 It's now time for Member Stephen, the member from Wellington Houghton Hills. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Last year's Christmas Ice Storm was an event that we will not soon forget. Our riding of Wellington Houghton Hills was amongst the hardest hit areas. In the aftermath of the storm, the provincial government quickly committed to providing assistance to municipalities to help cover cleanup costs. On February the 18th, I spoke in this House and urged the government to work with our municipal partners to ensure that they were properly compensated for legitimate ice storm costs. I also wrote directly to the previous minister several times in support of our local municipalities. However, almost a year has now passed and they are growing increasingly frustrated with the process which seems to keep changing on them and is much more complex and complicated than it perhaps needs to be. The town of Houghton Hills originally submitted a claim for 1.8 million dollars. The government then changed the guidelines on them and they're now working towards a new unofficial deadline of years in. Township of Puss Lynch had to compile 330 pages to support their claim of 45,000 dollars. Township of Senator Wellington is working hard to complete a 302,000 dollar claim. Township of Guelph-Armasa is also working to finish their submission before the deadline. The Grand River Conservation Authority needs 550,000 dollars and Conservation Houghton is requesting 129,000 dollars and I found out today that the Hamilton Conservation Authority is also planning to submit a claim. Mr. Speaker, I trust our local partners and I'm confident that they would submit verifiable claims or I wouldn't be standing in this house now and raising this issue. They should listen to my colleague, the member for Oxford, let's work together and get this done. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I understand the member from Windsor West. Thank you Speaker. I rise today to bring attention to the excellent work done by Windsor Essex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Since their very first meeting in 1971, the Windsor Essex branch CMAJ has evolved to become a vital local resource for people suffering from mental health challenges in Windsor and Essex County. The Windsor Essex branch offers client-focused community-based programs such as their homeless initiative program or their employment support program. These programs help keep people out of hospital, assist them in becoming self-empowered and ultimately fully invested members of their local community. In order to build on their mandate, the CMAJ is looking to develop community training programs. These programs would allow mental health professionals to train other front-line workers like firefighters, police officers, paramedics, nurses and correctional officers to properly care for people suffering from mental illness in their various work environments. Speaker, professionals in my community want this training and the CMAJ is willing to provide it but they need financial assistance. I hope all members of this chamber can agree to help find ways to provide assistance and support to the development of CMAJ community training programs in Windsor West and in their own communities. Thank you. Thank you. For the members of the members from Davenport. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Toronto Fair Trade Show hosted in Davenport's very own Gladstone Hotel an iconic institution for the arts. No, not just in my riding but across the country and the world. Organized by Rafiq Riyad, the Fair Trade Show was the first of its kind in Canada developing awareness of fair trade products and supporting producers and local artisans from over 25 developing countries. The overarching theme of this fantastic event was to raise public awareness and consciousness that our individual consumer choices can raise the standard of living for countless people everywhere. The show demonstrated the importance of ensuring the goods we purchase are produced in an ethical and sustainable way and indeed hundreds of Torontonians came to Davenport for the Fair Trade Show to do just that. There was tremendous energy in the room as participants roamed around the Gladstone learning hotel learning about fair trade. 15 fantastic vendors were featured with the unique set of products from different artisans and producers around the world. The company's social gems sold jewelry produced by female artisans in Indonesia who they found who they fund to assist with school fees. As a matter of fact the necklace I'm wearing right now is from the Fair Trade Show. This necklace is made from rice straw paper and was produced by Daft and Mute Woman involved in Ilna Sifa, an Egyptian charity working in the field of craftsmanship and social development. Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy that this wonderful event took place in my riding at Davenport and looking forward to next year's event. Thank you. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I rise today to challenge the government to take responsibility for their gross fiscal mismanagement and the devastating economic and human costs associated. Yesterday's report from the auditor general again highlighted the failures of this liberal government. The lack of value for money found in this audit is extremely disturbing. For instance, two billion spent on smart meters. A decision that the AG points out was not supported by a cost-benefit analysis. Speaker, I ask who does that? If you're running a business you must take a look at your analysis in that regard and they spend over a billion beyond the original estimated cost. Yet there there is also another problem, global adjustment which by next year the total cost will be $50 billion over and above the market cost of electricity. We all know in Ontario we can't afford higher electricity costs because we're paying subsidies out for energy that we no longer need. Global adjustment has significantly impacted time-of-use rates now accounting for 70% of electricity costs. This mismanagement of energy and the economy has created hardships for the people and businesses of my riding of here in Bruce and across this province. Even the manufacturing sector in my riding I have spoke with told me they've been forced to send people home during operation hours as opposed to paying global adjustment all because energy prices are too high. Mr. Speaker, it's time for this government to start making smart economic decisions. Thank you. Member of Statements, the member from Brown League, Lauren Moulton. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to discuss the issue of aggregate and dump truck drivers. There's a serious issues that's been going on for over a decade and this government has done nothing to address it. Whether it's dump truck drivers whose trucks are being overloaded because the loaders are putting too much weight into that truck, the drivers have no control over it and the drivers end up getting the fines. This government has not addressed this problem. When it comes to aggregate drivers, aggregate drivers also don't have any control over where the loads are placed but when they go pull into a MTO enforcement facility, the MTO then gives them fines and tickets for axle weight. They can't control which axle the loader puts the material onto. To address the situation the government needs to implement realistic policies, implement proper legislation that addresses the realities that these drivers face. This government has time and time again given makeshift solutions to this problem by providing exemptions that sometimes work and sometimes don't work. Drivers need to be treated with respect. This government can make their proper changes but is not committed to doing it. Providing fake solutions, makeshift solutions is not the answer. The government needs to have a systemic overhaul of the system and ensure there's true fairness. At the end of the day, the loaders, the companies that load the trucks need to be held responsible, not the drivers. I ask this government to do something. A decade of lack of action is simply unacceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, you've heard me share with you and the members of this House how in my riding of Kitchener Centre we are the oldest and the largest German community in Canada. This past week, Kitchener City Hall turned the clock back to celebrate an ancient Germanic tradition called the Chris Kindle Market. For four days our City Hall was transformed into a medieval marketplace and 40,000 people showed up to celebrate this wonderful unique experience over the course of the festival. Many people these days are complaining that Christmas is too commercial, too fast and too flashy. If you feel that way then you need to experience the Chris Kindle Market. There were booths and stalls full of traditional handmade Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, wood-carved toys, handcrafted jewelry, handmade knitted sweaters and scarves, and of course we had lots of tasty German foods. But wait, there's more. Choirs and dancers wandered through City Hall over the course of the festival depicting various Christmas characters. They are traditional characters and they welcomed everyone. Mr. Speaker, for 18 years this very festive market has shown us how Christmas was celebrated in a much simpler time. It's shown us how in the City of Kitchener, once called Berlin, people mark the holiday season. Mr. Speaker, I want to wish everyone a very safe and a happy holiday, Merry Christmas, and as the Germans say, fro Weihnachten. Thank you, Speaker. In my riding a storm on Dundas in South Glengarry, we are blessed with many wonderful and caring people and organizations. One such organization is the Winchester District Memorial Hospital. The hospital has gained a high level of confidence and support in our community due to its superior level of care. In fact, just last month it once again was acknowledged with two awards. The first, a Quality Health Care Workplace Award from the Ontario Hospital Association, the recognition of its efforts made to improve the quality of work life as well as the quality of care delivered. Second, a Workplace Health Award from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit for exceeding expectations and encouraging employees to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Mr. Speaker, I have come to expect such awards as a regular occurrence at this hospital, which is reflected in the community support received during its recent fundraising activities. The riding of Stormont Dundas in South Glengarry is geographically a very large riding, stretching over 100 kilometers from the Quebec border, westerly to include Bainesville, Cornwall, Long Sioux, Iroquois, and Winchester. It is not unusual that people where I live in the far east of the riding tell me that they are traveling to Winchester over an hour away to receive health care at the hospital, driving by numerous other health care options. I believe that says it all. So once again, congratulations to the staff and frontline workers at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital. Job well done. Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. Yesterday, my esteemed colleague from Halton had the pleasure of announcing new GO! service on the Milton Line for all of us who were served by GO! Transit on Milton, and those seven stations serve commuters in Halton Region, and in particular Milton in Lisgar, Meadowvale, Streetsville, Erin Mills, Cooke'sville, and Dixie, and Speaker, these are two badly needed new trains providing service on the Milton Line, one which is going to connect in Lisgar, Meadowvale, and Streetsville, somewhere just shortly before 9, between 8.40 and 9, which is going to enable people to be able to get down who don't need to spend a full day in Toronto, and most valuably one that's going to leave Union Station at 3.40. So if yours is a short day to spend in Toronto, you're now going to have an opportunity to take that GO! train instead of taking your car downtown and paying the price to park downtown. Now, Speaker, in the last 11 years, we have more than doubled capacity on the Milton Line, gone from five trains to nine in January, with the new service taking effect on Monday, January the 5th. The trains have all expanded from 10 to 12 cars. We've expanded all of the platforms on the stations to accommodate 12 cars, and especially at Streetsville, expanded parking, built a new parking lot on the north side, resurfaced the station, implemented the Presto card, and of course built the new Streetsville GO! bus repair facility. All great news for people in Mississauga and Milton. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Seamus, the Member from Kingston in the Islands. Mr. Speaker, in a country where all but our First Nations peoples are immigrants, and where our diversity, ethnicity, color, and religion is not just tolerated but celebrated in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is deeply troubling that there are some who seek to perpetuate the hatred and fear of another. As you may be aware, Mr. Speaker, that recently the Islamic Center of Kingston was vandalized by persons as yet unknown. I stand here today to denounce these mindless acts unequivocally. This hateful criminal behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our city or our society. Kingston prides itself on its multicultural strength, on its deep embrace of minorities. It's a community that cares. If my Muslim sisters and brothers are hurt, then I am hurt too. We are one, and I stand with our Muslim community. The Islamic community in Kingston is, in fact, a shining example of inclusivity and kindness to others. They are bright, welcoming, respectful, inquisitive, and a loving and generous people. Fellow members, I urge you to stand up against racism in all forms, in words and in acts, no matter how small or large. Shokran, Todah, thank you, Teshikuradim, miigwech.