affordability

Tuesday March 28, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 28, 2023

Freeland Promises Affordable Life for Canadians with Budget 2023, But Taxes and Spending Raise Doubts

January 24, 2023

Oh joy, it’s that time of year again: Budget season. On March 28, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to release the government’s plan to make life more affordable. But don’t get too excited, middle-class Canadians, because just four days later, taxes will be hiked. And it’s not just one tax increase – it’s several. Federal alcohol taxes are going up by 6.3%, adding to the already exorbitant taxes Canadians pay for their brews. Carbon taxes are also increasing, with the average household facing a bill of between $402 and $847 after rebates. And that’s not all. Payroll taxes will cost those making $66,600 or more an extra $305 this year. Feeling more affordable yet?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may tout his government’s $10-a-day childcare, GST rebate, dental care, and housing benefit, but let’s not forget that it’s all being paid for with borrowed money. And with the debt reaching $1.2 trillion and interest charges totaling $35 billion annually, Trudeau’s borrowing is only delaying the bill to taxpayers. So much for making life more affordable.

November 3, 2022

The government could show some spending restraint and make life more affordable for Canadians, but don’t hold your breath. Freeland already overspent by $20 billion in just seven months last year. And while there will be some measures aimed at helping Canadians, like an extended GST tax credit and a higher ceiling for withdrawing money from education savings plans, it’s not enough to outweigh the tax increases and borrowing.

News: Chrystia Freeland’s federal budget will tackle high cost of living: sources 

Perhaps if the government took a more balanced approach to spending and taxation, Canadians could actually feel some relief from the pressure on their wallets. But until then, it seems like we’ll just have to get used to being overtaxed and overburdened. Cheers to that! (AI)

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 editorial cartooning a try.

 

Saturday March 25, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday March 25, 2023

When the Rain Cloud of Affordability Strikes

March 23, 2023

The cost of living is a complex issue that affects people from all walks of life. It’s not just about the price of goods and services, but also about the availability of affordable housing, healthcare, and education, among other things. Unfortunately, for many families, the cost of living has become a dark cloud that hangs over their heads, threatening to rain down financial ruin.

To illustrate this point, let’s imagine a satirical scenario where a family is out for a leisurely walk on a sunny day, only to be suddenly caught in a downpour. As the rain pours down around them, they realize that they’re completely soaked through and shivering. Looking up, they see a dark cloud hovering over their heads, representing the affordability crisis that has made their lives so difficult.

The family looks at each other in dismay. They know that they can’t afford to go home and change their clothes, let alone buy a new set of rain gear to protect themselves from future storms. They’re stuck, cold and wet, with no way out.

As they trudge through the rain, they notice other families in the same predicament. Some are huddled under awnings, trying to stay dry. Others are frantically trying to find a way to get home without getting even more soaked. But there’s no escape from the rain, and no relief from the financial pressure that is bearing down on them.

January 31, 2023

In this scenario, the rain represents the constant financial stress that families face in the face of rising costs and stagnant wages. The dark cloud symbolizes the looming sense of uncertainty that hangs over their heads, making it difficult to plan for the future or feel secure in their present circumstances.

As the family finally makes it home, they realize that they’ve been lucky to make it through the rain without any major mishaps. But they also know that they can’t keep living like this forever. They need real solutions to the affordability crisis, not just band-aid fixes that will only delay the inevitable.

LINK: Ontario unveils biggest-ever $204B budget, but one with little to ease daily affordability issues (CBC) 

It’s time for society as a whole to take a serious look at the cost of living and work together to find solutions that will benefit everyone. Whether it’s through policy changes, community initiatives, or individual actions, we can all play a role in helping families weather the storm of financial hardship and find a path towards a brighter, more secure future. (AI)

 

Thursday February 2, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 2, 2023

Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows ‘flat’ pricing ‘wherever possible’

December 8, 2016

Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat “wherever possible.”

“The more than three-month price freeze ends January 31 — but we’re not done,” a Loblaw spokesperson said in an email to CTV News Monday. “Looking ahead, we’ll continue to hold those prices flat wherever possible, and switching to No Name will still save the average family thousands this year.”

September 29, 2022

Loblaw announced in mid-October it would freeze prices for 1,500 products sold under its No Name private label. At the time, Loblaw chairman and president Galen G. Weston said the price of an average basket of groceries was up about 10 per cent, something he said was much out of Loblaw’s control.

The Canadian retailer noted Monday, food inflation has continued to increase, costing the company more to stock shelves.

The country’s inflation rate slowed again in December 2022 to 6.3 per cent. However, Statistics Canada said grocery prices were up 11 per cent for the month compared to the year before. This was down a tick from November’s 11.4 per cent.

June 18, 2020

Canada’s grocery chains have been under fire for making steady profits amid high inflation. Third-quarter profits at Loblaw Companies Ltd rose nearly 30 per cent compared to a year ago. Quebec grocery giant Metro Inc. reported a first-quarter profit of about 11 per cent. (CTV) 

Canada’s largest grocer is stepping up its public relations strategy to convince people that it is not to blame for higher prices. But experts say consumers grappling with food affordability are in no mood to hear that message.

On the day that its 11-week price freeze on No Name products ended on Tuesday, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. -0.13% decrease was active on Twitter, responding to people who criticized the company with messages explaining that “food inflation is a global issue” and that price increases were the fault of suppliers who had themselves raised prices. Other Loblaw tweets heralded the price freeze for helping consumers “at a time they needed it most.”

But the defensive tone didn’t sit well with many, and is emblematic of a larger communications challenge facing Canada’s grocery retailers, who have reported significant increases in both sales and profits amid inflation. As the last point of contact in a sprawling supply chain, grocers have been a target for shoppers’ understandable anger over the affordability of basic necessities. (The Globe & Mail) 

Thank you Bryan Trussler for the inspiration for this cartoon.

 

Tuesday January 31, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 31, 2023

Parliament resumes

Members of Parliament are making their way back to Ottawa ahead of resuming sitting on Monday, as the city prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of the arrival of “Freedom Convoy” protesters.

September 23, 2022

Liberal and Conservative MPs gathered on Parliament Hill Friday for respective caucus meetings, plotting out their priorities for the 2023 sitting of the House of Commons, which kicks off on Jan. 30.

Among the top issues facing federal politicians this winter are the ongoing cost-of-living crunch and risk of a recession; the state of Canada’s health-care systems and the prospect of massive new funding deals with the provinces; as well as the government’s ability to deliver services amid the recent increased reliance on private consultants.

In widely differing but similarly-rousing speeches to their caucuses, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre previewed the lines of attack that are sure to be repeated in question period, both centred around an ongoing debate the two leaders are having over whether Canada is “broken.”

April 8, 2022

“Everything feels broken,” Poilievre said in a speech that questioned what is happening in this country, from the rates of drug overdoses to violent crime.”[Trudeau] gets very angry when I talk about these problems. He thinks that if we don’t speak about them out loud that Canadians will forget that they exist.” 

“You told us that better was always possible, and yet everything is worse, and you blame everyone else,” he said. 

Responding to the claims from his Official Opposition counterpart, Trudeau shot back that Poilievre has “chosen to amplify people’s real anger, and instead of offering them solutions, to offer them more anger.”

June 14, 2022

In his caucus address, Trudeau spoke about how the Liberal “positive vision” for the future “could not be more different than Mr. Poilievre’s version.”

The New Democrats gathered on Parliament Hill last week for their pre-House strategy session. In a statement on Friday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that his caucus plans to leverage its supply-and-confidence deal with the minority Liberals to “to fight for relief from the crushing cost of living, and rebuilding and protecting public universal free health care.” (CTV) 

 

Friday December 9, 2022

December 9, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 9, 2022

Inflation is changing how Canadians do Christmas

A new poll by the Angus Reid Institute says more than half of Canadians – 56 per cent – say they will be spending less on Christmas, including presents and entertaining.

September 29, 2022

“When you look at the Atlantic Canadian data, among the highest numbers in the country in Nova Scotia, 57 per cent, say they’re worse off now,” said Dave Korzinski, the research director with Angus Reid Institute.

“In Newfoundland and Labrador, 54 per cent, in New Brunswick 53 per cent, all of those are higher than the national average of 50 per cent,” Korzinski said.

This is the first time the non-profit’s data has shown that more than 50 per cent of Canadians say they are financially worse off this year than this time last year.

“Seeing food banks across the country who are dealing with essentially budgets that are smaller and demand that is larger, which is a really tough recipe when you’re trying to keep your programs going,” Korzinski said.

“When it’s more expensive for your household, imagine buying it for 1,400 households,” said Alex Boyd,  the executive director Greener Village Food Bank in Fredericton.

May 10, 2022

“So, that’s what we do with milk and eggs, those are very seldom donated items,” Boyd said.

Charitable giving is also already down this holiday season, according to the poll.

“To see 37 per cent of Canadians say they’re cutting back on donations, including more than two-in-five who are older, who are 55+ who tend to be the most generous and the most consistent givers, has been really challenging for a lot of charities,” Korzinski said.

“It’s always a concern that we watch for, especially being an organization that relies heavily on November and December giving to make up for the leaner months earlier in the year,” Boyd said.

Eighty-seven per cent of Canadians say they have cut back on spending in some way recently – up from 80 per cent in August. (CTV)