 It's now time for Member's Statements. Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much. In Schedule 6 of this year's budget bill, the Ford government is undermining conservation authorities across the province. The head of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority says Ontario's proposed overhaul of conservation authorities would weaken environmental protections and put more power into the hands of private developers while negating its fundamental role. This is the Premier's latest pro-developer, anti-environment move. He dismantled cap and trade, loosened protections on endangered species, tried to open up the green belt twice, the list goes on. None of the province's conservation authorities were consulted on this bill. Locally the GRC has raised serious concerns about the impact these changes will have on their operations. They manage water and other natural resources on behalf of 39 municipalities, close to one million residents. Conservation authorities are similar to public health in many ways. They're working when we don't see problems. CEs prevent flooding, protect species, address soil erosion, and keep the water in our rivers and lakes clean. The government chooses not to understand the inherent value of protecting our environment, but let's talk in their language. Do you know what's bad for the economy? Flooding. Horrible for the economy and people's livelihoods. Insurance companies are now actively campaigning for flood mitigation strategies. Pollution. Also bad for the economy, health outcomes, and productivity. All those to say the move to undermined conservation authorities stinks of bad-prone politics. CEs do vital work, and their mandates deserve to be protected. Thank you very much. Member Statements. The Member for Scarborough Centre. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Every year on December 25th, my family and I joined billions of people around the world to celebrate Christmas. For us Christmas is many things. A time for family, a time for love, a time for good cheer and food, and most importantly a time for celebration. On Christmas we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, a truly great reason to celebrate. For me, this holiday reminds me to be thankful and reflect on all of the blessings that I have in my life. I'm truly thankful this Christmas for my family and my faith. And as our cohort begins our final full day before the Christmas season, I can't help but feel excited at the prospect of spending quality time with my little ones and making memories that will last a lifetime. We have all endured an incredibly difficult year. More difficult for many than any other year they have been through. But we have made it through. 2020 is almost over. And I believe that both Christmas and New Year's are opportunities for us to not only celebrate but mark new beginnings. I have faith that we will usher in 2021 and it will be a better year for all of us. We must always have hope for the future, and this time is perfect for finding that hope within ourselves. And reflecting on this year, let us acknowledge the difficulties, but also find the silver linings. Perhaps we have strengthened our familial bonds during the additional time that we have had with our loved ones. We're gained a better understanding of ourselves. Maybe we have grown more committed to learning and living our faith. I encourage you all to try to find the good, even in the most difficult of times, and believe doing so means we will not allow ourselves to be defeated or broken by our circumstances. I encourage you to find joy and pride in your beliefs and convictions. And so I wish you all a very Merry Christmas to all of everyone in Scarborough Center and in Ontario and a holiday season full of faith, family, love, health, success and hope for all of our futures. May you know peace during this blessed time. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to share the voices of some of London's most vulnerable residents, those struggling to survive on ODSP. People with disabilities in London West have told me they can barely afford rent, much less groceries, a phone and a bus pass on a monthly income of $1,169. During a time of unprecedented hardship and stress, people with disabilities have been forgotten by this government. Speaker, please listen to what they are saying. Quote, it seems everyone has had help with this difficult time, except people with disabilities. I am so saddened by the dignity we must lose once we are disabled in this province. Quote, disabled is not lazy or stupid and disabled people can't just get up and get a job. Quote, why does Ontario pride itself on keeping those who are unable to work held to a life of poverty? Speaker, this government had an opportunity to improve supports for people with disabilities but chose not to. Tabling a budget that included no increase to social assistance rates and cutting the meager pandemic top-up benefit after just four months, a benefit that required an application process, as few people with disabilities knew about. It is devastating and gut-wrenching to hear of the increasing number of people with disabilities choosing medical assistance and dying because they have lost the will to live. Speaker, this government can and must do better. Thank you very much. Member's statements. The member for Mississauga, Erin Mills. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been tough, tough year for all of us. However, I am proud to be part of the government that listens to the people. That's why in my great riding of Erin Mills and Mississauga, we held multiple roundtables and virtual town halls to make sure that the Erin Mills community is here in Queensborough. Roundtable for stakeholders of hospitality and tourism sectors to hear about the impact of COVID-19 and how can we help their recovery? I hosted Minister of Education Stephen Latch here on the table to ensure a safe opening to the schools while continuing to lead in providing the best education for our children. I also hosted a brief budget consultation town hall with Minister of Finance Rod Phillips and Mississauga Board of Trade to better shape Ontario budget and listen to the people and businesses. It is getting harder for businesses in deal due to the lockdown. That's why our hard-working Premier Ford has announced a historic $600 million in total to help these small businesses which have been closed. Thank you, Premier Ford. I want to thank Minister of Health Christine Elliott for the announcement of extra $22 million for Beale and Trillium Health's partners in Mississauga. We'll get 141 new beds to help elevate the capacity and elevate the pressure and reduce wait times. Our government protects what matters most and what matters most is the health and safety of all interns. While we are celebrating this holiday season of art and safely at home, my office will be offering personalized holiday loan signs and Christmas cards through our online portal. This will help us feel much closer while we are apart. We will get through this together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Statements and Member for Nicobelt. Thank you, Speaker. Since I last spoke about the problem with LifeLab, my constituents are having, waiting outside in the cold, things have gotten worse, not better. Mr. Philip is not computer savvy and couldn't use the online portal, so he waited three hours on the phone before the call dropped. Jean-Pierre Lausanne's wife needs blood work every 10 days. She can't book an appointment of any of the LifeLab Centre in Sudbury for December 3rd. Online, everything has a bid, red X, nothing available. Victor Boulard tried the 1877 number for three days. He never got through, so he tried the online portal, but for some reason it will not accept his password. Mr. Denis knocked on the door of our constituency office. He had given up on the 1877 number for LifeLab. He could not navigate the website on his own, so we tried in our office the online portal but it would not let him book because it would not accept his password. Suzanne and Adolf Charbonneau will have to wait three weeks, Speaker, for a simple blood test. Adolf asked me, why is this happening? This is paid for by public taxpayers' money. This is not right, and I agree with him, Speaker. LifeLab is paid by the government and represents an important part of our healthcare system and their customer service is just atrocious. That's not all. Access to flu vaccine is not any easier. Whether primary care, public health or pharmacy, nobody has flu vaccines in Nickel Belt. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the member for Scarborough Guildwood. Thank you, Speaker. It's an honor today to rise and recognize a significant milestone. This week, the Scarborough Business Association celebrated its fifth anniversary. They had over 120 participants at their annual general meeting last night, and while this year has not been business as usual, the Scarborough Business Association has been laser-focused on helping small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been sharing information, tools and resources to their membership. They've also taken an advocacy role to fight for unique needs of Scarborough businesses, such as access to broadband infrastructure for the last mile. The Scarborough Business Association has also given back to the Scarborough community by fundraising for the Scarborough Health Network, providing PPE and much relief for our frontline healthcare workers. Despite the pandemic, their work has not slowed. Every week, this SBA hosts a virtual networking breakfast. They have featured many guests, such as Dolph de Jong, the CEO of the Toronto Zoo, and many other colleagues and leaders in Scarborough. I would like to thank all of the members of the SBA, its board, its volunteers, President Hazel and Vice President Ashwani Bardwa for their excellent work in keeping Scarborough connected to its businesses and staying open. Small businesses need our help now, more than ever, in the midst of a second lockdown. And I urge all Ontarians to shop local this holiday season, especially next Wednesday. Thank you, Speaker. The member for Markham Unionville. Thank you, Speaker. SSE Care Solution Inc. is a local surgical mass manufacturer located in the city of Markham. All masks produced by SSE Care Solutions are 100% made right here in Ontario. In September, I had the opportunity to tour their production site to learn more about the detailed process that takes place in manufacturing their high quality masks. And I'm very impressed with the safety protocols implemented in their plans. Last Friday, I had the pressure to connect SSE Care Solutions to local long-term care facilities in Markham Unionville. And witnesses, as their manufacturer donated 12,000 surgical masks to each facility, Bethany Large Long-Term Care Home and Unionville Long-Term Care. I want to give special thanks to donors Steve Diakanastasis, Albert Aoud and Frank Slaw from SSE Solution Inc. for their generous donation to help to keep our seniors and frontline workers safe. Mr. Speaker, the government has committed to do whatever it takes to protect Ontarians during the COVID-19 pandemic. To deliver the resources necessary to help and support our frontline heroes, since March, the government has purchased 1.1 billion in PPE to ensure our heroes have the essential equipment they need to work safely. This is a 300 million masks, 900 million gloves, 50 million gowns, and 6 million face shields. Mr. Speaker, as COVID-19 continues to evolve, our government will continue here to protect the people of Ontario. Thank you. It is 10.29 a.m., and as per the requirements of the Trans-Daver Membrance Act 2017, the Assembly shall now pause and observe one moment of silence in honor of trans people who have died as a result of anti-trans violence. I'll ask members to rise and observe a moment of silence. Thank you very much. Members may take their seats again. We'll resume members' statements. Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. Toronto has been experiencing a housing crisis for years, and the pandemic has made it so much worse. Yet, at the landlord and tenant board, they are currently in the middle of an eviction blitz. Evictions are being carried out at record speed, destroying the lives of individuals and families in minutes. The second wave is raging. Toronto is in lockdown and the cold weather is here. And still, tenants are being evicted and thousands are at risk of homelessness. Shelters have no available beds and can become crowded and unsafe. The only alternative for people experiencing homelessness has been to build encampments, where they can at least rely on the support of a network of neighbors who take care of each other. Now, people are being evicted from encampments as well. Where are people supposed to go? All levels of government have done absolutely nothing to address the housing crisis. Worse, governments are actively working against the people. From the eviction bill ran in this house through the pandemic to standing in the way of every creative idea and grassroots initiative to keep people housed this winter, people have had to fight their own governments to gain access to shelter. This is beyond shameful. I call on all levels of government to take immediate action with a response equal to the massive scale of this crisis. And in the meantime, stop getting in the way of people doing something about this crisis. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Durham. Thank you, Speaker. November is Women Abuse Prevention Month. Today, I'm wearing a purple scarf as a symbol of the courage it takes a woman to leave her abuser. However, the courage of a woman is not enough. It takes the support of an entire community to end violence against women. This month, Bethesda House, a shelter for women fleeing domestic violence in Bowmanville, is partnering with shelter agencies across the province for the eighth annual Wrapped in Courage campaign. Anyone can go to WrappedInCourage.ca to support local shelters and join the fight to end violence against women. Speaker, this week also marks victims and survivors of crime week. Ontario's Victim Service Providers are an important network of support for women fleeing abuse and violence. During COVID-19, providers reported an increase in calls, particularly from victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. In my area, Victim Services of Durham Region has been on call 24-7 to be of immediate assistance to these victims. Across the province, the 44 members of the Ontario Network of Victim Service Providers provides help with planning for safety, shelter, clothing, and food. They also help find counseling and immediate financial support. I want to thank all of Ontario's Victim Service Providers for the work they do every single day. Member Statements. Member for Perth Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Lions Club Canada. In 1920, the first Lions Club outside of the United States was founded in the great city of Windsor, Ontario. Today, there are over 48,000 clubs around the world made up of 1.4 million men and women. Speaker, I've been alive since 1987. And when you become a lion, you make the choice to join a global network of volunteers who serve their communities. Melvin Jones, the founder of Lions Club International, had a simple vision for improving his community. Melvin's personal motto was you can't get very far until you start doing for somebody else. By extension, the Lions motto is we serve. Across the globe, Lions Clubs are making a huge difference in areas like caring for children, dealing with blindness, diabetes prevention and treatment, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity. Speaking at Alliance Convention in 1925, the great American author and disabilities advocate, Helen Keller, charged Lions with this mission. She said, I ask you to be the knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness. And during this challenging time, let's keep Helen Keller's message in mind. Speaker, out of the darkness of this pandemic, through our service to others, we will rise to new heights. I would like to conclude by congratulating Lions Club Canada on this remarkable milestone. Roar, Lions! Thank you very much.