Halloween

Tuesday October 31, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 31, 2017

Morneau not the only cabinet minister using conflict-of-interest loophole

 
Finance Minister Bill Morneau isn’t the only cabinet minister who used a conflict-of-interest technicality to maintain control of their assets while in power, the ethics watchdog confirms.
 

September 22, 2017

The office of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson wouldn’t identify who else at the cabinet table holds controlled assets indirectly. It would only confirm “fewer than five cabinet ministers” do so, and they are not required to sell those assets off or put them in a blind trust.

 
The story was first reported by the Globe and Mail on Monday morning.
 
The Conflict of Interest Act covers assets that are directly held, a loophole Dawson has complained about.
 
The act defines controlled assets as “assets whose value could be directly or indirectly affected by government decisions or policy,” and includes things like publicly traded securities of corporations, registered retirement and education plans and stock options.
 

September 15, 2017

After being dogged by controversy over the shares and his use of private corporations to hold his assets, Morneau announced earlier this month that he would place his assets in a blind trust and divest shares worth about $20 million in his family-built company.

 
He later said he would donate to charity the difference in the value of his shares in Morneau Shepell between when he was elected in October 2015 and the day they’re sold.
 
Dawson is now considering whether to launch a formal investigation into whether Morneau had a conflict of interest in sponsoring a pension bill known as Bill C-27 while still owning shares in his family’s pension company. (Source: CBC News)

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Thursday October 20, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday October 20, 2016 Voting to kill LRT would be difficult, Hamilton councillors told Council still has the power to derail LRT even with $70 million already spent on the project. But voting to kill the 100-per-cent provincially funded, $1-billion project would be procedurally difficult and fraught with legal risk, councillors were told during a 12-hour marathon meeting Tuesday. The prospect of a potential vote for or against LRT by a divided council attracted 150-plus residents to watch as well as two dozen who spoke publicly for and against the project. Enthusiasm for such a vote any time soon fizzled after lawyer George Rust-D'Eye suggested a move to delay or stop LRT would require two-thirds council support because of prior votes to move the project forward. Two councillors Ñ LRT supporter Sam Merulla and vocal critic Terry Whitehead Ñ did put forward a motion late in the meeting suggesting Metrolinx look at improving A-line transit up the Mountain alongside the funded LRT project. Metrolinx project head Andrew Hope said it was too early to say if the agency would look at such a request. "We would need to have further discussions with the city to understand what the actual intent is here," he said. Other councillors like Judi Partridge and Brenda Johnson, however, asked if council had any LRT "off-ramps" remaining, including major route changes or even a rethink to pursue bus rapid transit. City manager Chris Murray said council still has an opportunity to vote on "major milestones" including the environmental assessment submission next spring, an operating and maintenance agreement and a "master agreement" with Metrolinx. He emphasized council has already committed "in good faith" to moving LRT ahead with prior votes, including an Aug. 14, 2015 decision to create an LRT implementation office to work on the updated project that calls for a line from McMaster University to the Queenston tra

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 20, 2016

Voting to kill LRT would be difficult, Hamilton councillors told

Council still has the power to derail LRT even with $70 million already spent on the project.

But voting to kill the 100-per-cent provincially funded, $1-billion project would be procedurally difficult and fraught with legal risk, councillors were told during a 12-hour marathon meeting Tuesday.

The prospect of a potential vote for or against LRT by a divided council attracted 150-plus residents to watch as well as two dozen who spoke publicly for and against the project. Enthusiasm for such a vote any time soon fizzled after lawyer George Rust-D’Eye suggested a move to delay or stop LRT would require two-thirds council support because of prior votes to move the project forward.

Two councillors — LRT supporter Sam Merulla and vocal critic Terry Whitehead — did put forward a motion late in the meeting suggesting Metrolinx look at improving A-line transit up the Mountain alongside the funded LRT project. Metrolinx project head Andrew Hope said it was too early to say if the agency would look at such a request.

“We would need to have further discussions with the city to understand what the actual intent is here,” he said.

Other councillors like Judi Partridge and Brenda Johnson, however, asked if council had any LRT “off-ramps” remaining, including major route changes or even a rethink to pursue bus rapid transit.

City manager Chris Murray said council still has an opportunity to vote on “major milestones” including the environmental assessment submission next spring, an operating and maintenance agreement and a “master agreement” with Metrolinx.

He emphasized council has already committed “in good faith” to moving LRT ahead with prior votes, including an Aug. 14, 2015 decision to create an LRT implementation office to work on the updated project that calls for a line from McMaster University to the Queenston traffic circle. The city also signed a binding real estate protocol this fall.

But he added if council encounters a problem with the project or operating agreement that is “so significant that … we simply could not solve it, then I think that is where council would have to decide whether to keep going or not.”

Rust-D’Eye warned in his report that debate should not happen “without thorough consideration and legal advice with respect to the implications.”

City LRT point person Paul Johnson also noted Metrolinx has “spent or committed” between $60 million and $70 million on LRT planning so far, including 20 city staff and six Metrolinx officials working out of a local office as well as several consultants studying traffic, real estate and technical route issues.

He couldn’t tell frustrated councillors, however, how many buses might be available to use elsewhere in the city after LRT starts up on the busy B-line along Main and King streets because the options are still under study.(Source: Hamilton Spectator)

…It has been a loooong conversation on making LRT and enhanced GO Transit a Billion dollar reality in this city.  Here’s a gallery of transit cartoons from the past 5 years or so…

Not to mention these from 2010 and before:

              

 

Tuesday October 25, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday October 25, 2016 Steven Blaney kicks off Conservative leadership campaign with proposed niqab ban Quebec MP Steven Blaney is running for leadership of the Conservative Party, and his first major policy position is a ban on the niqab and a promise to invoke the notwithstanding clause if courts strike down his new measures. The former minister in the cabinet of Stephen Harper said he will introduce legislation that would forbid the Islamic face-covering while voting and taking the oath of citizenship. He also said that the prohibition would extend to people working in the federal public service. "We are a country that is built on immigration, but we have to be sure that those new Canadians we welcome are understanding of how we live. We don't want our country to become like the country they left," Blaney told reporters Monday. "We fully welcome you, but we want you to respect who we are.Ó The measures are necessary, Blaney said, to "ensure the sustainability of our integration model" and to protect women's rights. The proposal revives a controversial debate from the last campaign, when Harper himself suggested the niqab should be banned from the public service. His party enacted policies to prevent women from wearing a niqab while taking the citizenship oath, and promised to create a "barbaric cultural practices" tip line. Those two proposals led some to accuse the party of engaging in identity politics and fuelling anti-Muslim sentiment. Zunera Ishaq, a Muslim woman, went to court to challenge the government's ban, and, in the middle of the campaign, the Federal Court of Appeal cleared the wayÊfor her to wear the head covering. (Source: CBC News)Êhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/steven-blaney-conservative-leadership-niqab-ban-1.3818673 Canada, Conservative, party, niqab, assisted suicide, end of life, conservative, leadership, Kellie Leitch, Steven Blaney, culture, race, religion, stephen ha

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 25, 2016

Steven Blaney kicks off Conservative leadership campaign with proposed niqab ban

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday October 8, 2016 Conservative leadership hopeful Brad Trost questions Andrew Scheer about social conservatism Saskatchewan Member of Parliament and Conservative leader hopeful Brad Trost says his policies make him a true social conservative choice. "I've got about five or six policy platform items that will be of interest to social conservatives," Trost said in Ottawa on Monday. Trost wouldn't go into detail what his policy platform planks will be but would only say "euthanasia, abortion and a couple of other issues," will be included. "These are things I believe. When you see my policy platforms they will demonstrate they are social conservative proposals that are not only popular inside the Conservative party but the general public.Ó First elected in 2004, Trost has been vocal on many issues, including same-sex marriage. Recently, Trost's campaign started running ads with a picture of two fingers side by side, with the message "Marriage is the union of one man, one woman.Ó He's also taking aim at fellow Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer, who also recently entered the leadership race. Trost says that comments he's read of late leads him to believe Scheer is not a true social conservative. When Scheer launched his leadership campaign last week, he indicated that abortion and same-sex marriage were issues he considered resolved within the party and he would not re-visit them. "I don't think he's taking a pro-life stand in this campaign," said Trost. "I'm not sure if Mr. Scheer is a social conservative. That's something he's going to have to deal with. One of the social conservative groups referred to his statements the other day as pro-abortion.Ó In response to Trost's latest volley, Scheer simply said "no comment.Ó Trost also sounded off on Harper's time as Prime Minister, saying the he doesn't believe Harper was a social conservative either. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada

October 8, 2016

Quebec MP Steven Blaney is running for leadership of the Conservative Party, and his first major policy position is a ban on the niqab and a promise to invoke the notwithstanding clause if courts strike down his new measures.

The former minister in the cabinet of Stephen Harper said he will introduce legislation that would forbid the Islamic face-covering while voting and taking the oath of citizenship. He also said that the prohibition would extend to people working in the federal public service.

Friday October 10, 2014

October 10, 2014

“We are a country that is built on immigration, but we have to be sure that those new Canadians we welcome are understanding of how we live. We don’t want our country to become like the country they left,” Blaney told reporters Monday. “We fully welcome you, but we want you to respect who we are.”

The measures are necessary, Blaney said, to “ensure the sustainability of our integration model” and to protect women’s rights.

The proposal revives a controversial debate from the last campaign, when Harper himself suggested the niqab should be banned from the public service.

Friday December 8, 2006 PM: Same-sex issue closed The last major threat to same-sex marriage rights in Canada was soundly defeated in the House of Commons today, with MPs sending the message that they donÕt want to revisit the emotional, divisive debate. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he heard the message and will respect it. ÒWe made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously weÕll accept the democratic result of the peopleÕs representatives,Ó Harper said. The question put to MPs was whether they wanted to see legislation drafted to reinstate the traditional definition of marriage, while respecting the existing marriages of gays and lesbians. That Conservative motion failed 175-123. In the tense Commons, MPs watched each other carefully to see how the other would vote. Some Liberals cheered as prominent Tories voted to let sleeping dogs lie. Some Conservatives applauded Liberals who did the opposite. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Canada, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, civil union, marriage, dinosaur

Friday December 8, 2006

Zunera Ishaq, a Muslim woman, went to court to challenge the government’s ban, and, in the middle of the campaign, the Federal Court of Appeal cleared the way for her to wear the head covering. (Source: CBC News)

2016-10-25tearsheet

 

Thursday October 6, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday October 6, 2016 'Monsters in clown costumes': Mystery surrounds terrifying trend It's a phenomenon that's sweeping across North America, from Georgia to Glace Bay, N.S. Mysterious, occasionally armed individuals dressed as terrifying clowns, who are frequentlyÊspotted wandering the streets at night, standing in bizarre locations, or menacing members of the public. There have been no reported injuries stemming from the behaviour, but severalÊincidents have led police to get involved. There have been numerous reports of "creepy clowns" in the U.S. over the last month, and evenÊa few in Canada. In Nova Scotia, for instance, a woman in her car turned down a sideÊstreet to avoid one clown, only to be surrounded by five more who stood and simply stared at her. On Tuesday, a photo of a clown standing beside a Halifax high school wasÊposted toÊInstagram. The accountÕs biography reads, "We stalking you so keep your eyes open. We ain't killing we just creeping.Ó In some cases, police have been called to investigate. Two teenagers are facing charges in connection with allegedly uploading threatening Facebook posts about clowns at schools inÊColchester County, a community north of Halifax. A 17-year-old boy from Stewiacke, N.S. and a 16-year-old girl from Shubenacadie, N.S. are facing mischief charges. In aÊstatementÊreleased Tuesday, Truro Police said Òthere is nothing to indicate that these posts were going to be acted upon.Ó Police have not described details of the posts. In yet another incident in the Maritime province this week, a 24-year-old man was arrested in Clarks Harbor, N.S. on Tuesday after witnesses told police he was walking down the streetÊdressed in a clown mask and t-shirt and allegedly grabbed at the clothing of a young boy. The suspect, who police have not identified, faces charges of breach of undertaking. And back inÊmid-August, Gatineau police let two teens off without charges aft

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 6, 2016

‘Monsters in clown costumes’: Mystery surrounds terrifying trend

It’s a phenomenon that’s sweeping across North America, from Georgia to Glace Bay, N.S. Mysterious, occasionally armed individuals dressed as terrifying clowns, who are frequently spotted wandering the streets at night, standing in bizarre locations, or menacing members of the public. There have been no reported injuries stemming from the behaviour, but several incidents have led police to get involved.

There have been numerous reports of “creepy clowns” in the U.S. over the last month, and even a few in Canada. In Nova Scotia, for instance, a woman in her car turned down a side street to avoid one clown, only to be surrounded by five more who stood and simply stared at her. On Tuesday, a photo of a clown standing beside a Halifax high school was posted to Instagram. The account’s biography reads, “We stalking you so keep your eyes open. We ain’t killing we just creeping.”

In some cases, police have been called to investigate. Two teenagers are facing charges in connection with allegedly uploading threatening Facebook posts about clowns at schools in Colchester County, a community north of Halifax. A 17-year-old boy from Stewiacke, N.S. and a 16-year-old girl from Shubenacadie, N.S. are facing mischief charges. In a statement released Tuesday, Truro Police said “there is nothing to indicate that these posts were going to be acted upon.” Police have not described details of the posts.

In yet another incident in the Maritime province this week, a 24-year-old man was arrested in Clarks Harbor, N.S. on Tuesday after witnesses told police he was walking down the street dressed in a clown mask and t-shirt and allegedly grabbed at the clothing of a young boy. The suspect, who police have not identified, faces charges of breach of undertaking.

And back in mid-August, Gatineau police let two teens off without charges after they were arrested for donning clown costumes and frightening small children.

In the U.S., clowns have been spotted in the woods of South Carolina and North Carolina, near schools in Ohio, Georgia and Long Island, N.Y., and standing outside an apartment complex in Kentucky. The Kentucky case led to the arrest of a 20-year-old, who appears in his arrest photos wearing a clown costume, sans mask. (Source: CTV News)

 

Friday October 30, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday October 30, 2015 At least 10 full moons hoped for in Westdale Halloween run There'll be a different kind of full moon in Westdale this weekend, dozens of them, if a local nudist has his way. Hamilton's inaugural Naked Pumpkin Run is set to debut Friday night, a bizarre tradition that takes place annually in the United States in which runners wear nothing but carved-jack-o-lanterns on their heads Ñ peduncles and all. The Hamilton run is being organized by Adam, a 30-something-year-old Hamilton man who asked that his last name not be used because if his mom found out, he'd "never hear the end of it." After twice participating in the annual World Naked Bike Ride in Toronto, the pumpkin run was on his bucket list. There is something liberating about being comfortable in your own skin with like-minded people, he says. He expects Friday's event will likely draw more giggling Mac students than traditional naturists, but that's fine. "It's the Halloween spirit É they might have a drink or two and say, 'Let's do it' É not enough people put on fun, free events," Adam said. "Some people maybe have an inner nudist they've never had an opportunity to get out. Or maybe they're just excitable people who will try anything once." Adam said there have never been any issues with Toronto Police at the rude bike ride, but has not spoken with Hamilton police about the upcoming run. The laws are fuzzy. In order for a public nudity charge to be laid in Ontario, police need the consent of the attorney general. Hamilton police are aware of the run, but did not provide an official response about what, if any, action would be taken against the streakers. Adam stresses that there will be no tolerance for lewd or sexual behaviour, that participants will be fully clothed until the last minute, and that organizers chose the date and time to ensure trick-or-treaters are not shocked by the É er É display. He's hoping

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 30, 2015

At least 10 full moons hoped for in Westdale Halloween run

There’ll be a different kind of full moon in Westdale this weekend, dozens of them, if a local nudist has his way.

Hamilton’s inaugural Naked Pumpkin Run is set to debut Friday night, a bizarre tradition that takes place annually in the United States in which runners wear nothing but carved-jack-o-lanterns on their heads — peduncles and all.

The Hamilton run is being organized by Adam, a 30-something-year-old Hamilton man who asked that his last name not be used because if his mom found out, he’d “never hear the end of it.”

After twice participating in the annual World Naked Bike Ride in Toronto, the pumpkin run was on his bucket list. There is something liberating about being comfortable in your own skin with like-minded people, he says.

He expects Friday’s event will likely draw more giggling Mac students than traditional naturists, but that’s fine.

“It’s the Halloween spirit … they might have a drink or two and say, ‘Let’s do it’ … not enough people put on fun, free events,” Adam said. “Some people maybe have an inner nudist they’ve never had an opportunity to get out. Or maybe they’re just excitable people who will try anything once.”

Adam said there have never been any issues with Toronto Police at the rude bike ride, but has not spoken with Hamilton police about the upcoming run.

31Oct2015B-BarryGray

Update, Photo by Barry Gray, Hamilton Spectator

The laws are fuzzy. In order for a public nudity charge to be laid in Ontario, police need the consent of the attorney general. Hamilton police are aware of the run, but did not provide an official response about what, if any, action would be taken against the streakers.

Adam stresses that there will be no tolerance for lewd or sexual behaviour, that participants will be fully clothed until the last minute, and that organizers chose the date and time to ensure trick-or-treaters are not shocked by the … er … display.

He’s hoping for a crowd of at least 10 — plus volunteers to watch their clothes — acknowledging that any fewer could be a little bare. If it’s a success, he hopes next year’s run could be a food drive or fundraiser.

The group will gather at 7 p.m. on Longwood Avenue South, between King and Main Streets. The 2.5 km route is undetermined. For more information or to sign up, visit the Hamilton Naked Pumpkin Run for Fun Facebook page. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)