Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

NDP urges extension on CEBA loan repayment for Small Businesses

On Monday, Canada’s NDP renewed their call to the Minister of Finance to extend the deadline for Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans, as small businesses who relied on these loans during the pandemic have faced a slow recovery with the cost-of-living crisis. Small businesses have been struggling with supply chain issues, and the high costs of groceries, heating, rent ...

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NDP continues to urge Liberals to reinstate funding for Indigenous community policing in Northern communities

On Monday, NDP critic for Indigenous Services, Northern Affairs, MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut), once again urged the Public Safety minister to reinstate the funding for policing for 45 First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. The pressure comes in response to the Minister dragging his feet on negotiations with the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario for a fair contract.  The government ...

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NDP introduces Pharmacare Act to save families $500 a year on their prescription medication

On Tuesday, Canada’s NDP introduced Pharamacare legislation, outlining the New Democrats’ expectations of the government on the universal prescription medication program.  As part of the Confidence and Supply agreement, New Democrats are using their power to force the government to pass pharmacare legislation by the end of the year. Northern Ontario NDP MP’s Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) and Carol Hughes ...

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MPP Jamie West urges removal of cost-prohibitive barriers to accessing Northern health care

In the final Question Period of the legislative session (June 8, 2023), NDP MPP for Sudbury, Jamie West, called on the Ford Government to remove the cost-prohibitive barriers blocking Northern Ontarians from accessing proper care through the Northern Health Travel Grant. The current system places an undue burden on individuals who must travel long distances to receive specialized health care, ...

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NDP MP Angus urges the Liberal government to start respecting First Nations children

  On Tuesday, NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) called on the government to start respecting Jordan’s Principle and reimburse health-care providers for their care to First Nations children. Under Jordan’s Principle, the government is legally obligated to ensure all First Nation children have access to health care, no matter where they live or the cost. Due to the Liberal ...

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NDP: Miners deserve better safety from harmful particulates at work

Jamie West (Sudbury), the NDP Critic for Labour, and Health Critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) issued the following statement in response to the government’s announcement today that underground Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) in mines will be lowered from 400 to 120 mcg/mg. United Steelworkers (USW) has been asking Ford’s Conservatives to reduce this number to 20 mcg/g for years, as ...

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NDP, Truckers for Safer Highways Unify in Call for Action

NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay-Superior North) and strong advocate for safer roads in Northern Ontario, is once again urging the Ford government to take immediate action following another week of tragic accidents involving truckers in Northern Ontario. This week, a 47-year-old woman lost her life after a crash with a tanker on MR55 in the Greater Sudbury community. Vaugeois ...

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MPP Taylor keeps up fight to create new emergency alert for vulnerable persons

Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain), NDP critic for Children, Community, and Social Services, is fighting to pass a bill that would create a new alert for missing vulnerable persons. “This bill is an important, common-sense way to fill a gap in our existing system,” said Taylor. “In an emergency situation, when a family is frantically looking for a vulnerable loved one, ...

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Stiles: Ford’s budget fails to meet the moment

Official Opposition NDP Leader, Marit Stiles took Ford’s Conservatives to task on a budget that fails to meet the moment. Stiles has a vision of an Ontario with more opportunity and prosperity for everyone – not just for Ford’s well-connected insiders. “Ford’s Conservatives want you to think that this is the new normal – that this is as good as ...

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