My constituent Sarah has been forced into homelessness with her six-week-old infant. Sarah is trying desperately to find a space in a shelter—any space. She has been calling shelters consistently for weeks and still cannot get placed, not even with a newborn.

Sarah is here at Queen’s Park today to watch this debate. She wants the Premier to know that she will lose her child if she does not have access to safe shelter and housing for baby Mia.

Premier, where will Sarah and her baby, Mia, be sleeping tonight? Will his budget deliver the money for shelters and real affordable housing? Where will she go? When can she get a permanent home? Can she get one by the end of this week?

Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to focus on real actions that this House has the power to take to support all women. To support all women, we need pay equity. This means enacting the Pay Transparency Act shelved by the Conservative government, which would have ensured that women in all sectors, such as law, technology and business, would receive equal pay for equal work.

To support all women, we need to take the housing and homelessness crisis seriously. Women don’t want to hear vague talking points about how much you love them. They want this government to find the love to actually fund shelters and fund housing that will truly support them.

To support all women, we need to reverse the cuts to sexual violence support centres and legal aid. These services heal and empower women and allow women across Ontario to access justice.

To support all women, we need to implement recommendations from the Renfrew county inquest to stop gender-based violence in Ontario, including recommendation number one, which will declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.

To support all women, we need to pass the gender-affirming health care act and ensure all women have access to the health care that they truly need and deserve.

To support all women, we need to follow the lead of provinces like British Columbia and guarantee universal, free access to contraception.

To support all women, we need to repeal Bill 124, which is sexist and wage-suppressing. That will truly support women.

Happy International Women’s Day, everyone.

Thank you very much for your remarks. I couldn’t help but really feel that as you were talking about your constituents, they really could have been my constituents. Food bank usage in Toronto Centre for new users has gone up by 60%. We’re seeing students now living in youth shelters because there’s no adequate housing.

With respect to what’s happening within the throne speech and what’s contained in the throne speech: Clearly, there isn’t enough to meet the needs of Ontarians today, but what is actually missing in there? You’ve identified some things. But what are the solutions, and how can we get there with the support of this government? Do you think they would be able to allow us to make those amendments and work collaboratively so we can end the lineups at the food banks, so we can put an end to poverty, so we can put an end to homelessness once and for all?