 Members' statements. The member for Mississauga Centre. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Today I stand in this House to reflect on the incredible life of my friend and mentor, the fearless, courageous, and one-of-a-kind Hazel McCallion. With the passing of Hurricane Hazel, Mississauga, Ontario and Canada have lost a visionary, a trailblazer, a mover and shaker, and a force of nature. Today I joined thousands of Canadians in mourning her passing and send my sympathies to the McCallion family who are currently grieving the loss of their mother and grandmother. Hazel was a remarkable lady who held many titles including politician, businesswoman, athlete, and one of Canada's and the world's longest-serving Mayor. She was known as Hurricane Hazel because of her fearless political stance. During her tenure as Mayor of Mississauga from 1978 to 2014, Hazel McCallion oversaw the city's development from a bedroom town to the sixth-largest in Canada. She led the charge to transform Mississauga from farmland into a thriving world-class city with its own identity. As the member for Mississauga Centre, I'm delighted that the city became well-known to its robust economy, flourishing diversity, and first-class public service under her leadership. She was a tenacious teammate who had a powerful political influence that helped Mississauga grow into a thriving metropolis. We were friends, not just political colleagues. Her energy was as bright as ever, and I was delighted to just have had the opportunity to have her at my wedding. She would always say, do your homework, and every day is a great day before going to sleep. And I strive to do well and bring flourishing ideas to Mississauga Centre as Hazel McCallion had. She will be remembered as a pioneer who inspired us all with her political career and community involvement. But above all, I will cherish her as a close friend and confidant. Her legacy will live on forever. Rest in peace, dear Hazel. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Sudbury. Thank you very much, Speaker. Today I want to talk about the Northern Ontario School of Medicine speaker. Most people call it NOSM University. Last week I met with Dr. Verma. She's the president of NOSM. She took the opportunity to brag about her students. Speaker, 100% of NOSM's graduating class passed the provincial exam, 100% secured residency placement, and over 57% of the graduating class chose family medicine. In fact, Speaker, NOSM generates more family doctors than any other Ontario medical school. As well, NOSM has continuously proven to attract and retain medical doctors in Northern Ontario. 87% of NOSM graduates stayed to practice medicine in the north. Speaker of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, NOSM, contributes to care in Northern Ontario's urban, rural and remote communities. That's a Northern Ontario solution that we can all be proud of and we can all support. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Brantford-Brant. Thank you, Speaker. Good to see you and good to see all of my colleagues in the House today. It's my pleasure to rise in the House today to speak about an exciting development in my writing of Brantford-Brant. As you all know, Brantford is no stranger to hockey, being the birthplace of the great one, Wayne Gresky. We have a deep and successful tradition with the sport. It was recently announced that the Hamilton Bulldogs will be relocating to Brantford for a minimum of three years as their home arena undergoes major renovations. Rebranded as the Brantford Bulldogs, this OHL team will bring a re-energized level of hockey excitement to the area. Their new home will be the Brantford District Civic Centre, which will undergo some much needed upgrades as a result of this venture. Speaker attending today, I don't know if they're all here yet, but in the Chamber Gallery, I am grateful to Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis as well as Councillors Rosa Coley, Richard Carpenter, Mandy Samwell, Geno Caputo, John Sless, Greg Martin, Dan McCurry and key staff. Also members of the senior leadership team of the Bulldogs organization, Jeff Alia and Peggy Chapman. Without the unanimous Council approval, we would not be here today. Thank you to you all. As the Brantford Bulldogs take the ice for the 2023-24 season, I am confident the residents of Brantford Brant will welcome them with enthusiasm and support as we have seen the unprecedented interest in season ticket sales reservations. Go Brantford Bulldogs! Thank you Speaker. Member statements? The Member for Scarborough, South West. Good morning Speaker. Speaker, around the world, 21st of February or Equushe February is recognized as International Mother Language Day to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to uphold multiculturalism. It is also an important day to reflect on the sacrifices made to preserve Bangladeshi and Bengali peoples' unique cultural identity. On this day, 71 years ago, language martyrs or Basha Shoids lost their lives protesting the oppressive regime that prohibited Bangla from being used as an official language. Their sacrifice, their fight and the movement for their mother tongue was heard across the world, sparking the International Mother Language Day. As the MPP and longtime resident of an incredibly diverse and multilingual community, I know how important language access is to our community members and how empowering and essential it is for people to have information and services in their native languages. I would like to thank the United Committee for observance of Equushe and International Mother Language Day who put together an incredible commemoration at Dentonia Park last night at midnight. I also want to thank the Language Advocacy Coalition who are currently hosting their annual Language Advocacy Day conference to continue championing this issue. Let's all work together to preserve our languages and continue advocating for language access across Ontario and build an equitable province for all. Thank you very much, Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Essex. Mr. Speaker, I have more great news from the riding of Essex. We have two wonderful doctors in our region. Their names are Dr. Tayfor and Dr. Amara. And they do cataract surgery, giving sight back to those who are losing it. They are modern-day miracle workers. They do these surgeries at a clinic and they have served literally thousands of people in our region. Now, we know, we know, Mr. Speaker, that the opposition doesn't support this, but thanks to the progressive and compassionate policies of this government, Drs. Amara and Tayfor will now be allowed to continue this practice and give sight back to people who are losing it, serving thousands of people in my riding and in the region. And best of all, Mr. Speaker, they'll pay for this with your OHIP card, not your credit card. So I would like to thank the Minister of Health for providing us with this policy, this compassionate and progressive policy, which will serve thousands of people in the riding of Essex and in the surrounding region, giving them health care where and when they need it. Thank you. Member statements? Member for Toronto, St. Paul's. Thank you, Speaker. I want to highlight an incredible not-for-profit in my St. Paul's community that I've met with, Cystic Vibrosis Canada. CF is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting children and young adults in Canada. Ontario has an estimated 1,500 people living with CF. There's currently no cure. CF mainly affects the digestive system and lungs. It causes chronic lung infections, which destroys lung function and eventually leads to death for most people with CF. The drug Trikafta has been a game changer for people with CF. At this price, it costs approximately $300,000 per patient per year. Ontario provides the drug for free through OHIP Plus to those 24 years and younger who don't have private insurance. However, many parents are faced with a dilemma that must be fixed. If you have private insurance that won't cover Trikafta, your child cannot access the drug through OHIP. So you can either pay two deductibles, one for private insurance and one for the Trillium drug plan, or remove your child from your private insurance to access the drug through OHIP, leaving your child without dental coverage, paramedical supports, and other important feasts pieces. This is a decision no family or single parent should have to make. Cystic Vibrosis Canada is calling on the Ontario government to create a new deductible free specialized drug program for drugs for rare diseases so all who need them can get them, and to coordinate with private insurers and drug manufacturers to immediately reduce the financial burden Ontario's face in accessing life-saving medicine. I hope this government will listen and help save lives in my community and across the province. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements. The Member for Thunder Bay, Attic-Holken. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's great to be back. Although I'm glad to be back, I was grateful for the time to meet with the constituents of my riding during the break. It was indeed a busy time. Speaker, I was invited to the Thunder Bay Police Service's Exemplary Service Award ceremonies this past Thursday. Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service were recognized for 20 and 30 years of service. It was my honor to represent our government and bring greetings and recognition on behalf of Premier Ford. The individuals recognized at this event have served the community and the people of Ontario with distinction, dedication and commitment. Policing is not an easy job. In fact, I would say it's not a job at all, but rather a calling and a commitment to serve your community. This career is dangerous and emotional. It can also be a very satisfying experience as well. Many times, all of these feelings are experienced in a single shift. At the event, we heard stories of such bris, but none as telling as that of Constable Craig Town, who, while on duty in September 1991, was shot twice. He sustained life-threatening injuries that had left him with paralysis from the neck down, and his life was saved that evening by Supervisor Sergeant Mel Filsack. Constable Town received his 30-year Exemplary Service Medal on Thursday evening. I also wanted to recognize and thank the family members of those that serve in the police services. Every range of emotions experienced by police officers can and often does impact on family life. You provide the love and support needed as your spouse, parent or siblings deals with the demons following a difficult shift, while at the same time, you deal with the fear and worry every time they are on duty. That cannot be forgotten, and I want to thank you for being an unsung hero. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Member Statements. The Member for Don Valley West. Good morning, Speaker and colleagues. Today I rise to speak about my first private member's bill, Bill 50, Building Better Business Outcomes Act. This bill would amend the Securities Act to require that publicly traded corporations develop and make publicly available their policy respecting their director nomination process to identify board candidates who are women, black, indigenous, other people of color, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+. Good business policy is progressive policy, and research shows that increased diversity on boards leads to better business outcomes. Diverse experiences and perspectives help businesses generate a broad array of solutions, manage risks and therefore be more successful. I'm happy to say this bill has the support of a wide range of stakeholders and organizations, and a number of MPPs have also already offered their support. If any of my colleagues are interested in learning more or meeting some interested stakeholders, I will be holding a Bill 50 social tomorrow evening at 6pm. Please contact my office for more information. I look forward to speaking more about my bill next week. I'm confident that growing our economy and improving and promoting diversity and inclusion is important to each member in this House because it's a business issue. It's a societal issue, not a partisan issue. I hope we can move forward together on this. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member's statements. Member for Don Valley North. Thank you, Speaker. Today, I focus on our government's support of workers. Speaker, career training and gear development opportunity changed life for the better. Ontario invests in workers to provide job prospects, career training and education options such as the PSW Training Fund program. Speaker, this investment reversed. Karen, a constituent in my writing of Don Valley North received financial support from the $54.7 million in funding our government invested in the PSW Training Program. Karen is grateful for the help and today she contributes as a working PSW in healthcare. People like Karen who benefit from paid training programs also strengthen our healthcare system by addressing a shortage of PSW in the province. Speaker, together we work hard to inspire optimism and promote the accident in Ontario's workforce. We rely on a skilled workforce to deliver the service we need especially as we rebound post-pandemic. However, as Ontario continue to stimulate and fuel the resilient economy, we will continue to invest in workers and their promise in future and ours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Berry Innisfil. Thank you, Speaker. I rise with a heavy heart to commemorate the life of OPP Officer Greg Porchella. The 28-year-old was fatally shot on December 27th while responding to the call of duty. He saw a vehicle in a ditch near Hagersville and wanted to help. That is the kind of person he was. It was Officer Porchella's first official day on the job and it was his childhood dream since he was five years old to be a police officer. His whole life was dedicated to service. His memory will always be alive and well in Berry, Ontario where he attended St. Joan of Arc's Catholic High School. There he participated in numerous teams because he believed in teamwork and helping everyone reach their full potential on his team. His mindset and discipline was driven by his love for martial arts. He served in the Canadian military. He was a member of the Simcoe and Grape Foresters. He served as a Polish Highlander. Speaker, he will always be remembered as someone who had a strong sense of duty for his country and community and was an exemplary police officer. We have never lost so many police officers in this province in such a short period of time. The death of Officer Porchella could have been avoided since the two individuals who murdered him were out on bail for heinous crimes and should have been behind bars. That is why our Premier joined the Ontario Police and premiers across this province and across the nation in a plea for the federal government to address our country's failed bail system. I want to ask all members of this legislature to not forget Officer Porchella who was the embodiment of putting service above self was a true hero in life and everything he did. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and the Polish community who will always remember his acts of kindness and his deep sense of duty. Before we introduce our guests I beg to inform the House that Marit Stiles member for the electoral district of Davenport is recognized as the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. I also beg to inform the House that during the adjournment the following documents were tabled a request by the Member for Davenport Marit Stiles to the Integrity Commissioner for an opinion pursuant to Section 30 of the Members Integrity Act 1994 on whether the Member for Leeds Grenville, Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes Steve Clark has contravened the Act for Ontario Parliamentary Convention a report entitled Costing Climate Change Impacts to Public Infrastructure Linear Storm and Wastewater from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario a report concerning the Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario and the Honourable Steve Clark Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing from the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario a request by the Member for Whitby Lauren Coe to the Integrity Commissioner for an opinion pursuant to Section 30 of the Members Integrity Act 1994 on whether the Member for Thunder Bay Superior North Leeds Vogua has contravened the Act or Ontario Parliamentary Convention a report entitled Ontario's Credit Rating Winter 2023 Update from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario and a report entitled Economic and Budget Outlook Winter 2023 from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario Introduction to the Visitors