 It is now time for Member's Statements, and I recognize the Member for Windsor West. Speaker, there's been a lot of interest about the Ford government's plan to privatize employment Ontario, ODSP, and OW services through pilot programs in Hamilton, Niagara, and Peel. Ontarians are angry that their tax dollars are going to be used to pay foreign companies FedCAP and WCG to administer these programs, particularly because these companies are motivated by their own profit margins instead of achieving the best results for vulnerable people. These companies only get paid when a job match is made. The Income Security Advisory Centre points out, and I quote, these changes could create the wrong incentives for service providers to focus on maximizing their own revenues at the expense of helping recipients." With this model, companies are incentivized to push people such as those with disabilities towards any job, regardless of whether it's appropriate for them. We've seen evidence of this in Australia and the UK where similar privatization schemes have been a disaster. Smokey Thomas, the President of Opsu, has said, and I quote, all this does is create wealth for a foreign interest. It creates no benefit for people who get social assistance in Ontario. They will simply enter another kind of poverty, the working poor, or they will end up homeless or worse, end quote. I'm very concerned about the precedent this sets for the rest of the province. We need to help people find work, but it must be stable, safe, meaningful work, appropriately suited to individuals and their needs. This ill-conceived privatization plan will not get us there. Member Statements. The Member for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 1st, like every year, the world would observe the Zero Discrimination Day recognized by the UNHDS. Zero Discrimination Day is observed to acknowledge and respect the rights of everyone to live a full and productive life and live it with dignity. This day is observed to promote equality before the law and in practice of the law throughout all the member countries of the United Nations. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace, and above all a movement for change. This initiative started by the UNHDS in the year 2014 is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination based, for example, on income, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. On Zero Discrimination Day this year, UNHDS is challenging the discrimination faced by women and girls in all their diversity in order to raise awareness and mobilize action to promote equality and empowerment for women and girls. These rights violation disproportionately harm women and girls. Ultimately, gender inequality affects everyone's health and well-being. Even in the 21st century, laws that uphold women's basic rights and protect them against harm and unequal treatment are far from the norm. Together, we need to affirm the oneness of the human community and unveil ways to live together in peace. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Member Statements, a member for York South-Western. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm so happy to rise today to talk about West Park Health Care Center. Last week, I had the opportunity to join the West Park community at their big dig as they celebrated the breaking ground on their new hospital. This project will not only mean better health care in our community, but it will also mean economic and job opportunities in my writing. A new bigger center will mean better faster access to specialized care folks need. Once open, this facility will be a job engine for our community for decades. It will attract more nurses, doctors, technicians, support and facilities staff. My constituents know this project will lead to new and sustained growth for years to come. Residents of York South-Western will be able to take part. Residents of York South-Western will be able to take particular pride in the new facility because they will have built it. Thanks to a community benefit agreement, this project will be hiring folks from our community. These jobs will support our friends and neighbors as they raise their families and spend at local buildings. This is good news for everyone. Thank you to everyone involved in advocating for this project. Congratulations, your success. You should all be proud of your leadership and I hope you know how much this means to everyone here in York South-Western. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the calls on the global health crisis regarding the coronavirus. Mr. Speaker, according to the latest WHO report, there are 80,239 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The disease has killed more than 2,500 people. While the vast majority of cases are contained to China, the disease has spread to dozens of countries in Southeast Asia, Europe and America and the Middle East. As of today, 12 cases of coronavirus, five in Ontario and seven in British Columbia have been confirmed. Mr. Speaker, I have met with many business and organization since the outbreak to hear their concern. Two weeks ago, I visited the first week mall in my mark, Antonio Riding. Management told me they installed the additional hand sanitizer and hired extra staff to continuously clean washroom, escalators and stairway handrail. This is about one example of how local business are responding to community concern about the spread of coronavirus. Mr. Speaker, many people are hesitant to visit in restaurant or community celebration. We need to change this perception and put the right perspective into peace place regarding the coronavirus. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the frontline healthcare workers who are doing everything in their power to protect Canadians. Thank you. Member for London North Centre. Speaker, I recently met with Carol Walters from the Alzheimer Society London and Middlesex to learn about the fantastic work they do in our community. Their programs offer cost savings to our province. Over 240,000 Ontarians live with dementia today, and it will double within the next 20 years. Currently, 60% of people with dementia live at home and lead active lives. The Alzheimer Society offers respite programs to caregivers who make huge sacrifices, their jobs, their hobbies, their social lives and save Canada's healthcare system an estimated $25 billion. First link care navigation puts individuals trained in dementia care in direct contact with families. Care navigators support families at every stage of the dementia journey. FLCNs are operating a capacity. This program needs $1.55 million more for frontline staff to support 5,000 more people living with dementia and their caregivers. This investment keeps Ontarians in their homes and alleviates the burden on our healthcare system. Ontario needs a dedicated funding stream for dementia specific services. Ontario must also fully implement recommendation 21 of the public inquiry into the safety and security of residents in long-term care homes. And further, dedicate $4 million to providing the Alzheimer Society U-first training in long-term care facilities across the province. I urge this government to do the right thing and support the Alzheimer Society in the upcoming budget and to support folks living with dementia as well as their caregivers. Thank you. Member for Lanark, Frontenac, Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I'm pleased that the government is finally giving the public an opportunity to provide feedback and express their concerns with Ontario's conservation authorities. As many in this house will know, including the current minister, I've had significant dealings with the conservation authorities in my riding, both before being elected and since. Seldom, have they been very enjoyable or productive? I would argue that conservation authorities have done more harm than good in rural Ontario. I cannot count the number of times I have intervened and advocated for my constituents over unjust demands, incompetence, misapplication of regulations, or actions that were ultra-various. What little good they do is often overshadowed by the harm they cause. They are the single greatest cause for diminished development in much of rural Ontario. I encourage everyone to participate in the public consultation process to make your ideas and concerns known. And with today's story, don't be surprised if Liberal leadership candidate, Stephen Del Duca, also calls in. The cutoff for feedback is March 13th, so time is of the essence. You can learn more on my website, randihillurempp.com forward slash cafeedback. Thank you, Speaker. Please come. Member statements? The member for Mississauga Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. On February 22nd, we acknowledged anti-human trafficking awareness day here in Ontario and across all Canada. Human trafficking is a problem that occurs in our communities, in our largest cities like Mississauga, and in our smallest towns and rural areas. Sex trafficking makes up to 90% of human trafficking cases, and 93% of trafficking victims are born here in Canada. Ontario alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of all human trafficking cases which were reported to the police. Traffickers predominantly go after young women, and although it can happen to almost anyone, almost three-quarters of people who are trafficked are under the age of 25, and the average age of recruitment is as young as 13 years old. Those being exploited for sex are often young girls who become a victim to manipulation and exploitation by criminals who see their vulnerability and innocence as something to take advantage of. These criminals are selling or young women to make lucrative profits, because as Minister McLeod said, you can sell cocaine only once, but you can sell a young woman many times, day after day. Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to host several anti-human trafficking roundtables across Ontario with my colleague, P.A. Carhalius. We have heard from frontline workers, police enforcement survivors and representatives from Indigenous and Francophone communities. It was both shocking and saddening, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the leadership of our Premier Doug Ford, our Solicitor General, and our Minister responsible for women and children's issues as we develop an anti-human trafficking strategy here in Ontario, and also our partners, such as Truckers Against Trafficking and Sexual Assault Centres. Because... Thank you very much. And I'm going to ask the members to quiet and down so that we can hear the member who has the floor, the member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. In November 1984, state-organized armed mobs killed thousands of Sikhs in the streets of Delhi and destroyed Sikh businesses and Gordoras. This violence and other human rights abuses that Sikhs have faced has left a deep trauma and pain within us, but it did something even worse. The violence carried against the Sikh community has set a precedent, which is the news against other minority groups in India. And that's exactly what happened. We've seen violence carried against Dalits, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and other minority groups within India. In 2002, Muslims were killed in Gujarat. In 2019, we saw Kashmir put under lockdown with a ban on internet, which continues till today. That same year, we saw the Citizenship Amendment Act, an amendment act, which discriminates against Muslims. In the very same week that I put forward my bill to recognize Sikh genocide awareness week, we saw Muslims being killed in the streets of Delhi, their businesses set on fire, and their mosques attacked. That is why it is so important that we recognize Sikh genocide awareness week. Because India was not held accountable for the Sikh genocide, it has emboldened India to continue and spread human rights abuses. And that's why I'm asking all members in this House to come together, support this bill, not just for the Sikh community to heal, but for us to fight for a better and more just world and future for us all. Thank you. Members, statements? The member for Mississauga Mall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two years ago, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers received unanimous consent from all parties to make March 1st Professional Engineers Day in Ontario. Our government has a great respect for the engineering profession, and we will continue to support our local engineers. 85,000 professional engineers and nearly 250,000 engineering graduates in Ontario are the economic engine of our province. They help create jobs, foster new technologies, and in turn, build value for our economy. Ontario is experiencing a fundamental technological and economic shift, creating a demand for highly skilled workforce. As Premier Ford says, our economy is on fire. More than ever, we need economic prosperity to increase the revenue of Ontario government so that we can reduce deficit, pay our debt, and make further investment in the services that we need, and all that without borrowing from our children. Mr. Speaker, engineers believe in social responsibility as commitment to place public safety and interest ahead of all. For the future of our province, it is critical that we recognize the importance of our engineers for the prosperity and growth of our communities and the quality of life Ontarians deserve. From a fellow engineer, I want to wish all engineers across the province a happy professional engineers day, and I'd like to recognize the engineers sitting here, engineer Jeremy Jains, engineer Papu Shankar, engineer. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Willowdale. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. This Sunday, March 1st, is Professional Engineers Day in Ontario, and I would like to encourage the members of this house and all Ontarians to recognize and celebrate the incredible and invaluable work the professional engineers do in a variety of sectors across our economy and the important role that they play in communities around our great province. Professional engineers are often the front lines of innovation and create paradigm-changing solutions that drive and improve the world around us. They're problem solvers, collaborators, and outside-the-box thinkers. In 2018, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers received formal recognition from the Ontario Legislature that every March 1st be declared Professional Engineers Day. PNG Day celebrates the vital role that professional engineers play in designing, creating, and safeguarding our province. These men and women come from diverse backgrounds and often from countries all over the world. They work in both the private and public sectors, and they work in engineering fields as diverse as they are, from civil and chemical to electrical and biomechanical. They design our roads and bridges, write computer codes, power our cities, turn garbage into fuel, build communities, keep our drinking water safe, and so much more. Willowdale is home to both the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and Professional Engineers Ontario, and I've had the opportunity to learn firsthand just about the incredible work engineers do on the job, but the leadership they show in communities like mine, working to inspire students to go into STEM, supporting countless community organizations with their time embracing and encouraging diversity in our province. So this weekend, let's all get out there and celebrate PNG Day, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. That concludes our member statements. I've been informed that next we'll do the introduction of visitors, I guess.