protester

Friday November 17, 2023

The recent incident in Vancouver, where Pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded Prime Minister Trudeau at a restaurant, along with previous instances of incivility, underscores a concerning trend of disrespect and aggression in Canadian politics that threatens the principles of civil discourse and democratic engagement.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 17, 2023

The Escalating Incivility: Protester Actions Against Prime Minister Trudeau

Amid rising COVID-19 cases and vaccine rollout, it's crucial to combat antivax sentiments by staying informed and resilient. Highlighting the recent Nobel Prize awarded to scientists Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking mRNA vaccine development can serve as a powerful countermeasure against such sentiments.

October 4, 2023

The recent incident in Vancouver, where Pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded and chanted at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while he dined at a restaurant, is a troubling reflection of the rising level of incivility in Canadian politics. This incident, reminiscent of the “F*ck Trudeau” signs during the freedom convoy protest last year and the gravel-throwing episode during the 2021 campaign stop, highlights a concerning trend of disrespect and aggression towards the country’s leader.

The altercation at Vikram Vij’s restaurant saw Trudeau being hurriedly escorted out by his security detail as protesters filled the establishment, chanting “ceasefire now!” Such behaviour not only disrupts the personal space of a public figure but also undermines the principles of civil discourse and democratic engagement.

News: 100 Vancouver police sent to protect Justin Trudeau after Gaza protest surrounds restaurant

Student unions marching for Palestine may focus on raising awareness about Palestinian suffering, but it's important to have respectful dialogue considering diverse perspectives and experiences in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

November 1, 2023

The subsequent pursuit of Trudeau to a Chinatown cocktail bar, where 250 demonstrators surrounded the area, led to a significant police response. One individual was tasered, and a charge of assaulting a police officer was recommended. This aggressive behaviour raises serious concerns about the state of public discourse and the safety of political figures.

Protest organizer Charlotte Kates defended the actions, stating a refusal to let political leaders “go about ordinary business.” While the right to peaceful assembly is a cornerstone of democracy, crossing the line into intimidation and disruption erodes the foundations of civil discourse.

It is crucial to note that these incidents are not isolated. Vancouver has witnessed a “significant increase” in protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, indicating a broader trend of heightened political tensions. The “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” chant, common at pro-Palestinian rallies, has raised questions about its potential antisemitic undertones, a concern also acknowledged by Calgary police in a recent case.

June 30, 2022

The parallels with the use of expletive-laden flags during the freedom convoy protest and the condemnation of Trudeau by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre are noteworthy. While Poilievre expressed disapproval of the flags, he acknowledged the underlying anger and frustration among Canadians. This sentiment, however, should not justify or normalize disrespectful and aggressive behaviour.

In a separate incident during the 2021 election campaign, a man threw gravel at Trudeau in London, Ontario, resulting in a 90-day house arrest sentence. The judge rightly denounced the act as the “manifestation of mob mentality” and emphasized the need to denounce such actions to safeguard the democratic process.

News: Trudeau says he was hit by gravel, condemns rock throwing as ‘unacceptable’  

As we navigate these challenging times, it is crucial for Canadians to engage in constructive dialogue and express dissent without resorting to aggression. Political leaders, regardless of their stance, deserve a level of respect that upholds the values of democracy. It is high time for a collective reflection on the tone and conduct of political discourse in Canada to ensure the preservation of a healthy and robust democratic society. (AI)

 

Friday January 27, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday January 27, 2023

COVID-19 misinformation cost at least 2,800 lives and $300M, new report says

August 7, 2020

The spread of COVID-19 misinformation in Canada cost at least 2,800 lives and $300 million in hospital expenses over nine months of the pandemic, according to estimates in a new report out Thursday.

The report — released by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), an independent research organization that receives federal funding — examined how misinformation affected COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths between March and November of 2021.

The authors suggest that misinformation contributed to vaccine hesitancy for 2.3 million Canadians. Had more people been willing to roll up their sleeves when a vaccine was first available to them, Canada could have seen roughly 200,000 fewer COVID cases and 13,000 fewer hospitalizations, the report says.

July 15, 2022

Alex Himelfarb, chair of the expert panel that wrote the report, said that its estimates are very conservative because it only examined a nine-month period of the pandemic.

“It’s pretty clear that tens of thousands of hospitalizations did occur because of misinformation,” Himelfarb told reporters. “We are confident that those are conservative estimates.”

Himelfarb also said the $300 million estimate covers only hospital costs — the study didn’t include indirect costs associated with factors such as delayed elective surgeries and lost wages.

A number of studies have found that getting vaccinated can reduce the risk of COVID infection and hospitalization. But only 80 per cent of Canadians have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from Health Canada.

June 26, 2019

The CCA report defines two groups of vaccine-hesitant individuals: those who were reluctant to get a shot and those who refused. It says that reluctant individuals expressed concerns about vaccines in general and questioned the speed with which COVID vaccines were developed.

Vaccine refusers, on the other hand, were more likely to believe that the pandemic is a hoax or greatly exaggerated, the report says.

Beyond the health impacts, misinformation is depriving people of their right to be informed, said Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Bristol’s School of Psychological Science in the U.K. and one of the report’s authors.

September 24, 2021

“In a democracy, the public should be able to understand the risks we’re facing … and act on that basis,” he said. “But if you’re drenched in misinformation … then you’re distorting the public’s ability — and you’re denying people the right — to be informed about the risks they’re facing.”

The report says misinformation relies on simple messages meant to evoke emotional reactions. It says misinformation is often presented as coming from a credible source, such as a scientific publication. (CBC) 

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

Letter to the Editor – The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday January 31, 2023 

MacKay unfair to anti-vaxxers

Again the tolerant and inclusive left shows their magnanimous humanity. Has MacKay explored the arguments of the side pushing back against the mandates, lockdowns, and other infringements on Charter rights, or is he content to show them as loudmouths dying for their freedom?

DeWitt Shainline, Hamilton

 

Tuesday April 2, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 2, 2019

Canadian provinces vow to resist Trudeau’s landmark carbon tax

Canada on Monday imposed a landmark carbon tax on four provinces which had defied Ottawa’s push to combat climate change, prompting unhappy premiers to say they would challenge the measure.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, citing international commitments to fight global warming, had made clear for two years he would slap the tax on any of the 10 provinces that did not come up with their own plans by April 1.

The measure is opposed by Ontario, the most populous province, where Trudeau’s Liberals need to do well to stand a chance of retaining power in a federal election this October.

Carbon pollution will initially cost C$20 ($15) a tonne, rising by C$10 a year until it reaches C$50 in 2022. It also applies in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.

July 11, 2018

“As of today, it’s no longer free to pollute anywhere in Canada,” Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said on Twitter.

Official data regularly show Canada has little chance of meeting its climate change goals of reducing emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Canada will heat up twice as fast as the rest the world, with northern regions warming at an even greater pace, a Canadian environment ministry report said on Monday.

Smaller snow packs and a loss of glacier ice could mean water supply shortages in the summer, it added.

Trudeau says extreme weather events like forest fires and floods underline the need to combat global warming.

April 11, 2018

Although Ottawa says the money collected from the next tax will be returned to Canadians in the form of rebates, right-leaning parties portray it as a cash grab.

The Conservatives, who polls show could win the October election as a political scandal dogs Trudeau, promise to scrap the measure.

Ontario premier Doug Ford vowed to oppose what he called “the worst tax ever” in court.

“We’re going to keep fighting this carbon tax with every single tool at our disposal,” he said.

Trudeau’s other efforts to combat climate change are also proving a challenge. (Source: Reuters)