debate

Wednesday August 22, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 22, 2018

Trudeau stands by ‘racism’ comments to heckler

October 25, 2017

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing by his comments to a heckler last week after telling her she was intolerant.Trudeau was speaking at a rally in Sabrevois, Que., when a woman started yelling that she wanted back the $146 million from Quebecers that he’s “given to illegal immigrants,” referring to the amount the Quebec government says asylum seekers have cost since a recent surge in irregular arrivals.

“That intolerance with regard to immigrants doesn’t belong in Canada. That intolerance with regard to diversity, you don’t belong in Canada,” Trudeau said in French Thursday night.

February 23, 2017

“Madame, your intolerance doesn’t belong here.”

The woman then asked Trudeau if he was tolerant toward “Quebecois de souche,” a reference to Quebecers who can trace their ancestry to the earliest French settlers.

In a video posted online, Trudeau can be heard telling the woman her racism isn’t welcome.

The woman who confronted Trudeau was later the subject of debate on social media over her ties to white supremacist groups. She is a member of the Facebook group for Storm Alliance’s Quebec wing. The group says it is “made up of Canadian citizens whose goal is to make our Country stronger, to make it a Country that takes care of its own communities.” It was part of a protest last year at the Lacolle, Que. border crossing, against a rise in asylum seekers.

Speaking in Ottawa Monday, Trudeau said he won’t “flinch from highlighting the politics of division.”

“It’s important that we have people who come at problems from very different perspectives because that actually ensures that we solve them right,” Trudeau said. (Source: CTV News) 

 

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Saturday May 26, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 26, 2018

Wynne makes her case to voters: ‘I can do better’

Trailing her main rivals for the premier’s chair by a double-digit margin in the polls, the struggling Liberal leader is using a new ad to try and mount a comeback bid in the last 14 days of the campaign.

The populism problem

A new ad released Wednesday with an appeal for donations pictures her with friendly crowds, often at party events, and jogging.

“How can I make life better for you? That’s what I think about when I get up to run at 5 in the morning,” Wynne intones. “That work never stops. Better never stops. Neither will I.”

Liberal campaign director David Herle said the ad comes as Doug Ford’s Conservative campaign is “drifting down” to its base level of support and anti-Ford voters pick a lane. He claims the NDP has “failed to close the deal” over Horwath’s $1.4 billion platform accounting error, plan to close the Pickering nuclear plant and refusal to use back-to-work legisation to end long strikes.

“This is the moment to make our case — unabashedly and unapologetically,” Herle wrote in a note to supporters. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Wednesday May 9, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 9, 2018

Wynne, Horwath take aim at Ford in first debate ahead of Ontario election

Doug Ford was the main target in the first debate ahead of Ontario’s provincial election, with his rivals suggesting Monday that the Progressive Conservative leader, who is leading in the polls, would slash jobs and shrink services if elected premier.

Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath spent much of their time warning about what a Tory government would bring, while Ford hammered home his key messages of finding “efficiencies” and “respecting the taxpayers.”

The race officially begins Wednesday, but the debate set the stage for the campaign and provided the leaders of the three major parties an opportunity to test drive their slogans.

January 15, 2014

When both Horwath and Wynne used their questions during a leader-to-leader portion to ask Ford exactly what he would cut, the Tory leader repeated his key phrases.

“The other Conservative leaders, Mr. (Tim) Hudak, Mr. (Mike) Harris — they were very upfront about what their cuts are going to look like,” Horwath told Ford.

“Why don’t you have the guts to tell people what your cuts are going to look like? What is in store for the people of Ontario?”

Ford didn’t provide specifics, though he has promised to cut four per cent from the budget.

“I’m going to make sure we run a government that respects the taxpayers,” Ford said during his closing remarks. “You know me. I’m for the little guy.”

Horwath repeated that voters “don’t have to choose between bad and worse,” several times stepping back when Wynne and Ford began to spar, attempting to set herself apart from them.

Wynne said the election features “some pretty stark choices,” between what she calls her plan for care and Ford’s plan for cuts.(Source: CP24) 

 

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Tuesday September 19, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 19, 2017

Liberals may use time allocation to push priorities through Parliament

The Liberal government is heading into the second half of its mandate with a number of big legislative priorities they are eager to move through Parliament.

And they are ready to curtail debate if they think the opposition parties are dragging their feet — especially since the will of the increasingly independent Senate is becoming harder to predict.

“We know that there’s going to be vigorous debate and there is going to be partisanship and politics on many ideas,” said Cameron Ahmad, a spokesman for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“It’s how our system works, but at the same time I don’t think it’s necessary for every single issue to be framed around partisanship.”

This spring, the Liberal government backed down on part of its plan to alter the ins and outs of parliamentary procedure, abandoning some of the more controversial reforms that the Conservatives and New Democrats had been battling for weeks.

Still, House leader Bardish Chagger warned at the time this would come with a cost, telling her political rivals that since they could not agree on other ways to speed things along, the Liberals would be ready to impose time allocation — a heavy-handed tactic that limits debate.

That remains the case as MPs return to Ottawa this week, especially since the Liberals want to act quickly on priorities such as the legalization of marijuana, a tougher law on impaired driving and the new National Security Act.

Other big goals for the fall include political financing reforms and an air passengers bill of rights.

“We’re looking forward to debating everybody, but if it comes to a point where we’re seeing obstructionism as we saw on certain occasions in the last session, time allocation is a tool that could be used,” said Ahmad, who stressed they have not made up their minds to use it.

“It’s a case-by-case analysis.” (Source: CBC News) 

 

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Friday February 3, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 3, 2017

Facing Facebook Fatigue

Call it Facebook Fatigue. People are simply getting fed up with all the political posts that are showing up on their Facebook page.

October 31, 2008

Lisa Whitlock says she doesn’t mind talking politics to people face-to-face but she is appalled by the social media fighting, insults and name calling on Facebook.

“I feel like I’m on reality TV, this is ridiculous,” says Whitlock.

Lori Cellucci supported President Trump but wishes people would tone down the discussion on both sides.

“I would like Facebook to be less combative,” said Cellucci.

Psychologist Walt Cieko says people will say things online they would never say to someone in person.

“I think there are some people who think they have superior knowledge and they just have to get it out to those with inferior knowledge,” said Cieko.  

But those comments have repercussions like nasty replies and unfriending, both online and in real life.

People in San Diego tell me they’ve unfriended family members.  One couple said they canceled a trip with another couple over their postings on Facebook.

Rachel Whitlock wishes for the old days, “Please start posting kid pictures and vacation pictures and dog pictures, I don’t even care.” (Source: NBC San Diego)