separatism

Tuesday May 12 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney navigates internal separatist tensions and external U.S. relations to unify Canada and strengthen federalism.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 12 2025

Mark Carney’s Rodeo: Can He Tame the Bull of Western Alienation and the Beast Across the Border?

April 9, 2025

Mark Carney’s entry into the political arena as Canada’s Prime Minister is akin to stepping into a rodeo ring, preparing to ride the proverbial angry bull of Western alienation. With a mandate from the recent election, Carney finds himself in a unique position to distinguish his leadership from the fraught relations that characterized his predecessor Justin Trudeau’s tenure, particularly with Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The political landscape Carney inherits is fraught with tension. Alberta and Saskatchewan’s grievances are deeply rooted in economic and political realities that have been exacerbated by federal policies perceived as dismissive of their contributions. The historical parallels with the 1930s, as highlighted in John Turley-Ewart’s article, show that ignoring these economic roots risks deepening the rift. Premier Danielle Smith’s openness to a referendum on Alberta’s independence underscores the urgency of addressing these concerns.

News: Alberta’s separatist angst has bone-deep economic roots. Ottawa cannot ignore it

October 22, 2019

Carney’s recent election victory provides him with the leverage to reset relations with the West. Unlike Trudeau, whose relationship with Alberta was often marked by conflict over environmental policies and energy sector restrictions, Carney has the opportunity to approach the provinces with a fresh perspective. His background as a central banker and advocate for green energy positions him uniquely to balance the need for economic stability with environmental commitments.

The advice from Marcus Gee suggests that Carney should focus on the strengths of Canadian federalism, emphasizing cooperation and decentralization. By showcasing how federalism can effectively address regional concerns, Carney can work towards mitigating separatist sentiments. His challenge will be to implement pragmatic policies that support a transition to renewable energy while recognizing the economic significance of the oil and gas industry.

Opinion: Carney rode a wave of national pride into office. Now he’s tasked with quelling rising separatism

Alberta must balance its oil interests with national unity, aligning with other provinces to strengthen Canada's position against potential U.S. tariffs.

January 17, 2025

Complicating Carney’s rodeo ride is the situation in the United States under Donald Trump, which poses its own set of challenges. The strained U.S.-Canada relations impact economic stability and require strategic diplomacy. Carney must balance Canada’s environmental goals with economic realities, leveraging Canada’s natural resources to strengthen economic ties amidst U.S. tariffs and protectionist policies. The unity required to address internal grievances must extend to a coherent national strategy for navigating the complexities of international relations.

Colby Cosh’s perspective that Alberta’s separatist movement is weak offers Carney some breathing room. However, the underlying support for separation cannot be ignored. Carney must navigate these sentiments carefully, ensuring that his government’s actions speak louder than words. His engagement with provincial leaders, as noted in reader comments, is a promising start, but it must translate into tangible outcomes that address both economic and political grievances.

Opinion: Colby Cosh: Alberta’s feeble separatist movement

May 7, 2025

Carney’s rodeo ride is not just about taming the bull of Western alienation but also managing the beast across the border. The stakes are high, and the challenge is multifaceted. Can he temper these forces? Only time will tell. What is clear is that Carney must harness the leverage of his fresh mandate to build bridges, promote dialogue, and demonstrate that Canadian federalism is not just a theoretical success but a practical one that can adapt to the needs of all its provinces while navigating complex international landscapes.

In this rodeo, Carney must hold on tight, navigate with skill, and ultimately steer Canada towards a future where regional grievances are heard, addressed, and resolved, and international relations are managed with finesse. His success or failure in this endeavour will define his legacy and the future of Canadian unity.

Western Separatism is as Canadian as Maple Syrup by The Graeme Gallery

Monday May 12, 2025

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Tuesday April 8, 2025

Amid rising separatist sentiments and tensions in Western Canada, the need for dialogue and compromise is paramount to address regional grievances while promoting national unity.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 8, 2025

A Call for Unity Amidst Division

Danielle Smith's alignment with Trump complicates Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's campaign as he seeks to distance the party from divisive politics while facing criticism over perceived weaknesses.

March 25, 2025

In recent weeks, the political landscape in Canada has been marked by a troubling resurgence of separatist rhetoric emanating from Western Canada, particularly from figures like Preston Manning. His desperate warning that a victory for Mark Carney’s Liberals would lead to the breakup of Canada is not only alarmist but also counterproductive. It threatens to exacerbate divisions at a time when national unity is more critical than ever.

Opinion: Mark Carney poses a threat to national unity

Manning’s perspective, which positions Western separation as a legitimate response to perceived grievances, fails to recognize the complex realities faced by all Canadians. While it is essential to acknowledge the frustrations of those in Alberta and Saskatchewan—regions that have long felt overlooked by federal policies—resorting to threats of secession is not a constructive solution. Such extreme viewpoints only serve to polarize discussions and undermine the collaborative spirit necessary for addressing shared challenges.

December 2, 2022

However, dismissing Manning’s concerns outright ignores a significant truth: the fossil fuel sector in Western Canada is not just an economic powerhouse; it is a lifeline for many communities. The realities of shifting global energy dynamics and the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s reckless economic policies have created uncertainty that can no longer be overlooked. The tariffs and trade tensions he has instigated have put pressure on Canadian industries, particularly those heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

As we navigate these turbulent waters, it is crucial to strike a balance between addressing environmental imperatives and safeguarding the livelihoods of those dependent on fossil fuel industries. The call for an immediate end to fossil fuel reliance without a viable transition plan risks not only economic devastation but also the loss of social cohesion in communities that have built their identities around these sectors.

Opinion: A look at the growing discord in Western Canada

September 1, 2021

Danielle Smith’s alignment with Trump and her provocative stance on Alberta’s autonomy further complicate this already fraught landscape. While she champions the voices of those who feel marginalized, her approach often mirrors the divisive rhetoric that only deepens the chasm between regions. It is essential to understand that unity cannot be built on fear or threats; rather, it requires dialogue, compromise, and a commitment to finding common ground.

What is needed now is a comprehensive and inclusive discussion that brings together various stakeholders—politicians, industry leaders, environmental advocates, and community members—to explore pathways toward a sustainable energy future that respects the economic realities of Western Canada. This means investing in green technology and transition strategies that not only address climate change but also provide new opportunities for workers in the fossil fuel sector.

In the face of daunting challenges posed by external forces, Canada must remain steadfast in its commitment to unity. We cannot allow the desperate warnings of figures like Manning to derail the essential conversations about how to move forward together. Instead, let us focus on building a resilient nation that acknowledges regional concerns while striving for a sustainable and inclusive future.

News: Poilievre distances himself from ex-Reform Leader Preston Manning’s comments on Western separatism

October 12, 2019

The road ahead may be rocky, but by fostering understanding and collaboration, Canada can navigate these rough seas and emerge stronger, united in our diversity and shared purpose. It is time to reject divisive rhetoric and work collectively toward a future that honours both our environmental responsibilities and our economic realities.

Looking For a Strong Manning-Date

As someone who closely follows elections, I’ve always found polls to be incredibly useful in gauging the political climate and predicting election outcomes. Over the past two elections, I’ve made it a point to draw on polls at least once in editorial during each campaign. It’s fascinating to look back and see how the parties were faring just weeks before election day.

During Justin Trudeau’s tenure, the polls often depicted a flatline between the two main parties, leading to somewhat predictable outcomes and the formation of minority governments. This trend seemed to reflect a broader lack of trust and confidence among Canadians towards both the Liberals and Conservatives. Consequently, we’ve experienced years of weak governance, with Trudeau’s position becoming increasingly fragile with each passing election since 2015.

The polls have not been kind to the Liberals under Trudeau in recent years, while the Conservatives, under Pierre Poilievre, have seen astronomical support. However, there’s an old saying about peaking too early, and that seems to be the case for Poilievre. The pendulum of political favour has swung, but rather than benefiting the Conservatives, it appears to have favoured centrists, especially with Mark Carney now leading the Liberal Party.

If there ever was a need for renewed confidence and unity, it is now, especially at a time when global security and economic order are being shaken. A majority government is needed, and the right person to head it is the reasonable, calm, and somewhat boring father figure, Mark Carney. He stands in contrast to Pierre Poilievre, who, with his petulant and angry demeanour, is neither a centrist nor a uniter.

While I sympathize with Conservatives who express frustration with the Liberals, it’s clear that the pendulum has indeed swung toward a more centrist approach. Carney’s leadership offers a new perspective and potential for renewed confidence among Canadians. As we approach the next election, it will be interesting to see how these dynamics play out and what the polls will reveal in the final stretch.

Check out my making-of animated editorial cartoon for April 7, 2025, below! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to my Substack newsletter, where I share weekly editorial cartoons every Saturday morning. Substack is a crucial platform for me amidst the uncertainties of being a staff cartoonist, especially given recent layoffs and newspaper closures affecting our field. As long as I hold my position, subscriptions will remain free. Thank you for your support! This “note” helps craft my weekly posts and showcases animated versions of my cartoons. Enjoy!

– The Graeme Gallery

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Tuesday October 22, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 22, 2019

Canada’s divisions have been thrown into sharp relief

December 13, 2018

The 2019 federal election confirmed deep rifts in the country – from reinvigorated Quebec nationalism to Prairie anger over stalled pipelines and a suffering economy. But the results also revealed divisions that rarely get the same attention, such as the widening gulf between cities and the aging populations of rural areas.

Returns Monday night showed the Bloc Québécois, once considered a spent force, competing for the plurality of Quebec’s 78 seats with the Liberals, powered by nationalist sentiment and greying voters; and Alberta and Saskatchewan stayed a deep shade of Conservative blue, with two isolated NDP and Liberal islands among the 48 seats.

December 1, 2016

Vast northern regions of Ontario, Manitoba and and the territories with large Indigenous populations were shades of red and orange, along with downtown Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, where there was a smattering of green. Mid-sized cities and the suburbs were the swing riding checkerboards that decided the election in the end.

The Liberal victory pitted big cities against rural regions, the North against southern cousins and the old against the young. Younger urban and northern ridings largely remained with the centre-left parties, while aging rural areas were resoundingly Conservative and Bloc Québécois.

December 20, 2018

Renewed leadership has helped drive Quebec nationalism and more robust Prairie demands, turning Quebec to the Bloc and keeping the countryside blue.

In Alberta, Jason Kenney has suggested that another term of Trudeau government would threaten national unity, while Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has been a reliable wingman, pushing Prairie interests with Ottawa.

“It’s certainly true that a Liberal victory of any kind will not be well perceived, especially by the two premiers who have gone to war against Justin Trudeau,” said Daniel Béland, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, who taught for 17 years at universities in Alberta and Saskatchewan before moving to the Montreal think tank last year. “It will increase the tension with Ottawa with Justin Trudeau remaining in power, even as a minority [government]. A majority [would have been] a scream fest.”

July 12, 2019

Both Quebec’s second-year Premier François Legault and rookie Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet rose by promising to add urgency to provincial demands for more autonomy.

“The big winner of this election is François Legault,” said Jean-Marc Léger, founder of the polling firm that bears his name. “He was at the heart of the campaign, and after what happened in this campaign he’s going to carry a much greater weight when he makes demands.”

Mr. Léger also noted that separatist and nationalist parties garnered 70 per cent of popular support in the 2018 Quebec election and were still well over 50 per cent during most of the Liberal years, from 2003 to 2018.

August 30, 2012

“There is always a strong nationalist sentiment in Quebec,” he said. “It’s just not always apparent.”

During those Liberal years, the province was led by Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard, two of the “most federalist and least nationalist premiers in Quebec history. You have to go back to Adélard Godbout in the Second World War to find a Quebec premier who had so little interest in nationalism,” Prof. Béland said.

The rise of Quebec nationalism and deep Prairie grievance do not pose immediate existential threats to national unity. Separatism is unpopular, and Quebec nationalism and Western alienation have been part of Canadian identity for most of the country’s history.

“Regional differences may be growing at the moment, but in Canada it’s cyclical,” Prof. Béland said. “I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of regionalism or Quebec nationalism. Sometimes they go dormant or are less active, but they are always there.” (Globe & Mail) 

 

Friday September 19, 2014

Friday September 19, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 19, 2014

European Integration Emboldens Europe’s Separatists

Scotland’s referendum has galvanized national movements across Europe. The irony is that this has been made possible in part by the European Union, for decades the driver of economic and political integration across a once war-torn continent.

In the past week, Edinburgh has been like a magnet for politicians across Europe who regard their regions as nations. Representatives from Wales, the Basque Country, Flanders, Catalonia, Galicia, Corsica, Sardinia and Friesland visited the Scottish capital.

They have been emboldened in part by the safety net that the EU is perceived to offer to small countries. The institution that was created to make national borders irrelevant may perversely play a role in creating new ones.

Even as voters in many European countries register growing dissatisfaction with the EU, membership offers smaller nationalities the hope of separation with a minimum of disruption.

Today, “separatism has a spring in its step,” says Charles Grant, director of the London-based Centre for European Reform.

Europe’s borders have already fractured in the last 20 years. With the exception of Czechoslovakia, which split in 1993, these changes have been born out of the violent breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

What is seducing nationalists these days is what Michael Desch, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, calls the prospect of Velvet Divorce: a gentle segue into an independent state while preserving membership of institutions like the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and retaining the same currency.

But governments across the continent have viewed developments in the U.K. with growing alarm, as support for Scottish independence appeared to strengthen. Europe’s other capitals, surprised that London has appeared to sleepwalk into a potential constitutional crisis, are unlikely to succumb meekly to the phenomenon.

Their reaction, should Scotland become independent, will be instructive. Scottish Nationalists have portrayed Scottish membership of the EU as a foregone conclusion, suggesting it would be waved into the bloc with little fuss. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

LETTERS to the EDITOR

In my lifelong reading of The Spectator, I’ve never been shocked by a cartoon until now. The editorial cartoon of Friday, Sept. 19 was funny to a point. That point was the last cell of the multi-celled cartoon. The real life events upon which it was based are horrible. The Spectator doesn’t need to embed these events, even more, into the Zeitgeist by depicting them as the punch line of a cartoon. It was insensitive, tasteless and thoughtless. You went too far. — B. Kish, Hamilton

Insensitive cartoon disappointing – September 22, 2014: Sorry, Graeme MacKay. I’m really disappointed but that was as insensitive as anything you’ve ever done. I only hope and pray that no family members of these victims ever lay eyes on it. — Virginia Coombs, Stoney Creek

Untimely and tasteless trash – September 23, 2014: I was beginning to think cartoonist Graeme MacKay’s work was showing some maturity. After a brief break, some of his concepts were starting to display some intelligence. However, we seem to be back to stuff that portrays the lack of sensitivity and taste that have been his mark in the past. The cartoon Scotland’s Influence Endures is pathetic and the portrayal of an ISIS executioner with a knife at the throat of a prisoner, especially now when people are totally sickened by what has happened to these poor victims, is obscene. It is hard to believe that The Spectator would publish such untimely and tasteless trash. — Roy Coombs, Simcoe

Scottish cartoon went too far with ISIS – September 24, 2014: I am totally disgusted by the editorial cartoon that appeared in The Spectator on Sept. 19. I cannot stomach anything that would include Scotland and ISIS in the same reference. Is this supposed to be funny or witty? What part of a drawing showing someone being beheaded is in keeping with decency? In this case, cartoonist Graeme MacKay has offended many. It is indefensible that your paper can continue to publish his work. — David McIntyre, Hamilton

SOCIAL MEDIA

Post by The Hamilton Spectator.

 

Commentary by Graeme MacKay

Last week the above cartoon in advance of the day the world was to find out the results of the referendum on Scottish independence. Of course, no one knew how the final numbers would turn out, but the pollsters said it was to be close. The choice for me therefore was to draw something that would work with either a yes or no victory. There was an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the cartoon (see above), yet with all the thumbs down communicated to me through social media, I’m still not clear why this cartoon is so repulsive to so many… continued

Tuesday September 9, 2014

Tuesday September 9, 2014Tuesday September 9, 2014

Scotland – Vote No and get something better?

On the morning after the poll before, “Vote No and get something better” summed up George Osborne’s message. It’s a tried and trusted message which worked in the independence referendum in Quebec when a last minute poll lead for Yes was transformed into a narrow No. It is, though, a message with a difficult history in Scotland.

Angus MacScotland stickerThirty five years ago it was precisely what Scots were told when they were voting in a referendum on a much more modest proposal – to create a Scottish Parliament with some devolved powers.
A former prime minister, a Scot and, as it happens, a Tory, Sir Alec Douglas Home urged his countrymen to vote No and get “something better”. The referendum rejected devolution and what they got soon afterwards was 18 years of Margaret Thatcher’s government and no devolution at all (until, that is, Labour were re-elected in 1997).

That is just one reason why Osborne’s promise of a plan to transfer new powers to Holyrood – covering tax raising, spending and benefits – caused such confusion yesterday. It is why Alex Salmond felt able to attack it as a sign of “panic” on the No side.

The other reason is that the three rival Westminster parties – the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats – have not agreed a plan for which precise powers to devolve. Each party has published its own set of proposals which overlap in the areas Osborne listed.

The plan he was talking about – but which is still being argued about behind the scenes – is to give Scottish voters certainty that this time – unlike last time – they are guaranteed to get “something better” whoever forms the next government in Westminster.

The Lib Dem Scottish secretary Alastair Carmichael has long talked about the idea of setting up a Scottish Constitutional Convention bringing together representatives of all parties – including the SNP – and none (trade unionists, business groups, the churches etc). This would hammer out a new settlement which all the Westminster parties would then promise to implement whoever is elected in the 2015 general election.

Who should announce this, where and how poses its own problems since Scottish voters – like voters right across the world – are deeply mistrustful of what politicians say. If all three party leaders stood together it would simply allow Alex Salmond to say “I told you they were all the same and that Labour were in bed with the Tories.”

A striking finding of this weekend’s YouGov poll is that the leader of the Labour Party – for so long the natural party of government in Scotland – is trusted by under a quarter of Scottish voters, the same number as it happens as trust David Cameron. (Continued: BBC News)