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Kenora MP Eric Melillo

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Melillo Not Happy With Continued Travel Mandates

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The MP for the Kenora Riding believes Canada should get rid of all COVID-19 travel mandates.

Eric Melillo says unfortunately our country isn’t following the rest of the world when it comes to testing travelers.

“Canada really remains an outlier in the G-7 in terms of the COVID-19 restrictions,” says Melillo.

“It seems like the science we’re following here is different than the science that all of our allies are utilizing, and that’s the frustration that we’re experiencing.”

Earlier this month, the Canadian government indicated it would continue testing requirements for
international travelers until at least the end of September.

That’s decision Melillo says is unnecessary.

“We’re seeing most other countries around the world moving on, moving away from these mandates and I think that’s the direction we should be going as well.”

Foreign travelers will still need to provide proof of being fully vaccinated to enter the country and unvaccinated Canadians or permanent residents will need to provide a molecular COVID-19 test taken prior to entering and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

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MP’s Looking At Rogers Outage

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Parliamentarians are looking into the outage at Roger’s earlier this month.

Kenora MP Eric Melillo calls the outage unacceptable.

“The Rogers outage never should have happened and I believe its the result of federal policy failures,” states Melillo.

“That’s why our party is calling on the Industry minister to review the regulations on our telecommunications infrastructure and security and as well looking at competitiveness.”

Melillo is demanding a full report to parliamentarians.

“Outlining the specific cause of this outage and the steps that will taken to address it in that respect.”

Melillo would also like to see the government prohibit telecommunications companies from getting larger and limit mergers like the one between Shaw and Rogers.

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Carbon Tax Rises Again Today

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Already high gas prices might be going even higher.

A carbon tax increase will go into effect today.

Kenora MP Eric Melillo says the carbon tax is significant.

“Eleven cents a litre on fuel…in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been and our party (Conservatives) been calling for the government to put a pause on the Carbon Tax increase this year, given the fact the cost of living is so expensive across our region and across the country,” states Melillo.

Melillo says the Conservatives have suggested ways to make the cost of gas less expensive.

“We’ve been calling for the government to reduce the GST that’s is paid on fuel. We’re hoping the upcoming budget doesn’t include any new tax hikes. So we’ve been trying to bring forward some suggestions for the government to take in order to keep taxes low, and we’re not hitting Canadians with an even higher cost of living.”

The next federal budget will be brought down on April 7.

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Domtar At Work For The Planet: A Better Place To Work, Live And Play

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Community members took time out of their Saturday morning to help make our town a cleaner, safer and better place.

About 35 volunteers showed up at Lions Park and Laura Howe Marsh to take part in Domtar’s, in partnership with the City of Dryden, ‘At Work For The Planet’ clean up day in celebration of National Forestry Week.

Wilkinson Family

 

Among the volunteers were Jill and Duncan Wilkinson with their three daughters.

“We like to try and get them involved in the community and show them ways they can help out and be good citizens. We live near the park and use it really often. I know in the past it’s had a lot of garbage so it’s nice to see everyone come out and help to keep the park clean so that everyone can enjoy it.”

Raje Kumer, another volunteer explains why he took part.

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“We’re here to work for the community because community and business has to grow together. So by making the community clean, we make it safe, healthy and a better place.”

MP for the Kenora Riding, Eric Melillo was also at Lion’s Park and he was glad to participate.

“It’s great to see lots of people come out for an important cause and help clean up the community and out spaces we all enjoy. I also want to thank the folks at Domtar for their efforts and working with the town to make this a reality, especially in these really difficult times right now. It’s important we keep out community strong and we stick together even if we are physically a part from each other. I know the resilience of Northerners and we step up to the challenge.”

Volunteers cleared brush, assisted with some repair work and cleaned up garbage.

Speaking for Domtar, Bonnie Skene says they greatly appreciate all the volunteers who make this initiative and clean-up days possible.

With help from the Northwestern Health Unit, the event was able to proceed despite new provincial regulations of gatherings due to COVID-19, as it was a monitored event that followed health of safety guidelines.

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Eric Melillo Not Supporting Throne Speech

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Kenora MP Eric Melillo is calling yesterday’s Throne Speech incredibly disappointing.

“Promising nearly every single broken Liberal promise of the past. So it’s a lot of new spending. Nothing to help Canadians who are worried about their health, their loved ones, their jobs or for those of us who are living in the North.”

The Conservative says Canadians should be very concerned as there is no plan to pay down the deficit with a government pledge to spend even more money.

Melillo says there was very little mention of support for northern Ontario.

“One thing I did hear was, explicitly, that the government was going to continue to further restrict firearms rights. In a speech filled with vague promises and platitudes, I found it was interesting that they chose to explicitly target firearms owners in Northern Canada once again.”

Melillo notes “They were talking about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. They were talking about the need for drinking water, infrastructure, Internet connectivity, many of those improvements. But the thing is these are all promises that the Liberals have made before.”

He stresses the Liberals have been in power for five years and have failed to deliver so he has very little expectations that this will be any different than the times past.

Melillo isn’t speculating if the Opposition will reject the Throne Speech and force an election.

However, he is making it very clear that the Conservatives won’t support it in its current form.

Debate on the Throne Speech begins Thursday in the House of Commons and Melillo will be participating remotely.

To hear more from Eric Melillo, visit the Audio link below.

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Weekly Update From Kenora MP Eric Melillo

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Weekly Update from Kenora MP Eric Melillo

Fighting for a better Canada

I’m often inspired by the strength and resilience of my constituents.

Samantha and Doug Atchison’s daughter Jo-Hannah was born completely blind and has been learning throughout her life how to manage the challenges that presents.

Since meeting the Atchisons in Kenora last year, I’ve been working with them to develop policies that will help visually impaired Canadians live independently and participate fully in everyday life. One of the issues they raised with me was the fact that warning labels on hazardous products are not always accessible.

Many common household products are dangerous, and labelled accordingly. If you look in your cupboards or under your kitchen sink, you’ll likely find a number of everyday items marked as corrosive or poisonous. But if you can’t see those labels, it is very easy to mistake a hazardous item for something more innocuous. This is a safety risk and a barrier to independence.

That’s why I’m joining the Atchisons in advocating for the government to require braille or tactile symbols on consumer product warning labels. This is a common-sense solution that would make a big difference in the lives of the 1.5 million Canadians who are visually impaired.

We’ve created a parliamentary petition calling for this reform. I encourage everyone to take a moment and sign it here: ericmelillomp.ca/petition2.

I look forward to continuing to work with the Atchisons and other disability advocates to make Canada a more accessible place for everyone.

Congratulations Erin O’Toole!

Last week, the Conservative Party elected a new leader: the Honourable Erin O’Toole.

I endorsed Erin O’Toole during the leadership campaign because I know he has the skills and experience necessary to lead the Conservatives into the next election and to help our country navigate these troubled times.

A successful lawyer who has represented his riding of Durham in Parliament since 2012, Erin O’Toole has served his country both as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and as Minister of Veterans Affairs under Prime Minister Harper.

An Ontario MP with roots across the country, Erin O’Toole understands the issues facing every region of Canada. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to him extensively and I know he will be a voice for Northern Ontario.

I look forward to working with him as Leader of the Opposition, and to making him our next Prime Minister.

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 eric.melillo@parl.gc.ca.

 

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Weekly Update From Kenora MP Eric Melillo

Kenora MP Eric Melillo says he’s not giving up the fight for financial assistance to help the struggling tourism industry.

Melillo stresses it’s time for the Trudeau Liberals to take the proper action and provide some support as soon as possible.

“I understand the frustration that the tourist operators are facing, the seasonal businesses, because they’ve been overlooked by the federal government in terms of support. So I’ve been continuing advocating for them.”

The Conservative member notes he’s had some very good conversations with ministers and department officials over the past week to make sure they are fully aware of the situation.

“Unfortunately we haven’t been able to secure commitments from the federal government so we’re going to continue on (lobbying).”

Melillo says the very least that government can do is try and provide some certainty in terms of financial compensation.

Here is the weekend column from Kenora MP Eric Melillo

Moving Forward Together

Dear Constituents,

I was relieved to learn that our region of Ontario has progressed to Stage 2 of the economic re-opening, allowing campgrounds, restaurant patios, salons, outdoor recreation facilities, and other businesses to resume operations.

I’d like to thank the Ontario government for their pragmatic approach to this economic and public health crisis. I am confident that our businesses will manage this re-opening safely and responsibly.

Over the last few months, I’ve had many productive conversations with local business owners, tourism operators, and resource industry representatives about what they will need going forward.

Just because the economy is re-opening, it doesn’t mean our economy has recovered. Seasonal operations have already lost a large chunk of their summer season, local businesses have lost income, and workers have lost their jobs.

That’s why I’m still fighting for more support for our region. The Kenora riding is facing unique challenges because so much of our economy is reliant on tourists from the US. Many local businesses are struggling to get by with reduced revenue while they wait for the border to re-open, and I am urging the federal government to provide clarity in addition to adequate funding. Tourist operators in particular need direct support if they are going to survive.

As of right now, the federal government simply has not done enough.

Supporting Our Community

I’m incredibly proud of the generosity and resourcefulness of people across the Kenora riding as we face this pandemic together. Throughout our riding, individuals and organizations are stepping up to serve our community.

Businesses like Lake of the Woods Brewing Company have overhauled their production processes to make hand sanitizer.

Restaurants like Quesada, culinary students from Seven Generations, and faith groups like Jubilee Church in Kenora have been providing meals to the homeless.

The Ne-Chee Friendship Centre is partnering with Dr. Jonny Grek to provide job opportunities to the homeless population, in addition to delivering emergency food hampers.

Members of Northern Youth Programs in Dryden are delivering PPE by plane to remote First Nations communities, and True North Aid has partnered with Grand Council Treaty 3 to donate furniture to communities in need.

And of course, organizations like the Sioux Lookout Out of the Cold shelter are providing emergency accommodations to vulnerable people.

This is just a small fraction of the work that is being done by good Samaritans across the riding. This public health situation has made their humanitarian work more challenging – and even more essential.

I was happy to give a speech in the House of Commons celebrating these citizens, encouraging all Canadians to follow their example.

In Question Period, I raised concerns from local business owners about the Canada Summer Jobs program. Many businesses and organizations in the Kenora riding have applied for funding through this program, and have told me that lengthy wait times for approval have made it difficult to budget and recruit workers.

Questioning Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough, I suggested that the Canada Summer Jobs application process be opened earlier in the year. This common-sense solution would allow businesses to be notified well before the summer, giving them more time to plan.

Minister Qualtrough replied that this was an excellent suggestion, and pledged to follow up.

Indigenous History Month

June is National Indigenous History Month. I’d like to thank all my Indigenous constituents for their contributions to Canada and to our riding. It is my honour to collaborate with Indigenous leaders and community members to get real results for the issues you face.

At Your Service
As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 807-468-2170 or by email at eric.melillo@parl.gc.ca.

Sincerely,
Eric Melillo
Member of Parliament – Kenora riding

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Kenora MP Continues To Seek Firearm Ban Answers

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The MP for Kenora continues to press Public Safety Minister Bill Blair for answers on new firearm restrictions.

Eric Melillo says little or no clarity has been provided on several Conservative party concerns.

“Define certain terms like ‘military-style’ which he often uses. He has no estimates on how many gangs or criminal organizations are going to be able to have more difficulty finding guns. He wasn’t able to share any information about how many guns are smuggled over the border with the United States.”

Melillo says the lack of answers shows that this isn’t an evidence-based policy but a political one for the Liberals.

Melillo stresses there are so many people, hunters, sport shooters, collectors, who are going to be impacted by this. The Minister admitted that many of these firearms are in need used for hunting and his own policy actually reflects that.”

He notes “There approach to this is only going to hurt the people in our region that use firearms to provide for their families or to shoot targets recreationally. It’s going to do nothing to combat gun crime and gun violence.”

Melillo grilled the Public Safety Minister during a recent virtual sitting of Parliament.