Autumn

Saturday August 30, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday August 30, 2019

Gaming the writ: the strategy that goes into timing an election call

September 4, 2007

If you’re still enjoying your Labour Day weekend, please don’t let the prospect of an election call spoil it.

Even though the federal campaign could begin officially at any time now, the last possible date for calling one is September 15. That’s the latest date that would satisfy the minimum campaign length of 36 days before voting day, fixed in law as “the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following the previous general election” — October 21, 2019.

New election rules mandating that campaigns can only run a maximum of 50 days mean Liberal strategists have less room to manoeuvre in timing the election call, although there’s still a two-week window.

“There’s always some strategy involved,” said Anne McGrath, a longtime NDP strategist.

It’s probably safe to assume that calling an election before Labour Day is not what the Liberals want to do — particularly since Gov. Gen. Julie Payette is out of the country.

October 23, 2000

In the past, prime ministers have used the power to call elections to work the timing to their advantage.

In 2000, Jean Chrétien called a snap election a mere three years after winning his second majority, because polls indicated the Liberals had a phenomenal lead in Ontario. The gamble paid off.

Stephen Harper wasn’t so lucky when he rolled the dice four years ago, betting that a long campaign would benefit his Conservatives — armed with a healthy war chest — at the expense of his opponents. When pressed by reporters, he said the opposition parties were already campaigning and he wanted a level playing field.

August 20, 2015

Harper launched a 78-day campaign, the longest in modern times. The move backfired.

“What it did seem to do,” said Richard Ciano, a past president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, “is give Justin Trudeau, the then-leader of the third party, a chance to really run a good retail campaign.”

The conventional wisdom says shorter campaigns are better for incumbent governments. (CBC) 

 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wednesday, November 19, 2014Illustration by Graeme MacKay – Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The Polar Vortex Cometh

A blast of Arctic air is expected to push across many regions of North America this week, including Western Canada and typically temperate areas in the U.S. Last winter, meteorologists referred to the dreaded “polar vortex” as temperatures plunged to punishingly low levels. Some theorized the cold snap was linked to the weakening of a polar vortex spinning above the North Pole.

Some scientists theorize that cold air spills out of the weakened whirlpool above the Arctic. The cold air then travels south across North America. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes, however, that extreme winter weather is often influenced by a host of atmospheric factors. (Continued: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/what-is-a-polar-vortex-1.2829763

Monday, September 1, 2014

Tuesday, September 2, 2014By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, September 2, 2014

5 Effective Remedies for the Post-Summer Blues

Are you ready for the transition to a new season? A melancholy sadness can creep into our spirit as summer closes. For some, it harkens back to our childhood. The loss of freedom and joy, of carefree days playing with friends, the literal and figurative warmth of summer evenings, combined with the knowledge of imminent confinement to the four walls of a classroom, can create a lasting fear deep inside us that is still felt every year at this time. The quiet child inside our adult selves is still nervous to begin a school year with new classmates and teachers. There is also the dread as adults of vacations coming to an end. September begins a natural time of change in the rhythms of the year — a season for shifting, getting ready for harvest, and preparation for the winter season ahead. The sun is becoming noticeably lower in the sky, rising later, and setting sooner, signaling our biorhythms that there are only several weeks left until the Fall Equinox, at which time the nights become longer than days in the Northern Hemisphere. We start to feel wistful, nostalgic, and sometimes more seriously saddened and heartbroken at a sense of underlying loss.

We are born to be joyous, but sometimes we need a little nudge to get us there. I am a very sensitive person, and I often feel the weight of the collective consciousness. I feel things at a very deep level, and have found that consciously preparing myself for shifts has helped me so much with transitions. I depend on my spiritual practice to carry me. It is not enough to say, “Oh, just change your attitude.” We all have tools that can bring us out of those blues and into the natural joyfulness of our own being.

Here are five wonderful ways to transition out of the late summer blues. These tips can help you swing back to radiance: (Continued: Huffington Post)

 

Tuesday September 18, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 18, 2012

Canadian parliament resumes

Battle of the Budget — the sequel — takes shape Monday when a bitterly divided Parliament resumes after its summer break.

Opposition MPs, who staged a 23-hour voting marathon in a vain attempt to derail the Harper government’s agenda last spring, will be readying for another showdown when the Conservatives table a second massive budget implementation bill.

As well, there will be fierce debate over environmental protection and the government’s much-disputed plan to expand Internet surveillance. And the New Democrats — with an eye on the next election — will for the first time be consciously auditioning for prime time

Canadians still reeling from the wide-ranging impact of the 425-page budget legislation brought in by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government earlier this year should brace for more shocks when the second bill is tabled in a month or so.

The first bill to implement the March 29 budget contained a wide array of what opposition MPs considered nasty surprises. The next piece of so-called omnibus legislation is expected to be in the 400-page range as well. Opposition MPs aren’t sure what it will contain and the government is keeping the details under wraps.

“The last experience with one of these omnibus bills was not just terrible for Parliament, it was bad for the country,” NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen said in an interview. (Source: Toronto Star)