 It's time for Member's Statements. I recognize the Member for London, Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker. Early this month, I received an email from Mora, a constituent. And she writes, quote, I am 63-year-old female in relatively good health living in London. I moved here almost two years ago, and I still haven't found a doctor. I am writing to you as I don't know what else to do or who else to contact. I have registered with Health Care Connect, and I am still waiting to be connected. Having a virtual doctor is okay for minor ailments, but I don't believe this is a viable option long term, especially as I get older. I hear all the time about how lucky we are to have such a fabulous health care system, and I get quite angry and I think to myself, wow, and I can't find a doctor. It leaves me very scared. I'm not looking for any special treatment, but I just want my voice to be heard. I know quite a few people in my situation, so I am not alone, end quote. She is right. She is not alone. I have heard from many constituents facing the same struggle. According to the Ministry of Labor's own website, the total projected number of job openings for family physicians in this province for the last five years is 7,000 to 8,000. I am imploring this government on behalf of Mora and all my struggling constituents to work quickly to recruit and train more doctors. We cannot wait any longer. Thank you very much. Member Statements. Member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we move into February, it is of critical importance that seniors and adults with disabilities care for their mental health. This is especially true for those who live in rural areas, such as in the riding of Carlton, which I am proud to represent here at the legislature. The unfortunate reality is that seniors and adults with disabilities who live in rural areas are oftentimes more isolated, more distant from services, and have more difficulty getting around due to lack of proper or reliable public transportation. Thankfully, Carlton is home to a wonderful nonprofit charitable organization called Rural Ottawa South Senior Support Services, or ROSS. I first had the pleasure of getting introduced to ROSS when I was seeking the nomination and I am thankful to have kept in touch with them ever since. Even before COVID, ROSS, a well-known household name in communities like Manitik, Metcalf, Osgoode, Greeley, Cars North, Gore Richmond, and Vernon, was providing critical services and programs to seniors in rural Ottawa. However, since COVID, ROSS immediately took action and stepped up to the plate to support seniors and adults with disabilities in rural Ottawa. In ROSS's more recent newsletter, they continue to highlight the services and supports that are available to the residents of rural Ottawa to support their well-being while staying safe at home. To everyone living in rural Ottawa South, I encourage you to check out ROSS's website, ROSSS.ca, or to call 613-692-4697. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Next statement, the member for York Southwest. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will dedicate my statement this morning to Aslam Maheeda Muhammad, a young man who lost his life a short while ago. Aslam was a generous and humble soul who was an inspiration and role model to many members of his community. Aslam involved the youth in his community and his impact on Masjid El-Nur. Community programs are felt to this day. Much of his communal work involved people from various groups within the society, hence demonstrating the core Canadian values of inclusion and acceptance. At his Masjid's Janazah prayer, performed his passing. Aslam's peers claim that he always took time out of his only schedule to help with his community's projects and that he believed that something had to be done for his community's youth. His legacy, inclusion and activism, has lived on after his passing. A GoFundMe page launched after his death has raised remarkable 10,000 of which will be donated to build wells alongside creating food banks and other projects decided by Aslam's family. This demonstrates the importance of activism, figures in society, alongside the power a community has when they come together. My deepest sympathy and respect goes out to Aslam's family and friends. We will not forget Aslam. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Statements, the member for Kitchener, Conestoga. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On Friday, I joined the member of provincial parliament for Kitchener, South Hesbler and the Waterloo Regional Chair Karen Redman and the region's chief of paramedic services, Steven Van Valkenburg, over Zoom to announce an expansion to our community paramedic program. Back in the fall, our minister of long-term care implemented a 100% provincially funded long-term care focused community paramedicine program. And alongside my regional colleagues, I was pleased to share that we're expanding this program in Waterloo Region. This means that seniors waiting for long-term care beds will be able to get the care they need from the comfort of their own home from specially trained paramedics. It is no secret that after 15 years of neglect under the previous government, Ontario's long-term care wait lists have ballooned. The reality is that 38,000 people waited while they only built 611 new beds. Our plan to modernize long-term care is well underway. And in Waterloo Region alone, we are already announcing close to 600 new and upgraded beds. And it's through programs like this one that will ensure those who are waiting will be well-tinking care of in their own homes. So again, thank you to the minister of long-term care, minister of health, and of course our premier for their commitment to ensuring our government provides seniors with a high quality care they deserve. I look forward to seeing the expansion of community paramedicine in my riding, getting off the ground, and hearing about the benefits it brings to seniors and their loved ones. Thank you very much. The next statement, the member for London West. Thank you very much, Speaker. London was dealing with the housing crisis long before COVID-19, but last week we learned how much worse the pandemic has made things for London tenants. According to CMHA in the last year, more than 8,000 London area families fell behind on rent. London is second only to Toronto in the amount that is collectively owed in rent arrears, a whopping $7.6 million. Many of these 8,000 families were already struggling to make ends meet before COVID turned their lives upside down. They now face the prospect of losing their homes as well. I am grateful for the work of two local grassroots organizations, the London Tenants Association and Acorn London, which have stepped up to support tenants in the wake of this government's drastic cuts to legal aid. This work is especially important right now, given the government's decision to allow fast-tracked COVID evictions to go ahead. Speaker, London's shortage of affordable housing and sky rocketing rents means that people who are evicted struggle to find a new place to live. As Ontario faces a possible third wave, how are those 8,000 London area families supposed to follow public health advice if they don't have a home to stay safe in? Speaker, London tenants desperately need solutions. When will this government recognize housing as a human right and start working with us to protect tenants and fix the housing crisis in London and across the province? Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. The next member's statement, the member for Ottawa Bagné. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last November, I hosted a working group on affordable housing, faced with the housing crisis that is affecting our economy. We decided to join our efforts to find solutions. The housing crisis for affordable housing is a major problem for a number of years, and the situation is only getting worse with the pandemic. 12,000 people, many families with children, are waiting for housing in Ottawa. This is a 15% increase from 2017. The lack of adequate affordable housing in Ontario is not an issue that we can put off any longer. It is not a partisan issue. It's a matter of human rights and human dignity. This pandemic makes us realize that we need to do better to protect and help the most vulnerable members of our communities. We have all heard and seen in the news and in our writings the alarming increase in the terrible stories of homeless people. In a country like Canada, in a province as prosperous as Ontario, every citizen should have access to the necessary support to be able to live with dignity. The days of the old shelter system has come and gone. It is time to invest in supportive housing, and I urge every member of this house to join efforts to ensure that all Ontarians can have a place to call home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member statements. The member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, there's light at the end of the tunnel. I say this after having spent the last three days chatting with the constituents of my writing, which is composed of two of the first five counties to allow to end the lockdown due, fortunately, to our green numbers. But you have to be clear, nobody likes the lockdown. The government didn't do it on a whim, I can assure you. We listen to the top medical minds in this province. We lacked it based on science, which also included an evaluation of experiences and other jurisdictions, like Australia, last August, which of course would be their winter, and France last fall, when lockdown stopped an upward death spiral that nothing else had slowed. But what about that light? Well, let me tell you about a restaurant in my one community in Napa, they'd never ever offered takeout or home delivery, because they always had a very, very busy sit-down trade with their fantastic food. But during this last year, they've stayed busy by sending their dishes into homes. They've kept their entire staff employed during all this time. And now that they can sit down and serve, sit down meals again, they see more than the light at the end of the tunnel. Their kitchen is at capacity, and they've hired additional staff to handle the extra work. That's the Ontario spirit, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While our province has been in one of the longest lockdowns, there have been less drivers on the road and far fewer accidents. Despite this, billion-dollar auto insurance companies have been allowed to price gouge in Brampton and the Peel region, charging some of the highest rates in the country. This is discrimination based on their postal codes, and the government must take action. The Ontario NDP caucus has repeatedly tried to end this auto insurance discrimination. However, this government has not been on the people's side. On February 17th, Brampton City Council unanimously voted to take a stand and officially advocate to reduce our auto insurance rates. I support their motion, and this was a step in the right direction, and we need this government to mandate lower car insurance rates. They cannot ignore Brampton and many more cities in this province, while Ontarians struggle with the economic impact of the pandemic. This government has the power to mandate lower auto insurance rates and make the lives of Bramptonians and others across the province more affordable, yet time and time again, they refuse to do so. As a new critic for auto insurance, Mr. Speaker, I ask this government to listen to Ontarians when they say they are being priced gouge by Ontario auto insurance companies. We, the official opposition, have asked this government to implement a 50% decrease on auto insurance payments during this pandemic and allow payment deferrals for those who have lost their jobs in these times of economic uncertainty. I will continue fighting, Mr. Speaker, for my constituents and all Ontarians until they receive more affordable auto insurance. The only question is, will this government do the same? Thank you. Member Statements, Member for Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to give thanks to a recently retired family physician who served the public and cared for her patients for over 30 years in Dundas County. Dr. Marilyn Crabtree is a great example of the devotion we sometimes take for granted in our health care and medical professionals. She has had a long association with the Winchester District Memorial Hospital, where, by her own accord, delivered more than 1,000 babies. She has administered full life-cycle care with a special emphasis on palliative care. At the same time, she has cared for countless other patients at the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic where she has held leadership roles. Dr. Crabtree told a local paper that she was very privileged to have been part of so many people's lives. Well, I can say that on behalf of the constituents of Stormont Dundas and South Glen Gary, we have been very privileged to have her amongst our many caring health care practitioners that provide high-quality care for us, especially during these challenging times. Dr. Crabtree, I wish you well during your retirement and hope to see you fulfill your stated desire of returning to the medical field in a local leadership role. Thank you, and I want to wish you many happy years in retirement. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Member Statements, the Member for Burlington. Thank you so much, Speaker. Speaker, COVID-19 has devastated our hospitality industry. Across Canada, these businesses were first closed and nearly last to reopen. During these difficult times, our hospitality sector has received significant support from the Ontario Public Service, especially those who oversee Ontario Building Code within municipal affairs and housing, Speaker. I want to thank my colleague, the Member from Stormount Dundas, South Glen Gary, and the Ministry's Director of Building, Mansour Mahmoud, for their tireless efforts. Thanks to Toronto's Chief Building Official, William Johnston and Deputy Chief Kamal Gonya for issuing patio tents permits in as little as three days. Thanks, Tim Morowski, Chief Building Official in the Blue Mountains for supporting the hospitality sector by accepting alternative solutions. Thanks, Frank Bidden, Ottawa's Chief Building Official, who even outside of the COVID-19 is always solution-driven. Thanks, Darren Sanger-Smith, Michelle McCulloch, and Dave Hine for all you're doing to support restaurants across the GTHA. And to our restaurants and hospitality operators, thank you for keeping us safe, whether we dine in or take out. I also want to recognize Burlington operators Barry Glaser and Mike Coles for your strong leadership and patience. Thank you so much, Speaker. Thank you. That concludes our member statements for this morning. I've been advised that the member for Brampton Centre has a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to immediately pass Private Members Motion 139, calling on the Ford government to address inadequate pay for PSWs and other healthcare sector workers. Member for Brampton Centre is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to immediately pass Private Members Motion 139, calling on the government to address inadequate pay for PSWs and other healthcare sector workers. Agreed? For her to know.