Frank McKenna

September 29, 2006

Today’s cartoon, along with this week’s takes on the Joe Volpe issue ends a gap of several months when I did nothing related to the Liberal leadership race. Compared to other events in the news the race really never registered anything that needed to be commented on. Before the race there was speculation that big time players would enter the race like John Manley, Frank McKenna, and even Sheila Copps. But then they decided not to run so up to now the race has been very dull, with the more interesting news centering on who’s the latest candidate to drop out. While we’re hearing from the polls and pundits on who is best qualified for the job, here’s how I see who would fit the job from a cartoonist’s point of view:

Scott Brison – Don’t know much about him. Never drawn him. He’s got potential for cartoonists. I see him as a weasley turncoat who preceeded Belinda Stronach by being lured to the Liberals during the stormy sponsorship scandal fallout days with a cabinet job. There’s no chance he’s going to win, but surely he’s weasling himself into a possible cabinet job.

Stephane Dion – They say Ken Dryden bores an audience to sleep when he stands up and makes a speech. What about Dion? Man, is he ever tiresome… and humourless. As annoying as Jean Chretien was with his choppy English at least he could be funny. Dion is just painful to listen to. I’m all for the Liberals alternating between anglophone and francophone leaders… and the party is due for a french speaking leader if tradition dictates… but pick one who can speak both languages elegantly, like Trudeau, or Ste. Laurent (I suppose).

Ken Dryden – The hockey great who’s the resident Liberal expert on childcare and other social things. His hockey background alone has been nice fodder to combine in editorial cartoons. That distinction seems to have run its course and now there’s not much left remarkable in the guy. He’s not a tremendously cartoonable guy.

Martha Hall Findlay – One point against her is her long name. Too many words to fit on lapels and briefcases as a cartoon means to identify people who aren’t recognizable. Since I knew right from he outset that she doesn’t have a chance of winning I’ve never really bothered to find out much about her. I still don’t know who she is, in the same way I don’t know who the MP Maurizio Bevilacqua was before he dropped form the race. She’s an attractive woman, which makes her no good to caricature.

Michael Ignatieff – Known best as the egg head Harvard professorial – second coming of Pierre Elliot Trudeau – whose lived in the United States for the last 30 years candidate. He seems pretty right wing on a lot of matters which suggests to me he’s running for leader of the wrong party. ‘Iggy’ is the nickname bestowed on him by other large brained intelligensia friends. Now the name has found its way into editorial cartoons in the same manner ‘Dubya’ identifies George W. Bush. For this reason alone I dread Ignatieff becoming Liberal leader. I’ve only recently learned how to properly pronounce ‘Ignatieff’ after calling him ‘Igni-eff” for months. He does have a pretty cartoonable look about him, and his large brain can be the source of great satire.

Gerard Kennedy – When he jumped into the race he left Ontario provincial politics as, arguably, Dalton McGuinty’s most competant cabinet minister (Education). His intelligence doesn’t seem to be an asset in the same way Bob Rae’s horrible record of governing should be a hinderance. If I were a left of centre Liberal delegate I’d be voting for this guy, despite how choppy his French is, and no matter how lacking in energy his speeches have been lately. It’s exactly for reason that he carries so little baggage that I’d hate to see him win. Drawing him day in and day out would be a huge challenge.

Bob Rae – The former Ontario premier would be my first choice to win the Liberal leadership for cartooning reasons. It would be very difficult for him to lead without being reminded every day of his disasterous record as a head of government. He seemed to be doing a fine job patching up his personal legacy by mediating, heading public inquiries, and issuing reports since he was Premier, obviously putting his Rhodes Scholarship marinated brain to good non-political use. So now it seems he wants to redeem his political legacy, a legacy that not even the most anti Harris/Eves Ontarians will easily forget.

Joe Volpe – The former Martin cabinet minister has signed up more delegates than any other candidate in the race, which experts say will make him a big power broker on convention day. Still, with all the bumbling, coincidently related to signing up new members, Volpe carries enough potential delegate weight which may guarantee him a cabinet post in a future Liberal government so long as it’s not Michael Ignatieff leading it. I see him as the most old fashioned Liberal Party candidate, where you know little about what the guy stands for despite his ability to gladhand himself into the party’s power inner sanctum. This, along with his fuzzy hair, droopy eyes and big honker of a nose makes him ideally cartoonable. Thankfully, he’ll never be Prime Minister.

Monday January 27, 1997

Monday January 27, 1997 – By Graeme MacKay

Team Canada versus the Rest of the World

Canadians have once again witnessed the passing of another “Team Canada” Asian trade mission.  It’s an event that was initiated a couple of years ago by Prime Minister Jean Chretien in an effort to get out of the dismal city of Ottawa and appear as though some sort of concerted effort was being made to drum up business for Canada.  It was also an obvious attempt by Chretien to draw attention to other parts of the world rather than relying solely on the benefits of a young and wide reaching trade agreement with a friendly and rather powerful neighbour to our south.  While the intentions are good in these non-NAFTA nations, the amusement in the whole event is knowing that the delegation of provincial premiers and Jean Chretien is officially called “Team Canada.”  This has to be one of the most divided periods of federal-provincial relations.  The idea of Canadian politicians getting together like a united hockey team is a joke.  Having Premiers from three different political persuasions is difficult, but not unusual, however having a committed separatist premier accompanying the delegation is nothing short of bizarre, (but indeed, uniquely Canadian.)

This recent trade mission included stops to South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.  Lucien Bouchard surprisingly accepted the invitation to join the other provincial premiers and we all waited for the Quebec Separatist leader to blurt something out that would piss everyone off except for a collection of Canada-bashers in a much anticipated republic of Quebec.  But, after two weeks of hanging around a bunch of notorious guys like Ralph Klein, Mike Harris, and Brian Tobin, nothing rude was uttered, no feet were stepped on, in fact, the whole lot of these politicians looked like they were having a great time together, and even Lucien Bouchard was cracking smiles.

If any feet were stepped on it was brought about by Chretien, who, while in Manila waded into a constitutional debate concerning the length of time a Philippine President is allowed to keep.  Chretien, a veteran career politician himself for some 30 odd years, questioned the injustice that Fidel Ramos can only serve 2 terms.  By now our PM should well understand that it is not a good idea to mess with any country’s constitutional affairs, judging by his own sloppiness in past dealings with our own.

Frank McKenna, the long serving Premier of New Brunswick stepped on toes by pawning off provincially produced peanut butter.  He was being anything but a team player when tried to compete against other provinces to get contracts of course this isn’t the first time McKenna has treated other provinces like business foes.  His excuses for his actions resemble closely with those of a particular fictional character out of Sherwood Forest.

These trade missions are great for photo opportunities as well.  We’ve seen the leaders walking along the Great Wall of China, stand and gawk in front of the Taj Mahal, and mill about stern faced soldiers carrying machine guns in Korean no mans land.  Jean Chretien wobbles along on a bicycle in Beijing, and goofs around with the architect of the Tiannamen Square massacre following a treaty signing.  We’ve all become used to these sort of things, and in all honesty, it allows us news buffs to escape the regular on-goings in the legislatures, and committee rooms where these people usually hang out.  Maybe Mr. Chretien is on to something when it comes to national unity…because here in Canada, Canadians are its biggest critics.  When we step outside and see just how messed up other countries are we tend to pay a little more respect for our own land.  I’m sure the premiers get this sense.

As for Craig Keilburger, the 13 year old child rights activist who goes on about child labour injustices in these trade nations, someone ought to put him over their knee for good hard spanking. (Posted to thinkfastech.com)

Asia Pacific Trade Mission. Graphite rendering by Graeme MacKay (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). Illustrated in 1997.