Editorial Cartoon by Graeme’s MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 31, 2024
Zombie Trudeau: The Leader Who Refuses to Die
October 28, 2023
It’s Halloween season, and on Parliament Hill, the Liberals are living a nightmare. Their leader, Justin Trudeau, staggers forward like a political zombie—undead, unelected, and unwilling to depart. He lurches from caucus meeting to caucus meeting, dragging behind him the decaying remains of a once-powerful party. His followers, terrified but unable to escape, shuffle along in his wake, too paralyzed by fear to put him down.
Opinion: Liberal dissenters need to show some backbone
October 31, 2019
A letter demanding his resignation from 24 Liberal MPs was nothing more than a whimper in the wind. Trudeau let it pass, only to rise again the next day, grinning that ghastly, un-killable grin, proclaiming unity where none exists. Craig Wallace’s critique in The Hamilton Spectator slammed the MPs for their lack of courage, comparing them to bootlickers unwilling to lift the hammer of the Reform Act. Meanwhile, Campbell Clark in The Globe and Mail explained why Trudeau’s most feared foe is not Pierre Poilievre but a secret-ballot vote—where MPs, safely hidden in anonymity, might drive a stake through his leadership at last.
Opinion: Trudeau seeks to dodge the verdict of his own party
October 16, 2019
But this horror show lingers. Trudeau’s refusal to step aside leaves the Liberal caucus in a state of paralysis, wandering aimlessly, dragged toward electoral doom. Ministers insist the rebellion is over, but their words ring hollow, like survivors trying to convince themselves the monster won’t rise again. Every day that Trudeau clings to power, the Liberals rot from within, feeding the ravenous momentum of the Conservatives, waiting gleefully to feast on the remains. If MPs can’t muster the courage to take him down, they’ll shamble along beside him—another pack of the walking dead—until they all fall together, consumed by the inevitable.
Posted to SUBSTACK. It’s at the early experimental stage (at the time of it’s posting,) and presented in the form of notes as I figure out how to integrate it into my daily routine. I’m not a fan of it’s presentation limits. Anyway, find out what’s swirling in my head as I come up with my ideas. It’s free and will continue to be, as will this carefully curated WordPress website which I’ve maintained obediently since 2012… until the traditional structure that has sustained me a livelihood collapses on top of me as it has for so many of my peers. Please take a look, and if you want to continue following/subscribe to my work, please subscribe, and thank you! – Graeme MacKay
The Halloween Gag
On Tuesday, I received two letters to the editor from readers who were offended by my recent editorial cartoon. It depicted 24 MPs seated in the back rows of the House of Commons, all wearing “F*ck Trudeau” t-shirts. This sentiment, which gained traction during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa, has become a common refrain, visible on bumper stickers, flags fluttering on pickup trucks, and even hanging from front porches in neighbourhoods. Is it jarring? Yes. Is it offensive? Absolutely. Has it crystallized into a widespread sentiment against Justin Trudeau’s leadership? Without a doubt. Whether you love it or hate it, that’s the reality.
Interestingly, I can’t help but wonder: would those same readers voice their concerns about standards in a family newspaper if I depicted Donald Trump standing next to a toilet with a sign reading, “Flush twice if necessary”?
That was yesterday’s editorial cartoon.
It’s easy to deduce what I’m comparing Trump to.
The satire is clear, yet that piece generated no letters of protest.
As we approach Halloween, I anticipate that my upcoming portrayal of Justin Trudeau as a walking dead man will stir even more controversy. But let’s be honest—the editorial cartoon practically writes itself in this context. This isn’t the first time I’ve drawn zombies to represent politicians who have overstayed their welcome. I did it with Dalton McGuinty, and the depiction proved prophetic shortly thereafter. After Stephen Harper’s departure, I applied the zombie motif to a graveyard of Conservative candidates, all vying for leadership while clinging to outdated policies that contributed to Harper’s political demise. Here’s a graveyard version of note I drew in 2021.
This is the essence of what we editorial cartoonists do. Sometimes we have to lean on familiar gags when the opportunity arises, irrespective of which party holds power. Halloween, combined with a political crisis, equals satire. As the stars align, this Halloween 2024, it’s monster Justin Trudeau and his hesitant followers in the spotlight. And for those who find this distasteful, rest assured that when the pendulum swings, the ridicule will shift to your political adversaries.
In many ways, Justin Trudeau has become a political zombie, staggering through Parliament Hill, clinging to power, and dragging his party toward inevitable collapse. His MPs seem paralyzed, too afraid to leverage tools like the Reform Act or a secret-ballot vote that could finally end his leadership. Despite the growing dissent among his ranks, Trudeau brushes off their timid attempts to oust him, all while maintaining a facade of unity among his ministers. With each passing day that he clings to power, the Liberals sink further into decay, inadvertently strengthening the Conservatives. If these MPs can’t muster the courage to confront him, they may soon find themselves as doomed as the leader they fear to challenge.
This is the reality of our political landscape, and it is ripe for satire. Let’s embrace the humour and the critique—it’s what keeps our democracy vibrant.
– Graeme MacKay
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