 It's now time for Member Statements. Member for Toronto St. Paul's. Ontario's arts and culture sector is under attack through ruthless Conservative Government funding cuts. They've slashed 15 million from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, 5 million from the Ontario Arts Council Budget, they cut the Indigenous Culture Fund, the only grant for Indigenous cultural revitalisation and transmission, and Indigenous women arts administrators lost their jobs as a result. The Education Minister also isn't an ally to arts, instead she's minimised the impact of cuts on arts education and doesn't see its career potential. The cancellation of arts classes and underfunding of community arts disproportionately impacts black, racialised, queer and disabled people, children and adults who often use the arts to confront, grapple with and offer solutions to systemic injustices. This government doesn't have the courage to admit, let alone solve with real equity minded legislation. You cut the Ontario Library Services North Budget in half and slashed funding for the southern Ontario Library Services by more than 50%. Funding to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports dropped by 58.6 million and Ontario's Music Funds Budget was slashed over 50%. Music has provided the soundtrack to the most revolutionary of social movements. And now, with budget estimates revealed, Ontario Arts Council is phasing another cut of $10 million from its budget. This is more than a tack, it is a wretched dismantling of our arts and culture sector, which is a significant employer and generator of revenue, tourism and our social conscience. Speaker Ontarians deserve better. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Mississauga East Cooksville. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Last month I had the opportunity to meet with a group of phenomenal women from my writing of Mississauga East Cooksville. They were a part of Artists in Momentum. I want to welcome Nomana, Azra, Veronda, Sanya, Janelle, Maria, Saima, Sarisha and the founder Anna Solgardo to the legislature. Artists in Momentum, also known as AIM, is an organization committed to empowering, nurturing and sustaining the spirit of the individual. AIM believes in the therapeutic value of the arts and uses it as the foundation to promote mental well-being one life at a time. AIM encourages self-reflection, stimulates the imagination while building self-esteem through creative self-expression. Anna, the founder of Artists in Momentum, the two programs under the shade Minding Me, Minding You and Gift, growing I from today, used key components of engagement, vision, building out emotions and connections while reflecting on identity, identifying strengths and finding out roads from stress. This group of women presented their thoughts on art while talking about their individual journey. Through their art, they freely expressed their cultural views and expressions which were accepted and embraced without judgment. I was proud of the work AIM is doing. The art pieces represent their obstacles, hopes and dreams while deeply rooted in their strong cultural values. Please keep up the great work and welcome to Queen's Park. Thank you. Thank you. Member Seymons, the member for London Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker. It's always an honor to rise in the legislature on behalf of my constituents of London Fanshawe. Today, I would like to talk about Charlene. She says she doesn't usually contact her representatives, but she has always voted. She says she's been motivated to write all MPPs because she says, I have never been so embarrassed or frustrated by living in Ontario. I don't know what is happening to our province. Charlene has a message for this government and I'd like to read on her behalf. Is there no way to stop the Ford government from turning back the clock on our province and affecting the lives of so many people on so many levels? As a parent of two university students who are both pursuing careers in healthcare, I am so incredibly disappointed in all the changes that PC Party is making. We will be directly affected by the cuts to OSAP and future changes in healthcare once they graduate. I also have elderly parents who I am worried about with all the healthcare they require and a brother who has recently developed several serious health issues. I have family members who are teachers and I know people with special needs children who are being affected by all the changes as well. Charlene's letter is not uncommon. The majority of people feel the same way she does. This Ford government needs to understand. We work for real people like Charlene and these callous cuts are wrong and making people's lives worse. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the member for Brantford Branch. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to bring attention to an important initiative. May is Vision Health Month. As an optometrist, this initiative is very important to both my patients and I. Optometrists are Ontario's most accessible primary eye care professionals. More than 2,000 professionals located in over 200 communities where they are often the only providers of comprehensive general eye care. 90% of optometrists can see patients with eye related emergencies the same day which can help take the pressure off, emergency rooms and provide better access to care. Optometrists can help solve some of the challenges facing the health care system while also increasing efficiencies, reducing red tape and improving patient care. Optometrists can also help improve health outcomes, patient satisfaction and use public resources more effectively. Moreover, Ontario's optometrists want to be a part of the solution by collaborating with the government to help modernize the system of eye care, to provide high quality, sustainable services on Terrians can depend on now and in the future. Speaker, I wish all optometrists and all Ontarians a happy Vision Health Month. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you, Speaker. It was a strange day last Thursday to be in the legislature, a place I hold in such high esteem and watch a government elected with a false majority give up all pretents of being answerable to members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition or the public of Ontario. Question after question was responded to with a self-flatuating list of perceived accomplishments of this government. A question about ambulance services was responded to with nonsense about Bucca beer. An answer apparently deserving of a standing ovation. When asked to clarify his position on the government's abortion policy, the Premier deferred to the Minister of Energy. And here I'm going to quote Martin Cohen from the Toronto Star. The member from Canora Rainey River and I quote, a defeated Harper minister who is the legislature's most unctuous bloviator in love with his own voice and enraptured by his own body language. Rickford chops the air with his hands and speaks not of abortion but of protecting seniors no matter where they live. Then this morning in Finance Committee, I was upset that I was criticizing the government's forced on business sheer campaign gas stickers. A government member said I used the term propaganda and that it was unparliamentary. What better indication of the state of our democracy could there be than a government so deeply offended at having their own propaganda called what it is, who cry foul at legitimate criticism. I pray that I am in the legislature long enough to see it in some way return to its former stature. Member statements. The member for Lanark Frontenac Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I've always believed that elected members must practice in government what they preach well in opposition. Otherwise, they can look like a fabulous on an infomercial. Over the last 12 years, I've heard and spoken with many local realtors in Lanark Frontenac and Kingston. I was proud to be in a caucus at advanced policies which would have improved the real estate industry. On four different occasions, a bill had been advanced by PC members, including the member for Quinty, who is now the Minister of Economic Development, allowing real estate sales persons to incorporate their businesses as a personal corporation. In the past, we even saw all party support for his Tax Fairness for Realtors Act. I, along with many others, were surprised to see that the recent provincial budget was absent of these reforms, particularly because it was such a prominent issue for the PC caucus well in opposition, as well as for the Minister. What I and realtors in my writing are wanting to know is that while it's undeniable the Minister will advocate for tax fairness, the question is, will he ever do it while he's in cabinet, or will he wait again until he's in opposition? Thank you. Member statements. The member for Northumberland, Peterborough Sout. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's with great sadness that I announced that our community of Northumberland, Peterborough Sout, lost a true hero and a true leader, Bill Patchett. Bill's generosity was immeasurable. His impact touched so many in our community. Bill's advocacy and leadership moved mountains throughout my writing. His work on Northumberland Hills Hospital, Rotary, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few. It was some of the work, his lesser known work, that touched so many in our community and whose impact was profound and ever-reaching. He was a man of boundless energy and infinite knowledge. I think back fondly to my first few days seeking election and the meetings I had with Bill and the other elderly gentlemen who called themselves the Senate over a nice breakfast in the morning. I learned a great deal from Bill and I'll be forever a better member because of it. A friend recently told me, Bill would always greet her with a smile on his face and say, how are you doing, kid? And it was my first office in Coburg where I was greeted with the same. But when Bill saw a need in our community, Mr. Speaker, he'd make things happen. And our community is a much better place thanks to Bill. I'd like to offer my condolences and that goes on behalf of our government to his wife, Delphine, and his other family members and to everybody in our community whose lives were impacted by Bill. Bill, thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your advocacy in our community. And rest easy, my friend. Members' statements to member for Nicol Belt. Thank you, Speaker. On Wednesday, May 12th, the Myalgic Encephalo-Maiades Association of Ontario, MEAO, Mayo for short, will be at Queen's Park to mark the International Awareness Day for Myalgic Encephalo-Maiades, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and environmental sensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivity. MEAO is a registered charity that supports 600,000 Ontarians afflicted by these medical conditions. The task force on environmental health completed its final report and submitted it to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care back in December 2018. Together with the interim report of the task force, the final report contained a set of concrete recommendations to improve care for those patients, their family, and their caregiver. I urge the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to first publicly release the final report of the task force on environmental health, to create an implementation committee to start the work of the final report, three, implement the recommendations of both the interim and the final report, and four, create a specialized clinic, a center of excellence to care, to do research in academic work for these patients. Mr. Speaker, most of the people afflicted are too sick to speak up. They have been waiting very patiently, a very long time for action. I implore the Minister of Health to show good will and release the final report publicly before Wednesday. Thank you, Speaker. And for statements, the member from Mrs. Agamon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, often on one hand, we say our children are our future, or we live for our children. On the other hand, we have children who experience abuse. Tomorrow, we recognize the strength, bravery, and resilience, shown by young people who have faced adversity in their lives. May 14th is Children Youth in Care Day. It is an opportunity for the provincial to raise awareness about children and youth in care day. Our Children's Aid Society helped to protect infants, children, and youth who experience abuse are at risk. And there are 47 children-aid societies in Ontario alone with almost 12,000 children in need. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the Peel Children Aid who are here to ensure the safety and well-being of children and strengthen the families and have their, with their office in my writing of Mrs. Agamon. So thank you for that. Established in 1912, Peel Children's Aid last year, so almost 11,300 families, worked with 190 kinship families and more than 120 foster families. At Peel Children's Aid, the success of youth living the care is the highest priority. So what they've done, Mr. Speaker, they have actually collected with the generosity of donors more than 230,000 daughters so that they can help 60 youth involved with Peel Children's Aid Society for receiving the education groceries. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to say anyone and everyone, if you can, join Peel Children's Aid Society on May 30th for their annual gala. With them, I know our youth and our future is safe and bright. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member statements. The member for Syncoe North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past Saturday, I had the great honour of speaking at the closing ceremonies at the 2019 Aurelia Perch Festival. Over the past months, Anglish Macross Ontario have joined together in celebration of our community and provinces' most prized and cherished pastime, fishing. Starting April 20th, hundreds of participants competed to win daily, weekly, and grand prizes. For 39 years, hundreds of Ontarians have participated in the festival, which is one of the largest fishing derbies in the nation. For centuries, the commercial and familial act of fishing has bound our community together. It has allowed us to explore our region's backyard, has kept many businesses alive and thriving, and has ensured our communities were fed and healthy. On Saturday, I assured every devoted fisherman and woman in the audience that the Government of Ontario supports them through and through. The Ontario government recognizes and champions the great cultural, economic, and social worth of fishing. We are committed to ensuring our lakes are clean, our commercial fishing companies are able to feed our province, and that our constituents can spend your summer weekends doing what they love most. I want to thank the organisers of this year's Fish Festival and pay a special attention to the Aurelia Chamber of Commerce, which championed this event and tourism in the Sunshine City for many years. I know that you have some beautiful lakes teaming with Perch in your riding, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to invite you to attend next year's Perch Festival in Aurelia for some friendly fishing competition. Thank you. Thank you very much, I appreciate that. That concludes our member statements. Reports by committees.