government

Wednesday December 14, 2016

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday December 14, 2016 Justin Trudeau insists fundraiser attendees hold no special sway on policy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says business people bend his ear at Liberal Party fundraisers, but he insists they do not hold any sway on government policy. Answering questions on the so-called "cash-for-access" controversy, Trudeau insisted he will answer questions or listen to anyone who wants to speak with him about issues that are important to them. "The fact is, my approach continues to be to listen broadly through every possible opportunity I get and make the right decisions based on what's best for Canada," he said during a year-end news conference in Ottawa. "I can say that in various Liberal Party events, I listen to people as I will in any given situation, but the decisions I make in government are ones based on what is right for Canadians, not on what an individual at a fundraiser might say.Ó Trudeau said he and his cabinet ministers are "extremely available" through a number of public and private venues, including town halls, news conferences, or closed-door meetings with municipal leaders and first responders. "This is a government that is extraordinarily open to multiple perspectives, as we always have. At no point does attending a fundraiser give particular or special access on policy to anyone," he said. Trudeau also expressed confidence that fundraising events meet the spirit of his own guidelines. His comments today appeared to run counter to guidance offered by Christina Topp, interim national director of the Liberal Party of Canada, in a letter to all ministers and parliamentary secretaries on Nov. 4, 2016. "Any individual who wishes to initiate a policy discussion is immediately redirected to instead make an appointment with the relevant office. As you know, fundraising events are partisan functions where we do not discuss government business," she wrote. (Source: CBC)Êhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/p

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 14, 2016

Justin Trudeau insists fundraiser attendees hold no special sway on policy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says business people bend his ear at Liberal Party fundraisers, but he insists they do not hold any sway on government policy.

Answering questions on the so-called “cash-for-access” controversy, Trudeau insisted he will answer questions or listen to anyone who wants to speak with him about issues that are important to them.

“The fact is, my approach continues to be to listen broadly through every possible opportunity I get and make the right decisions based on what’s best for Canada,” he said during a year-end news conference in Ottawa. “I can say that in various Liberal Party events, I listen to people as I will in any given situation, but the decisions I make in government are ones based on what is right for Canadians, not on what an individual at a fundraiser might say.”

Trudeau said he and his cabinet ministers are “extremely available” through a number of public and private venues, including town halls, news conferences, or closed-door meetings with municipal leaders and first responders.

“This is a government that is extraordinarily open to multiple perspectives, as we always have. At no point does attending a fundraiser give particular or special access on policy to anyone,” he said.

Trudeau also expressed confidence that fundraising events meet the spirit of his own guidelines.

His comments today appeared to run counter to guidance offered by Christina Topp, interim national director of the Liberal Party of Canada, in a letter to all ministers and parliamentary secretaries on Nov. 4, 2016.

“Any individual who wishes to initiate a policy discussion is immediately redirected to instead make an appointment with the relevant office. As you know, fundraising events are partisan functions where we do not discuss government business,” she wrote. (Source: CBC)

 

Friday September 9, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday September 9, 2016 Kathleen Wynne prorogues legislature for throneÊspeech Monday Premier Kathleen Wynne is giving her Liberals a mid-mandate reboot with a Monday throne speech aimed at ÒeverydayÓÊconcerns like high electricity bills after a steamy summer.Ê Wynne, who prorogued the Legislature on Thursday, will outline the governmentÕs agenda for the 20 months leading up to theÊspring 2018 election in an address to be read by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell. ÒIÕm looking forward to Monday and the throne speech,Ó a beaming Wynne said as she returned to her office with Secretary ofÊCabinet Steve Orsini, the head of the Ontario public service, after meeting with Dowdeswell. The speech will focus on Òmaking the everyday lives of Ontarians better,Ó Government House leader Yasir Naqvi later told a newsÊconference ÒWe know Ontarians have concerns about things like hydro prices, concerns about cost and everyday living,Ó he added, saying allÊgovernment legislation Ñ including the political fundraising reform bill triggered by aÊStarÊseries Ñ will be reintroduced, in someÊcases with amendments. That means the prohibition on MPPs and candidates attending campaign fundraisers, and the ban on union and corporateÊdonations to political parties will almost certainly take effect in January. Wynne signalled pocketbook issues are top of mind after last weekÕsÊbyelection lossÊof former Liberal stronghold Scarborough-Rouge River to the Progressive Conservatives, who scoffed at her sudden attention to them. ÒApparently Premier Wynne only just learned that Ontario families are struggling to afford their hydro bills,Ó PC Leader PatrickÊBrown Ñ who was not available to take questions Ñ said in a statement calling the Liberals Òold, tired and self-interested.Ó (Source: Toronto Star) Êhttps://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/09/08/wynne-to-prorogue-the-legislature-for-throne-speech-monday.html Ontario, K

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 9, 2016

Kathleen Wynne prorogues legislature for throne speech Monday

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday August 17, 2016 Energy minister, Wynne defend decision to put carbon tax in delivery line on bills Premier Kathleen Wynne is defending the decision to bury the cost of Ontario's cap-and-trade plan in the "delivery" line on natural gas bills. The Ontario Energy Board announced last week that costs related to the Liberals' climate change plan would not appear in a separate line item on consumers' bills for natural gas, which is used to heat most homes in the province. Wynne said Thursday that the government doesn't interfere with decisions made by an arms-length agency like the energy board, which she pointed out consulted the industry and public before issuing its directive on carbon pricing. "My understanding is they talked with local distribution companies, they talked to consumer groups across the province, and as you know, they are an independent body," she said. "They made a decision to configure the bills that way and we don't direct the OEB.Ó Quebec and British Columbia include the cost of carbon pricing as a separate line item on bills. But like Wynne, Energy Minister Glen Thibeault insisted it was the energy board's decision to put the cost of cap and trade in the delivery charge instead of its own line on bills. Thibeault insisted nothing was being hidden, and said the government was being transparent about the cost of cap-and-trade just by talking about the new fee. The minister walked away from reporters without answering when asked if the energy board now sets policy for the Liberal government. The Liberals expect their climate change plan will add about $5 a month to home heating bills and about 4.3 cents a litre to the price of gasoline. Ontario will join an existing cap-and-trade market with California and Quebec next January, mandating pollution limits on companies but allowing them to buy emission credits or sell them to others if they are under their quota. (CTV News)

August 17, 2016

Premier Kathleen Wynne is giving her Liberals a mid-mandate reboot with a Monday throne speech aimed at “everyday” concerns like high electricity bills after a steamy summer.

Wynne, who prorogued the Legislature on Thursday, will outline the government’s agenda for the 20 months leading up to the spring 2018 election in an address to be read by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell.

“I’m looking forward to Monday and the throne speech,” a beaming Wynne said as she returned to her office with Secretary of Cabinet Steve Orsini, the head of the Ontario public service, after meeting with Dowdeswell.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday August 26, 2016 Ontario Liberals wonÕt ban cash-for-access events OntarioÕs Liberal government has bowed to public and opposition pressure to tighten caps further on political donations, but is still not banning cash-for-access fundraising. Government House Leader Yasir Naqvi on Monday released proposed amendments to Bill 201, the LiberalsÕ campaign-finance reform legislation. TheÊbill is under review by a legislative committee, which has been holding public hearings for the past two months. The changes include a $3,600 limit per donor Ð divided among the central party office, riding associations and individual candidates Ð in a year withÊan election or by-election, or $2,400 in a year without either. Currently, donors can contribute up to $33,250 annually; the original text of the billÊwould have brought that down to $7,750 in a year with an election or by-election. But the Liberals opted not to make cash-for-access illegal, allowing the controversial fundraising practice that started the furor over campaign financeÊto continue. Instead of a legislated ban, Mr. NaqviÕs office said he will consult the opposition parties on a code of conduct for MPPs that would offerÊguidelines for raising money from stakeholders. The government turned down an interview request for Mr. Naqvi. His spokesman, Kyle Richardson, refused to answer questions directly on why theÊLiberals are not prohibiting cash-for-access. ÒGovernment amendments are based on the feedback heard at public hearings held across Ontario. We are committed to working with theÊopposition,Ó Mr. Richardson wrote in an e-mail. Under the cash-for-access system, revealed by The Globe and Mail this spring, corporations, unions and wealthy individuals paid up to $10,000 forÊaccess to Premier Kathleen Wynne and members of her cabinet, typically over cocktails and dinner. At most events, corporate and union leaders in aÊgiven sector Ð including const

August 26, 2016

The speech will focus on “making the everyday lives of Ontarians better,” Government House leader Yasir Naqvi later told a news conference

“We know Ontarians have concerns about things like hydro prices, concerns about cost and everyday living,” he added, saying all government legislation — including the political fundraising reform bill triggered by a Star series — will be reintroduced, in some cases with amendments.

That means the prohibition on MPPs and candidates attending campaign fundraisers, and the ban on union and corporate donations to political parties will almost certainly take effect in January.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday June 23, 2016 Wynne hits new ratings low, poll finds ItÕs tough to find a politician more unpopular than Kathleen Wynne. Donald Trump? Maybe here in Ontario, but not in his own backyard. Hillary Clinton? Like Trump, the Democratic contender for the U.S. presidency is one of the least popular candidates for the job in decades. But sheÕs still a rock star compared to OntarioÕs premier. WynneÕs personal popularity has hit an all-time low, according to a new Forum Research poll obtained exclusively by the Toronto Sun. Her approval rating, once as high as 40%, now sits at 18%. ItÕs the lowest Forum has ever measured for an Ontario Liberal premier since it began polling in 2001. In fact, if a provincial election was held tomorrow, Patrick BrownÕs Progressive Conservative Party would capture a minority government, according to a the survey. ÒThere is no question the Progressive Conservatives would win an election held tomorrow, but it appears they wouldnÕt be able to seal the deal with a majority,Ó Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said. ÒPatrick Brown needs to become more of a familiar face to Ontarians before that happensÓ The Forum survey projects the Tories would take a 51-seat minority, three seats short of the 54 needed for a majority government in OntarioÕs 107-seat legislature. The Liberals would take 36 seats while the NDP would capture 20. And while WynneÕs personal popularity is low, BrownÕs approval doesnÕt sit much higher, at 22%, the poll says. Over half of respondents, 53%, said they didnÕt know enough about Brown to have an opinion of him. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath remains the most popular of the three main party leaders, with a 33% approval rating.(Source: Toronto Sun)Êhttp://www.torontosun.com/2016/06/22/wynne-hits-new-ratings-low-poll-finds Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, poll, support, popularity, Liberal, pollster

June 23, 2016

Wynne signalled pocketbook issues are top of mind after last week’s byelection loss of former Liberal stronghold Scarborough-Rouge River to the Progressive Conservatives, who scoffed at her sudden attention to them.

“Apparently Premier Wynne only just learned that Ontario families are struggling to afford their hydro bills,” PC Leader Patrick Brown — who was not available to take questions — said in a statement calling the Liberals “old, tired and self-interested.” (Source: Toronto Star)

 

Thursday April 21, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday April 21, 2016 Marijuana legislation coming to Canada next spring CanadaÕs legislation to begin the process of legalizing and regulating marijuana will be introduced next spring, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Wednesday at the United Nations. During her impassioned speech at a special UN session on drugs, Philpott acknowledged the pot plan Òchallenges the status quo in many countries,Ó but she said the Liberal government is convinced itÕs the best way to protect youth, while enhancing public safety. Canada must do better when it comes to drug policy, she added, saying the governmentÕs approach will be rooted in science and will address the devastating consequences of drugs and drug-related crimes. ÒI am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public health to maximize education and minimize harm,Ó she said. ÒAs a doctor, who has worked both in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, I have seen too many people suffer the devastating consequences of drugs, drug-related crime and ill-conceived drug policy. Fortunately, solutions are within our grasp.Ó Philpott began her speech with an emotional recounting of a story she recently heard from a mother who lost her daughter to substance abuse. The woman described watching her daughter die as she sought help that should have been available to save her life, Philpott said. ÒShe described watching her daughter slip away as she struggled to access the treatment and services that should have been available to save a beautiful, fragile life,Ó she said. ÒStories like this are far too commonplace. Countless lives are cut short due to overdoses of licit and illicit substances. Today, I stand before you as CanadaÕs minister of health to acknowledge that we must do better for our citizens.Ó PhilpottÕs address happened to coincide with 4/20 the annual day of celebration for cannabis culture l

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 21, 2016

Marijuana legislation coming to Canada next spring

Canada’s legislation to begin the process of legalizing and regulating marijuana will be introduced next spring, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Wednesday at the United Nations.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday January 13, 2016 The Blair roach project has won a powerful supporter. Premier Kathleen Wynne said she is pleased Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now Scarborough Southwest MP, to lead the marijuana legalization efforts. ÒI have a lot of respect for Bill Blair. I think that heÕll do a great job and his taking on of that role is the beginning of that national conversation that I said we have to have,Ó Wynne told reporters Monday at QueenÕs Park. The premier added that she was heartened that Blair is embracing her proposal to have cannabis sold through government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario outlets. ÒIÕm encouraged that he had, as a preliminary approach, that he thinks that it might make sense to use a distribution network thatÕs in place, . . . (although thatÕs) not a foregone conclusion,Ó she said. ÒHeÕs got a lot of people to talk to and heÕs got a lot of questions to ask and a lot of decisions to make over the coming months, so I look forward to that conversation.Ó Blair, a rookie MP who is parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, will work with a three-member cabinet team and a soon-to-be-named federal-provincial-territorial task force to develop the policy for legalizing marijuana. On Friday, Blair said Ottawa will look to Colorado and other jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana sales. ÒWe have pretty robust systems of regulation for other intoxicants in this country, mostly overseen by the provinces, and so weÕve already got a model, a framework we can build on here,Ó he said. ÒI think there are certain modifications or adjustments that we may have to make for cannabis as opposed to alcohol, but I think there is already a strong system in place for the control and regulationÓ of marijuana sales here. The police veteran, who himself has never smoked marijuana, pointed out that it is Òvery difficul

January 13, 2016

During her impassioned speech at a special UN session on drugs, Philpott acknowledged the pot plan “challenges the status quo in many countries,” but she said the Liberal government is convinced it’s the best way to protect youth, while enhancing public safety.

Canada must do better when it comes to drug policy, she added, saying the government’s approach will be rooted in science and will address the devastating consequences of drugs and drug-related crimes.

“I am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public health to maximize education and minimize harm,” she said.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday November 27, 2015 The LCBO wants to sell you pot Stocking weed alongside wine at the LCBO is the best way to protect public health, say addiction experts. But for marijuana advocates it's more of the same prohibition. In a statement released Monday, the union representing LCBO workers said the provincially owned stores are the ideal place to sell marijuana, should the federal government legalize it. "If they do legalize it, then it's a drug," Warren (Smokey) Thomas told the Star. "So we think that, like alcohol, it should be controlled." Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said secure warehouses and staff trained to check ages are some of the reasons the LCBO should be the sole source of legal pot in the province, as it is with most alcohol. The scheme would also generate revenue for the government to combat the potential social costs. But marijuana advocates say those social costs and the spectre of public danger are overblown, and government-run sales would continue a prohibitionist regulatory approach. "Our view of course has always been that marijuana is one of the safest drugs. It's not any worse, slightly better, than coffee," said Blair Longley, the leader of the federal Marijuana Party. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals won this fall's election with an campaign platform promising to "legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana." However, Longley maintains the drug should be proportionately restricted based on its danger. So ideally, he said, anyone should be free to grow and use the plant how she wishes with the informed consent as to any danger. Hugo St-Onge, leader of Quebec's Bloc Pot party agrees that government stores are not the way forward. "We need to stop comparing marijuana to alcohol," he said. "Marijuana should have its own model, its own system." He prefers a food-model regulatory system, with sales done in a similar fa

November 27, 2015

“As a doctor, who has worked both in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, I have seen too many people suffer the devastating consequences of drugs, drug-related crime and ill-conceived drug policy. Fortunately, solutions are within our grasp.”

Philpott began her speech with an emotional recounting of a story she recently heard from a mother who lost her daughter to substance abuse.

The woman described watching her daughter die as she sought help that should have been available to save her life, Philpott said.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

January 30, 2014

“She described watching her daughter slip away as she struggled to access the treatment and services that should have been available to save a beautiful, fragile life,” she said.

“Stories like this are far too commonplace. Countless lives are cut short due to overdoses of licit and illicit substances. Today, I stand before you as Canada’s minister of health to acknowledge that we must do better for our citizens.”

Philpott’s address happened to coincide with 4/20 the annual day of celebration for cannabis culture lovers, which takes on greater significance in Canada this year, with the government planning to green-light recreational marijuana use. (Source: Toronto Star)

 

2016-04-21tearsheet

Published in the London Free Press

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Thursday April 7, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 7, 2016

Justin Trudeau dismisses worries over private fundraiser with attorney general

With his justice minister set to woo supporters at a $500-a-ticket event, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is voicing little appetite to end private political fundraisers.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould is the guest star at a Liberal fundraiser Thursday night hosted at the downtown Toronto law office of Torys LLP.

“Please join us for a private evening in support of the Liberal Party of Canada with the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould,” reads the event notice on the Liberal website.

Having the justice minister appear at an event at one of the country’s top law firms creates the appearance of a potential conflict of interest, Conservative MP John Brassard said.

“You blur those lines between party business and government business,” he told the Star

“This is a party that is billing themselves as a champion of the middle class and you’ve got a $500-a-ticket fundraiser that’s happening in a big Bay St. law firm,” said Brassard, the MP for Barrie-Innisfil.

“I’ll let others draw their conclusions whether this is pay for access,” he said.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne this week said her ministers would no longer attend such private fundraisers after the Star revealed that provincial cabinet members were expected to raise upwards of $500,000 for party coffers. (Source: Toronto Star)

 

Wednesday March 30, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday March 30, 2016 Ontario, the Wild West of Political fundraising Kathleen WynneÕs Liberals will rake in roughly $3 million in a single fundraiser Wednesday night. At their sumptuous Heritage Dinner, ÒVictory TablesÓ are priced at $18,000 for corporate high-flyers, and the biggest donors are feted at a private cocktail reception by a grateful premier. But thatÕs only half the story of how the governing party raises big money. In Ontario, the Wild West of fundraising, cabinet ministers are assigned secret targets as high as $500,000 a year, the Star has learned. The unsavoury spectacle of OntarioÕs politicians supplicating big business and big labour for events such as the Heritage Dinner is only a small piece of the fundraising puzzle glimpsed by the public. Beyond the showy hobnobbing, shadowy appeals by cabinet ministers for corporate money are the untold story at QueenÕs Park. Corporate and union contributions that Wynne persists in publicly defending create a demonstrable conflict of interest for cabinet ministers, which is why they were banned for federal parties in 2006, and are no longer legal in four other provinces. And yet, according to multiple sources, top cabinet ministers at QueenÕs Park are given financial targets that are typically in the range of $250,000 annually Ñ double that amount in some cases. These quasi-quotas are never written down, conveyed instead by the Ontario Liberal Fund through confidential meetings and phone calls. They are the price of admission to power, revealed here for the first time, and they are astonishingly high. The two most marketable ministers are Charles Sousa, the minister of finance, and Eric Hoskins, who helms the provinceÕs $52-billion health care budget. Both are expected to bring in as much as $500,000 a year, well-placed sources have confirmed. SousaÕs control of the provincial treasury, tax policy and auto insurance makes him a prime t

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 30, 2016

Ontario, the Wild West of Political fundraising

Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals will rake in roughly $3 million in a single fundraiser Wednesday night.

Fun with Queen’s Park

At their sumptuous Heritage Dinner, “Victory Tables” are priced at $18,000 for corporate high-flyers, and the biggest donors are feted at a private cocktail reception by a grateful premier. But that’s only half the story of how the governing party raises big money.

In Ontario, the Wild West of fundraising, cabinet ministers are assigned secret targets as high as $500,000 a year, the Star has learned.

The unsavoury spectacle of Ontario’s politicians supplicating big business and big labour for events such as the Heritage Dinner is only a small piece of the fundraising puzzle glimpsed by the public. Beyond the showy hobnobbing, shadowy appeals by cabinet ministers for corporate money are the untold story at Queen’s Park.

Corporate and union contributions that Wynne persists in publicly defending create a demonstrable conflict of interest for cabinet ministers, which is why they were banned for federal parties in 2006, and are no longer legal in four other provinces.

And yet, according to multiple sources, top cabinet ministers at Queen’s Park are given financial targets that are typically in the range of $250,000 annually — double that amount in some cases. These quasi-quotas are never written down, conveyed instead by the Ontario Liberal Fund through confidential meetings and phone calls.

They are the price of admission to power, revealed here for the first time, and they are astonishingly high.

The two most marketable ministers are Charles Sousa, the minister of finance, and Eric Hoskins, who helms the province’s $52-billion health care budget. Both are expected to bring in as much as $500,000 a year, well-placed sources have confirmed.

Sousa’s control of the provincial treasury, tax policy and auto insurance makes him a prime target for lobbyists in the banking and insurance industries. But Hoskins is also in high demand because of his regulatory authority over drug companies and nursing home conglomerates.

That’s why Hoskins was the big draw for the Ontario Long Term Care Association at an event organized with the Liberal Fund last year, which offered “an unprecedented opportunity only for OLTCA members” where they could “discuss the sector with the minister, up close and personal.” (Source: Toronto Star)