Mr. Speaker, as members from Ontario will know, there is a labour dispute between teachers and the provincial government that is disrupting children's educational experiences.
Two years ago I had the privilege to meet Erica Boer when I presented her with an award for her outstanding leadership. Last week, I received a letter from her expressing her frustration with the current situation. She wrote:
I am appealing to you to do anything in your power to fix this situation and bring a resolution that will return these extremely important extra-curricular activities back to our high schools.... We are the future of this province and deserve to have a voice.... It only takes one person to make a difference.
This issue is outside of federal jurisdiction, but what I can do as an MP is to call attention to it and ask the premier and the unions to stop using children as bargaining chips. I also want to congratulate Erica for taking the initiative to be the change she wants to see. She is correct that it only takes one person to make a difference, but I want her to know that she is not alone.