Green Party – mackaycartoons

Friday April 19, 2019

May 3, 2019 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 19, 2019

Historic result for PEI Green Party could mean bigger things coming

For the first time ever, the Green Party has risen to Official Opposition status in a Canadian province.

October 23, 2002

The party, led by Peter Bevan-Baker, won eight seats in Prince Edward Island in a vote that saw the Progressive Conservatives form a minority government under premier-designate Dennis King. The Tory’s won 12 seats.

“It’s a historic night, and a big breakthrough for the PEI Greens,” says Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, “I think it’s really an indication, the fact increasingly more and more voters want to see a new way of doing politics.”

“I think Greens bring a fresh voice and a new perspective, and really a desire as much as possible to work across party lines to solve some of the big challenges that we face. And do it in a way that puts people first, that puts good policy ahead of party.”

May 31, 2017

He says in the past, people thought success for the Greens were more of “a west coast thing,” alluding to federal leader Elizabeth May, who is MP for a riding in British Columbia, as well as three MLA’s holding seats in the BC legislature.

And then with members holding three seats in New Brunswick’s provincially, some were thinking it was a west and east coast thing.

But with Tuesday’s vote, along with Schreiner’s own successful election bid in Ontario last October, he says we’re seeing a “green wave starting to build across the country.”

Now, what could this mean for future elections?

October 14, 2015

Schreiner says we could see our first indication of it during the fall federal election, and even in the next Ontario election in 2022.

He indicates there were five “high quality” people seeking the Green Party nomination in Guelph last year, along with contested nominations in Waterloo Region.

And he is already fielding calls from people interested in running in the next provincial election. (Source: Kitchener Today)

Wednesday May 31, 2017

May 30, 2017 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 31, 2017

B.C. NDP and Greens to release details of their power-sharing deal

B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan held a triumphant meeting of his MLAs at the legislature Tuesday, as his party prepares to overthrow the governing Liberals and take power with the help of the B.C. Greens.

March 11, 1999

Horgan arrived to a standing ovation and a flurry of desk thumping as NDP MLAs and party staff crowded into the Opposition board room at the legislature to hear details of a power-sharing agreement announced Monday with the Greens.

“Wow, what a race, what a contest, what an election campaign, and how excited are we today?” Horgan said to applause.

“We’ll have the opportunity as a caucus of 41 New Democrats to ratify an agreement that will bring stability to the legislature and allow us to focus on the things we campaigned on, allow us to ensure we can make life more affordable for British Columbians, that we can protect the services people care about, and most importantly we can make sure the economy works for everybody.

“That’s what we campaigned upon, that’s what we’re going to deliver. I’m very excited to have you all here, and I’m very excited about the prospect of forming the next government of British Columbia.”

Combined, the NDP and Greens hold 44 seats in the legislature, compared to 43 for the Liberals.

Horgan said the NDP will release a copy of the agreement with the Greens at 2 p.m. Tuesday. He mentioned it will allow an NDP government to improve housing affordability, improve health care, defend the coast from pipelines and improve the education system. (Source: Vancouver Sun)

Thursday August 18, 2016

August 17, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 18, 2016

Elizabeth May could quit as Green Party leader this month

Elizabeth May says she could step down as Green Party leader later this month if her party doesn’t reconsider its decision to endorse a movement that calls for the boycott of Israel.

At its policy convention last weekend, Green Party members voted in favour of a resolution which, in part, said the party “supports the use of divestment, boycott and sanctions (BDS) that are targeted to those sectors of Israel’s economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the OPT [occupied Palestinian Territories.]”

“I would say as of this minute I think I’d have real difficulties going not just to an election but through the next month,” May said in an interview with CBC Radio’s The House, set to air this Saturday morning on CBC Radio One.

August 22, 2016

“There are a lot of issues I want to be talking about with Canadians, and this isn’t one of them.”

May is headed to Nova Scotia for a family vacation, where she will seek their advice on her future as leader.

“I need to talk to my family and ask them what they think I should do,” May said. “You’re talking to a broken-hearted person who is trying to figure out the best way forward.”

After Green Party members endorsed the BDS movement, several prominent Jewish organizations denounced the move, with one leader saying he was “irate” with the party.

But another Jewish group was enthusiastic about the resolution brought forward by the Green Party’s justice critic, Dimitri Lascaris.

May — who opposes BDS — said she has been criticized as both a Zionist and an anti-Semite since it was adopted as official party policy.

“It’s horrible. You are caught between two very strong loud voices,” she said.

“I think it is wrong-headed for the party. It’s a very polarizing and divisive campaign.” (Source: CBC News)

Wednesday October 14, 2015

October 13, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 14, 2015

Green Party on the verge of irrelevance

Let’s be frank: the Green Party movement in Canada would be all but dead without Elizabeth May as its leader.

Through her boundless energy and passion, May has achieved the near- impossible by keeping the Greens in the public eye during the current election dominated by the front-running Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats.

Excluded from most leaders’ debates, she uses Twitter and Facebook to reach voters, appears on TV and radio every chance she gets, talks with reporters at length, travels across Canada on behalf of Green candidates and meets constantly with university students and seniors groups.

Indeed, she is possibly the hardest-working federal leader in the campaign, committed to protecting the environment, energetic, funny, personable and dedicated.

Despite all her hard work and eternal optimism, though, the Green Party appears headed for an election nightmare, sliding backwards with fewer votes than in the previous two elections.

At best, the Greens may elect just two MPs, including May in her B.C. riding of Sannich-Gulf Islands. May told the Toronto Star editorial board on Thursday she ideally would like to win 12 seats to become an official party in Parliament.

At worst, the Greens could suffer their second straight decline in voter support nationally and lose the only other elected seat they hold in Parliament.

If that occurs, the Greens would be on the verge of irrelevance on the political scene, doomed to be a fringe party with no clout, no money and few friends.

It would be a sad outcome for May who has made the Greens a part, albeit tiny, of the political conversation in Canada since she became party leader in 2006.

Polls consistently show the Greens with barely 3-4 per cent support nationally, including in Ontario and B.C. where the party likes to claim it has the most support. (Continued: Toronto Star)

Monday September 29, 2008

September 29, 2008 by Graeme MacKay

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)