People familiar with last year’s battle to maintain ferry service between Manitoulin Island and Tobermory will find similarities with the plight of businesses, communities, and property owners set to lose passenger rail service from the Algoma Central Railway (ACR). On Manitoulin, the [Read more]
The ever ballooning Senate spending scandal has been instructive for political watchers as it highlights how our democratic institutions operate in a self-policing manner that can be secretive, self-serving, and difficult for people to make sense of. Amidst the understandable public outrage there [Read more]
From: David Orazietti, M.P.P. Sault Ste. Marie Conveniently Forgets his NDP Government Hacked $107 million from MNR SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – In a recent media release, NDP MPP John Vanthof, of Timiskaming-Cochrane, misleadingly claimed* that MNR’s internal reorganization will hurt Northern [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]
Last month five by-elections were called in electoral districts of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, London West, Ottawa South, Windsor-Tecumseh and Scarborough-Guildwood. Many were disappointed that Premier Kathleen Wynne set the voting date for August 1st, the day before the long weekend when people are [Read more]
I was pleased to receive news early this week that 2013 Chi-Cheemaun Ferry service will begin on Friday, May 17, with the 8:50 am scheduled departure from Tobermory. This is a big win for our communities as the Chi-Cheemaun not only provides an essential transportation link for travel, but also [Read more]
The Auditor General gave the Conservative government a $3.1 billion dollar black eye this week when he revealed that amount of money is missing in action from Canada’s anti-terrorism efforts. Stephen Harper says this is just ‘an issue of lack of clarity,’ but for a party that rode into Ottawa [Read more]
QUEEN’S PARK, ON – NDP Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha said he’s pleased the public inquiry into the roof collapse of the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake has begun and hopes the community will finally get some answers. “The people of Elliot Lake are strong and resilient, and [Read more]
This coming Tuesday, the Ontario Legislature is finally getting back to business. My colleagues and I look forward to being back in Queen’s Park, getting positive results for the people of Ontario. When the Legislature resumes, so too does Question Period. As a member of the opposition, Question [Read more]
QUEEN’S PARK, ON – NDP Health and Long-Term Care Critic France Gélinas says yesterday’s release of the Auditor General’s report raises concerns about access to long-term care in Ontario’s North, and the use of health care dollars around the province. “Any time residents of one area [Read more]
When Ed Broadbent was stepping down as leader of the New Democrat Party in 1989 he committed to one last campaign that brought about a unanimous parliamentary motion pledging to eliminate child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Unfortunately, the will of parliament was not matched by the will [Read more]
QUEEN’S PARK, ON – NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson condemned Dalton McGuinty for shutting down the Legislature as the committee to investigate the gas plant scandal was to commence. “Today was the last day the hearings into the gas plants scandal could have started. However, instead of [Read more]
OTTAWA, ON – On the final day for residential school survivors to apply for compensation, Carol Hughes is worried that mounting cuts to First Nations organizational bodies will only hamper the ability to focus at the local level and deliver appropriate health services. “The Conservatives like [Read more]
You don’t have to think back that far to remember Labour Days when the attitude towards the hard working people who make up the bulk of our economic well being was more positive. Now we have a prolonged international recession and a government that is decidedly anti-union as the new normal. [Read more]
HUGHES EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES ALONG WITH GRATITUDE TO EMERGENCY WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS ELLIOT LAKE, ON – Residents of Elliot Lake are grieving the loss of two of their own in the aftermath of the Algo Mall roof collapse. The emergency response which gripped the nation came to a [Read more]
