 For introductions, it's now time for members' statements. The member for Carleton, Mrs. Sippy Mills, has the floor to make a statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the patient introduction. On Friday, November 14th, my friend Corey Earl was elected President of People First of Canada. People First of Canada is the national nonprofit organization representing people who have been labeled as having an intellectual disability. They advocate for the inclusion and protection of the civil rights of Canadians with intellectual disabilities. Corey is the former First Vice President of People First of Canada, immediate past President of People First of Ontario, and former President, Executive Director and Co-Founder and Honorary Member of People First of Lanark County. Corey has made a positive impact, whatever his position and no doubt will excel in his new leadership role, given his skills, experience, determination and vision. I take this moment to say congratulations and all the best to Corey as he embarks on his new role as President. Thank you. Good. Member's statements, the member from Welland. Thank you, Speaker. So today I rise to ask you to join me in wishing Laurie Orratt, who is in the members' gallery, a longtime new Democrat and a staff member for the new Democrats for the last 25 years here in the legislature. And I want you to join me in wishing her fond farewell as she moves into the next phase of her life. In Laurie's words, and I quote, I've had the privilege and the honour to work for and with the most amazing group of people in this province. And I say those people would say the same about Laurie. In 1990, Laurie ran as a new Democrat candidate in York Centre against Greg Sabara. And she received the second largest number of votes in Ontario in the historic 1990 election. She then went to work for Marjorie Ward, an NDP MPP from Don Mills, who sadly passed away during her term. She moved on to work for Gary Malkowski, NDP MPP for York East. He was Canada's first deaf parliamentarian and first in the world to actually address the legislature in sign language. In 1995, she went to work for Frances Lankin, who many of you will remember. And following that, she went to work for Michael Prue, who kept the beaches East York Orange in a landslide by-election for the next 13 years. According to Laurie, her tenure with Michael was the best job she ever had. So in June, when I was told Laurie Orette wanted to actually come to work for me, I thought I had won the lottery. Laurie is a warm, compassionate person. She has time for everyone. She is a great mentor for both staff and MPPs alike. And this is quite a career in the life cycle process. She will now have some quality time to spend with her husband, John Orette, a Toronto District Fire Chief, her daughter Ashley, and her son Jeffrey. Her daughter is getting married in February, so she'll have some time to plan that wedding and she'll have a new son-in-law, Andrew Molinero. But I'm sure she will continue to haunt the halls of Queen's Park on a regular basis because she's made so many friends here at Queen's Park, all parties, all staff in the legislature. So on behalf of New Democrats and everyone here, Laurie, we wish you great success in your future path. I'd love to leave until you go to the Speaker's Party this evening. First statement of the member from all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful concert by the newly founded Milton Philharmonic Orchestra. It was their first public performance and it was actually very lovely. Even though it was their first show, they played like seasoned professionals. The performance took place at St. Paul's United Church. The room was packed and the performance didn't disappoint. It was incredible. The orchestra played everything from Tchaikovsky to Silent Night. It was a magical performance. It was also wonderful to see such a diverse collection of people in the audience. Music lovers, casual listeners, adults and children. Everyone was out to hear the Milton Philharmonic's first concert. It was a special afternoon and a great experience for the community. Mr. Speaker, promoting arts and culture in our community engages residents, strengthens our local economy and allows talented people to share their gifts for the rest of us to enjoy. And after speaking with some of those who were on hand to listen, it was clear that the orchestra had produced something very special. The type of musical experience that can open our minds to new ideas and be a really uplifting force. It was a truly enjoyable experience. And I look forward to hearing what this great collection of talented musicians will have in store for us next. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Industrial turbines are part of the government of Ontario's green energy plan. The validity of this energy endeavor may be debatable, but care must be exercised when determining where to locate these monstrous impeding turbines, especially when they've been constructed around airports. I mentioned this not because of the rising energy costs throughout my riding of Chatham Kent, Essex, but because of safety concerns. It would appear to me that someone was asleep at the switch when eight industrial wind turbines were allowed to be built inside already established airport zoning regulations at the Chatham Municipal Airport. These airport zoning regulations, or AZRs as they are known, were established for safety reasons to protect pilots, passengers, and families of those flying in and out of the airport. Long before I became Her Majesty's loyal opposition critic for community safety and correctional services, I challenged the location of these turbines because of safety concerns. Industrial wind turbines are a big business with even bigger returns. So does money reign supreme over lives that are being put in danger daily? There are proponents who claim there is no danger. Those are merely personal opinions. These individuals are simply, and I quote, blowing in the wind, pun intended. Their opinions are not scientifically or factually based. You cannot put a value on life when it comes to safety. Safety must reign over profits and huge payouts. It's imperative that the right action be taken regardless of precedent setting. I will continue to stand up for the people in my riding, encouraging all three levels of government to stand up and do the right thing in a precious name of safety. Failure to do so may result in body bags and huge lawsuits. No one wants this, not now, not ever. The member from Algoma, Manitoulin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about an organization I have just come to know who are doing excellent work across the country. Samara, Canada is a dedicated to reconnecting citizens to politics established as a charity in 2009. They have become Canada's most trusted nonpartisan champion in increased civic engagement and a more positive public life. Samara, Canada's research and educational program shines new light on Canada's democratic system and encourages greater political participation across the country to build better politics and a better Canada for everyone. Every year, they have a campaign called Everyday Political Citizens. Who are Everyday Political Citizens, you must ask, Mr. Speaker, you probably know one. As we know, many people across Ontario and the country are disengaging from politics. Some statistics suggest that 60% of people say they haven't even talked face-to-face with someone about politics in the last year. Everyday Political Citizens are people who take the time to get a little bit political and make positive change in their community. I had the pleasure of attending the award ceremony last week. I met with one of the founders of Samara, Canada, Michael McMillan, and I was very impressed by the work they are doing across the country. I encourage my colleagues here at Queen's Park to reach out to Samara and find ways to get involved. There are so many people out there working to build a better democracy in Canada. This is a great opportunity to recognize these people. Mr. Speaker, Samara, Canada, look them up. Thank you, the member from Cambridge. Thank you. Speaker, what does a juggler, a stilt walker and three police motorcycles have to do with the first day of school at St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School in my riding of Cambridge? Why a special celebration of the first day in the life of a brand new school, of course? I was there to join in the fun and was absolutely delighted to be invited back this past Sunday, December 7th, for the official dedication of Cambridge's newest school. Teachers, students, and families warmly welcome the Catholic School Board officials, school board trustees, police chief Brian Larkin, Councilor Donna Reed and myself. Bishop Crosby of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton presided over the blessing and dedication and children were included in every part of the ceremony, including all of the music and prayers. St. Gabriel School has already become a wonderful addition to Cambridge, quickly becoming a hub for the greater community. Students will make friendships and lasting connections with teachers and mentors that will empower them throughout all of their lives. Speaker, our children and students deserve nothing but the best education that we can deliver. And St. Gabriel School is an example of our government's commitment to build the best schools possible for our children to help them reach their fullest potential. Congratulations to Principal Cheryl Castleman and to the teachers and staff of St. Gabriel School on their official opening. Thank you, Member Stamets. The member from Perry Salon, Muscova. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the South today to speak to a very important issue that has affected residents of my riding, as well as those living and commuting between communities across rural and Northern Ontario. For the past two winter seasons, I've received hundreds of individual complaints through emails, calls and walk-ins at my constituency offices, all concerned with the condition of highways and roadways throughout Perry Salon, Muscova. While considering the challenging amounts of snowfall and persistently cold temperatures that were experienced at times, wide-ranging concerns have been raised to me regarding the amount of sand and salt used, the service delivery model, and the new contract agreements. I've had the opportunity to speak in this house in the past to question the new model for winter road maintenance, and I must say that with the experience so far this year, I maintain those concerns. Yesterday, while debating Bill 31, I was able to voice some of the individual cases and personal experiences of poor road conditions. While fines were levied last year to contractors as a result of the poor road conditions, I believe that the current provincial model can be improved to help ensure conditions do not reach such a level in the future. In February of last year, I was particularly pleased that a motion was passed in the Public Accounts Committee to task the auditor general with investigating the program as a whole, as well as the contracts negotiated on behalf of the provincial government by the Ministry of Transportation. I look forward to the findings of the auditor. This insight, along with advice from the contractors and the Ministry of Transportation, will undoubtedly help to improve the conditions that Ontario drivers face in Perry, San Muskoka and challenging areas throughout Northern Ontario and across the province. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements. The member from the Mississauga Brampton South. Mr. Speaker, this past week, former mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion, best known as Hurricane Hazel, entered a new phase of her life after 36 years of distinguished public service. Over the past several years, I had the privilege to work with her in respect to many projects and issues relating to my writing of Mississauga Brampton South and the region of P. Mr. Speaker, I found that even in her nineties, age was no impediment to Hazel's alertness, energy and optimism. She believes, and I agree, that being a woman cannot be and should not be a barrier to success. I heard her say, what really matters is how hard you work and how determined you are to reach your goals and fulfill your dreams. The new mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Cronby, described Hazel's legacy and I quote, Hazel McCallion has taken our city from farm fields and fruit trees to the sixth largest city in Canada and economic powerhouse in North America. For that, I thank Hazel and wish her all the best. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member from Burlington. Thank her. Friday, November 28th was a great day in my writing of Burlington. I had the opportunity to attend the official opening of the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre. Along with the leadership team from Joseph Brand Hospital, members of the clinical staff and city officials, I toured this state-of-the-art facility, which will, by its very design, connect patients to the right care in the right place at the right time. As soon as you enter the centre, you realise it is truly focused on patient-centred care from the calming decor, including the beautiful aquariums in the lobby, to the use of technology to facilitate patient-clinician interaction, no detail is spared. With support from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and other partners, the centre has another important benefit. It will increase the number of family medicine residents trained in Burlington in the region of Halton. Developing this capacity will create an environment in Burlington that will encourage medical residents trained in our community to stay in practice in our community afterwards. Mr. Speaker, one of the pillars of our government's action plan for healthcare is to deliver faster access and a stronger link to family healthcare. I'm so pleased that the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre will help us make progress on this goal by building capacity for patients in my writing of Burlington. The centre's focus on interdisciplinary medicine and training will mean patients can stay healthier, get connected to the right care and are less likely to visit the hospital. This will also facilitate the sharing of best practice ensuring that ideas are shared between clinicians to the benefit of patients. The centre will also help achieve another one of our government's goals. It's a welcome addition to our healthcare community in Burlington Speaker and I congratulate the McMaster Family Health Centre on this initiative. Thank you. Thank all members for their statements. It's now time for reports by committees.