 Member Statement The member for Toronto St. Paul's thank you speaker according to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child Every child has a right to an education Sadly, this right is not extended to all children this government's underfunding of health services like their liberal predecessors who cut some 1,600 nurses during hospital budget freezes has left schools with a chronic nurse shortage Which leaves kids with complex medical needs requiring in-class support from a registered nurse Unable to attend school in person this government's home and community care support services network is strapped for Resources and kids with disabilities in public schools are paying the ultimate price We need a government that will invest in the recruitment and retention of nurses by permanently addressing burnout Understaffing and lower wages so they can be readily available in our schools to support their families in need Because right now they aren't as one mom in my community of St. Paul's with a four-year-old son who uses a trach told me quote All the special need kids with tracheostomies are at home My heart breaks for the kids sitting at home just forgotten about by our health care and education systems It's just too sad to contemplate. I remind this government kids with but with disabilities are not a budget item Nor is it getting them into class to receive an education. It is a human rights speaker Education is a human right for all kids and that includes kids with disabilities and it's high time that this government Proves that thank you Thank you very much member statements the member for Oxford Mr. Speaker for almost a month into autumn and there are many clear signs of seasonal change As I travel across my writing of Oxford I see leaves turning color and dropping from the trees Farmers are out in the fields harvesting crops and the extra fruits and vegetable grown since spring are being preserved in the freezers Set or sellers for later use Just a week ago. We celebrated Thanksgiving a time when we can enjoy the bounty of the harvest Pretty soon people will be spending more time indoors But there's still time to see and learn about all that rural Oxford has to offer a perfect example Is the Oxford fresh program? This is a partnership between Ontario Federation Oxford Federation of Agriculture and tourism Oxford two groups that are doing a great job promoting local Oxford fresh is a program that exposes people of all wonderful offerings of our local producers We've got everything we could want including meats and fish fruits and vegetables honey and maple syrup Chocolate and beer and of course there are plenty of cheese and dairy products because after all Oxford is the dairy capital of Canada Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to support the local producers in Oxford at every chance Many of them operate directly from their home farms and when I'm out and about I enjoy meeting them and hearing what inspires them These dedicated hard-working people are putting money back into our local economy It's important that we shop local to show our support for all they do. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity Every day my office gets calls from seniors who are worried about losing their vision They get calls from parents who are worried that yet another school year will be lost because their children can't see the blackboard I care is a critical Life-changing part of our health care system that has material impacts on opportunity and the quality of life I myself have a complex. I condition called care to conus It was an optometrist who recognized the condition and got me the help I needed to keep my vision I was lucky Imagine how many are not because this government embraces inaction Children missing critical eye tests that can identify problems early and help them see for life Optometrist services continue to be unavailable because the government refuses to negotiate a new agreement with them Optometrists are health care professionals They are small business owners and they are forced to cover nearly half of the cost of a visit Even with the newest offer optometrist would still be getting less than those in BC and Alberta If I sound like a broken record, it's because we've heard this again and again Petitions introduced questions to the government member statements for years and still the same problem persists For a government that likes to tell the people they're in the habit of saying yes I say this you can't say yes if you don't even come to the table. Thank you Member statements the member for Kitchener Conestoga Illness awareness week in World Mental Health Day times to raise the profile of health issues that over one million Ontarians struggle with every year as we've since said since day one mental health is as important as physical health It should be just as easy to seek out support for anxiety as it is to treat a broken bone We're lucky in Waterloo region to have organizations like CMA H a Waterloo Wellington Wilmot family resources Center Will it's counseling center and K doubling KW counseling services just to name a few who are dedicated to supporting our mental health I know I talk a lot about agriculture being the backbone of my riding But behind every farm in Kitchener Conestoga there is a farmer who works 365 days a year to keep the stores stocked While that dedication is inspiring it means working through fluctuating markets unexpected weather and of course pandemics Mr.. Speaker we don't think often enough about the mental health people who keep our food keep food on our tables People like Trevor Hurley a farmer in St. Agatha who has been open about the struggles. He is faced Just a few weeks ago. I was joined I was pleased to join Trevor and the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs at Hurley's country farm market to announce 385 thousand dollar expansion of the in the know a Program developed by the University of Guelph and Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario that provides supports to farmers to help manage Their unique stresses one death in the farming community because the right supports weren't there is one too many Mr.. Speaker I hope all the members of this house will promote the great initiative to their constituents so that those struggling Know where to find the help when they need it most Member statements the member for beaches east York you speaker last week a school in beaches east York was targeted by a Hate protest for three days a notorious Transfobes who had flown from the west coast for this express purpose Stored outside the elementary middle school in daycare decrying the schools care and support for queer trends and gender Questioning students and their families the transphobe incited his Twitter followers to join him in his 3-day protest Broadcasted the name of the school. He'd harassed community members and photographed children today He has taken his hate to schools in Ottawa. I want to thank the schools administration teachers and community for stepping up and pushing back For being clear that they will not stand for hate of any kind near their school But speaker we need to go farther to protect our schools We wouldn't stand for anyone spewing anti-semitism or anti-black racism outside our schools And we can't stand for queer phobia homophobia or transphobia either Hate and intolerance are growing in Canada both online and in real life parents are frightened and furious our children need to be safe From hate of any kind they have the right to go to school in a safe and supportive environment We have legislation to ensure that cannabis isn't sold within a hundred and fifty meters of a school And we need legislation to keep hateful protests like this at least 150 meters away from schools and for exactly the same reason the health and well-being and safety of our kids We need action and we need it now. Thank you Member statements the member for Scarborough Guildwood Speaker this weekend I have the enormous pleasure of attending Scarborough's new Clark Center for the arts located at 191 Guildwood Parkway inside the picturesque Guild Park on the shores of Lake Ontario I'd like to recognize the hard work of local community leaders from my riding of Scarborough Guildwood who brought this Magnificent facility to life the Clark Center for the Arts is a new landmark three-story structure located at Guild Park and gardens That will bring our community together and showcase local artists talents This weekend's first tour was opened by an indigenous blessing to acknowledge the land in which it stood And remarks by a councillor Paul Ainsley who championed this project and we also learned From the lead architect Charles Hazel what it takes to pull off this magnificent feat This 1960s building was used as a storage facility before being renovated and the new expanded building Who is now flooded with natural light offers studio and gallery and event space and a cultural place for Programming for our local artists Thank you to city councillor Paul Ainsley to Karen Hawkins to Julie Frost to Lila Karen to Jenny town to City of Toronto economic development and culture staff to the architect firm Charles Hazel friends of Guild Park Guild Festival Theatre the Guildwood Village Community Association Native Family and Child Services Scarborough Arts as well as the students of Laurier Collegiate Institute and many many others Please I invite all of you to attend fall for the Clark and experience this magnificent facility Thank you member statements the member for a Tobacco Lake show It is always nice to rise in the house and speak about the great work that's done in my riding of a Tobacco Lake shore And today I'm delighted to speak about the daily bread food bank and they're incredibly successful annual food drive that they had recently hosted Over the Thanksgiving weekend while most of us were spending time with family and friends the daily bread food bank staff and Volunteers who are working tirelessly to make sure that local residents and need would not have empty tables. I Am so proud to announce that the food bank collected an astounding 30459 pounds of non perishable food items that weekend through this initiative a remarkable achievement. I Had the honor of visiting the daily bread food bank along with Premier Ford and the member of Scarborough Rouge Park Just the day before the food drive and we are graciously hosted by Neil Heatherton Talia Braunstein both from the daily bread food bank. I was blown away We were all blown away by the number of volunteers working so hard Sharing a smile sharing a conversation while sorting food to help those in need and so many of them were there to assist with facilitating this enormous event taking place the next day Not even the challenges of an ongoing pandemic could curb the dedication To help the most vulnerable in our communities and this is the second year in the row It rolled that the food bank has just transitioned into a contactless drive through Donation process and I'm humbled of their commitment and the spirit of giving. Thank you The next member statement the member for London North Centre Speaker Ontario remains one of the few remaining provinces that has yet to sign The agreement with the federal government to lower child care fees to ten dollars a day This is a deal that families in London are counting on I've heard from young London couples that are putting off starting a family because they simply can't afford additional child care costs Londoners need an affordable child care plan so that families aren't pinching pennies each month just to make ends meet Cara Peelak executive director of the Oak Park Cooperative Children's Centre has told the government that this deal is top of mind for London families She's asked the government to sign this deal and seriously address the problems facing early childhood educators The government needs to address the recruitment crisis in this sector by improving the working conditions of our ECEs So that Ontario can have plenty of high quality child care spaces that London families can depend upon Signing this deal with the federal government is the first step in that direction and frankly speaker It should have been signed months ago Now with the federal election completed. There is no reason not to help parents by getting this deal signed We need to listen to experts like Cara who know what our ECEs need to give our kids the care that they deserve And we need to listen to the many parents who are banking on a ten dollar a day child care plan for their families It's about time that Ontario had universal high quality public and not for profit ten dollar a day child care Let's get this done deal done premier Next member statement the member for Don Valley North Thank you, Mr. Speaker as I work to eliminate anti-Asian racism I'm encouraged that my nomination of the Chinese railroad workers Memoria in Toronto Was featured by the Ontario Association of Architecture as a Queen's Park pig in celebration of World Architecture Day Speaker 17,000 Chinese immigrants were assigned the most dangerous task when building the Canadian Pacific Railroad It is estimated that as many as 4,000 Chinese men Gave their lives for a united Canada But very unfortunately the speaker this courageous Chinese workers were subjects of racism instead of the cognition for their extra ordinary efforts between 1885 and 1923 up to the railroad was built and the Chinese labor was no longer needed Canada imposed the hate tax on Chinese immigrants for which prime minister Stephen Harper Public publicly apologized in 2006 Speaker I invite Ontarians to visit it the Chinese railroad workers Memoria in Toronto and the OAA Website to learn about the significant contribution and sacrifice made by the Chinese railroad workers Speaker anti-Asian racism is rooted in our shared Canadian history The past is a guide to inspire us to do better now and in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Thank you speaker our government is providing Up to 270 million dollars this year to long-term care homes across the province to increase staffing levels Leading to more direct care for residents now in Whitby speaker This means that Fairview Lodge will receive up to $705,000 for additional staff and by the year 2024 2025 the home will receive over four million dollars annually more than their current funding Like which health will receive up to two hundred forty two thousand dollars for additional staffing and by the year 2024 to 25 the home will receive $1,500,000 annually more than their current funding and finally the village of taunton mills will receive up to $427,000 for additional staffing and by the year 2024 2025 the home will receive close to three million dollars annually more than their current funding Speaker hiring more staff is part of our government's plan to fix long-term care and to improve the quality of long-term care Residents receive and the quality of life. They experience speaker. They deserve no less. Thank you Members statements for this morning