 Member Statements, the member for Scarborough, Southwest. Good morning, Speaker. First, I hope everyone will join me in congratulating the men's soccer team for qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Speaker, today I want to talk about the game of cricket. The people who play this sport and the challenges they face, despite being a part of a community with rich history of this game. Cricket is special to many across our province. The South Asian and Caribbean diasporas specifically have taken local initiatives to engage youth, children, families and seniors alike through cricket clubs and leagues. The GTA alone has more than 300 cricket clubs. Cricket is not new to our city. In fact, Toronto used to be a cricket city. Some of the greatest players from around the world have come and played here in our city. And yet lack of investment and strategy and growing inequities have made it nearly impossible these days for even local clubs to find space to practice. Speaker, complete lack of infrastructure and barriers to accessing practice space, even when the city fields sit empty, led to local clubs in my riding of Scarborough, Southwest and across Scarborough without much option. Community members have often shared that they felt a sense of double standard when it comes to getting access to space to play cricket. Speaker, in many communities cricket builds bridges among different generations. Young people, for example, are kept harms away with positive mental and physical health impacts. The least we could do is provide people with the space that they are asking for and they need to play this beautiful sport. Thank you very much. Member statements. Member for Scarborough Aging Court. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to participate in a historic announcement to create a medical school in Scarborough. The Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health will provide 30 undergraduate and 45 post-graduate positions to Scarborough students. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the dream becomes a reality. The University of Toronto's Scarborough campus will be home to the new school in Scarborough. In addition to graduating physicians, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners and physical therapists, it will also provide a life sciences program. SMAIH will graduate up to 30 physicians, 30 physician assistants, 30 nurses, practitioners, 40 physician therapists and 300 life sciences undergraduate per year. After 15 years of Deluca and Kathleen we neglect, broken promises and dilapidated infrastructure Scarborough and the Scarborough Aging Court are getting the attention they deserve. In a Scarborough Aging Court alone, our government is building and renovating and expanding the Birchmont Emergency Department, allocating $20 million to renovate and expand Terry Fox and David Lewis Public Schools, building the Brightwood Town Community and Health Hub and constructing the Scarborough subway. Mr. Speaker, the best yet to come for a Scarborough. Thank you. I remind all members to please refer to each other by your writing name or your ministerial title as applicable. Member statements. Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Speaker. My constituent, Elana Busey, a mental health clinician and the parent of two children on the autism spectrum recently wrote to me about how her family has been affected by the disastrous state of Ontario's autism program. She spoke of her son who was diagnosed with autism when he was four years old and at the time was struggling to stay in kindergarten for even a half day as the sensory input and communication demands were overwhelming. Once diagnosed, Elana and her spouse paid out of pocket for ABA therapy and occupational therapy. This first year of therapy was an incredible success for her son but financial ruin for the family. Elana's son has continued to access ABA therapy and occupational therapy but to a lesser extent each year because of his therapy he's now actually able to attend school full days and shines as a student. But Elana says, and I quote, while we have sacrificed our life savings for this success, we don't think we should have had to and she's right. No family should have to drain their savings to ensure that their child has access to necessary therapy. Families who can't access private services should not be forced to languish on wait lists while their children's long-term development suffers. And I ask on behalf of Elana and parents of children with autism across Ontario that this government acknowledge the devastation it's putting families through, rethink its proposed changes to the OAP and clear the 53,000 child wait list in this province. Thank you, Member Statements and Member for Haldeman and Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker, and I'll commence my statement by saying this buds for you. That was the election slogan of my mentor, my MP for Haldeman and Norfolk, Dr. T. A. Budd Bradley who very recently passed at the age of 84. Budd was in office from 1979 to 1988 serving as parliamentary secretary to supply and services and to the Minister of Defense. For example, with responsibility for files like NATO and Turkey. He was in Dunville, Budd moved around as an Army Brad, he played hockey for the Montreal Junior Canadians and the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Then he joined the Canadian Officer Training Corps and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and became an Army dentist. After 18 years in the Army, it was back to Dunville to practice and then he was asked to run. Budd would do anything to help anyone. He once accepted a dental payment in the form of a cow, a black angus named Susie Q. He could talk politics for hours, he could fix anything. He loved dogs and was quite the gardener. Two summers ago he sent me home with some suicide peppers. I was pleased to see him just before Christmas with his wife, Susan, and his son Drew. So, Budd, if you're listening for all you do, this buds for you. Member statements, the member for Oshawa. Thank you very much, Speaker, and I'm pleased to stand in my place and share some voices of the seniors across my community. We recently asked them for their input to tell us what life was like as seniors across the Oshawa area. I'd like to read from Kathleen Pellerin wrote, quote, the impact of the pandemic, both from the point of view of the virus, medically speaking and socially, has been unprecedented for most people. I'm very concerned with the direction the current provincial government is headed in terms of life for seniors in Ontario. From my point of view, the government needs to invest in models that keep families living in their own homes. Whether that is owned or rented in a supportive setting, long-term care homes should never be built as a for-profit entity. I believe this has been proven through this pandemic that the care of the individuals in a for-profit long-term care home is not the same as that in others funded in large part through government funds. As you are aware, the other key issues facing seniors in our community are affordable housing and for some hunger and reliance on food banks. I heard from J.A. Clarke who said, where housing are elders is not the solution. Funding and expanding home care is. He goes on to give examples. I heard from Melanie Kitchen who reminds us that large institutions cannot do what smaller home care or care in individuals' homes can do no matter how new or how pretty they are. And she goes on at length to explain why we need to be investing in home care for our loved ones. I heard from Jerry Neusen who I would be glad to talk to the Minister of Digital Affairs but talks about how hard it is for seniors to cope in this world and we need to support them in so many ways. Thank you for giving me the chance to share a few of them today. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the member for Don Valley West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate an organization that has stepped up to support community in a major way in the community of Thorncliffe Park in Don Valley West. From the very beginning of this COVID pandemic, a small band of only four volunteers led by community leader Masoud Alam came together to do everything in their power to support their neighbors through this very trying time. Now there are wonderful established organizations like the Neighborhood Organization that have provided strong leadership through this period and they deserve a huge vote of thanks. But what's remarkable about Masoud Alam and his team is that they had no official backing at the start of their work. Since March 2020, the Canadian Community Services Organization, as we now know them, has grown to 70 volunteers and they've accomplished an enormous amount. They have held 23 food drives serving over 6,000 people, distributed over 10,000 masks, distributed thousands of PPE kits, face shields, hand sanitizers, held a toy drive, helped nearly 200 families every month with groceries, engaged new high school volunteers. I know that there are many individuals and small organizations that have supported CCSO's work and as the local MPP, I want to thank them all, Speaker. But most particularly, I want to thank Masoud Alam and his team, Taki Khan, Rahana Imtiaz, Nasir Malik, Adil Bhatt, Asif Mahmoud, Azhar Bokhari, Moazim Raza, Shakil Ahmed, Syed Almas, Afsa Alam and Rizwan Salim for their dedication to the community and their positive energy throughout this pandemic. Thank you all. Thank you. Member statements. The member for Whitby. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday over 29,000 fans braved the cold weather to cheer on the Team Canada men's soccer team at BMO Field as they took on Team Jamaica. What a game and what a win for Team Canada. As they scored early and never looked back, winning the match, four to nothing. But with the win, Team Canada has officially qualified for the World Cup in Qadar later this year. Speaker Soccer is now Ontario's largest provincial sport organization with over 600 clubs across the province and I wanted to congratulate Ontario Soccer for having 80 percent of Team Canada's roster pass through the system at one point or another. Wow. Speaker, this goes to show that investment in community sport has world-class outcomes, which is why the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries announced that our government is investing $30 million to stabilize Ontario sport and recreation sectors. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the outstanding youth soccer clubs across Ontario. In the region of Durham, this includes WIPFC, the Durham Open Lady Soccer League and many terrific soccer clubs that are part of the Durham Region Soccer Association. Speaker, on behalf of this legislature, I want to wish Team Canada the best of luck as they represent our country on the world stage later this year in Qadar. Thank you. Thank you, Member Statements. The Member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. Why is the Conservative Government allowing billionaire insurance companies to rip you off? People are struggling right now with how unaffordable life is becoming from the housing crisis to the skyrocketing gas prices to groceries and more. And instead of helping out people, the Conservative Government is allowing them to struggle with one of the greatest expenses that they face, car insurance. There are some families in Ontario that pay more for car insurance than for the mortgage of their own home. But instead of helping them, they're helping their insider friends and buddies in the car insurance industry. If we look at the track record of this Conservative Government, since getting elected, time and again they have voted no to lowering rates. They have voted no to two NDP bills to lower car insurance rates. They said no to lowering rates during the pandemic and they continue to say no today as people struggle to make ends meet. And in case people were confused, your rates only go up when the Conservative Government allow them to go up. That's why this election is so important. We in opposition in the NDP, we can only raise the issue of car insurance. But an NDP government will once and for all stand up to these billionaire car insurance companies, mandate lower rates, give you a break and make life more affordable for you. Thank you Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Oakville. Thank you Speaker and good morning to everyone in the legislature today. In my community of Oakville you could recognize the strong sense of community support. Local organizations, churches and individuals work tirelessly to help those in need. I recently joined the Kerr Street mission to celebrate their successful Ontario Trillium grant. This grant is supporting the incredible efforts of the Kerr Street mission and its relaunch and expansion of the Fresh Food Box for Halton. The Fresh Food Box for Halton program aims to provide healthy food for all in Halton by equipping local community groups to respond to food insecurity within their own neighborhoods. Since its relaunch in July 2020 over 1500 fresh food boxes have been distributed. No one should have to go without healthy and nutritious foods. In light of the events in the Ukraine, Oakville residents have been searching for ways to aid the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian flag has been prominent in Oakville and has proudly displayed on cars, churches and businesses. In addition to this public display of solidarity, St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church held a call of prayer for relatives and friends in the Ukraine. St. Vladimir's Cultural Center partnered with the Ukraine Medical Assist to collect donations from this community to be sent directly to the Ukraine during this time of need. Donations included items like bandages, tape, gloves and first aid products. Residents from all over Oakville including the the various communities work quickly to gather supplies that could aid this country. So I'm fortunate to live in an engaged community where people are going above and beyond to make sure Oakville is such a great place to work, live and raise a family. Thank you speakers.