, my riding of Brantford–Brant is home to a vibrant, motivated and active cadet movement. Today, I would like to continue the tradition of welcoming the top cadets as chosen by their commanding officers for their dedication, excellence and willingness to make our community the best that it can be. The cadets of Brantford–Brant not only improve themselves but also improve the communities we serve. From the Navy League of Canada Cadet Corps Admiral Landymore, I welcome Able Cadet Elora Murtagh and Ordinary Cadet Rosemarie Masheiel, accompanied by their officer, Lieutenant Richard Carpenter, and Sub-Lieutenant John Sinden. From the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Admiral Nelles, I welcome Chief Petty Officer First Class Rebecca Papez and Petty Officer First Class Ari Henderson. They are accompanied by their officer, Lieutenant Shane Downey. From the 2659 Royal Canadian Army Cadets, I welcome Master Warrant Officer Danyka Jorgensen and Master Warrant Officer Jacob Russell, alongside their officer, Captain Josh Jenne. From the 104 Starfighter Royal Canadian Air Cadets, I am pleased to welcome Warrant Officer Second Class Ella Kendall and Corporal Hanna Town, alongside officer Captain Celina Corner. Cadets, officers, the people of Ontario salute you for your hard work and contribution to Brantford–Brant.

Official source

Applause.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Official source

MPP Robin Lennox

I’ll always remember Joan, a patient in my family practice who was living with type 2 diabetes. She would come in diligently every three months for her checkups, but her glucose tests were almost never within range. You see, Joan was working full-time, but she didn’t have benefits and the $200 for her diabetes medications was the one thing she could never squeeze into the budget at the end of the month. She would end every appointment the same way, by saying “I’m sorry” for not being able to get her medication, and I would say, “I’m sorry,” because there was no way for me to find coverage for her medication. Here we were, a patient and a physician, both apologizing to each other for what is actually a government failure, a choice not to have universal drug coverage in Ontario. I imagine Joan must have felt such relief when she heard that federal pharmacare passed and there was a promise for universal coverage for diabetes medications and devices. Finally, she would be able to stop apologizing and just focus on her health. But because of this government’s neglect, Joan and thousands of others are still waiting. First, the Minister of Health said the holdup was figuring out how to protect private drug plans. Now, the minister is blaming the federal government. Meanwhile, people living in BC have had their diabetes medications covered since March 1, and four other provinces have coverage on the way. I call on the Premier to take accountability, to take action and to finally get Ontarians access to the essential medications they deserve.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery, we have the member for Thornhill for the 39th and 40th Parliaments, Peter Shurman.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

Continuing on with Thornhill, it’s my pleasure to welcome to the House Dr. Alan Bostakian from the organization Cyrus the Great; Jesse Primerano from the StandWithUs Canada organization; Dario Chaiquin, associate director at CIJA; Jonathan Spiegelman, AVI board member; and Shermineh Salehi Esmati, team member from the Cyrus the Great organization. Thank you for coming.

Official source

MPP Lisa Gretzky

I want to introduce the incredible workers at Titan Tool and Die Unifor Local 195 who are in Windsor on the picket line watching question period today. I also want to give a very special shout-out to my husband. Today is our 30th anniversary, and both of us are in separate cities.

Official source

Applause.

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Congratulations.

Official source

Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta

I wanted to welcome Mrs. Pooja Walia, who is a personal support worker, but she’s also Mrs. Globe Curve’ 2025. Welcome to the House.

Official source

Mr. Sheref Sabawy

I would like to welcome Mr. Achal Madkan, the parent of Navya Madkan, our page from the Mississauga–Erin Mills riding. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Official source

Ms. Lee Fairclough

April is the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month. As somebody who worked in cancer care for many years, I’ve seen the impact of that. We have many people here today from the Canadian Cancer Society. I’m pleased to welcome Stephen Piazza, the director of advocacy; Stuart Edmonds; Hillary Buchan-Terrell; Apiramy Jeyapalan; Arian Del Bianco; Olivia Kulbak; and Vanessa Silano. Welcome to your House.

Official source

Mr. Terence Kernaghan

It gives me great pleasure to welcome my executive assistant from London North Centre, Nadine Abi Raad, as well as my constituency assistant, Ella Moore. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I hope you enjoy the visit.

Official source

Mme Dawn Gallagher Murphy

From my riding of Newmarket–Aurora, I’d like to welcome Men’s Shed Aurora: Ron Maislin, Anthony Garramone, John Seaman, Davis Dane, Jost Lighter, Stephen Leung, Doug Kilpatrick, Anton Coetzee, Arthur Barlas, Bruce Corbett, Stephen Choi, Sanh Tank and Alex Caron. Welcome.

Official source

Hon. Nina Tangri

From my great riding of Mississauga–Streetsville, I’d like to welcome Julie Sheridan, who’s here with the Canadian Cancer Society today.

Official source

Hon. Sylvia Jones

I am also pleased to recognize representatives of the Canadian Cancer Society. Joining us today: Mr. Stuart Edmonds, executive vice-president, mission research and advocacy, as well as, of course, the advocacy volunteers Shailly Prajapati and Mr. Frederick Barber. On behalf of all members, I want to thank them for their continuing advocacy and important work supporting people impacted by cancer and advancing cancer prevention and research across Canada.

Official source

Ms. Aislinn Clancy

I want to give a shout-out to my daughter and her Kitchener Lady Rangers U18B team. They’re watching today. I want to congratulate them on winning provincial championships—it’s the first time a team has won two times in a row. Thanks to coaches and families. Go Rangers!

Official source

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu

I would like to welcome Pooja Walia from Brampton West. Pooja Walia is the newly crowned Mrs. Globe Curve’ 2025, where she proudly represented Canada in the international pageant in California, US, in June 2025. Today she’s here with her husband, Amandeep Walia, and their two daughters, Aahana and Aaina. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Official source

Mr. Matthew Rae

I’d like to introduce Fred Barber, who’s from Perth–Wellington. He’s here with the Canadian Cancer Society.

Official source

Ms. Catherine Fife

It’s my pleasure to welcome Dr. Jeannie MacGillivray to the House today, as well as Dr. Bernard Lawless, who is also an Order of Ontario winner.

Official source

Hon. Doug Ford

I’d like to welcome a few people from the greatest jurisdiction anywhere in the world, Etobicoke North. Here today with the Canadian Cancer Society, who are doing an incredible job, as my great deputy Premier just mentioned, is Nadia Headley. She’s an absolute champion, and it’s so great to see her today. Also with us today: Another champion from Etobicoke and also one of our pages, Hanuj Patel, brought his parents, Archana and Jignesh. Welcome to Queen’s Park. You live in the greatest place in the world.

Official source