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Saturday March 31, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator (www.mackaycartoons.net) – Saturday March 31, 2018

Singh retracts punishment of veteran MP Christopherson after backlash from NDP caucus

Rumblings of discontent in the NDP caucus have been replaced by statements of support for Jagmeet Singh, after the party leader’s swift change of heart over punishing a veteran parliamentarian who broke ranks on a vote in the House of Commons last week.

October 24, 2017

In the face of public criticism from members of his caucus, Singh announced Tuesday night that he would reinstate Hamilton MP David Christopherson to his role as deputy chair of the powerful procedure and House affairs committee. The move quashed a decision Singh made just days earlier to dump Christopherson from the position as punishment for voting against his party on a Conservative motion — defeated by a majority of Liberals and New Democrats — regarding a controversial change to applications for summer jobs funding.

Applying groups must now “attest” that their mandate respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including abortion rights.

Following the about-face by Singh, MPs played down any suggestion of disunity in the NDP fold. Christopherson himself said in a statement that, after speaking with Singh in recent days, he has “complete trust in his leadership.”

Other MPs expressed similar sentiments when pressed by reporters outside the House of Commons. Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay), who ran second against Singh in last year’s leadership race and spoke out against the decision to punish Christopherson, said the speed with which Singh reversed the move “reassured people” in caucus. 

September 13, 2017

It is the second week in a row that conversation around the NDP has been dominated by questions about caucus’s faith in Singh’s decisions. MPs held an unscheduled meeting March 19 to discuss how Singh reacted to reports that he attended rallies where people expressed support for Sikh separatism in India, venerated a militant leader there, and in one case discussed the legitimacy of political violence as a means of resistance.

Two days later, in front of a collection of applauding MPs, Singh categorically denounced all forms of violence and said he won’t attend any more rallies if he knows someone will advocate violence as a political tool. The party leader had said in a previous interview with the Star that, while he opposed terrorism, questions of violence against oppression in the Sikh context were too complex to be answered in a “simplistic manner.”

Then this week, Angus told the Globe and Mail that Singh’s decision to punish Christopherson for breaking rank on the summer program vote showed “a lack of respect.” Quebec MP Romeo Saganash told the paper he agrees with Angus and called the decision “unfortunate.”

(Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Tuesday November 10, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday November 10, 2015 New film raises bothersome questions about city hall culture A new documentary film raises troubling questions about corporate culture at Hamilton City Hall. "The Push" analyzes a controversial 2014 incident in which Coun. Lloyd Ferguson pushed independent journalist Joey Coleman during a heated exchange in the lobby outside council chambers. The film was publicly screened for the first time at The Zoetic Theatre on Concession Street Sunday as part of the Hamilton Film Festival. Coleman alleged actions against him by city staff following the incident were nothing more than an attempt to silence him. "This is an effort to end independent journalism at city hall," he said. In the incident, Coleman said he was standing in the foyer outside council chambers holding his video camera and waiting for the start of a news conference. Ferguson, Coun. Brad Clark and city staffer Mike Kirkopoulos were standing nearby in a huddle. Ferguson, thinking Coleman was eavesdropping on their conversation, physically moved him away. "He took a very tight grip on my arm; we were going to the floor," Coleman said. "Everyone else was frozen with shock and I thought he was going to punch me in the face." Bystanders separated the two and the next day Ferguson apologized to Coleman personally and to city council, backing his words with a self-imposed $1,000 donation to an Ancaster charity. Coleman accepted the apology and said he considered the matter closed. It was revived, however, by complaints to the city's integrity commissioner. The incident was also investigated by provincial police and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. (Ferguson was, and remains, chair of the Hamilton Police Services Board.) The city commissioner found Ferguson did violate Hamilton's anti-violence policy but no sanctions were recommended. The other investigations also concluded there were no grounds for other c

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 10, 2015

New film raises bothersome questions about city hall culture

For SaleA new documentary film raises troubling questions about corporate culture at Hamilton City Hall.

“The Push” analyzes a controversial 2014 incident in which Coun. Lloyd Ferguson pushed independent journalist Joey Coleman during a heated exchange in the lobby outside council chambers.

The film was publicly screened for the first time at The Zoetic Theatre on Concession Street Sunday as part of the Hamilton Film Festival.

Coleman alleged actions against him by city staff following the incident were nothing more than an attempt to silence him.

“This is an effort to end independent journalism at city hall,” he said.

Tuesday March 3, 2015In the incident, Coleman said he was standing in the foyer outside council chambers holding his video camera and waiting for the start of a news conference.

Ferguson, Coun. Brad Clark and city staffer Mike Kirkopoulos were standing nearby in a huddle.

Ferguson, thinking Coleman was eavesdropping on their conversation, physically moved him away.

“He took a very tight grip on my arm; we were going to the floor,” Coleman said. “Everyone else was frozen with shock and I thought he was going to punch me in the face.”

Bystanders separated the two and the next day Ferguson apologized to Coleman personally and to city council, backing his words with a self-imposed $1,000 donation to an Ancaster charity.

Coleman accepted the apology and said he considered the matter closed. It was revived, however, by complaints to the city’s integrity commissioner. The incident was also investigated by provincial police and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. (Ferguson was, and remains, chair of the Hamilton Police Services Board.)

The city commissioner found Ferguson did violate Hamilton’s anti-violence policy but no sanctions were recommended. The other investigations also concluded there were no grounds for other charges or actions.

In the two-hour film Coleman and others argue the incident and its aftermath illustrate a culture of fear at city hall in which employees are held to a policy dictating “zero tolerance” for violence while a veteran councillor can manhandle a citizen with impunity. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Wednesday June 7, 2000

June 7, 2000

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 7, 2000

Lame duck Clinton is a poor pitchman; World security: Anti-missile scheme dubious at best

The politician versus the statesman. That’s our take on the Moscow talks between American president Bill Clinton and Russian president Vladimir Putin concerning nuclear arms. The Russian leader has a stronger claim to the high road on arms control with his opposition to Clinton’s support for a dubious, expensive and potentially destabilizing U.S. anti-missile defence system.

Putin will have made a significant contribution to preventing a new arms race if his skepticism convinces the U.S. to take a sober second look at the scheme. Politics, more than prudent planning, appears to explain Clinton’s arguments in favour of a proposal to base 100 interceptor missiles in Alaska to destroy a limited number of missiles from so-called rogue states such as North Korea, Iraq, Iran and Libya. This multi-billion-dollar scheme will be a windfall for defence contractors who find it harder to win contracts with the end of the Cold War. For his part, Clinton is afraid of running the risk of the Democratic party being perceived as soft on defence in a presidential election year. George W. Bush, presumed Republican presidential nominee, has endorsed an even more ambitious anti-missile system.

It is virtually certain that nuclear arms control will be dealt a major and perhaps terminal blow if the U.S. plan goes ahead. Anti-missile shields of the type proposed are banned under the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Russia, China and other aspiring nuclear powers such as India and Pakistan will be sorely tempted to increase their arsenals to match what will be perceived as a move by Washington to upset the balance of power. Americans may feel more protected if a shield, even a small one, can be built at high cost to thwart an atomic attack by a terrorist regime, but at what price? It will be a false security if it results in an accelerated nuclear race.

This is not to dismiss the hypothetical menace that long-range missiles would pose in the hands of North Korea, for instance. However, the threat is better addressed through a collective international approach rather than by the U.S. going it alone in a way that smacks of American isolationism. The challenges of coping with terrorism in today’s high-tech era go well beyond missiles, and encompass everything from biological weapons to the spread of public health threats like AIDS. More effective, state-of-the-art defences, perhaps including a role for a reliable system of defensive missiles if it can be developed — that’s a big if — might eventually be required. In any case, the financial, technical and political obstacles are steep. It makes more sense for the U.S. to engage the international community in countering the threat than to act unilaterally.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in good position to bridge the gap between Moscow and Washington. Now is the time for Blair to support Putin and urge the U.S. to realize that its anti-missile plan will start an arms race that could undermine world security. (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

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