When the body of Tina Fontaine was pulled from the Winnipeg River late last month it re-ignited a fierce debate about Canada’s response to the inordinate number of missing and murdered aboriginal women over the last 3 decades. This is an issue that shows how far off-track Stephen Harper can be [Read more]
Labour Day marks more than the winding down of summer or the last long weekend before the kids head back to school. It is also a focal point for the important and difficult battles that were waged for labour rights that help define who we are as a country. While we have much to celebrate [Read more]
NDP PROPOSE TOUGH MEASURES TO PROTECT GREAT LAKES FROM INVASIVE CARP ELLIOT LAKE, ON – The potential devastation of biodiversity in the Great Lakes from invasive Asian carp requires a multi-prong approach that includes strong regulatory measures according to New Democrat MPs who plan to [Read more]
For years New Democrats have called for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to be used to catch tax cheats who use offshore accounts to avoid their responsibility to Canada. Money spent in this way always results in a larger amount coming back to our national coffers. While catching tax cheats [Read more]
Gas prices are just ridiculous It is fitting that gas prices jumped considerably at the same time as the Harper government gave a conditional green light to the Northern Gateway pipeline project. Those two events highlight just how far off course our oil and gas policies have strayed from consumer [Read more]
As Decoration Day approaches and as we gear up to mark the 70th anniversary of D Day it is appropriate to consider the way we are treating our veterans. All indicators point to strained relations between veterans and the government who have pinched considerable pennies from the [Read more]
‘Nero fiddled while Rome burned’ may not be a historically accurate phrase, but it describes being occupied with unimportant matters while faced with a more urgent crisis. That is pretty much what is happening with Stephen Harper who leads a government that has clearly demonstrated their [Read more]
It was a noteworthy week in Canadian politics despite the fact that it was a constituency week for MPs. What made it interesting were announcements that Olivia Chow and Jim Flaherty are stepping down to pursue other options. We know that Olivia is leaving to run for Mayor of Toronto, while Mr. [Read more]
As the Finance Minister worked his way through the budget speech last Thursday it became obvious that the advance press was true and we were receiving a do nothing budget. I had to wonder if we are living in the same country since the Canada I experience in my role as MP is defined by [Read more]
This week I met with representatives from ALS Canada who explained they were concerned about the impact the conservative budget is having on their organization. They are looking to have parliament reinstate the funding they were receiving up until 2012 that had been cut in last year’s omnibus, [Read more]
OTTAWA, ON –Despite spin from the government, official language services are in retreat across the country, according to Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, MP Carol Hughes. Hughes questioned the Minister of Official Languages on the findings and recommendations in the annual report of the [Read more]
We hear a lot about the disappearing middle class these days and we should be hearing as much, or perhaps even more, about the plight of seniors mired in poverty. Whether it is because of pensions that underperform or vanish altogether, more seniors are requiring assistance from the [Read more]
not rushing back to difficult question periods: Hughes ELLIOT LAKE, ON – Just days ahead of the International Day of Democracy (September15th ), the Prime Minister announced he will prorogue parliament which will delay the start of the fall sitting for a full month. While the move was [Read more]
If you watched Question Period during the last five weeks parliament sat in the spring, you didn’t see much of the Prime Minister. When Stephen Harper was around over that stretch, it was anything but smooth sailing. Day after day he faced a tough line of questioning from Tom Mulcair about [Read more]
The horrific train derailment in Lac Mégantic has shocked all of Canada and beyond as details and the reality of what that small town in Quebec has experienced sinks in. Shock is turning to profound sadness and many in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing are reminded of the period that followed the [Read more]
