extremism

Friday May 20, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday May 20, 2022

Don’t look now, but conservatives are developing a culture of cancelling their own

Jason Kenney Cartoon Gallery

Jason Kenney was ousted by the Alberta United Conservative Party he created. Ed Fast was pushed out of his post as federal Conservative finance critic for suggesting it might hurt Canada’s financial credibility if political leaders such as Pierre Poilievre attack the independence of the Bank of Canada by promising to fire the Governor. That came a few months after Erin O’Toole was dumped as leader.

It sure seems like conservatives in Canada are turning their parties into meat grinders that are churning their own into pieces.

Oh, there are always reasons, from Mr. Kenney’s haughty disconnect to Mr. Fast’s daring to criticize a leadership contender to Mr. O’Toole’s identity flip-flops.

But while there have always been squabbles inside the conservative tent, more people are being cast out of it now – and more quickly. Say, what do you call a political culture where people keep getting cancelled?

Thursday February 21, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 21, 2019

Pro-pipeline protestors arrive in Ottawa from Alberta, as political attention remains focused on Quebec

December 13, 2018

A convoy of oil workers arrived in Ottawa on Tuesday to deliver a message to the Liberal government about the province’s desperate need for more pipelines. Perhaps fittingly, however, the government’s focus was instead trained on Alberta’s deepest political foe: Quebec.

The long line of semi-trucks sat idling on Wellington Street in Ottawa, blocking off the street that passes in front of Parliament as part of a protest by United We Roll, a pro-industry group.

The Ottawa rally marked the final destination for the convoy, which started its journey in Alberta four days ago. Semi trucks were hitched to trailers emblazoned with calls to “build the pipeline” and “kill” Bill C-69, the Liberals’ environmental assessment reforms. Bearded men in fluorescent vests exhaled thick clouds into the cold air and yelled for Ottawa to “open your eyes” to industry struggles.

December 20, 2018

But, as if drawing directly from Alberta’s deepest political suspicions, MPs were instead focused on Quebec for much of the day, and the ongoing furor over allegations that the Prime Minister’s Office pressured the attorney general to help Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin avoid prosecution on corruption charges. The minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, has quit cabinet and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s principal secretary has resigned.

Haley Wile, a co-founder of United We Roll, brushed off suggestions that the SNC-Lavalin affair was sucking up political oxygen in Ottawa and distracting media from the rally.

Rally organizers said they plan to ask several cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister’s Office, for meetings to discuss energy policy and Alberta’s pipeline woes. No Liberal MPs attended the rally, though Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier both delivered remarks.

Howdy Doodie Andy Scheer

“I didn’t think Justin Trudeau was going to come down and say ‘Let’s get this pipeline built,’” Wile said.

One bright green placard on Tuesday read: “Hey Trudeau, if SNC was in Alberta would you build us a pipeline?” Another read: “Build pipelines, let Jody speak.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office said it would not meet with organizers of United We Roll.

“We will always support the right of Canadians to be heard, but it is essential that their message not be co-opted by those who spew racist and divisive language,” it said.

Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi on Tuesday said it was “very unfortunate” that the message from the convoy has “drifted from pipelines to issues that are not relevant to the discussion on pipelines.” (Source: National Post) 

 

Thursday September 10, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday September 10, 2015 Half of one Toronto schoolÕs students kept home to protest new sex-ed Parents in one Toronto community have made good on their threat to keep their children at home on the first day of school to protest the provinceÕs new sex-ed curriculum, which they say is not age appropriate. At Thorncliffe Park, where nearly all of its Grade 1 to 5 students were pulled from class during a protest staged by parents in the spring, almost half of the schoolÕs population was absent Tuesday, said a spokesman for the Toronto District School Board. Julie Lalonde was stalked by an ex-boyfriend for years. One note he left read: ÒI will always love you, you have no choice.Ó Complaints from parents have ranged from a lack of consultation with them to not wanting their kids to be taught about same-sex relationships and different gender identities. Education Minister Liz Sandals urged parents who are opposed to the curriculum to first talk to teachers and principals because there is Òa lot of misinformationÓ being circulated, but each school board does have a policy on withdrawing students from particular classes. However, she said, the majority of the feedback she has received has been positive. ÒI have never in my life been just stopped on the street by strangers so often (who) said, ÔThank you for doing this. Hang in there. We want this program.ÒÕ Premier Kathleen Wynne said in addition to thousands of school council chairs, 70 health organizations and parent groups were consulted in crafting the new curriculum, which had not been updated since 1998. ÒThis is the most widely consulted upon curriculum in the history of the province,Ó she said Tuesday. ÒWhen we write curriculum...on geography or social studies or mathematics, that kind of consultation does not happen because thatÕs not how curriculum has been historically written in the province. We felt there was a need to have a broader

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 10, 2015

Half of one Toronto school’s students kept home to protest new sex-ed

Parents in one Toronto community have made good on their threat to keep their children at home on the first day of school to protest the province’s new sex-ed curriculum, which they say is not age appropriate.

Thursday, February 26, 2015At Thorncliffe Park, where nearly all of its Grade 1 to 5 students were pulled from class during a protest staged by parents in the spring, almost half of the school’s population was absent Tuesday, said a spokesman for the Toronto District School Board.

Julie Lalonde was stalked by an ex-boyfriend for years. One note he left read: “I will always love you, you have no choice.”

Complaints from parents have ranged from a lack of consultation with them to not wanting their kids to be taught about same-sex relationships and different gender identities.

Education Minister Liz Sandals urged parents who are opposed to the curriculum to first talk to teachers and principals because there is “a lot of misinformation” being circulated, but each school board does have a policy on withdrawing students from particular classes.

However, she said, the majority of the feedback she has received has been positive.

“I have never in my life been just stopped on the street by strangers so often (who) said, ‘Thank you for doing this. Hang in there. We want this program.“’

Premier Kathleen Wynne said in addition to thousands of school council chairs, 70 health organizations and parent groups were consulted in crafting the new curriculum, which had not been updated since 1998.

“This is the most widely consulted upon curriculum in the history of the province,” she said Tuesday.

“When we write curriculum…on geography or social studies or mathematics, that kind of consultation does not happen because that’s not how curriculum has been historically written in the province. We felt there was a need to have a broader consultation with parents on this curriculum.”

Progressive Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton, who has been a staunch opponent of the curriculum, is urging Wynne to shelve the document and start over by consulting parents.

The party’s new leader, Patrick Brown, notably did not broach the issue in his statement marking the first day of school. He said last week he wants to “make sure parents have a say on how much and when.”

In the spring Sandals suggested Conservative groups were behind some of the opposition and now there are Conservative candidates campaigning in the federal election on sex-ed opposition.

“If there’s one group of people we admit we have not consulted with in a thorough sort of way, it would be federal Conservative candidates, I admit,” she said. (Source: Globe & Mail)