 Member Statements. Member Statements, the Member for Hamilton Mountain. Sunday was International Women's Day, a day where we honor the trailblazing women who came before us and inspired the next generation of women leaders. It's especially important now as we have a government at Queen's Park that is making the lives of women harder. Right now, teachers, EAs, social workers are out on the picket lines because of cuts. These are jobs usually performed by women, and Ford is signaling that their work isn't valued. Midwives across Ontario are currently fighting for pay equity. Childcare workers and PSWs are fighting to keep their wages above the poverty line. Marginalized women are feeling the brunt of this government's policies. Last week, the Ford government cancelled funding for sexual assault crisis centers and then quickly backtracked once the news of their cruelty got out. Others with precarious jobs get penalized because our labor laws don't give them a sick day. On International Women's Day, we need to remember many of these systemic barriers still remain, and this government could easily remove them if it valued the work that women do. I also want to congratulate all of the womeners at Hamilton's Women of Distinction Award this weekend. They are Selbina Medwana, Diana Weir, Emily O'Brien, Monique Lavallee, Linda Plourde, Dr. Audrey Hicks, Dr. Heather Sheridan, Shyler Sewell, Kayon Christie, and in particular, I would like to mention Leena Sutton, who won Lifetime Achievement Award for her years of relentless advocacy on behalf of women. Thank you very much. I'm going to remind the members that when we're referring to each other in the House, we refer to each other by our ministerial title if applicable, or our writing name. Member Statements, the Member for Milton. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the MPP for Milton, I was proud that my team organized an inspiring Women in Skill Trades panel discussion and networking session last Friday. I am fortunate to have a great team in my office, Mr. Speaker, who worked hard to put this panel together, which included female business owners, skill trades professionals, and the minister responsible for children and women's issues. I also want to recognize Conestoga College for being part of the event in celebration of International Women's Day and to highlight the opportunities for women in the skill trade sector. In Ontario, Mr. Speaker, for every dollar earned by a man, a woman makes 0.74 cents, Mr. Speaker. That is a gap of 26%. I am proud to stand alongside the women and men who are working hard to close this gap each and every day. The resources we have locally in Milton that can help women transition into a career in the trades include the Halton Industry Education Council, Habitat for Humanity Halton, as well as the Centre for Skills Development. And the many businesses who are working to hire more women into skill trades and other professions. I want to thank again everyone for attending and for all those who are working every day to close the gap. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the recent Canada 360 Economic Summit, the Premier said, by America policies are hurting Ontario businesses and workers. DNR, electronics a proud Ontario business with headquarters in Bolton, Ontario, has written twice to the Premier to express their concerns that the Ontario Provincial Police continues to purchase and equip OPP enforcement vehicles with U.S. manufactured vehicle equipment. DNR manufactures similar vehicle equipment that to, sorry, DNR manufactures similar vehicle equipment to that purchased by the OPP in the United States. They already sell this equipment to other police forces in Ontario like Durham, Waterloo, York Region to name a few. They employ local people through Peel Region. A contract of this type can create 75 to 100 good paying jobs. So it's unusual why the Premier won't answer the concerns of an Ontario manufacturer. This shows there is a lack of interest in Ontario companies on the part of this government. The business community wants to see a stronger Canadian economy. Losing business to American companies is very unfortunate. We have to ask ourselves, why is this happening? There is a call to action on the part of this government to get it right. We need to get in front of these Canadian companies and work with them all in all levels to make sure we change this narrative. We can't afford to continue to let this happen. It puts at stake the very fabric of our country. Take advantage of our skills. Take advantage of our dynamic workers so that we can build a stronger workforce that would have tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians. This government should invest in Canadian companies. Thank you very much. The next statement, the Member for Haldeman Norfolk. Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow members of parliament from all political parties that arise today yet again to restate my position, the illegal blockade of Highway 6 at Caledonia must come down. I'm calling on the federal government yet again to step up and take responsibility for the group of activists blocking our highway. The blockade in Highway 6 is part of a national effort to block roads and rail lines and to show solidarity with hereditary wet-so-wet chiefs posed to the construction of the coastal gas-linked natural pipeline in British Columbia. Caledonia's illegal blockade is very dangerous. Traffic is now being routed over a 1927 bridge which should have been replaced 18 years ago. Blockade seriously hinders the movement of goods and services and people. Our area's economy on both sides of Highway 6 is struggling. Stores are closing. It's disheartening. The Canadian government continues to remain silent. We need a coordinated plan to see these illegal blockades dismantled immediately. We respect the right of a peaceful protest, but enough is enough. Tear down this blockade. Caledonia has been helpless for 14 years and 10 days now. If you want to help, contact me at tobey.barrett at pc.ola.org. Thank you. Member Stavins, the member for Sudbury. Thank you, Speaker. In 2018, 230 Ontarians died from workplace-related incidents or occupational disease. My writing of Sudbury, when a life is lost and preventable workplace-injured disease, our entire community mourns together. Speaker, I've been to the funerals of dozens of workers who have been killed in the workplace and no family should ever lose a loved one this way. For years, the Liberals and Conservatives governments have turned their backs on the life and death issues of workplace health and safety. For example, Speaker Daughter, General's report last year revealed that the Ministry of Labor repeatedly, repeatedly let unsafe employers off the hook for the same dangerous problems. Instead of investing in more inspections, more enforcement, this fall the government created a program that will give corporate giveaways to employers who could go just three years without a reported injury. This is another harebrained idea they stole from the Liberals. For years, Speaker, the Liberal government ran a similarly flawed cash incentive program and as a result, unscrupulous companies worked the system. They pressured workers to hide injuries. They rushed the wounded back to work. Speaker handing out excellence awards for only three years without recording an injury is shameful. The government is wasting money on a program that we already know doesn't work and will put lives at risk. It's unacceptable. Instead of encouraging people to hide their injuries, Speaker, we should be working towards zero injuries, zero fatalities, and zero occupational diseases. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Oakville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Ontario currently is facing a human trafficking crisis that targets young women and girls. I would like to commend the great work that the Minister of Infrastructure has done in the past on this particular issue, and I'd also like to thank the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues for taking action on this file. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes worldwide. It includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced marriages, and even extraction of organs. Globally and locally, the overwhelming targeted victims are young women and children. Nearly two-thirds of police reported cases in Ontario taking place here in Ontario, and over 70% of human trafficking victims are identified as being under the age of 25. Speaker, nobody is excluded from being a potential victim. Take the region of Halton, where, for example, several months ago, 12 women were rescued from human trafficking that resulted in 72 charges being laid. We must be thankful to our local police enforcement and community organizations that help victims escape human trafficking. I'd like to thank the great organizations at Oakville and Halton, including Radius, Child and Youth, the Women's Centre of Halton, Halton's Women's Place, and Savison of Halton for their great work helping victims. Our government is taking swift and decisive action to combat this horrific crime. Our new five-year, $307 million strategy reflects the valuable input we have heard from survivors of human trafficking, Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as law enforcement and frontline service providers. I'm proud to be part of a government that is putting an end to these heinous crimes. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Niagara Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Gaston Trombley was first homeless at 14. For over a decade on and off, he lived in shelters across Canada or on the street. He was suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness and unable to keep stable employment. Decades later, Gaston is an active member of my community in Welland and a fierce advocate. Gaston is one person of thousands in Niagara who have experienced homelessness. Niagara is facing a crisis that has become critical. Thousands of our residents are in shelters or emergency hotel accommodations unable to find affordable housing. We have heard stories of people in our community forced to sleep under bridges. Niagara's shelters continue to operate at over 100% capacity with a 160% increase in hotel use from 2017 to 2018. 625 people are homeless on any given night in Niagara region. 144 of those people are children. Niagara has fallen behind in funding for homelessness prevention since 2012. Each year this problem persists. The region is unable to meet the growing demand to assist those with housing shortages adequately. What is needed is a funding model that matches local demand for homelessness services and ensures equitable allocation. It is vital that this government declare a homelessness emergency. Housing is a human right. No one should have to live on the streets especially not in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Simcoe Gray. Thank you, Speaker. Many small towns across the province are struggling to make accessibility upgrades to their community halls. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act has created accessibility standards that all levels of government, including municipalities, must comply with by 2025. Clearview Township and My Riding Community Small Halls. These halls serve as gathering places for community events where people can socialize, play cards, or mark important occasions like birthdays, weddings, and family reunions. Clearview's small halls are the heart of their communities and form the foundation of the township's agricultural heritage. Clearview Township founded the Small Halls Festival in 2014 which is held every year in October and features a number of community concerts and events. Mr. Speaker, Clearview estimates the cost of accessibility upgrades to their seven small halls to be in the range of $6 to $8 million. The township wants to know what will happen if the 2025 deadline is missed. Will the township have to close the halls? Or will the Ontario government help them to keep them open? Will there be any stop-gap measures that can be undertaken that would allow the municipality to prioritize renovations? These are just some of the questions the municipality has posed. While the township values these facilities and wants to do the right thing to keep them open, the costs may be too prohibitive. These buildings are important to the communities they serve. They are the lifeblood of rural Ontario in the areas they serve. And they're significant to my riding and as such, I look forward to the government's response to this important issue. Thank you, Speaker.