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relief

Thursday October 6, 2022

October 6, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 6, 2022

The military can’t be the first line of defence in domestic disasters, MPs told

Whatever the crisis of the moment happens to be, the military is supposed to be the force of last resort.

March 23, 2022

Increasingly, though, that word “last” is being replaced by “first” — and sometimes “only.”

A former top national security adviser warned a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that successive federal governments have relied too much on the military to handle crises at home.

Richard Fadden’s remarks were met with some nods of agreement around the table — and a slight wince from a representative from one the provinces that has been in the uncomfortable position of having to call for military-backed relief.

Having served both Liberal and Conservative governments as the prime minister’s security adviser, deputy minister of defence and head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Fadden assured MPs on the House of Commons defence committee that his comments were not partisan.

January 12, 2022

He said domestic emergency operations — such as cleaning up after storms and fighting forest fires — distract the military from the training it needs in an increasingly unstable world — a point the Conservatives have been hammering away on since the committee launched its study.

That doesn’t mean the Armed Forces should stay away when Canadians are struck by tragedies like post-tropical storm Fiona, Fadden said.

The problem, he added, is that in recent years the federal government has acted as if the military is the only tool it can turn to in a disaster.

“It is becoming too easy for prime ministers — not in particular this one, but prime ministers generally — to simply say, ‘I’m going to send in the army,'” Fadden told the four-party committee, which is studying the military’s domestic emergency preparedness.

“And we do this without talking to the provinces, municipalities and civil society about what they could and should do.”

May 27, 2020

Fadden argued that the problem cannot be examined with a narrow focus on military response. He called on the federal government to undertake a thorough, independent review of all emergency response capacity across the country, both federal and provincial.

Last week, a senior military commander told the committee that the number of requests for assistance the Armed Forces receives from provinces has ramped up rapidly over the past decade.

Maj.-Gen. Paul Prevost testified that in 2021, there were seven such requests for a military response to provincial emergencies — floods, forest fires and other natural disasters. The period between 2017 and 2021 saw an average of four such requests per year. From 2010 to 2017, the average was two per year.

Those numbers do not include the 118 calls for assistance the military answered during the pandemic by, for example, backstopping exhausted health care staff in long-term care homes in Ontario and Quebec. 

February 9, 2016

“We probably in this country, right now, don’t have another tool.” Fadden said. 

“I think this is really problematic for a sophisticated, complex government like the Government of Canada today, when a disaster occurs … if a prime minister only has one tool.”

The idea of a dedicated force within the military tasked with responding to natural disasters has been floated frequently since Fiona hit the East Coast. Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s top military commander, has said such a force would require more military capacity.

It’s also a bad idea, said Fadden.

“Asking the Canadian Forces, for example, to run a railway would be a mistake. Asking the Canadian Forces to become overly involved in disaster assistance, in my view, is also a mistake,” he said. (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 …

https://mackaycartoons.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-1007-NAT.mp4

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2022-33, Canada, climate change, Defence, disaster, history, military, natural, relief, rescue, soldier, war

Thursday May 7, 2020

May 14, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 7, 2020

Farmers expected a miracle. No wonder they’re disappointed by Ottawa’s aid package

July 29, 2014

When the Canadian Federation of Agriculture laid out a $2.6-billion ask last week to help farmers endure the COVID-19 pandemic, they were setting the bar very high. And so it is little wonder that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Tuesday announcement of a program worth barely $252-million sent the farming community reeling.

Fair enough. The funding announcement was indeed underwhelming, and it will not be enough to get some of those on the precipice to stick around. Many will exit the industry, regrettably. Our preannouncement estimates were that as many as 15 per cent of our farms could be lost by year’s end due to COVID-19; Ottawa’s plans will not change that.

August 10, 2019

The $125-million program to support livestock raises a variety of questions. Executing the program will take time, something producers do not have. Few details were given about the role of provinces or how much farmers will receive. The measures presented will likely not prevent more animals from being euthanized in the days to come. Along with milk dumping, COVID-19 is serving up case studies on a silver platter for animal-rights activists. It’s a shame that our farmers have been put in this position.

May 22, 2019

Losing farms will not compromise our nation’s food security, however. Farmland doesn’t just disappear, as it can always be exploited by someone else. But the most significant concern is how we can create jobs and wealth in rural economies located far from urban centres. This should be a priority; occupying our vast nation’s topography should be top of mind, from coast to coast to coast. Ottawa doesn’t show that it cares for rural communities enough – or for agriculture, for that matter – but it should, before it’s too late.

Coronavirus cartoons

Its response to farmers pleading for help was unsurprisingly slow as well. In the United States and Europe, most governments have provided pandemic-related financial aid directly to farmers weeks ago. In the United States, every American is providing $86 in support for agriculture by way of government-sanctioned programs; in Europe, it is over $90 per capita. Here in Canada, each of us giving six measly dollars to support agriculture. Farmers have every right to be disappointed. (Globe & Mail)



 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 2020-16, Agriculture, agrifood, Canada, CERB, Coronavirus, cow, Justin Trudeau, milch cow, milking, pandemic, relief, stimulus, students, YouTube

Wednesday September 4, 2019

September 11, 2019 by Graeme MacKay

September 4, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 4, 2019

Trump defends weekend of golf while Hurricane Dorian approached and Poland remembered Nazi invasion

President Trump lashed out at Sadiq Khan Tuesday after London’s mayor criticized him for golfing over the weekend as Hurricane Dorian edged closer to the coast of Florida.

April 13, 2018

“The incompetent Mayor of London, Sadique Kahn [sic], was bothered that I played a very fast round of golf yesterday,” said Trump in a tweet that, before being corrected, misspelled Khan’s first and last names. “Many Pols exercise for hours, or travel for weeks. Me, I run through one of my courses (very inexpensive). President Obama would fly to Hawaii.”

Khan, who attended a ceremony in Poland over the weekend commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland that began World War II, chided the president for skipping the event in favor of golfing at his private club in Virginia.

“He’s clearly busy dealing with a hurricane out on the golf course,” Khan told Politico on Monday, adding that Trump “is a guy who amplifies racist tweets; amplifies the tweets of fascists; says things that are deeply objectionable. If I don’t stand up and call that out I think I’m doing a disservice to Londoners who chose me as their mayor.”

Over the holiday weekend, the president played multiple rounds of golf at one of his properties in Virginia, where White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said he received “hourly updates.”

July 18, 2016

Trump’s golf trips have cost taxpayers over $100 million through the first two and a half years of his term, as he’s spent 227 days at one of his golf clubs as president. Former President Barack Obama did usually spend his Christmas vacations in his home state of Hawaii but did not fly there just to golf.

In August, the president canceled a visit to Denmark because the country’s prime minister was not open to the idea of selling Greenland to the United States. His cancellation of the trip to Poland drew little initial criticism until it was learned that he spent the weekend golfing.

“To ensure that all resources of the federal government are focused on the arriving storm, I have decided to send our vice president, Mike Pence, to Poland this weekend in my place,” Trump said last week. “It’s something very important for me to be here. The storm looks like it could be a very, very big one indeed.”

On Sunday, Trump was asked if he had any message for Poland on the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion.

“I just want to congratulate Poland,” Trump replied, adding, “It’s a great country with great people.” (Yahoo News) 

 

Posted in: USA Tagged: 2019-31, disaster, Donald Trump, emergency, golf, golf cart, Hurricane, relief, rescue, response, USA, vehicles

Saturday April 6, 2019

April 13, 2019 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 6, 2019

Balancing Ontario’s budget about to get painful — literally

Some are suggesting the Ford government is playing a little bait and switch with recent announcements.

April 9, 2019

As in, look over here: we’re dumping the licence plate slogan Yours to Discover for something else — maybe even Open for Business. How outrageous is that? (Based on the social media reaction, the answer is: very.)

And, look, look, we’re scrapping the provincial Trillium logo because it looks like three men in a hot tub. Crazy eh?

These would be the bait parts, intended to obscure the much bigger and altogether not humorous changes, like controversial education reforms that will reduce teacher-student interaction and eventually eliminate about 3,500 teaching positions.

Or this one: the province is studying changes to OHIP that would, among other things, drastically reduce the amount of pain-control medication available to chronic pain sufferers. And funding to remove certain types of polyps found during colonoscopies may be eliminated. Diabetes management, echocardiograms and tonsillectomies are also being examined.

Animated!

And, get this, the government may defund the practice of allowing general anesthetic for people undergoing colonoscopy testing.

The potential OHIP changes, which were revealed in an exclusive story by CityNews Toronto, are part of an effort to cut $460 million from the OHIP budget. A group of doctors and government officials are examining best practices to see where medical tests are overused or unnecessary.

Having a hard look at OHIP services makes sense. Health care, overall, is the top budget item for the province ($60 billion last year), with education not far behind. It makes sense to audit what we’re doing and paying for. But going from there to legislating more uncomfortable colonoscopies is a big leap.

With the government’s first budget coming next week, we should prepare ourselves for more news like this. Even though Doug Ford denied that getting Ontario’s books in order would be a painful process, anyone with common sense knew that wasn’t realistic.

It’s all about money. Those education reforms, which the province says will make kids more resilient? How convenient that they also save a few hundred million. Same with reducing OHIP-funded services.

But keep an eye on those OHIP changes. They may also be Ford opening the door to more private health care. Want more anesthetic with that colonoscopy? We can do that for a small fee. Need more pain management drugs? Sign right here.

What about the hidden costs of cuts like these? How many Ontarians who should get colonoscopies won’t? How many pain medication patients will turn to opiates, legal or illegal? How many people with diabetes will get sicker sooner in the absence of ongoing diabetes management programs? If the government cuts psychotherapy funding to 24 hours a year — another proposal — what will happen to patients?

We know the answer. People will get sicker, faster and more seriously. They will require more expensive, intensive intervention from the health and/or social services system. Sadly, the government is probably not studying that aspect of its budget plan. (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial)  

 

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: 2019-13, austerity, Budget, colonoscopy, Doug Ford, Ohip+, Ontario, pain, relief, restraint, sedation, surgery

Wednesday September 14, 2016

September 13, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday September 14, 2016 Liberal throne speech promises hydro relief In a bid to quiet the discontent that has been plaguing Kathleen Wynne's Liberals, the Ontario government promised in a throne speech today that it will provide rebates to urban and rural residents and small businesses to help offset high electricity rates. Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell announced that eligible Ontario residents and small businesses can can expect a rebate on electricity bills that is equal to the provincial portion of harmonized sales tax (HST), which amounts to about $130 a year for a typical household. Rural rate payers will receive savings of 20 per cent a month, approximately $45 or $540 per year. This rebate goes into effect Jan 1, 2017. The rebate aims to stem the tide of anger over rising hydro bills for many Ontarians, especially those in the northern parts of the province. But Nipissing Progressive Conservative MPP Vic Fedeli says the rebates are too little, too late. "Since 2010, your hydro rates have climbed $295 a year [on average]. Plus, just since last May, in addition to that, they rose another $255," he told CBC News. "To hear somebody is going to give you $130 of your own money back Ñ that they now have to go and borrow Ñ that doesn't make any sense whatsoever.Ó Taking the HST off hydro bills is something the provincial NDP has pushed for in the past. However Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas says taking off the provincial portion of the tax is not enough. "People who come to see me, it's because their bill used to be $67 [for] monthly equal billing," she said. "It is now $300.Ó Energy analyst Tom Adams points out there are other factors that will affect hydro bills, including rate increases and the introduction of cap and trade. "Those factors will approximately offset all the savings that were announced. So in terms of net benefit, there's not much to go on here.Ó (Source: CBC News)Êhttp:/

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 14, 2016

Liberal throne speech promises hydro relief

In a bid to quiet the discontent that has been plaguing Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals, the Ontario government promised in a throne speech today that it will provide rebates to urban and rural residents and small businesses to help offset high electricity rates.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday September 9, 2016 Kathleen Wynne prorogues legislature for throneÊspeech Monday Premier Kathleen Wynne is giving her Liberals a mid-mandate reboot with a Monday throne speech aimed at ÒeverydayÓÊconcerns like high electricity bills after a steamy summer.Ê Wynne, who prorogued the Legislature on Thursday, will outline the governmentÕs agenda for the 20 months leading up to theÊspring 2018 election in an address to be read by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell. ÒIÕm looking forward to Monday and the throne speech,Ó a beaming Wynne said as she returned to her office with Secretary ofÊCabinet Steve Orsini, the head of the Ontario public service, after meeting with Dowdeswell. The speech will focus on Òmaking the everyday lives of Ontarians better,Ó Government House leader Yasir Naqvi later told a newsÊconference ÒWe know Ontarians have concerns about things like hydro prices, concerns about cost and everyday living,Ó he added, saying allÊgovernment legislation Ñ including the political fundraising reform bill triggered by aÊStarÊseries Ñ will be reintroduced, in someÊcases with amendments. That means the prohibition on MPPs and candidates attending campaign fundraisers, and the ban on union and corporateÊdonations to political parties will almost certainly take effect in January. Wynne signalled pocketbook issues are top of mind after last weekÕsÊbyelection lossÊof former Liberal stronghold Scarborough-Rouge River to the Progressive Conservatives, who scoffed at her sudden attention to them. ÒApparently Premier Wynne only just learned that Ontario families are struggling to afford their hydro bills,Ó PC Leader PatrickÊBrown Ñ who was not available to take questions Ñ said in a statement calling the Liberals Òold, tired and self-interested.Ó (Source: Toronto Star) Êhttps://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/09/08/wynne-to-prorogue-the-legislature-for-throne-speech-monday.html Ontario, K

September 9, 2016

Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell announced that eligible Ontario residents and small businesses can can expect a rebate on electricity bills that is equal to the provincial portion of harmonized sales tax (HST), which amounts to about $130 a year for a typical household.

Rural rate payers will receive savings of 20 per cent a month, approximately $45 or $540 per year.

This rebate goes into effect Jan 1, 2017.

The rebate aims to stem the tide of anger over rising hydro bills for many Ontarians, especially those in the northern parts of the province.

But Nipissing Progressive Conservative MPP Vic Fedeli says the rebates are too little, too late.

“Since 2010, your hydro rates have climbed $295 a year [on average]. Plus, just since last May, in addition to that, they rose another $255,” he told CBC News.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday August 17, 2016 Energy minister, Wynne defend decision to put carbon tax in delivery line on bills Premier Kathleen Wynne is defending the decision to bury the cost of Ontario's cap-and-trade plan in the "delivery" line on natural gas bills. The Ontario Energy Board announced last week that costs related to the Liberals' climate change plan would not appear in a separate line item on consumers' bills for natural gas, which is used to heat most homes in the province. Wynne said Thursday that the government doesn't interfere with decisions made by an arms-length agency like the energy board, which she pointed out consulted the industry and public before issuing its directive on carbon pricing. "My understanding is they talked with local distribution companies, they talked to consumer groups across the province, and as you know, they are an independent body," she said. "They made a decision to configure the bills that way and we don't direct the OEB.Ó Quebec and British Columbia include the cost of carbon pricing as a separate line item on bills. But like Wynne, Energy Minister Glen Thibeault insisted it was the energy board's decision to put the cost of cap and trade in the delivery charge instead of its own line on bills. Thibeault insisted nothing was being hidden, and said the government was being transparent about the cost of cap-and-trade just by talking about the new fee. The minister walked away from reporters without answering when asked if the energy board now sets policy for the Liberal government. The Liberals expect their climate change plan will add about $5 a month to home heating bills and about 4.3 cents a litre to the price of gasoline. Ontario will join an existing cap-and-trade market with California and Quebec next January, mandating pollution limits on companies but allowing them to buy emission credits or sell them to others if they are under their quota. (CTV News)

August 17, 2016

“To hear somebody is going to give you $130 of your own money back — that they now have to go and borrow — that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”

Taking the HST off hydro bills is something the provincial NDP has pushed for in the past. However Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas says taking off the provincial portion of the tax is not enough.

“People who come to see me, it’s because their bill used to be $67 [for] monthly equal billing,” she said. “It is now $300.”

Energy analyst Tom Adams points out there are other factors that will affect hydro bills, including rate increases and the introduction of cap and trade.

“Those factors will approximately offset all the savings that were announced. So in terms of net benefit, there’s not much to go on here.” (Source: CBC News)

 

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: cap and trade, hydro, Kathleen Wynne, Ontario, piano, relief, tax, umbrella
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