Report From Parliament Hill:

Fighting for you

Eric Melillo - MP, Kenora Riding

Dear Constituents,
I hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable August.
Fighting for the Tourism Sector
Our local tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdowns and ongoing border closure.  
Since this crisis began, I’ve been using every opportunity I have as an Opposition MP to fight for financial support to operators who’ve been impacted. I have spoken in Parliament about the issues faced by the sector, privately lobbied the government, and written multi-partisan letters with other Northern Ontario MPs calling for grants and emergency funding. But if we want the government to listen, everyday Canadians need to speak up. 
That’s why I’m sponsoring my constituent’s petition calling for financial support to tourism operators. I urge everyone to sign it at: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2737.  
Liberal government in chaos  
Scandal-plagued Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau resigned last week, having come under fire for his involvement in the government’s WE scandal. The next day, Prime Minister Trudeau prorogued Parliament until late September.  
This cynical shutdown of Parliament will halt Committee investigations into Liberal ethics violations. It also shuts down the work Opposition parties have been doing to help Canadians by fixing the government’s flawed pandemic response programs.
Frankly, I’m appalled by Prime Minister Trudeau’s decision to walk out on Canadians in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. Canada needs stable leadership more than ever – but Liberal scandals have thrown this government into chaos to cover up their own corruption.  
Learning from other jurisdictions
Last week, I travelled to Alberta with my Ontario colleagues, MPs Eric Duncan and Scott Aitchison. We appreciated Alberta MPs Tom Kmiec, Greg McLean, Jasraj Singh Hallan, and Blake Richards taking the time to host us and introduce us to business owners and industry representatives.  
As a Member of the Natural Resources Committee, I enjoyed touring CES Energy Solutions and the Shepard Energy Centre, Alberta’s largest natural gas-fuelled power generating facility.  
We also took part in an informative roundtable discussion with tourism operators in Canmore and Banff. Learning about the state of the sector across Canada will help me advocate for support to operators in Northern Ontario and throughout the country.
At your service:
As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, or if you would like to arrange a meeting, please do not hesitate to call me at 807-468-2170 (Kenora) or 807-223-2182 (Dryden) or contact me by email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Eric Melillo
Member of Parliament – Kenora riding