Progressive Conservative

Monday February 10, 2025

Editorial Cartoons by Graeme MacKay  – Monday February 10, 2025

A Short Cartoon History of Doug Ford with Donald Trump

The relationship between Doug Ford and Donald Trump offers a unique look at Canadian politics. While Ford has tried to project a “Captain Canada” image, promoting unity and Canadian values, he often found himself influenced by Trump’s more populist divisive style. Instances like the hot mic incident, where Ford expressed admiration for Trump, highlight this complexity.

News: Ford tries to explain his hot mic comment about Donald Trump

Look no further than my past editorial cartoons that illustrate Ford’s journey alongside Trump—from the impact of Trump’s tariffs to Ford’s comments about Mexico. Through these cartoons, I try to highlight the interesting and sometimes contradictory ways these two leaders have interacted in the political landscape. Ford’s conversion on the road to Damascus only happened recently as these cartoons show:

On December 3, 2024, Trump wasn’t the focus of Doug Ford’s vitriol, it was Mexico:

Canada's fragmented political leadership, from a weak federal government to self-serving provincial premiers, leaves the nation vulnerable amid escalating crises such as Trump’s erratic return to power and his punitive tariff threats.

December 3, 2024

By November 22, 2024, several weeks after the U.S. election, both Ford and Poilievre had grown notably silent as the reality of a Trump 2.0 administration began to take shape. The initial excitement surrounding the billions in provincial investments for electric vehicle batteries started to fade, overshadowed by the resurgence of the “Drill Baby Drill” mentality, which threatened to tarnish the prospects of green ventures with a grim shade of brown:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s ambitious electric vehicle investments face a collision course with Donald Trump’s return to power, raising tensions that could define Canada-U.S. relations.

November 22, 2024

On November 16, 2024, I found myself speculating on how the rightward shift in the U.S. might ripple through politics in Canada and beyond. Just a week prior, I had sketched a similar alignment with Pierre Poilievre. In tandem with his alignment to Trump, Doug Ford began ramping up his rhetoric against Mexico, promoting a vision he called “Fortress Am-Can,” which seemed more like a gimmick than a genuine policy initiative. Speaking of gimmicks and the way life often mirrors cartoons, Doug has frequently been spotted in his blue OINFS hat (Ontario is Not For Sale). Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre, the master of catchy slogans, introduced his own: “Canada First”:

Doug Ford’s decision to align himself with Donald Trump’s trade rhetoric might protect Ontario’s economy in the short term but risks alienating key allies and undermining long-term prosperity.

November 16, 2024

It’s quite common to draw comparisons between politicians and Donald Trump, especially among those on the further right; the more right-leaning a Canadian politician is, the more likely they are to align their policies with Trump. Figures like Kevin O’Leary, Maxime Bernier, and Kellie Leitch exemplify this “Trumpy” brand of Canadian politics. While many are quick to liken Doug Ford to Trump, I’ve been more cautious in making that connection, aside from the superficial similarity of their yellow hair. Ford does not fit the mold of a traditional right-wing Premier; in fact, he has outspent previous Liberal leaders. Reflecting on February 27, 2024, when Ford admitted to appointing judges with Progressive Conservative leanings to provincial courts, it echoed the controversial practice of stacking the Supreme Court with Trump Republicans:

Doug Ford's plan to appoint "like-minded" judges, criticized for its partisanship, raises concerns of compromising the independence of the Canadian judiciary, paralleling trends observed during the Trump administration in the U.S.

February 28, 2024

Turn back the clock to this April 27, 2020 editorial cartoon, the world was six weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when resistance to mandates and public health expertise was starting to gain traction. Donald Trump was at the forefront of this anti-science movement, while politicians competing for the Conservative Party leadership echoed his erratic views. Doug Ford, however, expressed disdain for this mentality, lumping these dissenters together and labelling them as “yahoos.” His response highlighted a stark contrast between his approach and that of those rallying against public health measures:

April 28, 2020

Doug Ford’s April 14, 2018 firing of Hydro One executives echoed the brash reality-TV persona of Donald Trump from his show, The Apprentice. This dramatic move not only showcased Ford’s willingness to make bold, decisive actions but also reflected a style of leadership that prioritized spectacle and authority, reminiscent of Trump’s approach to management and public relations:

April 14, 2018

Back to the early days, June 15, 2018, Donald Trump was already causing concern in Canada with his imposition of tariffs during the early months of his presidency. As Doug Ford began his tenure as Premier, he found himself grappling with the immediate impacts of these Trump tariffs, dealing with a complex economic landscape that threatened to strain relations between the two countries and challenge Ford’s leadership right from the outset.

June 15, 2018

Doug Ford’s relationship with Donald Trump has been marked by both admiration and contradiction, culminating in a complex political unfolding. Given their intertwined paths, it should come as no surprise that the Bonnie Crombie Liberals capitalized on the perception that Ford was pleased with Trump’s reelection in 2024. This connection underscores the ongoing challenges Ford faces as he navigates his leadership role while balancing his own image against the backdrop of a divisive figure like Trump.

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Wednesday August 21, 2024

Doug Ford and Pierre Poilievre, both popular conservative leaders, find themselves in a precarious political situation where their ambitions may conflict, as each is wary of how the other's actions could undermine their respective electoral prospects despite sharing a common ideological ground.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 21, 2024

The Unlikely Political Tango of Doug Ford and Pierre Poilievre

September 26, 2019

In the intricate dance of Canadian politics, few pairings are as perplexing as that of Doug Ford, Ontario’s Premier, and Pierre Poilievre, leader of the federal Conservative Party. Both men are riding high in the polls, buoyed by their respective populist messages and the current political climate. However, they find themselves in a precarious position, balancing their ambitions while being acutely aware of how their trajectories may clash, despite sharing a similar conservative ideology.

Ford has hinted at the possibility of an early provincial election, likely in 2025, while explicitly ruling out 2024. This strategic maneuver reflects not only his desire to capitalize on the current political landscape but also a calculated attempt to avoid the fallout from a potential federal election in 2026. If Poilievre’s Conservatives were to win at the federal level, their policies could prove controversial, creating challenges for Ford as he seeks to maintain his grip on Ontario’s political scene. With the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leading in the polls, Ford sees an opportunity to secure his mandate before any federal policies could disrupt his province’s governance.

News: Doug Ford rules out election in 2024, but could call an early election in 2025

Premier Doug Ford's contemplation of an early provincial election, driven by fears of a Pierre Poilievre-led federal Conservative government, is a comedic twist in Ontario politics that sees a conservative leader fretting over the implications of his own party's potential victory.

May 29, 2024

At the same time, Poilievre is acutely aware that Ford’s maneuvers could overshadow his own ambitions. As the federal leader pushes for an early election, he risks losing momentum if Ford’s actions complicate the narrative. The dynamic between the two leaders resembles a high-stakes game of chess, where timing is everything. Both are aware that their current political capital could evaporate quickly if they miscalculate their moves.

The oddity of their situation lies in their shared ideological ground, yet contrasting approaches. Ford’s “happy populist” style resonates with a broad base in Ontario, allowing him to navigate controversies like the Greenbelt scandal relatively unscathed. Poilievre, on the other hand, adopts a more combative stance, which may alienate moderate voters. This divergence means that while they are allies in principle, their individual strategies can lead to unintentional sabotage. Ford might fear that Poilievre’s more ideological approach could polarize voters, particularly if the federal government introduces unpopular measures.

April 28, 2020

Public sentiment adds another layer of complexity. Despite significant controversies surrounding his administration, Ford maintains a level of popularity that defies conventional logic. His connection with voters, characterized by a relatable and approachable persona, has kept him afloat even in turbulent waters. However, this “Teflon” quality might not hold indefinitely, especially with the ongoing RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt scandal. If significant findings emerge, Ford’s political capital could rapidly diminish, potentially impacting Poilievre as well.

Reader sentiment reflects skepticism about both leaders’ strategies, as voters are increasingly aware of the implications of timing and political maneuvering. The fear of being overshadowed looms large for both Ford and Poilievre, creating an environment where every decision can have far-reaching consequences.

Opinion: Is Pierre Poilievre’s election push driven by fear of Doug Ford?

June 24, 2022

In this bizarre political tango, both leaders must tread carefully, weighing their moves against the backdrop of shifting public opinion and external pressures. They must recognize that while they share a common ideological framework, their paths are not guaranteed to converge harmoniously. The stakes are high, and the consequences of misalignment could be catastrophic for both.

As they navigate this precarious landscape, Ford and Poilievre would do well to remember that in politics, timing is everything. Their fortunes are intertwined in ways that could bolster or undermine their ambitions. The future of Ontario and the broader conservative movement in Canada may well depend on their ability to synchronize their strategies without stepping on each other’s toes. For now, they stand as two juggernauts, each hoping to advance their agendas while managing the unpredictable winds of political fortune. (AI)

 

Thursday May 28, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 28, 2022

All parties fall short on housing crisis

December 1, 2021

When it comes to tackling the crisis of housing affordability in Ontario, pretty much everyone agrees on what must be done: build a lot more houses.

The trouble is, none of the parties asking for your vote on June 2 have a convincing plan to achieve the ambitious goals they’ve set out.

We got our hopes up earlier this year when a task force appointed by the Ford government produced an admirably clear and compact report on how to tackle the issue of supply lagging behind demand.

The panel put its finger on a key reason for the problem: the fact that municipalities typically put most of their land off-limits for anything but single-family homes.

So in too many communities, you can’t build duplexes or small apartment buildings, the so-called “missing middle” that would make cities denser by allowing a lot more units to be built.

But that would mean leaning heavily on municipalities whose councils usually speak for existing homeowners — the ones who want to preserve the “neighbourhood character” of their cities by keeping things just as they are. It’s called “exclusionary zoning.”

April 2, 2020

It was no big surprise, therefore, that when the Ford government produced a housing plan in March it conspicuously failed to address this issue head-on.

The plan made no mention of the ambitious goal the task force set out: building 1.5 million new housing units over the next decade. And it had nothing to say about exclusionary zoning.

At least the municipal affairs minister was frank about why he didn’t follow through with the task force’s key recommendation: he didn’t want to upset towns and cities. “They’re just not there yet,” he said.

He may be right. But we need to get there given how serious the national housing crisis is. Canada has the lowest average housing supply per capita among G7 nations, with 424 units per 1,000 people. That’s behind the United States and the United Kingdom. France, by comparison, leads the G7 at 540 units per 1,000. The pandemic, which allowed households to accrue record savings and saw unprecedented stimulus measures, stoked the country’s hot housing market and pushed it into utterly unaffordable territory.

August 26, 2021

Voters who want to make up their minds based at least partly on which party would best tackle the crisis of housing affordability will find more to chew on in the platforms put forward by the New Democrats, Liberals and Greens. But, on this same crucial point, the opposition parties also fall short.

On the positive side, both the NDP and Liberals include the goal of building 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years. But that won’t be achievable unless cities allow denser housing across much more of their area; the time is long gone when just building endless suburbs on empty land could be justified.

The opposition parties actually have quite a bit to say about exclusionary zoning. They clearly recognize that it’s a problem. But when it comes to actually acting on this, they’re awfully vague.

The NDP’s housing platform promises to end exclusionary zoning. How? It says it would “work with municipalities to reform land-use planning rules.” The Liberals say almost the same. They would “work with municipalities to expand zoning options.”

July 13, 2016

Clearly, none of the parties want to anger municipalities or residents who already own single-family homes in low-rise, low density neighbourhoods. It’s understandable politically, but it puts a big question mark over whether they’d be able to meet their big targets for new homebuilding.

There’s much more to housing policy, of course. The opposition parties promise to build a lot more affordable housing for those completely shut out of the market. And there’s a big difference in what they would do for renters.

The Liberals would reinstitute rent control for units built after 2018 (the PC government excluded them). The NDP would go much further and bring in rent control for all units, even if a tenant voluntarily moves.

But the key to loosening up the housing market is more houses. And right now none of the parties are really stepping up. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Tuesday November 28, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 28, 2017

The Progressive Conservatives have found their voice.

And Patrick Brown, the little-known Opposition leader who would be premier, is making himself heard. Just in time for the coming provincial election.

May 13, 2015

Who is Patrick Brown? Why should he be premier? What would he do in power?

He will cut income taxes. Reduce hydro rates. Impose a carbon tax. Issue refund cheques for child care. Take over our subways and build more of them. Boost health-care funding.

And step down if he doesn’t deliver on his key promises in four years.

His proclamation of a “People’s Guarantee” — signed onstage with a dramatic flourish — had the ring of a Marxist people’s manifesto as 1,500 loyal convention delegates cheered him on. Brown is no Bolshevik, but on Saturday he purged the party of the ghost of Mike Harris — and the Common Sense Revolution that has haunted PCs for decades, culminating with the defeat of Tim Hudak in 2014.

August 31, 2016

Now, Brown is remaking the party in his own emerging image — a mirror image of the Bill Davis era that tried harder to be all things (or more things) to all people. Not just right-wing people.

It is a focused, focus-group-tested campaign platform with a twist — more heft and left than hard right, offering more political lift than trickle-down:

September 21, 2017

Surprisingly progressive income tax cuts are targeted at lower-income people, not high rollers (including a sales tax credit). The child-care credits offer more to poor people with less, and rebate actual expenses (unlike the no-strings-attached “baby bonus” that Stephen Harper’s Tories conjured up to buy votes federally).

This election platform is not just a U-turn from the Harris years but an off-ramp from the Harper hothouse where Brown and many of his staff got their start. Instead of the provocative “chain gangs” that Tories proposed to punish prisoners in 2011, Brown offers “anti-gang” money to combat human trafficking of women. (Continued: Toronto Star) 

 

Friday April 15, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday April 15, 2016 Patrick Brown admits heÕs ÔupsetÕ with Jack MacLaren Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown insists he has done enough to punish rogue MPP Jack MacLaren. ÒObviously, I was upset,Ó Brown said of MacLaren, who in the past week has been forced to apologize for making a sexist joke about a female Liberal MP in front of 350 people and for posting testimonials from fake constituents on his official website. ÒIt was the totality of events, not one single (thing),Ó said the Tory leader, who removed the Carleton-Mississippi MPP from his largely ceremonial post as chair of the ToriesÕ Eastern Ontario caucus. ÒThis is a post just like a regional minister would be. ItÕs speaking to the riding associations. ItÕs a leadership position in the party,Ó said Brown, who has handed the symbolic title to MPP Jim McDonell (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry). ÒIt was important to express that I wasnÕt happy and thereÕs consequences and thatÕs why he was demoted from that position. The demotion speaks for itself,Ó he said. MacLaren, who brushed past reporters Wednesday after uttering a terse apology for the website ruse, wasnÕt seen at QueenÕs Park on Thursday and could not be reached for comment. But, privately, his caucus colleagues are fuming that he hasnÕt been sanctioned more severely. ÒThis is basically meaningless,Ó said one senior Tory, noting MacLaren never once chaired a meeting of the Eastern Ontario caucus. ÒJack made Patrick look bad and he made all of us look bad,Ó said the insider. The Tory caucus got a much-needed morale boost Thursday afternoon when former prime minister Brian Mulroney dropped by QueenÕs Park to give them a pep talk. ÒIÕm in town to do an event tonight and Patrick, whoÕs an old friend of mine, asked me to come by and say hello to the caucus. We had a great meeting,Ó Mulroney told the Star. (Source: Toronto Star)Êhttp://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/04

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 15, 2016

Patrick Brown admits he’s ‘upset’ with Jack MacLaren

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown insists he has done enough to punish rogue MPP Jack MacLaren.

“Obviously, I was upset,” Brown said of MacLaren, who in the past week has been forced to apologize for making a sexist joke about a female Liberal MP in front of 350 people and for posting testimonials from fake constituents on his official website.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday March 8, 2016 Patrick Brown sees a new, inclusive Ontario PC party Taking aim at climate change, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown is signalling his party will propose a ÒsensibleÓ price on carbon emissions. ÒWe have to do something about it,Ó he told about 1,700 delegates Saturday evening at the first PC annual meeting since taking the partyÕs helm in May. ÒSensible carbon pricing doesnÕt have to be a contribution in terms. But it cannot be a cash grab,Ó he added in a reference to Premier Kathleen WynneÕs cap and trade plan, which will add an average 4.3 cents to a litre of gasoline and $5 to homeownersÕ monthly natural gas bills. The line drew lukewarm applause and a shout of ÒnoÓ from one vocal skeptic and some groans in a crowd that came to its feet several times during the 26-minute address. ÒI spoke from the heart,Ó Brown told reporters later, noting he had briefed his MPPs about the stance and got Òpractically universalÓ support. ÒWe have a grassroots party. People are entitled to have divergent opinions. ... ItÕs healthy.Ó Although Brown did not detail how his plan would work as the party begins deliberations on an election platform for 2018 and freshens its face with a new logo, he promised a carbon tax that is Òrevenue neutralÓ to the government and will come with Òcorresponding tax cuts for individuals and businesses.Ó Promoting himself as a ÒpragmaticÓ Progressive Conservative, Brown said the Liberals, who have trounced his party in four elections since 2003, are not expecting a more nimble and canny rival than in years past, when Tory campaigns were scuppered by ideas that flopped. ÒThere is one thing that Kathleen Wynne fears more than anything else: a Progressive Conservative Party that has the courage to change,Ó he said to a standing ovation at a downtown convention centre. In a reference to the ill-fated Tim Hudak PC election promise in 2014 to cut 100,000 p

Tuesday March 8, 2016

“It was the totality of events, not one single (thing),” said the Tory leader, who removed the Carleton-Mississippi MPP from his largely ceremonial post as chair of the Tories’ Eastern Ontario caucus.

“This is a post just like a regional minister would be. It’s speaking to the riding associations. It’s a leadership position in the party,” said Brown, who has handed the symbolic title to MPP Jim McDonell (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry).

“It was important to express that I wasn’t happy and there’s consequences and that’s why he was demoted from that position. The demotion speaks for itself,” he said.

MacLaren, who brushed past reporters Wednesday after uttering a terse apology for the website ruse, wasn’t seen at Queen’s Park on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

But, privately, his caucus colleagues are fuming that he hasn’t been sanctioned more severely.

“This is basically meaningless,” said one senior Tory, noting MacLaren never once chaired a meeting of the Eastern Ontario caucus.

“Jack made Patrick look bad and he made all of us look bad,” said the insider.

The Tory caucus got a much-needed morale boost Thursday afternoon when former prime minister Brian Mulroney dropped by Queen’s Park to give them a pep talk.

“I’m in town to do an event tonight and Patrick, who’s an old friend of mine, asked me to come by and say hello to the caucus. We had a great meeting,” Mulroney told the Star. (Source: Toronto Star)

ROGUES GALLERY