At the conclusion of the March Break, my team noted an uptick in the number of comments and enquiries about the woes of Ontario’s education system. Regular readers may recall that I recently wrote a column on the matter. The problem, of course, is a shortage of teachers, education assistants and early childhood educators. The long-term effects of this shortage ...

Je sais que cela va sembler étrange, mais je demande aux lecteurs de supporter avec moi un moment. Personne ne veut avoir de problèmes dans la vie. La plupart des gens seraient d’accord pour dire que les problèmes sont totalement négatifs. Mais je me prie de ne pas être d’accord, du moins dans une certaine mesure. Je peux voir un ...

I know this is going to sound very strange, but I ask readers to bear with me a moment. No one wants to have problems in life. Most everyone would agree that problems are a total negative. But I beg to differ, at least to some degree. I can see a limited upside because problems challenge us to use our ...

Today during Question Period MPP Michael Mantha asked the Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, whether her ministry is listening to Northerners about the healthcare crisis after conflicting remarks from members of the Progressive Conservative caucus. “Last month, the government caucus voted down my bill to improve the Northern Health Travel Grant.” Mantha said. “During the debate the Parliamentary Assistant to ...

Pour être un politicien efficace, vous ne pouvez pas être une violette qui rétrécit. Vous devez démontrer la volonté et la capacité d’écouter, la fiabilité et la capacité d’apprendre et de s’adapter à de nouvelles informations et situations. Bien sûr, l’un des traits les plus critiques à transmettre est un sentiment de confiance en soi. Maintenant, je ne dis pas ...

To be an effective politician, you can’t be a shrinking violet. You need to demonstrate the willingness and ability to listen, reliability, and the ability to learn and adapt to new information and situations. Of course, one of the most critical traits to convey is a sense of self-confidence. Now, I’m not saying that every politician must exactly exude self-confidence. ...

Today MPP Mantha’s Bill 13, the Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act, was defeated by a vote of 32 to 73 at second reading. “I want to thank my colleagues who supported this bill to help Northerners seeking access to medical treatment. Sadly, the Progressive Conservatives caucus used their majority in the legislature to see it fail.” Mantha said. ...

One might think that since I spend so much time in Toronto week after week, I’d take advantage of the many forms of entertainment available: music, movies, stand-up comedy shows, sports and live entertainment. But the truth is I seldom venture out to such venues. In the evenings, with the news and sports channels on in the background, I turn ...

On pourrait penser que puisque je passe tellement de temps à Toronto semaine après semaine, je profiterais des nombreuses formes de divertissement disponibles : musique, films, spectacles d’humour, stand-up, sports et spectacles en direct. Mais la vérité est que je m’aventure rarement dans de tels lieux. Le soir, avec les chaînes de nouvelles et de sports en arrière-plan, je me tourne ...

Today during Question Period in the legislature, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha pressed the Premier on the financial pressures facing public hospitals in the North. Following a worrying report by Ontario’s Auditor General in the fall and a letter sent by the CEOs of 25 Northern Hospitals, MPP Mantha said it is beyond time for the government to act on hospital’s ...

With the start of the legislative session, I am eager to bring my Private Member’s Bill, the Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act (Bill 13), to the assembly on February 22nd. Readers will already know just how often we get calls from constituents regarding the grant, but more generally access to healthcare across the riding. With every new session ...

Avec le début de la session législative, j’ai hâte de présenter mon projet de loi privé, la Loi de 2022 sur le comité consultatif des subventions aux résidents du Nord de l’Ontario pour frais de transport à des fins médicales (Projet de loi 13), à l’assemblée le 22 février. Nos électeurs savent déjà à quel point nous recevons des appels ...

Today Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, was joined by Donna Stewart (CAO of the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board) to call on the government of Ontario to pass Bill 13, The Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act.   The Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) is a program administered by the government of Ontario meant to assist patients living in Northern ...

Comme le dit le proverbe intemporel : « Trompez-moi une fois, honte à vous ; trompez-moi deux fois, honte à moi. » Pendant les vacances d’hiver, en écoutant les gens de toute la circonscription, j’entends des inquiétudes croissantes au sujet de la privatisation des soins de santé par le gouvernement Ford. Dernièrement, l’accent semble être mis sur l’empressement du premier ministre Ford à jeter ...

As the timeless proverb goes, “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.” Over the winter break, listening to people across the riding, I hear growing concern about the Ford government’s privatization of healthcare. Lately, the focus seems to be on Premier Ford’s eagerness to throw out the welcome mat for for-profit surgical clinics. Next to ...