Consider This (https://consider-this.ca/category/columns/page/7/)
Column for local newspaper
By Robert Washburn
The Ontario Provincial Police – the Wal-Mart of law enforcement – are rolling back its prices starting in January. The OPP came up with a new funding model, which it introduced last week at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual meeting in London. (more…) Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is in very deep trouble, needing huge support from municipalities, businesses and the public, if it hopes to survive. Sadly, it is caught up in a complex set of circumstances that must play out before its final fate will be determined. This involves some very unpleasant, possibly controversial steps. (more…) Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
The appointment of Northumberland MPP Lou Rinaldi as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is more than a little disappointing, reflecting poorly on Premier Kathleen Wynne. Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal was given the agriculture portfolio in addition to his existing job as Minister for Rural Affairs. While he may be competent, there was no need to place additional responsibilities on his shoulders, especially after Rinaldi’s victory. He is one of the few Liberals representing a rural riding. (more…) Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
As the provincial party leaders rally support and slam each other over their respective records leading up to the June 12 election, it is essential for voters in Northumberland County to listen carefully. Like hucksters at a carnival, Tory leader Tim Hudak, Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne and NDP leader Andrea Horwath will slide through the riding looking to sell their snake oil and make off. We will be told the important issues are jobs, the economy and whatever flavour of the moment they have picked. Meanwhile, little attention will be paid to the realities of rural life and the struggles faced by residents. Rural Ontario is in crisis. Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
Northumberland voters will not be easily fooled. As Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne, Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak and NDP leader Andrea Horvath criss-cross the province making their promises and outlining their policies, the electorate in the county just shake their heads. Unlike any other recent election, there are very clear choices. The party platforms are very distinct, aimed at each party’s core voters. The stark differences should make the choice very easy come June 12. Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
As Port Hope High School students Mac Evans and Kaitlin Calbery lay a wreath at the Canadian Military Cemetery Beny-sur-Mer as part of the official ceremonies taking place later this week marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, it is a good time to reflect on the contribution local men and women made during this historic battle. In an effort to end four years of German occupation, Allied forces invaded Western Europe on June 6, 1944. Nearly 150,000 troops landed on an 80-kilometre stretch of beach along the coast of Normandy, 14,000 were Canadians. Facing a barrage of artillery, machine guns, mines and booby-traps, the invasion was a success, turning the tide of the war. But, it was not just the troops on the beaches playing a role. Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
Conservative commentators, pundits and politicians are saying Ontarians were unable to face the honesty and tough love message delivered by leader Tim Hudak during the provincial election. It would be just as valid to read goat entrails when discerning the results of last Thursday’s election where Premier-elect Kathleen Wynne won a majority with 59 seats over the 27 won by the Progressive Conservatives and 21 garnered by the NDP. No doubt, the Progressive Conservatives are looking for some form of rhetoric to soothe the painful loss, so blaming the voters who did not support them fits in with the rest of the twisted logic that failed to deliver them to power. What would be more scrumptious would be sitting in Monday’s PC caucus meeting as the blame game unfolded. It would be a bloodletting worthy of any abattoir. Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
A few individuals will solemnly gather at Lucas Point Park, behind the Belden plant, on Willmott Street in Cobourg, on April 28 at 4:15 p.m., holding a ceremony to honour those who were injured or died where they work. Some workplaces will take a moment of silence. But for most of us, it will just be another Monday. The event, called the National Day of Mourning, is meant to remember lives lost in the workplace and to inspire us to prevent further tragedies. If it like most days, on average, three people will die at their place of work on this day. Continue Reading →
By Robert Washburn
With the recent visit of Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak to Northumberland last week and Premier Kathleen Wynne’s upcoming visit to Port Hope next week, it appears the unofficial general election in Ontario is already underway. It is serious campaigning. Taxpayers pay some of it, as politicians devise ways to make it look like government business; and other times it is a partisan event funded by the party. It is an opportunity to streamline messages, field test policies, and take the temperature of the electorate. Meanwhile, there is plausible deniability where no one admits they are in election mode. Continue Reading →
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 →