profanity • mackaycartoons

Thursday May 14, 2015

May 13, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 14, 2015

Sexually explicit taunts must be confronted, justice minister says

Canada’s justice minister is applauding the actions of the Toronto TV reporter who confronted a group of hecklers over a sexually explicit taunt.

Peter MacKay says that while criminal charges could be used to discourage people from shouting profanities during live broadcasts, showcasing the problem also acts as a deterrent.

Hydro One is firing a Sunshine List employee involved in the vulgar incident with CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt at Sunday’s Toronto FC game.

“Regarding the incident at the Toronto FC game between a (CityNews) reporter and fans, Hydro One is taking steps to terminate the employee involved for violating our Code of Conduct,” said Daffyd Roderick, director, corporate affairs for Hydro One.

“Respect for all people is engrained in the Code of Conduct and in our Core Values and we are committed to a work environment where discrimination or harassment of any type is met with zero tolerance.”

Roderick identified the employee as Shawn Simoes, an assistant network management engineer who made $106,510.50 a year.

Earlier today, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment said the Toronto FC fans involved in the incident will be banned for “at least” a year.

CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt confronted several men on Sunday while she was outside of a Toronto FC game. While recording a standup for her report, a number of men shouted the phrase “F— her right in the p—-!”

The camera kept rolling as video shows she confronted some of the men who had shouted at her, as well as a group of men standing behind her waiting for their chance to do the same.

Simoes, the employee being fired by Hydro One, did not shout the previously mentioned phrase, but did speak to Hunt on camera after the incident occured. “It is f—ing hilarious,” he told the reporter. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Tuesday May 12, 2015

May 11, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 12, 2015

Green party Leader May “very apologetic” about Omar Khadr remarks

Green party Leader Elizabeth May says she is “very apologetic” about remarks she made on the weekend that included profanity and insulted the federal cabinet about how it has treated Omar Khadr.

May was among party leaders who addressed Parliament Hill journalists and politicians on Saturday night at their annual press gallery dinner.

Usually, party leaders deliver light-hearted, mainly self-deprecating speeches that include the odd barb thrown at the media.

But May went on at length about being the only female leader and having to claw her way into televised leaders’ debates.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt intervened and attempted to persuade May to end her speech, but instead, May played a recording of “Welcome back Kotter” — a theme song from a 1970s sitcom — and stated that Khadr has “more class than the whole f—ing cabinet.”

In a phone interview on Sunday, a hoarse May expressed her regrets for her taste in jokes, her lack of respect for her parliamentary colleagues and her choice of language.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was less than respectful for the people with whom I work,” May said.

“I apologize that I made an attempt to be funny and edgy….and it didn’t work.”

May said she was just getting over the flu, had put in a 21-hour work day on Friday, and then had to rise early in British Columbia on Saturday morning to make it to the press gallery event in Gatineau, Que.

“My funny speech wasn’t funny. That’s not the first time a politician has done that.”

In the Khadr section of her speech, May said she meant to make the point that Canada is a country that gives people second chances, and that she hopes Canadians welcome him into their midst. (Source: CP)

Letter to the Editor (Hamilton Spectator, Saturday May 16, 2015)

May got a free pass from media

Why does Green party leader Elizabeth May get a free pass on her disgraceful behaviour spiced up with her moronic profanity-laced comparison of Stephen Harper’s cabinet and convicted killer Omar Khadr when she defended Khadr at the Press Gallery Dinner?

This inebriated outburst shows who and what Elizabeth May really is and she should do the honourable thing and step down, as this conduct is totally unbecoming of a national political party leader.

This will be yet another prime example of how the left-leaning press gives their free passes for their far left political party leaders and will let her off with her half-hearted apology when she sobered up.

If this had been Harper or a high-ranking Conservative. the news media would be screaming for their resignation. But I do have to admit Graeme MacKay’s cartoon depiction of May was a classic.

Doug Wadel, Dunnville

Saturday, July 5, 2014

July 5, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, July 5, 2014

Downtown task force seeks better ‘nuisance’ enforcement

The city’s downtown task force is looking into how to better enforce nuisance bylaws after a downtown property owner has formally complained about loitering.

Staff are looking at establishing a three-year pilot project between municipal law enforcement and Hamilton police to have staff dedicated to enforcing nuisance bylaws in the core.

Irene Hubar of Argon Properties Ltd. says it has been hard to attract new tenants to her property at 35 King St. E. — the former Right House — because of drug use and other unsavoury activities regularly taking place out front.

In a recent delegation to the Task Force on Cleanliness on Security in the Downtown Core, Hubar said that in addition to “visible” drug use, people have also been caught spitting on the sidewalk, urinating on the street and overflowing the garbage cans.

Knowing they can’t be forced to leave, loiterers use the bus stop as way to hang out there, she said.

Randy Gordon (who Councillor Jason Farr notes is a security guard for the building) says he’s caught people shooting up in the building.

Farr — who sits on the task force — says nuisance bylaws are already in place but that it’s a matter of enforcing them tactfully.

“I was of humble means my entire young life. You can’t judge a person by the cut of their jib,” he said, cautioning there are human rights issues that must be taken into consideration.

“We need to make sure we don’t prejudice any one segment of society … that’s crucial to me.”

At the same time, Farr said the property owners have “valid concerns” about illicit behaviour outside their doors.

“You have laws and bylaws in place for a reason … absolutely, we should do what we can to mitigate the issues.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Friday, November 15, 2013

November 14, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, November 15, 2013

Rob Ford’s comments ‘disappointing’ to Toronto Argonauts

The ongoing saga involving Toronto Mayor Rob Ford spilled over its political banks into the sports world on Thursday.

After his contentious showdown with council on Wednesday, Ford chose to switch up his workday wardrobe Thursday and wore his Toronto Argonauts sweater, complete with “Mayor Ford” on the nameplate and the No. 12, the year the Argos hosted and won the Grey Cup.

But while wearing the sweater to promote this weekend’s CFL East final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ford made comments on media reports coming from the second round of revelations coming from Toronto Police’s Information To Obtain document. More portions of the document, which were filed as part of the case against Ford’s friend and driver Alexander Lisi, were released by the courts on Wednesday night. Ford’s comments included a profane response to allegations he made sexually explicit comments to a former female staffer, for which he later apologized.

With the Argos preparing on the field Thursday afternoon, preparing for the East Division final — a game against their historic rivals, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — the team’s media relations officials were pacing the sidelines, tied to their mobile telephones. Questions flooded in from all manners of outlets, but not many relating to football.

The team released a statement expressing their displeasure at being dragged into the the Mayor’s theatre of the absurd.

At the end of Ford’s comments, in which he said he would take legal action against former staffers for their statements made to police, Ford dropped in an Argos game promotion before returning to his dismissal of the information in the ITO.

“And the next thing, I wanna call Mayor [Bob] Bratina in Hamilton and tell him we’re going to spank their little Tiger-Cats.” (Source: National Post)

This is the local version of the same cartoon.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Both versions of this cartoon attracted quite a few likes, shares and comments on Facebook here, and here. It was also mentioned in a piece written in The Toronto Star, Friday, November 15, 2013 by Tech Reporter Raju Mudhar

Friday December 7, 2012

December 7, 2012 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 7, 2012

Near-brawl erupts in House of Commons

Peter Van Loan and Thomas Mulcair drop f-bombs in Parliament

A confidential report says A verbal dust-up in the House of Commons almost wound up in a bench-clearing brawl. Peter Van Loan, the government’s House leader, appeared to set off the incident when he stormed across the floor of the Commons to confront his NDP counterpart, Nathan Cullen.

Microphones were shut off but video tape shows Van Loan waving his finger at Cullen and speaking in a heated manner.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Cullen’s seat mate, stands up, whereupon a number of New Democrats surround Van Loan and appear to urge him to leave.

Finally, Defence Minister Peter MacKay rushes over, puts his hand on Van Loan’s shoulder and ushers him back across the centre aisle of the Commons to the government benches.

The contretemps was sparked by an NDP attempt to have a vote on the government’s omnibus budget bill ruled invalid because Finance Minister Jim Flaherty had been absent, even though he was named as the mover of the motion to pass the bill.

Speaker Andrew Scheer dismissed the matter Wednesday as a technical foul-up, but an angry Van Loan apparently felt compelled to register his annoyance directly with Cullen.

In a statement issued Wednesday night, Van Loan said he walked over to the NDP benches to discuss the vote issue, a snafu he blamed on Deputy Speaker Joe Comartin, a NDP MP.

“I conveyed my disappointment to the NDP House Leader for the hypocrisy of his complaint which related to a mistake by a member of his own caucus last night,” Van Loan said. (Source: Winnipeg Free Press)