 It's time for Member's Statements. Member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you Mr. Speaker. On April 24th, when asked if a Conservative Government would kill the Ontario Basic Income Pilot party official said, and I quote, nope, we look forward to seeing the results. While it took only a few short weeks before the Conservatives got used to breaking their promises to the people, at its core basic income is the right to self-determination beyond circumstance and that is a powerful idea. Ontarians who participated in the pilot have said that it was life-changing. Dave Tchaikovsky of Hamilton lived in poverty for 10 years before this pilot. Now he's able to afford fresh, healthy food and his anxiety has been curbed. Another recipient named Jody said, basic income has given me the security I need to help relieve the stress of our everyday lives. But I can see why this Government of the few is only, for only the few. If they were to truly empower the many including those families partaking in this pilot, their mandate would be short indeed. I would remind the members opposite that the last Premier to cancel a basic income pilot was defeated shortly thereafter. When you slash income and resources for the impoverished and the vulnerable while also pledging to cut taxes for the rich and the powerful, it is obvious who this Government actually stands for. I urge this Government to show some compassion to live up to all of your promises. Thank you. Member statements, Member for Etobicoke Lakeshore. Etobicoke Lakeshore's version of Mardi Gras which was inspired by the New Orleans famous Mardi Gras kicks off this Friday August the third and runs throughout the weekend. Lakeshore Mardi Gras will be celebrating their 15th year in the community and we're expecting this year to be bigger and better than ever before. Visitors will have the opportunity to join, enjoy great live music which will include bands like and hopefully you all remember 5440 Rick Emmett and Resolution 9. The festival will also have great food vendors with amazing assortment of delicious carnival style treats which children will love and adults where children at heart will love even more. And of course, no carnival or summertime event would be complete without a beer garden. In addition to great music, there will be dazzling displays of entertainment such as buskers, clown shows and much, much more. The Yolkman atmosphere, natural park setting, beautiful lake Ontario shoreline and beautiful sunny skies is what makes Etobicoke Lakeshore such an inviting community to spend time in during the summer months. Of course great events are only made possible with organizations and community involvement. I would like to sincerely thank the organizations and the volunteer committees and the generous community sponsors who are supporting Lakeshore Mardi Gras. Come out to Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke Lakeshore this weekend. It's for everyone, younger people, older people, singles, couples and families. The food is great, the music is great and we're expecting some great Etobicoke Lakeshore summer weather. Hope to see you there. For statements, the member for Nekol Belt. Thank you, Speaker. Today I want to talk about a safety issue in the community of Dowling in my writing of Nekol Belt. In Dowling the Large Wood Public School, the library, the community center, the ball field, the ice rink, you get the idea are on one side of Highway 144. The houses where the people live are on the other side of the highway. For many years parents and residents have been worried about children having to cross Highway 144 to get to school or to go play. We contacted the Ministry of Transportation who did a traffic study. The study showed clearly that this situation was too dangerous and they agreed to build a crosswalk to make things safer. Two long years have now passed school will start in a few weeks and there is no sign of a crosswalk being built. My constituents are running out of patience. They have decided to take things into their own hands. They are running a blockade of Highway 144, a major Northern Highway on the first day of school. Why do we have to come to that? The Ministry of Transportation agree, what are they waiting for? The death of a child is too high of a price to pay for in action. Those delays will never be tolerated anywhere else and will never accept being treated as a second class citizen because I choose to live here. Minister, the safety of these children are in your hands. Please do the right thing. Build a crosswalk in dialing before our kids go back to school and before tragedy strikes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to Milton's Councillor Mike Bolton who passed away on Monday after a long battle with cancer. I know Mr. Bolton is a great man. He helped make life better for many Maltonians. He was a very, very proud Maltonian and watched not only our town grow but many of those that he helped work towards in terms of making their life better, Mr Speaker, right across Milton. He was a owner of a barber shop and very proud of his family and friends. Thank you, Mr Speaker. There is a very large void left in Milton Town Council and I know he will be greatly missed. On behalf of all of my colleagues in this house, I want to take this opportunity to send our condolences to his family, friends and fellow council members, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Statements, the member for Brampton Centre. I would like to thank Mr. Bolton for all the support he has made. It is an honour to be celebrating Caribbean heritage and all of its forms at caribbean. Over two million are expected to celebrate dance, jump up and wave to soak music and dance hall. Let's not forget that this week we celebrated emancipation day. and the diverse cultures we have. We will have people from Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, St. Kitts, the Grenada Guyana, as I am, from celebrating and waving their flags with pride. And I hope that on this long weekend, we can all take an opportunity and participate in celebrating Caribbean heritage and the diverse cultures that we have here in our communities. Unfortunately, due to a wedding, which I'm really also very excited to announce, my cousin's getting married to her long-term fiance. And so I won't be able to jump and wave with my flag, but I'll be doing that at our reception. So I wanted to also congratulate them on their auspicious wedding. Thank you very much. Member's statements. Member for Scarborough, Gildewin. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to stand for the 4,000 people living in Thunder Bay, Lindsay Hamilton, Brantford, and Brant County, and the thousands of families in Scarborough and throughout Ontario receiving income supports from Ontario Works and ODSP, and who are going to be severely affected by the Premier's latest decision to scrap the basic income pilot project and the planned increase of 3% to the people on Ontario Works and ODSP. Canceling the basic income pilot project and reducing the planned increase by 1.5% to people on Ontario Works and ODSP is not being compassionate, nor is it for the people. Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Government is breaking their promises by cancelling the programme that they said they would keep. The Conservative Government is now, instead, dragging Ontario backwards by breaking their promises, crushing the hopes of people living with no basic income and those living on low income. Mr. Speaker, reducing poverty in Ontario does not work by decreasing the rates for Ontario's most disadvantaged and marginalised people' income that they depend on. Mr. Speaker, even Conservative Senator Hussigal said that this is a horrific mistake and that he is embarrassed as a progressive Conservative. The pilot project was Ontario's way to gather our own evidence and the Premier has destroyed that opportunity. The research suggests that this won't save any money and, in fact, it would further deteriorate people's health and well-being, leaving them in poorer... Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just steps away from the bustling intersection of Young and Eglinton is the hockey arena that has seen generations of aspiring athletes take to the ice. It is perhaps most well-known as the home rink of former Hall of Famer Eric Lindross. And I'm speaking, of course, of the North Toronto arena, which is located in my riding of Eglinton, Lawrence. But these days, another professional hockey player is at the centre of attention in North Toronto. If you call the arena now, you will be greeted by a voicemail message that says, thank you for calling North Toronto arena home rink of Stanley Cup champion Tom Wilson. Our community is rightfully proud of Tom Wilson, who long before winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Washington Capitals, cut his teeth playing hockey at North Toronto arena. In fact, my son Eric actually played with Tom Wilson on the North Toronto AA team. And, Speaker, I am very happy to report that Tom Wilson is bringing the Stanley Cup home to Toronto this weekend. And I would like to invite all members of this house to join me in congratulating Tom Wilson and the Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Timmons. Well, Mr. Speaker, we'll all remember in the last election as we led up to it then leader of the official opposition, Mr. Ford said he was going to cancel the green belt. Remember that? He had a cozy little meeting with developers and he says, don't worry everybody, put your confidence in me, we'll just get rid of the green belt. Then all of a sudden the public started to push away. And as the public pushed away and said this was a bad idea, because it was an election coming. And they knew that this was not very popular and people want to protect the green belt. He says, no, no, I'm listening to the people. Oh, I'm not going to do that. Absolutely not. So what's the government's response and what's the Premier's response? Let's get rid of city council. If you can reduce the amount of councillors at City Hall, it's the developers who are going to control what goes on at that city hall. It's not going to be the people. This will be all about redeveloping the green belt according to what Doug Ford and developers want to do. And it's a real sinister way. And ask the member to refer to the Premier by his parliamentary title. Premier? Isn't that what I used? Anyways, I apologize. So I say again, the Premier is pretty clear what he's up to. This is all about attacking the green belt and doing development in a way that takes people out of the decision of what should be developed. Mr. Speaker, it's our land, it's our city and the people have to be at the center of all of the decisions. And for the Premier to say, no, I want to put my friends there so we could redevelop the green belt and do what we want is wrong and we're not a bunch of fishes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is my first time speaking in the legislature. As the MPP Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege that the residents of Donva-Linoc have placed their trust in me. I want to thank all the volunteers on my campaign and I also want to thank my wife, Chang Hong and my son Han for their love and support as I began my new position. My constituents are happy to see our government for people has kept its promises. We have legislation to cancel the cap and trade program. We have passed the registration to end the longest post-secondary education strike at the York University. The Board of High School has resigned and we are going to undertake the largest public consultation regarding the sex education curriculum starting in the fall. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to serving the residents of Donva-Linoc as a member of the provincial parliament. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak before the House today. Member Statements, the Member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. July 31st marked the beginning of the 2018 Special Olympics in Antigonishno, Scotia. Hundreds of athletes are competing to qualify for the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. With over 260 athletes competing, Team Ontario is the largest team by far at the Games. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to receive a letter from Mr. Glenn McDonnell, President and CEO of Special Olympics Ontario, highlighting two of Team Ontario's athletes that just happened to live in my riding of Carlton. Emily Byrne will be competing in the Sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics and Christian Schofield will be competing in the Sport of Swimming. I'm always pleased to hear about the accomplishments of the people I have the privilege of representing here at the legislature. Emily Byrne and Christian Schofield are an inspiration to our community and I'm proud to have them represent us as part of Team Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I want to wish them as well as all the athletes across Ontario, all the best during this competition. No matter the outcome, they are already winners and champions here at home. I look forward to meeting Emily and Christian upon their return, congratulating them in person and sharing in the celebration that recognizes their efforts. Thank you. That concludes our member's statements time this afternoon. Report.