political science

Friday December 2, 2022

December 2, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 2, 2022

‘We’ve never seen anything like this’: Is Alberta’s new Sovereignty Act actually legal?

At long last, Danielle Smith’s Alberta government has revealed its long-awaited bill to push back against Ottawa — and grant the provincial cabinet sweeping new powers in the process — but so far, there are arguably more questions than answers.

October 14, 2022

Top of the list: Is this legal?

So far, what has been known as the Sovereignty Act seems to have sparked general confusion.

Smith had made a law — intended to hit back against the federal government on behalf of what she argues is an unfairly treated Alberta — a flagship promise of her leadership campaign, which saw her replace Jason Kenney as the leader of the United Conservative Party and become Alberta premier in October.

“We are finally telling the federal government ‘no more,’” Smith said Tuesday, as the bill was unveiled at the beginning of a new legislative session.

Friday December 2, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday December 2, 2016 Liberal MPs recommend breaking electoral reform promise Liberal MPs are recommending the government break its promise to overhaul CanadaÕs electoral system by 2019. An all-party committee report released Thursday recommended giving Canadians a choice between the status quo and a new, more proportional voting system in a nationwide referendum. But the Liberals on the committee dissented from that report, saying the timeline set by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is too Òrushed,Ó and the recommendations of the committee too Òradical.Ó ÒWe believe Canadians are far from being adequately engaged with the electoral reform discussion,Ó their dissenting report reads. ÒOur position is that the timeline on electoral reform as proposed in the (report) is unnecessarily hasty and runs the risk of undermining the legitimacy of the process by racing towards a predetermined deadline.Ó Trudeau promised during last yearÕs election campaign that Ò2015 (would be) the last election under first-past-the-post,Ó a system that critics argue distorts the popular vote. The last two majority governments, for instance, were elected with less than 40 per cent of the popular vote. It took months, however, for the government to strike an all-party committee to begin studying the issue. And in May, Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef changed the promise, pledging electoral reform only with Òbroad supportÓ from the public. What constitutes Òbroad supportÓ has still not been defined. But in their report, the Liberals simply say not enough Canadians are engaged on the matter to move ahead with a new system for 2019. It will be up to Trudeau and the Liberals to either accept their MPs recommendations, or to push ahead with their promise. (Source: Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/12/01/liberal-mps-recommend-breaking-electoral-reform-promise.html Canada, electoral, reform, votin

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 2, 2016

Liberal MPs recommend breaking electoral reform promise

Liberal MPs are recommending the government break its promise to overhaul Canada’s electoral system by 2019.

An all-party committee report released Thursday recommended giving Canadians a choice between the status quo and a new, more proportional voting system in a nationwide referendum.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday October 21, 2016 Is Trudeau jockeying to avoid fulfilling promise on electoral reform? Is Justin Trudeau laying the groundwork for reneging on his promise to make the 2015 federal election the last to be conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system? Or is the prime minister trying to drive a hard bargain with the NDP and Greens to abandon their own ambitious preference for a proportional voting system and settle for a more modest change to a ranked ballot system? Those questions were touched off Wednesday by an interview Trudeau gave to MontrealÕs Le Devoir newspaper. In it, Trudeau said major electoral reforms would require ÒsubstantialÓ support. But he simultaneously argued that the public clamour for change seems to have diminished since the Liberals defeated Stephen HarperÕs Conservatives one year ago. ÒUnder the current system, (Canadians) now have a government theyÕre more satisfied with and the motivation to change the electoral system is less compelling,Ó he said. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair took that as clear evidence that Trudeau is preparing to break his promise on electoral reform. ÒI do believe that Mr. Trudeau is showing the type of cynicism that he used to always decry when he was in opposition,Ó Mulcair said. ÒWhat could be more cynical that to say, ÔYou know what? This is a totally unfair system because it allowed Stephen Harper to get a massive majority with only 39 per cent of the vote,Õ and then, exactly one year later, say, ÒOh, but by the way, itÕs a darn good system because it allowed Justin Trudeau to get a massive majority with just 39 per cent of the vote.ÕÓ (Source: Toronto Star)Êhttps://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/10/19/is-trudeau-jockeying-to-avoid-fulfilling-promise-on-electoral-reform.html Canada, Justin Trudeau, Thomas Mulcair, electoral reform, election, reform, electoral, torch, promise

 October 21, 2016

But the Liberals on the committee dissented from that report, saying the timeline set by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is too “rushed,” and the recommendations of the committee too “radical.”

“We believe Canadians are far from being adequately engaged with the electoral reform discussion,” their dissenting report reads.

“Our position is that the timeline on electoral reform as proposed in the (report) is unnecessarily hasty and runs the risk of undermining the legitimacy of the process by racing towards a predetermined deadline.”

Trudeau promised during last year’s election campaign that “2015 (would be) the last election under first-past-the-post,” a system that critics argue distorts the popular vote. The last two majority governments, for instance, were elected with less than 40 per cent of the popular vote.

It took months, however, for the government to strike an all-party committee to begin studying the issue. And in May, Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef changed the promise, pledging electoral reform only with “broad support” from the public.

What constitutes “broad support” has still not been defined. But in their report, the Liberals simply say not enough Canadians are engaged on the matter to move ahead with a new system for 2019.

It will be up to Trudeau and the Liberals to either accept their MPs recommendations, or to push ahead with their promise. (Source: Toronto Star)