 I recognize a member from Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you Speaker. It's my pleasure to rise in the House today to speak about the good work this government is doing for my constituents in Eglinton Lawrence. On March 9th, I had the pleasure of attending an announcement at the Armenian Community Centre with the Minister of Long-Term Care, my colleagues from Scarborough Aging Court and Dawn Valley North. The Minister of Long-Term Care announced 1,328 new not-for-profit long-term care beds and 641 upgraded beds in Toronto. I was delighted to hear that 256 of the upgraded beds will be at the Villa Colombo home for the aged and important long-term care home and community resource in the riding of Eglinton Lawrence. In addition to the new beds, just last week the government announced that the Jewish home for the aged will receive over $4 million for additional staffing this year and Villa Colombo itself will receive $3.5 million in additional funding for staffing to increase the hours of direct care for residents. Mr Speaker, the residents of Eglinton Lawrence are not just my constituents, they are also my friends and neighbours. I know how important good long-term care is to them, and we all want to ensure that our elderly are being taken care of now and in the future. Under the leadership of the Minister of Long-Term Care, the government has committed $6.4 billion to building more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and another 28,000 upgraded beds. This investment is needed. We're fixing long-term care for the people in Eglinton Lawrence and across Ontario. This announcement is good for our government and good for my residents, so I'm very happy to celebrate that today. Thank you. I recognize a member from Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Earlier this week, I had the honour of visiting overdose prevention and harm reduction service providers in my riding of Toronto Centre, and the stories that I heard drove home the harm being done by this government's continued failure to address the overdose crisis and the need for real solutions to the poisoned drug supply that is killing tens of thousands of people across this country. Dane is a harm reduction worker in the Regent Park Community Health Centre, and he shared with me that I quote, we have a model for dangerous substances. It's called the LCBO, end quote. We're alcohol and marijuana drugs, but as a society we said let's create safe spaces to access those drugs with quality measures and dosage information. We list the ABV on a bottle of wine, and our licensed weed stores sell us edibles and pre-rolls with gram dosages on them. We put in place education on safe use and programs to address the negative social harms. But when it comes to folks who use opioids who are being poisoned to death by tainted supply, we don't see the same social response from either the provincial or federal governments. Another worker shared with me that I quote, the drugs aren't what's killing people. The toxic drug supply is what's killing people, end quote. Speaker, we need to be able to have a serious conversation guided by public health about how to end the opioid crisis, and we cannot do that if we aren't addressing the safe supply of drugs in our communities. People in our communities are dying what politicians in this room sidestep difficult conversations because it is politically inconvenient, so let's have a hard conversation about how to get that done. Thank you so much. I recognize a member from Calvary West. Thank you very much, Speaker. Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario only saw a mere 611 new long-term care beds created from 2011 to 2018, an increase of just 0.8%, less than 1%. On the other hand, our government has a plan to end the crisis in long-term care by building tens of thousands of new and redeveloped beds. We've committed a historic $6.4 billion to build 30,000 new long-term care beds, and we've also committed billions to redeveloping more than 27,000 new long-term care staff over four years and ensuring that residents receive an average of four hours of direct care per day by 2024 and 2025. Speaker, that's why I was honored to be joined by the Minister of Long-term Care, Paul Kalandra, last Thursday to announce the addition of 387 new and 645 upgraded long-term care beds to modernize and expand six long-term care homes in Niagara and Hamilton. What that means is in four years we have built more long-term care beds just in Niagara and Hamilton alone than the previous government did over the last decade of their time in office. When these six homes are completed, 1,032 residents will have a new place to call home near their family and friends. I was also pleased to be able to announce $31 million in operational funding for long-term care homes. New dollars including $6.1 million for long-term care homes in my riding, I have Niagara West to increase staffing levels. Speaker, we are taking action to make sure that we are fixing long-term care once and for all for the people of Niagara West and across Ontario. Thank you. Statements, I recognize a member from Durham. Good morning, Speaker. Yesterday I introduced Bill 104, the Connected Communities Act 2022, that if passed would require the government to develop a strategy to both reduce loneliness and social isolation and support Ontarians who may be struggling with loneliness and social isolation. Before the pandemic, there were signs that many people in Ontario, young and old, were feeling less connected than they did in past generations. Seeing less friends, volunteering less time in the community. The effect of new technologies. These all have an impact on our productivity, health and well-being. The pandemic only exacerbated this serious public health problem. When it comes to our most vulnerable Ontarians, loneliness and social isolation are major risk factors for abuse and neglect. Now is the time for us to work in this house across partisan lines to develop a comprehensive province-wide strategy to help those struggling with loneliness and social isolation. If passed, the Connected Communities Act provides one year for the development of initial strategy and requires the government subsequently review the strategy at least once every five years. Being disconnected is just as dangerous to good health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to often cited research. The young are also more lonely than the elderly surveys have repeatedly discovered. We owe it to our constituents to work together in this place on this major public health issue of our day. I hope I can count on your support. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Humber River Black Creek. Thank you, Speaker. Owning a home is a dream that has become far out of reach for so many living in my community and throughout the GTA. An average home in the Greater Toronto area will cost you over $1.3 million. That's up almost 30% from last year. The reality is that right now most people who aren't fortunate enough to inherit a home or get help from family or loved ones are out of luck. To pay the mortgage on an average home in the GTA, your combined yearly family income will have to be more than $200,000. And that's not even to mention the down payment. So many young families are not able to afford their own home like their parents and grandparents did. This means so many more will have to rent. But the average rent costs in northwest Toronto, my community for instance, is $2,000 a month. And with the cost of literally everything going up, many families are being forced to choose between putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head. This government must take real action to ensure every Ontarian has a home they can afford. Thanks. Thank you. Member Statements. Member for Aurora Oak Bridges, Richmond Hill. Thank you very much. Good morning, Speaker. Speaker, as most of my colleagues here in the Legislature know by now, March is a busy, but also a special one for many Ontarians. Speaker, this past weekend I joined members of the Richmond Hill BIA and the Richmond Hill Board of Trade to recognise and celebrate Holy, which began on March 18th and ended on March 19th. For those who don't know, Holy is a traditional Hindu festival which celebrates spring and is also known as the Festival of Colours. The holiday typically begins at night, or first day, which is known as Holika Dahan. During this time, members engage in religious rituals and prayers. And for the second day, the community engages in fun activities and celebration, which usually includes the traditional throwing of the gulau. Speaker, also this month, starting on March 20th, Persians across the province and around the world celebrate Norus, which marks the beginning of the Persian New Year. Norus, which means New Day, Speaker, like Holy, also celebrates the arrival of spring. This celebration marks new beginnings and serves as an opportunity for families and friends to gather around the have-seen table and also to visit one another. Speaker, Norus is a pillar of the Persian cultural heritage which dates back to more than 3,000 years, Speaker. And with that said, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all those who celebrate a happy Holy and also to the Persian community a happy Norus. Norus it on Perus, Harus it on Norus. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member statements, the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you, and good morning, Speaker. Speaker, this weekend I was out canvassing and knocking on doors in my riding of Brampton Centre, and I spoke to many constituents living in the Knightsbridge community who are concerned that rising rents are making it harder and harder for them to have a safe place to call home. I spoke to seniors who are on fixed incomes, people who are receiving the Ontario Disability Support Program and are worried that should the rent go up, they are going to be choosing between putting food on the table or having a roof over their heads. Speaker, on December 17th, 2021, myself and members of the government met with our regional council to discuss the Housing Master Plan. The Housing Master Plan and PEELE would provide funding for 18 different projects that would create 2,241 affordable housing units in our community, including my riding of Brampton Centre, but also across the region of PEELE. Speaker, when is this government going to provide the funding necessary for the region of PEELE to get construction and get shovels in the ground to create these affordable housing units? People are growing weary, they're growing very tired and very stressed with the rising costs of housing, and everyone in this province deserves a safe place to call home. New Democrats are going to keep fighting to ensure that people have a safe place to rest their heads at night because housing is a human right, Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you. Are you there? Members, statements? The member for Mrs. Saga Moulton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mrs. Speaker, last two years been extremely tough and we know that many of us have booked the vocation, but we had to cancel it because of the COVID-19. You know, I want to say thank you to all the Ontarians for following the protocol. Thanks for your discipline. We can see the result, but now we see the light at the end of the tunnel. And now I'm going to ask each one of you to take the benefit that your government is providing through staycation tax credit. As you know, Ontario offers the world in one province. We have vibrant cities, historic small towns, food festivals, food stalls, mountains, two beaches. We have everything here where you can have a scheduled gateway and amazing destination. By making tourism in the province more affordable for Ontarians through a temporary personal income tax credit, Ontario resident will be able to claim eligible accommodation expenses up to 20% of their accommodation through the staycation credit. I want to acknowledge and want to thank the Minister of Heritage, Sports, Tourism and Cultural Industries for the wonderful job and for supporting our Ontarians. Mr. Speaker, by making tourism in the province more affordable through the staycation tax credit, it will help tourism dollars right here at home. I look forward to welcoming visitors to Mrs. Saga and encourage the resident to take advantage of this credit and explore our province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Order. Order. Next statement, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to use my time today to share a message of solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Ukrainian Canadians, as well as those brave souls in Russia who are demonstrating in St. Petersburg and elsewhere as Russia's invasion of that country of Ukraine enters its 28th day. We have all watched in horror as casualties mount and cities are reduced to rubble. As I speak, over 100,000 people remain trapped in Mariupol and I was looking and realized that that city is the same size as London, Ontario. Imagine that a city and a population of that size that has been subjected to a cruel, weeks-long siege by Russian forces. This war, like all wars, is fueling a refugee crisis. Canada has rightly offered safe haven for Ukrainian refugees and today Ukrainian children are receiving care just down the street from us here at Sick Kids Hospital. We can be proud of that, but I want to echo Davenport's own FCJ refugee centre who have helped countless people resettle here in our city, in our community, in calling on Canada to extend the support to anyone fleeing this war, regardless of nationality. Ontario can also do more, Mr. Speaker. We should increase our support for humanitarian aid, match donations made by Ontarians, and we should act immediately to make sure that construction firms run by sanctioned Russian oligarchs. Don't make a single dime on the construction of public transit like the Ontario Line and the Scarborough Subway. I want to commend everyone in my community and around the province who have stepped up to help in ways big and small, from hosting backyard fundraisers to selling baked goods. War diminishes us all, Mr. Speaker, but these acts of solidarity and compassion help restore our collective humanity. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our member's statements for this morning.