 Thank you. It is now time for Member Statements, the Member from Wellington, Halton Hills. Mr. Speaker, as the government begins preparations for next year's budget, I rise in this House once again to underscore the need for a new courthouse in Halton Region. The current Halton courthouse, which was built more than 50 years ago, is aging, overcrowded, unsafe, and inadequate to meet the needs of our rapidly growing region. I toured the courthouse on September 10th, 2014, and participated in a town hall meeting with lawyers, judges, and other courthouse users later on that day. I told them I would do what I could to help. I've raised this issue in debate in this House and in question period. I've written to the Attorney General and have spoken to her many times. I even initiated a meeting with the Attorney General and all the Halton Area MPPs on September 8th. I also discussed the need with the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board last month, asking for their support. The Attorney General assures us that a new courthouse for Halton Region is a priority for her ministry. I thank her for the interest she has shown to date and urge her to keep pushing. The fall economic statements show that the government has allocated $243 million for justice infrastructure for this year. That's up almost $100 million from last year. Where is the Halton courthouse in their long-term infrastructure plan? Halton Region needs a new courthouse. I am prepared to reach across the aisle and work with the other Halton Area MPPs. Let's work together and get this done. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Further member statements? The member from Windsor to come see. Thank you, Speaker. As you know, many members are signing Christmas cards this week. I didn't do that, so I'll have to make do with this. Twas Christmas week and the members were busy in the writings as always. Only security and the legislative ghost walked the Queens Park hallways. Spirits which were seen were captured for clerk dollar and locked back up in the attic or down in the cellar. This month, the time seems to go by pretty fast, but there has been a sighting of a ghost of Christmas past. Dalton's been making a difference. At least that's the title of a book he's been hawking. Might be better than a lump of coal in a liberal stocking. Patrick, north of Simcoe, has no time to dally. As west of Don Valley, Kathleen was seen at a Whitby Oshawa rally. No, wait, please wait. I'm not done yet. I want to get in a plug for a poet laureate. And I would like the final thought or two to be entered before I get the hook by my leader Andrea from Hamilton Center. Obviously as a wordsmith, I'm no skilled artisan, but this message is non-political, non-partisan. Happy Hanukkah to some. Season's greetings to all. It shouldn't be hard speaker as in this hall you can plainly see. This has been your Christmas card from the member from Windsor to come see. No truth to the rumor that you're applying for the poet laureate. The member from Mrs. Sucker Pratt itself. Mr. Speaker, on November 25th, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Honorable Bill Morrow, and I had the opportunity to attend the Gurprep, Guru Nanak Devji's birth celebrations at the Ontario Khalsa Darbar Sikh Temple in my great riding of Ms. Sucker Pemkin South. Born in 1469, Guru Nanak Devji was ahead of his time and he had an extraordinary insight. He proclaimed there is but one God, the supreme truth, the ultimate reality, the creator without fear, without enemies. Timeless in his image, self created by his grace, revealed. He believed in justice for all and values such as equality, compassion, tolerance and universal love and respect. He rejected dreaded caste system and advocated for an inclusive and just society. Mr. Speaker, today we talk about gender parity. More than 500 years ago, Guru Nanak Devji said, Soko Minda Akiye Jit Jame Rajan. Why should we call a woman inferior when it is she who gives birth to kings? Mr. Speaker, Guru Nanak Devji's teachings and philosophy are more relevant in the times we live in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The member from Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you, Speaker. When is a Liberal government pocket-fleecing tax, not a tax? Well, when it's met, head on with a wall of opposition and inbox exploding email campaigns that awaken government to the absurdity of their dream-crushing tax plans. Speaker, this week we saw one of the quickest U-turns in history when the municipal affairs minister bowed to demands of the municipal land transfer tax opposition motion tabled by my colleague from Leeds Groundville just two days before it was debated. It took a massive wave of e-opposition and weeks of pushing in this house to break through, but in the end the minister simply couldn't stand up to the outcry against the expansion of the municipal land transfer tax. The about faced by the minister was a testament to the true democratic power of the people in rising up to oppose wrong-headed proposals that would crush the dreams of those looking to buy a home. It was a victory for all of those who stood against a proposal that would have seen people in my area of Kitchener Waterloo forced to pay up to $10,000 to realize their dream. After refusing my colleague's repeated request to shelve any plan to expand the municipal land transfer tax it was heartening to see the united voices of the people finally being heard when the minister climbed down only days before he would have been forced to defend what he obviously realized was a simply bad policy. So Speaker, I want to recognize all who refuse to sit silently while government dug further into our pockets to the home builders, the real estate agents and those who raised their voices in an MPP email box. Thank you. Member Stevens and Member from Nicobelt. Well we all know that Christmas is right around the corner so I want to share with you my Christmas wish list for Nicobelt. First, I wish that no train will derail, explode and spew hundreds of litres of crude into any river like happened in March 7 in my writing in Gogama. I wish that the oil would stop coming up the Mokimi River in Gogama. I wish that the people of Gogama would get support from their government to be fairly compensated and I wish that somebody would tell me that it is safe to eat the fish. My fifth wish is that the North East continues to have a search and rescue helicopter based out of the Sudbury airport. This way we can ensure the safety of our hikers, Kastron Trisky or Snowmobiler and I wish that if the government is doing a review of this decision that the terms of reference and minutes and who works on that is happening because the elves in my office have failed, filed freedom of access of information requests but nothing is coming back. I also wish, Speaker, that the people living along Highway 69 where the blasting is happening for the widening of the highway get fair compensation when their house gets destroyed by those blasting and lastly, Speaker, I wish that the people of one of the First Nations don't have to drive to two riding and hours and hours of drive to get service from their MPP and that they get moved back into the riding of Nickel Belt like at the federal level where they belong. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I rise to actually deliver some positive news from Kitchener Waterloo. Wow. As you know in my riding of Kitchener Centre, the tech sector is flourishing. Today I'd like to share with you news of a tech startup that's developed a remarkable innovation that's designed to keep kids and drivers safe on our roads. Sober Steering is the name of this company and they've produced a new sensor technology that could make breathalyzers obsolete and here's how it works. Sober Steering uses a biosensor in the steering wheel which detects the driver's blood alcohol level. So to start the engine, you have to put your palms on the steering wheel. The sensor measures alcohol in your system through the skin and if alcohol is detected then the engine won't start. The company's Chief Operating Officer Catherine Carroll says this technology could revolutionize the way that we monitor drinking and driving. Sober Steering is currently targeted for school buses but it could also be used on public transit, construction machinery and so much more. I'm pleased to tell you that Sober Steering got off the ground in 2009 with an investment from this province. Researchers at the University of Waterloo helped to develop the technology. Currently there are three school bus companies in Waterloo Region that are testing the system in a pilot project. This company I believe has a very bright future and I'm so proud of the people who work there and all the other innovative businesses in my region that are developing creative solutions and creating jobs. Thank you. Thank you. Further member of sustainments? The member from Farnhill. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'll continue the tradition with a little poem. The holiday of lights is here. Good friends and happiness to share. Sweets with honey for us to eat. Candles to light and friends to greet. One little candle, two little candle, all the way to eight little candles to celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah which is going to be upon us this Sunday December 6th at sundown because the Jewish holidays pretty much always start at sundown the night before. Now this little poem I've actually never heard before because it's not an English Hanukkah song. It's not a Yiddish Hanukkah song. It's not a Hebrew Hanukkah song. It is actually from a Spanish Hanukkah song which is called Una Candelica and so you can imagine how it goes Una Candelica, Due Candelica and Candelica we all know what can be translated easily into candle. So what I want to remind everybody here is yes Hanukkah is being celebrated but the Jewish community is not just here obviously in Ontario. It is found all over the world in every culture and pretty much every language. So that means people will be singing Hanukkah songs in every language across the world starting December 6th this year since it follows the Jewish calendar which makes adjustments as we all know and likes to confuse everybody including the Jewish community. So Chadsameach, Happy Hanukkah and I'm looking forward to celebrating with people in Thornhill many events going on all over the GTA, Ontario, Canada and the world. Chadsameach. Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. I rise today in this house to recognize the outstanding seniors who are this year's Ontario Senior Achievement Award recipients. Ontario acknowledged 21 outstanding seniors for their significant contribution to their communities and to the province. The Ontario Senior Achievements Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to their community after the age of 65. It is the highest provincial honour for seniors that is important to acknowledge that in 2015 for the first time there are more seniors 65 and over than children under 15 both in Ontario and across Canada. In Ontario there are currently more than 2 million seniors and this number is expected to double in the next 25 years. The awards were presented at a Queens Park ceremony by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the Honourable Mario Sergio, and his affairs. I'd like to highlight a recipient of the awards who is my constituent from York Centre. Ekaterina Latkina is an active volunteer with the Jewish Russian Community Centre. She is responsible for the mailing and operations of the organization making sure that thousands of letters birthday greetings and invitations and tax receipts are prepared, signed and delivered on time. As Ontarians we should take inspiration from these seniors who have made such diverse contributions to their communities. They are a constant reminder that life is long and that no matter the age the potential to bring about positive change is always possible. Thank you Speaker. Thank you for the member students and members from Beaches East York. Well thank you Speaker and it's my pleasure to honour Patricia Hung today a constituent of Beaches East York and the first ever Parkview Hills Citizen of the Year. The Parkview Hills community has represented residents of Parkville Hills in the northwest corner of my riding for the past 25 years and until just a few weeks ago it was headed up by my good friend Justin VanDette for the last seven years. Before exiting as the president he launched the Parkview Hills Citizen of the Year award and also helped kick off a $25,000 campaign for the Toronto East General Hospital which as you may have heard recently has changed its name to the Royal Garin Hospital as a result of a $50,000,000 donation by the family to the hospital. Now so congratulations Justin on your very successful tenure as the president and we're glad that you're staying on the board and I also want to best wishes to Leigh Ann Reid the new association president and the board but let's just talk briefly about Patricia a self declared do-gooder she's a police officer, an author an inspirational speaker and a tireless volunteer and a direct loss of her daughter Stephanie in 2008 Patricia began the healing process by helping others from holding workshops, sitting on victim adversary committees to contributing to her blog The Joy in the Aftermath Patricia has been helping families who have been impacted by tragedy finding hope. In 2012 she also launched Quality Care Employment Agency a volunteer organization which recruits live in caregivers for children and she's been a part of her well deserved award Parkview, Citizen of the Year Congratulations, thank you to all of the members who have made statements today it's now time for ... ... ... ... ... ...