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Wednesday November 16, 2022

November 16, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 16, 2022

Has the Trudeau government finally got Beijing’s number?

An ancient Chinese proverb: To learn is to come face to face with one’s own ignorance.

December 5, 2017

Seven years ago, full of naive bravado, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government embarked on a quest for tighter ties with the People’s Republic of China. It assumed it was signing up for all sorts of cost-free economic and political rewards. Instead, it got an expensive education.

Another Chinese proverb: Strict teachers produce outstanding students. The Trudeau government has spent the past seven years getting schooled by one of the world’s most unreasonable tutors, the Xi Jinping regime. The lessons are paying off.

On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly gave a speech introducing her government’s new Indo-Pacific strategy. The full policy won’t be unveiled until next month, but the minister teased its key elements. The most important involves a new approach to China.

The government has evolved from dreaming of ever-closer economic integration with China, to trying to minimize conflict – the better to return to the quest for closer ties – to now, as a cum laude graduate of the Xi Jinping School of Experiential Education, recognizing that China, at least in its current form, is an adversary and a threat.

November 20, 2020

Ms. Joly says that Canada will of course continue to have extensive trade and economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Given how much of the world’s industrial capacity has moved there over the past two decades, there is no other option. But the government now recognizes that Beijing’s autocratic regime, its hostility to the rules-based international order, and its eagerness to impose its will on smaller states, is a challenge to Canada’s interests.

What’s more, Ms. Joly says that, to give Canada the heft to stand up to China, we have to bolster our traditional alliances with Washington and Europe, while creating new ones with countries such as Japan, South Korea and India.

It’s a long way from where the Trudeau government started.

In 2016, as we watched the Trudeau government “make like a pretzel while attempting to court the hard men of Beijing,” we asked whether “Canada [was] caving into China’s demands,” and whether the Trudeau government was “clueless as to the brutal nature of the regime it is dealing with.”

December 8, 2017

In 2017, as the government bid for a free-trade accord with China, and China started upping its demands, we wrote that Ottawa “did not appear to be sufficiently aware of the potential dangers and downsides.” And we asked, not for the first or last time: “Does the Trudeau government, and the Prime Minister in particular, appreciate who they are dealing with?”

A few months later, after Mr. Trudeau went to China seeking that free-trade deal but was snubbed by his hosts, we wrote that this failure would “come to be seen as less of an embarrassment, and more of a blessing.”

And that was before Canada arrested a Chinese executive on an American extradition warrant, and China retaliated by turning two Canadians into hostages. “The case of Meng Wanzhou has torpedoed the Trudeau government’s China policy,” we wrote in late 2018. “At the same time, it has also sunk China’s Canada policy. Call it a win-win.”

January 29, 2019

“It’s never pleasant to discover the gap between one’s wishes and objective reality, but it is the beginning of the path to wisdom. The Trudeau government is being forced to wise up about the nature of the People’s Republic of China.”

A year later, in December of 2019, with the Two Michaels still behind bars, we wrote that “Beijing has spent the last year giving Canada a special education in how it sees our not-at-all special relationship. We should be thankful for the lessons. The Trudeau government, and the entire political and business establishment, must study them carefully. It may allow this country to finally get over its China delusions.”

February 20, 2021

The Trudeau government has since made progress on getting over those delusions, and let us give thanks for that. But it’s still a few steps short of the end of its 12-step program.

This week brought news that, according to information obtained by Global News, the PM was given an intelligence report last January – that’s nearly a year ago – detailing extensive Chinese meddling in the 2019 Canadian election. There are also credible reports of Beijing meddling in the 2021 election, in particular targeting China-critical Conservatives. What has the Trudeau government done about that? So far, nothing. (The Globe & Mail) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2022-38, Canada, China, dance, diplomacy, G20, Hu Jintao, Jean Chretien, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Mao Zedong, Paul Martin, Pierre Trudeau, Xi Jinping

Thursday May 26, 2016

May 25, 2016 by Graeme MacKay
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday May 26, 2016 Stephen Harper to bow out of federal politics before next fall Stephen Harper will bow out of federal politics before Parliament resumes in the fall to pursue new business interests. Harper, who served as prime minister for nearly a decade, is deciding his future as the Conservative Party prepares to meet for its national convention in Vancouver starting Thursday. Harper has offers from multiple U.S. companies, including private equity giant KKR, sources tell CBC News. A spokesperson for KKR declined a request for comment. The news of Harper's pending departure was first reported by the Globe and Mail. Conservatives will honour Harper with a tribute Thursday night before they look to chart a new course for the party he helped create. Harper is expected to deliver a short speech following the tribute. But don't expect Harper to discuss life after politics. Canada "He will be speaking on Thursday, but he won't be speaking about his future plans," said Rachel Curran, one of Harper's confidants and a former PMO policy director. "He will be talking about the last 10 years, and what work the party still has to do, that will be the focus.Ó Until an official announcement is made, Harper's colleagues are shying away from weighing in on the former prime minister's next career move. A spokesperson for interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose declined comment. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-to-bow-out-from-federal-politics-1.3598913 Canada, Stephen Harper, Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, John Turner, Paul Martin, Prime Minister, legacy, purgatory

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 26, 2016

Stephen Harper to bow out of federal politics before next fall

Stephen Harper will bow out of federal politics before Parliament resumes in the fall to pursue new business interests.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013Harper, who served as prime minister for nearly a decade, is deciding his future as the Conservative Party prepares to meet for its national convention in Vancouver starting Thursday.

Harper has offers from multiple U.S. companies, including private equity giant KKR, sources tell CBC News. A spokesperson for KKR declined a request for comment.

The news of Harper’s pending departure was first reported by the Globe and Mail.

Conservatives will honour Harper with a tribute Thursday night before they look to chart a new course for the party he helped create. Harper is expected to deliver a short speech following the tribute.

But don’t expect Harper to discuss life after politics. Canada

“He will be speaking on Thursday, but he won’t be speaking about his future plans,” said Rachel Curran, one of Harper’s confidants and a former PMO policy director. “He will be talking about the last 10 years, and what work the party still has to do, that will be the focus.”

Until an official announcement is made, Harper’s colleagues are shying away from weighing in on the former prime minister’s next career move. A spokesperson for interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose declined comment. (Source: CBC News)

2016-05-26tearsheet

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Canada, Joe Clark, John Turner, Kim Campbell, legacy, Paul Martin, Prime Minister, purgatory, Stephen Harper, tearsheet

Tuesday August 25, 2015

August 24, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday August 25, 2015 The Growing Power of the PMO In 2006, Stephen Harper rode into Ottawa with a mandate to clean up the ethical wreckage of the Liberal sponsorship scandal. The Conservative Party leader moved quickly as the prime minister of a minority government. He banned corporate and union donations, and lowered the individual donation limit to $1,000. He toughened federal lobbying rules, created the Parliamentary Budget Office and gave additional powers to the Ethics Commissioner. His goal, he said over and over, was to return accountability to Ottawa. And he did that, to a degree. His reforms have helped bring the federal government up to date on important issues of political financing and budget oversight. Not surprisingly, though, Mr. Harper failed to target the real source of OttawaÕs accountability crisis. As the trial of Mike Duffy has reminded us, the greatest threat to responsible government in Canada is none other than the Prime MinisterÕs Office. Over the past 40 years, the PMO has morphed into a parasite on the body of Parliament that prospers by sucking the democracy out of its host. The court-documented efforts by Nigel Wright, the former chief of staff to Mr. Harper, to control the Senate from inside the PMO are outrageous only because they have been exposed by Mr. DuffyÕs lawyer. The real scandal lies below the surface, where the PMO uses its toxic tentacles to neutralize every part of government that might compete with it for power, so that today we are ruled by an imperial prime minister, unaccountable to anyone or anything. Do not blame Mr. Harper alone for this. The expansion of the PMO began under Pierre Trudeau, and every prime minister since then has been responsible for increasing its malignant grip on Parliament. Brian Mulroney was the first to name a Òchief of staffÓ and elevate that person above the principal secretary who was, up till then, the highest unelect

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 25, 2015

The Growing Power of the PMO

In 2006, Stephen Harper rode into Ottawa with a mandate to clean up the ethical wreckage of the Liberal sponsorship scandal. The Conservative Party leader moved quickly as the prime minister of a minority government. He banned corporate and union donations, and lowered the individual donation limit to $1,000. He toughened federal lobbying rules, created the Parliamentary Budget Office and gave additional powers to the Ethics Commissioner.

His goal, he said over and over, was to return accountability to Ottawa. And he did that, to a degree. His reforms have helped bring the federal government up to date on important issues of political financing and budget oversight.

Not surprisingly, though, Mr. Harper failed to target the real source of Ottawa’s accountability crisis. As the trial of Mike Duffy has reminded us, the greatest threat to responsible government in Canada is none other than the Prime Minister’s Office.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013Over the past 40 years, the PMO has morphed into a parasite on the body of Parliament that prospers by sucking the democracy out of its host. The court-documented efforts by Nigel Wright, the former chief of staff to Mr. Harper, to control the Senate from inside the PMO are outrageous only because they have been exposed by Mr. Duffy’s lawyer. The real scandal lies below the surface, where the PMO uses its toxic tentacles to neutralize every part of government that might compete with it for power, so that today we are ruled by an imperial prime minister, unaccountable to anyone or anything.

Do not blame Mr. Harper alone for this. The expansion of the PMO began under Pierre Trudeau, and every prime minister since then has been responsible for increasing its malignant grip on Parliament. Brian Mulroney was the first to name a “chief of staff” and elevate that person above the principal secretary who was, up till then, the highest unelected authority in the PMO. Jean Chrétien relied on the protective coating of the PMO to shield himself from direct responsibility for the sponsorship scandal, just as Mr. Harper is now doing in the Duffy affair. (Continued: Globe & Mail)

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Brian Mulroney, Canada, crown, Democracy, imperialism, Jean Chretien, John Turner, Kim Campbell, Monarchy, Paul Martin, Pierre Trudeau, PMO, power, Prime Ministers Office, royalty, Stephen Harper

Friday June 15, 2012

June 15, 2012 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday June 15, 2012

Justin’s High Wire Act?

Justin Trudeau should, after a suitable period of introspection, politely thank those who would have him press-ganged into taking on the Liberal leadership. Then he should tell them to heave off. And enjoy the summer. – He’s not ready. Neither is the Liberal Party of Canada.

This latest effort to resurrect Trudeaumania, prompted by Bob Rae’s decision to bow out of the leadership rather than fight like a junkyard dog over the scraps of power, is manic. Trudeau says he’s under intense pressure to run. That can only grow now that he’s opened the door. But this is a mug’s game. The effort to drive the 40-year-old to jump before his time is a sign, not of his suitability, but of the party’s desperation. (Source: National Post)

Meanwhile, Nik Wallenda is hoping to make history Friday as he attempts to be the first person to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

On a walk scheduled for 10:20 p.m. ET, Wallenda will cross from the American side to the Canadian side of the falls on a 500-metre wire suspended 60 metres above the churning water.

Others have crossed the water on tightropes, but over the gorge downstream and not for more than 100 years.

Wallenda estimates that the walk will cost him $1.3 million – the pricetag includes the fabrication and installation of the custom-made steel wire, permits and security on both sides of the border as well as travel and marketing.

He is recouping some of the costs through a deal with ABC to air his walk on a live special, which will air on CTV in Canada.

The Niagara Falls Parks Commission expects 120,000 people to gather on the Ontario side of the falls when Wallenda attempts his walk. (Source: CTV News)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Bob Rae, Canada, daredevil, Flying Wallendas, Justin Trudeau, leaderhip, Liberal, Michael Ignatieff, Niagara Falls, Paul Martin, Stephane Dion, stunt, tightrope

Wednesday December 7, 2005

December 7, 2005 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 7, 2005

Affordable child care is here to stay

Likening child care to medicare, Paul Martin wants to make the Liberals’ five-year, $5 billion daycare program a permanent feature of Canadian life at a cost of an extra $6 billion by 2015.

“Affordable child care” is “here to stay” and will be “a lasting addition to our social foundation,” the Prime Minister declared yesterday as he announced the campaign promise at a daycare centre in Saint John, N.B.

“This is an initiative that we believe, without any shadow of a doubt, will stand the test of time and will make a real and lasting difference in the lives of our children and in our communities.”

The pledge, the first new Liberal proposal of the campaign, would mean federal funding of $1.2 billion a year going to the provinces for child care after the current program expires in five years.

Martin said the extension of the program was requested by community groups and provincial governments, all of which have signed agreements with Ottawa in the past 17 months to develop early learning and daycare programs.

In Ontario’s case, the plan is to create 25,000 new regulated child-care spaces by early 2008.

The Liberals have promised a national daycare program in every election campaign since 1993. (CP)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 1993, action plan, Canada, daycare, dust, election, Liberal, party, Paul Martin, policy, promises
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This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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