 Therefore, it's time for members' statements. The member from here on, Bruce. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to welcome Princess Margaret of the Netherlands and her husband, Professor Peter van Vollenhoven, to Godreach on May 14. Princess Margaret has a unique relationship with Canada, having been born in Ottawa after her family was forced to leave the Netherlands at the beginning of World War II. The princess's visit has been made possible through the tremendous efforts of the Dutch-Canadian Remember As One organizing committee chaired by Sid Brudsma and Jim Rutledge. They've been a passionate, passionate advocate for this endeavour, and I'm glad that their efforts have been successful. Their organization fund-raises and hosts events such as parades and concerts to commemorate the special bond between the Netherlands and Canada. They are also focused on reconnecting with the younger generation to deepen this bond. The Princess and her husband will be attending a celebration of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, and will be unveiling a plaque commemorating the sacrifices of Canadians in the Liberations of the Netherlands campaign. After World War II, many Dutch immigrants came to Canada and settled in Ontario. As many as 7,600 Canadians died liberating the Netherlands in 1944 and 1945. This includes 20 Huron County servicemen. The Princess and her husband will be meeting with veterans as well as the families of the Huron County 20. They will be signing a scroll of remembrance which includes the names of each of the Huron County 20. In addition, a website will be created telling the stories of these veterans, their families, and the Dutch immigrants settled in Canada. It is my very, very much an honour to extend a warm Huron County welcome to Princess Margaret and her husband on the 14th. I'm so pleased, excuse me, we can continue this history, a friendship between Canada and the Netherlands. Thank you. Further member Stavis, a member from Nickel Belt. Thank you, Speaker. Today, there are members of the myalgic and cephalomyelitis associations of Ontario. They are here before May 12th is the official Awareness Day for myalgic and cephalomyelitis. Fibromyalgia, environmental sensitivity, are three chronic complex environmentally linked illnesses. In the NDP, we have a strong commitment to keeping people healthy, supporting health promotion, disease prevention, and ensuring a sustainable healthcare system. In late 2013, MEAO, the Association, together with the Association of Ontario Health Centre, submitted a business case to the four, the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Environmental Health. From this proposal, we'll learn that over 580,000 people in Ontario have been diagnosed with a chronic complex environmentally linked illness. That's 5% of the population of Ontario, Speaker. We also learn that people suffering from these conditions experience systemic barriers to getting the healthcare they need because diagnosis and treatment of these various serious conditions are not currently available in Ontario healthcare system. This is not acceptable. The Minister's tax force on environmental health has been set up to, among other things, identify patient-focused action to improve healthcare and outcomes for those affected by these medical conditions. So I urge the Ministry of Health and long-term care to take action and provide effective services to these Ontarians. They deserve it. Welcome to... Thank you. ...for the member statements, the member from Kingston, the member from, I think I've got two people standing. I think Anne Castor, Dundas Flamberl, and Westdale. It's not on the list. Okay. Member. Thank you, Speaker. Recently, I attended an important meeting on the Coots to Escarpment Eco Park System at the Royal Botanical Gardens. I was joined by Minister McGarry, Minister McMahon, and Federal Minister Gould for an inspiring discussion on continuing to move this project forward. The Coots to Escarpment Eco Park System is a collaborative initiative to protect, restore, and connect more than 9,600 acres of natural lands at the western end of Lake Ontario that borders Hamilton and Burlington. It is one of the most biologically rich areas of Canada, home to more than 1,000 planted animal species, including more than 50 species at risk. It is also the last intact ecological connection between Lake Ontario wetlands and the Niagara Scarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. As a collaborative between 10 local government and non-profit organizations, the Eco Park is very, very innovative. I wholeheartedly support this vision of the Coots to Escarpment Park System, being known internationally for protecting lands and making permanent improvements. Thanks to all the volunteers, agencies, landowners, and government partners, I'm tremendously proud of the work we've all done together so far, and I'm optimistic about what lies ahead for the Coots to Escarpment Eco Park. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Further member Stavis, the member from Halliburton Court, the Lake's Brock. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to rise today as the PC Critic for Community Safety D to recognize the Ontario Provincial Police Association, who are here at Queens Park for their Lobby Day. I wanted to take the time to acknowledge all of the hard work that is done by our provincial police officers. Our OPP officers are frontline advocates and spokespeople for public safety. Each and every day they put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. In my travels across the province advocating for human trafficking victims, I have personally witnessed the excellent work done by OPP officers on the ground. They have been incredible allies in my work developing anti-human trafficking legislation, as well as in the work of the Select Committee on Sexual Violence and Harassment, of which I was a member. Consistently, no matter where you go in Ontario, it's police officers who are asking, what can I do to help solve this problem? I want to give a special welcome to my friend Rob Jamison, president of the OPPA, as well as to every police officer who is here visiting Queens Park today. Mr. Speaker, I just had a meeting with a young police officer who I knew as a child and didn't realize she was with the Court of Lakes OPP, Tony Greer. And we had excellent meetings in the past, and I look forward to our continued cooperation in the coming months with the OPPA. I want to say to them that their members can be assured that we in the official opposition stand with them and will do whatever we can to ensure that they are properly recognized and valued for their important work. And thank you again to all of the OPPA for coming to your legislature and best wishes for a very productive lobby day. Thank you. Member Sadness, the member from Windsor West. Thank you, Speaker. Today we have visitors from Community Living, Ontario. They are here to celebrate the positive changes and impact they have made on the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities, families, and the community that they live in. Community Living has made great strides, despite the mounting financial pressures they face due to continued lack of sufficient funding from this liberal government. Speaker, when the budget came out recently, Community Living expressed on behalf of themselves and the people that they serve that there's still a very large gap when it comes to providing services to the board of housing, employment services, and to be able to meet their very own staffing and pay equity obligations. What we need is a government who actually comes to the table, works with organizations like Community Living, and the people that they serve to ensure that every person in this province has the opportunity to live a life that is supported, hopefully independent, that they have some financial security and that they're receiving the supports and services that they need. We need to make sure that organizations like Community Living on Ontario and each of the branches throughout the province are receiving the funding that they need to not only meet their obligations as far as staffing and infrastructure, but they have the money to put the programming into place to support, in some cases, some of our most vulnerable people within this province. I applaud the work of the people from Community Living and everybody that they support. Thank you for their member's statements. The member from Kingston and the Islands. The member from Ajax Pickering. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm once again pleased to sponsor the myelgic and CEPHLO myelitis Association of Ontario, MEAO, an registered Ontario charity who are here today because Friday, May 12th is the official awareness day for myelgic and CEPHLO myelitis, sometimes known as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and environmental sensitivities, also known as multiple chemical sensitivity, which are three chronic complex environmentally linked illnesses which afflict over 580,000 Ontarians. I had the honour to sponsor MEAO many times over the last several years for their extremely worthy cause and pleased to be here today and MEAO supports the hundreds of thousands of patients of Ontario who have a complex chronic environmentally linked illness. As pointed out, these conditions can be challenging to diagnose and treat. People living with these conditions face challenges in their experiences as patients from diagnosis to treatment to living with long-term impacts and people also suffer from stigmatisation in clinical settings, the workplace and other areas of their lives as a result of a general lack of understanding of these complex conditions. In late 2013, MEAO together with the Association of Ontario Health Centres submitted a business case proposal for the Ontario Centre of Excellence in the Environmental Health to the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. The Ministry and the Premier received the business case proposal and have since launched the task force on the environmental... I'm working very quickly, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Task Force and Environmental Health first met almost a year ago on June 6, 2016, has met several times since... Thank the member. Thank you very much. You're absolutely welcome. Thank you. Member Statements, the member from Wellington, Halton Hills. Mr. Speaker, today as we welcome the members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association to Queens Park, it seems appropriate that we express our sincere thanks to all in Ontario's police services who are called to respond to all manner of emergencies who keep our communities safe and who enforce our laws. The County of Wellington is fortunate to have the OPP as our police service. In fact, we were one of the first counties in Ontario to contract with the OPP and the arrangement has been exemplary over the years. Working with our County's Police Service Board, County Council and staff under a six-year contract, the operating budget for policing is reviewed annually and new projects and programs can be developed and mature. Under the leadership of Detachment Commander Scott Lawson, we have launched the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team, or IMPACT, in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association to address community mental health needs. In Halton Region, under the leadership of Chief Stephen Tanner, we are also fortunate to have our regional police service. Their collaborative professionalism is eloquently summarized this way. One vision, one mission, one team. Working with our school boards and reaching out to grade school students, the Halton Police Service has created a program called Building Respect, Attitudes and Values with Others, or BRAVO. Students are taught to make appropriate decisions and interact with peers, how to avoid substance abuse, combat bullying, internet safety and other challenges that our children face. Our area consistently ranks highly as one of the safest parts of the province. This speaks volumes about the strengths and values of the families of Wellington, Halton Hills, but it also underscores the outstanding men and women in our policing services who do a difficult job with skill, dedication, compassion and valor. May God bless all of our police officers and always keep them safe. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Members' statements believe the member from Kingston and then the island wants to make a statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I was thrilled to welcome Queen's Principal Daniel Wolfe, Vice Principal Michael Fraser and Dr. Michael Green, the co-chair of Queen's Truth and Reconciliation Task Force to Queen's Park to talk about Queen's extending the Rafters report. The report includes 25 recommendations developed by the Task Force based on 18 consultation sessions that included Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty, staff, students, governance bodies, alumni and local Indigenous communities. In October, Queen's proudly announced the official opening of 12 new group study rooms in Stofer Library as part of their commitment to increase the visibility of the university's Indigenous community. These rooms were given Indigenous names and Indigenous artists were commissioned to create paintings that depict the meaning of the study room names. Perhaps the most significant is that Principal Wolfe acknowledges in this report that Queen's participated in the harm to Indigenous communities and, most importantly, that they failed to educate students on the long history of deep-rooted conflicts between Canada and Indigenous peoples. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge Principal Wolfe and Queen's University for their leadership and commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and building a better future for Indigenous peoples all across this province and well beyond. Thank you. Miigwe. Thank you. Further members? Statements to the member from Elgin, Middlesex, London. Thank you very much, Speaker. I'm pleased to rise today to recognize the Myelgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario, M-E-A-O. May 12th is Official Awareness Day for Myelgic Encephalomyelitis. Sometimes known as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and environmental sensitivities, which are three chronic, complex, environmentally-linked illnesses which afflict over 580,000 Ontarians. In October 2013, a business case proposal for the Ontario Centre of Excellence and Environmental Health was presented to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in order to provide the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians afflicted with these illnesses with the appropriate care and treatment they deserve. The Minister's Task Force on Environmental Health has been set up with the first meeting taking place last year, June 6th, 2016. Among other things, the Task Force will be identifying patient-focused actions to improve health care and outcomes for those affected by these medical conditions. The Progressive Conservative Party urges the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to work to implement recommendations that will be submitted with the interim report of this Task Force later this spring to ensure effective and appropriate health and social services for the hundreds of thousands of Ontario patients who suffer from these chronic, complex, environmentally-linked illnesses. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements.