priorities

Wednesday April 3, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 3, 2019

Doug Ford defends plan to change Ontario licence plate slogan

Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives are defending their plan to change the slogan on Ontario’s licence plates as a signal that a new government is running the province.

June 27, 2018

Ford faced questions in the Legislature on Tuesday about his admission that he intends to replace the “Yours To Discover” slogan on licence plates.

“I can tell you that people across this province want change. They voted for change, and they’re getting change,” Ford responded.

Ford claimed changing the licence plates won’t cost taxpayers anything.

The PCs are considering putting “Open For Business” on commercial plates and a different slogan for the plates on passenger vehicles, government officials have confirmed. Ford said this week that the new slogans will be revealed in the budget on April 11.

Licence plate design falls under the portfolio of Government Services Minister Bill Walker and he too is indicating there’s a political reason behind changing the slogan.

“What we want to do is turn the channel; we want to turn the page on a dire economic situation that the Liberal government after 15 years of mismanagement left us in,” Walker said Tuesday in response to reporters’ questions about the licence plate slogan.

“Yours to Discover” has been on Ontario plates for 37 years. The PC government of Bill Davis brought in the slogan in 1982, replacing “Keep It Beautiful.”

The Ford government wants to “ensure that Ontario says to the world, ‘We are back on stage,'” Walker said. “We’re looking at all kinds of different options to brand our province as open for business, open for jobs.”

The opposition parties are hammering Ford and his PCs for the plan. (Source: CBC News) 

 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Thursday, January 24, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, January 24, 2013

Being drawn inexorably, inexplicably into Mali’s war

Slowly, inexorably, Canada and the world are being drawn into Mali.

The wise people say intervention is necessary. They say we must prevent the West African nation from becoming a springboard for terrorist attacks on Europe.

The wise people almost always say intervention is necessary. Fifty years ago, equally wise people urged intervention in Vietnam to prevent what was then called the “domino effect” — the fall of Southeast Asia to Communism.

We all know where that went.

Today, the dominoes of North Africa are said to be in danger from Islamic terrorists.

For practical politicians, all of this is a nightmare. After Iraq and Afghanistan, the American public is loath to involve itself in another war. As a result, Washington speaks softly and carefully.

Canadians, too, have been made weary by the Afghan experience. Prime Minister Stephen Harper knows that. That’s why his office has been so reluctant to admit that Canada’s very, very limited commitment to the war in Mali is gradually expanding.

Ottawa originally agreed to send one cargo plane for one week to help French troops in Mali. The French have now publicly asked for more. Mali’s ambassador to Canada says Harper agreed to expand its commitment. The prime minister almost certainly has. As the head of a government allied to France, he doesn’t have much choice. (Source: KW Record)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Nuclear Power Moratorium motion on hold

Hamilton councillors parked a moratorium on nuclear plants yesterday after hearing an earful about the controversial power option.

For nearly four-and-a-half hours, nuclear supporters and opponents waged an ideological debate in council chambers.

In the end — after tales of Chernobyl, scientific advances and environmental consequences — councillors backed off taking a firm stand on nuclear power.

“This is a highly complex issue,” Mayor Fred Eisenberger said after more than 20 delegations presented their cases. “To me, at this point in time, (a moratorium) is premature. We don’t have enough information.”

Councillor Brad Clark introduced the motion opposing nuclear plants in Hamilton’s boundaries or upwind after reading it was a possibility at the Nanticoke generating station on Lake Erie. The Liberal government has promised to close down the coal-generating plant at the site at some point, which the Ontario Power Authority recommended for a new nuclear operation. Its conversion to a gas-fired plant has also been discussed.

The Stoney Creek councillor’s initiative drew strong support from environmentalists, but also stiff opposition. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)