2022-09

Friday March 11, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 11, 2022

Military neglect catches up with Canada

November 17, 2015

It was reassuring to hear Justin Trudeau pledge Canada’s unwavering support for its European allies this week. It would have been even better if the prime minister had a strong Canadian military to back him up. But he doesn’t and brave words won’t be enough to make 150,000 Russian soldiers retreat from Ukraine. Just when it’s needed more than at any time since the Second World War, Canada’s military muscle has gone soft because a generation of federal governments consistently went cheap on military spending. And Canadians let them do it.

Our soldiers, sailors and aircrew are without doubt well-trained and respected internationally. But they are too few in number and too poorly equipped to do the job Canada expects them to do. Despite more than a decade of trying, we have yet to replace our ancient fleet of CF-18 fighter jets, our outdated frigates or our retired naval destroyers. Our Armed Forces need 10,000 more people to reach full strength — but such growth is nowhere in sight. In fact, to meet our NATO commitments, we would have to boost our annual $24-billion military budget by about $9 billion. At this point, there is no indication the federal government is prepared to do that.

Thursday March 10, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 10, 2022

Ontario to drop most mask mandates on March 21, remaining pandemic rules to lift by end of April

August 25, 2021

Ontario will scrap most mask mandates — including in schools, restaurants, gyms and stores — across the province on March 21, with remaining COVID-19 regulations also set to drop by the end of April. 

The province says improving health indicators, such as a stable COVID-19 test positivity rate and declining hospitalizations, as well as Ontario’s high vaccination rate and the availability of antiviral treatments, allow for these steps.

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced the new changes Wednesday. 

“We are now learning to live with and manage COVID-19 for the long term,” Moore said. “This necessitates a shift to a more balanced response to the pandemic.”

However, Moore said removing the mask mandate “does not mean the risk is gone” or the pandemic is over.

Wednesday March 9, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 9, 2022

U.S. and U.K. ban Russian oil imports in huge escalation of sanctions

December 24, 2018

President Joe Biden said the U.S. will ban imports of Russian fossil fuels including oil, a major escalation of Western efforts to hobble Russia’s economy that will further strain global crude markets.

“The United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy,” Biden said Tuesday in Washington. “We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war.”

The U.S. move will be matched in part by the U.K., which announced a ban on Russian oil imports on Tuesday, though it will continue to allow natural gas and coal from the country. Other European nations that rely more heavily on Russian fuels will not participate.

Russian oil made up about 3 per cent of all the crude shipments that arrived in the U.S. last year. When other petroleum products are included, such as unfinished fuel oil that can be used to produce gasoline and diesel, Russia accounted for about 8 per cent of 2021 oil imports, though those shipments have also trended lower in recent months.

Tuesday March 8, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 8, 2022

Who’s in, who’s out, and who else might join the Conservative Party leadership race

With Sept. 10 picked as the date for when the Conservative Party of Canada will have a new leader, time is ticking for prospective candidates and their teams to get into place. Those running have until April 19 to throw their hat into the ring and until June 3 to sell memberships.

Here’s a look at the contest so far:

March 3, 2022

IN: Pierre Poilievre: The 42-year-old Ottawa-area MP and well-known Conservative declared his candidacy almost one month ago. He has begun fundraising and holding events. At one, he pledged to cancel the federal carbon tax.

May 24, 2012

CONSIDERING: Jean Charest: The former Quebec premier who led the federal Progressive Conservatives in the mid-1990s is considering a run. He recently held a reception for MPs and senators in Ottawa and met with more of them one-on-one. He says he wanted to see the rules of the race before making a final decision.

Saturday March 5, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday March 5, 2022

Ontario Deputy Premier Christine Elliott confirms she won’t seek re-election

Young Doug Ford: The Series

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is facing another high-profile resignation just months away from the provincial election as Christine Elliott, his deputy premier, announced on Friday that she’s leaving politics.

CBC News broke the news of Elliott’s departure late Thursday.

Elliott has served as health minister since Ford’s Progressive Conservatives took office in 2018, putting her at the forefront of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In a statement issued Friday morning, Elliott said she made the decision to not run in the coming provincial election after “considerable reflection and discussion” with her family.

” I sought elected office in 2006 because of my strong desire to improve the quality of life of individuals with special needs, as well as mental health challenges. I saw gaps in care and that motivated me to action,” Elliott said.