Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes delivered a message of support for people in Constance Lake First Nation in the House of Commons today as that community deals with multiple cases and suspected cases of blastomycosis – a rare infection caused by interaction with naturally occurring fungal spores. “I want to send a message of condolences and healing thoughts to the community ...

La députée d’Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, Carol Hughes, a livré un message de soutien aux membres de la Première nation de Constance Lake à la Chambre des communes aujourd’hui, alors que cette communauté est aux prises avec de multiples cas et cas présumés de blastomycose – une infection rare causée par l’interaction avec des spores fongiques d’origine naturelle. “Je tiens à envoyer un ...

J’ai dit à maintes reprises que l’une des plus grandes joies de mon travail en tant que député provincial réside dans les nombreuses occasions que j’ai chaque année de rendre visite aux élèves dans leurs salles de classes. Les questions des enfants sont beaucoup plus difficiles que celles de la plupart des journalistes, car je ne sais jamais ce qu’ils ...

I have said many times that one of the greatest joys in my job as an MPP is the many opportunities I have each year to visit students in their elementary and secondary classrooms. Kids’ questions are far more challenging than most news reporters are because you never know what is coming at you.  Moreover, kids have no agenda to ...

MPP Michael Mantha called on Doug Ford to stop ignoring the opioid crisis in Northern Ontario and declare a public health emergency to stem the increasing number of hospitalizations and deaths in Algoma-Manitoulin. Mantha told the legislature that last week seven white crosses went up in M’Chigeeng First Nation. Each cross representing a community member who lost their life. Since ...

Northern Ontario New Democrats are fighting for families dealing with lost Canada Child Benefits (CCB) based on their acceptance of pandemic supports.  According to local NDP MPs Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing) and Charlie Angus (Timmins – James Bay) accepting the supports temporarily raised many household incomes enough to affect their regular CCB payments.  Now that the CERB and CRB have expired ...

Les néo-démocrates du Nord de l’Ontario se battent pour les familles aux prises avec la perte de l’Allocation canadienne pour enfants (ACE) au motif qu’elles ont perçu des soutiens pandémiques. Selon les député·es néo-démocrates de la région, Carol Hughes (Algoma–Manitoulin–Kapuskasing) et Charlie Angus (Timmins–Baie James), recevoir ces soutiens a temporairement augmenté les revenus de nombreux ménages au point d’affecter leurs ...

The Superior East Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding motorists that winter is on its way. Snow and ice will soon be covering our roadways, and that means adjusting your driving habits. Keep a survival kit in your vehicle, with items including: warm clothes, gloves, booster cables, small shovel, windshield wiper fluid, first aid kit, snow brush, ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to media reports that pharmacies will be tapped to do testing of people who are symptomatic for COVID, and who have had close contact with people who are COVID-positive: “Pharmacies need to be safe for seniors, immunocompromised people and parents with unvaccinated little ones, who all need and deserve to ...

It is common and the norm for politicians to receive large quantities of phone calls, letters, and emails about particular issues in the headlines.  Those who read this column last week will understand why I think this is a good thing.  Readers will recall that my staff and I see this as a means of keeping our fingers on the ...

Il est courant et normal que les politiciens reçoivent de grandes quantités d’appels téléphoniques, des lettres et courriels sur des problèmes particuliers qui apparaissent dans les journaux. Ceux qui ont lu cette chronique la semaine dernière comprendront pourquoi je pense que c’est une bonne chose. Les lecteurs se souviendront que mon personnel et moi voyons cela comme un moyen de ...

Seniors across the country were shocked to learn that benefits they rely on such as the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) have been cut because they received pandemic supports like the CERB. New Democrats are calling on the Liberal government to fix this devastating situation that has left many seniors worried they won’t be able to afford their rent, food and ...

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to the Ford government’s refusal to mandate vaccines for health workers: “Unvaccinated staff should not be allowed in the ICU, in pediatric wards with sick babies, in the homes of vulnerable home care patients, or anywhere at all in health care, or in our children’s schools. Doug Ford ...

The NDP MPs in Northern Ontario, Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing) and Charlie Angus (Timmins – James Bay) are calling on Justin Trudeau to get back to work before November 22 and to reverse his decision to take away help for Canadians to get through the pandemic in the middle of the fourth wave. “Now more than ever, people need a federal ...

The other day we had one of our weekly office staff team meetings to discuss casework, issues and trends in calls and letters to my offices.  One team member pointed out that monitoring the email account is like a medical professional monitoring someone’s blood pressure over an extended period of time.  Looking over the patient’s readings and taking note of ...