OTTAWA, ON – The agreement that will have Railmark Canada take control of passenger services on the Algoma-Central-Railway has great potential to keep passenger trains running for years, according to Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes. “This is a positive development, but it is [Read more]
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]
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]
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]
An Oxfam report this week showed that one percent of the world’s population will control half of the world’s wealth by 2016. It also explained how the world’s richest 80 individuals have as much wealth as the poorest 3.5 billion people combined. While this may sound inevitable, given [Read more]
We are often told not to put all our eggs in one basket and not to count our chickens until they hatch. Someone should have reminded the federal government about those poultry related maxims as they set out to spend a surplus based on assumptions which included oil trading at a high price. Now [Read more]
The Prime Minster replaced the embattled Minister of Veteran’s Affairs this week in a move that many feel was both inevitable and overdue. After years of gaffes, bad press, and general distrust the relationship between Canada’s veterans and Stephen Harper’s government was at an all-time low [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]
“Broadband access should be getting better instead of being threatened” says Hughes Rural Canadians concerned about the government’s failure to improve broadband internet in those parts of the country can add the potential negative impacts of an Industry Canada proposal that will [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]
Parliament held an emergency debate on Canada’s response to the situation in Iraq this week. The fact that it was an emergency debate and not a government-led one spoke volumes about the Prime Minister’s go-it-alone approach on this issue. That was hammered home when Thomas Mulcair was the [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]
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]
