A national study on food security in northern communities has resumed.
Kenora MP Eric Melillo sits on the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee and says he’s looking forward to continue working on that.
He says the first priority is hearing testimony on some of the issues that are happening and finding solutions on how we can alleviate the prevalence of food and security across the riding and country.
Melillo says he will also continue to lobby for high-speed Internet across northern Ontario.
“The government has allocated a lot of money. They have announced a lot of improvements that we frankly haven’t quite seen in our region yet. So we want to know where this money has been going, where the support it is and when we can expect to see these much needed improvements in broadband.”
Kenora MP Eric Melillo January 25-29 Weekly Column
Dear Constituents,
The House of Commons resumed this week. It was great to have the opportunity to raise local issues in the House of Commons again.
Promoting food security and affordable housing
I was glad to see several local witnesses testify before Parliamentary Committees on Tuesday.
At Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Jason Smallboy and I discussed food security and the state of winter roads in NAN communities.
Later in the evening, I also joined the HUMA Committee to talk to Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) CAO Henry Wall about the housing crisis in our region. We spoke about how government red tape prevents smaller communities from providing affordable housing.
I’m appreciative of the work that Deputy Grand Chief Smallboy and Mr. Wall do in our communities, and for their efforts to advocate for our riding in Ottawa.
Common-sense policies to crack down on Crime
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, I was proud to vote in favour of my Conservative colleague MP Bob Arroyo’s Private Member’s Bill C-238, which I jointly seconded.
Instead of criminalizing hunters and sport shooters, MP Arroyo’s Bill would have cracked down on illegal gun smuggling. This is the sort of common-sense firearm policy Conservatives support. Unfortunately, the Liberals and NDP voted against it.
Demanding action on rural internet
During Question Period on Thursday, I demanded answers on promised internet upgrades to the communities of Madsen and Shoal Lake #39. Funding was announced in 2016 – but residents have seen very little improvement since then.
Bringing reliable internet to northern, rural, and remote communities across Canada has been one of my top priorities since being elected MP. We’ve waited far too long, and our communities cannot afford to fall further behind.
Advancing Reconciliation:
At INAN Committee Thursday night, I questioned witnesses about Bill C-8, which would amend Canada’s Oath of Citizenship to respect Indigenous treaty rights. While I support this symbolic change, I’m concerned about the lack of action on issues of direct importance to the everyday lives of Indigenous peoples.
The government must take real action to address the issues facing Indigenous peoples, including boil water advisories and infrastructure deficits.
Working for you
I am fighting to support families, workers, and business owners who have been impacted by the current crisis.
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 eric.melillo@parl.gc.ca.
Sincerely,
Eric Melillo
Member of Parliament
