By MPP Toby Barrett In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a Criminal Code ruling that a federal ban on assisted suicide is unconstitutional. In the court’s view, assistance in dying should be granted to a competent adult person who clearly consents to the termination of their life, and has a grievous … Continue reading “Assisted dying law must protect patients and doctors”
Year: 2017
By MPP Toby Barrett Municipalities play a significant role in our daily lives across Ontario. Each year 2,800 locally-elected officials in 444 municipal governments allocate something like $53 billion in programs and services, ranging from roads and culverts to water, waste water and solid waste to social housing, libraries and arenas. People in Ontario pay … Continue reading “Municipal responsibilities and fiscal realities”
By MPP Toby Barrett A year-and-a-half ago, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce warned Premier Wynne that five per cent of businesses will either shut their doors or move out of Ontario because of the rising cost of energy. Regrettably, the business environment has now further deteriorated with large and unpredictable global adjustment charges on electricity, … Continue reading “First skyrocketing electricity– now cap-and-trade”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 6, 2017 PORT DOVER – As Ontario residents are starting to see the reality of the government’s cap-and-trade tax, the phone calls are starting to come into MPP Toby Barrett’s office. One of the common complaints is how it’s unfair for the HST to be applied on top of the … Continue reading “Barrett slams ‘tax on a tax’”
By MPP Toby Barrett Hospital bed cuts, service cuts, funding cuts, and downsizing – this was a common theme from nurses, physicians and patients testifying before this winter’s province-wide tour of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. Ontario hospital budgets have remained virtually frozen over the past five years – five years of … Continue reading “Because of cuts, hospitals continue to transform”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 24, 2017 SIMCOE – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett wants to make area hunters aware of several proposals to change small game seasons. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has an Environmental Bill of Rights posting proposing to change and simplify small game seasons across the province. Comments are … Continue reading “Input sought on small game regulations”
By MPP Toby Barrett Over the past few weeks I have been travelling the province for annual Finance Committee Pre-Budget Consultations. Last week in London, testimony from Susan MacKenzie hit home. Susan belongs to the Alliance Against School Closures and is from the Township of Dawn-Euphemia – an area in the throes of the Ministry … Continue reading “What’s behind the closing of our small schools?”
By MPP Toby Barrett Trees are a renewable crop – harvest, plant, and harvest again. People’s opinions on the forestry industry vary, but perhaps they don’t know for every tree harvested, three take root. Over its 100-year history our local St. Williams Forestry Station has shipped something like two billion seedlings. Only 0.5 per cent … Continue reading “Forestry can be one of Ontario’s greatest opportunities”
For immediate release: Jan. 18, 2017 QUEEN’S PARK – Canada’s leading retailer of packaged meats is also feeling the heat from Ontario’s high electricity prices. Today, Rory McAlpine, senior vice-president government and media relations of Maple Leaf Foods, testified before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. Maple Leaf, headquartered in Toronto, markets … Continue reading “Electricity costs threat to food processing”
By MPP Toby Barrett January 1st kicked off 2017 with significant price hikes at the pumps courtesy the Ontario Liberal government’s cap and trade legislation. I obviously voted against that bill. Another reality is that Canada is putting a price on carbon, the nature of which is still being negotiated with the provinces. With national … Continue reading “Ontario’s cap and trade, Canada’s price on carbon”