2023-03

Saturday February 18, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 18, 2023

Emergencies Act report finds Trudeau met threshold to shut down convoy protest

February 10, 2022

Police dysfunction, stubborn politics and a failure of federalism turned last winter’s “Freedom Convoy” protests into a national crisis that warranted the first-ever use of the Emergencies Act, Ontario Justice Paul Rouleau concluded in a much-anticipated report.

Rouleau determined — “with reluctance” — that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government met the “very high threshold” to trigger the act and create a host of extraordinary police powers to quash the protests. But Rouleau also called the protests “legitimate,” and blamed government leaders and police for failing to “properly manage” the demonstrations against COVID-19 health measures, which he described as a predictable response to a disruptive pandemic.

“Had various police forces and levels of government prepared for and anticipated events of this type and acted differently in response to the situation, the emergency that Canada ultimately faced could likely have been avoided,” Rouleau wrote in the report, which was released Friday. “Unfortunately, it was not.”

October 27, 2022

Rouleau blamed the police for a “series of failures” that “contributed to a situation that spun out of control.” He called the crisis a “failure of federalism,” concluding that — at least sometimes — political leaders from different levels of government did not “rise above politics and collaborate for the common good.”

Rouleau also singled out Trudeau for using inflammatory language when he said during the crisis that protesters were part of a “fringe minority” with “unacceptable views.” This made the situation worse by “further embittering” protesters towards government authorities, Rouleau wrote. Even though Trudeau may have been referring to racist and extremist messages — Nazi and Confederate flags were spotted at the Ottawa protest — Rouleau wrote the prime minister should have acknowledged “the majority of protesters were exercising their fundamental democratic rights” to denounce what they saw as government overreach.

February 15, 2022

Speaking later on Parliament Hill, Trudeau expressed regret about his words about convoy protesters for the first time.

“I wished I’d have said that differently,” he told reporters.

He added that there is still a “very small number of people in this country who deliberately spread misinformation that led to Canadians’ deaths” during the pandemic.

Trudeau also recognized that governments, including his own, could have worked better together during the crisis. He pledged to carefully study and respond to Rouleau’s 56 recommendations — which call for better intelligence-sharing between police agencies, changes to the Emergencies Act and improved government transparency, among other things — within six months.

February 19, 2022

“We didn’t want to have to invoke the Emergencies Act. It’s a measure of last resort. But the risks to personal safety, the risk to livelihoods and, equally, the risk of people losing faith in the rule of law that upholds our society and our freedoms — those risks were real, and responsible leadership required us to restore peace and order,” Trudeau said.

In Calgary, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — who expressed support for convoy protesters during the crisis — accused Trudeau of fomenting the crisis by making COVID-19 vaccines a political issue in the 2021 federal election.

“He thinks that if you’re afraid of your neighbour, you’ll forget that you can’t pay your rent. If you’re afraid of a trucker, you might forget that you’re hungry and take your eyes off of the guy who caused the problem in the first place,” Poilievre said, blaming the prime minister for inflation and a host of other problems. (The Peterborough Examiner) 

 

Helping the Hosers

Illustration by Graeme MacKay – Friday February 17, 2023

Bob & Doug McKenzie take on a beer tax hike

A couple of hosers are telling the Liberal government to take off over its plans to introduce a 6.3% tax increase for beer in April.

July 23, 2004

Working with scriptwriters Larry MacInnis and former MacLean’s humour columnist Scott Feschuk, actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas have resurrected their beloved Canadiana characters Bob and Doug McKenzie for a series of scrappy, quick-turnaround radio ads that use their trademark humour to take on the planned tax increase.

The national radio campaign is from Beer Canada, an advocacy organization representing 50 brewers ranging in size from the Canadian divisions of the global multinationals, to regional brewers and what president CJ Hélie describes as a “smattering” of the country’s small craft brewers.

It is one of the first public outreach campaigns from Beer Canada as part of a new communications mandate under Hélie, a longtime beverage alcohol executive who joined the organization in 2021. “I believe that to be successful in government advocacy, you need to convince the public and the general electorate,” said Hélie. “You will see us continually out talking to consumers from now on.”

October 15, 2021

Beer Canada was looking for a way to deliver its message in a way that would resonate with consumers, and perhaps even get the attention of the country’s MPs, said Hélie. “We thought we had a really good message, but who would be the messenger?

“So we thought ‘How can we raise the level of discourse out there?’ We were going back and forth on ideas, when [Beer Canada’s vice-president of strategic communications] Karine Cousineau said ‘What about Bob and Doug McKenzie.?”

The McKenzie Brothers were once familiar faces in Canadian ad-land, appearing in campaigns for brands including Pizza Hut Canada, Mr. Lube, Molson Golden, and Molson Ice (alongside the late hockey great Guy Lafleur).

However, Moranis and Thomas have largely retired the characters, who last appeared publicly in a 2017 benefit for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. Their last TV appearance was a 2007 CBC Television special entitled Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Two-Four Anniversary.

Cousineau reached out to their agents, and got a call from Moranis later that day. “He said, ‘I understand you’re looking to perhaps bring Bob and Doug back together,’” said Hélie. “That’s very unlikely, since we haven’t done anything in a long time, but what’s your pitch?’”

September 24, 2015

Hélie said the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids star was immediately receptive to appearing in ads addressing a tax that would drive up the price of beer, which was basically an uncredited third star of their appearances as Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Recorded remotely last week, with Moranis in New York and Thomas in Los Angeles, the three 30-second spots feature Bob and Doug repeating some of their signature refrains, including “coo loo coo coo, coo coo coo coo”  and “How’s it goin’, eh?” while railing against the beer tax.

In one spot, Doug (Thomas) suggests that the government consider taxing other things instead, such as yams, confetti, or liver. “Leave beer alone, eh,” he says. In another, he says that the beer tax is already like his brother’s head, overinflated.

Hélie sat in on the one-hour recording session, and said his impression was that Moranis and Thomas don’t talk often now that they live on opposite coasts, yet were able to easily slip into their respective characters. “They started riffing on potential lines they might use, and our writers were taking notes like crazy,” he said. Almost all of the ads were ad-libbed during an initial brainstorming session.

February 12, 2015

The ads drive to a dedicated site, HereForBeer.ca, where consumers can contact their local MP asking them to stop the beer tax hike. The site also features a cartoon rendering of the two characters created by Graeme MacKay, an editorial cartoonist at The Hamilton Spectator.

Since Bob and Doug were at the height of their popularity when beer was sold in “stubbies,” it’s not surprising that the campaign is largely aimed at older Canadians (as well as Members of Parliament). The media buy is largely focused on AM talk and news stations, with an emphasis on Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Atlantic Canada (a region that tends to over-index on brewing).

And if everything goes according to plan, true loves all across Canada won’t have to overpay for the “six packs of two-four” Bob and Doug sing about in their version of “Twelve Days of Christmas.” (The Message) 

 

Friday February 17, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 17, 2023

Trudeau to deploy navy vessels to Haiti for intelligence gathering

March 16, 2018

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a slate of new supports for Haiti in the Bahamas on Thursday including humanitarian aid and some naval vessels to help with surveillance.

But he stopped short of proposing the kind of military force its de facto prime minister is asking for, as experts urge him to put the brakes on growing discussions of foreign intervention.

Trudeau told a meeting of 20 Caribbean Community leaders that Canada will provide $12.3 million in new humanitarian assistance for the crisis-torn country and $10 million for the International Office on Migration to support migrants in the region.

“Our fundamental objective is to ease the suffering and empower Haitians to chart their own future,” he said.

January 11, 2023

“We need to continue to work and put the Haitian people at the centre of everything we do.”

Trudeau also promised to send Royal Canadian Navy vessels “in the coming weeks” to gather intelligence and maintain a presence off the Haitian coast, following surveillance flyovers earlier this year and an existing plan to send more armoured vehicles.

Ottawa will redeploy HMCS Glace Bay and Moncton from West Africa, said a senior government official who spoke on background pending an official release from the Defence Department. The official would not say whether Canadian military members would simply observe or be empowered to intervene.

And Canada is sanctioning two more Haitians, ex-interim president Jocelerme Privert and former political aide Salim Succar, adding to a list of 15 elites already barred from economic dealings in Canada because of alleged ties to the gangs that have taken over Haiti. Trudeau said he is pushing allies to step up and do the same.

February 23, 2017

Trudeau said he had a “constructive” conversation with de facto Haitian leader Ariel Henry this morning, who is acting as the country’s prime minister but was not elected to the role. National security adviser Jody Thomas was in the room and taking notes, as were Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the UN, and Sebastien Carriere, its ambassador to Haiti.

Henry took power after the 2021 assassination of former president Jovenel Moise.

During brief remarks open to media, he insisted to Trudeau, speaking in French, that he urgently wants the country to work toward transparent elections despite the deteriorating security situation.

Gang activity has ground Haiti’s economy to a halt and hastened a resurgence of cholera. A United Nations report last week detailed “indiscriminate shootings, executions and rapes.” Police have failed to contain the widespread violence.

Henry wants an external security force to quell the chaos, and the United States and United Nations have signalled their support for one, with Washington suggesting Canada could play a leading role. (CTV) 

 

Thursday February 16, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 16, 2023

Ford won’t say who sent invites to daughter’s $150 stag-and-doe event

January 28, 2023

Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not divulge details of who sent invitations – including to developers – for his daughter’s $150-a-ticket stag-and-doe party last summer, saying only “the boys” took care of the money that was raised. 

His office later said “the boys” was a reference to the premier’s son-in-law and the man’s friends. 

The integrity commissioner has cleared Ford over the stag and doe, which is typically a fundraiser for a couple before they get married. 

Ford bristled at journalists’ questions Wednesday about the pre-wedding event that had an unknown number of developers in attendance. 

January 17, 2023

“In my opinion, it’s absolutely ridiculous about a $150 stag, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Ford said Friday at a funding announcement for auto parts maker Magna in Brampton, Ont. 

Based on information provided by Ford, the integrity commissioner said the premier had no knowledge of gifts given to his daughter and son-in-law. The commissioner said there was no discussion of government business at the event, but confirmed developers who are longtime friends of the Ford family were there.

When asked how much money was raised at the stag and doe from developers and who the money went to, Ford said “the boys took care of that.” 

The premier said he and his family know “tens of thousands of people.”

December 10, 2022

“No one can influence the Fords,” the premier said. 

Several months after the stag and doe, the province announced it was opening up the protected Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes as part of its plan to build 1.5 million homes in 10 years.

Ontario’s integrity commissioner and auditor general are conducting separate investigations into the government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to development – both Ford and Housing Minister Steve Clark have denied any wrongdoing. (CBC) 

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

 

Wednesday February 15, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 15, 2023

John Tory, amid scandal, will lead Toronto’s budget debate

2007

Toronto is about to have one tense budget meeting Wednesday.

John Tory, who announced last Friday night he’s stepping down as mayor following an extramarital affair with a staffer who used to work in his office, will preside over the meeting.

Tory’s presence in the chamber will be controversial. If he does, in fact, tender his resignation after passing the city’s $16-billion operating budget, he creates a situation where he will set the city on a specific course but won’t be there to deal with any potential fallout.

August 17, 2022

One can also argue Tory should be present for the debate because, thanks to the “strong mayor” powers he asked Ontario’s government to grant him, he is responsible for designing this budget. He is its champion.

Nobody really knows how this debate will go. This will be the first budget passed with the new strong mayor powers in place, which changes the dynamic because Tory can now veto any amendments, something that would then trigger a whole new chain of events.

There’s growing speculation about a political push for Tory to stay or run again in the very byelection his resignation could trigger. On Monday night, many Torontonians reported getting a robocall that included the question: “Would you support John Tory running in a mayoral byelection in 2023?”

Tory’s office said it is not connected with that polling.

Tory is proposing a property tax hike higher than Torontonians have been used to under his term (a 5.5 per cent increase) and will use that money, in part, to spend $48 million more on police. “The budget makes key investments in housing, transit, and community safety,” his office said.

October 26, 2022

Critics have focused on what’s not in it, including funding for 24/7 warming shelters, enough cash to keep transit fares from rising while the TTC struggles to get riders back on the system.

There may even be questions about police spending, after CBC Toronto published this story about the service’s $337,000 podcast.

With his “strong mayor” powers he only needs the support of one-third of council. At this point, he almost certainly still enjoys the support of eight councillors. 

Practically, Toronto’s budget is all about livability.

The decisions council makes affect everything from the state of the roads (pretty rough at the moment) to public library hours to whether or not there’s a bathroom open at the park during winter months — and yes, the latter did spark a major debate at city hall.

Hair: Toronto Mayor John Tory

There’s also the huge question of whether or not the city will do enough and spend enough to start tackling the housing affordability crisis.

This budget also features what Tory’s been calling a “COVID hangover” that’s created a financial crunch that the city needs the provincial and federal governments to help deal with. Tory and city council have recently launched yet another review of potential “revenue tools” — aka taxes, aka levies — that might bring in most cash in future years. (CBC)