Peter Tabuns

See you next Wednesday - September 23rd !
Details here: https://freegrassy.net/

PASMA: FORD GOVERNMENT’S TOUGH TALK ON U.S. GOES QUIET AS STAPLES OVERCHARGES EDUCATORS

QUEEN’S PARK –– Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Education Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West––Nepean) is continuing to call on Doug Ford and his Conservative government to throw out their school supplies deal with American-owned Staples, following news that the retailer is charging Ontario educators higher-than-retail prices through the provincial portal:

“This was a bad deal from the beginning,” said Pasma. “Forcing Ontario teachers and education workers to rely on one American-owned corporation for school supplies never made sense. To now find out that Staples was charging them more through the provincial portal would defy belief if it weren’t so on-brand for the Ford government.

“Doug Ford and Minister Calandra never made this deal to help Ontario’s classrooms, they did it to help corporations pump up their bottom line at the expense of our kids and educators. It’s interesting how their tough talk against the United States doesn’t extend to an American corporation price-gouging Ontario’s educators and taking money out of our classrooms.

“The Ford government needs to get serious on Buy Ontario First mandates, and on education. Give our schools the funding they need, and let our educators stand up for Canada by giving them the ability to shop local. Better yet, they should actually invest in our classrooms so teachers and education workers aren’t scrambling to buy supplies.”

Chandra Pasma Elementary Educators Ontario Parents for Education Support EastEnd Parents

On Wednesday September 23rd, 2026, community members and leaders will travel 1,700km from FreeGrassy: Grassy Narrows Solidarity to Toronto to demand that Ontario and Canada:

🔶Compensate everyone in Grassy Narrows fairly for the mercury crisis
🔶End the pollution by stopping the Dryden mill and ending mining and nuclear waste plans that threaten Grassy Narrows
🔶Support Grassy Narrows in restoring their community and way of life from the damage that mercury has done.

FreeGrassy: Grassy Narrows Solidarity

Follow this link to RSVP -- https://actionnetwork.org/events/river-run-2026

Thanks to East End Community Health Centre for their care-filled programming like this 7 week option, focusing on health eating for healthy aging!

MPP PASMA URGES FORD, CALANDRA TO AVOID STUDENT TRANSPORTATION DISRUPTION

OTTAWA — Chandra Pasma, Ontario NDP MPP for Ottawa West—Nepean and Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Education released the following statement in response to news of potential disruption to student transportation in Eastern Ontario:

“The Ford government has known for years that their student transportation funding formula is broken. It is families who end up on the hook time and time again, and yet the Premier and Minister of Education refuse to fix it. Now, families across Eastern Ontario face a situation where there could be no school buses on the first day of school.

“We saw what happened firsthand in Renfrew County when no buses were running. Parents have to spend time and money getting their kids to school, impacting the family budget and employment. Some kids just won’t be at school at all.

“This can’t happen again in Ontario. The Minister of Education needs to roll up his sleeves, get to the table, and conclude an agreement with bus operators quickly so that they can hire drivers and be prepared to run routes on the first day of school.

“The Ford government must stop the repeated cuts, and properly fund every part of our education system so that our kids get the supports they deserve, including student transportation.”

Chandra Pasma

ICYMI -
FAO REPORT SHOWS ONTARIO LOSING CONSTRUCTION JOBS WHILE HOUSING CRISIS CONTINUES

QUEEN'S PARK – The latest FAO economic report highlights troubling warning signs for Ontario's economy, including the loss of more than 4000 construction jobs; the weakest housing starts in the country, declining public investment, and rising food prices.

"At a time when Ontario desperately needs more homes, we're losing construction jobs and housing activity is weak,” said Shadow Minister for Finance and Treasury Board Jessica Bell (University—Rosedale). “Every construction job lost means fewer homes built and fewer opportunities for workers. Ontario has the worst house starts in Canada and it’s clear Doug Ford’s plan is failing to make homes more affordable for Ontarians."

The Ontario NDP is renewing their calls for Homes Ontario, a public agency to build and finance affordable housing construction and create good jobs, alongside renewed public investment in hospitals, schools, transit and other critical public services.

"Instead of pointing to global uncertainty, the government should focus on what it can control: building affordable homes, creating jobs and helping families afford the basics,” said Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Catherine Fife (Waterloo). Ontarians can’t afford a scandal plagued premier whose strategy for an improved economy is to cross their fingers and hope global issues solve themselves."

Jessica Bell Catherine Fife

ONDP: FORD, WSIB BETRAY WORKERS AGAIN

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario NDP Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay—Superior North) blasted today's move to close numerous offices, including all northern regional offices, and cut 500 workers:

"Today's announcement is a complete betrayal," said Vaugeois. "It is a betrayal of workers, and the many among them that suffer from workplace injuries. At a time when the demand for workers in construction, forestry, and mining is increasing, the WSIB has now made it exponentially harder for people to access support.

"Doug Ford's Conservative government has spent nearly their entire time in office attempting to cut support for injured workers. The Premier has made it his mission to withhold billions of dollars meant to be held in trust for workers who became ill or injured on the job, instead giving massive rebates to employers, including those with abysmal safety records.

"This is not a government that is looking out for workers, but one that is ready to throw them on the garbage heap the moment they become sick or injured on the job."

Lise Vaugeois Jamie West NDP

ONDP: CALANDRA WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON ATTACKS RATHER THAN FIXING EDUCATION

OTTAWA – NDP Shadow Minister for Education, Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West – Nepean) has released the following statement after news that the government is preparing attack ads against teachers and education workers:

“Teachers offered to start bargaining back in March to ensure predictability for students and families,” said Pasma. "If the government had come to the table in good faith and focused on reaching agreements, we could already have certainty for students, parents, teachers and education workers heading into the school year.

"Ford's Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, has wasted months on procedural fights, and now the government is wasting taxpayer dollars on attack ads while refusing to address the very real challenges of class sizes and school violence. Students in Ontario deserve solutions, not political theatre.”

Check here for the link to the Trillium article:
https://www.petertabuns.ca/ondp_calandra_wasting_taxpayer_dollars_on_attacks_rather_than_fixing_education

Chandra Pasma Saratorontodanforth East End Parents 4 Public Education