Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – December 10, 2003
Tory stalwart Joe Clark partyless
The new Conservative Party of Canada lost three MPs yesterday, hours after a proud announcement that it had officially registered for business and begun operations.
Former Tory leader Joe Clark and fellow MPs Andre Bachand of Quebec and John Herron of New Brunswick said they couldn’t bring themselves to participate in the new organization, formed through a merger with the Canadian Alliance.
“This is not my party,” Clark said as he arrived for what he called his last Tory caucus meeting. “This is something entirely new. I will not be part of this new party.”
Herron, like Clark, said he had notified Speaker Peter Milliken that he would serve out his current term but would keep calling himself a Progressive Conservative — the old party name that was ditched in the merger.
“I sought a mandate to be elected as a Progressive Conservative,” Herron said. “I plan on fulfilling my mandate.”
In effect, Clark and Herron will be treated as independents under Commons rules, with reduced opportunity to ask questions, participate in debates and serve on committees.
Bachand, who has been courted by the federal Liberals, said he hasn’t decided whether to remain in politics but, if he does, it won’t be under the banner of the new Conservative party. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 10, 2003
Tory stalwart Joe Clark partyless
The new Conservative Party of Canada lost three MPs yesterday, hours after a proud announcement that it had officially registered for business and begun operations.
Former Tory leader Joe Clark and fellow MPs Andre Bachand of Quebec and John Herron of New Brunswick said they couldn’t bring themselves to participate in the new organization, formed through a merger with the Canadian Alliance.
“This is not my party,” Clark said as he arrived for what he called his last Tory caucus meeting. “This is something entirely new. I will not be part of this new party.”
Herron, like Clark, said he had notified Speaker Peter Milliken that he would serve out his current term but would keep calling himself a Progressive Conservative — the old party name that was ditched in the merger.
“I sought a mandate to be elected as a Progressive Conservative,” Herron said. “I plan on fulfilling my mandate.”
In effect, Clark and Herron will be treated as independents under Commons rules, with reduced opportunity to ask questions, participate in debates and serve on committees.
Bachand, who has been courted by the federal Liberals, said he hasn’t decided whether to remain in politics but, if he does, it won’t be under the banner of the new Conservative party. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 11, 2002
Liberal Leadership Hopeful
Southam News reported December 8, “Wrestling with the prospect that he will have no lasting legacy to rival Pierre Trudeau’s repatriation of the constitution or even Brian Mulroney’s North American Free Trade Agreement, Chretien is reportedly preparing to assemble a high-level committee to determine the feasibility of a…minimum-income guarantee, which would be developed by merging all or parts of the federal child benefit, welfare, employment insurance and old age pension programs, [and] would allow Chretien to fulfil a number of his campaign promises, notably attacking child poverty.”
This was a leaden trial balloon. On December 13, Southam News reported that the prime minister had ridiculed the “legacy” idea. “This is our program,” he scoffed, brandishing a copy of Red Book III. “So if you want to know what we’ll do in the next four years, read it.” He admitted a full review of federal income support programs was underway.
Mr. Chretien has often been accused of breaking his word, and anyone who reads Red Book III will search in vain for the phrase “child poverty.” On January 4, the National Post reported that Finance Minister Paul Martin had assured activist June Callwood “he will use the Liberal government’s new mandate to address the root causes of child poverty.” So what will Mr. Chretien do? Who knows? (AP) (Old website post)
*** The Long Goodbye ***
March 2, 2024
Given the news of Brian Mulroney’s passing, I find myself delving into the intricacies of the Canadian political landscape of his time, and, in particular, reflecting on this editorial cartoon from December 2002, created to mark the 10th anniversary of NAFTA.
The cartoon, framed as a split screen, showcased a reunion in 2002 of NAFTA architects—Carlos Salinas, George H. W. Bush, and Brian Mulroney. It imagined a 2014 gathering marked by the “Long Goodbye,” where a rumpled-looking Jean Chretien sits alone, musing, “‘ow can anybody forget?”
This cartoon’s backdrop was a commemorative event that brought together key players in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Former U.S. President George Bush, in a symbolic gesture, mimicked Ross Perot’s predictions of a “giant sucking sound” resulting from free trade, asserting that such a scenario did not occur. The three North American leaders expressed support for NAFTA, emphasizing the creation of 2 million better-paying jobs despite the loss of 350,000 manufacturing jobs.
The context centred around Chretien’s leadership, often criticized as a protracted farewell, aptly named the “Long Goodbye.” Despite internal party pressures and disapproval, Chretien’s departure ushered in a two-stage renewal for the Liberal party, featuring an agenda to address previous shortcomings.
Chretien’s “lame duck” phase offered a nuanced balance between constraints and newfound freedom, resulting in notable legislative initiatives such as the legalization of same-sex marriage and changes to marijuana laws. The cartoon also alluded to political financing legislation aimed at addressing corruption, particularly in the context of the Sponsorship scandal, worked on earnestly in the final months of Chretien’s reign. Despite these efforts, the Sponsorship scandal remains a lasting part of Chretien’s legacy, overshadowing progressive policies and legislation. (Graeme MacKay – March 3, 2024)
