Premier, shelters and transition houses are bursting at the seams. Many children and women have nowhere to go. The sector is facing critical staffing shortages and turnover as wages in this sector have been brutally shut down and stifled because of this Conservative government’s Bill 124. While they should be expanding programs to meet the demand, they are struggling to keep their doors open on shoestring budgets that are not tending to the operational needs.

Yesterday, a front-line worker shared how they are fundraising for food for their clients. Another spoke of how their organization’s funding expired, reversing progress made for women and children fleeing violence.

Again, my question is back to the Premier: Will he commit to ending gender-based violence today by creating a sustainable needs-based funding model for this sector? Will he support these workers and can Bill 124?

My question’s to the Premier. Speaker, 62 women and children were lost to femicide in the past year according to OAITH’s 2023 femicide list. We know these numbers, with each passing day, are rising. Yesterday, I met with OAITH and spoke with workers—women—on the front lines of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence working hard to help save the lives of women and children exposed to violence. You refuse to listen to our countless calls for you to name gender-based violence as an epidemic in this province of Ontario. This sector hasn’t seen real investments, deep investments, to its operational funding in 15 years and counting.

My question is to the Premier. You keep talking about a national plan to address gender-based violence, national dollars. As Premier of Ontario, what is your plan? What is Ontario’s provincial plan to address gender-based and intimate partner violence? Let’s not pass the buck. Thank you, Speaker.

Interjections.