 It is now time for Member's Statements. I recognize the Member for Ottawa Centre. You've got to speak here. Thank you very much, Speaker. And it's an honor to rise in this House today. I rise in this House today to bring a very clear message from my community in Ottawa Centre, from our party. And I actually believe from this entire House, trans people exist. Trans people matter. And all of those who want to suggest otherwise are living in an alternate reality. This House, in the last parliament, passed Toby's Law. Toby's Law was something that was brought forward with the sponsorship of the current Deputy Premier. Toby's Law was something that acknowledged something which is startling to me. That 77% of trans youth have contemplated suicide and 45% of trans youth have attempted it. We have to create a province that's loving and compassionate, Speaker. And I think at home of people like D.J. Friedman, Beck Jack Slanks, Thane Robin, Caden Seburn, and Lyra Evans, the first elected Education Trustee, Trans Education Trustee in our country's history. That's the future. Let's not look to the past. I want to salute Minister Thompson for saying very clearly in this House earlier today that that is not going to be the policy of this government. I want to salute my friend David Pacin from Northumberland, Peterborough, who said very clearly to me earlier today he's going to be driving two hours to a protest at his office to support, translates, and to participate in it. That's the signal we're sending from this House today, and those who think otherwise should live in a different reality, not the one we live in today. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the honour of Eczema Awareness Month, the month of November, I would like to speak about the Eczema Society of Canada, a registered Canadian charity dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians living with Eczema. Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterised by symptoms such as itch, dryness, and rash, which can cause the skin to ooze, crack, and bleed. It is a spectrum condition, and while it can be mild and often well managed, on the other end of the spectrum it can be moderate or severe, itch, dryness, and can be intensely itching, painful, debilitating, and life-altering. Eczema Society of Canada offers education and support programs to guide Eczema patients and caregivers, regardless of the severity of their condition. They also educate Canadian healthcare providers to improve Eczema care in Canada, and in the past two years has provided certified or accredited continuing medical education programming to over 8,000 healthcare providers across Canada. This is a crucial time for Eczema patients in Canada, as recent research breakthroughs have led to many new drugs being developed for this condition. You can learn more about the Eczema Society of Canada and their programs by visiting eczemahelp.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The member for Windsor to come see. Thank you, Speaker. We aren't wearing our poppies anymore, but we are still in the month of remembrance, so with that in mind, I'd like to put on the record a poem written recently by George Eliot Clark. He's a former Canadian parliamentary poet laureate and a former poet laureate of Toronto. Acadia University in Nova Scotia asked Mr. Clark to write an alternative poem to the one we all know in Flanders Fields. Here's his poem, An Armistice at Last. That great war, that war to win war, didn't. Thus, every November the 11th at 11 a.m., ardent and strident as bagpipes, we pray, baying just for that, peace at last and a peace that lasts. Instead of studying grave plots with marble nobles, statute soldiers, the famed plus unknown dead, lifelike and stoic postures, foibles, nay, their heroics rendered them lifeless than deathless. Now, their gesture in beckon, new gallants to new fronts, and success at killing or dying, choose what reckons. If only an armistice, some in peace, not mere pause, be twixt each bloody decease. Speaker, once again, we see the value in poetry and in having a poet laureate. Great Britain has had a poet laureate for something like 400 years. Canada has had one since 2002. We have them in towns, cities and counties all across Ontario. So, other provinces have them, and there's no good reason why the province of Ontario doesn't have one. And again, I call on the Conservative Government to name a poet laureate for Ontario. Member statements? The Member for Niagara West. Thank you, Speaker. Hospitality of Care members are here today visiting Queens Park, to talk about something no one really likes to talk about. They're here to talk about dying. It's truly the elephant in the room. We don't want to talk about it, but it's the one thing that we all have in common. We're all going to die, and we're all going to lose loved ones. Very few of us, though, Speaker, will die suddenly. In fact, 97% of Canadians will know when the end of life is coming, and they will need care. They'll need medical, spiritual, physical, social, and many other types of supports. That's what Hospice Palliative Care is. It's holistic care to help us all live as well as possible to the natural end of life. And that can often happen at home or in residential hospice. Speaker, we need more Hospice Palliative Care here in the province of Ontario, and that's why I'm proud to say that my private members Bill, which was supported unanimously in this House, the Compassionate Care Act, has passed second reading, passed for a framework and reporting timelines to help us meet the inevitable demand for care. I want to encourage all members in this House to welcome the Compassionate Care Workers for their communities and thank them for all they do, because nothing else matters when the elephant is in the room. Thank you. The Member for Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wrote a letter to the government. Dear government, what you're doing is hurting me. It's hurting us, but you don't seem to want to listen. When I was elected I made a commitment to represent the people in my riding of Kitchener Centre. That means the people who voted for me and those who didn't. The people who are straight like me and those who identify as queer. And I'm pretty sure that that's the same for you, isn't it? Well, when I found out about the resolution you overwhelmingly passed to no longer believe in trans folks, I was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed because no matter what we say here today, the damage has already been done. The fear our trans friends and families feel is real. It's real today. We've spoken about this before. When you rolled back sex ed and removed overt references to LGBTQ communities, I stood up and I spoke out. I reminded you then in the way that I'm going to remind you today. Not talking about something doesn't make it go away. So let me be clear. As a member of the official opposition, I will keep speaking to you about the harm that you're doing, no matter how angry you get, no matter how much you try to ignore me, and no matter how hard you fight, because trans rights are human rights. It's time to do better. Our children are watching. Sincerely, MPP Laura May Lindo. Member Statements, the member for Don Valley East. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the anti-racism directorate. It's been roughly half a year since Doug Ford and the conservatives were elected into power in this province. And I want to bring up the fact that we still don't know what the status is of the anti-racism directorate. Mr. Speaker, in 2016, in February, we established the anti-racism directorate. We had 10 public meetings across the province. A strategic plan was put forward in March of 2017. And we also passed the anti-racism act in 2017, June 1, and an annual conference was held that year. The first anti-black racism strategy was put forward in December of 2017, and the OPS followed up with an anti-racism policy in February of 2018. And the standards, the anti-racism standards were established on April 23, 2018. Mr. Speaker, since then, we've heard absolutely nothing about the anti-racism directorate. And like the previous speaker said, not talking about something doesn't mean that it's going to go away. We need to talk about racism here in the province of Ontario. Racism is on the rise, and we need to make sure that we have a government that understands that when we all reach our full potential, Ontario reach its full potential and makes Canada a better place. So it asks the government to come forward with the next steps for the anti-racism directorate and allow us to reach our full potential as a province. Thank you very much, Member Statements. Member for Mississauga Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On November 11, Poland celebrated its 100th anniversary of national independence. For Poles living all over the world, it is a day to salute those who have fought and died courageously to resist tyranny and preserve Polish sovereignty. On November 8, I was honored to commemorate this historic day by co-hosting a flag-raising ceremony and non-partisan reception with Mr. Krzysztof Dżalczyk, Consul General of the Republic of Poland, alongside my colleagues, the member from Etobico Center and the member from Humber River Black Creek. Together with the Premier, the Deputy Speaker and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, my colleagues and I were thrilled to welcome several Polish government officials to Queen's Park, including Mr. Stanisław Kaczewski, Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Senators Alexander Bobko and Piotr Florek and Minister Jakub Kowalski. The day was filled with fruitful discussions about Ontario and Poland's thriving relations and how our governments can work together to foster even deeper economic and cultural ties based on innovation, trade, investment and exchange of human resources. Speaker Kaczewski commanded the 1.1 million strong Polish diaspora in Canada for their excellent organization and work in preserving Polish traditions, culture and language in Canada, while being stellar and diligent contributors to the Canadian cultural, scientific, political and social fabric. Premier Ford expressed his enthusiasm and interest in working with Speaker Kaczewski and the Government of Poland restating our government's position that Ontario is open for business, which includes being open for business with Poland. Lastly, I would like to thank all the MPPs in attendance, my wonderful staff, the Premier's office and the many individuals involved in making this historic celebration a success. On behalf of the Polish Canadian community here Ontario, I thank you, Salad Polska. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Member Statements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about a critical role for airports that play a critical role in the far north in this province, while most people in Ontario count on roads, highways, railways and the transit systems to get around remote First Nations communities count on airports. Ontario is open for business with Poland, but it is also open for First Nations communities count on airports. Ontario has one of the more remote First Nations than in the other region in Ontario. I can say that airports are a lifeline for the flying communities in the north. So when we talk about the safety and the well-being of our people, families depend on the system, airports for healthcare, for economic development, for security, for shipments, emergency care, high school and because we have to send out our children for high school and in order to community by air. And also even with the effects of climate change, First Nations communities have to rely on airports even more. As I said before, warmer climates mean that there is a shorter season of ice roads and Miigwech. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Mississauga Lakeshore. Mr. Speaker, Mississauga Lakeshore is home to many great businesses that support Ontario families and provide good, well-paying jobs supporting local economy. Last Friday I had the pleasure to visit one of these businesses. Hatch was founded in the GTA Corporation with projects in more than 150 countries and employs over 9,000 people worldwide. Hatch is an example of exploring Ontario's economic and local communities. However, what Hatch continues to do best is invest in Ontario and support Ontario families. Hatch employs more than 2,000 Ontarians including 1,500 in my riding on Mississauga Lakeshore. When we talk about innovation, we need to look no further than companies like Hatch. During my visit I went on a virtual tour of the Unit 6 Reactor Vault in Bruce Power. A tool to build and set out with Bruce's major replacement set to begin in 2020. Together these companies are delivering on Ontario's largest infrastructure project at Bruce Power which will support 22,000 direct and indirect jobs individually and provide $4 billion in annual benefits through direct and indirect investment. It will help keep the lights on in Ontario well into 2064. Companies like Hatch and Bruce Power are innovating and creating jobs throughout the province and creating made in Ontario solutions for major infrastructure projects. I am proud of the work these Ontario businesses are doing right here in Mississauga Lakeshore and I'm proud that Ontario is open to the public. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for an issue that has come up in my writing of Brampton South. A lot of members of my community and in Brampton South have been facing some issues and difficulty as owner operators with CN Rail and I had a chance to visit them not too long ago, two weeks ago with my colleague Amarjad Sandu and I know the member from Milton also had an opportunity to visit them as well as we listen to their concerns primarily around safe working conditions and also access to sanitary bathroom use on the job. Truck drivers are the base of our economy. They are hard workers and we want to ensure that we lend our support I lend my support to them as they use their resources and as they bring awareness to their cause at CN. I want to make sure that their voice is also heard here in the house and we want to make sure that they are hard on memory that they put towards their trucks and the resources that they use also go notice. I want to once again reassure that I stand with the members of the working truck drivers across this province and request the members at CN to take notice of the issues that they have put forward. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Pursuant to standing order 38A the member for London North Centre has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Education concerning changes to education curriculum this matter will be debated tomorrow at 6pm. Reports by committees.