Carol Hughes’ Column

Carol Hughes’ Column – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Continues to Remind Us of Important Work Ahead

September 30th marks Canada’s third official National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day is meant to honour Indigenous, Inuit and Métis peoples who have suffered at the hands of Canada’s residential school system and gives each of us a … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Record Wildfire Season May Signal Need for National Fire Team

As we enter the last days of summer, it’s important to reflect on what has been Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, bar none. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), a not-for-profit corporation owned and operated by the federal, … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Phoenix Pay System Debacle Highlights Need for Replacement

It’s been over a decade since the previous Conservative government began to implement the now-infamous Phoenix pay system for public servants. What was initially supposed to be a cost-saving measure for future governments has now ballooned completely out of control. … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – International Students Shouldn’t be Blamed for Housing Crunch

The cost of basic shelter is a hot-button issue for many people these days, particularly for youth. Housing prices are at a peak never experienced in Canada before, and along with it, rent costs have exploded. The cost of a … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Small Businesses Need More Time to Recoup

Small businesses are the engine that drives Canada’s economy. As of December 2021, there were 1.21 million employer businesses in Canada, and of those, the vast majority (1.19 million, or 98 percent) were small businesses. They employ two-thirds of the … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Cabinet Shuffle Must Mean Changing Priorities, Not Just Changing Faces

At the end of July, the Prime Minister made some significant changes to his cabinet.  While cabinet shuffles are a fairly normal part of governing, this particular shuffle has felt a little different. It’s clear that there are several big … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Northern Ontario Riding Redistribution Hurts Northern Ontario

It’s been almost a year since the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario first submitted their proposal to change the electoral map, proposing to eliminate Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, and reducing the total number of ridings across Northern Ontario, from ten to nine. … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – EVs Shouldn’t be a Challenge for Northern Drivers

It’s summer, and for many people, that means a trip on the open road to visit friends, family, or just spending some time at the cottage. For many of us, the distance travelling across this part of the country has … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Windfall Tax on Grocery Chains Gaining

There’s a persistent resilience to inflation rates, and increasing interest rates have done little to cool the economy. The cost of groceries have been a significant challenge for Canadians over the past year and a half in particular, as unlike … Continue reading

Carol Hughes’ Column – Much to Appreciate and Contemplate this Canada Day  

We are only a few days away from Canada Day, and there certainly is a lot to celebrate. While last year’s celebrations were marked as a homecoming of sorts after a long couple of years dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, … Continue reading