Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Laura and Miranda, for coming today and sharing your wisdom and experience with the committee.
I'm going to start with Miranda.
In advance of Ontario's Personal Support Worker Day, which is next week on May 19, I want first of all to extend my gratitude and thanks to you and through you to support workers across the country for their dedicated and tireless work to care for their patients. Support workers have shown courage and commitment on the front lines throughout the pandemic, and I know that the work support workers does is not easy and takes a certain skill set. It's emotionally, physically and mentally demanding, and has been undoubtedly even more so during this health crisis.
I'm wondering, Miranda, if you could share with the committee the level of professional recognition that support workers have across the country and how this affects the workers and their patients.