Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Dear Brenda,   The Northern Policy Institute (NPI) recently published a report titled “The Thin Case for Passenger Rail in Ontario’s Northern Regions” which has left me in a state a profound dismay and disappointment. It contains some very misleading information and does little to improve sustainable transportation options desired by Northerners.   The document in question attempts to undermine ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on the government to conduct an independent Preparedness Review of the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ontario’s readiness for a potential second wave.   “People and small businesses are doing their part to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19, but is the government doing everything it can to shield us against the health ...

Jeff Burch MPP (Niagara Centre), the Official Opposition NDP’s critic for Municipal Affairs, has issued a statement following the federal government’s announcement of a Safe Restart agreement which includes targeted funding for municipalities:   “The funding in this agreement is a necessary first step to address the ongoing financial crisis facing Ontario’s municipalities. $2 billion in federal funding allows municipalities ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to Doug Ford’s long-term care announcement, in which he commits to altering the funding formula for long-term care construction:   “The announcement by Premier Doug Ford means the for-profit corporations that have failed seniors for years could get even more public money. Today feels like a re-run of years of ...

As the Ford government sits on its hands instead of taking action to ensure a full return to schools in September, the Ontario NDP is putting forward an emergency action plan that would help get kids safely back to class five days a week in the fall and work for parents and teachers. That plan, captured in a motion tabled ...

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said safely moving into Stage 3 should come with help and support from the government.   “Ontarians have worked hard to flatten the curve. It’s because of the collective effort and sacrifice of individuals and businesses that we’ve seen a steady decline in new COVID-19 infections,” said Horwath.   “There is no question that ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to a Ford government omnibus bill tabled Wednesday:   “The omnibus bill the Ford Conservatives introduced today does nothing at all to help families, devastated long-term care homes, small businesses, schools and day cares, First Nations, or municipalities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.   This bill doesn’t include a ...

NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West), Official Opposition Critic for Community and Social Services, released the following statement on top-up payments for people receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works (OW), which the Ford government is planning to remove at the end of July:   “The Ford government has completely neglected people with disabilities and those living in ...

A day after Doug Ford made the dubious claim that he didn’t know about the sweltering conditions in long-term care, Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on his government to introduce a bill requiring air conditioning in all residents’ rooms. Horwath added that the NDP would provide unanimous consent to pass such legislation today.   But in question period, ...

NDP Education critic Marit Stiles and NDP Child Care critic Doly Begum say the Ford government’s vague instructions for school re-opening is leaving parents and educators with no certainty they’ll have support to make it work. They’re calling for a number of specific commitments from Ford, including everything from more teachers and school busses to ensure physical distancing, to paid ...

Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath and the New Democrats have begun laying the foundation for a better long-term care and home care system that truly supports and enables seniors, after a successful virtual summit last night.   The summit, which had over 3,000 viewers streaming from home, brought together participants from across Ontario – from advocates and family members to ...

Sol Mamakwa, NDP Official Opposition Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation critic, and Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP, Judith Monteith-Farrell, released the following statement after Ontario’s Ombudsman raised deep, disturbing concerns about conditions in the province’s correctional facilities and observed disturbing conditions at the Thunder Bay and Kenora jails:   “When it comes to the Thunder Bay District Jail and the Kenora jail, inaction ...

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Education critic, released the following statement in response to the government’s announcement on re-opening schools:   “By announcing all, none or some school re-opening in September, Doug Ford and his Education Minister failed to provide any clarity at all, and what few details they did provide are impossible in practice.  Many parents can’t choose to stay ...

First Nations communities in Ontario’s Far North facing the COVID-19 pandemic need additional support and action from the Ford government to contain the virus, said Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, as more communities continue to report positive cases.   “Indigenous communities in Ontario struggling to contain the pandemic need the urgent support of the Ford government now,” said Mamakwa, the NDP’s ...

Official Opposition House Leader Gilles Bisson says far too many businesses are still at risk of unfair evictions if the Conservatives’ new legislation is passed as written. On Monday, the NDP sent the government two critical amendments it insists must be included.   The bill, as written, only protects businesses who qualify for the federal CECRA, but whose landlords refuse to ...