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From 2014 to 2020, Erin wrote a series of blogs on issues impacting Canada and his riding of Durham. He also chronicled the changing geopolitical landscape during this time and the creeping influence of social media on politics and society. We invite you to explore these blogs that were often published in local, and occasionally national, papers. From 2020 onward, Erin focused on the Blue Skies podcast and eventually his Blue Skies Substack page, so you can explore his ongoing examination of issues on those sites.
On April 21st, Finance Minister Joe Oliver rose to deliver Economic Action Plan 2015 in the House of Commons. This budget was important for many reasons, but was groundbreaking for two central reasons. First, it represents a balanced budget for Canada, which makes our country the first in the G7 group of nations to balance […]
In 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau famously said that Members of Parliament were “nobodies” once they got 50 yards away from Parliament Hill. I have always been offended by this flippant comment for two reasons. First, it showed profound contempt for our parliamentary democracy and the role of an MP representing their community in Ottawa. […]
An issue that is always top of mind in discussions I have with people across Durham is health care. We are fortunate to live in a country with one of the best healthcare systems in the world and have the peace of mind knowing excellent care is there for our family if we need it. […]
Like most of us, I have been deeply impacted by some incredibly strong women in my life. From my youth to my time in the military, the corporate world, to my political team in Durham and Ottawa, I am fortunate to have been inspired, influenced, assisted and mentored by female leaders and team members. I […]
When I was voted in as your Member of Parliament in 2012, I pledged to be accessible. I receive a lot of emails and written correspondence each week and this has increased since my appointment as Minister of Veterans Affairs. I have always enjoyed this aspect of my job because you get to hear the […]
Winston Churchill once said “a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on”. He said this decades before the email and social media became the popular mediums for communication, so today a lie – or incorrect information – can travel ten times around the world before […]
I have written a few times about the horrible attacks on Canada last fall and the deaths of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo. In a cruel twist of irony, the October 22nd attack on Parliament happened on a day that our government was planning to announce legislative changes to provide our intelligence […]
When I am home from my duties in Ottawa, I always try to make some time to do some local shopping. I always get that feeling of pride at how unique the downtown shopping experience is in our downtown core. The care that has been taken to preserve the rich heritage of our buildings and […]
A lot can change in two weeks. Since the time of my last column, we have welcomed a new year and we are finally starting to see the winter that did not show up for Christmas. Last week, I was also given the tremendous honour and responsibility of serving in cabinet as the Minister of […]
I am writing this column from Nova Scotia, where my family and I have enjoyed a Christmas holiday with my in-laws. Nova Scotia is my second home; I was stationed at Canadian Forces Base Shearwater outside of Halifax during my years flying on the Sea King helicopter and sailing with the Navy. I met my wife Rebecca during my […]
