 It's now time for Member Statements. Member for Spadina, Fort York. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to rise in the House to talk about press conference that we had yesterday with two young women, Tori Lacy and Rebecca Van Frazen. They both have, they're both young women. They're in their early 20s and they both have an illness called SMA, it's a degenerative disease. It's similar to, it's like the childhood version of ALS. They were here yesterday, both of their families have raised millions of dollars to research for medication for a drug that would actually help them to overcome their illness. And miraculously enough, the drug was developed. The challenge now, and the irony is, it's a cruel irony is that they can't access the drug because it's too expensive. It costs a half a million dollars a year for the treatment and they cannot get access to that. The one family, you know, they've mortgaged everything, they've, you know, to pay for some of the medication but they've run out. The drug has been available for two and a half years. I'm happy to report that we met with the Minister of Health this morning and she has committed to speaking with the ministry, trying to get this drug and make it available to these people, to these young women and she's committed to coming back in two weeks. So I'm hoping for good news from the minister that in two weeks she will be announcing that these young women will get the medication that they so desperately need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Flamborough Glenbrook. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to talk about a wonderful event that I was privileged to be able to attend last week on behalf of the Solicitor General. It was the graduation ceremony in Hamilton for Ontario's newest probation and parole officers. I was able to spend a few minutes chatting with some of the graduates before the ceremony and I was extremely impressed with the depth of knowledge they displayed about the situations they will be encountering and with the desire they have to be a positive influence on the people they will be dealing with. Each of these graduates knew they were taking on a responsibility that most people rarely give a second thought to, but one that has the potential to make such an enormous impact, not only to the individuals involved and their families, but on our society as a whole. Mr. Speaker, as I watch these 22 young people accept their certificates, I felt confident that as frontline workers in our corrections system, they will live up to the trust and responsibility placed in them by the people of Ontario and work hard to make a difference in the lives of the people in their charge. Mr. Speaker, with these graduates, we are in good hands. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements and Member for Toronto, St. Paul's. Speaker, nothing matters more than our health. It's our province's highest expenditure and it should be. Each and every Ontarian should be able to have confidence in their government and know that health is top of mind. After all, we can't buy our healthcare at a convenience store and it costs more than a buck. Sadly, this government has proved that our public health isn't that big of a concern. How? By ramming through health legislation without consulting the community, by slashing $2.7 billion from health according to the Financial Accountability Office and by hiding the details of the cuts from the public. This conservative government is funding health care embarrassingly below inflation. Ontarians deserve better. The people of St. Paul's deserve better. Tonight, we have listened and we're hosting a health town hall at Timothy Eden Memorial Church, 230 St. Clair Avenue West. We welcome anyone in the house to attend and we welcome anyone in any riding to attend because everyone in Ontario and Toronto is concerned with healthcare. Our guests this evening will include Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of the Toronto Board of Health, MPP Franz Gillena, Ontario and our fantastic Ontario NDP Health Critic, Esther Dubeley, Policy Campaign Manager, Ontario Health Coalition. I think they've got something to say about health cuts and more. Join us. Join us, Ontario. Join us, St. Paul's. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Niagara West. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today with excitement to speak about our government's recent announcement to expand funding for broadband internet in southwestern Ontario, some staff. The Minister of Infrastructure, my colleague, Minister McNaughton of Lampton Kemp, Middlesex announced that our government will contribute up to $63.7 billion towards the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology Project, or SWIFT project. This investment is part of a $315 million commitment being made to ensure communities across Ontario have access to high-speed internet and better cell phone service, which is one of our key campaign promises. Speaker, too many people in southwestern Ontario and in my riding of Niagara West do not have access to high-speed internet. But this funding announcement means that they are now one step closer to getting reliable high-speed internet. I look forward to seeing rural residents and businesses be able to stream high-speed internet from their homes, farms and businesses. It's high time smaller communities across the province joined digital economy. With better access, people can work remotely, access e-commerce platforms, learn online and research at home. People can also access healthcare and government services and stay connected to friends and family. Better internet means businesses will also be able to connect to customers and new markets, making it easier to share information, close deals and process payments. A new day has dawned for rural southwestern Ontario Speaker, all as a result of a promise made and another promise kept. Thank you. The member for Sudbury. Thank you Speaker. Since opening 28 years ago, Sudbury's Better Beginnings Better Futures has helped over 17,000 children and families have a chance at a good life. It all began with a free recreational after school program in the Old O'Connor Community Ice Shack. Better Beginnings offers a nutritious snack, a safe environment for homework, for creative and educational games, for weddings and cultural celebrations. They've since expanded to multiple locations, offering dozens of free programs, programs such as a community closet which offers dignity while providing free access to clothing and linens. Baby's Breathes provides support to pregnant and parenting teenagers, to their families and to their partners and several nutrition programs. To continue this vital work, Better Beginnings Better Future relies on support from the Ontario Government. They need the government to be their partner and to make investing in these families and our communities a priority. Their model is designed to prevent young children in low-income, high-risk neighborhoods from experiencing poor outcomes. And Speaker, I'm an example of a child that grew up in a low-income, high-risk neighborhood. O'Connor Park is a few blocks from Cabba Street where I grew up. It's a short walk from Queen Elizabeth, the primary school that I attended. Speaker, I was given a better beginning. I now enjoy a better future. All children in Sudbury deserve that same opportunity. Thank you. Member Statements. I recognize the Member for Ottawa, South. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, today is the fourth annual World Eating Disorder Action Day. And it's a global initiative that's comprised of thousands of activists and 200 organizations in 46 countries. This year's theme is eating disorders we can't afford to wait. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. You know, many, they do not discriminate. They affect people of all genders, ages and ethnicities. And many families are affected by a loved one with an eating disorder. Speaker, when a loved one is sick, nothing else matters. Eating disorders are a pernicious and complicated disease that devastates those who suffer and leaves families feeling hopeless and unable to help. Those who suffer need our support, love and encouragement to get well, but they need the tools and treatment as well. Speaker, it's something that our family has gone through many years ago. And it was a very difficult time. We stuck together and our daughter Kirsten got well largely due to her courage and strength. There are still many families and individuals and families that are suffering right now. And we need to make sure that those things that they need to heal are in place. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member statements. The member for Brantford Brandt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to rise in the House to welcome an extraordinary group from my riding of Brantford Brandt. Today, we welcome the top cadets as chosen by their commanding officers for their dedication, excellence and willingness to make our community the best that it can be. Cadets learn to become active, responsible members of our community. They make valuable contributions to Canadian society through citizenship and community service activities. In Brantford Brandt Six Nations, the four cadet programs keep 260 youth engaged off the streets and away from their handheld devices. Teaching them structure, respect, community involvement and civic duty from today and into adulthood. For the Navy League cadets Chief Petty Officer First Class Matthew Peach and Chief Petty Officer Second Class Benjamin Austin. Commanding Officer Lieutenant Julie Bernard. For the Sea Cadets Chief Petty Officer First Class Selena Bernard and Chief Petty Officer Second Class Isaiah Loftman. Joined by Lieutenant Shane Downey. And for the Army Cadets Chief Warrant Officer Molly Stamp and Master Warrant Officer Jacob Stoneman. Commanding Officer Captain Joshua Jen. And for the Air Cadets Warrant Officer Second Class Joshua Fogg and Flight Corporal Halley Corner. Joined by Second Lieutenant Selena Corner. Cadets, the people of Ontario salute you. Thank you very much. Member Statements. Member for Brampton Centre. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Welfort Community Health Services in my riding of Brampton who is actually an umbrella organization for the Bramley Community Health Centre and it was such a pleasure for me to learn about the important health services that they provide to our community. I'd like to take this opportunity to also thank the volunteers and staff who are so passionate about the work they do to provide community services to folks in our community. And those services range from health promotion, veterinary health programs, oral health programs, diabetes education programs, HIV, hep C awareness programs, just to name a few, Mr. Speaker. They provide holistic care for individuals, families and the community often those who face multiple barriers in accessing health services in Brampton and specifically in the Bramley Community. During my visit, I actually had the opportunity to meet with the seniors in Action Club and it was such a delight but they shared a number of concerns with me, Mr. Speaker. As seniors in our community, they were very worried about the fact that the majority of them are still living in poverty. They have quite a difficult time accessing housing options and they're very concerned about the recent cuts to public health and they were wondering if their very own seniors in Action program was actually in jeopardy as well. I tried to reassure them that I think that the government values the contributions that are in our province and as we celebrate seniors' weeks, I just want to reinforce how important it is that we take the opportunity to engage with our seniors but also intergenerationally learn from what they bring to the table. It's so much power and I really enjoyed my visit. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, Member for Richmond Hill. Mr. Speaker, community engagement can be a very effective way of policing. The general public has often created an unpopular image of police. When a child winds or misbehaves parents sometimes threaten them to stop or the police will come. Even adults do not favor the sight of police as that often means receiving a ticket for a traffic violation. When I served on the York Regional Police Services Board in 2006, the board recognized the importance of building a strong and positive relationship between the police and public. Today, I am happy to see the strong relationship York Regional Police have built with the community. They take the initiative to reach out and to participate in numerous cultural events. Just last week, I participated in the after dinner. They organized with the Richmond Hill Muslim community. A week before, they celebrated the Asian Heritage Month with lion dance, Indian songs and dances. Through these events, York Regional Police have become friends with various communities in Richmond Hill. This partnership goes a long way in crime prevention and protection of neighborhood. We thank the York Regional Police for supporting this. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's always a pleasure to get to rise in the House today. Today, I'd like to share a little bit of local feedback that I've heard in our first year in government. A year of restoring fiscal balance while protecting what matters most in this province. At the New Dundee Victoria Day Parade, I had many people stop me and say, Mike, keep on going. We support your government on reducing the number of people in the province to 9% in the province. We have been working nonstop to honor our campaign commitments to repeal the cap-and-trade carbon tax and the Green Energy Act to expand natural gas and broadband for rural communities to provide record funding for long-term care beds and mental health and addiction services. On Friday, I brought together nearly a dozen organizations providing these crucial services that are excited about the $3.8 billion commitment we've made to mental health and addiction services here in Ontario. We are working for Waterloo Region on multiple fronts in partnership with municipal leaders and other partners. This includes allowing fair and open tendering, protecting double-hatter firefighters and greenlighting the wait-for-it new electrophysiology lab at St. Mary's Hospital and, of course, helping support the Geese Family Centre, which is a beautiful new hospice one year down, but we have a lot more work to go on behalf of the great people of this province, Mr. Speaker, and I'm looking forward to three more great years. Thank you. Well said. Thank you. That concludes our member's statements for this afternoon. I beg to inform the House that today the clerk received the report on intended appointments, stated June 4th, 2019, of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. Pursuant to Standing Order 108F9, the report is deemed to be adopted by the House. Reports by committees. I recognize