rainbows

Saturday September 1, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 1, 2018

Pipeline ruling comes at bad time for Trudeau Liberals

April 11, 2018

For Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberals, the timing couldn’t have been worse. On Thursday, as Canadian negotiators in Washington were struggling to salvage whatever they could from the floundering NAFTA talks, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against the government’s signature Trans Mountain Pipeline project.

Both the North American Free Trade Agreement fiasco and the pipeline decision strike at the heart of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s economic strategy. That strategy relies on free trade deals and oil exports to keep the economy humming while the government concentrates on its ambitious social policy agenda, such as bettering the lot of Indigenous Canadians.

Of the trade deals, the NAFTA pact tying together Canada, the U.S. and Mexico was the most crucial. Similarly, of the pipeline projects, none was more important to the federal government than the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain expansion. It would bring heavy oil from the Alberta tarsands to British Columbia’s Pacific coast, where it could be loaded into oceangoing tankers.

Indeed, the Trudeau government deemed the Trans Mountain Pipeline so important that it agreed to buy it for $4.5 billion from its U.S. owner and pay all the costs of expanding it. This no longer seems like such a good deal.

The Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s National Energy Board failed to take into account the effect of increased tanker traffic on B.C. coastal communities. It also ruled that the government failed to adequately consult Indigenous communities affected by the pipeline. It said construction cannot continue until these two defects are remedied. (Continued: Toronto Star) 

 

Tuesday July 26, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday July 26, 2016 Clinton should offer a stark contrast from the GOPÕs dystopian vision ÒTHE LAST thing we need,Ó Hillary Clinton saidÊthe day after the Republican convention ended last week, Òis somebody running for president who talks trash about America.Ó With that, the presumptive Democratic nominee signaled that her party will offer a very different picture of America at its convention in Philadelphia this week Ñ and rightly so. The Democratic convention is likely to look and sound different in many ways from the one that just closed in Cleveland. The sea of white faces that television viewers saw on the GOP convention floor Ñ there were fewer than 20ÊAfrican AmericansÊthe 2,472 delegates Ñ will be replaced by a crowd that looks more like the diverse America of 2016. ÊWe hope we wonÕt hear chants calling for the imprisonment of the DemocratsÕ political opponents, or speeches suggesting that Donald Trump is somehow responsible for the acts of murderers, or has a pact with the Devil. The contrast thatÕs most needed, however, is in how Ms. Clinton and her supporting cast assess the state of the nation as this momentous election approaches. Mr. Trump and the Republicans drew a dark portrait of an American dystopia, a blasted land paralyzed by violent crime, terrorism, killings of police, out-of-control illegal immigration and a ÒriggedÓ political system. It is, as we have said, a story that draws on painful disruption in parts of our society. But in whole and in detail, it is a lie. Part of what Democrats must do in Philadelphia, for the good of the nation and for the good of their party, is present a more balanced view. Given the anti-establishment mood in much of the electorate, and polls showing deep discontent with the direction of the country, Ms. Clinton might have been briefly tempted to let Mr. TrumpÕs bleak rhetoric stand Ñ to present herself as the candidate more able to manage a danger

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 26, 2016

Clinton should offer a stark contrast from the GOP’s dystopian vision

“THE LAST thing we need,” Hillary Clinton said the day after the Republican convention ended last week, “is somebody running for president who talks trash about America.” With that, the presumptive Democratic nominee signaled that her party will offer a very different picture of America at its convention in Philadelphia this week — and rightly so.

DNC2016 Mon. night live sketch

DNC2016 Mon. night live sketch

The Democratic convention is likely to look and sound different in many ways from the one that just closed in Cleveland. The sea of white faces that television viewers saw on the GOP convention floor — there were fewer than 20 African Americans the 2,472 delegates — will be replaced by a crowd that looks more like the diverse America of 2016.

We hope we won’t hear chants calling for the imprisonment of the Democrats’ political opponents, or speeches suggesting that Donald Trump is somehow responsible for the acts of murderers, or has a pact with the Devil.

The contrast that’s most needed, however, is in how Ms. Clinton and her supporting cast assess the state of the nation as this momentous election approaches. Mr. Trump and the Republicans drew a dark portrait of an American dystopia, a blasted land paralyzed by violent crime, terrorism, killings of police, out-of-control illegal immigration and a “rigged” political system. It is, as we have said, a story that draws on painful disruption in parts of our society. But in whole and in detail, it is a lie. Part of what Democrats must do in Philadelphia, for the good of the nation and for the good of their party, is present a more balanced view.

Given the anti-establishment mood in much of the electorate, and polls showing deep discontent with the direction of the country, Ms. Clinton might have been briefly tempted to let Mr. Trump’s bleak rhetoric stand — to present herself as the candidate more able to manage a dangerous and turbulent time. Certainly, it is important to acknowledge and address legitimate anxieties raised by such events as the terrorist attack in Orlando and the recent shootings by and of police. (Continued: Washington Post)