 Having said that it is now time for a member statement and I recognize a member from Spadina, Fort York. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Presidents and business owners in Spadina, Fort York are angry with this government for their handling of the pandemic. This government has had months to plan the rollout of the vaccines but the online registration portal still hasn't launched. In some areas you've got 80-year-olds competing online for vaccine registrations as if they were concert tickets. But the vaccine rollout is just one of the recent many failures of this government. This government is using lockdowns as if they are the solution. Lockdowns are necessary but they were supposed to be a temporary measure to get transmission under control and to buy time so the government could set up testing and tracing, make long-term care, schools and workplaces safe. Sarah, a Spadina, Fort York parent says, our children are terribly affected by the lockdowns. You failed. You lost your chance to get to do it right. Now make a new plan where our children can get out and play with other kids. Yvonne, a business owner says, if I ran my business like Ford runs the province, I'd have been bankrupt years ago. Another business owner, Jeff Cohen, who owns LiveBank. You may be reading something that someone else may have said but in reference to a member in here, I would ask that you refer to either their writing name or if they have a title such as Premier, I would ask that you refer to it as that, please. Thank you. Yvonne, a business owner says that if I ran my business like the Premier runs the province, I'd have been bankrupt years ago. I hope that's better. Another business owner, Jeff Cohen, who owns Live Music Venues says that the inability to get insurance and the lack of support from this government is threatening the very existence of the live music industry in Toronto. Your responsibilities were clear through this pandemic, Mr. Premier. Make long-term care homes, schools, and workplaces safe so they aren't transmission points. Keep our small businesses solvent and plan the vaccine rollout. Will the Premier please focus on getting us through this pandemic rather than planning in secret the destruction of wetlands and heritage buildings? Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements. Member for Whitby. Good morning, Speaker. Durham College and my writing started to accept applications earlier this week to Ontario's new accelerated training program for personal support workers. The program, Speaker, is part of the government's $115 million investment to train up to 8,200 new personal support workers for high-demand jobs in Ontario's health and long-term care sectors. We will be training, Speaker, some of our best and brightest in Durham region to be personal support workers. Speaker, the accelerated personal support workers training program is a tuition-free opportunity for new students and is expected to take only six months to complete rather than the typical eight months. After three months of coursework and experiential learning and a clinical setting, students will complete the final three months in paid onsite training in a long-term care home or in a home and community care environment. Speaker, this personal support training program is yet another way that Ontario is collaborating with its partners like Durham College to provide innovative services and build a 21st century long-term care system. Thank you, Speaker. Member statements? The Member for York Southwest. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last night I heard the disturbing news that 12 families that had been living at 2419 Kill Street in my writing of York Southwest received an N13 notice with days of their building being bought by a new landlord and have been kicked out for an evictions. Displacing tenants in housing crisis and during a pandemic is unacceptable and wrong, Mr Speaker. These tenants in many cases have lived in the building for over 20 years. The pandemic has left many without work or under employed, somehow new born children. How is it that during a pandemic families like this can have their world upside down, Mr Speaker? Inovictions are occurring more and more in Toronto, and bad landlords like this one boost on their website to potential visitors that timing and precision are two key drivers and that they excel at acquiring undervalued properties and stabilizing at today's market ransom. Fancy words for inovicting tenants and forcing them during a pandemic to leave their homes often with no options for housing they can afford, Mr Speaker. All to maximize rent and to return dividends to their stakeholders. When is this government going to take the housing crisis seriously and put protections in place for families in my writing of York Southwest and in Ontario, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Member statements. The member for Stormont Dundas, South Glengarry. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to commemorate the achievements of Dr. Robin Paul, who recently awarded the Order of Canada. A native of Great Britain, he moved to South Glengarry with his wife Mary and their children, Lucienne and Jonathan, about 20 years ago. Dr. Paul won worldwide recognition for his groundbreaking research that led to the creation of faster diagnosis techniques for the osteoarthritis. International acknowledgments include being named the president and symposium workshop chair of the Sixth World Congress of Inflammation Research Associations and is an honorary member of the British Society of the Matrix Biology. He received the Holly Research Prize and appointed master of the American College of Rheumatology. Lifetime achievement awards were bestowed upon him from the Australian Arthritis Research Society International and the International Cartilage Repair Society and the Canadian Connective Tissue Society. Locally, Dr. Paul has found time to support the Cooper Marsh Conservation Authority. Dr. Paul continues to be a positive influence in the medical field, acting as a mentor for young scientists while filling a role as chair of the International Academy Advisory Board of the U of T's Arthritis Program at the Toronto Western Hospital. Thank you and congratulations, Dr. Paul, for your local and international achievements. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Windsor to come see. We have a great community college, an outstanding university, and a high-class symphony orchestra in Windsor. The Ford Motor Company builds really good engines. Stalantis makes fantastic minivans. Our mold machining and tool and dye industries are world-renowned. And, Speaker, we manufacture some of the best whiskey in the world. Canadian Club 43 is Canada's whiskey of the year. For the fourth straight year, Hiram Walker has been named Canada's distiller of the year. JP Weiser's triple barrel rye won a sip and whiskey of the year, honour. Lot number 40 Dark Oak claimed the best new whiskey award. And JP Weiser's 22-year-old pork cast finished came out on top in the cast strength whiskey of the year category. Speaker hats off to Ontario's grain farmers. 97% of the grain that we put in a Hiram Walker's award-winning whiskeys come from fields in Essitz County and Chatham Kent. Windsor's master blender, Don Livermore, says this year there were more competitors than ever before. The craft distilling industry is really taking off in Canada. The competition was fierce with 130 entries. Windsor is so proud of our distillery district in Old Walkerville. We've been making whiskey there since the 1850s. We know a thing or two about whiskey, Speaker. The award just keep on coming. And just so you know, we haven't given up on reopening tours to the Canadian Club brand, Heritage Center either. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. On January 7th, the newest provincial political party was registered with elections Ontario with a new blue party of Ontario. And I'm happy to sit as its first member of this legislature. Today I present various concerns from constituents. Parents in Cambridge, North Thumfries and North Brant are concerned with the draconian measure to mandate mask wearing for children over the age of two. Even the World Health Organization doesn't recommend children under the age of five wear masks. Small business owners continue to lose their livelihoods and have to consider, if they haven't already, the prospects of starting over as a result of the government's inconsistent application of policies that favour their lobbyist friends and big corporate interests over small businesses that are the lifeblood of our economy. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the disappointment of watching this government, the Premier and members of the media ridicule, insult and condemn those churches like Trinity Bible Chapel who decided to gather for worship over the last month. Perhaps if the Premier and his government wanted Ontarians to take their public scoldings seriously, they can work on abiding by their own rules. Because apparently while attending church or a synagogue or opening your small businesses not deemed essential, travelling to a sunny location, visiting a cottage, going to a politician's wedding or sending happy birthday to a former Mayor are all acts that the Premier believes exempt him and his cabinet from the rules they've set for everyone else. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next statement, the member for Burlington. Thank you so much, Speaker. 86% of women say that seeing more women in leadership positions inspires and encourage them to blaze their own trail. Our PC government has many strong women in critical leadership positions. Christine Elliott is Ontario's Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Dr. Mary Lee Fullerton is our Ministry of Long-Term Care. Caroline Mulroney is Ontario's Minister of Transportation and Minister of Franco-Phone Affairs. Lisa Thompson is the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Laurie Scott is the Minister of Infrastructure. Lisa McLeod is Ontario's Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. Sylvia Jones is our Ontario Solicitor General. And our two Associate Ministers, Minister Jill Dunlop in Children and Women's Issues and Kinga Sermon in Transportation. Together, these women are responsible for the majority all government spending in Ontario. Speaker, I'm proud to serve alongside these incredible women who are making a positive difference in our communities every day. Tomorrow I'll be speaking at Wonder Woman 2.0, an event hosted by our Burlington Chamber of Commerce. This event brings together local women virtually this year who are trailblazers and leaders in our community. Speaker, I'm proud to represent Burlington, a community led by so many strong women. Thanks so much, Speaker. I want to thank the member for Burlington for her presentation. I noticed a few eyebrows going up, but I wanted to say normally the rule of course is that we refer to each other by our riding name or our ministerial title, but obviously that was, those were favorable references, colleague to colleague, and I allowed it. If anybody has an issue with it, we can talk about it later. Member statements? The member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to rise on behalf of the residents of Brampton North. There's been a peaceful protest going around the world, and it's one of the largest one that's been going on for several months now. It's the Farmers' Protest against the Indian Farmers' Bill, a bill which will allow the agricultural sector to be taken over by large corporations. And unfortunately, these peaceful protesters, they've been met with tear gas, water cannons, and all they're trying to do, Mr. Speaker, is save their livelihood from mass privatization. I've been getting calls to my constituency office and emails by concerned citizens who have family back home, and they want me to stand up for the farmers, and this is exactly what I'm doing. And what is happening now? We are seeing arrests of journalists, of peaceful protesters, as well as for we've seen arrests with people who are more or less just trying to make sure that the government is doing the right thing. One person, Disha Ravi, who's a human rights activist, she was arrested recently. Peaceful protests is needed in our government, Mr. Speaker, and I'm calling on the Indian government to resolve this with dialogue with these protesters. And the Canadian government has also set an example. They must set an example by standing up for these peaceful protesters. And for the frontline protesters, my brothers and sisters out there, I want them to know that I stand with them in these protests. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Perry Soundless-Coca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a few minutes ago, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced a new round of provincial social services relief funding. Today's announcement is an investment of $255 million that can be used by local service managers across Ontario to reduce the impacts of COVID on some of our most vulnerable citizens. Those who are homeless or rely on housing supports and other social services. Locally, Ontario is providing almost $1.2 million to the District of Muscova, $950,000 to the Perry Sound District Social Services Administration Board. With this funding, our government is continuing to provide the resources necessary to protect those residents who rely on housing supports and other social services during the pandemic. This funding is critical to so many people in my riding. While Perry Sound and Muscova is often seen as the playground of the rich and famous, the average income of the year-round population is well below the provincial average. The pandemic has only made the situation worse with many in the hospitality and tourism sectors unemployed. And at the same time, the cost of housing has been driven up. In order to address those trends, our government is providing a great deal of flexibility in how this funding can be used. For example, it could be used to acquire motel and hotel spaces for homeless individuals to purchase PPE or food or add to rent and utility banks to help prevent people from becoming homeless. So on behalf of the people of Perry Sound, Muscova, I want to thank Mr. Clark for this funding. I know that both the District of Muscova and the Perry Sound DSAB will put this money to great use and support those residents who rely upon those services. Thank you. Member statements? The member for Brantford Grant. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to arguably Canada's favorite hockey dad, Walter Gretzky. It was with profound sadness that I learned of his passing last week. Not only was he a Brantford institution, legend and tireless promoter of our community, but he was a family man. Walter was an active hockey avid hockey player as a youth and a keen analyst of the game. He built a backyard rink for his children and coached Wayne, the great one from the age of three, devising creative exercises and drills, teaching him profound insights into how to play successfully. Known for his charitable work with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind Foundation and with a summer computer orientation recreational education program known as SCORE. SCORE helps blind students learn computer skills that will be needed for jobs in their future and increases blind students access to computer programs and internet applications. Walter was awarded the Brantford Citizen of the Year in 1996. He was also an inductee into the Brantford Walk of Fame. He was appointed as a member of the Order of Ontario in 2002. Gretzky was named a member of the Order of Canada on December 28, 2007. On February 12, 2010, Gretzky carried the Olympic torch during the Olympic relay hours before the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Wayne later lit the Olympic flame. On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I send ours and seer condolences to the Gretzky family and to the city that he loved so dearly. Thank you. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. I understand the member for Ottawa-Vanier has a point of order. Yes. I'm requesting a unanimous consent to table a notice to raise the flag of the Francophone flag. Move a motion without notice regarding the permanent display of the Franco-Ontarian flag in the legislative chamber in celebration of the flag as an official ambulance of Ontario. On the same point of order. Thank you. I just want to thank the member for that motion. It is a very good motion that we will be supporting. I wonder if she would entertain a friendly amendment that we recommend to the speaker that the Franco-Ontario flag be flown on the legislative grounds as well as in the chamber. Would the member care to reply to that? Thank you for that amendment, which is actually an improvement to the motion, so thank you very much for this. I do. Member for Ottawa-Vanier is seeking unanimous consent of the House to move a motion without notice regarding the permanent display of the Franco-Ontarian flag in the legislative chamber and in celebration of the flag as an official emblem of Ontario and to display the flag outside. Agreed? Agreed. So you have unanimous consent to now move the motion. Thank you. I'm requesting unanimous consent in order to present a motion so that in the opinion of this House, the Francophone flag should be displayed in a permanent manner in the legislative assembly and on the grounds of Queen's Park. The Franco-Ontarian flag should be permanently displayed in the legislative chamber and on the legislative ground. Ms. Collard has moved that in the opinion of this House, the Franco-Ontarian flag should be permanently displayed in the legislative chamber and on the legislative grounds. I'm just seeing if there's any debate. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carry. Thank you very much. The member for Brampton East, I think, has a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I seek the unanimous consent of this House to bring forward a motion to call on the Conservative Government to immediately implement paid sick days so that workers in Brampton and Throat, Ontario, are protected from COVID-19 and so they don't have to make the terrible decision between going to work sick or paying their bills. Thank you, Speaker. The thing is seeking unanimous consent of the House to bring forward a motion requiring the Government to implement paid sick days legislation. I apologize. Government House Leader, point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I just wanted to just mention that, of course, there are already 20 sick days. I'm just wondering if the member opposite in this point of order is suggesting that we repeal the 20 sick days that are already in place. He's seeking unanimous consent to bring forward a motion requiring the Government to implement paid sick days legislation. Agreed? Agreed. I heard a no.