 It is now time for Member's Statements. I recognize the Member for Beaches, East York. Thank you, Speaker. My office has been flooded with emails, phone calls, and visits from individuals and families affected by autism. Last week I sat with weeping parents who have been wrestling with a broken system that just got so much worse. They described how transformational therapy has been for their young kids, enabling them to be toilet trained, to eat solid foods, to communicate, and in some cases to progress from being nonverbal to highly social. Joy says of her son, Ryder, that ongoing IBI therapy gives him hope for a job, a relationship, and although he can't communicate in a normal way, he is brilliant. You can take him to a museum exhibit he went to two years ago, and he will notice every change that has been made. But without that support, he disappears into himself. Frida shared how she had to quit her job to become a full-time caregiver for her son Demetrius. The family is $130,000 in debt. How is that in Ontario's economic or social interest? Emily, a university student, shared how therapy allowed her to overcome her social anxiety and eating disorder once she was diagnosed at 15, but that she could only afford therapy because her mother had benefits. The parents I spoke to were livid to have been characterised by the minister as professional protesters. How dare she, they asked. Everyone agreed that we need a plan that meets the needs of everyone living with autism, regardless of their age. It doesn't make any sense to eliminate a waitlist for the sake of eliminating waitlist if the result is that people and families and kids are hurt. And if the pie is too small, well, we need a bigger pie. So I would like to say to the minister, on behalf of the families affected by autism, it is time to go back to the drawing board, recognise that this policy announcement has been a dismal failure and start again from square one. Thank you very much. Member statements, the member for Stormont Dundas, South Glengarian. Thank you, Speaker. Today I rise to recognise the recent passing of Archibald MacDonnell, a proud Hungarian, who contributed greatly to the prosperity and well-being of my riding of Stormont Dundas in South Glengarian. Archibald was born and raised on a bicentennial farm in the former township of Schalottenburg, now part of South Glengarian. He believed in giving back to his community and was active on many fronts. His residence recognised his commitment and leadership by electing him as reave of the municipality, with Archie eventually becoming warden of the United Counties of Stormont Dundas in Glengarian. During his time in council, he became very active at the provincial level, sitting as chair of the rural Miss Pallies of Ontario Association. He was past chair of the Hungarian Sports Hall of Fame and Laurencrest used services and past president of the Williamstown Fair Board and the St. Lawrence branch of the United Empire Loyalists. He received the Ontario Agricultural Service Diploma in 1974. Archibald has a keen interest in local genealogy and he served on the township's local architectural committee and helped many a person trace their family trees. I remember one of my first attempts at using Google when searching for a map of Glengary County. I was directed to an international Celtic genealogy site to where people were looking for their ancestors and being directed to contact Archibald from Australia and New Zealand. Truly Archibald left his mark and will be missed. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to offer my condolences to Archie's wife, Isabelle and their children, you, Charles, Cathy, Jerome and Roy. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you Speaker. I wanted to read into the record today the comments from Kerry Monaghan, a mom from Barhaven who attended the town hall I hosted for Parents with Autism last Saturday. She writes, my husband Patrick and I have spent $200,000 in private therapy for our two children in just over three years. The reforms to the Ontario Autism Program will not only devastate us, it will cripple us. In the past 10 months her son Jack has started to learn to use the toilet as therapy centre. He can label pictures and count. He can copy actions and match similar picture cards. He can sort, recognize the relationship between a toothbrush and a toothpaste or a shovel and a pail. He can sit in an activity for upwards of 15 minutes with support. He's trying new foods, eating them at the table. He can use a spoon to eat yogurt. He is using functional communication therapy to learn to tolerate being told no. He is learning to use visual prompts to access vocabulary he knows but cannot otherwise retreat. I can ask him to sit on the floor and put his pants on and he will. He can pull socks on in his hat and boots. He's learning to tolerate being near his younger sister and sibling group therapy of this. He is doing on 25 hours of therapy a week but she and her husband she writes will forever feel guilty that they could only afford to fund 15 hours per week for the first two years of Jack's diagnosis. On June 27th, 2019, this therapy will be taken away. I want that to weigh on the conscience of my friends in government and I want them to ask Treasury Board for better. Member statements, the member for York Center. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My beautiful writing of York Center is home to the largest Filipino constituency in Canada. With over 17,000 Filipino Canadians, York Center is home to Bathurst and Wilson, also known as Little Manila, Earl Bales Park, home to the monument to Dr. Jose Rizal, dozens of Filipino restaurants, stores, bakeries and a vibrant community that enriches our province in every possible way. I rise today on an unfortunate but necessary note in support of not just Filipino Canadians but the entire Filipino nation. Tragically on Sunday, January the 27th of this year, in a dual bombing incident, militants attacked the Jola Roman Catholic Cathedral located in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. The first bomb exploded during Sunday mass inside the church, targeting innocent worshipers. The second bomb exploded a short time later outside the church, targeting soldiers and first respondents who rushed to the scene. At least 26 innocent men, women and children were killed and more than 77 wounded. Speaker, we at Ontario's Parliament and all Canadians must unite against any and all acts of terror. The taking of innocent life is never justifiable and acts of terror must be unequivocally condemned. I'm sure that I speak on behalf of the entire legislature when I say that we grieve for this innocent loss of life and that we extend our hand in support and friendship to the entire Filipino nation. Thank you. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member of Fort Nager Center. Thank you, Speaker. Carl Petey is 86 years old. He was diagnosed with dementia and moved to West Park Health Center, a private long-term care home in my riding three years ago. His wife, Anne Petey, fell and injured herself last year and was put in a separate long-term care facility. They are still waiting to be reunited. Carl's stepdaughter, Shelley, has become Carl's most furious advocate. She received a call that he had been assaulted by another resident at the home entrusted to protect him. He suffered two broken ribs and a significant contusion on his right wrist. The incident falls on the heels of a report by the Ontario Health Coalition on what it calls intolerable levels of violence being reported at long-term care facilities across the province. In 2018, there were seven homicides in Ontario long-term care homes due to resident on resident violence. These seniors are not responsible for their actions. They suffer from some form of cognitive impairment and lack the capacity to plan. It is the homes and the government who are responsible for the assaults. Families who entrust their senior parents to these institutions expect that those tasked with their well-being will at all times act professionally and do all they can to ensure proper care and safety at all levels. Frequently staffed long-term care homes are overworked due to understaffing and not being provided the tools to properly care for their patients. Our parents and grandparents take care of us. We now have a responsibility to take care of them and to ensure that they can live out the last years of their life together in safety. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements. La députée d'Orléans. Member for Orléans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to stand before the House today for my first time in 2019 and take this opportunity to wish all those across Ontario health and happiness in the new year. I had the privilege of hosting on Monday my fourth annual family day bowling event which I shared with my federal counterpart Andrew Leslie. The event was held at the Orléans bowling and strikers billiards which is one of many incredible local small businesses that serves Orléans. Together we welcome an astonishing 485 people and I was very touched to see how many generations were present and residents of all ages coming together to build a sense of community. During this incredible showcase of skills I was able to engage with our residents and hear about their interests. I would like to thank the work of our two hosts, Raq and Jean-Atin, as well as all of their whole team that were able to coordinate and to entertain our guests for over three hours. A joy to highlight that we have in Orléans successfully hosted three round table discussion regarding seniors issues. These discussions were held in both of our official language. And what I plan to do is I'll continue with those round table in the process of creating an Orléans Provincial Seniors Council by June. So the council will help me to know the needs of our community. Merci Monsieur le Président. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Merci. Member Statements, the member from Mississauga Malls. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month and it provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the historical contributions made by the black community. It also generates a much needed awareness of what the black community has gone through in the past in order for us to arrive at this point of racial equality. Since its founding in 1975, the Malton Black Development Association has worked to confront the challenges the children of the Malton community have faced in the past. The Malton Black Development Association has created many partnerships with the organizations including Malton Neighborhood Services, Ontario Trillium Foundation, United Way of Peel, Peel District School Board and Malton Community Building Project. Some of the community projects reach children from all walks of life and have included homework assistance, cultural heritage classes, arts and literacy summer camps. In the mid-1990, the MBDA launched a post-secondary scholarship program for students of African-Caribbean descent in Malton and has already awarded over 100 scholarships. I wish to emphasize the importance of this month because without the awareness of the past, we cannot evaluate the present and neither will know how to proceed in the future. On Fab 25th, we at Queen's Park will be celebrating Black History Month and on this day, we will reflect on the tremendous contribution of the black community has made to Ontario's economic, social, political and cultural fabric. We take this opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the rich history. I'd like to thank Malton Black Development Association and President Wilson Koblen for their community service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Staples, Member for Brampton East. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since getting elected, I have been raising in this house time and time again the issues that are leaving Brampton behind. Under this conservative government, Brampton has seen students spending hours in commute because they don't have a university here at home. People languishing in overcrowded hospitals and facing excessive wait times and families struggling to get by because they are forced to pay car insurance rates that are sometimes more than the mortgages for their home. This government and the Premier had made it clear, abundantly clear, they do not care about Brampton. Now we in the end of year are committed to fighting for Brampton and putting people before profits. This conservative government is more interested in the concerns of billion-dollar insurance companies than the needs of everyday people. This is precisely why people do not have faith in government because they focus on the few instead of the many. They rather bend to corporate interests than work for public need. Government can and must do better. We must work to create a society where we lift people up, not tear them down to help people provide them the resources they need so they can be their best selves. This is the just, equitable, fair future that we are committed to fighting for and we won't stop until we get there. Member statements? The member for Berry and Esfield. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I had my first calendar contest since being elected. It's sent out to all the families in my riding and I wanted to do something fun for my calendar. So what is better than a children's coloring contest? Asking them to provide the artwork for each month. As many of you know, I'm an avid lover of the outdoors and staying active. So I asked many of the children in my riding to showcase what their favorite activity is for every month. And I had pledged to those children ages four to 12 that I would engage in that activity every month for the calendar contest. So in January I joined Kayla Leo who drew a picture of her favorite sport, ring at. I have to admit I've never played ring at ever before and I've only heard about it through my EA Melissa who played for 23 years. I was excited though to try something new and I was welcomed with open arms. And it wasn't because I fell Mr. Speaker, it was because they were genuinely happy to have me there. For February I had the opportunity to enjoy kite flying at Berry's Winter Fest with Ethan Sloan and his mom and his sister. It was a cold morning on Lake Simcoe but we persevered as we ran all around the ice and we climbed some snow banks. Mr. Speaker, I'm looking forward to the rest of the months and participating in activities with all the contest winners. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member statements. Member for Brantford Brant. Thank you Mr. Speaker. It's a great pleasure to rise in the house today and welcome everyone back. I missed yesterday because I was in my riding making an announcement and that's what this is about today. And I'm delighted to rise in the house today to bring attention to a very special event taking place in my riding at Brantford Brant. It's my pleasure to announce that the city of Brantford, which is the tournament capital of Ontario and the county of Brant, have been selected as host communities for the 2021 Ontario 55 plus Winter Games. The Ontario 55 plus Winter Games is a celebration of active living. The games bring together people 55 years and older for competition and camaraderie. First held in Collingwood in 2000, the Ontario 55 plus Winter Games are a celebration of our promises athletes and coaches. The games are hosted in odd numbered years and are held in February with approximately 1,000 participants. The games also promote healthy living, contribute to local tourism and economic activity and help communities build their experience and resources to host large scale events. I want to personally reach out and say thank you to Russell Press and the City of Brantford for making this happen, doing the application and making us all look good, but even more than them and as with any large scale sporting event, one of the keys to success is the strength of the volunteer team. Through their knowledge, hospitality and enthusiasm, volunteers are a vital part of the events operations and I encourage everyone from the community and from across the province to consider joining in the excitement by helping host the community. Thank you. That concludes the time we have available for member statements.