 Therefore, it's time for Member Statements, the Member from Wellington, Holden Hills. Mr. Speaker, during the summer, I had a remarkable meeting in our riding office with Mr. Chris Knoepik of Georgetown. Mr. Knoepik, who is deaf, challenges us in the Ontario Legislature to listen, to listen to the needs of the deaf, to hear them and to heed them. In healthcare, there's been very little progress in improving mental health services for the deaf. Why has the government largely ignored this concern? In education, there are regulations that interpreters must be available for deaf students, but school boards do not write or enforce the policies. What's the point of having regulations if they're not enforced? In adult literacy, there needs to be better empirical analysis of the needs of the deaf, so we can determine what's working and what we need to do to make improvements. How can we make a positive difference if we don't have reliable data? In debate here at Queen's Park, we need to argue and bicker less and work cooperatively and collaboratively more. How can we lead effectively if we appear to put partisan self-interest ahead of the public interest? Ministries need to answer TTY or text telephone systems, not just publish the contact info. What good is TTY if nobody bothers to answer? I urge the government to reach out to Mr. Knoepik and review these concerns. Better yet, the relevant ministers should launch a broad consultation on these and other related issues that Ontario's deaf residents might identify. Let us listen to the deaf and let us work together across party lines to support improved services for them, ensuring that they have the same opportunity to reach their full potential as the rest of us do. As together, we reach out to embrace the promise of the future. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Your Member of State, the Member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. The government is going to be starting a series of consultations on childcare with a meeting to be held in my riding next week. I gather it's the only riding in Toronto that is going to have the honour of hosting this consultation process on childcare. Speaker, there's no question that we need an investment in childcare in this province. From the speech from the throne, there was a commitment to put more money into childcare. But I have to say there are a few things that have to be kept in mind. And frankly, need to be addressed by the government. What we have now is a patchwork, not a real system, just a patchwork of standalone institutions. We need to have a systemisation, a structure that will make sense for parents, for children. We need an investment in lower fees, Speaker. City of Toronto finds that 75% of parents can't afford fees in this city. And for families, it's an incredible burden. People need the money to come from the federal and provincial governments to make a difference on an ongoing basis to the fees that are a huge burden on them now. And Speaker, I also want to mention the fact that almost a quarter of early childhood educators, people who are fully trained, are making less than $15 an hour. That, Speaker, for this very sensitive work is unsustainable. Speaker, we need childcare, but we need a structure. We need lower fees and we need better wages for the workers. Can I say a further statement, a member from Trinity Spadina? Thank you, Speaker, and good afternoon. It's my pleasure to rise today to recognise and congratulate Pedastrian Sundays, a local festival that takes place in the great neighbourhood of Kensington Market in my writing of Trinity Spadina. This year, Toronto's now magazine awarded Pedastrian Sunday with the 2016 Readers' Choice Award for Toronto's best neighbourhood festival for the fourth year in a row. Amazing. Pedastrian Sundays just completed its 13th season. By removing cars from the busy street in Kensington and transforming it into a public space, Pedastrian Sunday is where Torontonians and tourists have come together for a full day of food, dance, shop and music and fun. Thank you to the volunteers, the performers, the organisers and to Kensington Market BIA for making this huge success. I encourage members of this house and all Ontarians to visit the community, everyone's talking about, Kensington Market, and be sure to visit Kensington Market on December 21st for the 27th annual winter soledas, solstice, thank you, parade, a night where families, neighbours and communities gather together and celebrate the holidays in one of Toronto's most vibrant neighbourhoods. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Further member's statements? The member from Nipissing. Thank you and good afternoon, Speaker. Well, if the weather is any indication, the Christmas season is upon us. Last weekend, Patty and I had the pleasure of joining Santa and Mrs. Claus on their float in the annual North Bay Santa Claus parade. And let me tell you, Speaker, this year's parade was, first of all, the best ever, but it was one of the coldest I ever remember being on that float. Yet the families of North Bay, they all bundled up as they always do and they came together in the celebration of friendship, love and community. I rise today to encourage families across Ontario to celebrate with that same spirit this holiday season. This is a busy time of year for everyone, but now, more than ever, it is important for us to remember the importance of community. As we plan our Christmas parties, family dinners and gift giving, I ask all Ontarians to open your hearts and give to your local food drives and charities. In celebrating the family and the warmth that surrounds us all, please take the time to share that same warmth with those less fortunate in your communities. Together, we can ensure that everyone in our province can stay warm and healthy during this holiday season. If we all dig just a little deeper and give a little more, we can all celebrate a merry Christmas. Thank you for your member status, the member for Brambley Gore-Moulton. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to raise the issue of violence against women. The United Nations has an initiative called Orange the World. It begins on November 25th for 16 days and it's initiative to raise awareness about gender-based violence. It raises awareness of violence against women and it provides an opportunity to raise finances, to raise resources, to support initiatives that work towards ending and preventing violence against women. It's something extremely important for us to realize that in society, this is too often a painful reality that a vast number of women face this violence on a regular basis. In some countries, as much as 70% of women report some form of violence, physical or sexual, and often this violence, the vast majority of this violence is perpetrated by men. It's absolutely important for us to look at some of the root causes of this violence, cultures of violence, sexual or social norms, and gender stereotypes that perpetuate this. But in addition, we have to look at the power and balance that exists in society, only when we address the power and balance as a result of lack of opportunities, lack of access to resources, education, employment, this power and balance that perpetuates the exploitation of those who are more vulnerable. We need to look at that as a solution. As a part of the solution, empowering women is obviously an important part, but as men form the majority of the perpetrators of this violence, it's incumbent on men to take a stance against violence against women in order that we can prevent and eventually end all forms of this violence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the member status, the member from Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and it's a pleasure to stand up today and speak to Pink Shirt Day. I am not wearing a pink shirt. I want to say that right now. I found this morning when I went to the closet that my pink shirt was an artifact of a leaner time in my life. So, but I do want to commend many members of the legislature. I can't name them all. I know the member from Bramley Gore-Malton is wearing a pink shirt. My colleague, Han Dong is wearing a pink tie. I'm sure that it wasn't the same reason as I had, and I can see the member from Kitchener Center. You know, it's Pink Shirt Day is a day that stands up against all forms of bullying and discrimination. And, you know, it started in 2007 when David Shepard and Travis Price saw a grade nine student in their high school being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. So what did they decide to do? They decided to tell everybody about what they were doing and go out and get 50 shirts and distribute them the next day. And that's a really powerful message. And the message of today is we need to stand up and speak out against bullying, against all forms of discrimination. You know, we talked a bit last week about what we saw south of the border in the election, and now more than ever, with that kind of political discourse, with that acceptance of people saying things about each other, that are discriminatory and wrong and bullying, we need to stand up and speak out against bullying. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Further members, statements to the member from Dufferin Caledon. Thank you. Since 2015, I've been working with a family in Dufferin Caledon whose daughter has PKU, a rare inherited brain-threatening metabolic disorder. For people with PKU, the threat of a significant intellectual challenge never goes away and they need treatment for life. My constituent has been taking Kuvan as part of a sick kids drug trial for the past seven years. Once the trial ends, the drug cost of Kuvan will be a staggering $170,000 a year. But recently, we had some good news. On October 26th, the Common Drug Review recommended that the government should pay for Kuvan. Currently, the medication for PKU is supposedly available under the Exceptional Access Program, but the criteria is so restrictive that no application has ever been approved. People with PKU have been waiting since 2010 when Health Canada approved Kuvan. Instead, people like my constituent are worried about their child's health and how they can possibly handle the astronomical costs of their daughter's necessary medications. Since Health Canada approved Kuvan in 2010 and the Common Drug Review made its recommendation in October, it's time for the minister to act and cover Kuvan for people with PKU. Thank you. Thank you. Further members? The member from Nicolau. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One year ago, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario was voting unanimously to create the Francophone University of Ontario. Today, we celebrate the first anniversary of this historic vote. So I would like to come back on the work that has been done. First of all, in February, different associations organized a university day here at Queensborough to celebrate this anniversary, one year anniversary of this report asking for this university. In March, the minister received the final report of the committee that recommends the creation of this Francophone University. In June, we announced a new study and in September, after prorogation, I re-table this bill. And in the same week, the minister named Dianada as president of the planning council for the Francophone University. So six months after announcing this new council, there is still nothing. There is no working plan, no delay. There is nothing that has been done. We are still at the same point and people are laughing at us. This lack of action is not free. There are heavy consequences for all Francophones of Ontario who want this Francophone University. Thank you. Members, students, members from that important. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I rise to commemorate the anniversary of sistering. In 1980, a group of women came together to develop a strategy to meet the needs of the growing number of homeless and transient women in Toronto. The following year, they opened sistering. Created for women who were leaving mental health facilities and had no place to go, it soon became clear that there were other marginalized and vulnerable women who could benefit from a safe space. Sister grew to include women leaving abusive family situations, women who were widowed and pensionless and young women involved in prostitution and drugs. Sistering opened its first shelter in 1981 and despite moving between several locations in the past 30 years, it has always been a safe place for women in West Toronto. In 2007, sistering found a home at 962 Bloor Street West in my riding of Davenport. And since then, they have been doing fantastic work for marginalized women, looking for a safe and welcoming place to go to during the day. From hot breakfast and lunch to helping women find stable permanent housing, sistering has been a crucial support to these women. Last week, I was able to join them as they celebrated the one year of being open 24 hours a day a week, 24 hours, seven days a week for those who need it most. I want to congratulate the organization for 35 years of fantastic work in the community and hope that there will be many more great in the future. Thank you. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements.