Jagmeet Singh – mackaycartoons

Friday April 8, 2022

April 8, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 8, 2022

Budget doesn’t address lessons learned during the pandemic, health groups say

March 23, 2022

After a pandemic that has left Canada’s health-care system buckling under the strain of staffing shortages and surgical backlogs, Thursday’s federal budget drew criticism from health groups, while committing billions to a national dental plan.

Dental care, a pillar of the governing agreement struck between the Liberals and New Democrats two weeks ago, emerged as the centrepiece of the federal government’s health-care spending. The government committed $5.3 billion over the next five years to launch the national program.

But urgency around the plight facing health-care workers in this country was absent from the budget, experts said.

“The big miss in this budget was providing care for Canadians. Everything from health care to long-term care to home care is in crisis,” said Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and an Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers. “There’s just no reference to the people that provide the care that are burning out and dropping out.”

December 24, 2021

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has argued that COVID-19 exacerbated long-standing issues already slamming the health-care system. According to Statistics Canada, 70 per cent of health-care workers reported their mental health worsened during the public health crisis, with about 32,000 regulated nurse positions needing to be filled.

The federal government has estimated that the pandemic delayed approximately 700,000 surgeries and other medical procedures, leading to wait-lists and backlogs for medical care.

CFNU president Linda Silas said the budget largely ignores health-care workers, something she said came as a “surprise” given assurances from Ottawa that retaining and recruiting talent is a priority.

“We’ve been having meetings with every politician of every stripe, at every level of government, and everyone understands that we’re dealing with a health human resource crisis in this country,” Silas told the Star. “Those words and actions weren’t part of budget 2022.”

December 21, 2016

The budget also doesn’t offer additional top-ups in health-care transfer payments to provinces and territories.

The document instead repeats the commitment of a one-time top-up of $2 billion to the Canada Health Transfer to clear surgical backlogs. That falls short of the $6 billion the Liberals promised in their election platform to “immediately invest” in eliminating health system wait-lists.

Premiers have repeatedly called on Ottawa to increase its share of health-care costs from 22 per cent to 35 per cent — an additional $28 billion per year — with no strings attached.

The budget primarily addresses the crisis facing health-care workers by pledging $26.2 million over four years, starting in 2023, to increase the amount of forgivable student loans by 50 per cent. That would result in up to $30,000 in loan forgiveness for nurses and up to $60,000 for doctors working in rural or remote communities.

March 31, 2021

There is also a promise to give $115 million over five years to Canada’s foreign credential recognition program to allow up to 11,000 health-care professionals trained abroad to find work here.

Canadian Medical Association president Dr. Katharine Smart said Thursday’s budget signals that Ottawa has similar priorities to the health sector, “but it’s very clear that much, much more needs to be done to actually bring about that change, and the deep investments that are going to be needed.”

The Mental Health Commission of Canada, meanwhile, had hoped to see movement on the Liberals’$4.5 billion campaign pledge to set up permanent transfer payments to the provinces and territories for mental health. (The Toronto Star)

Wednesday March 23, 2022

March 23, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 23, 2022

What the Liberal-NDP deal could mean for ‘aggressive options’ on defence spending

September 23, 2021

The prospects for a significant increase in Canadian defence spending in the coming federal budget looked a little less likely as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was set to head to Europe after announcing a stunning political deal with the New Democrats.

The Liberal government had been hinting that it was looking at aggressive options for injecting more money into the Canadian military in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Canada has been under heavy pressure to meet the NATO military alliance’s target, set in 2006, of spending at least two per cent of its national gross domestic product on defence, as a growing number of allies have since promised to do.

Trudeau was largely noncommittal on Tuesday as he announced the new confidence and supply agreement with the NDP, which will see the fourth-place party support the Liberal minority government through to 2025 in exchange for new investments in other areas.

Those include the creation of a dental-care program for lower-income Canadians, national pharmacare, affordable housing and phasing out subsides for fossil fuels, among others.

Saturday December 18, 2021

December 19, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday December 18, 2021

Toronto city council votes to help fight Quebec’s Bill 21 in court after Brampton calls for support

September 17, 2019

Toronto city council unanimously voted in support of helping to fund a legal fight against Quebec’s law restricting religious symbols Thursday, after Brampton called on other Canadian cities to join in the initiative.

John Tory, the mayor of Canada’s largest city, said in a tweet he would put the request to council Thursday, repeating that both he and city council have repeatedly voiced opposition to Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21.

On Thursday, city council unanimously voted in favour of the motion to reaffirm the city’s opposition to the bill. City council will also contribute $100,000 to support the joint legal challenge to the bill being brought by the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the World Sikh Organization and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

“Today, city council made it very clear that Toronto stands with municipalities from across Canada in opposition to Bill 21 and in support of the legal challenge against this bill,” Tory said in a news release Thursday.

October 3, 2019

“We cannot simply stand by as Torontonians and Canadians and see a law like this diminish the protection and respect accorded religious and other basic freedoms by our Canadian Charter of Rights of Freedoms.”

He also encouraged other cities to join the fight to “uphold the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Tory was adding his voice to an initiative from Brampton city council, which also voted Wednesday to contribute $100,000 to challenging the Quebec law and encouraged other cities to donate.

Adopted in June 2019, Bill 21 prohibits the wearing of religious symbols such as hijabs, kippas and turbans by teachers and other government employees deemed to be in positions of authority. Debate over the law was revived this month with news that a teacher in Chelsea, Que., had been reassigned because of her hijab.

Patrick Brown Retrospective

Brampton calls itself one of the most diverse communities in Canada and says it wants to show its support for what diversity brings to local communities and Canada as a whole.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown calls Bill 21 discriminatory and says freedom of religion is a fundamental principle that must be upheld.

Since Brown called on other cities to get involved, several communities across the country have indicated their support for his initiative and will put requests for funding to their respective councils.

By late Wednesday afternoon, the motion had already won the support of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. (CBC)

Thursday September 23, 2021

September 25, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 23, 2021

Trudeau didn’t win the majority but still has chance to pass sweeping legislation

Justin Trudeau went into Monday’s federal election with one of the world’s highest Covid-19 vaccination rates, billions spent on pandemic aid and the hope that he could convert the earned goodwill into a majority government.

September 21, 2021

He fell short of that aim: after a 36-day campaign and a C$610m election, the makeup of parliament remained largely unchanged, with the Liberals holding roughly 158 seats – short of the 170 needed for a majority.

The Liberals received a smaller share of the popular vote than any other winning party in the country’s history – suggesting the prime minister’s popularity is waning, despite his party’s electoral advantages. And while the math in parliament remained largely the same, three of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers didn’t win re-election.

Trudeau will be forced to navigate a parliament that he needs to woo in order to survive. But it may yet give him the rare opportunity to pass sweeping, legacy-defining legislation.

When he called the election in mid August, Trudeau was asked about his future as party leader if the Liberals once again fell short of majority government. Trudeau declined to answer, but said that more work was required on crucial issues such as child-care and housing, adding that he is “nowhere near done yet”.

Making his victory speech early on Tuesday, Trudeau showed no sign that he intends to step down, telling supporters that Liberals had won a “clear mandate” from the public to pursue sweeping policy initiatives.

October 23, 2019

“I think retiring from politics would be the furthest thing from Justin Trudeau’s mind right now … it’s a four-year mandate unless the government is bought down,” Gerry Butts, Trudeau’s longtime friend and former adviser told CBC News.

Despite falling short of his goal, Trudeau is unlikely to experience as severe a backlash from his own party as that facing the Conservative leader.

Erin O’Toole ran a centrist campaign, hoping to pick off disaffected Liberal voters who might otherwise be put off by a socially conservative leader.

But the gambit failed, and the party made no electoral gains, prompting questions about how long O’Toole can stay in power.

May 15, 2021

Still, Trudeau – who ran in 2015 as a progressive candidate with promises to upend the status quo – must increasingly contend with the reality of politics: as the incumbent, he bears the weight of his government’s successes – and failures.

“Even if this election hadn’t happened, he’s been prime minister for six years – and there’s only so long you can be in power before voter fatigue sets in,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University.

The Liberals pledged big spending initiatives, including affordable, $C10 per day child care across the country – a plan the Conservatives had said they would scrap if elected. And Trudeau’s climate plans have won plaudits from economists and were called “bold and thoughtful” by a former top Green party leader.

Federal Election 2021

While the parliamentary math remains largely unchanged, Trudeau has the opportunity to pass key legislation with the help of Jagmeet Singh and his left-wing New Democrats, who hold the balance of power.

The NDP spent millions on the campaign and has little appetite to head back to the polls, suggesting Trudeau has a cushion of votes to keep him in power for the coming years.

“If he’s willing to work with Singh, he can be prime minister who delivers a national childcare program, and be the one who delivers a real plan in place on climate change – something that has the support of multiple parties,” said Turnbull. (The Guardian)