I would also like to start by thanking the member for Niagara for bringing this motion forward and the Canadian Cancer Society and those who have been active on this issue.

Speaker, many people have talked about cost and cost savings, and those are all legitimate concerns that should be taken into account. But I want to say that if my colleague’s motion results in a reduction in the number of people who show up in the radiation treatment waiting room at Princess Margaret hospital, if my colleague’s motion results in a reduction in the number of people who spend time in chemotherapy rooms in hospitals in Kingston, Ottawa, London, Windsor, Timmins, then that motion will have saved quite a few lives and served the people of this province well.

All of us, through our families and our networks of friends, know people who have suffered with cancer and, unfortunately, died of cancer. We’ve been to the funerals. We’ve seen people wither. We know that, in this society, even $35 or $50, which is not a huge amount if you’re an MPP, is a substantial chunk of cash, and when it comes to a question of giving people a chance at surviving a cancer that can be quite effective when not caught early, I don’t quite understand why there needs to be a debate, quite honestly.

I think the member for Niagara put it quite powerfully: We have to look after ourselves, our brothers and our sisters. We don’t want to put them through this. We don’t want to spend time with them in palliative care because we don’t want them to be there because of this. I urge the government to support this motion. Thank you.

I will take one second, as a member of the class of 2006, to welcome back the member from Nepean. Welcome back, sister—courage.

Speaker, since the beginning of this year, Ontario’s ERs have been closed more than 100 times. Those closures are happening in rural areas, places like Chesley. Their ER is closed until the end of November because of a shortage of nurses. Just a few weeks ago, most of Chesley’s residents packed into a meeting to fight for their community hospital. This government has left Ontarians with no credible plan of action to address the crisis in our health care system.

For the Premier: Why has the Minister of Health neglected her duty during this difficult period?

There are consequences when health care isn’t there when people need it. Recently, Eleanor wrote to me about the passing of her daughter, Amelia. Amelia was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and she was diagnosed late, with her screening pushed from November to February. By then, her cancer was so advanced, the only thing doctors could do was palliative chemotherapy.

Eleanor is a retired nurse. She knew that Amelia’s diagnosis was likely fatal, but with earlier screening and better access to care, Eleanor believes Amelia would have lived more than the five short months from diagnosis.

Speaker, these are real-life impacts of the government’s inaction on health care. Will the Premier and minister commit to meaningfully invest in our health care workers so there are no more stories like Amelia’s?

In September, a four-year-old child with a broken arm was left waiting more than four days for minor surgery at McMaster Children’s Hospital. These types of delays can have dramatic impacts on growing kids.

Speaker, these tragic stories are driven by staffing shortages that are now commonplace. How much worse does the crisis in our health care system have to get before the minister and the Premier give nurses and front-line health care workers the support that they need?