I want to thank my colleague from Humber River–Black Creek for bringing this bill forward. I know my colleague has Serbian roots, so this bill is very dobra—and I hope I said that all right.

It’s an honour and privilege to rise as one of the governing PC caucus members. Other members that will be speaking from our side, I believe, are the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills, the member for Scarborough–Agincourt and the member for Oakville North–Burlington.

Ontario is a place where it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you love, how you choose to worship God—everybody belongs in Ontario, and it’s the responsibility of members of this House to make sure that we are standing up for that right.

When we speak about a lot of the communities, many people who came to Ontario or to Canada for a better life, they come from places where practising their faith isn’t something we can take for granted. We’re used to the right to worship and the right to worship freely, and it’s easy to forget sometimes that if we don’t defend that right, if we don’t fight for that right every single day as lawmakers, as citizens, that right may no longer exist. It does here in Canada, and bills like this brought forward by my colleague help to defend that right and ensure that right.

We know that in Ontario we’re home to over half a million Orthodox Christians. I think my colleague said a million, we estimate, in Canada. The Orthodox Christian community is one that’s been coming to Canada for over a hundred years. I’m very lucky in my own riding, in Brampton North, we have the Archangel Michael and St. Tekla church, a Coptic Orthodox church that the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills introduced me to once upon a time a few years ago, and I have the pleasure of going every Christmas and most of the Easters; I’ll make sure I don’t miss Easter this year. I did miss it last year, but I made it for Christmas. It’s such a vibrant, wonderful community. Dare I say, just a gorgeous, beautiful church. If you guys ever have a chance to get out to Mayfield and Highway 10 in Brampton North, I’ll bring you by Archangel Michael and St. Tekla. It’s a gorgeous church.

We have a lot to be thankful for to our Orthodox Christian community. One member that I know the sponsoring member cares deeply about being Nikola Tesla, who is, of course, the man who brought electricity to the world. Many of us would have seen the statue at Niagara Falls. Nikola also left his mark on Canada with a strong contribution, developing the first hydroelectric power plant in the world, at Niagara Falls.

Now, we know Ontario is a diverse place, home to many. I think by voting in favour of this legislation, colleagues—I certainly intend to—we’re sending a strong message to our Orthodox Christian community that we see them, they matter, they have friends here at Queen’s Park. So let’s all do it together.