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Online voting top priority for Northumberland municipalities

By Robert Washburn

With a municipal election taking place this fall, along with a possible provincial election this spring, the introduction of network voting should be a top priority for Northumberland County as the current system is no longer sustainable. Voter involvement continues to decline to record lows, with less than 50 per cent of eligible residents casting a ballot in the last provincial election. So, the need for electoral reform is vital. To make matters worse, the federal government offered a series of changes last week gutting the current system. In a report released by Ontario Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essena last June, called the Alternative Voting Technologies Report, he outlines the stark realities. Continue Reading →

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Northumberland employers should embrace new minimum wage

By Robert Washburn

It is hard to imagine a hike in Ontario’s minimum wage would do much good across Northumberland. The growing number of empty storefronts on main streets, plazas and inside malls is a sign of the troubled nature of the local economy. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government approved a hike in the minimum wage to $11 per hour starting in June. While local, labour, poverty and social justice advocates praise the increase (although many say it is not enough), neoconservatives and businesses condemn it, saying it will kill jobs. Critics hold on to an antiquated view first proffered in 1946 by economist George Stigler. Continue Reading →

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