women’s

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 8, 2018

Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute

April 14, 2016

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it is ordering Canada’s ambassador to leave the country and freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada in a spat over human rights.

“We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours, ” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Twitter. And the ministry said Saudi Arabia is recalling its ambassador to Canada in a dispute that appears to be over a tweet from Global Affairs Canada.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi.

“We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists, ” the Canadian tweet said on Friday.

March 31, 2016

The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of “immediately release” in the tweet “unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states.”

It called Canada’s characterization of the activists “an incorrect claim” and called Canada’s attitude “surprising.”

“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs, ” it said.

Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the issue.

Saudi Arabia also said it was freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada .

It said that it will not accept any form of interference in its internal affairs and considers the Canadian position “an attack” requiring a firm stance to deter “attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the KSA.” (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Wednesday June 8, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday June 8, 2016 Ted McMeekin stepping aside in advance of gender equity cabinet shuffle Hamilton MPP Ted McMeekin says he will give up his spot at the Liberal cabinet table to make room for more women. The municipal affairs and housing minister said in an interview Monday his decision was spurred by a looming cabinet shuffle and a desire to help Premier Kathleen Wynne shoot for gender parity. "Sometimes timing is everything. The premier and I talked about it and she thinks it's important to move toward more of a gender balance," he said. "I happen to agree with her.Ó The 68-year-old, who beat prostate cancer in 2008, said he feels great and is not leaving cabinet over health concerns. McMeekin (who will turn 69 in December) said he'll continue as MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, but declined to say if he'll run in 2018. He has been at Queen's Park since a 2000 byelection in the former riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot. In an online statement, McMeekin said he thought about his three daughters and a day when gender parity "would just be taken for granted.Ó "Sometimes the best way for a man to advance the equality of women may be to step back and make room at the table," he said in the statement. McMeekin later added he felt more comfortable stepping away from cabinet because legislative action is "well underway" on many of his top priorities, including homelessness, poverty reduction and reviews of the Municipal Act and Greenbelt. "I'm going to keep up my interest on those items," he said. "And if my colleagues (in cabinet) need advice, well, they can come to me. I'm full of advice.Ó Mayor Fred Eisenberger praised the "classy" decision even as he mourned the loss of Hamilton's only provincial cabinet minister. "Not having that voice at the table is going to be a considerable loss. Those are important, powerful portfolios," he said, also pointing to McMeekin's past

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 8, 2016

Ted McMeekin stepping aside in advance of gender equity cabinet shuffle

Ted McMeekin Gallery

Ted McMeekin Gallery

Hamilton MPP Ted McMeekin says he will give up his spot at the Liberal cabinet table to make room for more women.

The municipal affairs and housing minister said in an interview Monday his decision was spurred by a looming cabinet shuffle and a desire to help Premier Kathleen Wynne shoot for gender parity.

“Sometimes timing is everything. The premier and I talked about it and she thinks it’s important to move toward more of a gender balance,” he said. “I happen to agree with her.”

Rebel without a cause 2002

Cause without a rebel 2002

The 68-year-old, who beat prostate cancer in 2008, said he feels great and is not leaving cabinet over health concerns. McMeekin (who will turn 69 in December) said he’ll continue as MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, but declined to say if he’ll run in 2018. He has been at Queen’s Park since a 2000 byelection in the former riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot.

In an online statement, McMeekin said he thought about his three daughters and a day when gender parity “would just be taken for granted.”

“Sometimes the best way for a man to advance the equality of women may be to step back and make room at the table,” he said in the statement.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday October 29, 2015 Justin Trudeau has begun repaying Premier Kathleen Wynne for helping him become prime minister. Upon being sworn in to succeed Prime Minister Stephen Harper next Wednesday, Trudeau will reverse his predecessorÕs attempt to derail the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. That announcement came after a 30-minute meeting Tuesday at QueenÕs Park between the two leaders. ÒWe made progress on our mutual commitment to build greater retirement security for Ontarians and Canadians,Ó said Zita Astravas, WynneÕs director of media relations. ÒOnce it takes office, the incoming federal government will direct the Canada Revenue Agency and the departments of finance and national revenue to work with Ontario officials on the registration and administration of the . . . ORPP,Ó said Astravas. ÒThis would be the same assistance with pension administration that the federal government has extended in the past to Quebec and Saskatchewan. The ORPP is being designed to integrate with any future CPP enhancement,Ó she said, referring to the Canada Pension Plan. Finance Minister Joe Oliver said in July that Ottawa would not provide administrative support for WynneÕs retirement scheme because the Conservatives felt it would Òtake money from workers and their families, kill jobs and damage the economy.Ó ÒAdministration of the ORPP will be the sole responsibility of the Ontario government, including the collection of contributions and any required information,Ó Oliver, who lost his Eglinton-Lawrence seat on Oct. 19, said at the time. During the campaign, Harper boasted that he was ÒdelightedÓ to hinder the Ontario plan, which launches in 2017. ÒKathleen Wynne is mad that I wonÕt help her do that . . . . YouÕre bloody right. The Conservative government is not going to help bring in that kind of tax hike.Ó Wynne created the Ontario plan after Harper refused to bolster CPP, which pays out a maximum ben

October 29, 2015

McMeekin later added he felt more comfortable stepping away from cabinet because legislative action is “well underway” on many of his top priorities, including homelessness, poverty reduction and reviews of the Municipal Act and Greenbelt.

“I’m going to keep up my interest on those items,” he said. “And if my colleagues (in cabinet) need advice, well, they can come to me. I’m full of advice.”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger praised the “classy” decision even as he mourned the loss of Hamilton’s only provincial cabinet minister. “Not having that voice at the table is going to be a considerable loss. Those are important, powerful portfolios,” he said, also pointing to McMeekin’s past posts, including agriculture and community services.

“His legacy in Hamilton is enormous, from LRT to housing and homelessness.”

McMaster University political science professor Henry Jacek said he’s not surprised to see McMeekin “be the loyal soldier” for Wynne, whom he supported in the Liberal leadership race to replace Dalton McGuinty. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday April 30, 2015

Thursday April 30, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 30, 2015

McMaster to boost all female faculty members’ salaries

McMaster University will add $3,515 to the base salaries of all full-time female faculty members to help correct what it calls “a systematic bias” in favour of male professors.

University officials announced Monday it will spend more than $1 million each year to ensure pay equity among its male and female faculty. The change will affect roughly 340 women — about a third of the university’s 1,000 full-time academic staff.

“It’s an equity issue we felt we simply had to address,” said David Wilkinson, McMaster provost and vice-president (academic). “How can we afford not to do it?”

The average salary of a full-time, permanent faculty member at the school (not including clinicians and clinical faculty) was $139,900 in 2013.

Michelle Dion, incoming president of the McMaster University Faculty Association, was part of the joint committee of faculty and administration members that endorsed the change.

“It would have been nicer to not find a gender pay gap,” she said. “The most surprising thing, I think, for most people, is that McMaster is doing something about it.”

The changes come out of a two-year study of Mac’s wages that found a gap between the salaries of men and women. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)