OTTAWA, ON – Despite government claims that they are responding to the rash of train derailments, nothing will change if they allow railways to regulate themselves, according to Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes. Hughes raised the recent derailments in Northern Ontario during [Read more]
When the government cries broke when faced with common sense decisions like supporting passenger services on the ACR (while stakeholders find a permanent solution to a government-created crisis) that claim should be viewed through the lens of their huge and growing advertising budget. Spending [Read more]
TORONTO, ON – February 23, 2015, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) met with members of the Provincial Cabinet yesterday at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)/Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) Combined Conference in Toronto. FONOM was delighted and [Read more]
BLIND RIVER, ON – Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha was busy visiting Winter Carnivals in communities across his riding this month. Among those he attended was the 46th Annual Blind River Winter Carnival 2015 where Mantha chose to share his enthusiasm and show his support by [Read more]
I saw an interesting editorial cartoon where workmen are dismantling a house to build a fence. The fence is labelled security and the house is labelled privacy. It cuts to the heart of the debate on new anti-terrorism legislation that is being rushed through parliament as the Conservatives [Read more]
KAPUSKASING, ON – The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) recognizes the investments in northern Ontario communities by FedNor. The Northern Policy Institute (NPI) in partnership with the Mowat Centre and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity recently developed a [Read more]
As oil prices slump and take the Canadian dollar along for the ride the question of how budget projections that predicted a modest surplus can be maintained is the flavour of the month in Ottawa. Despite negative indicators the government is holding firm to its projections, but has also moved the [Read more]
OTTAWA, ON – Minimal interaction between the Aboriginal health research community and senior leadership at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is undermining a decade of achievement and future advancement in aboriginal health research, according to Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, [Read more]
Thursday, November 27th, at Queen’s Park, I was joined by the Ontario Lyme Alliance and their national and regional counterparts to bring attention — and to deliver a call to action — on a serious public health policy matter. The issue is the alarming increase in Lyme disease. As [Read more]
Manitoulin Family Resources is set to open their newly constructed food bank this month. While I am saddened that I will be in Ottawa and unable to join their celebrations for this achievement, I am more than a little frustrated that in a country as rich as ours the number of Canadians who rely [Read more]
Since the economic crisis in 2008 and the collapse of the forest industry, many Northwestern Ontarians have struggled to support their families and make ends meet. Our region has dealt with significant unemployment. Canada’s Employment Insurance system is supposed to help with situations like [Read more]
Most people don’t have the time or desire to watch question period and given the way it has been going recently that probably isn’t such a bad thing. It is largely understood that most Canadians take a dim view of the confrontational nature of parliament, but events this week went far beyond [Read more]
OTTAWA, ON – September 2014, Green Party MP Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay – Superior North) during Question Period with a query regarding changes to the Reform Act. [Read more]
People who had been denied federal disability benefits were thrown a curve ball as new rules have stripped them of their right to have an appeal in person. Where in the past individuals were able to meet face to face with an adjudicator, they will no longer be legally entitled to this method of [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]
