 Anyway, it's therefore time for members' statements. The member from Fargo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I'm very happy to say that today we have in the members' gallery, Toronto University lecturer, Sharon Hart-Green. She lectures on Hebrew and Yiddish literature, and she just published her first novel entitled, Come Back For Me. It's her first fiction novel, actually. She's published two academic novels as well, or academic books. Come Back For Me is the story of Hungarian Holocaust survivor Arthur Mandelkorn's quest to find his lost sister, Mania, to whom he promised to return when they were parted during the atrocities of the Second World War. The story spans decades and continents as Arthur makes aliyah, which means moved to Israel, and later discovers his Canadian links. The plot eventually takes an unexpected turn. I read the book. It's really riveting. It's a nice book about a girl growing up in the 1960s in Toronto and flashing back to her family members who went through the Holocaust. Although no immediate family members in Sharon's Canadian family were affected by the Holocaust, Sharon grew up among the many survivors in her Toronto suburb, and I just want to mention, Mr. Speaker, that a lot of Holocaust literature really focuses on a lot of the pain and suffering, and it's just really nice to see a book where I know Sharon made a big effort to focus on people who were able to overcome the hardship and rebuild their lives to get married, to have children, and to smile and to laugh, and we all have a lot of respect for people who have that kind of resilience. It's being published by the new Jewish Press, and it's going to be used, Mr. Speaker, as an educational tool in some American schools, and I'm looking forward to seeing it being used in Canadian schools as well. I think that our students would really benefit from it. And I just want to mention that obviously the title, Come Back for Me, is linked to Arthur coming back for his sister, but I think that there's a message in there in terms of Jews going back to their Jewish identity and going back to the Jewish homeland of Israel, and I'm really happy if anybody here wants a copy of the book. I'm happy to get some down to Queen's Park and have them in my office for them as well. It's not expensive, it's a soft-covered book, and I see the member opposite asking for a book already. So thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and welcome to Queen's Park, Sharon. Just a short editorial that members might not want to consider starting a retail business at the legislature, but we'll pass on that information and realize that books are available elsewhere. Thank you. And so the member from Windsor West. Thank you, Speaker. Today I rise to speak about an issue that is very important to the Windsor community and to the auto workers across Ontario. In January, this Liberal government made a decision to single out auto workers among all other sectors and reduce their emergency leave days from 10 to 7. This decision was made behind closed doors, and though the Liberals say there was consultation, I have yet to find an auto worker who says they were consulted. When the Premier visited Windsor for a public town hall, she heard from frustrated auto workers about this very issue. And just yesterday at another town hall in Ancaster, an auto worker raised the issue again, saying he feared the reduced leave days could be used up all at once if he became seriously ill or injured. When the Minister of Labor was asked about the motivation to single out auto over all other industries, he said it was because auto operates in a particularly competitive global sector. We all know what that means. This government is putting productivity and profits over people. Auto workers juggle rotating shifts, six-day workweeks, and physically demanding labor. This Liberal government should be ashamed of itself for this regulation, and they should listen to the thousands of auto workers who oppose the decision and reverse it immediately. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member from the Republican North. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, of rising today to recognize Ghanaian Independence Day, which is celebrated on March 6th, 2018. The Republic of Ghana and the Ghanaian community in Ontario are very strong. They recall that 61 years ago, this Gold Coast region declared independence from the United Kingdom and established the nation of Ghana. The word itself, Speaker, means warrior king in the Soninke language. I have to say there's a very rich heritage and a very strong Ghanaian community in Etobicoke North. I've learned a couple of key phrases in a host of different languages, including Ashanti, Tui, Hausa, Bono, and there's many, many more. This commemorates the rich culture and heritage and allows all Ontarians to reflect on not only the Ghanaian independence, but I think the multicultural experience here in Canada. Canada, Speaker, you'll be pleased to know, was home to about 40,000 Canadians of Ghanaian origin and, of course, they represent in themselves quite a diversity of ethnicities and language and so on. In my writing, as I mentioned, they have a very thriving community. I attend their functions quite regularly. They have excellent dinners. They are wicked dancers, I certify that, and they are also a wonderful community to help nation build. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you for the member's name. It's the member from Dufferin, Caledon. Thank you, Speaker. It's a pleasure to congratulate John Milkovich, a student from Mayfield Secondary School on being selected for the prestigious Loran Award. Founded in 1988, the Loran Scholars Foundation gives annual awards to outstanding young Canadians who have demonstrated extraordinary skills in academic achievement, extra-curricular activity, and leadership potential. This year, Loran Scholars Foundation has over 5,000 young Canadians apply for their scholarships. At Mayfield Secondary School, John is the president of the Athletic Association. He's on the Nordic skiing and cross-country teams and serves as rugby captain. John has been tutoring his peers in math and science for several years. In the community, John volunteered at a veterinarian clinic and is a classical guitar tutor. John is currently deciding which school he will attend in the fall. Either McMaster University or Western University will be lucky enough to welcome John to their class of 2022. After rigorous application and interview processes, I am proud to say that one of my constituents is one of only 34 students from across Canada receiving the Loran Scholarship. Congratulations, Don. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you for your understanding. It's the member from Hamilton Mountain. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today, as every day, I am proud to stand in this place and speak of the fantastic people in my riding and the city of Hamilton. Jessica Compton is one of those people. This past Sunday, I had the privilege of emceeing a fundraiser held at Tracy's Place, a local establishment in my riding. Tree of Stars was a vision of Jessica's. She grew up through the child welfare system and struggled to find the right path. Today, Jessica works two jobs, one as a child and youth worker and the other as an educational assistant. Stemming from her own experiences, she dedicates her life to mental health. With her cafe tour, Jessica inspires Hamilton's community, sharing her stories and listening to anyone else willing to share theirs. Local female musicians supported Tree of Stars, providing an original single towards the cause, a collection of work that is now available on CD. Sunday's release party featured these women who shared their gifts to raise funds for the Youth Wellness Center in Hamilton. Many thanks to these very giving musicians. Robin Benedict, Megan Bevilacqua, Lynn Atkinson, Cade Kenswick, Brenna Burns, Intershaw, Sarah Wilkinson, Ashley Bell, Sarah Smith, Darcy Fever, Maya Simpson and Charmaine Brooks. Speaker, this is truly a great example of our community stepping up for the needs of our youth with mental health services. Thank you very much. Thank you for the member's statements. The member from Acaster, Dundas, Flamborough and Westdale. Thank you, Speaker. Today, there are more than two million seniors in Ontario. They are the fastest growing segment of our population, set to double to over four million people in the next 25 years. In fact, there are now more people in Ontario age 65 or older than under 15. I recently held my annual seniors' breakfast at the Old Ancaster Town Hall, where we were joined by Ontario's Minister of Senior Affairs, the Honourable Dibbika Demirva, for a wide-ranging discussion on how we can continue keeping older adults healthy, active and engaged. Many of our breakfast topics were reflected in the Aging with Confidence, Ontario's Action Plan for Seniors, which the Premier launched in Hamilton last fall. We heard about the need for more long-term care beds. The government recently announced an investment of over 5,000 new long-term care beds over the next four years, part of a 10-year plan to create more than 30,000 new beds over the next decade. An issue close to my heart and one I have long been advocating for is the new $100 million dementia strategy. In fact, the very first Ontario consultation on a dementia strategy took place in my writing, Mr. Speaker. That strategy will do a number of useful things. The things we're doing are fulfilling responsibility. We owe the current generation owes those who spent their lifetime contributing so much. After a lifetime of working so hard and building Ontario up, we owe them nothing less. Thank you for your members' statements. The Member from Perry, Salomon School. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to take a moment to highlight an exciting event that will take place in my writing next year, and to congratulate the women who will be organizing it. Hadsville will be hosting the 2019 Ontario 55-plus Winter Games, and Fran Coleman has recently been appointed Chair of the Games Organizing Committee. Fran is a very accomplished community builder and volunteer in the Muskoka region. She served as a town and district councillor for 20 years, during which she advocated for improved healthcare services, greater access to affordable housing, and increased supports for at-risk children and youth. A compassionate and caring person, Fran has also served in the Board of Hospice, Huntsville, and is currently a volunteer with Victim Crisis and Referral Services. This three-day event in Huntsville will include more than 1,000 athletes. 10 sports will be featured, including skiing, curling, badminton, volleyball, and even duplicate bridge. The economic impact for Huntsville and surrounding region is estimated to be $2 million. Huntsville, which previously hosted these games in 2013, was chosen because it boasts excellent locations for snow sports. Huntsville will be holding a one-year-out celebration this evening where Fran will introduce the Organizing Committee. While I cannot be there tonight, I want to thank Fran and her committee for their hard work and express my support for their efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the member statements, the member from Guelph. Yes, thank you very much, Speaker. Last week, I attended the Black History Month Assembly at my alma mater, the Guelph Collegiate Vacational Institute. The school unveiled a commemorative plaque and renamed the school's auditorium in honor of Alfred Lafferty. Alfred was born in Toronto, the son of black American slaves who came to Canada in search of freedom. Despite the fact that his parents were illiterate, Alfred thrived at school and graduated from the University of Toronto. In fact, he won silver medals in math, my favorite subject. In 1872, Lafferty arrived at Guelph County High School, now GCVI, where he became the first black principal of an Ontario public high school. Remarkably, in 1875, Lafferty became Ontario's first Canadian-born black lawyer. Speaker, Alfred never permitted racial discrimination to hinder his personal pursuit of excellence and professionalism, and is a role model for today's students. Thank you. Thank you for the member statements. The member from Whitby, Oswald. Thank you, Speaker. Rise this afternoon to recognize the ongoing good work and leadership of the Whitby Public Library System. Speaker, public libraries provide safe, inclusive, and vibrant community hubs where residents of all backgrounds are welcome to learn, work, innovate, explore, connect, and collaborate. And in my writing of Whitby, Oswald, the Whitby Public Library System worked closely with all levels of government and the broader community to deliver valued services and contributes to a culture of social good. Now, despite the chronic underfunding under the Liberal government, the Whitby Public Library System continues to be a catalyst, Speaker, for the residents of Whitby to pursue their goals and dreams and reach their full potential by connecting them with the expertise and resources they need. My thanks, Speaker, to Ian Ross, the Chief Librarian, and his entire staff for the positive impact they have every day, every week, every month in the lives of so many residents in the great town of Whitby. Thank you, Speaker. Well done. I thank all members for their statements. It's their...