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Thursday July 11, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday July 11, 2019

Maxime Bernier poses with Northern Guard, one flashing apparent ‘white power’ sign

People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier is being asked about a photo he recently posed for in which he is seen smiling with members of the Northern Guard, a reportedly “anti-Muslim” organization that allegedly has ties to neo-Nazism.

August 24, 2018

One of the group’s members can be seen flashing what appears to be an “OK” hand sign in the photo — a symbol that has been associated with “white power.”

The photo, first reported by Press Progress, was posted to Facebook by Kyle Puchalski, a Calgary man who identifies himself on his page as the Northern Guard’s provincial president for Alberta.

“Great day gents,” he captioned the photo, which was tagged as having been taken in Calgary.

Bernier said he hadn’t seen the photo yet when Global News asked him about it in Edmonton on Tuesday.

When asked how he responds to criticism for having posed with Northern Guard members, Bernier said he doesn’t look at the background of every person who takes a photo with him.

“I’m a politician at a public event. People who want to come with us and have a photo with me, I’ll have a photo with them,” he said.

Bernier went on to say that people who don’t share the PPC’s values are not welcome in the party.

August 17, 2018

“People who are racist and anti-Semitic, they’re not welcome in our party,” he said.

The Northern Guard is described as an anti-Muslim far-right group with ties to neo-Nazism by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

The group, which has existed since the fall of 2017, is an offshoot of the Soldiers of Odin, according to the network.

The Soldiers of Odin are an organization that has triggered concerns about “anti-immigration vigilantism” within the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The Northern Guard came under scrutiny earlier this year as the Canadian Anti-Hate Network started tracking its activities in Halifax.

A chapter opened in the city earlier this year; its vice-president George Fagen said the group’s mandate is to put Canadian values and issues first.

The group had distributed pizza to people they felt needed food in downtown Halifax. (Global News)

Letter to the Editor, Hamilton Spectator, Friday July 11, 2019

Max Bernier is a patriot

RE: Cartoon (July 11)

Yesterday’s editorial cartoon, which portrays Max Bernier as the fellow traveller of Nazis and Klansmen, is scandalous.

Although your cartoonists have had much sport at the expense of all political leaders, they have never stooped to this level.

This cartoon is unworthy of the rags put out by the lunatic left in Toronto. Max Bernier is a patriot, probably the only one among the whole sorry lot. Shame on you.

Leonard Allen, Hamilton

Friday November 2, 2018

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 2, 2018

Statistics Canada’s request for banking data of 500,000 Canadians provokes privacy investigation

June 22, 2010

Federal privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien says he is investigating Statistics Canada’s request for private banking information on 500,000 Canadians.

Therrien said Wednesday that numerous people have complained to his office about the agency’s effort to gather detailed information on transactions held by Canadian financial institutions, from cash-machine withdrawals to credit-card payments to account balances.

The formal investigation will include an examination of the requests Statistics Canada has made to businesses in multiple industries for data they collect on their customers and business partners, he said.

Canada’s chief statistician, Anil Arora, said traditional methods of gathering data aren’t good enough to measure Canada’s economy and changes in society.

February 17, 2014

“More than 75 per cent of purchases are conducted online by Canadians and Statistics Canada has to have access to these data in order to provide all Canadians with the timely and quality statistics they need in areas such as housing and debt and the impacts of transitioning to a gig economy,” Arora said.

Therrien’s last report to Parliament mentioned Statistics Canada’s growing reliance on “administrative data sources,” mainly information collected by businesses about their customers. Many of those businesses have contacted the privacy commissioner to make sure that sharing it is OK, his report said.

Therrien suggested that wherever possible, Statistics Canada should tell the companies involved to strip names and identifying information from the data before sending it over.

August 23, 2016

“To ensure transparency, we recommended StatCan let the Canadian public know how and why it is increasing its collection of data from administrative and other non-traditional sources,” the report said.

Arora said the privacy commissioner was consulted as Statistics Canada planned its pilot project on financial data, but added he has asked Therrien to take a second look.

Statistics Canada can compel businesses to supply a wide range of data.

“I understand the concerns that Canadians have and want to assure them that their personal information is carefully protected and never shared publicly,” Arora said.(Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

Link to Cartoon on TheSpec.com. 

 

Thursday December 21, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday December 21, 2017

Trudeau violated multiple conflict laws when he accepted a family holiday to Aga Khan’s island

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated ethics rules in accepting vacations to the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas, according to parliament’s conflict of interest watchdog.

Conflict of Interest Commissioner Mary Dawson said Trudeau broke multiple conflict laws in accepting a family vacation at Bells Cay in December 2016. 

And in a report released Wednesday, she faulted the prime minister for hitching a ride on the Aga Khan’s private helicopter to get to the island.

Trudeau knew well the extent of the Aga Khan’s official dealings with the federal government and that should have been a red flag, Dawson wrote.

“Mr. Trudeau failed to arrange his private affairs in a manner that would prevent him from being placed in a conflict of interest. Neither Mr. Trudeau nor his family should have vacationed on the Aga Khan’s private island,” she said.

In a hastily called press conference in the House of Commons Wednesday, a contrite Trudeau apologized and said he will be clearing all future personal travel with the ethics commissioner.

“(The report) makes it very clear I should have taken precautions and cleared my family vacation and dealings with the Aga Khan in advance,” Trudeau told reporters.

“I’m sorry I didn’t.”

He told reporters that he because he viewed the Aga Khan as a friend – even though Dawson stated they rarely talked – he didn’t think the free vacation would be a conflict, saying that he sought a location where he could enjoy “quality family time.”

“On this issue of a family vacation with a personal friend, it wasn’t considered that there would be an issue there. Obviously, obviously, there was a mistake,” he said. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Friday October 28, 2016

Friday October 28, 2016 Liberals taking a gamble by reversing election promises WhatÕs a government to do when promises start to unravel? WeÕre about to find out. The Trudeau LiberalsÕ 2015 platform took quite a knocking this month. Electoral reform? Not if Canadians donÕt want it, says Justin Trudeau, while continuing to resist the obvious mechanism Ñ a referendum Ñ for finding out whether they do. More generosity on health care? Actually, Stephen HarperÕs plan for modest growth to transfers is fine, thanks. ÒTargeted federal fundingÓ for provinces to implement Òtheir ownÓ carbon pricing policies? Trudeau announced a very different plan in Ottawa while federal and provincial environment ministers were meeting in Montreal. Well, new times demand new plans. And just in time, here comes the LiberalsÕ 2016 platform: Higher immigration, more foreign direct investment in Canada, and a bigger stake for outside investors in Canadian infrastructure. ItÕs not what Canadians voted for in an election only a year ago. But the author of the new plan Ñ Dominic Barton, the influential head of Finance Minister Bill MorneauÕs Advisory Council on Economic Growth Ñ hopes to make the shock more palatable by dangling the prospect of a $15,000 raise for the average Canadian family by 2030. This oughta be fun. (Continued: Toronto Star)Êhttps://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/10/21/liberals-taking-a-gamble-by-reversing-election-promises-paul-wells.html Canada, Liberal, Conservative, Stephen harper, election, promises, selfie

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay – The Hamilton Spectator, Friday October 28, 2016

Liberals taking a gamble by reversing election promises

What’s a government to do when promises start to unravel? We’re about to find out.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday September 12, 2000 Ontarians have had it with classroom warfare; Education: Public won't support disruptions Ontario's schools are once again in danger of becoming a labour relations battleground rather than a place for learning. The optimism that usually marks the start of the school year is missing, especially in public high schools, and there is concern for what lies ahead. Students and parents are worried about teachers working to rule; withdrawing extra-curricular activities, includi ng sports and after-school clubs; and taking other job actions, such as rotating walkouts and possibly even a strike in Toronto. It is an understatement to say that Ontarians are tired of the continuing tension and uncertainty. What is most frustrating is the apparent inability of the Mike Harris government and Ontario's teachers' unions to discuss their differences, or at least agree to a truce until the next provincial election campaign is under way. It's unrealistic to expect that relations between the Tories and the unions will be easily repaired in the wake of the government's heavy-handed Bill 74, the Education Accountability Act, which among other things increases high school teachers' course load and could mandate extra-curricular involvement. But it's not asking too much of all parties to go the extra mile to start communicating with each other to avoid damaging, unnecessary disruption in schools. Harris has an opportunity to take a more constructive direction by opting for a more moderate, less confrontational and more inclusive approach to education reform. Last week, the premier said that his government plans a more pragmatic, less ideological approach to governing -- but he wasn't specific. Education is an ideal place for Harris to show that he's serious about adopting a Bill Davis, consensus-building style. He would send a good signal by slowing down to listen to what critics are saying. This gov

September 12, 2000 – Harris/Davis morph

The Trudeau Liberals’ 2015 platform took quite a knocking this month. Electoral reform? Not if Canadians don’t want it, says Justin Trudeau, while continuing to resist the obvious mechanism — a referendum — for finding out whether they do. More generosity on health care? Actually, Stephen Harper’s plan for modest growth to transfers is fine, thanks. “Targeted federal funding” for provinces to implement “their own” carbon pricing policies? Trudeau announced a very different plan in Ottawa while federal and provincial environment ministers were meeting in Montreal.

Well, new times demand new plans. And just in time, here comes the Liberals’ 2016 platform: Higher immigration, more foreign direct investment in Canada, and a bigger stake for outside investors in Canadian infrastructure.

It’s not what Canadians voted for in an election only a year ago. But the author of the new plan — Dominic Barton, the influential head of Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth — hopes to make the shock more palatable by dangling the prospect of a $15,000 raise for the average Canadian family by 2030.

This oughta be fun. (Continued: Toronto Star)

 

Wednesday October 19, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday October 19, 2016 Nearly two-thirds of Canadians approve of Justin TrudeauÕs Liberal government: Ipsos One year since the Liberals won the federal election, two-thirds of Canadians approve of the job Justin TrudeauÕs government has done, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News. ÒHeÕs very popular. If you look at leaders in the rest of the world, heÕs got numbers that any of them would envy,Ó said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. ÒWeÕre finding 64 per cent of Canadians saying that they basically approve of his performance and the governmentÕs performance.Ó But although Trudeau is popular, his numbers arenÕt that different from the last time Canada elected a new government at the federal level. ÒPeople might say that Justin Trudeau is at an unprecedented level of public support, but we did the same poll with Stephen Harper in 2006 after one year of him being in power and he was at 62, so the difference is only two points, pretty much within the margin of error,Ó said Bricker. ÒSo I think when big change happens, after 10 years somebodyÕs in power, somebody new comes in and they deliver something different, people generally respond well to it. ThatÕs what we saw in the first year of Harper and itÕs what weÕre seeing in the first year of Justin Trudeau.Ó If TrudeauÕs government follows the same kind of public opinion trajectory, theyÕre in for a slow, steady drop: by the 2015 election, the Conservative approval rating had fallen to 41 per cent. (Source: Global News) http://globalnews.ca/news/3008087/nearly-two-thirds-of-canadians-approve-of-justin-trudeaus-liberal-government-poll/ Canada, Justin Trudeau, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, anniversary, popularity, mud slinging, selfie, mountain, map

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 19, 2016

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians approve of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government: Ipsos

One year since the Liberals won the federal election, two-thirds of Canadians approve of the job Justin Trudeau’s government has done, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News.

“He’s very popular. If you look at leaders in the rest of the world, he’s got numbers that any of them would envy,” said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. “We’re finding 64 per cent of Canadians saying that they basically approve of his performance and the government’s performance.”

March 29, 2016

March 29, 2016

But although Trudeau is popular, his numbers aren’t that different from the last time Canada elected a new government at the federal level.

“People might say that Justin Trudeau is at an unprecedented level of public support, but we did the same poll with Stephen Harper in 2006 after one year of him being in power and he was at 62, so the difference is only two points, pretty much within the margin of error,” said Bricker.

“So I think when big change happens, after 10 years somebody’s in power, somebody new comes in and they deliver something different, people generally respond well to it. That’s what we saw in the first year of Harper and it’s what we’re seeing in the first year of Justin Trudeau.”

If Trudeau’s government follows the same kind of public opinion trajectory, they’re in for a slow, steady drop: by the 2015 election, the Conservative approval rating had fallen to 41 per cent. (Source: Global News)