Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

As I reflect on the last two weeks, my mind turns to issues of community safety. Transit workers and riders feeling unsafe with escalating levels of violence. Seniors and others stranded on trains ... More

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Earlier this week, I told CTV News that Ontario should leave no one behind. The interview was about the Ford government’s decision to cancel a pandemic-inspired decision to extend OHIP coverage to ... More

Yesterday was budget day at the Legislature, with all the fanfare it brings. As I sat in Ottawa Centre’s chair, leafing quickly through briefings and the budget documents themselves, I drew one maj... More

I hope this note finds you well. As March Break got started last Sunday, we were treated to two of the best basketball games I’ve ever seen. The Ravens won the women’s and men’s national championsh... More

Content warning: graphic violence  In the Legislature and online, I am sometimes accused of being “too woke”.  Socialists like me, the argument goes, have forgotten our roots in labour politics, e... More

Last week, you could hear the sounds of hearts breaking across Ottawa. Why? Because we learned our beloved Rideau Canal Skateway would not open for the current winter season. The National Capital C... More

Earlier this week, I demanded the Ford government apologize to Ottawa residents. Justice Paul Rouleau’s Final Report to the Public Order Emergency Commission leaves no other conclusion. We were aba... More

NOTE: this column contains material on intimate partner violence (IPV) and gender-based violence (GBV). I’m proud to serve Ottawa Centre, but I wasn’t raised here. I spent my youth in Vankleek Hill... More

Allan Fotheringham, a columnist for Macleans, once called Ottawa a “place that fun forgot”, “coma city”, and “ennui-on-the-Rideau”.  While I like caustic wit, I take issue with anti-Ottawa slander.... More