 Now time for our member's statements. The leader of her match to the soil opposition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to rise today to acknowledge the accomplishments of Mount Sinai Hospital nursing staff and the recent awarding of the designation of magnet status for excellence in nursing and patient care. Mount Sinai is the only hospital in Canada, Mr. Speaker, to be officially awarded this designation, which is granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet status recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice. To achieve it, the hospital must demonstrate strong leadership among its nursing staff, excellent interprofessional relationships among its healthcare team, and high levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and professional development. I'm pleased to say that Mount Sinai not only achieved the required levels, but in many areas surpassed the levels of other comparative magnet organizations. For example, Mount Sinai had a significantly lower turnerable rate than others. It had a higher average length of employment for its registered nurses, and a higher percentage of its nurses had graduate degrees. This is a wonderful achievement, and in addition to being a great accomplishment of the care and acknowledgement of the care that Mount Sinai provides, it is likely to have additional benefits, such as the attraction and retention of nurses who are keen to work in this type of professional environment. I can't conclude my remarks without acknowledging Joseph Mappa, Mount Sinai's Chief Executive, and Mary Agnes Badoos, the Vice President of Professional Practice and Chief Nurse Executive at Mount Sinai. Mary Agnes, of course, is the mother of our former PC staff member, Alex Badoos, who worked in this building for many years. Congratulations to the wonderful nurses at Mount Sinai for a job very, very well done. Thank you. Today, during question period, the Premier released the Clark Report, which the government has been clear, will form the basis of the province's fiscal framework with implications for at least a generation. This report is the most significant shift in public service delivery in the last 25 years, and question period is part of this parliamentary day when the government is held accountable for its administrative policies and the conduct of its ministers, both individually and collectively. In his decision on the magna budget, Speaker Kar warned about the dangers of circumventing the scrutiny of the legislature. He said, I have a lingering unease about the road we are going down, and my sense is that the House and the general public have the same unease. It is one thing not to make a traditional budget speech in the House, because the government is backed into such a decision by an ongoing House process or a budget leak. It is quite another thing for the government to have a deliberate plan not to do so. Obviously, this government learned from the magna budget, but instead of respecting parliamentary process, it's done exactly what Kar feared. It establishes a new way to circumvent the checks and balances of this legislature. Speaker, it's a sad day for transparency and accountability in the province of Ontario. Thank you. Member Statements. Member from York Centre. Mr. Speaker, in a ceremony at Queens Park later today, we will recognize and honour 12 holocaust survivors whose stories of anguish, suffering and survival of both body and spirit are a testimony to the human will to live. These holocaust survivors who are in the House today came to Ontario, rebuilt their lives, and will be honoured for their wonderful contribution as citizens of Ontario. And those to be honoured are Irving Bart, Sam Bart, Jan Blumenstein, Gila Gans, Dave Gold, Max Eland, Laurie Jacobs, Martin Kohlback, George Lansman, Mandy Langner, Normancy Brokaw Lowe and George Stern. Today, we recognize Yamashou of the Haguevara, Holocaust Memorial Day, a day designated for Holocaust remembrance in communities around the world. This is the 22nd year the Ontario Legislature has observed Holocaust Memorial Day, and I'm proud to say that Ontario was the first jurisdiction in the world outside of the State of Israel to officially recognize it. As we mourn the death of the 6 million victims, we also celebrate the lives of those who survived. I have visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Museum in Jerusalem, several times. The memorial is dedicated to preserving the memory and the story of each of the 6 million people who died in the Holocaust, and as a Jew, these memories strike the heart and the soul. Every Jew is touched by the Holocaust. We lost loved ones, family members or friends. All members in the community lost someone. The Holocaust echoes through the generations. The loss is extraordinary. At Yad Vashem, that loss is made real. It is concrete. You can touch it. In the valley of the communities you stand before, wall after wall, carved out of solid rock, listing the names of more than 5,000 communities that lived, breathed, had life, in which men and women loved, married, raised children, worked, laughed and worshiped. Today, in most cases, nothing remains of these Jewish communities except for their names, forever frozen in the bedrock of Yad Vashem. It was there that I found the name of the city where my father was born, Chens Chovah, and the city where my mother was born, Sosnovitz. The Holocaust reaches out of the past and touches the shoulder of every Jew. For years, survivors walked among us with tattoos to mark the horror they lived through. Their stories, their scars and the numbers carved callously into their skins made the Holocaust real, personal and powerful for generations to come. There are fewer and fewer survivors still living. Fewer people are telling firsthand accounts of personal experiences. Soon, the tattoos will be seen only in pictures, movies and museums, while the stories slowly fade with them to hard-learn lessons for those who survived, rebuilt and rose up. The central theme of Holocaust martyrs and heroes, remember in state 2015, is 70 years since the end of the war, the pain of liberation and rebuilding a life. The partisan Abba Kovner used to tell about a Jewish survivor whom he had met in Velina when accompanying the liberating Soviet soldiers and when they arrived to the destroyed ghetto, the woman and the little girl she carried in her arms hid in a small nook for almost a year and with the liberation came out for the first time from their hiding place. Seeing her mother crying while telling her story for the first time, suddenly the girl asked in Yiddish, Mother, are we allowed to cry already? Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates all who died in the Holocaust, not just Jews. We also remember those whom the Nazis targeted for their very race, their religion, their politics, their disabilities or the sexual orientation. It's important to set aside time to remember all these victims whose lives were taken by the Nazis and remembering we bear witness to what these men, women and children endured. Tragically, other genocides have followed since World War II in Cambodia and Rwanda, Darfur and Bosnia. It's evident that we must continue our struggle to keep alive the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by the United Nations 67 years ago in the shadow of the Holocaust. The Declaration recognized inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all of its members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace throughout the world. It called on the world to protect human rights by the rule of law. We are indeed fortunate to live in Canada and in Ontario, but we must never take our good fortune for granted. We must guard our democratic institutions and democratic freedoms. We must appreciate, nurture and protect them. And we must constantly remind ourselves how easy it is to lose them. On Sunday, April 19, 2015 and 11 a.m., a Community Holocaust Commemoration Ceremony will take place at Beth-Abraham-Yosef of Toronto at 613 Clark Avenue West Thornhill to commemorate the 6 million Jewish souls who perished in the Holocaust and to educate future generations of Canadians about the universal lessons of this dark period in history. On Yom HaShoah, Jewish communities around the world recite a brief traditional mourner's prayer, the Kaddish. I want to continue our tradition of saying Kaddish in memory of those people whose yard site is unknown. And on behalf of the victims, the survivors and their families, I'd like to recite that Hebrew prayer that is something for which all people may pray and I ask for unanimous consent to allow me to do that. The member from the York Centre has asked for unanimous consent to recite the prayer. Do we agree? But I ask all members of the House to please stand while the member from the York Centre recites the prayer. I ask for unanimous consent to allow me to recite the prayer. One line of this prayer translates as he who creates peace in His celestial heights may He create peace for us. we must always remember so that the world will never forget. Thank you. I thank the member. I would be a gentle reminder that I think out of respect for the member and respect for the topic. I will be lenient with anyone that decides to talk on this topic for the normal time period that's allotted for members. Member from Thornhill. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I first want to welcome all the guests. Many Holocaust survivors are here today to hear us speak and to attend some memorial services, and we had a beautiful reception, so I want to thank the organizers. Hello, welcome. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I spoke on the Rwandan genocide, as well as attending an event to raise awareness of the ongoing Yazidi genocide. Today we commemorate yet another genocide, the over 6 million men, women, and children who lost their lives for the simple fact that they were Jewish. I am honored by the presence of two Holocaust survivors and some of their friends and relatives today. Carmela Betel in the gallery is a survivor who lost her husband Joe Betel last year. Joe accompanied the March of the Living Youth groups and regularly spoke to high school students and other Simon Wiesenthal groups on his experience surviving the Holocaust. We are also joined by Genia Brickman, accompanied by her daughter Esther Milstein, who is a very close friend of mine. Genia is 91 years young and enjoys a very active life in the community, still driving, and I told her, well today you miss one day at Yorkdale, Genia. Esther and her husband Harold are the children of survivors. All four of their parents survived by living through unspeakable horrors from 1939 to 1945. The four survivors, their four parents, collectively lost 17 of their siblings, all their parents and grandparents, and most of their extended family. Mr. Speaker, I have twice visited Yad Vashem, a Jewish memorial and museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust in Jerusalem. It is also a memorial and a museum to the righteous among the nations. Those are the people who acted to save Jewish lives, often at peril to themselves and often did pay the ultimate sacrifice. They were often squealed upon by their neighbors. I want to just say that the museum's work is ongoing and I want to invite everybody here to visit the museum in Israel, to visit Israel and see the modern democratic state which remains a shining beacon of democracy in the Middle East. The slaughter of the innocent remind us of the evil that still exists in the world. Together we must work harder to ensure that never again is more than just words. Thank you. Member statements to the member from Marshall. Windsor West. Thank you, Speaker. A Speaker today during question period, the Premier released the Clark report, which the government has been clear will form the basis of provinces fiscal framework with implications for at least a generation. This report is the most significant shift in public service delivery in the last 25 years and question period is part of the parliamentary day where the government is held accountable for its administrative policies and the conduct of its ministers, both individually and collectively. In his decision on the Magna budget, Speaker Carr warned about the dangers of circumventing the scrutiny of the legislature. He said, if left unchallenged, will this incident not embolden future governments to create parallel extra parliamentary process for other kinds of events that traditionally occur in the House? Obviously this government learned from the Magna budget, but instead of respecting parliamentary process, it's done exactly what Carr feared. It establishes a new way to circumvent the checks and balances of this legislature. Speaker, this is a sad day for transparency and accountability in Ontario. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm proud to rise today to recognize the recipients of this year's Leading Woman, Leading Girls, Building Communities awards. These awards acknowledge and celebrate women and girls who demonstrate exceptional leadership in improving the lives of others in their communities. Recipients are individuals who break down barriers in their professional world, championing issues such as equality, diversity and healthy relationships. But most importantly, Mr Speaker, they provide positive examples to others, women and girls in their communities. Tonight I will be recognizing 15 Leading Women and 4 Leading Girls in my riding of Scarborough Asian Court, with the youngest recipient being 13 years old. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of these awards, it is inspiring to see the contributions of strong female leaders in our communities. For example, 2013 Leading Girl recipient Alice Wang is the past president of ACI Business Council and is now the second year student at Shulik School of Business. 2012 Leading Woman recipient Karen Peach, principal at David Lewis Public Schools, has been motivating girls to become leaders in their community throughout her 45 years with the Toronto District School Board. Speaker, recognizing and encouraging women leadership is an important step in building Ontario up and fostering an inclusive society. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Further member statements? The member from Wellington, Halton Hills. Mr Speaker, it has now been over two years since the Liberal government agreed to transfer land to the federal government to create the Rouge National Urban Park, which would be the largest urban park in North America. The creation of the Rouge National Urban Park would provide strong protection measures for the land between Lake Ontario and the Oak Ridge's Moraine as we know parks Canada maintain high standards. We also know that the Rouge National Urban Park would be protected by dedicated year-round park wardens. These wardens would ensure the ecological, environmental and cultural integrity of the park by enforcing rules against illegal dumping, poaching, polluting, hunting, vandalism, and the theft of cultural artifacts, all issues that have played the park for many years. Unfortunately, the Minister of Infrastructure is continuing to play politics with the Rouge Park project. He's breaking the agreement and even using his recalcitrance as a liberal fundraising strategy. By putting politics ahead of good policy, the minister is putting at risk almost $144 million committed by the federal government for this initiative. This is money that would be used to protect the environmental integrity of this land and ensure the Rouge National Urban Park is enjoyed by the people of this province for decades. So today, we call upon the minister to stop playing games, stop delaying, find another issue to fundraise on, and stop holding the Rouge Park hostage. Let's instead take the next step forward and work together to great the greatest urban park in North America. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Members, member statements, member from Ottawa South. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is advanced care planning day across Canada. A day when those in the hospice palliative care sector are urging Canadians to speak up and talk to their family and friends about their health care wishes and what they would want if they were unable to speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, the end of life is not something we like to often think about, and it's important that people have advanced care plans so that they are more satisfied with the care they receive at the end of life, and it's important that their loved ones will know and understand their wishes at a time that is very difficult. Mr. Speaker, here in Ontario we are fortunate to have excellent hospice palliative care and we are working to grow our capacity to provide palliative care where and when it's needed. Hospice palliative care eases the pain and symptoms that accompany the company dying and also the important social, spiritual, practical aspects of the end of life. Advanced care planning is really about the things that are most important to us in life and at the end of life. So today I am urging the hospice, I am joining hospice palliative care Ontario in urging everyone to speak up and talk to your thoughts and wishes for your care. Think about what's important to you, learn about the kind of care that is available and what it can achieve, talk about it with your loved ones so they can understand your wishes and decide on an alternative caregiver who could help you make decisions and speak for you if you can't speak for yourself. It's not an easy conversation but having it in advance will make it easier for you and your loved ones at the end of life, at a time to celebrate life and say our goodbyes. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I was honoured to be at the opening ceremony of the Speed Skating Provincial B and Masters Champion hosted by the Gloucester Concorde Speed Skating Club in my writing. The event took place at the Elizabeth Manley Arena inside of the Bob McQuarrie complex. Thank you to Jeanette Gagnon for his invitation and for the organization. The volunteers who no doubt spent countless hours of their own time making this competition a reality. It was an absolutely privilege to be in the company of so many young skaters 11 years and up representing clubs from all across Ontario. Seeing these young athletes so dedicated was impressive. I would like to say thank you to all the parents that were there to see their children, their child to such a level of competition and I thank all of them today. I was also quite touched to personally meet Kevin Frost, an award-winning blind and deaf speed skater who has recently been invited to compete in the Blight Empire World Cup in Scotland and Yves-Annie Blondet, a 25-year-old who represented Canada in long track speed skating in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Both these determined and passionate athletes are inspiring and I will say Mr. Speaker from the writing of Otto Orleans. So Mr. Speaker I want to say congratulations to all of the athletes competing on that day. Merci. I thank all members for their statements. It's now time for reports by committee.