 Okay, it's now time for a member's statements. The member for Windsor to come see. Good afternoon, Speaker. I have a history lesson for you today. Steve Burney gave his grade 11 class at St. Ann's High School a special assignment. Students were given the names of the members of the Essex Scottish Regiment from Windsor who signed up for military service during the Second World War. And they had to research their military history. They came up with the home mailing addresses of those soldiers when they enlisted more than 75 years ago. So they wrote letters to those old addresses. The letters informed the current owners that at one time, one of the people who lived in their home was a young soldier fighting for Canada in the Second World War. One of those letters reached Patricia Murphy at 733 Niagara Street. That's where Samuel Berger used to live. He enlisted in 1940 and was killed at Dieppe on August 19th, 1942. It was his first battle and he was just shy of his 23rd birthday. Ms. Murphy was so impressed and intrigued by the letter that she signed or she had a memorial plaque made up and put it up by her front door. It reads, in memory of Samuel Berger in 1919, 1942, Samuel was a brave young soldier who fought and died for Canada during World War II. He enlisted while living here at 733 Niagara Street, Windsor, Ontario. Speaker, the plaque has a red poppy in the final words, lest we forget. So I say thank you to Patricia Murphy. Thank you to history teacher Steve Burney at St. Anne's and a big thank you to students Brayden Tessie and Riley Carmichael for doing the research and writing the letter. Speaker, this is a history lesson for us all, lest we forget. Absolutely. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Whitby. Thank you, Speaker. And I stand today to pay tribute to Andrea Shaw, the Executive Director of Hearts Place, the only Catholic Support Center in Durham region. Andrea, who's with us this afternoon, is retiring on June 14, 2019, after 22 and a half years of tireless service. Speaker, initially she was the only employee at the center when it was established in 1997. But in the years since, it has grown to a staff of 13, signifying just how important Hearts Place has become in Durham region. Speaker, Andrea is a dedicated and passionate leader who has positively impacted thousands of lives of those living with cancer. She's been the heart and soul of Hearts Place since it was conceived. She's a community leader sought after speaker and speaker, a valuable resource person in the broader community. Durham region residents are privileged to have witnessed the impact Andrea has made on the lives of so many in our communities, including mine. We can never repay you, Andrea, fully for your sacrifices and dedication. And God bless you in your retirement. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. On Friday, May 10th, I had the amazing opportunity to join forces with my community and the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, also known as CLOCA, at Purple Woods Conservation Area in Oshawa. We put on our boots and gloves, headed into the woods and learned how to identify and remove garlic mustard, an invasive plant species that has the ability to inhibit native plants. After some time in the forest, we headed indoors to the Heritage Hall to make some garlic mustard pesto. Now, Speaker, I'm not sure that you can eat all invasive species, and I'm fairly certain you can't, but I must admit garlic mustard was absolutely delicious. We made a salad and even put it on our pizza. To beat it, we eat it. Speaker, do you know what garlic mustard actually does to other plants? It depletes nutrients and slows growth. Originally brought to North America in the early 1800s by well-intentioned folks, this invasive species has evolved into a cruel plague. Speaker, an invasive species is characterized as almost impossible to get rid of, causing damage that we can never repair. An invasive species is defined on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry website as a menace to our environment, our economy, and even our health. Speaker, alas, garlic mustard is not the worst of the invasive species in this province. Ontarians can prevent the arrival and survival of invasive species by slowing or reversing the spread, which will reduce its harmful impacts. I applaud our conservation authorities like Cloca for the work they do, and I encourage everyone to get involved, take action, and stop invasive species of all kinds from taking over this province. Thank you very much. Members' statements? The Member for Markham Unionville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, I had the privilege in attending the final Veterans Employment Initiative session hosted by IBM Canada in Markham. For many veterans, transition from service into the Civilian Workforce Post-Ace Challenges in the skill that these veterans acquired during their time in service may not always be recognized, either to themselves or their potential employers. Subsequently, IBM responded to this by initiating the Veterans Employment Initiative. This program serves the purpose of assisting and teaching a selected group of local veterans. The tech skill necessary to excel in the cyber security field. Mr. Speaker, I commend the efforts of this program and of IBM Canada in assisting our veterans. I am honored also to serve in a government that has vowed to support and make life easier for our veterans. Some of the steps we have taken to achieve this are exempting Ontario Royal Legion branches from a property tax, providing free fishing licenses for our veterans and their families and more. Supporting our veterans is not simply a responsibility, Mr. Speaker, but a civic duty for all of society to uphold. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May 28 is menstrual hygiene day, a day to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene and raise awareness about menstrual inequities. Many people don't think of period poverty as an issue here in Canada, but in fact there are many who struggle to access menstrual products, which can cost anywhere from $76 to $153 per year. This may not seem like a lot of money, but for many it's the difference between eating or buying necessary supplies. You also need access to clean water, which means period poverty has the greatest impact on low income, homeless, indigenous and young people who menstruate. When people are unable to afford a consistent supply of products, they may resort to unhygienic solutions such as reusing or overusing products that can risk lead to an increase in the risk for reproductive tract infections. It also means missing school or work, missing participating in social activities and experiencing social isolation, and also violence perpetrated against them. Period poverty is both a health and social equity issue. I want to recognize a few key people who are leading on this file. Jana Gerdowskas, founder of the period purse and now 2019 YWCA Women of Distinction. Halima Al-Hatime, founder of Femcare Community Health Initiative. Both women are making menstrual products available for free and changing the conversation on menstrual equity. The 10 girls from Parkdale Public School, who are participating in my girls government program, working to have menstrual products available in all public schools. Speaker, I call on this government to recognize May 28th as menstrual hygiene day and to work towards making menstrual products freely available for all Ontarians, starting with right here in our province with our public schools. Finally, to all menstruators out there, this is a day for us. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member statements for Lanark, Frontenac, Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, on last Friday I was pleased to meet with the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus, along with other MPPs. Our discussions were very productive. Members of the EOWC identified areas of concern, including the uncertainty over many provincial transfer payments that they rely on to run healthy, vibrant communities. However, other significant concerns were also apparent. There is an absence of detail in direction from the government and a default reliance on consolidation and amalgamation schemes without supporting evidence. We heard from our county wardens that they face a budgetary shortfall of over $30 million. My greatest concern is that while the government demands efficiencies, it fails to understand that most municipal expenditures are statutory obligations imposed by Queen's Park legislation. Speaker, the government on one hand can't demand local government spend less, but at the same time imposing more obligations and prescribing the means by which they must implement them. I was pleased with the minister's announcements today. However, it does demonstrate this government's proclivity to act first and think later. It is my hope the government will remain engaged with our municipal partners and work with them to improve the quality of life for the people of rural eastern Ontario. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, we have the member for Etobicoke Lakeshore. Thank you. This coming weekend, I, along with the member from Etobicoke Center, are hosting a government and community services fair in order to showcase the incredible and vital services that shape our communities. These organizations work tirelessly to help serve and support our residents. And I'd like to give some examples of the over 55 organizations that will be showcasing their services this weekend. The Daily Bread Food Bank is one of Canada's largest food banks, with over 10,000 volunteers and 50 staff. It feeds tens of thousands of hungry households annually. The Young Professionals and Skills Workers Association, who offers networking opportunities for and advocates on behalf of emerging professional leaders and their economic well-being. LAMP Community Health Center, which provides constituents of Etobicoke Lakeshore and Etobicoke Center and beyond with countless programs and services to help further our community. These services include diabetes education, mental health support, and adult learning programs. And just a shout out to Jasmine for all her hard work that she does every day. And I'd like to encourage all residents in Etobicoke to join myself and the member from Etobicoke Center this Saturday from 10 to 3 p.m. at Cloverdale Mall in order to meet with and learn from organizations that make living in Etobicoke so incredible. Thank you so much. Thank you. Member Statements to Member for London North Center. Speaker, I'd like to take this time to congratulate London City Council, past and present for their shrewd fiscal stewardship. London's credit rating has been AAA for over 40 years. A record, I'm sure. This government could learn from London City Council about responsible fiscal management and credit and excellent credit ratings. Ontario's shameful and disastrous credit rating spiraled down the toilet after the Conservative Party took power and started cutting without thinking. Ministers compare the province's budget to a household. A simplistic comparison, but let's apply that flawed logic for a moment. When money is tight, children come first, health comes first, education comes first. But all we see from this government are cuts. Clearly, there is still some outstanding questions. What is the return on investment for the Premier's personal pleasure wagon? Do households in debt buy a tricked-out camper van or do they manage with what they have? What is the ROI for ridiculous gas pump stickers? Do households in debt blame others for their debt, or do they look honestly at their own expenses and actions? Through you, Speaker, when is the Premier going to wake up, put the brakes on his gravy train, park his personal pleasure wagon, and realize that his cuts hurt everyone in Ontario, except his inner circle? Next statement, Member for Thorne Hill. A little bit about an event I was at last night. It was hosted by the Al Nadwa Islamic Center, which is in Richmond Hill, and it was established in 2002. And together with York Region Police and the Chief Eric Jalif, they hosted an iftar dinner. An iftar means breaking of the fast. And of course, it's breaking the fast of Ramadan, when those in our communities of the Muslim faith don't eat during daylight hours. So they eat when the sun sets, until the sun rises, and it goes on for the whole month of Ramadan. You know what I saw at the event was the value of children and youth in the community by the organization. We all see that in our communities, that all the different organizations, different faith groups, that they understand that the children are the future for all of us here in the province of Ontario. And the organization, the General Secretary Aslan Badat, explained to me that they were working very hard to bridge the gap between multicultural communities, breaking down silos, partnering with York Region Police to engage in dialogue and bring about learning and understanding. And of course, we all applaud that. The event took place at the Bayview Community Center in Richmond Hill, and it was attended by politicians from all levels of government, from all parties. And I just want to mention that Mr. Badat sits at York Region Police Recruitment Advisory Committee. And I want to thank one of his volunteers who took pictures for me, Ramadan Mubarak. Thank you very much. Member Statements. The Member for Mississauga East Cooksville. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today, I'm honored to stand in this house and tell you about the wonderful work the Mississauga Food Bank from my writing of Mississauga East Cooksville does for our community. Last year, the Mississauga Food Bank received a seed grant of $75,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their Reclaim Fresh initiative. The program, the first office kind in the city, partners with local grocery stores to prevent edible, healthy food from being thrown away prematurely. The Food Bank then freezes, refrigerates, or distributes these groceries on the same day to clients of the Food Bank. In the coming year, Reclaim Fresh will be piloted in 10 grocery stores across Mississauga. The program will significantly cut down food waste at stores in the community. The new initiative raises the bar and I'm proud that our province is helping fund such great initiatives like Reclaim Fresh through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. In the next four years, Mr. Speaker, the Food Bank projects, the program will help source food for over five million meals. I look forward to working alongside the Mississauga Food Bank and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to make sure poverty is basically eradicated in our province. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I just want to say read or not. Thank you. That concludes our member statements for this afternoon.