vote – mackaycartoons

Friday December 14, 2018

December 21, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 14, 2018

5 Takeaways About Theresa May’s (Sort of) Victory

Prime Minister Theresa May survived a revolt on Wednesday by the hard-line, pro-Brexit parliamentary faction of her Conservative Party.

November 16, 2018

That will give her some time to try to get her plan for leaving the European Union — the same one that spurred the revolt — through Parliament.

But the final tally in the no-confidence vote on Wednesday also showed just how difficult that will be.

To pass legislation, Mrs. May needs the votes of all her party’s lawmakers and more — her government relies on the backing of a small Northern Ireland party. In this ballot, which was restricted to Conservative members of Parliament, 200 lawmakers supported her and 117 voted to eject her from office.

June 22, 2016

More than a third of her own party wanted someone else leading the Brexit process. That was especially sobering because about half of Conservative lawmakers also hold paid government posts of some sort; Mrs. May’s critics were quick to argue that she would have lost handily without the support of this “payroll vote.”

The prime minister bargained away her long-term political future to ensure she would survive the no-confidence vote, promising Conservative lawmakers that she would step down before a general election set for 2022.

A vote against Mrs. May’s leadership was effectively a vote against her agreement on leaving the European Union. (Her government is doing little else at the moment.)

June 24, 2016

European leaders will greet any attempt to rewrite the 585-page, legally binding withdrawal agreement with a resounding no. They refuse to abandon a so-called backstop arrangement that at least temporarily keeps Britain in a customs union with Europe to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and Ireland, which is a member of the European Union.

If Parliament does nothing before March 29, Britain’s relationship with the European Union will rupture overnight. Banking, trade, travel, food, medicines, the fluid border between Ireland and Northern Ireland — all would be thrown into flux. (Source: New York Times)

Thursday May 24, 2018

May 23, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 24, 2018

Almost half of NDP voters just want to stop Liberals, Tories from winning: Ipsos poll

According to recent data from an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News, 46 per cent of NDP voters intend to vote for the party to stop the Liberals or the Ontario Progressive Conservatives from winning.

“All eyes are on Andrea Horwath right now because her support is the most tenuous,” said Ipsos’ Sean Simpson. “There’ll be more scrutiny paid to Ms. Horwath during the campaign.”

Sixty-four per cent of Ontarians responded that they’re voting for a particular party because they prefer it over all the others, though Ipsos’ Darrell Bricker commented that the number of voters casting ballots to strategically oust another party is “extremely high” during this election.

Simpson agrees that these figures show a large portion of the population “voting against something rather than voting for something.”

A slim majority of NDP voters, 54 per cent, claimed to be voting for the party because they prefer the party. Among PC voters, 64 per cent of respondents said they’re voting for the party because they prefer it over the others, while 36 per cent want to stop another party from winning.

Liberal voters on the other hand, while still maintaining the lowest support, have the highest percentage of voters (at 74 per cent) supporting them because they genuinely like their policies, while 26 per cent want to stop another party from forming a government. (Source: Global News)

Tuesday July 21, 2015

July 20, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 21, 2015

Harper tells MPs to tout child care pay out in letter to caucus

In a rare move, Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent out a letter to the Conservative caucus Sunday calling for support to promote the expanded Universal Child Care Benefit.

Almost $3 billion in UCCB payments will be sent out Monday.

According to a copy of the letter obtained by CTV News from a senior government source, the “enhanced” UCCB payments will provide the biggest one-time direct payment in federal history, writes Harper in the note.

“Our Conservative government has always stood up for the financial interest of middle class families,” says Harper.

In the letter, Harper also stresses to his colleagues the importance of touting the child care benefit.

The government had previously provided Canadian families monthly payments of $100 for each child under six. But the new changes will see the payments jump to $160 a month. Parents with children between the ages of six and 17 will also now receive $60.

The increased payments are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015, so millions of Canadian parents will receive a cheque covering benefits from January to June of this year.

The roll out of the increased UCCB comes as the Oct. 19 federal election approaches.

Opposition leaders have been hyping the perks of their party’s child care platforms.

Tom Mulcair is kicking off an eight-day tour in the crucial battleground of Ontario on Monday.

If elected, the NDP leader has promised to spend $5 billion a year to create 1 million daycare spaces that parents could access for no more than $15 a day.

Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have proposed a “Canada Child Benefit,” which would offer thousands of dollars annually to families depending on their income. As much as $6,400 would be available for every child under six, and up to $5,400 for children aged six to 17. (Source: CTV News)

Canada, Child care, benefits, Stephen Harper, election, 2015, ballot, family, vote, buying, conservative

Wednesday March 11, 2015

March 10, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 11, 2015

Stephen Harper deliberately sowing fear against Muslims: Justin Trudeau

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of deliberately sowing fear and prejudice against Muslims in Canada.

The charge came in a strongly worded speech Mr. Trudeau delivered in Toronto Monday night to highlight his views on the importance of liberty in Canadian society.

“These are troubling times,” the Liberal leader told a gathering organized by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. “Across Canada, and especially in my home province, Canadians are being encouraged by their government to be fearful of one another.

“Fear is a dangerous thing. Once it is sanctioned by the state, there is no telling where it might lead. It is always a short path to walk from being suspicious of our fellow citizens to taking actions to restrict their liberty.”

In his speech, Mr. Trudeau castigated the prime minister for his comments last month in the wake of a court ruling that struck down the government’s policy that forbid Muslim women to wear the niqab, a religious garment, over the face during citizenship ceremonies.

At the time, Mr. Harper said his government would appeal the ruling because wearing a niqab during the ceremony is “offensive” and it’s “not how we do things here.”

In subsequent days, the Conservative party reinforced that message to its supporters and financial donors, as the Tories gear up for an election campaign.

“We all know what is going on here,” Mr. Trudeau said of Mr. Harper and the Tories. “It is nothing less than an attempt to play on people’s fears and foster prejudice, directly toward the Muslim faith.”

Mr. Trudeau said people can dislike the niqab and refer to it as a symbol of oppression.

“This is a free country. Those are your rights. But those who would use the state’s power to restrict women’s religious freedom and freedom of expression indulge the very same repressive impulse that they profess to condemn.

“It is a cruel joke to claim you are liberating people from oppression by dictating in law what they can and cannot choose to wear.” (Source: National Post)

Letters to the Editor

Muslim radicals a worldwide threat Editorial cartoon

Excellent editorial cartoon of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s blatant, juvenile sucking up to curry voter turn out.

What are not humorous however, are his recent comments equating a real fear of extremism to Canada’s past “dark days.” Unless he, and as an extension, his party, have their heads in the ground and/or stuck up a certain body part, Muslim radicals are a worldwide cancer, and a threat, not dissimilar to any and all past savage regimes — Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Papa Doc etc., the list is long and documented. IS and Boko Haram are indeed terrorist organizations bent on world domination through the use of violence. I read a quote somewhere “the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, however, the vast majority of terrorists are Muslim.” I believe Trudeau is in over his head, and I fear for Canada should he, God forbid, become prime minister.

Lloyd Moning, Mount Hope

Saturday November 8, 2003

November 8, 2003 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 8, 2003

2003 Mayoral Candidates

The deciding battle in the campaign for mayor will likely be fought by ground troops on Hamilton Mountain Monday.Observers say voters in the heavily populated Mountain wards 6, 7 and 8 appear to hold the key to whether David Christopherson or Larry Di Ianni wins.

The deciding factor may who can best mobilize volunteers to get the most Mountain supporters out to vote.

Christopherson is expected to win most of the lower city. The race appears close in the suburbs, where Di Ianni had hoped for a big lead. That leaves the Mountain as the pivotal point.

Di Ianni campaign manager Larry Russell pointed out yesterday that Mountain wards 7 and 8 have more votes than Ancaster, Flamborough and Waterdown combined, so they’re bound to be a big factor, especially with hot contests for council likely to boost turnout. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)