Madam Speaker, it’s great to see you this morning.

It’s an honour to rise for the first time in this House in my new official government role as the PA to the Solicitor General. I want to thank my colleagues and thank the Premier for their trust. I hope I don’t screw this speech up too much.

I’m glad to be here on time. Madam Speaker, if you know, it was raining cats and dogs last night and into the morning, so the roads were a little slippery, but we’re glad to be here—and pack it in, guys, this is going to be a long 20 minutes.

As the Solicitor General has said, Bill 159 is a crucial example of our government taking strategic action to enhance the welfare and the well-being and the safety of animals all across the province. Ensuring animal welfare standards are upheld is critical to not only protecting our pets but also protecting our livestock and more. It’s essential to ensure that all animals are receiving the adequate standards of care that they deserve.

Before I begin, I want to make note for this House and all Ontarians to stay vigilant and be aware of puppy mills around their community. If you suspect a puppy mill operating in your community or somebody who has been trying to sell you a sick puppy, or even if you suspect that an animal is being abused, please call and report it to animal welfare services.

Ontario is a national leader in the protection of animals. We currently have the strongest animal welfare legislation in the country. While we have already made significant strides in ensuring the protection of animals across the province, we understand that this is not a static issue. It is this government that understands that the care and consideration of animals is a fluid subject and that more needs to be done. That is exactly why our government is taking action with the PUPS Act here today.

Through the tabling of the proposed Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, otherwise known as the PUPS Act, Ontario introduced amendments to the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, the PAWS Act, that if passed, will create more tools to help stop the harmful practices specifically associated with the operation of puppy mills. The strategic measures outlined in this bill will assist our animal welfare services in their efforts to make sure that dogs across the province receive the care and the attention that they deserve.

Since 2020, animal welfare services have governed the province under the PAWS Act, ensuring a robust and comprehensive standard is adhered to, but currently the breeding and sale of dogs is not properly provincially regulated in Ontario, which leaves room for bad actors to take advantage of and exploit dogs for profit in conditions of neglect. While all dog breeders, along with dog owners and custodians, are subject to the current requirements in the PAWS Act, including prohibitions on causing animal distress and requirements to meet basic standards of care, there are individuals out there who have no problem abusing them for their own financial gain.

Through this bill, we have a plan to counteract this horrendous behaviour. If you’ve seen some of the conditions that you can find dogs in in puppy mills—I’ve got to tell you, Madam Speaker, the people who run these things are some pretty sick pups. We’re standing here today because we’re bringing light to an important issue. Puppy mill operations are guilty of often having significant animal welfare violations, often including but not limited to overbreeding, crowded and unsanitary conditions, lack of veterinary care and posing significant risks to the welfare of dogs living in these deplorable conditions.

We’ve all seen the images, Speaker. When an operation suspected of being a puppy mill is investigated, severely emaciated, crated dogs are often found living in their own filth conditions and in the presence of feces. It’s disgusting. There’s nothing about these conditions that indicates that these are safe places for a dog. That is something that every member of this House should agree on.

We are proposing new prohibitions that will help crack down on puppy mills to stop some of the worst practices out there, and that includes overbreeding, that includes keeping sick dogs away from other animals and that includes ensuring that dogs in custody receive the proper medical care.

As the Solicitor General just said in his speech, this government takes public safety seriously. I want to echo that statement here. But public safety doesn’t only just mean taking care of the people in this province, it also means taking care of the animals in this province, and frankly, that’s why it’s time that we make it harder for those in this province who want to abuse animals and who don’t provide animals with the proper care.

One of the proposed inclusions in the PUPS Act is a clarifying change related to enhanced debt collection tools. One of the roles animal welfare services takes on is the removal of animals when necessary. This is often seen when an animal is found in a distress situation. When an animal is removed from a distress situation by animal welfare services or at the recommendation of a veterinarian, the province ensures that they receive proper veterinary care. This results in a statement of account being issued to the owner of the animal to cover the costs.

This amendment will enhance the province’s ability to collect on those statements of account. If the province has to step in because you’re not doing your job and you’re not taking responsibility on behalf of an animal in your care, the province and the taxpayer shouldn’t be stuck with the bill. The bad owner should be stuck with the bill. This bill helps us collect on those debts.

But allow me to provide a little backstory, Speaker. As the Solicitor General pointed out, the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, which was passed by this House in June, included amendments to bolster the PAWS Act. One of those amendments enhanced the criteria of costs that are incurred by animal welfare services. By identifying these costs and by providing greater specificity on the types of costs incurred, these are costs that can now be recovered. You can’t collect what you can’t measure. This means animal owners of any animal will be responsible for paying the costs their actions have caused. These costs are itemized in a statement of account which is served to an animal owner or a custodian.

Under the current law, the Ministry of the Solicitor General can only enforce the collection of debt using standard collection tools such as callouts and follow-up letters. If passed, this amendment to the PAWS Act would authorize the use of enhanced debt collection tools under the Ministry of Revenue Act.

Those who abuse animals need to understand that there are consequences for their actions. These tools would not only support the collection of debts owed, but it will help enforce the government’s position that no animal deserves to be mistreated. This means animal owners of any animal will be responsible for paying the cost their actions have caused. For the bad actors out there, we are coming for you. Enough is enough.

While we’re on the topic of money, Speaker, let’s dive into this. I alluded earlier that financial gain is one of the main drivers of these horrific operations. It is also what keeps puppy mills in business. Unfortunately, these operators are turning enormous profits in the process, at the expense of the welfare of dogs.

The PUPS Act, if passed, will amend the PAWS Act and increase the minimum penalties for those accused of harming dogs and ensure that they receive fines that are worth their crimes. For those accused of operating a puppy mill contrary to subsection 23.2(1), they will receive a $10,000 fine if convicted—minimum. And for those found guilty of causing distress to a dog where the animal dies or a veterinarian determines that euthanasia is the most humane course of action, well, Madam Speaker, we’re implementing a minimum fine of $25,000 for that incident. Again, this is a prime example of our government’s efforts to hold people accountable. If you break these laws and you harm a dog, you will be held to account.

Dog owners and custodians of animals across the province are subject to the measures outlined in the PAWS Act, and that includes prohibitions against causing distress, as well as ensuring that the general standards of care are being met. But the way the legislation sits currently, Speaker, nowhere does it specifically call out the functions that we are seeing in puppy mill operations. For example, puppy mills are known to breed female dogs over and over again. While there have been efforts at the local level to contain and control this issue, we know that it’s time for us to step in.

This is an Ontario-wide issue. Operators of these facilities are operating in plain sight while strategically defrauding innocent members of the public. We will not accept that innocent individuals or families looking to add a furry friend family member have the potential to buy a sick dog that has lived a life subject to these conditions that may impact the quality of that animal’s life. The PUPS Act would, if passed, as mentioned, impose legislated minimum penalties and get to the root cause of harmful dog-breeding practices associated with puppy mills. We’re looking to close the valve that gives puppy mills the oxygen to survive.

Speaker, breeding, pregnancy, labour and delivery can all be very hard on a dog, and inhumane breeding practices can make that process even harder. Female dogs should not be breeding too early in their life and, once bred, they need time to physically and psychologically recover from the experience. The changes being proposed in the PUPS Act will prohibit harmful dog-breeding practices common in puppy mills, including restricting inbreeding, which is a practice that can be common in puppy mills, especially where breeding is largely unsupervised. This results in puppies that can suffer their entire life due to inherited health problems.

We are limiting the number of times a female dog can be bred within a certain time frame. As I mentioned, continuous breeding without appropriate breaks can result in too many litters and overcrowding, creating unsanitary conditions and health issues for puppies and for the breeding females.

We’re prohibiting the breeding of a female dog at too young of an age. Dogs need to be physiologically capable of breeding and raising puppies, and some pre-breeding health tests actually can only be completed after they turn a certain age. Giving dogs the time to mature prior to breeding allows a breeder to get to know the behavioural traits of the animal that will help make strategic and educated breeding decisions.

This act will also prohibit breeding a female dog too early on in its reproductive cycle. Many dogs’ first estrous, or heat cycle, is unlikely to allow successful breeding. In most circumstances, it’s industry best practice to wait until the second or even third heat cycle before breeding.

The proposed act will also prohibit separating a puppy from its mother at too young an age. As is the case with most mammals, in the early weeks of a puppy’s life they are fully dependent on their mother and will begin to learn social skills from their mother and from their littermates.

We will also be prohibiting allowing a dog with a contagious disease to interact with other dogs or animals or use the same objects, such as food or water containers. Isolation of dogs with suspected or confirmed contagious diseases is critical to prevent the spread of illnesses that can be fatal, such as parvovirus.

The proposed legislation also provides new regulation-making authorities to enable the ministry to set conditions and future regulations specific to the sale and transfer of dogs, as well as introduce record-keeping requirements. These future conditions could, for example, help stop the sale of sick puppies and the sale of puppies at too early of an age.

Now, on those specific items that I spoke about that this act would be introducing, I think most members of this House—certainly I would hope—would think these are all pretty basic things, that it’s not too much for us to ask for basic decency and living conditions for dogs in Ontario. We would hope that people would be conducting themselves ethically of their own accord, but we know there are bad actors. We know there are people who are financially benefiting off of cutting corners at the expense of the welfare of animals, and I believe, Madam Speaker, as does the Solicitor General, that it is the government’s duty and responsibility to step in to protect those dogs and those animals that aren’t able to protect themselves.

To assist with the enforceability of the new provisions, regulation-making authorities and offences, the PUPS Act proposes new definitions for the terms “dog” and “transfer.” If passed, “dog” would be defined as any dog, specifically “Canis lupus familiaris,” and would include an animal which is a cross between a dog and another member of the Canis genus group, including but not limited to a wolf or coyote. “Transfer,” for the purposes of future conditions related to the sale or transfer of a dog, would be defined as including offer for transfer and expose for transfer, such as trading or bartering a dog, but it would not include gifting.

These changes, to some, may seem like they aren’t enough, but this act will open the door to a new standard of care for dogs in Ontario on top of our already renowned animal welfare legislative standards. Until now, no Canadian province has had specific prohibitions on operating a puppy mill. As mentioned, Ontario is a leader in the animal welfare space, and we’re going to continue these efforts. It’s high time to set tougher rules to hold those who abuse dogs to account. If passed, the PUPS Act will make the necessary changes to the PAWS Act to help stop harmful dog-breeding practices associated with puppy mills, with proposed legislated minimum penalties that will start hitting the accused where it hurts: directly in their pocketbook.

Speaker, while I’m at it, I’d like to highlight a couple of other pieces of this legislation that will help keep dogs safe across the province. Under the PUPS Act, inbreeding and overbreeding, snatching puppies from their mothers too early in their development—breeders will need to clean up their act. Unsanitary kennels will be prohibited, and that means cracking down on kennels rotting with feces and other waste.

This bill will also allow the province to establish record-keeping regulations that will help animal welfare inspectors investigate potential puppy mills and to establish conditions that must be met to sell or transfer a dog in Ontario to help stop unethical sales practices and expose bad actors.

Speaker, I don’t need to paint pictures of the situation for any member of this House, but I’d like to switch gears for a moment and share a personal story about what really drives home why this bill is important.

Georgia, a sweet dog rescued from a puppy mill in Wallenstein, Ontario, was one of eight newborn puppies found in deplorable conditions. Their mother, trapped in a tiny cage surround by filth and fed cat food, was unable to provide them with the care they needed. Thanks to the efforts of a local organization, Georgia and her siblings were rescued and rehomed into loving environments. Today, Georgia is spending her days surrounded by a wonderful, loving family in my riding of Brampton North.

Speaker, when we investigate these puppy mills, what we find is nothing short of disgusting. We find dogs clinging to life, trapped in crates that are dirty and covered in their own excrement, which is why it’s crucial that we need to take action. The welfare of these animals is at stake. We need to put an end to these deplorable practices, starting with cracking down on overbreeding.

Speaker, I want to appeal to members of this House, and specifically the opposition. We passed Bill 102, which was a larger justice act—it was opposed by the NDP—where we made some of the amendments to the PAWS Act. I really hope members of the opposition will consider voting in favour of this bill. The animals in our province deserve it. They can’t protect themselves, and they need Parliament—they need parliamentarians to stand up for them and to protect them.

And I’ve got to tell you, Speaker, I will be a dog with a bone on this issue and hounding the opposition, and I would just request them to—please don’t let the opposition House leader muzzle you on this; speak up for your constituents. Vote in favour of this bill.

Speaker, I’ll end how I started, by recounting how this government is renowned for its work on animal welfare. Ontario has the strongest animal welfare legislation in the country, and under this Premier, Premier Doug Ford, our government is taking these concerns very seriously. We’ve heard from families across Ontario, from organizations across Ontario. Passing this bill is an opportunity for members of this House to show that we are listening, we hear you and we’re here with you, to stand with you every step of the way.

We’re going to continue to take strong action to build and maintain a modern animal welfare enforcement system to keep animals safe. That includes starting with practices that cause significant distress to the animals. That starts with the passage of the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, the PUPS Act.

I can only hope that all members of this House can see the light and stand up for animal welfare in this province. I hope that the members opposite and the independent members will take this issue seriously, and I hope that they support the passage of Bill 159 as it proceeds through second reading this week. And if they don’t, well then at least Ontarians can be confident they elected a Progressive Conservative government that will do whatever it takes to better protect animals from negligent care and abuse.

Thanks to the great member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for the question this morning.

We are continuing to increase the province’s supply of clean, affordable, reliable and safe nuclear power in the member’s own region with four small modular reactors—world-leading small modular reactors that are going in at the Darlington OPG site. We’re refurbishing the Candu reactors that are there. OPG and our building trades and skilled trade workers and engineers are ensuring that those refurbishments aren’t just on time and on budget, they’re actually ahead of schedule and on budget, which is a tremendous success story, and that’s given us the confidence to move forward on the refurbishment of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.

Just yesterday, I was down announcing a $1-billion refurbishment of the Sir Adam Beck hydroelectric facility in Niagara Falls—clean, reliable water power for our province’s future. We’re building out a clean grid, but it’s the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and her friend Justin Trudeau, that are increasing the carbon tax, driving people into poverty.

Speaker, 76,000 people are working in Canada’s nuclear sector every day, and 68,000 of them are working in Ontario’s sector, in the supply chain and operating the plants. Those are hard-working people—skilled trades, engineers and plant operators—who get good paycheques every single day. They’re providing almost 60% of the province’s baseload power—clean, reliable, affordable electricity.

It’s our party, it’s our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, that is supporting not just the current crop of skilled trade workers and nuclear operators, but those who are training to become nuclear engineers in our universities and who are going to be operating the new Candu or large nuclear plants that are being built at Bruce, and the small modular reactors, which are world-leading in the G7, that are coming online later this decade, that are going to continue to provide our province with the clean, reliable, affordable electricity we’ll be able to count on for decades to come.