CERB

Thursday February 29, 2024

Raising concern about Trudeau's governance due to issues like ArriveCAN mismanagement, CERB problems, and potential pitfalls of rushed decisions for political support, such as quick deals on Pharmacare and Dental care.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 29, 2024

Trudeau’s Napkin Governance: A Costly Sketch of Social Policy

Trudeau and Ford agree on $3.1 billion for healthcare, tackling hospital issues. Meanwhile, Jagmeet Singh pushes for a national drug plan after Trudeau gives in on dental care. It's a political contrast before Valentine's Day.

February 14, 2024

In this take capturing the essence of Trudeau’s governance, we see the Prime Minister extending another hastily drawn plan on a serviette (Canadian translation for napkin,) this time outlining the delivery of expensive pharmaceuticals to bolster universal healthcare. The irony lies in the sketchiness of the proposal, mirroring the questionable efficiency of previous policies, such as the ArriveCan app debacle, as revealed by the recent Auditor General’s report.

Trudeau, depicted in the cartoon, hands over this napkin to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, fulfilling a demand crucial for the Liberal government’s survival. However, Singh holds another napkin symbolizing the Dental Care program – another hastily crafted, expensive social initiative that has birthed more problems than solutions.

News: The Liberals and NDP say they have a pharmacare deal — so what’s left on their to-do list?  

The mismanagement of the ArriveCan app, ballooning from low cost estimates to $59.5 million, under the Trudeau government is attributed to incompetence, with concerns raised about the public service's reliance on private IT vendors.

February 21, 2024

The recent Auditor General’s report sheds light on the financial chaos surrounding the ArriveCan app, a $59.5 million mismanagement that unveils a pattern of questionable decision-making within Trudeau’s government. This financial maze serves as a cautionary tale of hastily executed projects during the early days of the pandemic.

The ArriveCan fiasco is not an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader issue – a government seemingly hellbent on governing on the fly. From the sloppy accounting of CERB subsidy payments during the pandemic to the implications of wide-open borders managing a significant influx of migrants over the past five years, the Trudeau-led Liberals appear more focused on creating half-baked social policies than ensuring effective governance.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 22, 2023 The shifting Canadian attitudes towards pharmacare, as reflected in recent surveys, involve considerations of health care priorities, political negotiations, and changing sentiments amidst economic uncertainties and the ongoing pandemic, with key players including Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh, and the evolving landscape of Canadian politics.

December 22, 2023

Trudeau’s recent Pharmacare deal with the NDP, showcased in the cartoon, is another example. Tasha Kheiriddin, a conservative columnist, questions the plan’s necessity, citing concerns about lack of consultation with provinces and the potential for jeopardizing coverage for millions. The choice of initial drugs, contraception and diabetes medication, is criticized as a political move to appeal to key demographics rather than a strategic healthcare decision.

Tom Mulcair, a former NDP leader, adds his voice to the discussion, commending Singh for securing the Pharmacare deal but jabbing at the hastiness of the agreement. Mulcair emphasizes the need for clear and tangible benefits while cautioning against the pitfalls of relying on technocrats for such critical policies. This underscores the importance of thorough consideration in crafting comprehensive and effective social programs.

April 22, 2021

The urgency created by the pandemic is not an excuse for overlooking fundamental management practices, as seen in the ArriveCan debacle. The mismanagement of the app, along with other questionable policy decisions, suggests a government more interested in short-term political gains than effective, transparent governance.

As Canadians, we must scrutinize these napkin-drawn policies, demanding accountability and transparency. The ArriveCan scandal and the questionable Pharmacare plan should serve as wake-up calls for citizens who expect more than hastily crafted sketches on napkins from their elected leaders. The need for reform is evident, and it’s time to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, not hastily.

Wednesday February 10, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 10, 2021

Rogers, Bell and Telus collected more than $240 million from Canada’s wage-subsidy program — and Bell and Telus raised shareholder payouts

June 18, 2020

Canada’s big three telecom companies have collectively received more than $240 million from the federal government’s wage subsidy program while continuing to pay out billions of dollars in dividends to shareholders.

According to the most recent filings in provincial lobbyist registries, Bell has received $122.9 million, Rogers $82.3 million and Telus $38.6 million in support payments as part of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the three companies have continued to pay out regular dividends to shareholders; Bell and Telus have announced increases to their annual payouts. Both Bell and Rogers have also laid off workers at their hard-hit media divisions. 

Other large businesses have also paid out dividends while receiving CEWS support, including numerous companies in the oilpatch, auto-parts maker Linamar and furniture retailer Leon’s. (Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, is among the recipients of the federal wage subsidy.)

April 2, 2020

Economists say the relief payments to large, profitable companies with ample access to credit illustrate problems in the way CEWS is designed, in these cases leading to benefits for shareholders but not necessarily targeted support for workers whose jobs are at risk. One Liberal MP is calling on the government to claw back payments from companies that have paid dividends.

“CEWS is sold as a wage subsidy, but it’s really a business expense subsidy,” said Amin Mawani, associate professor of taxation at the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Mawani has argued that Canada should consider a model where the government pays subsidies only in respect of employees who miss hours of work because of the pandemic. Under the current rules of the Canadian program, businesses with any level of revenue decline are eligible for at least some level of subsidy with respect to all their Canadian employees. 

He said it is understandable that businesses would continue to pay dividends, which he described as a “cost of doing business” akin to paying interest to the bank on loans, but he questioned the need to hike payouts this year. “I don’t think shareholders were necessarily expecting an increase during the pandemic.” (Niagara Falls Review) 

 

Thursday May 7, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 7, 2020

Farmers expected a miracle. No wonder they’re disappointed by Ottawa’s aid package

July 29, 2014

When the Canadian Federation of Agriculture laid out a $2.6-billion ask last week to help farmers endure the COVID-19 pandemic, they were setting the bar very high. And so it is little wonder that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Tuesday announcement of a program worth barely $252-million sent the farming community reeling.

Fair enough. The funding announcement was indeed underwhelming, and it will not be enough to get some of those on the precipice to stick around. Many will exit the industry, regrettably. Our preannouncement estimates were that as many as 15 per cent of our farms could be lost by year’s end due to COVID-19; Ottawa’s plans will not change that.

August 10, 2019

The $125-million program to support livestock raises a variety of questions. Executing the program will take time, something producers do not have. Few details were given about the role of provinces or how much farmers will receive. The measures presented will likely not prevent more animals from being euthanized in the days to come. Along with milk dumping, COVID-19 is serving up case studies on a silver platter for animal-rights activists. It’s a shame that our farmers have been put in this position.

May 22, 2019

Losing farms will not compromise our nation’s food security, however. Farmland doesn’t just disappear, as it can always be exploited by someone else. But the most significant concern is how we can create jobs and wealth in rural economies located far from urban centres. This should be a priority; occupying our vast nation’s topography should be top of mind, from coast to coast to coast. Ottawa doesn’t show that it cares for rural communities enough – or for agriculture, for that matter – but it should, before it’s too late.

Coronavirus cartoons

Its response to farmers pleading for help was unsurprisingly slow as well. In the United States and Europe, most governments have provided pandemic-related financial aid directly to farmers weeks ago. In the United States, every American is providing $86 in support for agriculture by way of government-sanctioned programs; in Europe, it is over $90 per capita. Here in Canada, each of us giving six measly dollars to support agriculture. Farmers have every right to be disappointed. (Globe & Mail)