 It is now time for member statements. I recognize the member for beaches east York. Thank you speaker in east end Toronto There's a school whose students are mainly refugees and newcomers many of them come from conflict and have experienced a great deal of trauma Their parents are working as hard as they can to learn English find housing They can afford and do whatever work they can to keep that roof over the family's heads The kids are working as hard as they can to figure out what it means to be Canadian help their parents out and do well in school They're still trying to cope with that trauma up until this year that school had an extraordinarily talented drama teacher She had a background in equity studies and was uniquely able to provide a safe space for her students in her classes Help them work through the trauma be a trusted adult in their lives and help them decide what past is best That teacher learned this spring that she doesn't have a job at the school anymore What you need to know is that whether or not she gets another job in another school this school and its students have lost Their drama teacher. It's a tragic loss for them as students and for all of us who care about how Communities are built on Friday. The TDSB learned that it is facing 42.1 million dollars in funding cuts that position isn't coming back This story is playing out over and over across Ontario's with teachers librarians and guidance counselors gone leaving holes in lives It doesn't have to be this way and it's just plain wrong. Thank you Member statements a member for Carl. Thank you, mr. Speaker Each year during the first week of May Ontario recognizes It's the significant contribution of correctional officers probation and parole officers nurses social workers Recreation staff and so many others who help keep our community safe as a member of parliament representing Carlton and as part of the Solicitor General's caucus advisory team It was an honor to join the Solicitor General my colleagues and Ontario's correctional services staff as we pay tribute to those who have Fallen in a line of duty at the 8th annual correctional services ceremony of remembrance here at Queens Park I also had the opportunity last week to visit frontline personnel at the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Center in Brockville to learn firsthand about the challenges They experience in their day-to-day work keeping Ontarians safe as well as all the positive work They are doing to support rehabilitation and treatment of inmates Thank you to Superintendent Tracy Gunton Deputy Gibu Shea and Sargent Tony Porter men and all of the correctional staff at the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Center for a Very informative and helpful tour over the past several months Our government has made improvements at adult correctional facilities across the province Including better health and wellness supports for correctional officers on behalf of our government and Premier Ford I want to thank all correction staff across Ontario for your continued commitment to service which protects our communities Stands up for victims and holds criminals accountable It's clear that you have our back and you can rest assured that our government has your back. Thank you Thank you very much member statements the member for Niagara Center Thank You speaker. I have a pile of letters here from a group of seniors who last week held a demonstration at a constituency office in Beamsville after only eight minutes they had the police called on them and These constituents were from riding all across Niagara they were also called referred to as grannies later in the news and Speaker I Wanted to apologize the member had a chance to apologize on behalf of of his government, but I would like to apologize on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the way that they were treated we serve citizens our offices belong to the taxpayers all Constituents should feel free to meet and to demonstrate without having the police called on them. Thank you Member statements the member for Whitby Thank You speaker the Brooklyn Spring Fair a great annual event held each year starts May 30th and continues to June 2nd and Speaker there's over 200 fairs held in rural, Ontario each year and the 108 year tradition of the Brooklyn Spring Fair Speaks volumes about how significant the fair continues to be today for residents in Whitby the speaker the Brooklyn Spring Fair is viewed as the gateway to spring Celebrating agriculture with its livestock is local fresh farm products displays rodeos and so much more speaker over 30,000 people annually now pass through the original stone gateway on Winchester Road to attend the fair Reaffirming the importance and value of agriculture in Brooklyn speaker I wish Kristen Williamson the president of the Brooklyn Agricultural Society her incredible board of directors and army of volunteers Every success this year and in the years to come my grandchildren And I look forward to once again attending the fair and seeing how agriculture and agriculture business positively impacts Whitby and speaker all communities In the region of Durham. Thank you speaker The member for Ottawa Center. Thank you speaker I'm very proud to rise today inspired by women in our country who fought for choice and for women's reproductive freedom Speaker when I became a community organizer and I started in this city I learned from organizers like Carol and Egan Michelle Robidoo and Judy Rebic Judy who once saved Dr. Henry Morgan taller from an intolerant wielding garden shears who tried to attack Dr. Morgan taller Decades of Canadians have struggled to ensure women have bodily autonomy and access to reproductive freedom And I want to make sure that this government knows that any attempts to roll those freedoms back will be fought vigorously By this opposition caucus. I know back home speaker grassroots pro-choice Organizations where I live have fought hard to ensure there's a bubble zone around abortion clinics And I want to make sure that people at home know that if you see those bubble zones Compromised in any way if you're taunted or harassed on the way to getting access to your abortion services call our office It's six one three six seven two two six four one four We were spawned swiftly and promptly because at the end of the day speaker the women I had the great pleasure to learn from have burned into my mind as a man who allies with them that not the church Not the state women will decide their fate and if this province believes in human rights We will never roll those rights back. Thank you speaker Member statements the member for Ottawa venue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Saturday May 12th. I had the opportunity to participate in the fifth Sapphire night This is the EU on the eve of Mother's Day and it invites francophone women to celebrate their accomplishments I invited my mother or my mother came she's 99 and she's always Happy to participate. We honored women as well as their contributions in communities. The theme of this year was looking towards the future Acknowledging the place of women in this new world I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners And those who won prizes for their committee community involve involvement Linda Sabal for professional work and The woman of the year Joanne Lacan I Had the opportunity to speak with the Yasmin The young woman who won the prize and she's extremely eloquent With respect to how young people could contribute to francophone affairs in Ontario I would like to underline the fact that it's important to support Francophones in Ontario not only to celebrate their ambitions and their accomplishments as well as their aspirations for the future but we also must underline the Contribution of those who simply love the French language and To this effect, I'm very concerned about cuts to French immersion programs Next we have the member for Hastings Lennox in Attington It used to be that death and taxes were the only certainties in life now it's a trio death taxes and debt and Government debt makes the other two even worse Here in this chamber. We must talk about that openly Because it was here in this chamber that we were repeatedly sold decisions that were both wrong and wrong headed Those irresponsible decisions turned Ontario into the most indebted sub nation state in the world Was time to stop talking We all have to admit the danger of the situation Faced by all of us here from all parties the debt hanging over Ontario Threatens our very civilization The interior built carefully by industrious generations of natives and never been since 1784 the ones who made it a place to stand in a place to grow That isn't a word It's a sentence and we must get our debt under control or it'll be a life sentence for all the generations That succeed us and that is not a political statement. Mr. Speaker It's the fact that we as parliamentarians must face that responsibility Member statements the member for Parkdale High Park Thank you, Speaker Members of this house have likely ordered food using an app on their phone one such company that provides a service here in Ontario is the international app giant for Dora it has come to light that for Dora has been Systematically exploiting its workers and underpaying them in fact recent reports show that for Dora owes nearly eight million dollars in unpaid wages That's eight million dollars that the company has stolen from its workers They are part of what is known as the gig economy where companies like for Dora intentionally misclassify workers as Independent contractors instead of employees so that they can get away with not providing the most basic labour protections such as sick days Vacation pay employment insurance and puts the owners of paying for necessary items like cell phone data on workers These companies want to keep workers fragmented make it hard for them to organize and collectively push for basic workers rights Why also that they can pay less and profit more they want to keep workers precarious Speaker we know precarious work contributes to poor health outcomes both physical and mental precarious work keeps workers in poverty Living in fear and worry of not being able to make ends meet or what should happen should they get sick or get injured? But not anymore speaker for Dora couriers are fighting fighting to unionize and win a $15 minimum wage and workplace fairness I am proud to stand in solidarity for justice for for Dora couriers to challenge work with precarity and to demand from for Dora For their workers what every Ontarian deserves? Respect health and safety protections and fair compensation from a company. That's profiting off their hard work. Thank you Member statements the member for Richmond Hill Mr. Speaker This weekend I was pleased to visit local organization in my riding who participated in door opened Richmond Hill It is an event that supports cultural sites in the community to open the doors to everyone This free event is part of doors open Ontario launched in 2002 by the Ontario Heritage Trust It is amazing to discover the heritage architecture and culture Richmond Hill has to offer I Would like to thank the 15 featured sites that opened their doors to the residents of Richmond Hill Each site featured a different experience that the whole family could enjoy There were tours activities and demonstrations of weaving spinning pottery making quilting and We have seen very amazing Arts and crafts and also the artifacts from previous years Children activities included indigenous games pottery amending as scavenger hunts all free I would like to thank all the volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to put this special day together Your hard work and countless hours you spend behind the scene have made Richmond Hill one of the most Fibrant places to live and grow in Ontario. Thank you members statements Member for Mississauga Center. Thank you, Mr. Speaker May's national food allergy and anaphylaxis month I am pleased to rise today to recognize the efforts of the Canadian anaphylaxis initiative and to thank Debbie Bruce from my Riding of Mississauga Center for being a passionate advocate for this cause Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can be life-threatening and is most often triggered by food insects or medication Certain people are more at risk than others Especially if they have asthma or have experienced a reaction in the past Being at risk of severe allergic reactions requires individuals to always be conscious of what's around them because even the smallest contact with an Allergyn can cause a life-threatening scenario where every minute counts That is why it is critical for anaphylaxis individuals and those around them to be prepared by having an epi-pen on hand and being trained in its proper Administration that was the intention of Sabrina's law introduced by our former speaker Dave Levac Its goal was to save students lives by ensuring that all school boards have policies in place to address food allergies in schools Speaker more than 2.8 million Canadians are affected by some form of anaphylaxis and the month of May reminds us that we have a Responsibility to know how to recognize an allergic reaction and how to respond. We must all do our part That is why I am so pleased to see that the Toronto blue jays are providing peanut and nut reduced zones during the month of May at Their games including during the weekend of May 24th to the 26th This may let's all join together in support of our allergic friends family members students and colleagues by learning how to Recognize the early signs of a reaction and how to administer an epi-pen. It's as simple as this blue to the sky Orange to the side and call 9-1-1. Thank you so much speaker That concludes our member statements for this afternoon. Next we have reports by committees and I recognize