garbage

Wednesday September 19, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday September 19, 2012

Flag back in storage as Parti Québécois era begin

Before premier-designate Pauline Marois was again sworn in as an MNA Monday, the Parti Québécois stripped the Canadian flag from the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

And the sovereigntist party removed the Maple Leaf that adorned outgoing premier Jean Charest’s office for the past nine years. This is not the first time a PQ government has put the flag in storage. While the move may inflame passions among Quebec federalists and across the country, this time the symbolic gesture may be a particularly hollow one.

Ms. Marois led the PQ to a minority victory earlier this month with barely a third of the popular vote. She made no mention of sovereignty in her brief swearing-in speech. Nor did her election campaign place great emphasis on sovereignty, desire for which is at historic lows among Quebeckers.

Ms. Marois, who will be sworn in as premier Wednesday, said nothing about the flag removal in her remarks after the swearing-in ceremony. “Quebeckers chose change and they chose to do it with a Parti Québécois government,” Ms. Marois said.

“One of the changes is to put an end to the politics of division. What I wish is for Quebec to get back on course and reclaim its pride and confidence. When a people reclaims its pride and confidence, nothing, absolutely nothing, becomes impossible.”

Asked to respond to the removal of the Maple Leaf by the PQ government, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office responded with a blunt “no comment.”

The swearing-in ceremony has always been an awkward affair for PQ members. They must pledge allegiance to the Queen as part of the mandatory official ritual of taking office. (Source: Globe & Mail) 

 

Thursday February 23, 2012

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday February 23, 2012

Council dumps biweekly garbage

Hamilton city councillors have officially disposes of the idea of biweekly garbage pickup in favour of a new program that’s both more expensive and less effective at diverting waste from landfill.

After hours of debate Tuesday, councillors approved weekly garbage pickup with a one-bag limit, but introduced 26 free tags to put out extra bags. That system, brokered by councillors Russ Powers and Chad Collins behind closed doors before Tuesday’s meeting, will be implemented in April 2013 when the city’s existing waste collection contracts run out.

However, the councillors’ chosen option will cost $1.4 million more each year than the biweekly alternative staff suggested. And, staff warned that unlike biweekly garbage collection — which would force people to increase their diversion — the new one-bag plus tags option will drag down the city’s 49 per cent waste diversion rate.

“As an environmentalist, I want to see long-term thinking about sustainability and doing the right thing for future generations,” said Lynda Lukasik, president of Environment Hamilton. “As a taxpayer, I want to see councillors stepping back, weighing it out and saying, ‘What’s the most fiscally responsible thing to do for the municipality — not just now, but into the future?’ Sadly, I think the numbers suggest that a different decision was made.”

Tuesday’s debate was the fourth time council dealt with garbage pickup this year. In the three previous debates, councillors couldn’t come to an agreement about whether to adopt a biweekly option.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, half of council was prepared to move ahead with biweekly pickup, while the other half wanted to increase the weekly bag limit to two bags. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Monday September 29, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday September 29, 2008

May denies reports she supports strategic voting

Green party Leader Elizabeth May ended her cross-country train tour in Halifax Saturday, denying reports she’s urging supporters to vote strategically in a bid to unseat the Conservatives.

Ms. May stepped off a 22-car Via passenger train where she was greeted by about 80 party faithful waving green banners and chanting her name.

Ms. May, who began her retro-style whistle-stop tour last weekend, shot down suggestions she’s urging party members to cast their ballot for whichever candidate can oust the Tories on Oct. 14.

“It’s a non-starter,” she said inside the historic train station near the Halifax waterfront. “Strategic voting just doesn’t work.”

Questions arose over her position after a media report said Ms. May was calling for some form of strategic voting merely to depose Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

“I won’t say, ‘You’ve got to vote Green if you believe in our policies.’ I’ll say, ‘Here’s our policies, figure out what you need to do because, frankly, the Green Party has to put progress [on climate change] and principle above short-term power,”’ she told The Toronto Star last week.

“I’d rather have no Green seats and Stephen Harper lose, than a full caucus that stares across the floor at Stephen Harper as prime minister, because his policies are too dangerous.”

Ms. May said at the time she was discussing problems with the first-past-the-post electoral system, insisting it allows majority governments to be elected by a minority of votes.  (Source: Globe & Mail) 

 

Saturday March 29, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday March 29, 2008

PM signals a truce with Ontario?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has signalled a ceasefire in his battle against Premier Dalton McGuinty with a $709 million olive branch.

In a bid to ease tensions between Canada’s two largest governments, Harper yesterday freed up funding so Ontario can boost public transit, hire more police and help workers in industries hit by the high dollar.

While not new money – the province had long been promised it – the gesture suggests the Prime Minister is reining in federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty from further aggressive attacks on Ontario fiscal policy.

“We’ve both got to make an effort,” McGuinty said on CityNews CP24.

“I believe firmly the Prime Minister wants to build a stronger Canada. He’s acting with the best of intentions and I think our shared responsibility is to find some common ground,” the premier said.

In a statement, Harper echoed that new feel-good tone, which contrasted with Flaherty’s claims that McGuinty is overtaxing Ontario into an economic slowdown.

“I want to congratulate Premier McGuinty and his government for developing programs that will use these federal funds to strengthen the Ontario economy, improve public safety, and expand the public transit system,” Harper said. (Source: Toronto Star)

Marvellous Maps

 

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, March 17, 2007

Tim Hortons contest a litterbug

Rolling up the rim of your morning cuppa might win you an SUV, but critics say it is the environment that loses.

Tim Hortons customers across Canada began peeling back the lips of their coffee cups yesterday as the fast-food giant rolled out its annual Roll Up the Rim to Win contest.
But some environmentalists say what has become a beloved Canadian ritual since its introduction in 1986 promotes waste and propagates littering.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013“People buy more cups of coffee and if they don’t win, they’ll just toss it,” said Don Dick, Alberta director of Pitch In Canada, a national non-profit organization concerned about the proliferation of packaging and its effects on the landscape.

“If they want people to buy their product, there’s better ways to go about it. [The cup] doesn’t melt down or disappear into our environment when it’s tossed away. I just fills up our garbage more and it also eats up our paper to make it.”

Mr. Dick suggests the company should turn to small scratch cards instead of using treated paper cups for the promotion and launch more customer-awareness campaigns. (Source: GPI Atlantic)

COMMENTARY (From 2008)

Another one of my occasional rants. This one’s on those discarded roll up the rim cups you see all over the place in any urban space. I’m not alone in my disgust it seems.

Here’s a shocking display of a pile of cups collected in one day at the University of Western Ontario.