Thank you to the member for the question.

It’s very interesting; every day, you’re all talk, talk, talk about more doctors and nurses, but every time you get up to vote, it’s no, no, no. Bill 60—every one of you voted last week against adding additional nurses, PSWs, doctors to the system.

This week, I was with the Minister of Health when we kicked off the announcement for the Learn and Stay grant—which will actually affect your community—through Cambrian College and through Laurentian University. We’ve already seen 1,300 students register for this program. It’s amazing to see the nurses.

You voted against Bill 60. But you have a chance today to stand up and vote for the budget, which will, again, include more doctors and nurses. So I ask you today to stand up and vote and support the budget, so we can see more health human resources added to the system.

We’re talking about health human resources, including adding more additional health human resources, more—

Interjection.

Today, we vote for budget 2023, and I hope that all members in this House stand and support adding additional health human resources—

I’m happy to say that, starting this September, students from the member’s riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington will be eligible to apply for the grant. This grant will touch every corner of the province and that includes ridings held by members of the opposition, with 49 eligible programs at institutions in those ridings currently included in the program.

Where, specifically, do you ask? Ottawa West–Nepean, Mushkegowuk–James Bay, Timiskaming–Cochrane, Thunder Bay–Superior North, Kiiwetinoong, Algoma–Manitoulin, Ottawa–Vanier, Windsor West, Kingston and the Islands, London North Centre and Sudbury. With a constituency week coming up, I hope that each of the members representing the ridings I just mentioned, as well as the other members, will continue to talk about this grant in their ridings, because Premier Ford and the PC government are delivering for their communities.

Thank you to the member for the great question. Yesterday, alongside the Minister of Health, we announced that applications are now open for the much-anticipated Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. Months of hard work and dedication led up to what was a very successful launch of the program, with over 700 students applying to the Learn and Stay website within the first 24 hours. This is a win-win for both post-secondary students and underserved communities across the province. Not only does it offer a sizable financial contribution for students, it also has the power to make a significant impact in the local communities that need it most.

Speaker, it’s clear that students are eager to begin their careers in nursing, and I’m confident our government’s approach of offering financial support will make all the difference between someone considering a career in health care and someone who actually pursues it. This grant clearly demonstrates that, unlike previous governments, this government is taking concrete—