By Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre
For six and half years, it’s been an honour to serve the people of Ottawa Centre in this House. It’s been the privilege of my life to work for them, to advocate with them, and to occupy their seat in this Chamber.
As Members of this House may know, I have decided not to run again in the next provincial election. So this morning is farewell.
Not goodbye, because I’m sure we will meet again. Those devoted to public service have a habit of finding each other. Let’s keep in touch. This isn’t a sad moment.
As I rise here this morning, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for those who’ve supported me in this role for six and half years.
My family — Clare, Adele, and Emery — who’ve sacrificed a lot. I love you so much.
Staff colleagues over the years in Ottawa Centre: Samiha, Peyton, Bruce, William, Kieran, Ty, Erica, Ethan, Sharon, Jessica and Sashika. You are all brilliant.
Community organizers at home — too numerous to name in a five minute speech — you inspire me every day to work harder, and demand more from politics. I feel the same way about the amazing people who work in our public institutions.
Colleagues in the Official Opposition, thanks for your friendship and support. Thank you to others here (in government and opposition) who’ve done likewise.
To all the staff in this House, thank you for your service. Thanks for helping us.
In the time I have left Speaker, I want to reflect on a powerful insight I’ve taken from Ariel Troster, the City Councillor for Somerset Ward back home.
Let’s not give up on each other.
We are living in a time when it is easy to dehumanize. People and opinions are discarded at the click of a button.
The online algorithms of social media do not bring us together. More often than not, they are designed to tear us apart.
We need lively debate, but not at the expense of others. We can be hard on issues, but soft on people. We need a politics that is more welcoming and hospitable.
This is a lesson I’ve learned from Indigenous friends, and folks who have lived in communities torn apart by violence, intolerance and war. Hate is easy, they tell me, but love is hard. Love takes work.
That takes me to an observation by Reverend Lewis Swedes. “To forgive” he once said, “is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that prisoner was you.” The anger and bitterness we carry towards others harms us, and holds us back.
When I think about Reverend Swedes’ words, I think about the Member for Hamilton Centre. She has been coming into this House during one of the most difficult times for our world, when people are grieving daily from horrific violence, and that Member has not been allowed to speak. We have a motion of censure for her.
What I want this House to consider is forgiveness.
The government should lift the motion of censure on the Member for Hamilton Centre, enter in dialogue with her, and come to an understanding where we treat each other with forgiveness, not anger.
Speaker, to you personally, thanks for all your support. Thanks to all the Members of this House, I salute your public service.
Let’s do everything we can to ensure Ontario remains the wonderful place that it is.
Thank you.
(You can watch Harden’s farewell speech here)