 I apologize for interrupting members. You will have time to finish your debate at another time. It is now time for Member Statements. I recognize a member from Toronto St. Paul's. Thank you, Speaker. This is my last Member Statement in this House for this session. And I want to take the opportunity to sincerely thank my community of Toronto St. Paul's for giving me the opportunity to stand in this House, to work hard for you, to work with you, to laugh, to cry with you, all the various emotions that we have experienced together over the last four years. For trusting me with your stories, for trusting me with your hope for a better future. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank my beloved partner Ayesha, my mother, my friends who are literally my family, my colleagues, my staff present and past, and the hundreds of volunteers who have helped build our NDP movement in Toronto St. Paul's. This is an experience I will never, ever, ever forget. And as we all go into our ridings, as we all get into election mode, may we please remember the crucial need of a social safety net without holes. We have seen the folks who have fallen through the holes disproportionately, especially during this pandemic, but long before every single one of us as elected officials are simply as citizens in our communities. We must prioritise ensuring that we have a strong social safety net. And we cannot. We must refuse to use austerity measures as an excuse for doing what is necessary and what is right to protect Ontarians across this wonderful province. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Haldeman, Norfolk. Yes, thank you, Speaker. And on the heels of the 115th anniversary of the battle for Vimy Ridge, April 9th to 12th, I wish to report to the House that an act to proclaim Ontario Cadets Week passed final reading and was enshrined in law Monday, April 11th upon receiving royal assent. Ontario's Cadets will now receive ongoing recognition for their outstanding service to the province beginning this October. Ontario Cadet Week will commence the first Saturday every year in October. The week will highlight Cadets, their programs, the volunteers, its core and squadron begin their local training programs traditionally in the fall. The timing ensures there will be no interference with the support Cadets provide for our veterans for remembrance day events and ceremonies in November. In Canada we have a dynamic Cadet program and exist with numerous core and squadrons. The Air Cadet League, Ontario Provincial Committee, the Army Cadet League of Canada in Ontario, the Navy League of Canada in partnership with Canadian Forces provide programs for Air, Army and Sea Cadets 12 to 18 years of age. The Navy League also sponsors the Navy League Cadets, a separate program for young people 9 to 12. We now have an opportunity in October to provide our support to these young people that support us. Thank you very much, Speaker. Members statements, a number for St. Catherine's. Thank you, Speaker. As we approach the eve of the final budget before we dissolve Parliament, I want to hopefully and reflect on where we have been and where we need to go forward. I am hopeful that our older adults population get the solutions they deserve after fighting tooth and nail through this pandemic. We have an aging population in Niagara. You know, we are one of the top three oldest communities in the entire country. This is not just numbers on the page. These are residents, our mothers, our fathers. They are the ones who built this great province from the ground up and gave us the tools to succeed. How can they be so neglected by the generation they raised? It should go without saying seniors deserve respect and deserve care. That is why the official opposition has fought so hard for hospital funding, for policies that support our warren out front line health care staff that have pushed back against cost cuttings in these areas. It is why home care needs to be revamped in this province. Seniors deserve to age with dignity in their homes and if they move into a nursing home, that home should provide four hours of care today, not kick the can down the road. I am hopeful that this next budget will be the budget that will finally close the gaps for seniors and older adults in my community. One that they have been waiting for and one they definitely deserve. I want it to be one I can take back to them and wholeheartedly support. Member statements? The Member for Perth Wellington. Thank you Speaker. Speaker late last month the City of Stratford and Stratford Country Club hosted the 2022 New Holland Canadian Juniors Canadian Under 21 curling championships. The best junior curlers from across Canada came together in a display of skill and teamwork and they did not disappoint. The event took place at the Stratford Rotary Complex over seven days and 18 teams took part. These events are so important for host communities, for the community spirit they build as well as the economic benefits they generate. Officials say the curling championships was expected to generate over $1.5 million in revenue including meals and hotel rooms. It's exactly what our area needed. Again thank you to the staff, volunteers, the City of Stratford and the Stratford Country Club for co-hosting this event. Speaker as we are approaching the end of this parliament I want to conclude my statement today with a very important message. Hurry hard. Thank you. Member statements? The Member for Brampton North. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd like to highlight some priorities that the City of Brampton's delegation shared with me last week. The City of Brampton has grown significantly in population. It has not yet received any significant public transit funding from the federal or the provincial governments for over 10 years. The last major provincial commitment was for the Zoom Bus Rapid Transit Service in 2007 for which the federal and provincial governments each provided $95 million and the City contributed well over $95 million. Between 2009 and 2019 Brampton accounted for 70% of the population growth within the Peel region and Brampton's transit ridership doubled from 25 to over 50 per capita. Each person in Brampton is taking twice as many rides per year compared to a decade ago. Brampton has seen the highest increase in ridership in the GTA over the last decade however remains significantly underfunded. The City of Brampton is asking for provincial funding for an LRT along Main Street from Steels to Brampton Go worth $850 million. This is a compelling candidate for a federal money transfer. It will lead to a reduction in the capitalrict of use of car and passenger property, including the carbon emissions. Thank you, Speaker. It is always an honour to rise in this house on behalf of my constituents of Scarborough Guildwood. I acknowledge an province of Ontario. The tragic stories and scenes from long-term care homes in 2020 caused the collective attention of Ontarians to turn to our seniors and how they live. And today, two years later, the income and affordability crisis faced by many Ontario seniors seems only to have gotten worse. An example in my own writing is that of Naomi, a senior who reached out to my office for help. Naomi is on the list for affordable housing, but she has been told that the weight will be 10 to 15 years. At close to 70 years of age, this is a harsh reality that she shares with far too many others in Ontario. With only her CPP and OAS, she's been surviving by renting basement units, but the pandemic forced the homeowners to sell. Naomi's request for assistance in finding a place made one thing very clear. This woman who spent her working years helping others and who now simply wants to live with dignity cannot afford to do so in the province of Ontario. With desperation in her voice, Naomi explained that she's priced out of Scarborough, that her monthly income is not enough even for a studio. But even where rooms are going for $900 a month, seniors cannot afford this. Seniors matter, Naomi insists. Seniors are members of society, and yet now it's just a reality that's escaping them. Speaker, these are the Ontarians who built the province. As provincial leaders, we have a moral duty to ensure that every senior can live with dignity, and I hope to see that in the budget when it is tabled. The Member for Peterborough, CPP. Thank you, Speaker. Today I'd like to express my thanks to two individuals for their contributions to public service. Jim Jones, affectionately referred to as J. Murray Jones, was elected to Duro Dumber Council back in 1998. He served as a Councillor, Deputy Reeve and Reeve, when it was still called that, as well as Mayor in Duro Dumber. He's also been the warden of Peterborough County for an astounding five terms. Jay has spent a great deal of his time serving on the Eastern Ontario Regional Network as well, and he was instrumental in the expansion of cellular phone service and high-speed internet throughout Eastern Ontario. Serving alongside Jay for just slightly longer has been his longtime friend, Carl Moore. Carl was first elected to Duro Council in 1994 prior to amalgamation, and has continued on long after Duro amalgamated with Dumber. Carl has served as a Councillor and as the Deputy Mayor for Duro Dumber, and as Deputy Mayor he's had to seated at the County Council table. Carl's accounting background has meant that he's always done a tremendous amount of research on any topic, and you can be assured that when he speaks up about something, it's been well thought out. Jay, Carl, thank you for all that you've given to our community. Your combined 50 plus years of experience and knowledge will be missed, but I know that you're leaving our community in good shape for those who will follow, and I know you're always a phone call away for advice and the odd bad joke. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Hamilton Mountain. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to have the opportunity, which may be my last statement in this House in the 42nd Parliament, and to have the opportunity to thank my community for the amazing experience that I've had as I've been here at Queen's Park over the past 10 years. I am looking forward to the election, and I have been participating in that already, and talking to my neighbours and talking to my community has definitely been an uplifting experience. Life here at Queen's Park can be quite difficult with the arguments and the animosity that happens between parties and between different thought processes, but I know at the end of the day that we will work towards the best interest of the people who we serve, and I know when I speak to my community they're highly concerned about the high cost of housing, the high cost of auto insurance, the high cost of gas are something that I hear on a regular basis. They're very concerned about their children's education and ensuring that their educational assistance within the process. They're visiting food banks that they've never had to visit before, Speaker, and so I hope that come this election we can definitely show Ontarians that we can do things differently and to want to take a quick moment to thank everyone and to say good luck to the people who are not running again in this election and wish them well in their next endeavours. The next statement, the member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you Mr Speaker. I'm taking this opportunity to mark an important occasion for members of my community of Eglinton Lawrence. Yesterday, April 12th was a very special day for the Jewish organisation known as Chabad, which now boasts over 5,000 community organisations around the world. On April 12th, thousands visited the Ochel, the resting place of the spiritual leader of the movement, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersen, on the 120th anniversary of his birth. The Rebbe took people decimated by the Holocaust and inspired them to believe in God's providence again. The Rebbe's teachings impart a sense of responsibility to God and to one another. He was a leader who exemplified true selflessness and whose altruism inspired others and continues to do so. This great modern Jewish sage was born in Ukraine, a country that today is an example of moral clarity and strength in the world, a country where Chabad's humanitarian effort is nothing short of heroic. The Rebbe engineered a global Jewish renaissance committed to caring for the spiritual needs of all Jews, wherever they could be found, including here in Toronto. Today, Jews around the world are influenced by the Rebbe through his thousands of emissaries, through his teachings, and through his actions. It was not only the Rebbe's birthday yesterday, but it was also a day of virtue for Chabad in my community, across Canada, and around the world. Thank you, Speaker.