REPORT FROM PARLIAMENT HILL

Eric Melillo, MP, Kenora Riding

Dear Constituents,

I’ve been participating in the House of Commons virtually this week, fighting for the needs of northern Ontarians.

Securing Canada’s North

On Monday, I had the opportunity to question Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee.

I began by asking the Minister about a recent report in the Globe and Mail, outlining the threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.  Shockingly, the Minister rejected the premise of the question and spent most of his answer talking about a completely different topic.

I also questioned Minister Vandal on the effectiveness of Nutrition North, pointing out research showing that food insecurity has gone up, even as spending on the program has increased. I asked the Minister how he measures the success of the program – and he wasn’t able to answer.

The government needs to do better to ensure food security in Canada’s North. But we can’t find improvements if we have no metrics to measure success or failure.

The implication was clear: this Liberal government does not take seriously the threats facing Canada’s North.

Protecting our Environment

Later in the week, I gave a speech in the House of Commons about the government’s failure to protect the environment and safeguard northern communities.

Northern Ontario, particularly remote and Indigenous communities, will be disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change, including severe weather events, shortened winter seasons, and thawing ice. These are regions who are already struggling with poverty and facing severe shortages in infrastructure 

and housing.

Canada needs to work to avert the worst effects of climate change while supporting the communities who have already been affected.

Securing Our Future

At our recent Virtual Convention, Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole announced our 5-point plan to recover the one million jobs lost during this pandemic, enact tough anti-corruption laws to bring accountability back to Parliament, invest in mental health through our Canada Mental Health Action Plan, and secure our economy by balancing the budget in the next decade.

I’m proud to be part of this team fighting for the needs of Canadians as we recover from this crisis.

Working For You

As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, or if you would like to arrange a meeting, please call me at 807-223-2182 (Dryden) or 807-468-2170 (Kenora), or contact me by email at [email protected].   

Sincerely,  

Eric Melillo  

Member of Parliament