Author Archives: Carol Hughes

Hughes – We can’t abandon safeguards in the justice system

Like so many others, I was deeply saddened to learn the details of Tori Stafford’s tragic demise ten years ago when news coverage of her disappearance, murder, and the subsequent trial of Terri-Lynne McClintic and her accomplice shook Canadians to their foundation.  This autumn, we learned that McClintic had been re-designated as a medium security threat and transferred to a ...

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Despite the promises, veterans still fighting for better service

Recently, I attended a rally on the steps of Parliament organized by veterans suffering from the long-lasting effects of the anti-malarial drug Mefloquinne. It struck me that this is becoming the new normal as veterans are forced to take their struggles with Veterans Affairs to the government themselves. That this problem persists through successive governments shows that, despite many promises ...

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Il est plus facile que jamais d’acheter des produits locaux

Nous avons la chance de vivre dans une région où les aliments locaux sont sains, et rend nos mets si délicieux. La plupart des gens qui en profitent se sentent privilégiés. C’est pourquoi ce printemps, le Parlement a adopté un projet de loi d’initiative parlementaire néodémocrate déclarant le vendredi précédant l’Action de grâces « Journée nationale de l’alimentation locale ». ...

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It’s easier than ever to buy local

We are lucky to live where eating locally means eating well, and including local produce makes our meals as delicious as possible. Most people who take advantage of this option feel fortunate to do so. Which is why this spring, parliament passed an NDP private member’s bill that recognizes the Friday before Thanksgiving every year as “National Local Food Day.” ...

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Child poverty remains a huge problem for Canada

In 1989 parliament unanimously passed a motion calling for the end of child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. That led to the creation of Campaign 2000, a cross-Canada public education movement to build awareness and support for the parliamentary motion and efforts to achieve its goal. One of the main focuses of Campaign 2000’s work is publishing research ...

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Personne ne gagne dans une guerre commerciale

Les tensions entourant le commerce international ont atteint un point critique alors que les États-Unis provoquent des différends dans plusieurs secteurs par leur politique visant à prioriser leurs intérêts. Il n’aura fallu que quelques semaines pour que cette politique ait des effets tout simplement désastreux des deux côtés de la frontière. C’est pourquoi le Comité permanent du commerce international de ...

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Nobody wins a trade war

Trade issues are at a boiling point as the United States instigates disputes across multiple sectors based on the notion of ‘America First’. After just a few weeks, the results have been nothing short of disastrous on both sides of the border.  For that reason, the House of Commons Trade Committee held an emergency meeting in Ottawa after the Commons ...

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Don’t let the Great Lakes become the next Great Garbage Patch

You may have seen in the news recently that a man has set out on a six-month journey to swim across the Pacific Ocean. He will be swimming through what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area of accumulated waste three times the size of France, to bring attention to the mass amounts of plastic waste polluting ...

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Promise of Electoral Reform Arrives Too Little, Too Late

Recently the government used time allocation to end debate on their Bill C-76, which they are calling the Elections Modernization Act. While the electoral reform debate may seem as if it’s been around forever, this bill has only been debated in the House for less than eleven hours after being tabled at the end of April –  a well-understood deadline ...

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Hughes lauds Dubreuilville ALS activist in parliament

On the cusp of ALS awareness month, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes paid tribute in the House of Commons to Dubreuilville ALS activist Eddy K. Lefrançois for his determination and advocacy. “Eddy K. Lefrançois is an ALS advocate from Dubreuiliville with a remarkable story to share,” said Hughes. Hughes cited Lefrançois as an example of someone who defied the odds in ...

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Hughes – Taxes shouldn’t be any harder to file

Mar 21, 2018 @ 18:50 Tax season is upon us and for people who aren’t connected to the internet or comfortable using it as a method of filing their forms the process has become increasingly difficult.  Even getting paper forms has become more of a chore.  This year, Revenue Canada only sent a small number of forms to outlets that ...

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Women’s equality makes sense and dollars

Mar 8, 2018 @ 11:28 International Women’s Day, celebrated every March 8th, has a long history with roots in the suffrage movement and socialist politics.   It is fair to say that in the hundred plus years the day has been observed, the circumstances of a great many women have improved, but the celebration of these social, economic, cultural and political ...

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Automation of GIS should extend to all seniors

Jan 31, 2018 @ 20:08 The government has some work to do if it wants to convince Canadians they share the same concerns most people have about pensions. In the last year, they allowed the Sears pension plan to remain underfunded as that company liquidated assets and closed for good, and also introduced legislation that will lead to more Canadians ...

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No place for racially charged politics in mainstream Canada

Jan 24, 2018 @ 08:44 Senator Lynn Beyak was jettisoned from the Conservative Caucus recently after spending the better part of a year defending intolerant statements aimed at First Nations – many of whom she ostensibly represents. The move was made after leadership in the Senate and the Commons provided numerous opportunities for her to back down from offensive claims ...

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