Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Education critic, released the following statement in response to the government announcement that schools will remain closed through the end of June: “Schools should remain closed until it’s absolutely safe for kids to return, so we support the move to keep kids at home for the rest of the school year. But parents are now being ...

Since the pandemic began, the big three for-profit long-term care corporations have hired close Doug Ford allies to protect their financial interests by lobbying Ford and his government. Since the pandemic began, at least four top Ford allies and senior staffers have registered to lobby the government on behalf of the big three: Extendicare, Revera and Chartwell. ●        Melissa Lantsman ...

On Tuesday afternoon, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario will vote on whether to hold a thorough, non-partisan, independent public inquiry — under The Public Inquiries Act — sparked by a motion by NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath.   Since the pandemic began, more than 4,400 residents and staff at Ontario long term care homes have contracted COVID-19, with over 1,400 deaths ...

Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath said the government’s move to take over the management of long-term care homes in Ontario is welcome, but should have come much sooner, and the government needs to take action on it quickly. The NDP has been calling on the government to do this for weeks, as Ontarians watched in horror as COVID-19 swept through ...

Catherine Fife, NDP Critic for Economic Growth and Job Creation and Sandy Shaw, NDP Finance Critic, are calling on the Ford government to strike an all-party select committee on the economic recovery from COVID-19.   “An all-party committee on economic recovery would take partisan politics off the table and ensure that all voices are heard as Ontario deals with the worst ...

The rent is due in three days, but business owners and advocates are worried that Ontario’s broken new rent relief program will only lead to more closed doors.  Here’s just some of what Ontario’s business community has had to say: “The main concern that I am hearing from our clients, is that the landlord may be reluctant to enrol in ...

NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is urging the province to cover 100 per cent of the cost of take-home cancer drugs some patients are struggling to afford after the COVID-19 pandemic put their in-hospital treatments on hold. The NDP has long called for the province to make all take-home cancer drugs free, and this has only taken on increased ...

In a statement, NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) has raised serious concerns about the recently announced decision by Kasper Transportation to suspend land based transportation services in Northern Ontario starting on May 2nd, 2020: “The intercity bus service is critical for seniors and rural communities in Northern Ontario who depend on it. This decision by Kasper Transportation to suspend ...

  April 24, 2020 Hon. Doug Ford Premier’s Office Room 281 Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1 RE: Accès des régions rurales et du Nord au large bande Cher Premier ministre, La réalité de presque tout le monde dans notre province a radicalement changé le mois dernier. Il est devenu évident que pour nous sauver de la COVID-19 ...

  April 24, 2020 Hon. Doug Ford Premier’s Office Room 281 Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1 RE: Rural and Northern Access to Broadband Dear Premier, The reality of almost everyone in our province drastically changed last month. It became evident that to save ourselves from COVID-19 and to curb the spread of the virus, we would have to self-isolate. ...

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said today’s announcement that the Ontario government has tasked the majority of its cabinet to look at jobs and economic recovery is disappointing for those who were desperately hoping for an announcement that would help them financially, right now. “Helping everyday people and families get through this, and Saving Main Street, means taking action ...

NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on the Ford government to cancel and cover the drug co-payments seniors in Ontario are required to pay every time they fill a prescription, as COVID-19 measures force seniors to fill their prescriptions more often. The provincial government has asked pharmacists to dispense no more than one month’s worth of medication at ...

NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong), the critic for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, released the following statement regarding a new deal signed between the Grassy Narrows First Nation and the federal government to construct a mercury treatment centre: “I congratulate the leadership of Grassy Narrows on securing an agreement with Canada to receive full funding to build a Mercury Care Home ...

LOCAL REGULATIONS DURING 2020 SMELT RUN Dear Algoma-Manitoulin,  I am writing this brief notice subsequent to strong actions taken by municipalities and First Nations in order to protect their communities. As the weather gets nicer and the ice begins to melt, the smelt run is around the corner. At this time I ask you to take a moment and think ...

Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath believes people need an 80 per cent rent subsidy to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, and make it to the other side of the crisis without the crushing debt of months of unpaid rent behind them. “For many people in our province, the rent is due this week and they have no way to pay ...