MP Carol Hughes placed on Russia’s Travel Blacklist
Carol Hughes, the Member of Parliament for the riding of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, says she was placed on a Russian travel blacklist for speaking out against the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hughes says she will wear the blacklist as a badge of honour for doing the right thing and standing up for the people of Ukraine.
She adds she was moved by Ukraine President Zelensky’s address to Parliament on Tuesday and will continue to work towards helping refugees in Canada and push for stronger sanctions against Russia.
Russia has blacklisted all elected MPs and Canadian administration, some 300 people.
The Russian-Ukraine conflict
Military analysts say the Russian invasion of Ukraine remains largely stalled, three weeks after it began.
But rocket and artillery attacks continue to take a toll of Ukrainian lives.
Ukraine is accusing Russia of deliberately shelling a theatre in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol that was sheltering one-thousand civilians, including children.
Rescue crews are still going through the rubble, the death toll is unknown.
Attempts to open nine humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee from several cities failed yesterday, with Ukraine accusing Russian forces of opening fire.
Efforts to evacuate civilians will continue today.
Talks continue between Russia and Ukraine
Talks between Russia and Ukraine are to continue but hope is fading that there will be a quick end to the war.
Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky says his minimum conditions include the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, complete sovereignty, and real security guarantees.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine concede its takeover of Crimea in 2014, and recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in the eastern part of the country.
$10-a-day Child-care coming soon
An announcement on a proposed $10-a-day child-care plan is expected to be made in Ontario soon.
That’s according to both Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – who noted families in other provinces are saving money.
The province is the only one that has not signed on to the federal plan.
It aims to reduce child-care fees by an average of 50 per cent by the end of this year and to an average of $10 per day by 2026.
Delaying strike action
Talks between faculty and representatives of Ontario’s 24 colleges will resume today, less than 24 hours before a scheduled strike.
OPSEU says they’ll postpone the walkout of its 16-thousand members if progress is made in the discussions.
The union has demanded the colleges agree to binding interest arbitration, where a mediator creates a new contract based on both sides’ last offers.
However, the colleges’ employment council has said the union’s demands have been unrealistic, and they’re not willing to “split the difference.”
Lockout with rail dispute
CP Rail says it has issued a lockout notice to three-thousand members of the Teamsters Union, effective Sunday morning.
The railway says the union has rejected its latest offer and officials aren’t willing to prolong weeks or months of uncertainty over whether the employees will walk off the job.
The union’s members have already voted overwhelmingly for a strike.
Officials with the Teamsters say they’re willing to continue to work with a federal mediator right up to the Sunday deadline.
