 Okay, Member Statements. The Member for Beaches East York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my writing of Beaches East York lives a woman I'll call Alice. Alice is a single mom with two kids. Her daughter attends one of the local high schools. Alice's son is 10 years old and has a disability that requires him to have frequent appointments at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital. Alice can't afford to hire someone to take her son to these appointments, so she takes him herself. And because the appointments are so frequent, she can't take a regular job and relies on social assistance to keep her family housed and fed. Alice's landlord recently evicted her on the grounds that he needed her rooms for a family member. She's having terrible trouble finding somewhere else to live. Also in my writing lives a man I'll call George. George has worked hard all his life. He's a senior now and is being treated for cancer. He relies on ODSP payments to keep a roof over his head. George is on a wait list for social housing, but he doesn't know how long he'll be on that list. And meanwhile, the rents in his apartment building creep up and up and up. Homelessness is a real threat for George and Alice and countless others like them. And now the Minister of Social Services has slashed their OW in ODSP. I would like the Minister to look George and Alice in the eye and tell them how compassionate these cuts are. Speaker, cutting social assistance in the middle of an affordable housing crisis is not what compassion looks like in beaches east York or anywhere else in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you, Member Statements. Member Statements. The Member for Mashkikawa James Bay. Mr. Speaker, on August 11, I'll participate in a party of young men in Valereta. The young woman who was born September 4, 1918. Blondine will celebrate the 100 years in 11 August in Valereta. She comes from St. Felicien de l'Aix-en-Jean. Mrs. Blondine and her husband came to Valereta in 1953. They came to establish in Valereta to cultivate a lot of land and to start a family. Mrs. Blondine and Mr. Potvin had 15 children and their daughter, Veronique, said that Blondine and Edgar have more than 125 descendants. Due to the number of children, Mr. Potvin had to work at the experimental farm in Cabos Casey. Unfortunately, Mr. Potvin died in 1943. Blondine never remarried. I would like to take the opportunity here in chamber to wish a happy birthday to one centenary in Blondine, Ms. Potvin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Statements. The member for Niagara Center. Thank you, Speaker. Last week, I met with two community legal clinics, Justice Niagara and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance. They came to meet with me to discuss this government's action in decreasing ODSP rates. Now, the government claims this is not a reduction. Let's not play semantics. Clearly, it is the reduction of the anticipated 3% increase to 1.5%. Mr. Speaker, people on ODSP do not have other options. They have been deemed medically unable to work. This action takes from the most vulnerable in our communities. This change will have significant impacts for Niagara. In particular, landlords are able to increase rents on tenants, including tenants in affordable housing by 1.8% this year. Mr. Speaker, it's simple math. 1.5% minus 1.8% equals homelessness. Rents are increasing, and ODSP rates are not increasing at a rate that can offset other increases to the cost of living. People in Niagara being forced to sleep under bridges as shelters are operating at or over capacity. Moreover, for any ODSP recipient who is fortunate enough to find a job, they will now no longer be able to keep their earnings because this government, which claims it is all about putting people back to work, has cancelled the increase to the earning exemption. Instead of being increased to $400, it will remain at just $100. This is hypocritical, and sends the opposite message that the government claims to promote. Speaker, this government needs to get a handle on its priorities and put the plight of individuals with disabilities ahead of their promise to subsidize cheap beer. Thank you. Members statements? A member for Ottawa menu. It's great pleasure that I take to speak today to present some issues that are very important in my community of Ottawa. Many of my constituents participated in the income security roadmap for change consultations that led to the October 2017 report. A report that outlines some concrete, well thought out reforms to social assistance to make it more efficient and better at lifting people out of poverty and respecting their dignity. I want to repeat a quote from the first paragraph. Ontario's income security system affects us all. No matter what your background, your success, your challenges, we all share an interest in supporting people's ability to thrive. It's important for me to see this report implemented. It doesn't matter whose government put it forward. It was the result of lots of consultation, and I hope that the minister reconsidered the pause button that she's put on the implementation of this report. This is very important for my community and for all who are on social assistance. Great ideas don't have a caller attached to them. I would like so to encourage a minister to understand the need to have the recommendations adopted that are a fruit of labour of two years. I hope she will be able to implement it soon. Member statements. Member for Timmons. Well, Mr Speaker, the price of gasoline in Timmons today, $1.42. My God, what a few months have done. Just before the election on June 6th, you know how much the price of gas was in Timmons? $1.28. So here we are, $1.28 to $1.42, and this is the gas companies who are again deciding to gouge consumers because they know the Ford government is going to do a reduction on the tax on gas by about five cents. So what did they do? They say, rather than us raise the price after he removes the tax, let's do it in front of it. That way it won't look like a reduction. So I've just got to say to the government across the way clearly something has to be done to bring these gas companies in line and gas price regulation as the bill proposed by the NDP is the way to do that. Now the government has decided to do something else. They decided to use their powers, as they would call them, and some would even say regulatory powers to give us a bucket of beer. Mr. Speaker, what kind of priority is that when the government is prepared to subsidize the cost of beer but is not prepared to protect consumers at the pumps when it comes to the price of gas? I think this is a government that has lost its way and doesn't represent the people as they purport. They represent the interest of the big and mighty and those who are there to make money and it's we the consumers who are going to pay all the way to the pumps. This government's got to learn either you stand with people all of the time or you don't and in your case you don't stand with people. Member statements. Member statements. One last time. Member statements.