 to the member from University of Rosedale, it's now time for member statements, the member from Eglinton Royce. Thank you very much Madam Speaker. Over two millennia ago the Greek philosopher Socrates is quoted as saying, the really wise man is the man who realises how little he knows and the unexamined life is not worth living. Even though he set these things millennia ago this is wisdom that can guide all of us. November 17th was World Philosophy Day. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO created an international day in 2005 to highlight the importance of philosophy stating that philosophy is a discipline that encourages critical and independent thought and is capable of working towards a better understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and peace. The day is celebrated on the third Thursday of every November and provides a unique occasion to mark the enduring value of philosophy in human thought, our institutions and our own lives. Within Ontario's world-class post-secondary institutions continue to advance our understanding of logic, epistemology, culture, the human condition, ethics and reality and the spirit of philosophy is alive and well all across the province. We are better equipped to make decisions that affect our lives and help others when we think critically and meaningfully about what we seek to do. Another quote, we are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act but a habit. This quote is commonly attributed to Aristotle but actually is from the American writer Will Durant and what did they both have in common? Both were philosophers. I hope everyone takes this opportunity to mark World Philosophy Day by cracking open a new book about the challenges and thinking. Thank you Speaker. Amir didn't want to die yet he had no choice but to begin the process of getting approved for medically assisted suicide because he's living in poverty on ODSB and was about to lose the rooming house he lived in. He is a disabled man living with excruciating untreatable back pain but the stress of becoming homeless was too much to bear. Tracy found herself in a similar situation with disability support being too low to survive on. Once an able-bodied chef she faced debilitating impact of long COVID that made it impossible for her to continue to work. Seeking maid was an exclusive financial consideration for her. There are many others like Amir and Tracy. A disability maybe present at birth could be caused by an accident or developed over time. Point is it could be anyone and if you find yourself in that situation the system you face is one where you are provided so little. The rates are so low that it becomes impossible to survive. You're constantly worried about where your next meal will come from. How much longer you can keep a roof over your head. You become so desperate that you begin to consider medically assisted suicide. That's how it is right now. What does this say about ODSB where death is the preferred choice? We have to fix this. The NDP keeps proposing solutions but you keep voting it down. Please I ask you work with us so people don't have to die and instead can live with dignity. Good morning speaker. I rise this morning to recognize the amazing Burlington Symphony Orchestra. On November 12th I was honored to attend the 50th anniversary of the Burlington Symphony Orchestra at the Burlington Performing Arts Center. The performance was an incredible replica of the orchestra's inaugural concert that took place on November 29th 1973. The orchestra performed Beethoven's overture to Prometheus, the first piece ever performed by the BSO, and included a stunning violin concerto beautifully executed by Ian Ye, along with Brookner's Symphony number four. The Burlington Symphony Orchestra is a community-based volunteer orchestra that gives musicians a place to share their passion for orchestral music and strengthens community engagement through outreach programs such as the Youth Artist Competition. The Burlington Orchestra started off as the McMaster Symphony Orchestra, a campus community orchestra. The orchestra maintains its original objectives from 1973 which are to perform symphonic music of high quality, to stimulate excellence in instrumental performance, and to support improve and expand musical opportunities for Hamilton and Burlington regions. The Burlington Symphony Orchestra fills an important cultural role within our city and I'm happy to have been able to experience the talent of the incredible youth in our community produces. So congratulations to the Burlington Symphony Orchestra on 50 days. Thank you Speaker. I want to welcome the Opsu-Sepho members joining us today at Queens Park for their Mental Health and Addictions Lobby Day. There is a mental health and addiction epidemic across Ontario. Opsu-Sepho members and Ontarians in general are concerned about the lack of access to mental health and addiction services. Many Ontarians can't access mental health or addictions care until they reach a crisis point. All roads continue to lead to the emergency room or death. While emergency rooms consistently face crisis levels and aren't equipped to provide appropriate mental health or addictions care, people have no option but to go to the ER when they need urgent mental health care. Many people are discharged without access to care because it either doesn't exist or it isn't covered by OHIP. Hospitals are facing understaffing, unprecedented high volumes and wait times and some have had to close their ERs temporarily. The Conservative government ships away at our mental health system purposely weakening it to push their pro privatization agenda. Many Ontarians can't afford to pay for therapy. Waitlist for publicly funded mental health or addiction care are months to years long and services are limited. Community service agencies are worn thin due to persistent underfunding. Mental health care is health care. Ontarians need and deserve access to publicly funded psychotherapy and counselling. People with substance misuse struggles should be able to access treatment as soon as they ask for support. The government must make major investments into the publicly funded, publicly delivered health care Ontarians need. It's time to fix the broken mental health and addiction system to have true universal health care in Ontario because lives depend on it. Thank you, Speaker. At a time where inflation has reached the highest levels in four decades, we know families are feeling the pressure from rising prices on everything from gas to groceries. During this challenging economic times, it is the government's responsibility to continue to bring forth legislation that will support the people of Ontario by putting more money back into their pockets. Speaker, that is why the government of Ontario is set to extend the provincial gas tax cut for another year. The provincial gas tax was reduced by 5.7 cents per litre in the summer and was set to expire on December 31st. Extending the gas tax cut for another year provides businesses and drivers with some relief. The gas tax cut reduces the cost of fuel by 5.3 cents per litre, which means the average household will save an estimated total of $195 between July 1st, 2022 and December 31st, 2023. Speaker, we know that in times like this, we continue to do everything in our power to support the hardworking people and families of Ontario. This is yet another example of the provincial government's ongoing commitment to keeping costs down for families and businesses, such as permanently removing tolls on Highway 412 and 418 and eliminating the license plate sticker and fee. Thank you, Speaker. Member from Toronto, St Paul. Conservative bills 23 and 39 have nothing to do with creating more deep, real affordable housing. They will strip our democracy, silence conservation authorities as well as progressive city councillors and the attack natural resources effectively ripping up the green belt during a climate crisis. The green belt is more than a piece of land. It is an ecosystem of wetlands, wildlife habitats and essential biodiversity that are vital in our fight against climate change. Tearing up this ecosystem only paves us further down the path to climate catastrophe. This cannot be undone. Our children will be hit the hardest. In fact, it is already weighing on their mental health. I've met with education workers and teachers with OSSTF District 12 in my writing who told me how their students are riddled with climate anxiety. I've heard it straight from the mouths of our kids in St Paul's. They're worried about their futures about water injustice, flooding, noise pollution, air quality. They're presenting with more allergies, respiratory infections and chemical sensitivities. I urge this Conservative government to take real action on climate change. Keep your hands off the green belt. That's a start. No amount of profit is worth costing a child their future. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank the member from Grangerie, Prescott Russell. Thank you, Speaker. I would like to take this chance to wish good luck to all the municipal members who have been elected in my writing. Many of them have been, uh, have been sworn in last week. Elections have passed, but now we have to start working. Municipal leaders have a very important role to play. They have to represent the voice of citizens. And we are responsible towards the people who elected us. So to those who have just been elected every end of the day, you can say that you've done your best mission accomplished. So again, I congratulate you. I'm sure that you'll represent your electors very well. And I'm proud to be your member of parliament. Thank you. Member Statement. Member Statement. Thank you. The member from Peter Burke. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Way back in the fall of 2019, the Ontario Legislature hosted a special day for my Peterborough Lakers senior lacrosse team as a tribute for their third straight Canadian national lacrosse championship. All of Peterborough was anxiously waiting for the 2020 season to begin. The Lakers were once again the odds on favourite to repeat as the MSL champions and represent the east at the man cup. Of course, all of us know what happened in 2020 and the season was cancelled. Then in 2021, with COVID rearing its ugly head once again, the season was cancelled. But this past summer, we were able to have a lacrosse season here in Ontario and at west. And after a two-year hiatus because of COVID, Peterborough was in a position for an unprecedented four Pete. All that stood in the way of my Lakers was the Langley Thunder. It was a hard fought seven game series at the Peterborough Memorial Centre with my Lakers once again capturing a fourth consecutive man cup. An unprecedented second four Pete. No other city in Canada has ever won the man cup four times in a row, and we have done it twice, ensuring that the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are the centre of the lacrosse universe. I'd like to give a special shout out to Megan Dykeman, the MLA from Langley BC for being a good sport and wearing one of our Lakers jerseys in the BC legislature after losing the bet with me. And I look forward to hosting another Lakers Day here at Queen's Park where all of you will be welcome to come get your picture taken with the man cup and meet some of the players on the world's greatest lacrosse team. Members statements? The member for Scarborough Guildwood. Thank you Mr. Speaker. It is an honour to rise on behalf of my constituents of Scarborough Guildwood. It is with concern that I rise today to acknowledge an issue which has been deepening all across the province. For months now, alarming stories and scenes from hospitals and emergency rooms have caused Ontarians to turn their attention to our health care system. Even just last week, we had mothers with babies on the grounds of Queen's Park. With increasing urgency, questions are being asked about how it is being funded and staffed. Now, with winter setting in and hospitals facing a perfect storm of COVID-19 flu and other respiratory illnesses, stories like that of Jasmine, a mother who's four-year-old child with Down syndrome, spends close to 40 hours waiting in an ER for a bed, waiting in the hallway where she lay on two chairs, pushed together to form a makeshift bed. This shows how our health care system is worsening. In my own community of Scarborough Guildwood, residents have reported packed hallways, difficulties being seen by a doctor and a number of cases being turned away at triage, with a few urgent cases being transferred. This is unacceptable and responsibility for what is happening lies squarely with the Premier and his government. Whether it's Jasmine family or my residents in Scarborough Guildwood, these vulnerable Ontarians need the help and support of their government. What their stories tell us is that the government has a duty to do what it should have done at the start of the pandemic. Increased supports to meet these unprecedented needs, fast-track provincial supports for hospitals and health networks, like a new hospital for Scarborough Guildwood, and repealing Bill 124 to address the urgent staffing shortages. Speaker, the people of Ontario must not be made to wait any longer, especially if they are four-year-old, having pneumonia and are sitting in a hallway for 40 hours, Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Richmond Hill. Recognize the incredible work of the Alzheimer's Society of Ontario. Like many other cities in Ontario, Richmond Hill's seniors population is growing rapidly. Many seniors are struggling with dementia and other forms of this life-changing illness. I can still recall the dilemma Florence faced when her grandfather disappeared on her. He cannot speak much English, and he is totally lost when he is on the street alone. Florence's family is very grateful for the Finding Your Way program. It is supported by the Ontario Government and delivered all across Ontario by the Alzheimer's Society. This program is very important because it recognizes that it takes all of us working together to help keep our seniors safe. I want to end by sharing an amazing statistic with you. More than 1 million people have benefited from the Finding Your Way program. Through the tools and seminars it offers. That's truly a marvelous thing. When so many people coming together and help care and nurture our seniors, we are helping to make a difference of the people in Ontario. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much. That concludes our member statements for this morning. Introduction of visitors. The member for Waterloo.