 Member Statements. Yes I recognize the member from York Simcoe. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would I'm here today and I would like to congratulate Jason Burkike from MyRiding, a Holland Marsh Farmer who was the recipient of the Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. Jason is the owner of Caron Farms which grows heirloom carrots that come in red, purple, black, white, yellow and orange. He received the Premier's Award for his work that adapts existing computerized equipment from Europe to ensure that each bag contains not only the right weight but the proper mix of colors. Jason has also had many previous successes as well, having been a finalist for the Ontario Outstanding Young Farmers Award in 2011. Congratulations go to Jason on all your success and to the entire Caron Farms family. Thank you for contributing not only to our local community but to the entire province. It is because of people like Jason that Ontario's agri-food sector is so vibrant and remains crucial to our provincial economy. I can also attest to the flavor of the many carrots that Jason grows on his farm. It's fun to get a bag of many colored carrots. Thank you. Thank the Member for the Member's Statement. I recognize a member from Hamilton East, Stoney Creek. Thanks Speaker. I rise today to commend the advocacy efforts of two dental hygiene students at the Ontario Dental Education Institute in Ancaster. Nicole Obermeyer and Rachelle Taylor recently met with my constituency staff to advocate for better access to dental care. I was shocked to learn that for every hundred dollars spent on oral health in Ontario, this government contributes just one dollar and fifty cents. Nicole and Rachelle asked that we make preventive care more widely available, that we increase dental funding to the Canadian average, and that we improve programs for housebound citizens. Nicole and Rachelle presented their ideas with passion, intelligence and eloquence, a standard that each of us in this House aspires to. People in low paid and precarious work rarely have access to benefit packages, and certainly not to the ones that include good dental coverage. Yet dental diseases result in pain, serious health problems, and heavy financial costs. One in six Canadians do not seek dental care even when they are in dire pain because they cannot afford it. The people who decide that dental care is not important are usually those who already have excellent care through benefit packages, as we do here at Queen's Park. I was appalled to learn from my NDP colleague from Nicobelt this morning that this government is cutting preventive dental care for tens of thousands of vulnerable children. I will fight these unjust cuts and instead advocate for wider access to dental care in Ontario, as Nicole and Rachelle have argued. Thank the member from Hamilton East Stony Creek. Further member statements. I recognize the member from Glen Gary, Prescott and Russell. Thank you very much, Speaker. I rise today to recognize an outstanding citizen in my riding of Glen Gary, Prescott and Russell. On November 6th, this province acknowledged an Ontario citizen for her impactful and longstanding commitment to the community. The Lieutenant Governor presented 13 awards at a ceremony held here in Toronto, including one to Louise Sprule of Van Klee Hill, who was recognized with a 2014 Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. This award created in 1973, recognizes people who have made an exceptional long term contribution to the quality of life in their communities. Louise was acknowledged for her extraordinary commitment to local fundraising efforts and her enormously important Yes Women Can Event, which showcases female entrepreneurs. She was also responsible for spearheading and organizing the restoration of the historic Higginson Tower in Van Klee Hill, which was built in originally built in 1932 as a wind powered gristmill and then transformed into an observatory tower. In 2013, she celebrated her incredible 20th anniversary of ownership of the review. That's a local newspaper, a beacon of award winning journalism, community engagement and charitable involvement. Speaker, I first had the opportunity of meeting Louise in 1994 when I was mayor of Alexandria and throughout my political career, Louise and the review have always provided comprehensive political coverage and there were only a few editorials perhaps that raised my eyebrows. Her commitment to her community demonstrates the spirit of active citizenship. I am extremely proud of Louise and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation on behalf of everyone in Glen Gary Prescott Russell. Congratulations Louise, you're a very worthy recipient of this year's Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. Thank the member from Glen Gary Prescott Russell. Further member statements I recognize a member from Perry Sound, Muscova. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise in this house today to recognize an extraordinary effort by the Salvation Army Central East Division. On December 1st, the Salvation Army collected over 12,000 pounds of donations for the local food bank in the town of Bracebridge. In one day with over 150 volunteers from the community including a local emergency services staff they were able to accomplish this. 12,000 pounds of food in one day is an amazing feat. I would like to recognize all the volunteers who contributed to make the holiday food drive a success. I'm proud of the generosity of individuals with both the donations of food and time through volunteering. Through these efforts the Salvation Army provides a tremendous service to our communities across Ontario. On December 12th this Friday I will be participating in the local Moose FM Christmas Kids Radiathon in support of the Salvation Army. The annual Radiathon is run by Moose stations in Huntsville, Bracebridge and Perry Sound. Money raised through the Radiathon annually contributes tens of thousands of dollars to provide much needed services including emergency food relief, emergency assistance with utilities, and emergency housing and accommodations. Locally the Salvation Army also gets results through non traditional methods. One which I would like to highlight is the donation of firewood for families and individuals in need particularly with winters like the one we experienced last year. The difference in people's lives the donations to the Salvation Army make cannot simply be measured in dollar amounts. I would like to thank Lieutenant Fred Reed, pastor of the Salvation Army in Bracebridge and all the Salvation Army and volunteers for the great work they do in providing this assistance to families in need particularly at this time of year. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the member from Perry Sound, Muskoka, further member statements, the member from Nickelbelt. Thank you Speaker. I rise today to sound the alarm bells about cuts coming to dental care to vulnerable children here in our province. In August 2015 in about eight short months from there this government plans to remove clinical preventative oral health services from the Ontario public health standards. What does that mean Speaker? Well it means that for thousands of children that public health units identified as in need of preventative oral health care they will lose access. The government say that they have increased eligibility to 70,000 children as of April of this year. They say that they are integrating several different program and that funding will say the same. This all sounds pretty good but it could be quite misleading Mr. Speaker because come August of next year the new program proposing come cut off will mean that services will be denied to thousands and thousands of children in need of oral care. But don't take it from me Mr. Speaker. Listen to Dr. David McCown, Medical Officer of Health for Toronto Public Health. He says that for his public health 15,000 children will be cut off. Go to North Eastern Ontario with Dr. Mark Perot from the Northwest Health Unit and he says 98% of the children will no longer qualified. The Association of Public Health Agency is also sounding the alarm bell. Speaker, things have to change. Those children are needs or support. Thank you. Thank you member from Nickelville. Further member statements? The member from Cambridge. Thank you Speaker. Last week I attended the annual Feather Party in support of Lissard House in Cambridge and chatted with Executive Director Connie Dwyer who reminded me about what a special place it is. In 1998 Sheila O'Donovan and her late husband Val founder of Con Dev in Cambridge gave $1 million to establish a freestanding residential hospice in Waterloo region. Today Lissard House is a cancer hospice providing quality end of life palliative care. Staff welcomes its residents without charge to a home like environment offering support to the resident and their family. I recall Val saying I want Lissard House to be better than home and in many ways this hospice achieves just that. All six bedrooms have a gorgeous view through large window doors and all rooms are decorated with serene countryside paintings. The sun room with lounge chairs and heated floors is a favorite spot for all to watch birds at the feeders. When I used to refer families to Lissard House I knew that staff and volunteers would look after residents needs and let them focus on making the most of their last days. I commend the dedicated staff and volunteers for the incredible care they give to these families at such an emotional time in their journey. I know that Cambridge citizens will continue to support Lissard as it opens a new hospice named Innisfree with another 8 to 10 beds in the very near future. Thank you. Thank you members for your statements. The member from Kitchener Conestoga. Thank you speaker speaker. While we've recently seen a return to the old liberal politics of blaming Ottawa for our province's fiscal woes, we've also seen a reminder of the benefits of conservative economic values both on a national and local level. I spoke a couple weeks ago about the economic example set by Wilmot Council in achieving debt free status. So too can this province learn from the examples being set by the very government when Liberals point at with one hand while seeking handouts with the other instead of pointing fingers under a cloud of a $12.5 billion deficit. The province would do well to learn from a federal government that has achieved a $1.6 billion surplus and I'm glad the finance minister is here to listen to this. Ontario's deficit grows more ominous with each scandal squandering tax dollars on e health gas plants and Mars buildings. The federal surplus means a whole realm of opportunities for Canadians speaker in implementing conservative economic values instead of feeding a government spending addiction. The Harper team is supporting and giving back to Canadian families. In fact, the federal government has announced a $27 billion package of family tax cuts, including for families for a possible $2,000 benefit and an increase in expansion of the universal child care benefit up to $160 a month speaker. You see speaker, this is what leadership looks like taking care of economic priorities and order that we can take better care of our people. So when members opposite are pointing their finger at Ottawa, I asked them to take a look at their target as if they don't learn from a national example. It's the closest they'll get to fiscal responsibility here in Ontario for the next four years. Thank you, Member from Kitchener kind of stoga. Further statements the member from kitchener center. Mr Speaker, I have some positive information to offer you from Waterloo. Mr Speaker, this past Friday I had the opportunity of joining female engineering students and faculty at the University of Waterloo, where they do have the largest school of engineering in Canada. The event was to mark the national day of remembrance and action on violence against women with 14 female students lighting candles in a very solemn memorial. We were reflecting on the events 25 years ago at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. 14 female engineering students there were senselessly murdered, singled out by a disturbed gunman because of their gender. Mr Speaker, I remember covering this tragic event and locally asking the question, what would compel someone to act out so violently against women? 25 years later, we're still asking that same question. In recent weeks, we have seen a very heightened awareness surrounding this issue. I'm encouraged to see our government taking action to raise awareness, to support victims and to remain committed to stopping violence and harassment against women. Mr Speaker, I have a daughter who is currently attending the University of Waterloo and she is the same age as some of the victims who were killed on December 6th, 1989. So for her sake and for the sake of women and girls in my community across Ontario and Canada, we need to remain vigilant in ending all forms of violence against our gender. Thank you. The member from Kitchener Center, further member statements. May I recognize the member from Ottawa Orleans. Mr President, I wrote this time as the MPP for Ottawa Orleans on July 8th to talk about a project that's very dear to me, the Miracle League of Ottawa. At that time, I urge everyone to vote online for this project. Though we didn't now win the grand prize, the organization was lucky enough to receive a generous donation by the Toronto Blue Jays. Today, I rise again as a proud residents of Ottawa because we succeeded. We did it. We will soon have an accessible baseball field. It is a privilege and an honour to have been part of this amazing adventure to build the first ever baseball diamond and playground for children with disabilities in the country. The President of the Miracle League of Ottawa, Mr David Goorley, along with Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson, City Councilor Stephen Blay, Jody Mittick, and former Councillor Rainer Blows, and representative of the Rotary Club of Orleans, and most of all Bryce Derrushie, an extraordinary 11-year-old boy with cerebral paralysis, join me for the official groundbreaking on November 28th at the future baseball field in Notre Dame-des-Chants. This is a remarkable community project that will make an enormous difference in the lives of local children and their families. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Member from Ottawa, Orleans. The time for our Member's statements has expired.