 It is now time for Member Statements, the Member from Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today is Yom Hatzma'ut, also known as Israeli Independence Day, a national holiday in Israel. Yom Hatzma'ut celebrates the country's declaration of independence on May 14th, 1948. The origin of Yom Hatzma'ut can be traced to the early 20th century when Jewish leaders advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland. Today, Israelis and members of the Jewish community in my riding of Eglinton, Lawrence and across Ontario celebrate Yom Hatzma'ut with various activities, including parades, barbecues, concerts and dancing. Some of these events include the Schwartz-Reitzmann Centre of JCC's Blue and White Party, which will feature delicious catering, cocktails and music performers. Families can also attend Betzetic Congregation, Israel's Creativity Fair to celebrate Israel's ingenuity and engage in hands-on family-friendly activities. For young adults, Hillel, Ontario and Stand With Us Canada are hosting Israel at 75 Club Night, complete with pizza and disco music. In 75 years since its founding, Israel has accomplished many notable achievements in science, technology, culture and other areas. It is home to a thriving technology sector and several innovative startups. As a leader in Jewish education, Israel has also strengthened Jewish identity and continues to improve Jewish connection to Israel throughout the world. On this day of celebration for the Jewish people in the State of Israel, I wish all Israeli Ontarians and members of the Jewish community joy, security and peace. Thank you Speaker. 28,000 members of ACTRA have been unlawfully locked out for a year now by the Institute of Canadian Agencies. Advertising agencies, who instead of bargaining in good faith under the National Commercial Agreement, made unacceptable demands such as a 60% cut to wages and an end to retirement contributions and benefits. The NCA used to represent a gold standard for gig workers. Now there are performers who have not worked for a year. They have lost tens of thousands of dollars in wages. Some cannot manage their health care needs because their health insurance is gone. Some have been forced to leave their fields altogether. At a time when precarious gig workers on the rise with limited, if any, employment protections, advertising agencies with the support of their corporate clients and this conservative government are undermining workers by using scab replacement workers. Using scab labour prolong strikes and lockouts instead of encouraging bargaining and allowing faster resolution of disputes. It pits workers against each other and we're seeing this happen across Ontario, such as with assault workers at Windsor Unifor Local 240, workers on strike being undermined through the use of scab labour. Speaker, workers have a constitutional right to a fair bargaining process, but that can't happen when scab replacement workers are hired. The NDP has tabled the Anti-Scab Labour Act to end the use of scab replacement workers. I call on this government to pass the bill. Member from Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. Recently in my writing of Burlington, I had the pleasure of attending Halton Industry Education Council's 19th annual Women as Career Coaches Mentorship event. This is an annual event that brings together young people and adult mentors for an impactful, inspiring and uplifting evening. Over dinner, youth have the opportunity to engage in informal conversations with mentors and career coaches, as well as listening to a lineup of inspiring speakers. This year's event featured a panel of successful women sharing their career journeys and advice. Coming from diverse industries, speakers included a film and TV event specialist, a deputy fire chief, a board certified lactation specialist, and one of the only female boiler makers in Ontario. As a career coach, mentors shared their experiences and advice with a group of young women who are contemplating their future careers and their next moves. These conversations help young people to think about their future differently. That evening, I met a young apprentice electrician named Ali, who had just landed an interview for her dream job. Over the next couple of days, Ali and I worked together to help her prepare. Ali informed me that the interview went very well, and thanked me for the help. Women as Career Coaches is a valuable resource for young women, providing them with the opportunity to make connections, ask questions, and learn from other women who helped to pave the way. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Not once in my entire time in office has a resident called me up and said Toronto is in desperate need of an expensive and exclusive spa. Yet this government is moving ahead with signing a secret 95-year deal with an Austrian company to turn Ontario Place into an expensive mega spa with a massive underground car park that taxpayers are paying for. Now, I hear the Minister opposite say that no one is going there, I drive by it frequently and it's not enjoyed. The million people who visit Ontario Place do not see it that way, Minister. Ontario Place is a park where people can go outside, visit friends, feel the breeze of Lake Ontario, play with kids, walk out dogs, enjoy the sunset for free. In a part of the city where most people don't have a backyard, they live in condos and apartments, and Ontario Place has become their oasis. I see people being so angry about this issue because it touches this larger core, which is that this government is making sweetheart backroom deals with foreign companies that leave Ontarians worse off, and that is a real issue here. I believe Ontario Place should be a place for everyone to enjoy, a revitalized public park that families, young people, seniors and residents can enjoy. I want to say thank you to all the residents that are organising on this issue, including Ontario Place for all. We are on your side. Member from Brownton House. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, CalSA Aid is a non-profit humanitarian organisation that provides support for individuals in need all over the world. CalSA Aid is built on a strong belief in the sick principles, and their work is by no means restricted to the sick community. CalSA Aid became the first-ever cross-border international humanitarian aid organisation based on the sick principles. CalSA Aid has done amazing work within our communities to help those in need. Recently, CalSA Aid Canada held a food drive, and they were able to raise over 35,000 meals that were distributed to local food banks within GTA. Speaker, this is an immense contribution, and I would like to appreciate and recognise CalSA Aid Canada's sizable impact within the community. I would also like to recognise all of those who participated in the food drive and contributed to making a difference within their community, whether it be through donating food, volunteering or raising awareness. Your commitment and devotion to helping those in need is truly inspiring. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Speaker, sometimes when MPPs talk about health care and long-term care, they miss the great work being done in the community support services sector. People want to age at home, and community support services helps meet that need. Caregivers risk burnout and financial burden with these services. Some may even feel pressure to quit their job to look after a loved one. No one should feel forced to make this choice. Community support services are cost-effective, personalised and help free up beds in hospitals and long-term care. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with the Alzheimer's Society, Cheshire Independent Living Services, St. Joe's Hospice and many more. Users of these services see a 43% decrease in avoidable ER visits. In addition, when community support services are available, hospital stay lengths are decreased more than 30%. Care at home costs $42 a day, while long-term care is $126 in hospitals, at least $842. Saving $800 per day is pretty cost-effective, Speaker. It's literally 5% the cost. However, like other parts of our health care system, lack of funding means service reductions and staff are continually asked to do more with less. This sector, primarily made up of women, faces a variety of struggles, including the inability to hire and retain staff. Ontarians want to be supported at home. I call upon this government to make the necessary investments in community support services so that people can stay where their heart is, at home, with loved ones. Thank you, Speaker. The member for the Grand Ferry Cascade Russell. Thank you, Speaker. April is the month for autism awareness, and it's almost over. I would like to highlight a couple of people in my constituency who have helped to improve the lives of some of my residents. Thank you to Autisme Cascade Russell as well as their members for their incredible work. They organize incredible activities for young people. They also raise awareness and help us to learn more about people, about autistic people. I would also like to thank all TSA classes in my constituency. My partner has worked with them, and she's mentioned to me very often how much these people are making a difference in the lives of others. Marc-Antoine Garnier, 31 years old, is considered who has a public figure in my constituency. He is very well known in Ambron, a small town for being involved in literature, radio, and he was even a candidate. He was also a candidate in three different elections. He has his own talk show. It's called Gagnier M. Jaze. Gagnier likes to talk. I even gave him an interview. I would like to thank all of these people for their excellent work. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, it is estimated that approximately 1.8 million Ontarians do not have a family doctor. That means 1.8 million Ontarians without access to a primary care physician who has built a relationship with them, understands their needs, and can provide the consistent care that helps catch illnesses early and avoid serious illnesses. This unacceptable situation leads to inadequate healthcare for all Ontarians. We need more family doctors, but attracting medical students to family medicine is becoming increasingly difficult. Family doctors are heavily overworked, burdened with way too many patients and out-of-date systems that result in mountains of paperwork. Dr. Alakin Abdullah is a local doctor in the Ottawa area. He works tirelessly to serve the thousands of patients he is responsible for. He says the administrative burden on him and his team is huge, occupying a third of his time. That's 33% fewer patients with access to care every day. By taking measures to reduce the administrative burden on our family physicians, this government can dramatically increase the time available for doctors to do what they were trained to do, provide care to patients. This would reduce the burden on family physicians, help attract and retain more family doctors, and allow more Ontarians to access the care they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Member statements? The Member for Peterborough, Cork. Thank you, Speaker. Today I'm bringing some bittersweet news from Peterborough. A good friend of mine has decided to hang up the laces, so to speak. She's been an exemplary public servant in Peterborough for close to 40 years. This Friday, April 28, will be the final day at City Hall for Peterborough's Chief Administrative Officer, Sandra Clancy. As a resident of the city, I had worked with Sandra on a number of different initiatives long before I was the MPP. And I suppose with almost 40 years devoted to Peterborough, there are a lot of people that she has worked with. Sandra was born and raised in Peterborough and started working for the city in 1985. And some might say she wasn't able to hang on to a job, because throughout her time, she's been the Chief Accountant, Financial Manager, Treasurer, Corporate Services Director, and CAO. She worked during a few challenging times, the great flood of 2004 and, of course, COVID-19. Although she's faced her challenges, she's remained dedicated to the people of Peterborough. Speaker for me, she's been a great resource all throughout my time as the MPP. I've been able to reach out and discuss whatever the issue of the day was and know that Sandra was working with me to resolve it. Sandra, I'm going to miss you, but I know that you're only a phone call away. You've told me that you're looking forward to spending more time with your kids during your retirement, so Sandra, please enjoy your retirement. Thank you. Member statements? Member statements? The Member for Richmond Hill. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I believe the success of our local entrepreneurs is crucial to strengthening the competitiveness of Ontario's businesses in global market and will promote economic growth and prosperity for all Ontarians. That is why I rise to support the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs, ACCE, and the mission in recognizing the successes and contributions of Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs. The 26th awards gala was held last week when nine businesses were recognized. Over the years, many Ontarians, celebrities including Adrian Clarkson, Vivian Poy, Michael Legion, and John Lume received awards for the Lifetime Achievement Awards. I have the honor to receive the Best Community Service Award in 2003. Speaker, I believe the community service is an essential part of being an entrepreneur, and I'm committed to working with ACCE to promote the community's social responsibility and encourage community and environmental stewardship among Ontario's business community. Once again, congratulations to all the award recipients and nominees, and thank you to ACCE for the important work. Thank you very much. That concludes our Member statements for this morning.