abortion

Saturday September 9, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 9, 2023

Window Display Politics: Pierre Poilievre’s Balancing Act for Canada

July 28, 2023

Pierre Poilievre, at the helm of the Conservative Party of Canada, finds himself in a challenging position as he attempts to broaden his party’s appeal to a more centrist Canadian voting audience while deftly navigating the demands of its more extreme right-wing factions. Within the diverse landscape of the Conservative Party, there exists a mosaic of passionate groups advocating for policies ranging from catering to gun enthusiasts and Christian conservatives to embracing Trump-inspired ideologies and other far-right positions. Poilievre, however, recognizes that to secure electoral victories in a country as diverse and centrist-leaning as Canada, he must tread a complex and often treacherous path.

News: Poilievre riding high in polls as Conservatives meet for policy convention  

June 14, 2022

One of the most significant challenges facing Poilievre is the intricate web of internal dynamics within his party. These power struggles, often characterized by competing factions vying for influence, have been a recurring theme in Conservative politics. The recent prominence of social conservative groups within the party, pushing for greater sway in areas such as nominations and candidate selection, underscores this ongoing challenge. These groups are known for their unwavering commitment to causes like anti-abortion advocacy and the pursuit of stringent restrictions on abortion access. While such positions may resonate with certain segments of the party’s base, they are seen as divisive and potentially unpopular among the broader Canadian electorate.

A pivotal moment in this internal power struggle was the recent nomination battle in the Ontario riding of Oxford. In this contest, Poilievre’s perceived preferred candidate emerged victorious, while a social conservative candidate was disqualified by the party’s leadership. The fallout from this incident revealed deep divisions within the party, with the Oxford community left fractured, and the outcome of the subsequent by-election in Oxford significantly impacted.

June 24, 2021

Furthermore, Poilievre faces the challenging task of reconciling his party’s stance on contentious policy debates, most notably the Conservative Party’s position on carbon pricing. The ability to maintain party unity and prevent internal dissent on issues like these is crucial for his leadership and the party’s electoral prospects.

Adding another layer of complexity is Poilievre’s willingness to engage with conspiracy theories, particularly those circulating around the World Economic Forum. While such engagement may resonate with certain segments of the party’s base, it raises concerns about the mainstreaming of fringe beliefs. These conspiracy theories, once relegated to the fringes of the internet, have increasingly gained traction in mainstream political discourse, fuelled in part by growing distrust of government institutions.

News: Conservatives to vote on controversial issues at Poilievre’s first policy convention as leader   

February 26, 2021

As the Conservative Party convenes for its policy convention, Pierre Poilievre’s leadership and strategic decisions will be under close scrutiny. While he is not bound by every policy resolution put forward, his choices and strategies will undoubtedly shape the party’s image and determine its ability to resonate with a broader Canadian electorate. Balancing the demands of the party’s base with the imperative of securing wider support is an intricate and formidable challenge—one that will significantly impact the party’s fortunes in the upcoming federal election.

In the display window for all Canadian voters to consider, the Conservative Party plans to showcase a vision that transcends its internal divisions and speaks to the values and aspirations of a diverse nation. This vision will require Pierre Poilievre to deftly navigate the competing interests and ideologies within his party, presenting a compelling narrative that addresses the concerns of both traditional conservative constituents and the broader Canadian electorate. The choices made at this pivotal policy convention will shape the Conservative Party’s path forward, ultimately determining its success in the quest for power. (AI.) Editorial cartoon printed in the Hamilton Spectator.

Letter to the Editor – The Hamilton Spectator 

Letter to the Editor

The red hats are coming 

Graeme MacKay’s cartoon in the Saturday Specta- tor depicted exactly the vision that is coming from the Conservative party through Poilievre’s rhetoric. He actually uses the “broken country” themes and the “I can fix it” quote from Trump himself. Seems American right-wing Republicanism has taken hold in Canada. Red hats on the way? God help us all! Bernadette Homerski, Dundas

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. If you’re creative, give illustration a try:

 

Wednesday June 29, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 29, 2022

What are they thinking?

June 24, 2022

In the days leading up to Canada Day, the same people who brought you the trucker convoy that occupied Ottawa are pledging to return on Friday, over the weekend and on weekends during the summer.

So, of course, 24 members of the Conservative party caucus agree to meet with the convoy organizers in a government building secured by those MPs for a friendly little gathering. Just to make them feel welcome no doubt. What on earth are they thinking?

This, at the same time as the man who will almost certainly be the next Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, still hasn’t commented publicly about the decision overturning Roe v. Wade in the U.S.

Poilievre has something to say about just about everything else, but not on one of the most important legal decisions in a half century? This, from a party that insists it will not reopen the abortion question in Canada, even though one of the leadership candidates is staunchly anti-abortion and socially conservative? She, who almost certainly cannot win the leadership, will be in a position to throw her support behind the man most likely to win — the aforementioned P.P.? Could his silence be linked to needing that social conservative support? What on earth is he thinking? (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Tuesday June 28, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday June 28, 2022

Equitable abortion access now

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion ruling was not a surprise. But it was stunning all the same.

Stunning for the fact the court actually reversed its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, upending almost 50 years of constitutionally-protected access to abortion. It’s disturbing for its impact on gender rights. And it’s deeply upsetting for the immediate practical effect it now has on individuals seeking the procedure.

May 23, 2014

We knew it was coming, thanks to the leak of a draft ruling in May. Those who held out faint hope that the outcry that followed that revelation might prompt the top justices to rethink or water down their ruling were left disappointed. They did not.

The decision removes the protection which had guaranteed access to abortions. With that protection gone, it’s now up to each individual state to determine the legality of the procedure. In more than a dozen states, abortion is now illegal as a result of the decision. Other states, like California, are looking for enshrine the right to abortion. And in many others, the fate of the procedure will hinge on protracted political debates.

In their dissenting opinion, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan declared that the majority refused to consider the “life-altering” consequences of reversing the law.

“After today, young women will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had. The majority accomplishes that result without so much as considering how women have relied on the right to choose or what it means to take that right away,” they wrote.

Saturday June 24, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday June 24, 2022

U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, leaving abortion rights up to states

May 6, 2022

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the Roe v. Wade opinion that has secured constitutional protections for abortion in the country for nearly 50 years.

The milestone ruling, a draft of which was leaked last month, has the potential to claw back abortion access across the U.S. by allowing states to restrict or outright ban the procedure.

The court, in a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative majority, upheld a Republican-backed Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The vote was 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts writing separately to say he would have upheld the Mississippi law without taking the additional step of erasing the Roe precedent altogether.

That original 1973 Roe v. Wade decision ruling found that a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy was protected by the rights that flow from the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects a citizen’s right to “life, liberty and property.”

But Associate Justice Samuel Alito disagreed with that interpretation in Friday’s majority opinion on the case challenging the Mississippi law, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“The constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” Alito wrote in the opinion, which was very similar to the leaked draft.

Saturday May 7, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 7, 2022

Let’s take a deep breath over Roe V. Wade

Could we all take a deep breath?

May 13, 2017

A leaked draft decision from the U.S. Supreme Court about abortion has created a bizarre political firestorm here in Canada. The most dangerous place to be these days is between a live microphone and a Canadian politician wanting to tell us how they will fight until their dying breath to protect Canadian women against the insidious evil emanating from south of the border.

Can we bring a little sanity to the situation?

First, the court has not banned abortions. A draft internal document was leaked on a case challenging abortion law which may or may not reflect the court’s final decision. If the leaked decision stands, abortion will lose its constitutional protection and individual state legislatures will be able to regulate or outlaw it. Although a dramatic change, it would not create a nationwide ban

This case has no effect on Canada where there hasn’t been an abortion law since 1988 when the Canadian Supreme Court found the existing law unconstitutional. No successive government was able to come up with a replacement and no major Canadian political party currently supports reopening the issue. Although several Conservative MPs and a second-tier leadership candidate have tried to raise restrictions, it is simply not on the political radar.