government

Tuesday August 29, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 29, 2023

Neglecting Affordable Housing: Trudeau Government’s Misplaced Priorities

August 22, 2023

In recent years, the Trudeau government has positioned itself as a champion of progressive values, focusing on laudable issues such as climate crisis, inclusivity, cannabis legalization, indigenous reconciliation, and more. While these topics deserve attention, it’s imperative to acknowledge that the government’s priorities have been severely misplaced. The most glaring omission from their agenda is the affordable housing crisis that is festering across Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that “housing isn’t a primary federal responsibility” is not only inaccurate, but it also reflects a disregard for the pressing issue at hand. Recent polls indicating that 70 percent of Canadians believe the government is inadequately addressing the housing crisis should serve as a wake-up call. While the term “housing” might not be explicitly mentioned in constitutional documents, the right to “life, liberty, and security of the person” as well as “equal protection” cannot be fulfilled without access to adequate housing.

Opinion: Sean Fraser is the new federal housing minister. He can’t waste any time acting on the affordability crisis  

July 28, 2023

Canada’s commitment to enforce the right to housing, as established in various international covenants, was enshrined in Canadian law in 2019. Despite this commitment, the federal government has chosen to evade its responsibility, engaging in the very behaviors they accuse other levels of government of. This is exemplified by the government’s handling of refugee claimants in Toronto, a situation marked by ambiguity, turf guarding, buck passing, and finger pointing.

The federal government’s historic involvement in housing has been conveniently forgotten. Following World War II, Canada saw the creation of a million low-cost Victory Houses, an achievement made possible through government land, direct grants, and efficient production methods. From the 1960s to the 1980s, a significant portion of new construction comprised non-market housing, supported by federal land, grants, and financing partnerships with provincial and municipal governments.

July 21, 2023

However, the decline of non-market housing began in 1992 when the federal government shifted the responsibility for affordable housing to provinces. Federal spending on affordable housing also decreased significantly after this shift. The subsequent reduction in private rental construction further exacerbated the housing crisis, following a cutback on taxation incentives in 1972.

The consequences of these neglectful actions are evident in the alarming statistic that the average Canadian home now costs 8.8 times the average income. In cities like Toronto and Vancouver, these numbers reach staggering levels of 13.2 and 14.4 times, respectively. As for rental housing, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates a need for nearly six million new homes by 2030, a rate three times higher than current construction levels.

June 9, 2023

While the Trudeau government boasts of its commitment to tackle the housing crisis, its actions reveal a stark contrast. Cabinet meetings have been convened, experts consulted, and rhetoric repeated, yet tangible solutions remain elusive. The government’s lack of response has left Canadians struggling with intense housing challenges, further exacerbating the already palpable cost of living concerns.

The refusal to consider a national summit on housing is a testament to the government’s misplaced priorities. The urgency for national leadership is undeniable, and the federal government is uniquely positioned to provide this leadership. While addressing issues like climate change and inclusivity is important, they should not come at the expense of solving a crisis that directly impacts the basic well-being of Canadians.

August 26, 2021

Prime Minister Trudeau’s assertion that Canadians want hope and leadership holds true. However, hope cannot be sustained if pressing concerns such as affordable housing are ignored. As the government grapples with its political standing, it must acknowledge that addressing the housing crisis is not just a political imperative but a moral obligation. Failure to act decisively on this front risks further eroding public trust and will inevitably have lasting consequences for both the government and the Canadian population. (AI) | Editorial cartoon published in the Hamilton Spectator.

 

Friday June 10, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday June 10, 2022

Easier to use than lose the monarchy

June 11, 2016

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations have come and gone in this country without a lot of the Canadian public even realizing they were ever even here. In the United Kingdom, a four-day feel-good holiday saw 2,000 street parties, rock concerts and thousands of jubilant Brits cheering the monarch outside Buckingham Palace. Our Commonwealth cousins, the Australians, enthusiastically kicked up their heels in four days of festivities, too, as landmarks across their antipodean nation were bathed in royal-purple lights, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lit a special Commonwealth beacon and an island was renamed in Elizabeth’s honour. But in Canada, the loudest sounds came from crickets.

The best you can say about the federal government’s underwhelming response is that it was a foolproof cure for insomnia. Yes, there was a three-day whirlwind tour in May of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, that saw them stop in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ottawa and the Northwest Territories but, strangely, get nowhere near any of the country’s very biggest cities. Ho hum. If the government had deliberately set out to stage a mainly invisible non-event, it could not have succeeded better, something John Fraser, of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada called “embarrassing.”

July 11, 2020

Fraser may be in the minority. An Angus Reid poll from April reported that 51 per cent of respondents oppose this country continuing as a constitutional monarchy, though most by far personally admired the Queen. Yet despite such ambivalent views, there are strong reasons to conclude Canada just missed out on several nationally-unifying opportunities. First — and whatever the future holds for the Canadian Crown — we squandered the chance to properly commemorate Elizabeth’s extraordinary achievement of being the longest reigning monarch in not just British but Canadian history. It was an ungenerous move on Ottawa’s part.

The beating heart of this jubilee is a woman who has committed her life to public service since 1952 and continues to make a few public appearances at the age of 96. As Canada’s head of state, she has done everything this country has asked of her for 70 years, ever since Louis St. Laurent was prime minister. To be sure, Canada has changed phenomenally since she ascended the throne; but she remains a living symbol of our shared traditions and values as well as a cornerstone of Canadian democracy.

January 13, 2020

That brings us to Point 2: Had Ottawa marked this jubilee with more than indifference it could have reminded Canadians that we remain a constitutional monarchy. The Crown is embedded in the warp and woof of our political fabric and speaks to the deliberate division between our Head of State (the Queen) and the head of government (Justin Trudeau). Power, legally speaking, resides in the Crown even though the Queen and her representative, the Governor General, use it rarely and only in urgent situations. But while the PM and his government wield the power, they do so only with House of Commons majority support. They are ephemeral. The Crown is permanent, or at least it has been throughout the 155 years of Canadian Confederation.

Time, of course, frays many traditional bonds. And with the ongoing reckoning with a colonial past that too often devastated Indigenous Peoples, the old bonds, symbols and ways are increasingly being questioned and, in some cases, tossed. But those who would criticize the monarchy in this country face an uphill slog if they want to dump it. For starters, we’d have to decide what should replace the monarchy. Do we elect a governor general in a nationwide vote? Sounds complicated. How about a republic, with an all-powerful president as head of state — someone who might turn out to be a Donald Trump? Oops.

July 24, 2019

And even if someone came up with a reasonable alternative, divesting ourselves of the Crown could never happen without the approval of the House of Commons, Senate, and every provincial legislature. That constitutional bar’s almost impossible to clear. And remember: When the changes proposed in the Meech Lake accord failed to achieve this in the 1990s, the result was a national unity crisis, a near-miss for Quebec separation and the destruction of the old Progressive Conservative party. Want to dance through this mine field again?

As a respected and, in some quarters, beloved monarch heads into her final years, perhaps we should have these discussions. But people should speak up with their eyes wide open. A little clear foresight might convince us to find new ways to use the Canadian monarchy rather than try to lose it. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Tuesday October 26, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 26, 2021

Freeland positioning herself to take over as Liberal leader

August 24, 2021

A breathless account of Chrystia Freeland’s heroics in Ukraine published over the weekend must’ve put a smile on the face of our Deputy Prime Minister.

According to the American university professor who wrote the glowing article, she was so darn good at what she did that she had the grudging admiration of the KGB, that couldn’t keep up with her! The stuff of real-life Marvel heroes…

Let’s face it, Chrystia Freeland is positioning herself to take over as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and this type of publicity is tailor-made to help her achieve that ambition.

April 21, 2021

Much like Michael Ignatieff, Chrystia Freeland became almost famous south of the border with her writings and media savvy.

Unlike Ignatieff, she’s actually got some experience in government having ably run key ministries and, most admirably, outfoxed Donald Trump during the renegotiation of NAFTA.

If she succeeds, she’ll be taking over from one of the world’s major media figures, Justin Trudeau. A little bit of profile doesn’t hurt.

November 3, 2015

Trudeau’s inexplicable decision to disappear for a vacation on the very day he’d set aside to commemorate truth and reconciliation was more than just a heartless move. It was so hurtful to his brand that many are wondering if it isn’t also a sign that he’s had the biscuit.

We’ll no doubt have an avalanche of “progressive” promises as Trudeau swears in his new Cabinet and hands out mandate letters to the chosen few. It won’t really matter. Canadians have seen and heard enough.

From purchasing a pipeline, to continuing to subsidize oil and gas companies, to skipping out of town on a new national holiday, to complacency with sexual misconduct in the military, the lecturing and moralizing tone of Trudeau simply doesn’t carry much weight anymore. Key progressive issues such as climate change, reconciliation and women’s rights will need a new champion, one without the credibility issues that Trudeau now drags with him.

July 7, 2021

In fact, it’s Freeland’s presence during the worst of Trudeau, like the sacking of Jody Wilson-Raybould, that risks holding her back. She wasn’t content to just back Trudeau. When Wilson-Raybould resisted PMO interference in the prosecution of SNC Lavalin, Freeland attacked her for not being a team player

Freeland won’t get the top job without an examination of her role as Trudeau’s proxy and without a fight. There will be other contenders. (CTV) 

 

Saturday October 23, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday October 23, 2021

CRB, wage and rent subsidies will all end on Saturday as pared-down benefits take their place

The federal government will spend $7.4 billion on a revamped suite of targeted pandemic supports in the months after several major relief programs expire on Saturday.

September 19, 2020

As the Star first reported late Wednesday, the Canada Response Benefit (CRB) — which replaced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit last year — will wind down for good on Oct. 23.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Thursday morning that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) will also officially expire on the same day.

“Our economy is rebounding, and we are winning the fight against COVID. However, it’s also true that the recovery is uneven, and that the health measures that are saving lives continue to restrict some economic activity,” Freeland told reporters alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outside a children’s hospital in Ottawa.

“That is why today we are announcing what we very much hope and believe is the final pivot in delivering the support needed to ensure a robust recovery.”

August 26, 2021

From Oct. 24 until May 7, the new Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit will provide $300 a week to workers facing local lockdowns, including those who are not eligible for Employment Insurance. The benefit is intended to assure other levels of government that if they impose a temporary lockdown, those who may lose out on work will still be able to get help.

Anyone whose loss of income is due to their refusal to follow vaccination mandates will be excluded from accessing the aid.

On Thursday, the Conservatives declared that Trudeau “followed” Erin O’Toole’s fiscal plan by choosing to end the CRB.

“Yesterday, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said he would not support CRB benefits being extended past Nov. 20, citing skyrocketing inflation and ongoing labour shortages across the country,” Tory finance critic Ed Fast said in a statement Thursday.

April 2, 2020

But NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Trudeau was “cutting help for people” amid a fourth wave of COVID-19.

“He has the power to extend these benefits to the end of November, but has instead chosen to give the people depending on these benefits only a few days’ notice. It’s unacceptable,” Singh’s statement read.

Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske told the Star that replacing the CRB with a support program keyed specifically to lockdowns freezes out a swath of struggling workers.

“There are workers who are not yet back to full employment and the discontinuation of the regular benefits is going to be challenging for many,” Bruske said. (KW Record) 

 

Friday April 16, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 16, 2020

The Bank of Canada rolls the dice

Coronavirus cartoons

If desperate pandemic times demand desperate government actions, the Bank of Canada just delivered big-time. 

It’s printing money out of thin air to fund an estimated $200-billion-plus spending-spree intended to keep the nation’s economy alive. 

The best name for this historic and, frankly, alarming intervention is quantitative easing, and every Canadian should pay close attention to what amounts to a roll of the dice by their central bank.

That’s because while quantitative easing is justified under the circumstances, it’s unconventional, controversial and highly risky. Our 85-year-old central bank has never tried it before, and no wonder. It may cure what’s ailing the Canadian economy today only to infect it with new illnesses a year from now.

It all began at the end of March when the Bank of Canada announced it would spend at least $5 billion a week in the coming months to buy Government of Canada bonds on the open market. In other words, it would buy up much of the federal government’s debt.

That action was meant to ease the pressure on the federal government’s growing debt burden while injecting badly-needed cash into an economy ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And that part of quantitative easing makes sense because it works. The mind-bending part of it comes with the realization that all these billions of dollars are being created digitally. 

It’s as if Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz had donned a magician’s cape, put his hand into a top hat and — poof — the Canadian economy had what it needed to buy its way out of this crisis.

What Poloz did was correct, according to experts such as former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge. At the time of Poloz’s intervention, the rapid spread of COVID-19 across Canada had already triggered government-imposed business shutdowns, huge job losses and what could become the nation’s sharpest economic downturn ever. 

The federal government was mobilizing its fiscal forces to prop up revenue-starved businesses and extend a financial lifeline to the newly unemployed, whose numbers could reach 2.8 million this month.

Other governments around the world were doing the same. And other central banks, most notably in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, were also playing their part by making new money to ease the debt loads of their governments.

The Bank of Canada doubled down on that strategy this week when it expanded its bond-buying program to include purchases on the open market of the debts of provincial governments and corporations. They need help, too, but it will mean pulling another $50 billion in new, digitally-created money out of Poloz’s magic hat. 

The sheer magnitude of all this newly manufactured cash is worrisome. If countries can get everything they want by simply printing more money, why doesn’t everyone do it all the time? 

The answer is the world’s financial markets wouldn’t let them get away with it. The U.S. Fed and the European Central Bank are considered to be big and powerful enough to do what they deem necessary. 

Canada, with its much smaller economy, probably won’t be cut the same slack. The value of its currency may slide if quantitative easing lasts too long. Inflation could rise to unmanageable levels even as millions of Canadians remain unemployed and the nation’s economic engines are struggling to fire on all cylinders. 

This spring, the Bank of Canada had no choice but to experiment with quantitative easing. In short order, it must provide Canadians with a plan and timetable for getting out of it.

Canada, with its much smaller economy, probably won’t be cut the same slack. The value of its currency may slide if quantitative easing lasts too long. Inflation could rise to unmanageable levels even as millions of Canadians remain unemployed and the nation’s economic engines are struggling to fire on all cylinders. 

This spring, the Bank of Canada had no choice but to experiment with quantitative easing. In short order, it must provide Canadians with a plan and timetable for getting out of it. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)