 It is now time for Member's statements. The Member from Essex. Madam Speaker, I have more great news from the writing of Essex. This government has now embarked on the biggest expansion of nurse practitioner clinics in the history of the province of Ontario. And part of that expansion is happening in the county of Essex right in the town of Kingsville. In the town of Kingsville, they are creating an additional 1,200 spaces for people to be rostered with a nurse practitioner. And do you know what that means, Madam Speaker? That means an additional 1,200 people in the town of Kingsville and around the town of Kingsville will now have a dedicated primary care practitioner right in their own hometown. Madam Speaker, it means people are going to access primary care when and where they need it. But wait, there's more. They're also attracting a builder who is not only going to add to that clinic, but build more medical services around the nurse practitioners. Madam Speaker, the people of Kingsville are very happy with their additional 1,200 spaces of primary care and they're going to get their services where and when they need it. Thank you. As we celebrate International Women's Day and the historic protest by women government workers, things are not looking good in the fight for economic quality. The gender wage gap is stark in Ontario's caring economy. The health care and social services are vital to our province. Ontario wildly underpays women and gender diverse folks, newcomers and racialized people who work in these sectors. A nurse is a nurse is a nurse. A PSW is a PSW is a PSW ECs. I mean I could go on and on. The NDP fights for more for these workers because they deserve fairness. Do CEOs pay for their own work related to travel? Or would you be okay with lawyers getting paid by the case and not the hours and days spent on it? Of course not. So why then are governments so miserly when it comes to paying the caring professions? People's good hearts alone should not be what hold up these vital systems. I remember Bill 115 attacking education and the public sector and now Bill 124 yet another expensive loser legal battle. What is wrong with liberals and conservatives that once they get into power they want to keep money out of people's pockets? When members of this chamber celebrate the many accomplishments of the women's movement they should ask why. Ask why their government continues to undervalue women's labour and starve people out of their preferred jobs. The official opposition stands for wage parity across healthcare sectors, nonprofits, developmental services, community support services, women's shelters and mental health and addiction support. Investing in people strengthens families and builds communities. To the government, do you stand with workers? Show it with wage parity in budget 2024 and pay people what they're worth. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Burlington. Thank you speaker. Good morning. I rise this morning to recognize a business that is a cornerstone in my riding. Pollard, Windows and Doors was founded in 1948 and recently celebrated 75 years in business. The Pollard formula for success has always been simple. Work hard, invest in new technology and give customers more for their money. Today Pollard is still 100% owned and operated family business, manufacturing windows and doors in a state of the art 300,000 square foot plus plant in Burlington. Recognized as a leader in the window and door market, Pollard is known for developing innovative products that surpass even the most stringent building codes in Canada. Pollard's manufacturing plant is a top employer in Burlington, supporting our local economy and manufacturing Ontario made products. They're known for their energy star ratings and for helping more Ontarians save on their energy bills. Pollard is committed to investing in the local economy and the development of skilled workers. Thank you to the role you for your role in making Ontario's economy stronger. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Windsor West. Thank you, Speaker. Next Friday is International Women's Day and I want to take a moment to recognize the contributions and leadership of women and girls who are making Ontario a better place to live, work and play. And yet this government under Doug Ford has taken every step it can to systematically undermine women's rights and economic stability. In their first term they cut funding to the Ontario College of Midwives, a profession held largely by women. They clawed back raises for early childhood educators leading to a staffing crisis across the sector and they repealed the curriculum that adequately addresses consent. During the pandemic this government left nurses and allied health staff all predominantly female professions feeling abandoned. When nurses needed this government the most they were left with suppressed wages under Bill 124 short staffed and unsafe working conditions. Then the Conservatives turned their sites on low paid women education workers with Bill 28. This government is failing to support and protect women and girls from mounting wait times to access basic reproductive care, deep cuts to the legal aid funding, changes to social assistance programs, rape crisis centres at risk of closing, women shelters over capacity because of lack of traditional affordable and supportive housing and sexual assault cases being thrown out due to court backlogs. As we celebrate the accomplishments of women and girls who are fighting for and building a fairer and more inclusive Ontario, I call on this government to support women instead of tear them down because women and girls in our communities deserve nothing less. Thank you very much. Member for Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. Good morning Mr Speaker. It's great to be back at Queen's Park and I'm excited to share this great news with everyone. On February 15th I was proud to stand alongside our local primary care teams to announce $4,074,398 in funding for the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Santere de Santé Communitaire de l'Estry, Glen Gary Nurse Practitioner Lead Clinic, Rideau-St. Lawrence family health team. All four organizations are members of the Great River Ontario Health Team who came together to collectively address the primary care needs of our area. Instead of each organization going alone and submitting individual proposals they collaborated for the benefit of the whole region. Mr Speaker, this is excellent news for our community my riding a Stormont Dundas in South Glen Gary. This will connect an estimated 19,340 people to a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner in Stormont Dundas in Glen Gary. This will connect children, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours to care close to home. This $4 million investment is part of a larger investment of $110 million to connect over 300,000 Ontarians with the primary health team. Congratulations to these primary health teams and thank you for all that you do. Member Statements. The member for Ottawa West and Pia. Thank you Speaker. Ottawa residents are desperately feeling the lack of primary care options. The Ontario Medical Association calculates that Ottawa needs at least 171 more family doctors in order to meet just current demands. But we're also seeing family doctors closing up practice because the conditions have become unsustainable Speaker and unfortunately 40% of family doctors say they are considering retiring in the next five years. My constituents are upset and I get it Speaker. It is incredibly frustrating but also scary not to have a doctor or a nurse practitioner you can turn to when you're sick, have questions or just need a prescription renewed. And what's even more concerning Speaker is that we're seeing this shortage in the context of funding cuts for emergency care at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. The Queensway Carleton's Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the whole province. Patients are routinely waiting hours to be seen sometimes even just to be triaged and yet the government is cutting funding to the Queensway Carleton's ER. By April Speaker, we will be down 10 physician hours every single day in the ER. So 150,000 Ottawa residents don't have a family doctor and have no option but to go to the ER and now they're going to have to sit and wait even longer to see a doctor there. This is no way to run a health care system Speaker. It's time for the government to take the crisis seriously and make the investments needed to make sure that every Ontario resident gets the primary health care and the emergency health care they need when they need it. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Brampton West. Thank you Mr Speaker. The one fair initiative which officially launched on Monday February 26th is a pivotal change for all Ontarians, particularly in those in my riding of Brampton West. This announcement provides constraints in my riding a simpler pathway towards enhanced connectivity and provides a cheaper and convenient option for transit riders to commute to work, school or for running errands. This transformative policy simplifies fair systems, ensures seamless travel for residents within and beyond the city limits. Speaker by eliminating the need for multiple payments across different transit networks, it eliminates financial barriers and enhances accessibility to essential services, educational opportunities and employment centers for all Ontarians. Speaker the one fair initiative aligns with the government of Ontario's commitment to affordability, incentivizing greater use of public transit, it promises to mitigate traffic congestion and put more money back into the pockets of Ontarians. This showcases our commitment to saving commuters both time and money. Whether individuals are heading to work, school or social events, our government's significant investments in Ontario's public transportation system is simplifying travel, making it more convenient, efficient and affordable for everyone to reach their destinations. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Member statements, the member for Scarborough Kildlow. Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to get up in this House and speak on what Black History Month means to me. I expect that each single one of you had an opportunity to attend a Black History Month event to learn about our ancestors and our contributions to this country. The first Black people in this country did not come here by choice. However, this country has become one of the most open, equitable and free societies in the world. Therefore, I have immigrated to this country, like many other people of all races, religions and cultures. My place among you would not have been possible without the blood, sweat and tears shed by Black members before me, Marian Chambers, Margaret Best and Mitzi Hunter, my direct predecessors in my seat of Scarborough Guildwood. They have counseled me on the difficulties of being a Black woman in this chamber. Most of all, I would like to pay tribute to Dr Alvin Collin, former Minister and Speaker of this very chamber, and longest-serving Black MPP. He is an inspiration to me and to so many community members, and he should be an inspiration to every single member in this House. But he is more than that. He has the most honourable attribute a person can have, for he is a good friend and mentor. With love to Dr Alvin Collin on Black History Month, a celebration of excellence, a heritage to celebrate and a future to build. Thank you very much. We're still in Member Statements. The next Member Statement, the Member for Peterborough Coortha. Thank you, Speaker. For 10 years now, Training University has had Dr Leo Groerck at its helm. He joined Trent in 2014 and was reappointed in 2019. During his time at Trent, he's had six consecutive balanced budgets and has revitalized recruitment, student success and retention, research and career services. But for me, I would say that the review of the college system and reinstatement of college affiliations will actually have the biggest impact on student life. The seemingly small aspect of Trent's unique experience brings both on residents and off residents students together to form a unique community within the greater Trent community and it helps create connections with students of every academic discipline. Leo also helped Trent form a partnership with PeopleCare to build a 224-bed long-term care facility. This will provide some of the most needed care homes for our seniors but it also creates a wonderful learning opportunity for Trent's nursing students, Trent's Center for Aging as well as Sir Samford Fleming College as nursing students, PSWs and culinary students. Dr. Gork is truly a unique and special individual. Perhaps it's in his DNA because Dr. Leo is actually a triplet. That in of itself makes him somewhat unique. However, to add to the exceptional uniqueness, both of his brothers also have PhDs and are also presidents of Canadian universities. Leo, enjoy your retirement this June and yes, we will get out kayaking this summer. Thank you. The next member statement, the member for Halliburton Court, the Lakesbrook. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to experience the rush of dog sledding alongside the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport at the Winter Dance Dog Sled Tours in Halliburton. The minister took the helm of the sled as I tested my filmmaking abilities navigating the rugged wilderness and lakes of beautiful Halliburton Highlands and shared the thrill of dog sledding. Our guide Hank is an accomplished athlete who has completed four Yukon quests and two Iditarods and continues to compete to this day. His wife Tanya is an equally accomplished speaker, author and entrepreneur. She has even taken the stage as a keynote speaker to Fortune 100 companies sharing her story of leadership, team building, overcoming challenges and chasing dreams. I would like to thank the couple and their children Logan, Justin, Michala and Jessica and their team for their hospitality and sharing their passion with us and their love for dogs. Any day spent outdoors with dogs is a good day, as the minister said, but it was made more magical thanks to the couple's love and commitment to the Huskies and adventure. I encourage anyone who has never gone dog sledding to embrace the spirit of adventure and embark on an unforgettable experience to head to winter dance in the Halliburton Highlands before the end of the season. And yes, the dogs were the true stars of this adventures. Their joy and eagerness for the trail was contagious and in short, they were all positively amazing. Thank you very much. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. Introduction of visitors. I'm very pleased