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CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 $6.95 Contributors Richard Nimijean is a member of the School of Raymond Biesinger is Indigenous and Canadian an illustrator and artist Studies at Carleton University based in Montreal. He likes in Ottawa. concepts, making music, politics, Instagram, 19th- Aditya Rao is an organizer Vol. 24, No. 3 century bird’s-eye-view with the Ottawa Sanctuary Book reviews in the ISSN 1198-497X panoramic maps, and a mix of City Network, and is in his Monitor are co-ordinated Canada Post Publication 40009942 minimalism and maximalism. final year of a joint JD and by Octopus Books, a The Monitor is published six times MA program at the University community-owned anti- Remie Geoffroi has been a a year by the Canadian Centre for of Ottawa’s faculty of law oppressive bookstore in full-time freelance illustrator Policy Alternatives. and Carleton University’s Ottawa. since 2001. His clients The opinions expressed in the Norman Paterson School include major publications Monitor are those of the authors of International Affairs, such as the Wall Street and do not necessarily reflect specializing in the law of Journal, Hollywood Reporter, the views of the CCPA. forced migration. He has ESPN, Wired, Billboard and Please send feedback to been active in refugee and New York magazine. Remie [email protected]. migrant rights organizing for recently illustrated the latest a decade. Editor: Stuart Trew book from New York Times Senior Designer: Tim Scarth best-selling author Tim Gillian Steward is a Calgary- Layout: Susan Purtell Toronto Editorial Board: Peter Bleyer, Ferriss, entitled Tool of Titans. based journalist and Star columnist who teaches Alyssa O’Dell, Seth Klein, Kate Laura Hochban is a Prairie- McInturff, Erika Shaker, Emily Turk journalism at Mount Royal born feminist living University. She was the 2014- CCPA National Office: and working in Ottawa. 15 Atkinson Fellow in Public HELP US SHED LIGHT ON THE 500-251 Bank St., Ottawa, She studied histories of Policy, an annual journalism ON K2P 1X3 gender and the body at the tel: 613-563-1341 fellowship with which University of Regina and at fax: 613-233-1458 she researched the public ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU. Carleton University. [email protected] policy drivers of oil sands www.policyalternatives.ca Jim Hodgson is Latin America development in Alberta. CCPA BC Office: Program Co-ordinator at the (we’ve got some bright ideas) Michelle Weinroth is an 520-700 West Pender Street United Church of Canada. author and teacher. Her Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 He has been involved in published work focuses tel: 604-801-5121 Common Frontiers since fax: 604-801-5122 on 19th and 20th century 1999. [email protected] propaganda. CCPA Manitoba Office: Asad Ismi covers MAKE A DONATION Tax receipts are issued for contributions of $15 or more. Unit 205-765 Main St., Winnipeg, international politics for the MB R2W 3N5 Monitor, specializing in the I would like to make a monthly contribution of: I would like to make a one-time donation of: tel: 204-927-3200 destructive impact of U.S. and fax: 204-927-3201 Canadian imperialism, and OR $300 $100 $75 Other ____ [email protected] $25 $15 $10 Other ____ resistance to it, in the Global CCPA Nova Scotia Office: South. P.O. Box 8355, Halifax, NS B3K 5M1 tel: 902-240-0926 Jamie Liew is an associate PAYMENT TYPE: [email protected] professor of law at the I would like to receive my I’ve enclosed a cheque (made payable to CCPA, or void cheque for monthly donation) CCPA Ontario Office: University of Ottawa and an subscription to The Monitor: 10 Dundas Street East, immigration lawyer. I’d like to make my contribution by: VISA MASTERCARD P.O. Box 47129, Toronto, By e-mail Muhannad Malas is the ON, M5B 0A1 Mailed to my address tel: 416-598-5985 program manager for CREDIT CARD NUMBER: [email protected] Environmental Defence’s No Monitor, thanks toxics program. After CCPA Saskatchewan Office: EXPIRY DATE: SIGNATURE: 2nd Floor, 2138 McIntyre Street completing a master’s degree Regina, SK S4P 2R7 in public health policy at tel: 306-924-3372 the University of Toronto, fax: 306-586-5177 Muhannad helped develop Amy Thompson is an CONTACT INFORMATION [email protected] and implement chronic Ottawa-based mixed-me- disease prevention policies dia artist whose work has Name Return this form to: centred on re-contextualizing and environmental health 500-251 BANK ST. frameworks for municipal and imagery from the ’40s and Address OTTAWA, ON K2P 1X3 provincial governments. ’50s. Amy explores themes of memory, childhood and the natural world through the City Province Postal Code Or donate online at: The Monitor is a proud member of mediums of drawing, painting WWW.POLICYALTERNATIVES.CA Magazines Canada. and collage. Telephone (Required) Email Yes, I prefer to receive my tax receipt Please do not trade my name with other and updates by email. organizations. REGISTERED CHARITY #124146473 RR0001 TABLE OF CONTENTS September/October 2017 SANCTUARY CITIES Donald Trump’s attacks on migrants, both verbal and legislative, have emboldened calls in Canada for migrant justice and access—without fear—to government services. Stuart Trew talks to sanctuary city activists in Ottawa who want to see more than symbolic gestures from municipal governments. Jamie Liew explains why local police are under no obligation to share information on a person’s status with immigration officials. AndAditya Rao argues for the immediate repeal of the Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which only puts human lives at unnecessary risk. BEHIND THE NUMBERS Can NAFTA be fixed? The “Netflix Tax” and other Some options for the renegotiation. brilliant cableco propaganda Scott Sinclair, Stuart Trew Marc Edge 6 and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood 36 How the Liberals could lean in to Budget 2018 Public benefits and the tar sands— Kate McInturff7 from Lougheed to Notley Gillian Steward 41 “Asset recycling” should be grounded, permanently Is there hope for Venezuela David Macdonald 9 in the constituent assembly? Jim Hodgson 50 Why we won’t miss Petronas Marc Lee 10 With friends like these… Qatar tries to cope with the blockade IN THE NEWS Asad Ismi 54 Omar Khadr and the cost of violating the law BOOKS Ian Green 12 Struggle and representation FEATURES in the making of democracy Two Trudeaus: Will voters remember Frank Bayerl 56 the narrative or policy record in 2019? Roxanne Gay’s new memoir cuts deep Richard Nimijean 26 Laura Hochban 58 Canada’s chance to get serious about toxics Ilan Pappe challenges powerful myths about Israel Muhannad Malas 33 Michelle Weinroth 59 Editorial 2 | Letters 3 | New From the CCPA 4 | Alternate Futures 14 | Index 15 | Work Life 32 | Good News Page 49 From the Editor STUART TREW A summer of equivocation HE FASCIST MARCH in Charlottesville, speaking through a megaphone our government has bent itself into a Virginia this August put a global shaped like a KKK hood. It was a theme pretzel trying to square what it says spotlight on the United States’ several other publications also went it believes in with how it wants to get Tneo-Nazi problem. Here was white with to express the obvious—that the us there. supremacy unhooded, uninhibited U.S. president was goading on racial Trudeau says Canada is different and organized, using the tactics (and hatred, to god knows what end. from the U.S. today because we wel- chants) of the left—“Whose streets? The international press should be come all people fleeing persecution. Our streets!”—to defend the honour commended for pushing back against But as Aditya Rao argues (see page 24), of those who fought for slavery on the attempts by Trump and the Breitbart that is more true of people using the Confederate side of America’s civil war. crowd to draw a false equivalence so-called appropriate channels than Stand in their way and you are guilty between the self-styled alt-right and those who would be automatically of violating their rights to freedom of an imagined alt-left. In reality, one side turned away—including thousands speech and freedom of assembly. wants to ban immigration and unions, of people fleeing Trump’s America—if Over the course of the week- the other wants things like free educa- they didn’t cross the border “illegally.” end, neo-Nazis and right-wing tion and health care, and the repeal of Other inconvenient contradictions extremists scuffled with anti-fascist “right to work” laws. That looks more are explored in this issue. For exam- counter-demonstrators, culminating like politics as usual than a civil war. ple, Global Affairs Minister Chrystia in the death of Heather Heyer, killed The problem is that some equiv- Freeland wants Canada to be a voice when a young man plowed his car into alences are stickier, more useful to for peace on the world stage by flexing a peaceful demonstration in down- those in powerful positions and hard- our newly financed military muscle. town Charlottesville. Jason Kessler, er to dispel in mainstream dialogue. Like Trump, Canada is supporting an organizer with Unite The Right, Breitbart, for example, likes “right to democracy in Venezuela by backing an would later tweet that Heyer was “a work” laws even though unionization opposition that is openly fomenting fat, disgusting Communist,” and that is a proven way to wrest power and violence against the government (see her death was “payback.” wealth from what its articles refer to page 50). Was Kessler one of the “very fine as the “globalist elite.” Likewise, Trudeau supports progres- people” Donald Trump was thinking In Canada we are supposed to feel sive trade deals that better incorporate about when he refused to condemn relieved now that Steve Bannon is labour and environmental protec- the racist rally, but said there were out of the White House and back at tions.