Politics, Editorials & Letters

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 ...

I’m certain that regular readers of News from the Park have not been surprised that I have not posted the column since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless-to-say, my team and I have been beyond swamped with calls and letters from individuals, groups and businesses posing questions, asking for clarification and direction, and offering thoughts and observations on the ...

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: 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. ...

  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 ...

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 ...

Open letter to Mr Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO of Wesdome Gold Mines Dear Mr. Middlemiss: I read your press release dated Mar 23, 2020, in which you say, “Our vigilance will go a long way to keeping everyone safe”. I couldn’t disagree more. I would have liked to discuss this with you today, but I was unable to reach ...

La chef néo-démocrate Andrea Horwath a exigé que les états financiers de ce mercredi comprissent un plan pour envoyer des chèques « Revenu d’urgence Ontario », d’une valeur de 2000 $ chacun, aux ménages souffrant de chômage ou d’une baisse des revenus pendant la crise de la COVID-19.   Ces paiements directs combleraient les lacunes laissées par l’attente de plusieurs semaines devant précéder ...

As we reach the halfway point of Premier Ford’s mandate until the 2022 provincial election, Ontarians from across the political spectrum can agree that addressing the needs of Northern Ontario is critical – especially for a Premier who campaigned on standing up for Northern Ontario businesses and skilled workers.   Premier Ford’s mandate for supporting Northern Ontario’s economic development, namely ...