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OUR SCHOOLS/ OUR SELVES WINTER/ SPRING 2020 ISSUE INSIDE EST/ÉTABLIE 1980

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 Contributors

John W. Foster is a semi- Martin Lukacs is an Sabrina Wilkinson is a retired academic, writer investigative journalist who SSHRC-funded doctoral and researcher teaching has covered Canadian politics researcher at Goldsmiths, as a sessional lecturer in for more than a decade. He University of London where Vol. 26, No. 5 the University of Regina’s has been an environmental she studies the politics of ISSN 1198-497X international studies and writer for The Guardian (U.K.) internet policy in . Publication 40009942 human justice programs. His and was a co-author of the Edgardo Sepulveda is an career includes a decade at Leap Manifesto. His book, The The Monitor is published six times independent consulting a year by the Canadian Centre for the North-South Institute, Trudeau Formula: Seduction economist that writes about Policy Alternatives. seven years as National and Betrayal in the Age of inequality, electricity and Secretary of OXFAM-Canada Discontent, was published The opinions expressed in the other economic policy issues Monitor are those of the authors and 18 years as a staff officer by Black Rose Books in late at the Progressive Economics and do not necessarily reflect of the United Church of 2019. Forum. the views of the CCPA. Canada. Molly McCracken is Director Please send feedback to Paige Galette is a Haitian of the Canadian Centre for [email protected]. activist and feminist, and Policy Alternatives– Editor: Stuart Trew President of Les Essentiielles, and member of the Make Senior Designer: Tim Scarth a francophone women’s Poverty History Manitoba Layout: Susan Purtell organization in Yukon. steering committee. Her Editorial Board: Alyssa O’Dell, Shannon Daub, Katie Raso, Erika She has been passionately research and commentary Shaker, Rick Telfer involved in political focuses on social inclusion movements fighting for and climate action. Contributing Writers: social justice, including the HELP US SHED LIGHT ON THE Anthony N. Morgan, Frank Bayerl, Hannah Muhajarine is an labour movement, women’s Elfreda Tetteh, Elaine Hughes, organizer with Our Time and movement, queer movement, Asad Ismi, Lynne Fernandez a master’s student at the and the Black liberation CCPA National Office: University of Manitoba where ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU. movement. 141 Laurier Avenue W, Suite 1000 she studies natural resource Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3 management. Tel: 613-563-1341 (we’ve got some bright ideas) Fax: 613-233-1458 [email protected] www.policyalternatives.ca CCPA BC Office: 520-700 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 MAKE A DONATION Tax receipts are issued for contributions of $15 or more. Tel: 604-801-5121 Fax: 604-801-5122 [email protected] I would like to make a monthly contribution of: I would like to make a one-time donation of: CCPA Manitoba Office: 301-583 Ellice Avenue $25 $15 $10 Other ____ OR $300 $100 $75 Other ____ , MB R3B 1Z7 Tel: 204-927-3200 [email protected] PAYMENT TYPE: CCPA Nova Scotia Office: I would like to receive my P.O. Box 8355 I’ve enclosed a cheque (made payable to CCPA, or void cheque for monthly donation) Halifax, NS B3K 5M1 subscription to The Monitor: Tel: 902-240-0926 I’d like to make my contribution by: VISA MASTERCARD [email protected] By e-mail CCPA Ontario Office: Mailed to my address 720 Bathurst Street, Room 307 CREDIT CARD NUMBER: , ON M5S 2R4 No Monitor, thanks Tel: 416-598-5985 EXPIRY DATE: SIGNATURE: [email protected] CCPA Saskatchewan Office: 2nd Floor, 2138 McIntyre Street Regina, SK S4P 2R7 CONTACT INFORMATION Tel: 306-924-3372 Remie Geoffroi is an Ottawa- Fax: 306-586-5177 based illustrator and Return this form to: [email protected] Name Book reviews in the commercial artist whose works have appeared in 500-251 BANK ST. Monitor are co-ordinated Address OTTAWA, ON K2P 1X3 by Octopus Books, a Billboard, Canadian Business, Ebony, Esquire, , community-owned anti- New York Magazine, Time, City Province Postal Code oppressive bookstore in Or donate online at: , Wired, Wall Ottawa. WWW.POLICYALTERNATIVES.CA Street Journal and elsewhere. Telephone (Required) Email

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4 / 16–23 WORK LIFE LIFE WORK COLUMNS OR Martin Lukacs to the next crisis? MASTERCARD Lynne Fernandez /Lynne 24 Anthony N. Morgan / N. Anthony 13 COLOUR-CODED JUSTICE JUSTICE COLOUR-CODED How will Trudeau respond The changing face changing face The to actto on emissions of fossil fuel lobbying fuel fossil of Postal Code NEW GOVERNMENT, NEWGOVERNMENT, Time to take the International Decade Only I can make you green you Only make I can for People of African Descent seriously Descent African of People for Trudeau’s promise to big oil: big oil: to promise Trudeau’s HELP US SHED LIGHT ON THE THE ON SHED LIGHT HELP US VISA Canada will need to be pushed needCanada to will Hannah Muhajarine and Molly and Muhajarine Hannah McCraken New From the CCPA SAME CLIMATE EMERGENCY CLIMATE SAME || Please do not trade my name with other organizations.

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2 SIGNATURE: (made payable to CCPA, or void cheque for monthly donation) (made payable to CCPA, $10 Editorial Province UP FRONT Jean Teillet /Jean 6 IN THE CLASSROOM David Climenhaga /David 5 David Macdonald /David 10 ALIENATION WESTERN LOUIS RIEL’S ORIGINAL ORIGINAL RIEL’S LOUIS CEOS ARE FAILING UPWARDS $15 Erika Shaker and Simon Enoch / Simon and Shaker Erika 8 WHO’S REALLY PLAYING POLITICS (Required) IS COMING FOR OUR MONEY

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I would like to make a monthly contribution of: I would like to make a monthly contribution MAKE A DONATION PAYMENT TYPE: PAYMENT is an Ottawa- Geoffroi Remie and based illustrator artist whose commercial in appeared have works Business, , Canadian Billboard , Ebony, Esquire, National Post New York Magazine, Time, , Wired, Wall Toronto Star Journal and elsewhere. Street is a Sabrina Wilkinson doctoral SSHRC-funded at Goldsmiths, researcher London where of University the politics of she studies internet policy in Canada. is an Sepulveda Edgardo independent consulting that writes about economist electricity and inequality, policy issues other economic Economics at the Progressive Forum. Contributors is an Martin Lukacs who journalist investigative politics Canadian has covered He a decade. than more for environmental has been an The Guardian (U.K.) writer for the of and was a co-author His book, The Leap Manifesto. Formula: Seduction Trudeau in the Age of and Betrayal Discontent, was published Books in late Black Rose by 2019. is Director Molly McCracken for Centre the Canadian of Alternatives–Manitoba Policy the Make and member of History Manitoba Poverty Her steering committee. and commentary research inclusion on social focuses and climate action. Hannah Muhajarine is an with Our Time and organizer a master’s student at the Manitoba where of University resource she studies natural management. Book reviews in the in Book reviews co-ordinated Monitor are Octopus Books, a by anti- community-owned in bookstore oppressive Ottawa. is a semi- John W. Foster academic, writer retired teaching and researcher in lecturer as a sessional Regina’s of the University and international studies His programs. human justice at includes a decade career the North-South Institute, as National years seven OXFAM-Canada of Secretary officer as a staff and 18 years of the United Church of Canada. Galette is a Haitian Paige and activist and feminist, Les Essentiielles, of President women’s a francophone in Yukon. organization She has been passionately in political involved for fighting movements the including social justice, women’s labour movement, queer movement, movement, and the Black liberation movement. Vol. 26, No. 5 26, No. Vol. 1198-497X ISSN Publication 40009942 Post Canada The Monitor is published six times for Centre the Canadian by a year Alternatives. Policy in the The opinions expressed the authors of those Monitor are reflect and do not necessarily the CCPA. of the views to Please send feedback [email protected]. Stuart Trew Editor: Senior Designer: Tim Scarth Susan Purtell Layout: O’Dell, Alyssa Board: Editorial Erika Katie Raso, Shannon Daub, Telfer Rick Shaker, Writers: Contributing Bayerl, Frank Anthony N. Morgan, Elaine Hughes, Tetteh, Elfreda Fernandez Asad Ismi, Lynne Office: National CCPA 1000 Suite W, 141 Laurier Avenue ON Ottawa, K1P 5J3 613-563-1341 Tel: 613-233-1458 Fax: [email protected] www.policyalternatives.ca BC Office: CCPA Street Pender 520-700 West BC Vancouver, V6C 1G8 604-801-5121 Tel: 604-801-5122 Fax: [email protected] Office: Manitoba CCPA Avenue 301-583 Ellice MB Winnipeg, R3B 1Z7 204-927-3200 Tel: [email protected] Office: Scotia Nova CCPA 8355 Box P.O. NS Halifax, B3K 5M1 902-240-0926 Tel: [email protected] Ontario Office: CCPA 307 Room Street, 720 Bathurst ON Toronto, M5S 2R4 416-598-5985 Tel: [email protected] Office: Saskatchewan CCPA Street 2138 McIntyre 2nd Floor, SK Regina, S4P 2R7 306-924-3372 Tel: 306-586-5177 Fax: [email protected] From the Editor

STUART TREW A how-to guide for social transformation

HEN THE CCPA was founded 40 economics. In the process, as William reduce inequality and produce more years ago, it was in direct oppo- K. Carroll and David Huxtable wrote in equitable and sustainable societies.” sition to a handful of right-wing, 2012, the centre “helped form…a social David Macdonald, a senior econo- W“free market” policy groups who, democratic community of practice, mist in our national office, highlighted despite being on the political scene for committed to reforming and possibly the “hardcore quantitative analysis” we only a few years, had become influential transforming Canada into a more just, do to understand key domestic issues. in the halls of government and the news ecologically sustainable society.” “Numbers and economics are often media. From their earliest days, these Today, on the threshold of climatic used to obfuscate the operation of think-tanks aimed to weaken public breakdown and with inequality at power,” he said. The CCPA, on the other faith in government’s ability to do good historic levels in much of the world, hand, wields numbers to strengthen the in people’s lives. the moral bankruptcy of the neolib- case for social justice–based reforms to Rather than try to balance priorities eral project is all too apparent. There policy, law and government practices. like full employment, regional develop- is no market-based way out of this Simon Enoch, director of the CCPA- ment and environmental protection, mess. Randomly put your finger on Saskatchewan, likened our work to “a they proclaimed, government’s preoc- a world map while blindfolded and how-to-guide” for the Canadian left. cupation should be the “free” exchange you have a 50/50 chance of touching “Want to de-commodify essential as- of commodities (goods or services) a country embroiled in mass unrest pects of our lives? Here’s what we could by whatever company (Canadian or related to neoliberal austerity, absen- do,” he said. “Want to ensure an energy otherwise) can do it most efficiently tee government and the failure of transition that leaves nobody behind? (i.e., cheapest). State agencies should political parties to think outside the This is what we could do.” integrate business input and methods “free market” box. I like this idea a lot. For one thing, at every step of the decision-making Yet in Canada there are now 20 times the CCPA’s work across Canada backs process. Corporate income taxes must the number of think-tanks on the it up again and again (see pages 14–15 come down. Public services should be scene as when the CCPA was founded for some highlights from 2019). But turned over to the private sector. in 1980 and virtually all of them work more importantly, I think Simon’s This ideological project called within the narrow confines of econom- point gets to the heart of what the neoliberalism got a boost when Mar- ic orthodoxy. They are still influential CCPA offers in this time of political garet Thatcher declared “there is no with civil servants and political parties uncertainty and transition. alternative” to the market economy. and are quoted regularly in the news. With the right priorities and effective On this continent, the Jimmy Carter Nationally and internationally Can- policies, government can be a force administration started the U.S. on the ada endorses progressive sounding for good in people’s lives. Neoliberal- deregulatory path; Ronald Reagan variations on the neoliberal theme: ism’s light is fading, but there are no pressed the accelerator pedal. Brian environmental policy, housing and guarantees it won’t be replaced with Mulroney would toe the neoliberal line other infrastructure initiatives, and something much worse. As long as the in Canada, privatizing state enterpris- even foreign aid are fine and good as CCPA is here, and with your support, es, deregulating telcos, air transport long as someone in the private sector we promise to be an unmovable voice and other sectors, and abandoning re- realizes a return on their investment. for social, economic and environmental gional development to multinational It seems to me the CCPA is even justice—for today and the next 40 years. demands for continental integration more essential today than it was 40 in the Canada–U.S. Free Trade Agree- years ago. But how and in what ways? The Monitor goes back to school ment and later NAFTA. I asked a few colleagues to help me Finally, I’m very excited to draw your Jumping into this fray, the CCPA set answer that question. attention to the entirely unique mag- out to prove there were alternatives CCPA research “provides a focal azine wedged into the middle of this to this anti-government, anti-worker point for progressives—academic, one. From now on, twice a year, the and antisocial agenda. We strongly labour and civil society—so that we Monitor will include a full issue of Our criticized federal and provincial dereg- may develop thoughtful, reflective Schools/Our Selves (OS/OS), the voice ulation and pandering to the corporate positions and policy that allow us to of progressive education in Canada, sector, and allied ourselves with labour redraw the limits of what’s possible,” which the CCPA has been publishing unions, students, Indigenous groups, said Erika Shaker, interim director of since 2000 under the editorship of the environmental movement and oth- the CCPA national office. We show Erika Shaker. Let us know how you ers to push a more human version of “how different political choices would like it! 2 BDS’s questionable Why has there been no Let’s compare couples values BDS movement against reliant on pension income T China following its illegal alone, but with the same I am an Israeli-Canadian subjugation of Tibet, the total income. If pension citizen. Born prior to the Tiananmen Square massa- splitting were abolished, inception of the state of cre, or the persecution of such a couple with equal and having lived there its Uyghur Muslims? Why pensions would then pay most of my life, I am quite has there been no BDS less total income tax than familiar with Israeli politics action against Russia after one with significantly and policies and, sadly, its unlawful annexation of different pensions, which Leers could likely add to Dorothy Crimea, the downing of the is surely unfair. For low and Field’s list of grievances MH17 flight in Ukraine, or its middle earners, income (“BDS is about our values,” unwavering support of the tax should be based on the November/December 2019, murderous Assad regime joint income of the couple, Letters). Nevertheless, I in Syria? What about for in the normal case this hold Israel to higher, not Myanmar and its Rohingya is shared equally between Progressive news, views and ideas lower, moral standards than genocide? the partners. any other country. In fact, Obviously, anti-Semites John Black, Professor voicing my non-conformist are more likely than others Emeritus, Vancouver Island views would make more to criticize Israel, but University, BC than a few Israelis label me criticism is not necessarily too as a “self-hating Jew.” anti-Semitic. Being Jews, it

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES However, moral values, would be ludicrous to label NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 CCPA Monitor Cover Nov Dec 2019.indd 1-2 2019-10-04 12:05 PM such as truth and justice, Ms. Field and me as an- are no values at all when ti-Semites. However, when We do social used selectively as a politi- criticism and boycotting procurement, too cal tool against a particular schemes selectively target entity but not applied to Israel, and find “sounding I’m a little surprised Declan others. Regrettably, even box” support in otherwise Ingham didn’t use slightly well-intentioned Jews of liberal and progressive more local examples in unquestionable integrity, organizations such as the his fine article about such as Ms. Field, have NDP and the Green parties social procurement (“How fallen prey to the wolf in here in Canada, there is no procurement can spur sheep’s skin that is the BDS escaping the conclusion economic development,” behind its value-laced mask. that anti-Semitism, September/October Had universal moral deliberate or subconscious, 2019). I believe the original values guided BDS’s is a major factor underlying concept arose in 2010 at subscribers then they BDS. the Olympics in Vancouver, would have directed their thanks to Sandra Hamilton. Raffy Dotan, attention and actions not How it spread from that St. Catharines, Ontario only at Israel, but also beginning is a great story. toward Saudi Arabia, Qatar, AnchorTO, founded and Syria, Iran, Turkey, Russia, backed by the Atkinson Myanmar and China, to Foundation, is an example Splitting name just a few countries. of the anchor institution the difference Consider the discrimination principle in action in and exploitation suffered by David Macdonald Toronto. Out here on the at the hands recommends abolishing West Coast, there’s the of their Saudi and Qatari pension income-splitting Coastal Communities “brethren.” Contemplate (“Close these tax loopholes Social Procurement the sad state of women now,” November/December Initiative (CCSPI), which and human rights, in 2019). While I have no was developed by local general, in most of the objection to excluding high government leaders over Send all letters, Gulf’s regressive, Dark earners from the scheme, it the past three years. Lots of feedback, praise and Age autocratic and often would clearly be inequita- good news happening right criticism to monitor@ murderous regimes, and ble to abolish it completely here. policyalternatives.ca. We one must wonder why no without replacing it with a will contact you if we plan Rob Southcott, BDS actions have ever been mechanism that had the on running your letter in a Powell River, BC exercised against them. same effect. future issue. 3 Colour-coded In reality, “oil Jessica Dempsey and Canadian workforce industry–sponsored pro- Zoë Yunker, titled Fossil gramming, materials and Futures, asks if the CPPIB Despite its increasingly perspectives are readily is investing our money diverse population, Canada available and promulgated with the 1.5-degree Celsius is making little progress in Saskatchewan schools,” limit on global average on reducing racism in says CCPA-Saskatchewan temperature rise in mind. labour market outcomes, Director Simon Enoch, The answer is no. according to a new CCPA the co-author, with Emily “Within its public equities New from report, Canada’s Colour Eaton, of a new Corporate portfolio, the CPPIB has the CCPA Coded Income Inequality, Mapping Project report over $4 billion invested in by CCPA-Ontario econo- titled Crude Lessons: Fossil the top 200 publicly traded mist Sheila Block, Ryerson Fuel Industry Influence on fossil fuel reserve holders University professor Grace- Environmental Education (oil, gas and coal),” says How to build Edward Galabuzi and in Saskatchewan. Rowe, associate professor affordable housing CCPA-Ontario researcher Through interviews with at the University of Victoria Ricardo Tranjan. teachers, educational and a co-investigator with New housing investments Using 2016 census data employees, administrators, the Corporate Mapping from the B.C. and federal to compare work and and representatives from Project. “To stay within 1.5 governments are a sign of income trends among ra- oil industry–sponsored degrees, these companies revived interest in public cialized and non-racialized third-party educational can extract only 71 billion non-market housing. But , the report finds organizations, Enoch tonnes of carbon dioxide. as explained in a new significant entrenched and Eaton conclude that Yet the companies the report from CCPA-BC, barriers along racial and conservative fears of bias CPPIB is invested in Planning for a Build-Out of gender lines, with little are entirely without merit. have 281 billion tonnes Affordable Rental Housing change between 2006 and “We found the industry in reserve, meaning they in Metro Vancouver, 10,000 2016. Racialized women exerts a tremendous have almost four times the new units of non-market earned just $0.59 for every social power over the carbon reserves that can be rental housing must be dollar non-racialized men classroom, where teachers sold and ultimately burned built each year to meet earned in 2016, while are often reticent to raise to stay within 1.5 degrees.” the city’s need. And these racialized men earned $0.78 environmental issues Fossil Futures makes units must include public compared to non-racialized for fear of backlash a number of recommen- housing and co-ops that workers. from parents and the dations, including that are truly affordable for “In the absence of bold community,” says Enoch. the CPPIB should carry ordinary households. new policies to combat “Rather than environmental out a portfolio-wide risk The greatest need is for systemic racism and to instruction that radicalizes analysis in the context of rental housing stock for advance equity in employ- students against the oil the climate emergency low- to moderate-incomes, ment, these trends show industry, we found it to be and disclose all findings to writes author Marc Lee, no signs of improving,” says profoundly conservative, pension members. It also a senior economist with Galabuzi. solely fixated on individual recommends fossil fuel CCPA-BC. This is precisely lifestyle choices that mirror divestment while reinvest- the kind of housing the types of market-based ing capital into renewable that is unprofitable for Oil together now! that has energy sources, and it calls private sector developers long been promoted by the on the federal government who would rather build Recent comments by oil industry.” to require all public pension luxury units for sale Alberta Education Minister funds to fully disclose their to the highest bidders Adriana LaGrange and climate risk—including worldwide. Building 10,000 former Pensioners all fossil fuel holdings—as truly affordable units a leader Danielle Smith have for the planet California recently did. year would cost about painted public school $2.5 billion, or less than curricula as biased and The Canada Pension Plan one penny per dollar of even outright hostile to Investment Board (CPPIB) provincial income (GDP), the oil and gas industry. manages one of the For more reports, notes Lee. This upfront Right-wing provocateur country’s largest pools of commentary, , capital cost would be has gone so far investment capital worth infographics, video, recouped through rental as to label public school more than $400 billion. A audio and podcasts from income over the lifespan of teachers the country’s new Corporate Mapping the CCPA’s national and the buildings and revenues “most powerful anti-oil Project report by James provincial offices, visit from property tax reforms. lobbyists.” Rowe, Steph Glanzmann, www.policyalternatives.ca. 4 Wexiters will be up to something if Mr. Kenney doesn’t get his way. So get cracking! Plus, we’ll be firing the RCMP and having the Royal Alberta Mounted Police (RAMP) take over for them, so the Mounties might as well drop their investigation into fraud and vote buying Up Front in the United Conservative Party’s lead- ership campaign. Because the minute we’re an independent republic we’ll be taking that stuff right out of the Criminal Code anyway, just like we’re doing right now with the charges under the old Alberta election financing laws. And by the way, if we do charge anyone, you won’t be hearing about it either, because it’s none of your darned business. Plus you’re going to need to fork over the dough to us to clean up all those dirty abandoned oil wells plus all the ones that haven’t been abandoned yet but will be soon because we don’t try very hard to make the companies that drill them clean up their messes like they do in North Dakota. Anyway, like our finance minister Travis Toews just told your finance minister , we need the money to create all the jobs that went missing when oil prices took a dive, plus the ones we’re getting rid of in the civil service, schools and hospitals. Also, we want federal tax breaks for oil companies, because we’re plumb out of tax breaks we can give them and ours aren’t working. Just like Gary Mar—who should’ve been premier instead of Alison Redford and is now the CEO of the Petroleum DAVID CLIMENHAGA | ALBERTA Services Association of Canada, which is almost as good if you ask us—keeps saying over and over, all of Canada Hey Canada, get off our lawn! benefitted from the money those oil companies made, so now all of Canada And would you mow it, please? is going to have to pay to clean up their messes! Oh, and while you’re figuring out how atch out, Rest of Canada! investing it in fossil fuel infrastructure or to pay for the cleanup, our favourite , our leader whatever we like, thank you very much! economist Jack Mintz says you’re going Where in Alberta, has mastered And you’ll be reforming Confederation to have to cut your taxes. So start think- the art of sucking and blowing at the to get rid of that annoying equalization ing about that, too! same time! plan so we can keep all our money, or In other words, we’re not just going to You’re in for it now! we’ll be having a national unity crisis, build a firewall, we’re going to build two This is the New Alberta, and you’re have you got that? firewalls, with lots of pipelines running going to need to get the hell out of our And don’t blame Mr. Kenney. He’s through them, and you’re going to pay way! We’ll be taking over our share of Canada’s biggest patriot, a really huge for them!* the Canada Pension Plan, and we’ll be patriot, very patriotic. But those darned 5 And that’s just today’s demands. And if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t Seriously, people, you couldn’t make We’ve got a whole Fair Deal Panel, with have gone and won that election last this stuff up! on it and everything, month that our guy Andy Scheer was * Thanks to @RealDonaldTrump for looking into things you’re going to have supposed to win. If you hadn’t messed this line. to do to fix our economy. So brace up like that, Mr. Kenney would be run- ** Thanks to @TomPark1n for this one.

yourselves, and Chrys- ning Canada now from just like DAVID J. CLIMENHAGA IS AN AWARD-WINNING tia Freeland, because we’re going to he was supposed to be. JOURNALIST, AUTHOR, POST-SECONDARY TEACHER, POET AND COMMUNICATOR. have more as soon as we’re back from Now get the hell off our lawn, Ottawa! THIS ARTICLE IS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION dodging those furious teachers on our And please cut our grass!** FROM DAVID’S ALBERTA POLITICS (WWW. ALTERTAPOLITICS.CA). Christmas break!

JEAN TEILLET | NATIONAL Louis Riel was the original voice of Western alienation

estern alienation is a belief that Eastern Canada takes Wtoo much out of the West. That it plunders Western wealth and gives nothing back. That it acts in its own best interests and rarely acts to protect, promote or invest in the West. This sense of injustice may be at a rolling boil right now, but it isn’t new. Alienation began when the West joined Canada in 1870, when Great Britain transferred Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory to Canada. It was the largest peaceful land transfer in the world and included what would later become the Prairie provinces. The Canada First movement started it. The movement was initiated by a group of men in Ontario who firmly believed that immigration should be limited to the British, with their superior Anglo-Sax- on Protestant values and institutions. When some of their leaders moved from soon become Western Canada. The lands—men Canada had sent as road Ontario to Red River in the late 1860s, Métis called them lii (the workers. Events began to move quickly they formed the Canadian Party. Both Canadas)—and it wasn’t a compliment. after Riel and the Métis stood on the the movement and the party were an- It is in this context that Louis Riel surveyors’ chain on October 11, 1869. ti-French, anti-Catholic and dismissive arose as the leading voice of those Then-prime minister Sir John A. Mac- of Indigenous peoples. The goal of these who rejected this supremacist vision donald’s proposed lieutenant-governor, men was to ensure that their race and and land grab. In July 1869, the Métis a prominent member of the Canada religion would control and profit from set up patrols, forcibly ejecting men First movement, arrived in the West with the lands and resources in what would who were staking claims on Métis a shipment of one hundred Spencer 6 carbines and 250 Peabody rifles all Riel succeeded in forcing Macdon- equipped with bayonets and accom- ald to negotiate, but the goal of local panied by 8,000 to 10,000 rounds of control was undermined when Mac- Monitored ammunition. It was in response to this donald made Manitoba a province A DIG INTO THE MONITOR ARCHIVES JAN/FEB 2000 display of force that the Métis took up in name only. He kept control of the arms to defend their lands and their lands and resources and established rights. an inequality that lasted until 1930. Riel gathered together the leading According to the newspaper The On the front page, Bob Hackett and Richard men of Red River, including Ojibwa New Nation, Macdonald kept control Gruneau discussed the findings of their survey Chief Prince, the Métis, the Catholics so that he had a “field in which to feed of journalists on the external pressures on news and Protestants, the French and the and fatten Canadian Government pets content. Nearly 52% of survey participants cited English, into the Red River Resistance. and robbers.” In 1874, Macdonald es- “direct pressure by owners as a factor that ‘often’ His articulation of the complaint was tablished colonization companies. The or ‘occasionally’ has the effect of ‘filtering’ the simple. The people living in the land idea was that the companies would news,” they wrote. “This was followed by a 43% Canada sought to annex wanted a say purchase land on the Prairies from the rating for direct pressure by advertisers, and a in their lives. They wanted to protect government and resell it at a profit. 42% rating for interest group pressures.” their languages, religions and cultures. The idea failed at that time, but in 1882, The Monitor quoted the Canadian Association They objected to joining Canada if that when 10 million acres were given freely of Food Banks, whose 1999 Hunger Count meant losing control over their lands to these companies, men fought to recorded that nearly 800,000 people relied on and resources. They did not want to take part in a land speculator’s dream. a food bank in 1998 for at least part of every become a colony of a colony. It was The boards of directors of these com- month. For comparison, the 2019 Hunger Count the first articulation of what we now panies provide insight into what was released last February reported that 1.1 million call Western alienation. going on. They usually included one or people used a food bank in March 2018. Riel insisted on the right to negoti- more sitting Conservative members Former Monitor editor Ed Finn warned readers ate the terms on which the West would of Parliament, their sons and in-laws. not to panic about Y2K, the so-called Millennium enter Confederation. He wanted the Most were Easterners. It was, at least Bug. “Most authorities are confident that no West to enter as a province, not a in part, in response to the land grabs major interruption of vital services will occur,” territory, because he appreciated the by these colonization companies that he wrote. “[W]e can only hope that whatever crucial distinction between the two: a Riel’s North-West Resistance began in happens will cause just minor and temporary territory had no control over its land Saskatchewan in 1885. The Canadian inconvenience, and that the heating and lighting and resources, and a province did. Party had simply shifted its focus in the CCPA offices will be no more impaired by further west. the Y2K bug than our computers.” For daring to resist Canada with arms, Riel was targeted by the Ca- Walden Bello described the contributing factors nadian Party and the Grand Orange to and effects of the Asian “miracle” and crisis Lodge, which demanded his head. caused by international capital flows into and They wanted the Métis exterminated out of the region in the 1990s. Deforestation and driven out of the country. On and pollution of land, air and water will be the November 16, 1885, Macdonald gladly “enduring legacy of the ‘miracle’ that has now obliged. He hanged Riel—and with vanished,” he wrote. (Since 2002, an average that one brutal act suppressed the of 500,000 hectares of Indonesia’s forest has opposition to Eastern Canada’s efforts been lost per year, equivalent to more than Today’s version is to control its Western colony. one soccer field each minute—a result of largely the cry of So it is not without irony that the unchecked agricultural development and the Métis observe the latest rendition of country’s export dependence on extractives.) the descendants of Western alienation. Today’s version is The February 2000 issue of the Monitor the very men who largely the cry of the descendants of excerpted from a U.S. Environmental Protection the very men who came from Eastern Agency memo showing chemicals maker came from Eastern Canada to make their fortunes by Monsanto had “lied to U.S. authorities about Canada to make scooping the lands and resources of dioxin production, and deliberately falsified data the West from Indigenous peoples. to prevent compensation claims or the tightening their fortunes by For decades, their schemes of land of U.S. regulation.” The Monsanto studies in scooping the lands speculation and resource extraction question provided “a key basis for denying paid them huge dividends, and all of compensation to Vietnam veterans exposed to and resources Canada’s legal resources supported Agent Orange and their children suffering birth of the West this appropriation. The treaty and defects from such parental exposures.” The scrip systems were designed to give company was also accused of covering up the from Indigenous the force of law to efforts to move the neurological damage and other health problems peoples. land out of the hands of Indigenous experience by workers in Monsanto plants. 7 JEAN TEILLET IS THE GREAT GRANDNIECE OF LOUIS peoples and into the market, which generations of Westerners object when RIEL AND AN INDIGENOUS RIGHTS LAWYER. SHE IS enabled the new Westerners to benefit. they think Eastern Canada is interfering THE AUTHOR OF MÉTIS LAW IN CANADA AND THE NORTH-WEST IS OUR MOTHER: THE STORY OF LOUIS And benefit they did: for 150 years, they with their resources. But we should RIEL’S PEOPLE, THE MÉTIS NATION. THIS COLUMN have taken the riches of the land. remember that the original voice of ORIGINALLY RAN IN AND IS Western alienation has never been Western alienation was Louis Riel. We REPRINTED HERE WITH THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION. far from the surface in Canada. It boils should also remember that Canada up from time to time as successive hanged him for being that voice.

EBEN MCCUE FOR THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY

ERIKA SHAKER AND SIMON ENOCH | SASKATCHEWAN claimed that, even as a child, she knew social studies teachers were Marxists, and that to save money we should be Who’s really playing “getting rid of [teachers] who are admin- istering tests like this.” politics in the classroom? Multiple-choice tests are one method of teaching about topics—even contro- versial ones—without ever suggesting lberta Education Minister Adria- four possible responses best describing there is a right or a wrong answer. The na LaGrange is very concerned the author’s main point. No further con- focus is on identifying what’s behind the Athat teachers in classrooms text was provided in the tweet, but the perspectives of the people who hold across the province are turning students minister certainly seemed perturbed these opinions. The concept behind this into anti-oil zealots. Her evidence? Two about how two multiple-choice ques- method is frequently referred to as “bias multiple-choice questions from a Grade tions requiring students to diagnose a balance,” where the philosophy of the 10 social studies test, reportedly sent by particular perspective was evidence of “free marketplace of ideas” is integrated a parent, that appear to cast aspersions “politics in the classroom.” Ironically, as into the classroom setting. There is on oilsands development. She helpfully some on Twitter pointed out, this type of no right or wrong—just different per- highlighted the offending options in a question is entirely in line with the 2005 spectives, all equally valid, which the tweet at the end of November. curriculum, which was developed under educator helps students identify and In the first, students were asked the previous Conservative government. navigate but never pass judgement on. to identify the most valid criticism of The minister’s indignation was But are anti-oil materials actually oilsands development; in the second, amplified by ex-politician and political flooding our classrooms, presumably to read a quote and then select one of commentator Danielle Smith who with the intention of transforming a 8 CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 illness including vomiting to hospital and are now or have created their own and diarrhea were reported recovering at home. Seven vaping products. British in some cases, along with of the 13 people are women American Tobacco sells other symptoms such as and four are over the age Vype; Reynolds owns fevers or fatigue. of 50. the Vuse brand of vapes; and Imperial Tobacco 4.6 million 15,500 purchased Hon Lik’s Estimated number of Estimated number of e-cigarette patent for Canadians aged 15 or e-cigarette flavours, or US$75 million in 2013. Index older who have tried an “juices,” as of January 2018. Vaping e-cigarette, according to a Examples of vaping fluid April 1, 2020 2017 University of Waterloo flavours you can buy in Starting date of a Nova survey. That’s 15.4% of the Canada include “Rocket Scotia ban on all flavoured Compiled by population; 2.9% of people Man,” which tastes like the vape products including Elfreda Tetteh (863,000) in the same vintage Rockets candy, “Key flavoured cannabis. It is survey admitted to using Lime Pie” and “Earl Grey.” the first ban of its kind in 2003 an e-cigarette in the past Canada. Ontario, Prince Year that Chinese pharma- 30 days. 74% Edward Island and cist Hon Lik figured out you Increase in vaping among have announced they will could use a piezoelectric 55 million Canadian youth between take similar action. The ultrasound element to Estimated number of adults 2017 and 2018, according B.C. government says it will vaporize a nicotine solution who will vape (global) by to another University of limit vape sales to specialty within a device resembling 2020 if current trends Waterloo study. Regular shops and prohibit the sale a cigarette. continue. cigarette smoking went of e-cigarette flavours that up by 45% among youth could appeal to youth. 2007 Vitamin E acetate (from 10.7% to 15.5%) Year “vaping” products, Named a chemical of during the same timeframe, namely e-cigarettes, were concern after the U.S. suggesting a link between first introduced to North Centres for Disease Control flavoured e-cigarette use America. (CDC) found it in the lungs and regular tobacco use of everyone hospitalized among young people. 2,291 for vaping related illness. Number of vaping related Vitamin E acetate is used US$12.8 billion illnesses recorded in the in food production but Amount Altria paid for a United States to December also as a thickening agent 35% ownership stake in 10, 2019; there had been in THC-containing vaping JUUL last year. Altria are 48 recorded vaping related products. the makers of Marlboro deaths to that point. cigarettes. When they Symptoms in all cases 13 bought the e-cig company include breathing difficulty, Number of vaping (e-cig- in September, Altria shortness of breath, and/ arette) related illnesses executive K.C. Crosswaithe or chest pain before recorded in Canada as of was put in charge. Many hospitalization. Mild to December 3. Ten of these tobacco companies own moderate gastrointestinal people required admission stakes in vaping companies

Sources Guardian U.K., “Hon Lik invented the e-cigarette to quit smoking—but now he’s a dual user”; , “Vaping-associated lung illnesses”; Centers for Disease Control, “Outbreak of Lung In- jury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products”; DentalCare.Com (a Crest website); Uwaterloo.ca, “E-cigarette use in Canada”; CBC News, “How vaping is undermining Canada’s battle against ciga- rettes”; Truth Initiative, “How much nicotine is in JUUL” and “Action Needed: E-Cigarettes”; CNBC, “Juul CEO Kevin Burns to step down, replaced by former Altria exec K.C. Crosthwaite”; CBC News, “Province extends fla- voured vape ban to cannabis products.” 9 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 generation of students into Greta DAVID MACDONALD | NATIONAL Thunberg wannabes? A new report co-produced by the CCPA indicates that’s highly unlikely. Canada’s CEOs The Corporate Mapping Project (CMP) conducted research into are failing upward climate-based lessons and teaching aids currently available in classrooms across Saskatchewan. We interviewed very year for the past 13, the CCPA appear to be putting any upward pres- educators, educational employees, has combed through the filings of sure on average incomes. Economic administrators and representatives Ethe 250 publicly traded companies growth over this period, however, has from oil industry–sponsored third-party on the S&P/TSX Composite Index to padded corporate profits, with some educational organizations. determine the average compensation of of the spoils paying for rising executive We found that industry-sponsored the top 100 highest-paid CEOs. We then salaries. education materials, programming compare their pay to the average work- The significant increases in executive and perspectives about the environ- ing income in Canada. The gap between compensation recorded in our annual ment are readily available and widely top CEO incomes and the average Ca- reports are not just due to a few highfly- promoted in Saskatchewan schools. nadian income is a pretty good indicator ing CEOs skewing the average income In fact, the majority of third-party envi- of overall income inequality—and that at the top end. In fact, our research ronment-focused classroom materials gap has been growing since we started has uncovered regular increases in the are sponsored by the oil industry and doing this research. “minimum wage” CEOs need to make promote a decidedly pro-industry per- In 2018, the last year for which we to get on the top-100 list to begin with. spective on the environment, climate have data, Canada’s average top-100 In 2008 and 2009, a CEO would have change—along with steps that should chief executive made a record $11.8 had to make just over $3 million to be and should not be taken to address million, or 227 times the annual average included in this report. This year, that it—and the role and responsibility of individual income in Canada. The pre- amount is double: the minimum top-100 industry. While our research focused vious record was set in 2016, when the CEO income is now over $6 million. on Saskatchewan classrooms, because average CEO income hit $10.4 million. If we subtract out base salary, pension all the industry-sponsored educational Put another way, by 10:09 a.m. on and other compensation, an average of organizations we identify operate January 2, the average highest-paid 79% of CEO pay comes from bonuses primarily in Alberta, their influence CEO in Canada will have taken home that are almost always tied to the in that province would be even more the average worker’s whole salary for company’s stock price. As stocks rise, pronounced. the year (based on 2018 incomes). That’s the value of all these bonuses goes up. Insufficient public funding has creat- half an hour earlier than the previous When the stock price falls, so does the ed a situation where schools are more (2016) record time of 10:57 a.m. In 2011 CEO’s income, but not by much. Com- susceptible to and even dependent on or 2012, it would have taken the average plicated formulas virtually guarantee corporate funding, which has further CEO until after lunch (about 1 p.m.) on that CEOs get almost all their variable reinforced the significant influence the first working day of the year to earn pay irrespective of their company’s stock and social power wielded by the in- a full year’s average individual income. performance. These and other factors dustry over schools. In fact, as the CMP Now they’ve done it by the time many make stock-based compensation diffi- research uncovers, educators often people are pouring their second cup of cult to rationalize. self-censor when it comes to discuss- coffee. Excessive corporate pay isn’t limited ing the environment or climate-based The pay gap is a result of top CEO to the CEO chair but extends through concerns of oil development because incomes rising faster than average other top positions at major companies. of fears over backlash—fears which, as incomes across Canada. The average For the first time this year, our CEO the minister’s tweet indicates, are not compensation of the richest CEOs pay report collected compensation unfounded. was $1.8 million higher in 2018 than in data for so-called named executive

ERIKA SHAKER IS NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE 2017—an 18% jump. The average work- officers—Chief Financial Officers, CCPA. SIMON ENOCH IS DIRECTOR OF CCPA- er, on the other hand, saw their pay go Chief Operations Officers, etc.—and SASKATCHEWAN AND THE CO-AUTHOR, WITH EMILY EATON, OF CRUDE LESSONS: FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY up by $1,302 in 2018—from $50,744 to compared it to company performance INFLUENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. THIS $52,061—representing a 2.6% pay hike. and income taxes paid. The results were RESEARCH IS PART OF THE CORPORATE MAPPING PROJECT (CMP), A RESEARCH AND PUBLIC Subtract inflation of 2.3% that year, and enlightening. ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE INVESTIGATING THE the real average income increased by a We found that in some cases, exec- POWER OF THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY. THE CMP IS JOINTLY LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, paltry $150. utive (C-suite) payrolls have become CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES Since 2008, more or less in line with so large that they are a major factor AND THE PARKLAND INSTITUTE. THIS RESEARCH WAS SUPPORTED BY THE SOCIAL SCIENCE AND inflation, average worker pay has risen in company losses. Among profitable HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA 24% while top-100 CEO pay has grown companies, C-suite compensation can (SSHRC). more by 61%. Canada’s relatively low exceed the value of a company’s income unemployment rate of 5.9% does not tax payments. 10 designed—asShopify, for example, they always pays its have executives been anor eyewaterstrictly -internal prescriptions of the land. Not just how we’ve been ingsince $36 the million first amissionaries year, yet its averagearrived andloss overmany the criticalpast Indigenous writers, dispossessed of it or how to exercise fivethrough years the was residential $46 million. schoolBlackberry’s expe -C-suiteManuel is among is refreshingly WORTH pro-active, REPEATING jurisdiction over it, but our obligations therience most and expensive the fitful on the Liberal TSX/S&P bursts Composite creative, Index, and importantly, persuasive to it. While Manuel advocates for the intoeven nothingnesswhile its average like losses the Kelowna over the past(not five to mentionyears witty). rebuilding of Indigenous economies Canadian farmers have tripled nitrogen fertilizer use since 1980. amountaccord—to to $352 fix Indigenous million a year. peoples.” We make Or no judgmentWhen asked by non-Indigenous (as well as non-Indigenous economies They have doubled or tripled pesticide use since 1990. Farmers asput to another why these way, and to helpthe other us assimilate. firms are notpeoples profitable, how to get past colonialism, for that matter), he insists they must have been pushed to adopt a maximum-output, maximum-input butFor the Canadians numbers do today, significantly this recon undercut- Manuel the ideawould say the answer is sim- be rooted in a deference to the land production approach. The result, however, is that over the past ciliationthat C-suite framework’s compensation discourse is based has on performance.ple: “Canada needs to fully recognize and includes a section of the book generation input suppliers have captured 95 cents out of every reachedThe vast dangerous gap between levels excessive of satura CEO- compensationour Aboriginal and treaty rights and reminding us of our near apocalyptic dollar farmers received from the markets. Fertilizer, chemical, fuel, tion.and average Manuel incomes writes: in “Everything Canada is growing is our larger absolute and right to self-determi- circumstances to drive the point. machinery companies and banks have installed themselves as the morereconciliation. difficult When to rationalize they join a with round each nation.passing Atyear. the same time, we will Despite this foreboding, the tone primary beneficiaries of Canadian agricultural wealth creation. This Canadiandance, they companies call that arereconciliation. earning money recognize and seeing the fundamental human is generally hopeful. In that spirit, unrelenting and aggressive wealth extraction threatens to drain profits,When their even eyes in this tear periodup in discussing of relatively slowright growth,of Canadians, after hundreds of the writing is accessible. The Recon- and collapse the family farm sector by mid-century…. butour thatpoverty, money that is notis reconciliation. reaching workers. At years of settlement, to live here.” ciliation Manifesto can be read as theThe same government time, when could they address are denying excessive executiveBut he also knewHere that is a provocativeCanadians idea:an introductoryfarming does nottext produce for Canadians greenhouse compensationour constitutional through rights, tax they reform. call that On top(and of ending it should begas noted emissions; that agricultural this who inputs have produce little greenhouseunderstanding gas of preferentialreconciliation taxation of Aboriginal of stock title options, with bookthe federal is addressed emissions. in large The part emissions to colonialism, coming out or of ouras an farm intervention and food systems Crowngovernment title. Inshould: fact, every new plan to Canadians) wouldare prefer simply the the difficult downstream into outputscounterhegemonic of the petro-industrial theorizing. inputs we push in. Push in millions of gallons of fossil fuels and they •steal Eliminate from theus is dividend called reconciliation.” gross-up and tax credit,path, becausewhich ultimately our interests For me, having studied and taught will come out as millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. Push in creditsWhile shareholdersother academics (including debate company the CEOs)diverge. on their So, Indigenous people must Indigenous politics for a decade now, megatonnes of fertilizers and they will come out as megatonnes of personalmeaning taxand return scope for of taxes reconciliation, paid on company cultivate profits; a sophisticated and commit- Manuel reframes my thinking on Manuel shows how its already been ted grassroots movementnitrous oxide. with Asthose we haveissues doubled I long and considered redoubled straightfor input use, we- have co-opted• Eliminate and the weaponized. partial inclusion of capital gains,in solidarity—environmentalists which doubled and redoubled and ward. the GHG While emissions there are from elements agriculture. that taxesIn a profits review from of Unsettlingthe sale of stock Canada or property racialized at 50% Canadians The seemingly in particular— inescapablerequire conclusion elaboration is this: here any low-emission and nuance food- Ithe wrote normal that income Manuel tax is rate; like and a tall old to force justice. Now,production there systemis much will bethere, a low-input this is foodnonetheless production a tremen system. -And as •cedar. Significantly He seems increase to have income a view taxes of the on extremelymore: strategies high we for change investor policies risk and approachesdously important to reduce book and foroptimize multiple input use, salaries.landscape in its entirety, and before analyses, land managementfarm incomes plans, can the rise. Theaudiences. solution to the farm crisis and the solution the rest of us. His analysis from above deployment of internationalto the climate legal crisis in are,- to Whilea large Artdegree, Manuel the same: is irreplaceable, a decreased The longer-term solution to extreme CEO compensa- effectively puts the current conver- struments, pipelinedependence subversion on plans, high-emission he does petro-industrial leave an inheritance. farm inputs Among and an tion will lie in a more thorough reform of the tax system sation around reconciliation into the even a six-step programincreasing for reliancedecoloni on- ecologicalthose gifts cycles, isThe biology, Reconciliation energy from Man the- sun, that doesn’t just target single items like tax loopholes, rightful context. zation. These myriadand the of knowledge, tactics are wisdom, ifesto and, in judgment which Manuel of farm finds families a onpath the land. but which updates the entire system with the intention More than that, and the focus really designed to fundamentally challenge for us. Now it’s our task to clear it. of fighting inequality. Excerpted from the report, Tackling the Farm Crisis and theM Climate of the latter half of the book, is what the legitimacy of Crisis:the settler A Transformative state and THIS Strategy REVIEW FIRSTfor Canadian RAN ON INDIAN Farms & COWBOY and, Food we’reDAVID MACDONALD going to do IS SENIORabout ECONOMIST it all. Bypassing AT THE CCPA forceAND THE an alternative arrangement. A MEMBER-SUPPORTED INDIGENOUS MEDIA AUTHOR OF THE NEW REPORT FAIL SAFE: CEO COMPENSATION IN CANADA. Systems, released by thePLATFORM. National IT IS Farmers REPRINTED Union HERE WITH at thePERMISSION end of 2019. the nihilism of much of the settler-co- Central to thisMore new info:arrangement, www.nfu.ca. FROM THE AUTHOR. lonial frameworks and the structural and a latent theme throughout, is

Leave a legacy that reflects your lifelong convictions.

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If you’d like to learn more, our Development Officer Katie Loftus would be happy to assist you with your gift planning. Katie can be reached at 613-563-1341 ext. 3181157 or at [email protected]. SCOTT SINCLAIR | NATIONAL But they won’t soon close the large manufacturing wage gap with Mexico or halt outsourcing. Indeed, just as a How the “New NAFTA” draft version of CUSMA was signed a year ago, General Motors announced will affect Canadians plans to shutter five plants in the U.S. and Canada. In the important auto sector, the fter months of talks, House Manuel Lopez Obrador rebuffed the U.S. pushed for tougher rules of origin Democrats and the Trump demand as an infringement on Mexican if manufacturers are to qualify for tar- Aadministration agreed in early sovereignty. iff-free treatment under the agreement. December on revisions to the Cana- In practice, such inspections are a Any steel used in auto manufacturing da–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) regular feature of international trade. must be “melted and poured” within the that cleared the House of Repre- Canadian and U.S. regulators, for ex- NAFTA trade zone. This could be a boon sentatives in a vote on December 19. ample, routinely inspect foreign food to U.S. and Canadian steel producers. It Although Canada was sidelined in these facilities to ensure they comply with is also possible some auto companies discussions, the Democrats won some food safety standards. If they don’t pass who use offshore steel will simply significant improvements to the “New muster, exports from those facilities can choose to pay the already low 2.5% NAFTA” that will benefit Canadians. be suspended. In the end, a compro- tariff to export to the U.S. Nonetheless, The biggest change is the removal mise was reached with Mexico where Mexico objected, and the steel rules will of proposed longer data protection complaints about workplaces can be now be phased in over seven years. periods for biologic medicines, such heard by panels of independent labour Democrats achieved scant progress as treatments for Crohn’s disease and experts and confirmed violations can on environmental protection. On a rheumatoid arthritis. Data protection lead to penalties. positive note, certain multilateral en- periods refer to the time competitors In another positive change to the vironmental agreements, such as the are denied access to the clinical trials CUSMA labour chapter, the three Convention on International Trade in data used to secure regulatory approval countries agreed to loosen the condi- Endangered Species, will prevail in the for a drug. Generic drug firms need tion that labour abuses be “sustained event of any inconsistency with CUS- this information to produce cheaper or recurring” to trigger sanctions, a MA’s rules. However, the Paris climate versions, known as biosimilars. significant hurdle that has allowed sin- agreement, which Trump confirmed the Currently, data protection periods for gle violations of labour rights, however U.S. would be leaving on November 4 biologics are set at 12 years in the Unit- atrocious, to go unpunished. this year, is not among them. ed States. Congressional Democrats, These changes and tougher rules The Democrats have likely improved hoping to roll back that long period of protecting Mexican workers’ rights to CUSMA for workers and consumers in monopoly protection for brand-name bargain collectively are an improvement all three countries. That doesn’t mean biologics makers, had no interest in over previous free trade agreements. it’s the right deal. Like the original locking in minimum 10-year terms, as NAFTA, this new agreement privileges CUSMA would have done. multinational capital and increased Under the original agreement, Can- trade flows above all else. It weakens ada had to increase its data protection environmental policy by insisting it not term for biologics from eight to 10 interfere with trade or impose higher years—at an estimated cost of at least regulatory costs on business. It will $169 million per year, according to the sustain the accumulation of wealth in Parliamentary Budget Officer. That We should take fewer and fewer hands. change was dropped from the agree- Canadians can be thankful the new ment, and Canadians will now avoid no solace in the CUSMA will not result in higher pre- these projected cost increases. fact politicians scription drug costs. We can feel relief One of the biggest sticking points in that Mexican workers get a chance to closing a deal was stricter enforcement have invested form authentic trade unions and to fight of labour standards, with Mexico as the so much energy to improve their wages and working principal target. Democrats initially conditions. But we should take no pushed for independent inspection in salvaging a solace in the fact politicians and gov- of workplaces suspected of violating discredited trade ernments have invested so much time labour standards and the ability to and energy in salvaging a discredited withdraw preferential treatment of model as they trade model as they dither and delay on shipments from those factories under dither and delay the climate emergency. CUSMA if violations were found. SCOTT SINCLAIR IS SENIOR TRADE RESEARCHER AT Mexican employer groups vehemently on the climate THE CCPA. A VERSION OF THIS COLUMN ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE TYEE ON DECEMBER 10. objected while Mexican President emergency. 12 In Toronto, former police chief Julian Fantino was given Colour-coded a platform in the Sun newspaper to call for the return of Justice carding, arbitrary ID checks that always predominantly ANTHONY N. MORGAN target Black individuals. Fantino and the Sun thought the column was a good idea even after police were pressured to put a moratorium on the ineffective, rights-vi- olating practice and Halifax issued an official apology to African Nova Scotians for engaging in this form of policing. With respect to the UN decade’s call for development, continue to chronically experience some What will we do with of the highest rates of socioeconomic exclusion. In Toronto, recent reports out of the , nonprofit this decade? FoodShare and the Metcalf Foundation have revealed that Black communities face the highest rates of segregation, food insecurity and of being among the working poor. APA, YOU HAD a whole decade and this is all you As I write this, Ontario media is talking about the did with it?” case of Canadian rapper John River, whose months-long Reflecting on the start of the second decade misdiagnosed leakage of spinal fluid strongly suggests of this millennium, I shudder with heart-sinking systemic anti-Black racism in Canadian health care. River shame at the thought of my daughter asking me was presumed to be a drug dealer and possible drug abuser, “Psuch a question in January 2030. he says, and thereby treated like he was embellishing his She will be a few weeks shy of 12, and no doubt familiar painful symptoms to get access to narcotics. with the looping social and broadcast media retrospectives Canadian education systems are also coming under pub- on the moments that shaped the 2020s. But both she and I lic scrutiny for systemic anti-Black racism going into 2020. will know exactly what decade she’s talking about. It won’t In November, the Ontario government announced a be the one just gone by, but the decade starting in 2015 that, formal review of widespread anti-Black racism at the Peel despite her young age, we’ll both feel more connected to. District School Board, with the results set to be released On January 30, 2018, flanked by federal ministers, mem- in February. In Edmonton, the Catholic school board has bers of Parliament, and a small crowd of Black Canadians come under fire for accusing an 11-year-old Black student from across the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being in a gang because he wore a durag to school. The stood in the foyer of the House of Commons to announce Vancouver School Board is facing a human rights complaint that Canada would officially recognized the United Na- because of its handling of an incident wherein a white stu- tions International Decade for People of African Descent dent was filmed going on a hatefully racist rant targeting (2015–2024). Neither my daughter nor I will ever forget this Black students. day. It’s the day she was born. It’s not that Canada is doing nothing for the UN Decade Ten years from now, while many are reflecting on the for People of African Descent. The federal government has highlights of the 2020s, I wonder if my daughter’s ques- committed $25 million toward the objectives of the decade, tions about the UN decade will sting. Will Canada’s Black to be distributed by a Canadian Institute for People of Af- communities have effectively seized or squandered the rican Descent. The Nova Scotia government also released once-in-a-lifetime opportunities this moment availed to a plan to support provincial action on Black recognition, significantly reshape Canada’s racial justice record? justice and development, as I noted in my last column. Already in January 2020, more of the UN International Though these are important steps, with more than half Decade for People of African Descent is behind us than is of the decade now behind us, Canada should have more yet to come. Canada’s official recognition has had little to to show for its official recognition. My hope is that in the no substantial impact on the general material realities of years to come, we will improve the pace of change for Black Black people in Canada. Canadians. This is important to point out because the UN adopted In 2030, I want to be able to point to Black Canadian the decade in large part to spur global action to improve institutions, structures and policies as legacy-building the well-being and outcomes of Black communities in the outcomes of the UN decade. I want to be able to one day areas of justice, education, employment, health and hous- hear my daughter say, “Papa, you had just one decade, and ing. This is explicitly and thoroughly outlined in the UN’s look at all you did with it.” official program of activities, which lists dozens of concrete To which I will proudly respond, “Happy Birthday, measures under the theme of “Recognition, Justice and bunny.” M Development.” ANTHONY N. MORGAN IS A TORONTO-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER, POLICY Five years into the decade, Canada has done moderately CONSULTANT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATOR. HIS COLUMN, COLOUR-CODED JUSTICE, APPEARS REGULARLY IN THE MONITOR well with the recognition part. Justice and development, however, remain all too elusive for the country’s Black communities.

13 much greater transparency on government climate plans how gas prices are set. to date may be sidelining women, immigrants and LIVING WAGE DROPS racialized workers, who must THE CCPA ACROSS B.C. be able to benefit equally from The living wage dropped the sustainable economy significantly in British of the future. That’s why Columbia in 2019—the first this year, the CCPA will be IN ACTION IN exploring new policies for time this has happened since we started measuring. While promoting greater diversity housing and others costs of in the green workforce while living are going up, provincial continuing to pressure 2019 governments to move faster child care investments are THIS SUMMARY DOESN’T COVER HALF OF WHAT THE CCPA ACHIEVED saving families thousands and more aggressively to IN 2019 —ALL OF IT THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT. VISIT WWW. of dollars a year. In Metro reduce Canada’s greenhouse POLICYALTERNATIVES.CA TO SEE MORE OF THE WORK WE ARE DOING, AND Vancouver the “model” living- gas emissions. CONTINUE TO DO, TO TRANSFORM CANADA FOR THE BETTER IN 2020. wage family (two parents working full time and two A WIN AGAINST ABOVE THE FOLD Instagram account) targeted young children) saves more PRIVATIZATION IN AND BEYOND at the federal government, than $8,000 a year, showing NOVA SCOTIA CCPA expertise is always in asking MPs to reject another the power of good public This November, CCPA–Nova high demand, but our media “middle class” tax cut that policy to make lives better. Scotia celebrated the presence grew again in 2019. primarily benefits higher provincial government’s By the end of November, income earners, and to use BIG OIL’S NETWORK announcement it will no CCPA experts and their the estimated $6 billion it will OF INFLUENCE longer seek a private-public cost to fund other priorities: research had been mentioned The Corporate Mapping partnership (P3) to build a national action plan to in more than 10,000 media Project (CMP) database of new health centres in Cape combat violence against stories across the country—a who’s who in the oil and gas Breton but will continue the women, accessible child care, 30% bump from last year. industry was launched in project using a traditional affordable housing, climate During the federal election 2019, along with the Fossil- government-managed build. infrastructure, student loan alone, the CCPA’s policy Power Top 50 listing, which This is exactly what the CCPA debt, etc. analysis and fact-checking profiles the most influential promoted in a recent report of party platforms featured corporate players (see page on P3 hospitals, Shrouded in 761 news stories from BBC EXPOSING GAS 21 for a CMP article on oil and in Secrecy, which also World Service, the National PRICE GOUGING gas lobbying). This publicly recommends halting the P3 Post, The Canadian Press, Are B.C.’s gas prices higher available resource is there redevelopment of the Queen the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, than anywhere else in Canada for anyone who wants to Elizabeth II (QEII) hospital. Chatelaine, Maclean’s and because of the (as understand and monitor Our work on P3s has made it many others. right-wingers claim) or the corporate power and uncover difficult for governments to We had massive success province’s opposition to the the links between powerful defend this model of funding with Senior Economist Trans Mountain pipeline (as corporations, think-tanks, pubic infrastructure. David Macdonald’s report Jason Kenney would have it)? lobby groups and more. The on the rental housing crisis, CCPA-BC Senior Economist CCPA gives special thanks MAKING WOMEN COUNT Unacomodating, which Marc Lee did some research to Bill Carroll, professor of The CCPA’s annual Best calculated the average wage and found out the culprit is sociology at the University and Worst Places to be a you would have to earn in 795 in fact price gouging by Big of Victoria, for co-directing Woman in Canada report puts Canadian neighbourhoods to Oil. We used Marc’s research the initiative with CCPA-BC pressure on municipalities comfortably afford to pay the to call on the BC Utilities Director Shannon Daub. to close their gender gaps. It rent. The report, and David’s Commission to investigate also highlights the work that analysis of the rental housing and for the provincial CLIMATE CHANGE community organizations crisis, featured in 1,500 government to regulate AND THE JUST TRANSITION across the country are doing news stories and was part of prices—as all maritime The CCPA continues to to help address inequality. making the cost of living a provinces do. The government be at the forefront of the Many organizations across key issue during the federal subsequently mandated the conversation on a just Canada cite Best and Worst election. commission to conduct an transition as a fundamental as a critical resource in their At the end of 2019, the inquiry, which confirmed the part of Canada’s response to struggles to legislate equality CCPA launched a campaign CCPA’s findings, and brought the climate emergency. Our and inclusion initiatives (see image from the CCPA’s forward legislation requiring 2019 research found that locally.

14 Senior Researcher using investment treaties to Katherine Scott added a new attack public interest and dimension to the CCPA’s environmental protection gender justice work in 2019 laws in developing countries. by co-ordinating the release of Unfinished Business, a A PEOPLE’S BUDGET comprehensive assessment IN WINNIPEG of Canada’s implementation of Winnipeg recently introduced the 1995 Beijing Declaration a new consultation process and Platform for Action. for the 2020 municipal Katherine collaborated with budget. In-depth, department- a network of more than 50 by-department spending women’s rights and equality- plans released to the public seeking organizations, trade revealed alarming cuts to unions and independent recreation, community experts to assess Canada’s programming and urban forest progress over the last 25 maintenance. Meanwhile, years in areas ranging from the city is proposing an reproductive health to inadequate 2.33% property women’s economic standing tax increase after a years-long and the situation of women in freeze that compromised because they work too few resistance to the cuts had prisons. Winnipeg’s ability to meet hours or quit unsuitable jobs. unseated the finance minister community needs. Tranjan’s paper proposed a and triggered a massive THE FIGHT FOR Activists, academics and universal 420-hour standard cabinet shuffle as the Ford FAIR TRADE union leaders, including for EI eligibility among other government scrambled to pull In 2019, the CCPA was a the CCPA-Manitoba, met reforms to make EI work for out of its political nosedive. key player in the launch of to discuss the implications more workers. As 2019 ended, CCPA-Ontario an international project for of the proposed municipal Another CCPA-Ontario launched Richer Than Ever, challenging the retrograde, cuts and turned to the 2018 report, Canada’s Colour a five-minute video designed corporate vision of Alternative Municipal Budget Coded Income Inequality, to kickstart a provincewide globalization driving deals like report, Imagine a Winnipeg, looked at census data from conversation about the 2020 CETA (with the EU), CUSMA to organize our response. 2006 and 2016 to gauge budget. (or “New NAFTA”) and the TPP The result was a unified and whether racialized workers (with Asia-Pacific countries). widely reported call for the found significantly better jobs ONGOING ANALYSIS OF Working closely with CCPA’s mayor and council to consider and/or higher earnings with ONTARIO SCHOOL allies in the U.S., Mexico and a 7.33% property tax increase, the passage of time. They FUNDING elsewhere, we co-published and for that money to be didn’t. The report, by CCPA Funding cuts to Ontario Beyond NAFTA 2.0, a major spent improving local services Senior Economist Sheila schools have met stiff report critiquing the pre- and lives. It was a clear case Block, Ryerson University’s opposition from parents and amended (in December) of movement-based research Grace-Edward Galabuzi and educators alike. While the CUSMA while offering a in action—one of our Ricardo Tranjan, showed a Ford government portrays forward-looking blueprint for a specialties at the CCPA. desperate need in this country its plans to cut staffing, “Trade Agenda for People and for strong public policies to increase class sizes and bring Planet.” IMPROVING EI, tear down the barriers to in mandatory online learning The CCPA was also enlisted UNCOVERING RACISM economic equality. as improvements, the CCPA’s this year by Germany’s The Ontario office of the Ricardo Tranjan has been Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung CCPA launched two major CHALLENGING BUDGET setting the record straight think-tank to produce a report reports on national issues SPIN IN ONTARIO since the school year began in on the early impacts of CETA in 2019. The first,Towards In April, the CCPA-Ontario September. Tranjan’s ongoing on the Canadian economy, an Inclusive Economy, was worked hard to untangle the analysis of the cuts, their small business, workers and a deep dive into Canada’s spin around Premier Doug board-by-board impacts and public procurement. Earlier employment insurance Ford’s first provincial budget. the government’s strategy in 2019, the CCPA published system by political economist Our analysis revealed the has been a rich resource to all comprehensive reports on and Senior Researcher stark numbers behind the those who value quality public how “regulatory co-operation” Ricardo Tranjan. Hundreds words: the province was education. in trade deals can undermine of thousands of low-income bringing in huge and punitive public protections, and workers pay into EI but cuts to program spending. how Canadian firms are can never collect benefits Within three months, public

15

Is it still business as usual? The “Trudeau Formula” has legitimized status-quo policies behind a mask of progressivism. Growing public resentment for politics-as-usual, and a new minority government setting may complicate that plan. STORY BY MARTIN LUKACS / ILLUSTRATION BY REMIE GEOFFROI

N EARLY NOVEMBER, hundreds of Lib- of the attendees in Mont-Tremblant director of policy and Indigenous eral Party members descended on were not formal representatives of relations for former environment Mont-Tremblant to enjoy the lat- the party. Known as “Banffers,” they minister Catherine McKenna. “A-Type est instalment of the annual Banff were, however, drawn from its main personalities abound!” Forum. In Parliament the party demographic base: lawyers, heads The entry fee clocked in around Imight have been knocked down to of non-governmental organizations, $1,500, or slightly less if you were minority government status just a few venture capitalists, bankers, policy under the age of 40. The rest of the cost weeks before, but the mood at Que- and public relations types, tech en- of organizing the forum was picked bec’s favourite ski resort was cheerful trepreneurs, and cultural industry up by corporate sponsors, including and confident. executives. “Old enough to have some of the country’s heftiest cor- After all, Liberal MPs in the strong- something substantive to contribute,” porations: Suncor, Telus, CN Rail, TD holds of Ontario and Quebec had the forum’s website enthused about Bank, Coca Cola, Enbridge, Bell, Power almost universally retained their the participants, “yet young enough to Corporation of Canada, etc. This year, seats, many with increased vote be open to new people and new ideas.” organizers said they made a concerted margins. And Conservative leaders The three-day confab is officially effort to recruit more political variety, across the country, after huffing and billed as a public policy forum, but which meant in practice many more puffing for a few weeks, were already it’s not exactly that. It is by invitation Conservatives and a handful of New in retreat from their principal election only. Conversations take place under Democrats. battleground of the carbon tax. Even strict confidentiality rules. And along- An all-female panel of former Jason Kenney’s United Conservative side the obligatory panels and fireside provincial premiers—Kathleen government in Alberta had quietly chats there are the equally important Wynne, Kathy Dunderdale and Rachel brought in a tax on industrial pollut- organized hikes in the woods, soaks in Notley—was well received by the ers and other premiers were adopting hot outdoor pools, and late night par- audience. But so was another panel a more conciliatory tone. For many ties—clubby opportunities to forge on Quebec’s Bill 21 that lacked even a people at the summit, the situation social cohesion. “Dazzling amount single critic of the legislation, which looked positive. of good ideas circulating here at prohibits teachers, police officers and Though the Liberal contingent is Mont-Tremblant,” read a tweet from other public servants from wearing usually high at the Banff Forum, most Jesse McCormick, until recently the religious symbols at work. An event on 17 the future of Canadian energy, featuring three proponents on the right was fast enough to give any good faith observer of the Trans Mountain pipeline, ended on a buoyant note whiplash. and slideshow photograph of shovels breaking ground, Yet what I’ve named the “Trudeau Formula” has powerful heralding the completion of that tar sands expansion durability and is still very much in play. This formula—in project. many ways a Liberal Party heritage but one that Trudeau All in all, the Banff Forum offered a glimpse of liberal is especially good at practising—revolves around making strategy today. The picture we get is one of class solidarity a close study of the values and aspirations of the country’s between the rich and professionals, for whom politics is progressive majority and co-opting its protests, language a glamorous and privileged festival of ideas, accentuated and demands. Selective concessions to the left may follow. by credentials and elite diversity. This kind of politics is But the progressive aspirations behind these policies are naturally more comfortable tilting right than left and can frequently hollowed out as part of a quiet compact with evince only shallow concern with the profound environ- the corporate elite, whose policy priorities are channelled, mental, racial and economic crises bedevilling the age. As repackaged and advertised as a captivating option. Demo- a ruling strategy it proved remarkably successful for the bilizing and integrating progressive challenges in this way, first Trudeau government. Whether the prime minister the government manufactures consent for the prevailing can pull it off in a minority situation is another question. social order and captures the voting blocs necessary to win or remain in office. he days and months after the last election were shakier The clearest expression of this formula was articulated for Justin Trudeau than for others in his party. In the by Trudeau himself, in a speech to the ritzy Canadian Club Twake of media coverage of his repeated blackface epi- of Toronto in May 2015. It was not long after the Liberals sodes, international news outlets no longer run columns had announced their marquee policy of a new tax on the about Canada’s “lurch to the left,” as theAtlantic put it in top one per cent, to which his audience that day universally a 2015 article. They are no longer describing his thematic belonged. The establishment media had howled about socks as a long-sought-after ingredient to world peace. Trudeau’s “redistributionist dogma.” But Trudeau’s team And interest has finally faded in what seemed, from the had a savvier message for the country’s financial barons. coverage at least, like a new national pastime—sightings The status quo was not sustainable, said Trudeau in his in nature of a shirtless Trudeau. speech, which ran through statistics many leftists would be In fact, in the month after the election, Prime Minister comfortable citing: growing inequality, stagnating wages, Trudeau wasn’t seen out much at all. At the swearing-in soaring personal and family debt, and an increasingly inse- ceremony in 2015, he and his cabinet had bounded up cure social safety net. A “sense of fairness” had evaporated the pathway to Rideau Hall together. This time, Trudeau in Canadian society, said Trudeau. If a government could slipped in quietly through a side entrance. And whereas not put forward an agenda “aimed squarely at restoring the Liberals spent the first few months after their election that sense of fairness,” he warned, “Canadians will even- in 2015 basking in and playing up Trudeau’s new status as tually entertain more radical options.” a global progressive icon, this fall they have been clearer It was a polite way of saying: it’s me or the pitchforks. If where their real priorities lie. Bay Street could lend support to a mild tax hike, Trudeau In public announcements and mandate letters issued promised, he could harness the rhetoric of the Occupy since October, the government has committed to building movement and stifle any backlash against the elite, re- the Trans Mountain pipeline; moving ahead with tax cuts storing confidence to the economic system. (Indeed, the that will primarily benefit higher-income families; issuing wealth of the top one per cent would grow, rather than a memo whitewashing Canadian complicity in the Saudi diminish, over the next four years of his government.) In war on Yemen; and endorsing a right-wing military coup in short, Trudeau’s pitch was that only he would be able to Bolivia. The shift from campaigning on the left to governing save neoliberalism from growing calls to replace it. To be fair, the Canadian Club would have heard this message before and known they could count on its power. The legacy of governments going back decades is not as a force for social progress and economic justice, but as a potent obstacle to the radical change that so many are hungry for, and which a livable climate now literally de- pends on. I would argue that everything Canadians have seen from the Trudeau government so far has amounted I would argue that to a politics of changeless change—a spectacle of splashy everything Canadians have announcements and bold initiatives that appear to disrupt business-as-usual, but in fact mostly shore up prevailing seen from the Trudeau disparities of wealth and power. government so far has We have witnessed the public drama of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples while the policies of land and amounted to a politics of resource dispossession from prior governments continue changeless change. apace. The Liberal government has enthused about its 18 infrastructure agenda, but in secret it Canada is second with a broader strategy the minority studied the privatization of $200 bil- Liberal government can be expected to lion worth of public assets including only to the United continue to deploy on environmental airports, highways, water systems and States in its and energy policy. the postal service, while perpetuating Days after the election, Finance the stealth privatization of transit planned growth Minister Bill Morneau tested out a projects through public-private part- of the oil and new line to justify the government’s nerships. The Trudeau government purchase of the Trans Mountain has postured Canada as a human gas industry— pipeline for $4.5 billion dollars. “We rights champion abroad while increas- counteracting any purchased it for a reason,” he said. “We ing military spending by 70% over 10 now see how it can help us accelerate years and continuing to ship military reduction gains… our clean energy transition by putting vehicles and weapons to the Saudi and making it any revenues that we get from it into dictatorship fighting a war in Yemen. a transition to clean energy.” Morneau Not just in Canada, but around the impossible to meet promised profits of up to $500 million world we have seen the emergence of Canada’s climate a year would be spent on cleaner en- an airbrushed, focus-grouped avatar ergy sources and technologies to pull liberalism—“yuppie simulacrum commitments. carbon out of the atmosphere. This of populist breakthrough,” in Perry vaguely progressive sounding policy Anderson’s words—to face the chal- is in fact the logic of an addict, akin lenge from a democratic-socialist to suggesting the need to chain-smoke left and an ugly resurgent right. This several packs of cigarettes to build up model of politics was ground-tested the courage to break a nicotine habit. by the Obama administration and is Canadians came to expect such mys- today exemplified in the “extreme cen- tification from former environment trism” of Trudeau, French President of the environment. We’re being able minister Catherine McKenna, whose Emanuel Macron, and U.S. Democratic to show that we get people’s fears and office was lobbied almost as much as politicians like Pete Buttegieg and there are constructive ways of allaying the natural resources department in Beto O’Rourke. What these men all them—and not just ways to lash out the government’s first three years. share in common is an effort to forge and give a big kick to the system.” During the 2019 election campaign, a new consensus that can salvage the While the brand of the messenger McKenna introduced the promise to failed yet still pervasive neoliberal of this formula has evidently been get to net-zero emissions by 2050, but governing logic that counts extreme damaged since then, the formula itself told the media there was no plan yet inequality and climate breakdown as lives on. for how to do it. Just trust us, she said, its most obvious consequences. and we’ll figure it out when we’re back Alongside a continued support for hen the prime minister par- in office. privatization, deregulation, corporate ticipated in the giant climate That task has now fallen to new tax cuts, and a slow withdrawal of the Wstrike march in Montreal last Environment Minister Jonathan welfare state, these political figures September, the satirical news outlet Wilkinson, a former cleantech ex- have tinkered around the edges to give The Beaverton pointedly observed, ecutive who has indicated that the their conservative economic policies “Trudeau comes to Montreal climate government will invest far more signif- a patina of emancipatory progressiv- strike to protest self.” The truth of this icantly in technological silver bullets ism. Trudeau offered reforms, like a mock headline wasn’t lost on the young like hydrogen energy. When referring means-tested Canada Child Benefit, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who to oil and gas developments, he has more representation of women and ra- reportedly told Trudeau in a private emphasized not overall emissions cialized people in cabinet and the civil in-person meeting that afternoon that but reducing emissions per barrel. “We service, and incremental measures on he wasn’t doing enough to combat the have a significant resource,” he told climate change. But none of Trudeau’s climate crisis. No doubt to the relief the Toronto Star. “The issue isn’t the actions have so far threatened the of the Liberal strategist Gerald Butts, resource, the issue is the pollution, and authority of corporate interests to set whose idea it was to participate in the our focus is on reducing pollution.” Yet the political agenda. climate march, Thunberg would later across the industry there has yet been In rare moments, Trudeau has been generalize her point in remarks to the no decrease in emissions per barrel, as candid about his role as a diligent man- media, saying no politician was doing they shift to even more high-intensi- ager of the status quo. Describing his enough anywhere. ty-emitting in-situ tar sands projects. government’s early achievements in a Still, according to formula, the Even the government’s new pledge late-2016 interview with the Guardian potential backlash was worth the op- to reach Canada’s 2030 targets and get (U.K.), the prime minister said: “We’re portunity to burnish the government’s to net-zero emissions by 2050 sounds actually able to approve pipelines at a environmental bona fides. More im- like having your cake and eating it time when everyone wants protection portantly, it was very much in keeping too. “Net zero” is a shifty concept long 19 pushed by the global fossil fuel industry to allow them Nicolas Graham and David Chen of the Corporate Mapping to keep extracting, with the dim hope of technologies Project (see their article in this issue) found that the level emerging to suck carbon out of the atmosphere (or to spray of contacts between fossil fuel companies and the current the stratosphere with potentially very dangerous solar government matched those of the previous Conservative reflecting chemicals). The throne speech in early December government. Over the first three years of the Trudeau offered an airy and vaguely progressive message that “Can- government (to 2018), oil lobbyists had a staggering 3,791 ada’s children and grandchildren will judge this generation contacts with officials. Yet somehow the Globe and Mail [by its action on] the defining challenge of the time.” But still thought it was appropriate, in 2019, to describe the it also indicated that the government would “work just as Harper government, and not this one, as being “in cahoots hard to get Canadian resources to new markets.” with Big Oil.” Little of this approach has deviated from the pitch that Thankfully, the Indigenous and youth-led resistance Trudeau made to oil executives, before becoming prime to pipelines will likely hamper the Trudeau government’s minister, in a speech to the Calgary Petroleum Club in 2013. plans for tar sands expansion (see the article in this issue by Trudeau made it clear then that there was little separating Hannah Muhajarine and Molly McCracken). But if no party him from when it came to support for the makes a convincing case for a prosperous transition off oil, massive expansion of the tar sands. Where they differed it may yet be the right-wing that harnesses the growing was on tactics, with Trudeau pledging to be a deft diplomat resentment, insecurity and anger in Canada for its own for their interests, building alliances where Harper had political advantage. burnt them, co-opting his opposition instead of demonizing it. Taking the direction of the powerful Business Council of ntering the new decade, the appetite has not abated Canada, Trudeau would brandish technological solutions among Canadians for the “radical options” Trudeau and the carbon tax—universally supported by the leading Ewarned Bay Street financiers about in his 2015 pres- corporative executives of all the high-emitting industries entation. Some 67% of us, according to a poll in September, as early as 2008, but stymied politically by Harper—and believe that the “economy is rigged to advantage the rich use them as a green fig leaf for a business-as-usual agenda. and powerful.” Decades of slow, grinding cuts to the so- Meanwhile, the tar sands are now Canada’s fastest-grow- cial safety net and the public sphere has left a dignified ing source of emissions, on track to eat up more than half of existence—decent wages, affordable housing, accessible Canada’s carbon emissions budget within the next decade. education, etc.—out of reach for growing numbers of In the latest UN report, Canada was one of 14 G20 countries people. that are on pace to miss their emissions reduction targets Spending by the Liberal government has lifted a few hun- for 2030. In February, Environment Minister Wilkinson will dred thousand people out of absolute poverty while child decide whether to give final approval to Teck Resources’ care credits have lowered cost of living for many people. Frontier Mine, which, at twice the size of Vancouver, would But cost and quality of life dominated the last election as be the biggest tar sands mining project to date. With such major public concerns. In mid-December, Statistics Canada projects on the table, Canada is second only to the United reported, alarmingly, that more than 10% of all workers in States in the planned growth of the oil and gas indus- Toronto and Vancouver are working in the temporary “gig” try—counteracting any reduction gains from the Liberal economy. Home ownership—a sought-after retirement government’s half-measures and making it impossible to strategy under our hollowed-out welfare state—is now meet Canada’s climate commitments. an impossible dream for many people. The closeness of the Liberal government to Big Oil has If “radical centrism” of the kind offered by Trudeau is not actually been mapped. A new report by William Carrol, helping this situation, the question is whether it will be the right-wing who seizes on popular insecurity and directs it toward scapegoats, or whether a resurgent left can channel it in a movement against vested interests. There are some hopeful signs. Class politics have made a return to western countries, however haltingly in Canada. Polls show enormous popularity for wealth taxation and programs like a . While the NDP under has stopped its slow slide to the centre, its Decades of slow, grinding ability to advocate in opposition for the vastly ambitious policies that Canadians are evidently hungry for has yet cuts to the social safety to be seen. net and the public sphere The moral clarity and passion shown by a new crop of young left-wing parliamentarians suggests one way for- has left a dignified ward. But ultimately what we need is a voice for a radically existence out of reach different vision for the country—a vision rooted in redis- tribution, solidarity, and equality. Nothing less will test the for growing numbers of Liberal government’s continued success in capturing voters people. by saying progressive things they may not ever mean. M 20 when salient policy issues—like the FOSSIL FUEL LOBBY Environmental Assessment Act— arose or when the stakes were high INFLUENCE RUNS DEEP for industry, such as major pipeline Bill Carroll, Nicolas Graham and David Chen decisions and approvals. We found that lobbying is highly concentrated among large fossil fuel firms and key industry associations here’s no doubt that climate the federal government at rates five (which control much of this economic Tchange and fossil fuel extraction times higher than environmental sector) and is targeted at a few determined how significant sections non-governmental organizations. key offices and individuals within of the population voted in the federal government. There is intense This is important because lobbying election. These issues dominated interaction among relatively few is intended to influence policy. the federal leaders’ debates, lobbyists and key designated public For this sector specifically, policy and since September we’ve seen officeholders, who are in regular decisions over the studied period hundreds of thousands of people contact with each other. related to major environmental join countrywide student-led climate assessment acts, national energy In comparing lobbying across the strikes demanding more robust strategy, pipelines, and consultation Harper and Trudeau governments, action. Such demands are likely to processes with . The we found a pattern of continuity in grow as the effects of climate change intensity of lobbying increased change. Under Trudeau, the bulk of become more severe and the window lobbying has been carried out by the closes to avoid catastrophic climate- same large firms as under Harper, related impacts. but lobbying has focused on fewer While the Justin Trudeau-led Liberals government agencies, particularly again campaigned on a promise Natural Resources Canada and to more aggressively fight climate LOBBYING CONTACTS OF Environment Canada. Under Trudeau, change, the question of why Canada THE FOSSIL FUEL senior government bureaucrats has been so politically paralyzed in CORPORATIONS AND rather than members of parliament pursuing decisive climate action, INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS were the focal targets of lobbying. and how to overcome this paralysis, January 4, 2011 to January 30, 2018 Key decision-makers that remained is urgent. It’s a problem of central after the 2015 change of government concern to us at the Corporate Mining Association of Canada 1,596 were targeted, which is concerning Mapping Project, a research initiative Canadian Association as it indicates that elite policy investigating the power and influence networks outlast election cycles and of Petroleum Producers 1,268 of the fossil fuel industry. potentially the stated platforms of Suncor Energy 881 elected officials. We published a study in November that examines federal lobbying by TransCanada Corporation 751 It is important to bring lobbying more oil, gas and coal companies and fully into public view in order to their industry associations across a Canadian Gas Association 641 limit the undue influence of private seven-year period from 2011 to 2018. Enbridge Inc. 558 interests over public policy. However, The period allows for a comparison of reforms are needed that go beyond lobbying under the Stephen Harper Canadian Energy increased transparency to equalize Conservatives and the Trudeau Pipeline Association 478 opportunities for political influence Liberals. The findings are troubling, between industry and civil society Teck Resources Ltd. 466 but they do help explain the close groups. Democratizing measures coupling of federal policy to the Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. 396 can challenge and limit corporate needs of the fossil fuel industry. power, which is critical to achieving Encana Corporation 394 sustained and robust climate action. Examining records at the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Imperial Oil 385 NICOLAS GRAHAM IS A POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER WITH THE CORPORATE MAPPING Canada, we found that the fossil fuel Petroleum Services PROJECT AND SESSIONAL SOCIOLOGY INSTRUCTOR industry recorded 11,452 lobbying AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA. WILLIAM K. Association of Canada 359 CARROLL, A SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT THE contacts with government officials UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, CO-DIRECTS THE over this period—significantly more Westcoast Energy Inc. 353 CORPORATE MAPPING PROJECT. DAVID CHEN IS A CORPORATE MAPPING PROJECT STUDENT than other sectors and amounting RESEARCHER AND UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA Shell Canada Ltd. 345 to just over six contacts per working MASTER’S STUDENT. THEIR CORPORATE MAPPING PROJECT RESEARCH IS SUPPORTED BY THE SOCIAL day. Presumably due to having far Canadian Fuels Association 343 SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL OF greater resources, the sector lobbied CANADA (SSHRC). 21 HANNAH MUHAJARINE AND MOLLY MCCRACKEN The future is in our hands—not theirs The youth-led climate movement is intent on passing Green New Deal legislation this year despite organizing and political challenges.

OPE FOR ACTION on climate is in UNDRIP and the right to free and capacity-building, and planning local the hands of mass movements. informed prior consent are central to “Fridays for the Future” climate strikes. Through the student climate our struggle,” says Leah Gazan, newly But as one activist explained, “we need Hstrikes (Climate Strike Canada) elected NDP MP for , everyone doing everything all the and Our Time (for a Green New Deal), and one of Our Time’s Green New Deal time.” With its diversity of tactics, the young climate activists are mobilizing champions. climate movement is attracting hun- people of all ages and pushing gov- The social policy piece of the GND is dreds of people new to organizing or ernments to legislate the large-scale crucial for two reasons. First, making a new to the climate action movement. response needed to get to net zero job guarantee and expansion of public “There is tremendous potential greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. services part of our demands is how we here,” says David Camfield, professor A minority Liberal government build support for the mass movement of sociology and labour studies at the creates potential for bolder climate we need to make this happen. Second, University of Manitoba and activist action with support from the NDP an economy centered on care work, member of Manitoba Energy Justice and Greens, while conservative-led along with sustainable food produc- Coalition (MEJC), a supporter of the provinces are bound to push back no tion, housing, and transportation, is Manitoba Youth for Climate Action’s matter what the federal government what a low-carbon economy looks like. September 27 Global Climate Strike in proposes. It’s incumbent on us, in this The challenge will be convincing Winnipeg. “The climate strike drew in political moment, to reject half-meas- enough Canadians that dismantling tonnes of people. Some have organiz- ures and push for the most expansive fossil fuel capitalism is in the interests ing skills and others are new to social and inclusive just transition possible. of all. Those whose futures are being movements. The challenge is to leaders It’s time for us to get behind what stolen by inaction understand this to facilitate everyone finding a role to people around the world are calling a clearly, which explains why they are play.” Green New Deal. leading the way toward a Green New As reported recently in the Monitor As a framework for climate leg- Deal. (September/October 2019), Our Time islation, the Green New Deal arose held town halls last spring with the in response to the environmental Pact for a Green New Deal and hosted wreckage and growing inequality that Diversity of tactics the Leap tour in June. Organizers col- are a direct product of fossil-fuelled The national youth-led movement lected almost 50,000 signatures asking capitalism. The only way to meet our Our Time emerged out of 350.org’s CBC to host a fall election leaders’ de- climate obligations is to transform our 2019 conference, Powershift: Young bate on the climate crisis and held over economy—not just away from fossil and Rising, and the Winnipeg Hub 30 rallies outside CBC headquarters in fuels, but also to be more equitable and began organizing around a Green New Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancou- inclusive. Deal last spring. If the focus was on ver, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and other The GND therefore combines fi- national politics and the election, it’s communities. CBC rejected the idea, nancial help for transitioning energy because only the federal government saying the climate would be covered in workers with secure universal pensions has the heft to bring in the sweeping the general all-candidates debate. On for all, good quality housing, high- measures—sometimes compared to October 10, during the final debate of wage job creation, expanded public an all-out war mobilization—needed the election, the greatest emergency services (health care, child care, elder to respond meaningfully to the climate of our time got 21 minutes. care and transit), restored public and emergency. As the election drew nearer, Our natural spaces, and a new interna- Many young people were and still Time hubs started meeting with tionalism based on solidarity and true are hesitant to engage in electoral candidates face to face to determine development. Absolutely central to the organizing due to an erosion of faith in whether we could count on them to Canadian Green New Deal movement is our democratic processes. Some have support a Green New Deal if elected. In decolonization and Indigenous rights. overcome this to do lobbying work Winnipeg, Our Time approached and “We will not achieve climate justice with Our Time, while others choose then chose to endorse Leah Gazan, without Indigenous human rights. to focus on education and community a fierce Indigenous rights advocate 22 CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 OurSchools/OurSelves The Voice Of Progressive Education In Canada Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives

Winter/Spring 2020 O OU F T SORTS

Resisting the neoliberal vision of public education 3. Editorial Seizing the Momentum Erika Shaker

5. The Bias of Balance Winter/Spring 2020 What Canada’s fossil fuel industry wants students to think about climate change Our Schools/Our Selves is Emily Eaton and Simon Enoch published by the Canadian Centre 8. for Policy Alternatives A Question of Educational Justice 1000-141 Laurier Ave W Text of a speech from the Rally for Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3 Public Education in Calgary, AB Our Schools/Our Selves is Barbara Silva a member of the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association. It is indexed 10. in the Canadian Magazine Justice Obscured Index and the Alternative The “great equalizer” argument isn’t Press Index. about education or equity Executive editor Chuka Ejeckam Erika Shaker 13. Editor emeritus Falling Further Behind Satu Repo Prioritizing care and well-being Associate editor of children in Nova Scotia Larry Kuehn Alec Stratford Issue editor Erika Shaker 15. Editorial office Quebec’s (Sadly) Distinct Education System Canadian Centre Stéphane Vigneault for Policy Alternatives 1000-141 Laurier Ave W 20. Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3 Testing, Testing A provincial scan of K-12 ISSN 0840-7339 standardized assessment in Canada Design and layout Dylan Kelly Tim Scarth 27. Publications Mail Our Universities/Our Selves Registration No. 8010. Seven ideas to lift us up and The opinions expressed in bring corporatization down Our Schools/Our Selves are Claire Polster those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect 32. the views of the CCPA. Any Familiarity Breeds Resistance errors or omissions lie with Harris-era parents know there’s nothing the individual authors. innovative about Ontario’s education cuts Erika Shaker

34. Poverty and Education in a Winnipeg Suburb Jim Silver and Kate Sjoberg 3 focuses Our Schools / Our Selves The central feature in this issue is a provincial in this issue is a provincial The central feature At its heart, education is about the future, At its heart, education is about the future, test kind And not in a high stakes, standardized This issue of labour negotiations between the education unions government intent on imposing and the provincial class sizes and reduced policies including larger course selections, mandatory e-learning, and funding or funding cuts in either per-pupil board total operating funding (or both). testing and territorial scan of standardized policies in K-12 education compiled by Dylan a snapshot of how pervasive It provides Kelly. not mean an endorsement of the status quo. Too quo. Too not mean an endorsement of the status by the many people have been poorly served that this is the high system to pretend present capable of and what water mark of what we are must strive to do better, deserve. We our children with and for all of us. goals and about each other — two very powerful and engage with each other, which to rally, around that leaves no one truly make the kind of progress behind. of way. on the ways in which the neoliberal education reshaping agenda and austerity governments are impact of and the the country, education across these changes on kids — particularly the most vulnerable — and communities. It discusses the “choice” of the consumer-based, seductive nature with public money narrative that is often reinforced to further a privatized agenda. But it also illustrates the passion with which the public will defend its schools and support their educators and education workers. This is on display in Ontario state of (at the time of writing) with the current - Erika Shaker Erika Our Schools / Editorial from a standalone from . I want to express . I want to express Seizing the momentum the Seizing OS/OS and in CCPA’s other and in CCPA’s , which began in 1988 and which Monitor CCPA Monitor CCPA

Given the growing prominence of prominence Given the growing

Our Selves has been publishing since 2000. the CCPA of neoliberal education, both as a target am so pleased to reintroduce to longtime am so pleased to reintroduce to new ones, our and introduce readers, popular education magazine But, and I think this is important, those voices Given the way in which education is under In addition to the opportunity to address and In addition to the opportunity to address all. source also a tremendous and that diversity are listening to and we are of strength….provided a and that we recognize each other, learning from does direction neoliberal of the current rejection attack, in so many jurisdictions and on so many and not we need to be working together, fronts, purposes. This can be challenging given at cross so are that, when it comes to education, there many voices, so many needs — particularly as impacts inequality disproportionately entrenched our most vulnerable — and one size truly cannot fit this popular education journal, I appreciate the this popular education journal, I appreciate symbolism; for many people, education is their way into discussions of globalization, privatization, justice and equity — so many of the topics in the explored publications. it made sense to move com publication to one that would be regularly bined with the for his to Stuart Trew my deep appreciation enthusiasm and support in this new collaboration. who may not have had read readers more reach governments and as sites of resistance for those governments and as sites of resistance change, we felt working for systemic progressive I 4 students. SimonEnochand EmilyEatonaddress pro-environment, anti-oilindustrypropaganda to accused theprovince’s educatorsofteaching ta — Alberta’s ministerofeducationhasrecently Barbara Silvafrom SupportourStudentsAlber protests asillustratedby the powerfulwords of havebeenmetbyvocal government — which end tosubsidiesimplementedbytheprevious spectrum. Inadditiontosignificantcuts,andan province’s position,furtheralongthe neoliberal opposed) inOntario — thedifference beingthat changes similartowhatisbeingwitnessed(and province — should payclose attentionto. also heavilysubsidizesprivateeducationinthe in otherprovinces — especially Alberta,which It’s ananalysis thatpubliceducationadvocates both forsocioeconomicinequalityintheprovince. specialized publicschools,andtheimplicationsof by implementingtheirownpseudo-private evolved inQuebec,howpublicschoolsresponded public subsidiesofprivateeducationbeganand Stéphane Vigneault provides ahistoryofhow Quebec and(toalimitedextent)inNovaScotia. Columbia, Alberta,Saskatchewan,Manitoba, Public fundingofprivateschoolsexistsinBritish segregation” asit’s sometimescalledinQuebec. educational inequalities,or“educational schools. networks ofsupportinsideandoutsidethe the surrounding communitytotryandstrengthen way inwhichtheboard hasbeenworking with at three schoolsinaWinnipegsuburb,andthe oppression — on students’educationaloutcomes multi-faceted poverty — withadditionalformsof and KateSjoberg lookattheimpactofcomplex, education being“thegreat equalizer”).JimSilver education system(underscoringtheirony of additional stress onanalready under-resourced in CanadaandNovaScotia,howitisplacing comprehensive anti-childpovertypolicymeasures Stratford examinestheimpactofsufficientand automation, andcorporatepower. Similarly, Alec reverse theeffectsofgrowing inequality, precarity, sibility ofpubliceducationtomitigateandeven reforms. country, andhowtheyintersectwithneoliberal of educationpoliciesandpracticesacross the snapshots, paintingamore comprehensive picture Going forward, wewillcontinuetoproduce similar raised aboutitsimpactandpedagogicalefficacy. thathavebeenandcontinuetobe the concerns country, alongwithhowitisbeingjustifiedand standardized assessmenthasbecomeacross the Alberta educationisalsoexperiencinglegislated Public moneycanbeusedtoreinforce Chuka Ejeckamasksifit'sreally therespon - - damaging themostvulnerable;inspiteofrhet undermine thepublicsystem,disproportionately in spiteoftheintensitycutsintendedto resistance toregressive ideologies.Whichiswhy, priorities, andtheopportunitiesitprovides forcivic in shapingandreinforcing current andfuture of theinvestmentitrequires, therole itplays thatenactitspoliciesbecause the governments mindset. corporate demoralizing effectsofaninternalized workplaces thatreject theoftendemeaningand and helpingtocreate healthiercampusesand ratization oftheirinstitutions,rebuilding solidarity academics tohelppushbackagainstthecorpo turing. Claire Polsterofferssevenstrategiesfor neoliberalism’s pressures andprescribed restruc province’s classrooms. change is,orisn’t, beingaddressed intheir about “biasbalance”andwaysinwhichclimate this, intheSaskatchewancontext,theirarticle cradle tograve. equitable, accountablepublic education,from who workeverydayforuniversal, highquality, supporters, across thecountryandinternationally, And I’mlookingforward toreconnecting withour every dayisliterallyaboutotherpeoples’children. the educatorsandeducationworkerswhosejob debated inclassrooms across thecountry, and we’re building,thecontent beingdiscussedand required tomeetkids'needs,thecommunities sations abouttheschoolswewant,resources continuum that’s onlyas relentless asweallow. education are notnew;they’re partofaneoliberal other andfrom thepast.Theattacksonpublic But itrequires from ustolisten,andlearn each can beinstrumentalinbringingpeopletogether. outside classrooms, andwhatittakes togetthem, supports required tosupporttheminsideand kind ofschoolswewanttoseeforourkids,the what parents wanttoseefortheirkids. with educatorsandeducationworkers.Theseare Safe andinclusiveschools.More one-on-onetime future. Smallerclasses.More courseselections. relevant, inclusivecurriculumandasustainable are leadingprovince-wide ralliesindefenseof together tofightfortheirschools. Young people in “FamiliarityBreeds Resistance”are coming elected unionleadership — Iamoptimistic. about, educatorsandeducationworkersfrom their the publicfrom theschoolstheycare sodeeply oric designedtodivide — studentsfrom teachers, Public educationisatarget ofneoliberalismand The post-secondarysectorisnotimmunefrom I’m lookingforward tocontinuingtheseconver Rather thandividingus,debatesaboutthe Parents, students,andworkersasIdiscuss

œ - - - - 5 - - - that demonstrate

� of climate change by their own scien realities While these media outlets acknowledgement It is now well understood that this failure of It is now well understood that this failure delaying the urgent action required to prevent the to prevent action required delaying the urgent in impacts of climate change catastrophic more the near future. of “false balance” is welcome, if not severely demonstrates that the our research overdue, fossil fuel industry has been eager to strategically to influence how climate exploit “balance” in order change is thought about in another equally classrooms. important public venue: Canada’s “false balance” was not the news media’s fault “false balance” was not the news media’s cultivated public alone. In fact, it was a carefully fuel companies to strategy by fossil relations to need for “balance” in order exploit journalism’s of global warm confuse the public on the reality ing. Leaked internal documents the major oil companies — despite acknowledging the tists — developed a media strategy that sought to the views politicize climate science by promoting of climate deniers and accusing the news media of “bias” if their own hand-picked denialists were not included in coverage. Given the majority of the on the news media for their knowledge public rely of climate change issues, this strategy has done harm by sowing confusion and uncer irreparable tainty over the most important issue of our time,

- that it mea culpa The framed the by the national Emily Eaton and Simon Enoch Simon and Eaton Emily admitted The bias bias The regularly of balance about climate change climate about endorsed that too often their blind What Canada’s fossil fuel fuel fossil Canada’s What he past few years have witnessed media a number of prestige offering a organizations of sorts for how they have reported on climate change in the past. Both the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and admitted industry wants students to think think to students wants industry

have

To achieve impartiality, you do not need to you do not achieve impartiality, To include outright deniers of climate change in BBC coverage, in the same way you would not have someone denying that Manchester United has spoken. The referee won 2-0 last Saturday. as 2001 — the news media science of climate change as a debate, “balancing” the consensus of the scientific community with fringe climate deniers. In an statements from internal to staff, the BBC memo too often” gets coverage of climate change “wrong by seeking “false balance” in its coverage: pursuit of “balance” when covering global warmingpursuit of “balance” when covering global believing the science of climate change left readers was uncertain and up for debate, even as climate overwhelming consen scientists moved towards climate change. of anthropogenic sus on the reality Despite this consensus — academies of science of 17 countries as early Guardian T policies. climate change change and es to climate and/or respons societal impacts economics and the politics, and considering climate change teaching about to alsobe sciences ought The social 6 took theindustry’s interests intoaccount by ensuring theenvironmental educationcurriculum materials wouldbethesolution tothisdilemma, observed, magazine in1999,thepresident ofSEEDS education overthelonghaul.Speakingto staying powerrequired toinfluenceenvironmental blatant propaganda wouldnothavethekindof points outthisdilemma: An advertisingfeature onbehalfofSEEDSin1989 teaching materialswouldbemetwithsuspicion. by industrytodirectly produce anddisseminate outset. Itwasrecognized earlyonthat attempts education inschoolshasbeenexplicitsincethe third-party vehiclestoinfluenceenvironmental high, andseniorhighschools. than 8,000Canadianelementary, middle,junior million Canadianstudents,withprograms inmore that itsenergy literacyserieshasreached over1.5 Imperial Oil,CenovusEnergy andChevron, Development), whichhasbeensponsored by provider, SEEDS(Society, Environment andEnergy other largest third-party environmental education professional developmentprograms. Canada’s rooms visitedand416teachersenrolled intheir system. We mightdoitonce,butnotasecond We can’t putpropaganda intotheschool It wasalsorecognized thatclumsyattemptsat authority inthefieldofeducation. someone else,recognized asareliable wonder whatthecatchis.Onesolutionistofund teachers willlookatitwithsuspicionasthey may, atworst,bebrandedpropaganda. Atbest, material itproduces isimmediately suspect.It with goingdirectly intoeducation isthatany The problem theenergy industryingeneralhas For thefossilfuelindustry, thepreference for Third-party “bias-balanced”educational call bias-balancedinformation intotheirhands. time. They[schools]are aplacetogetwhatwe - industry beganpromoting whatthey programs, with1,058K-12class 2017, 24,736studentsattendedtheir coPhillips Canada — Cenovus Energy, SuncorandCono by thelikesofBritishPetroleum, education organizations — funded Canada’s mostprolific energy literacy impressive. InsideEducation,oneof materials intoCanada’s classrooms is these industry-sponsored third-party public-school system.Thereach of grams toteachersandstudentsinthe and professional developmentpro environmental educationalmaterials called “bias-balanced”third-party In the1990s,Canada’s fossilfuel reports thatin Oilweek boasts - - -

“balance isapoliticalconcept,notscientific As sciencehistorianNaomiOreskes conflate politicalarguments withscientificones. arguments — or anyotherinterest group — is to scientific arguments withtheinclusion ofindustry in theclassroom, butattemptingto“balance” community, thatshouldcertainlybeemphasized genuine debatewithintheenvironmental science serves toobfuscatethatscience.Ifthere isa environmental sciencelikeclimatechangeoften industry “interests” whenteachingestablished be opposedtobalance? — theconsiderationof certainly soundsreasonable enough — whocould economic benefitsofoilextraction.Whilethis lifeaswellthe ity offossilfuelstomodern this includesmaterialsemphasizingthecentral environmental issueslikeclimatechange.Often and educationalinterests inhowtheypresent equal representation toindustry, environmental, up “bias-balanced”materialsthatpurporttogive industry’s perspectiveas“biased,”whileoffering framing anylessonplanthatfailedtoinclude ronmentalism” tostudentsandteachers that promote avery distinctformof“market-envi that thesethird-party provided materialsalso cate climatescience,ourresearch demonstrates further disguiseindustry’s agenda. these third partyprograms andmaterials worksto its historyinobstructingclimateactionthrough sideration ofindustry’s underlyinginterests and inclusion ofindustryperspectiveswithoutcon are alsocriticallyassessed. Insteadtheuncritical as theirunderlyingmotivationsandconsequences industry perspectivescouldbeincludedsolong and advocatingforclimatechangeaction.Here kinds ofinterests involvedbothinobstructing These are appropriate spacestoconsiderthe to climatechangeandpolicies. economics andsocietalimpactsand/orresponses about climatechangeandconsideringthepolitics, narrow interests ofoneindustry. adoption ofperspectivesthatspeakfrom the the integrationofSTSEshouldnotprioritize and environmental education(orSTSE).However, integration ofscienceandtechnologywithsociety the countryhaveexplicitlymovedtowards the attempts tointervene.Indeed,curriculaacross science isapartandinwhichscientificdiscourse the socialandenvironmental worldsof which that scienceeducationshouldnotengagewith health effectsofsmoking.Thisisnottoclaim of tobaccofarmingtoGDPinalessononthe akin tohavingstudentsconsiderthecontribution a scientificdebateintopoliticalone.Itwouldbe science inourclassrooms effectively transforms industry perspectivesintotheteachingofclimate one. Itreally hasnoplaceinscience.” Inserting Yet thesematerialsdonotonlyservetoobfus The socialsciencesoughttoalsobeteaching emphasizes - - - - , 7 , - - argues Vol. 292, Issue Vol. . Vol. 6, No. 1, . Vol. Science. by Emily Eaton and . Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 125–136. . Vol. œ

Global Social Policy . Calgary: Society, Environment and Environment . Calgary: Society, . January 10 . October 5. March 6. March Vol. 50, No.31, 35–37. Vol. Oilweek, May 6. . July 10. September 7. Washington Post Washington Global Environmental Change Global Environmental The Guardian. The Guardian. Scientific American . April 24. Crude Lessons: Fossil Fuel Industry Influence on Crude Lessons: Fossil Fuel Industry Influence is Director of the Saskatchewan Office of the the of Office Saskatchewan the of is Director . June 4, D5. is an associate professor in the Department of of Department in the professor is an associate SEEDS Annual Report 2010 The Guardian The Guardian. The Guardian. over this period. As the realities of climate of climate period. As the realities over this The Guardian. Newsweek version of environmentalism. version of environmentalism. Climate of Doubt Author Slams “Corrosive” (2014). “Merchants John Horgan Change Skepticism.” for 71% of global emissions, Riley (2017). “Just 100 companies responsible Tess study says.” (2006). “How have international business discourses on the Paul Rutherford changed over the last decade?” environment 79–105 loss of Earth’s from threat (2019). “Human society under urgent Johnathan Watts natural life.” Michael Mann (2019). “The climate change generation needs to know what’s coming.” such lessons fail to “give our kids the tools to rise such lessons fail to “give our kids the as the to the immense challenge they will face climate change generation.” by CCPA a report from This article is based on research Saskatchewan: Education in Saskatchewan Environmental Project Simon Enoch as part of the Corporate Mapping Eaton Emily concerns work Her Studies. Environmental and Geography just industries, resource natural of economy political the oil. of ecology political the and transition, Enoch Simon in a PhD holds He Alternatives. Policy for Centre Canadian with University Ryerson from & Culture Communication and responsibility social in corporate interests research ecology. political Sources to is putting threat Alan Rusbridger (2015). “Climate change: why the Guardian and centre.” Earth front Damian Carrington (2018). “BBC admits ‘we get climate change coverage wrong too often.” Maxwell Boykoff and Jules Boykoff (2004). “Balance as Bias: Global warming and press.” the U.S. prestige Joint Statement (2001). “The Science of Climate Change.” 5520, p. 1261 (2019). “How the fossil fuel industry got the media to think climate Amy Westervelt change was debatable.” Calgary: Inside Inside Education (2017). Annual Report to the Community. Education. SEEDS (2010). Development Studies Foundation. Energy education.” involvement in environmental (1989). “Industry’s Advertising feature (1999). Back to school: SEEDS at work on planting an intelligent Jaremko Gordon dominant mode of environmental regulation, mar regulation, of environmental mode dominant failure, has been an abject ket environmentalism indicators in catastrophic with key environmental decline become degradation environmental change and who students today’s visible and alarming, more becoming its impacts are will have to live with to “do something,” as motivated more and more climate strikes of student-led the global growth by promoted environmentalism attest. The market like SEEDS and Inside Education organizations channel this legitimate have attempted to youth to “do something” into relatively by desire and ultimately ineffective modes non-threatening Ultimately, practice. of voluntary environmental a do materials and programs these educational as they evade the issue of disservice to students, while engendering a corporate power altogether, consump fantasy that small changes in personal address tion habits have the power to effectively of climate change. As the planetary-scale threat Michael Mann climate scientist renowned

- - - - this type responsible promoted more stringent regulation that might stringent regulation more negatively impact their bottom-line. as the despite almost 30 years Yet allows us as individuals to make choices. responsible environmentally Ditching my personal automobile is a only becomes viable if there and effective system of public robust transportation for me to choose instead. But only mass collective has the action and popular pressure power to compel governments to act often very powerful against what are The fossil-fuel established interests. industry has long of market-oriented environmentalism in lieu of state-led intervention and on industry that will be required to on industry that will be required avoid the worst impacts of climate only the state change. Moreover, necessary to build has the resources and the kind of sustainable energy that transportation infrastructure -

This is not to disparage such individual This is not to disparage such individual

can fail to address the inordinate power of the the inordinate can fail to address Due to decades of inaction, fossil fuel industry. only state governments power to force have the reductions the kinds of deep and rapid emission actions are the extent of what is necessary to ef the actions are will not only fectively combat climate change, they disappointed. sorely misinformed but be sorely With just 100 fossil fuel corporations of GHG emissions since than 70 percent for more worth its salt 1988, no climate change response fuel companies are actually all too happy to talk fuel companies are They just want to keep the about the environment. not individual responsibility, conversation around systemic change or corporate culpability.” laudable in their own right — but actions — they are encouraged to believe that these if students are exclusively devoted to how best to enshrine these exclusively devoted such as encouraging law, individual actions into or municipal bans recycling carpooling, curbside pervasive focus on individual on idling cars. This mate in these industry-sponsored responsibility Sami Grover’s writer rials confirms environmental belief, “fossil observation that contrary to popular on individual student actions as the best means to as the best means student actions on individual as pur gas emissions — such greenhouse reduce low-flow shower heads or chasing LED lightbulbs, discussion of industry respon bicycles — with no or its documented culpability sibility for emissions when these action. Similarly, in delaying climate political action, it is almost materials do discuss prioritizes market-based solutions and individual and individual solutions market-based prioritizes and action over state-intervention voluntary means to respond action as the best collective third-party change. Indeed, the to climate focus entirely materials we reviewed educational

pointed. sorely disap sorely misinformed but but misinformed be sorely be sorely will not only only will not change, they they change, combat climate climate combat effectively effectively necessary to to necessary of what is what of are the extent extent the are these actions actions these to believe that that believe to encouraged encouraged students are are students actions but if but actions individual individual

disparage such such disparage This is not to to is not This 8 G transportation, hourlongbusridesinlieuofcostly We are enragedforparents whodependon unseen, andunheard. a schoolwhere lackofsupportmakes themfeel aboutnavigating up sickeverymorning — worried We are furiousonbehalf ofthechildwhowakes We are furious. today tosaythatweare notmad. me ifweare here madatthisgovernment — I’m The otherday, asked inaninterviewajournalist sible andwellfundedpubliceducationsystem. educational justice educational to fightingforauniversal,acces citizen’s actiongroup committed advocacy organization! We are a Alberta, apubliceducation am withSupportOurStudents My nameisBarbaraSilvaandI ood afternoon. A question of - doubled. before/after schoolcare, whosecostshavejust to subsidizetheprivateone,andthatrightnow billion taxpayerdollarshaveleftthepublicsystem We are furiousthatinthe lastfouryears,overone broken inJanuaryduetocruelcuts. with theirteacherswillhavethoserelationships year, children whohavebuilttrustingrelationships We are fuming,thatpart waythrough theschool considered educationalluxuries. teachers, artlanguageteachersare now We are outragedthatmusic teachers,physed technology, playgrounds. fundraise forbasicresources, likebooks,furniture, We are shockedthatfamilies are expectedto 9 , co-founder , co-founder . For more more . For Barbara Silva Barbara . (All photos courtesy of of courtesy photos . (All https://vimeo.com/376576481 moral issue of our generation — how we moral issue of our generation — how the www.supportourstudents.ca/ We are here to say we are public education proud. to say we are here are We community builders, not breakers. are We support students. We support teachers. We education and we will not stand support public We by and let it be sold to the highest bidder. This is right to public education. stand up for children’s is just the beginning. Join us. Today Choose public education. by given a speech on is based This on in Calgary Education Public for Rally the at SOS-AB, of captioning, closed with along video, The 2019. 30, November at is available please (Alberta), Our Students Support about information visit SOS-AB) - - There are those who want to attack public educa are There tion at every opportunity. to defend it. every time, will meet him there We They think teaching is a vocation. know it is a calling. We They want you to see education as an individual commodity. know it is a common public good. We voucher right now, we already have a 70% we already voucher right now, voucher system in Alberta. you to focus on a teacher’s know they want We of two months off, instead of the 10 months in year over dedicated, committed work they put year. We see the plan. We this is taking public education. know where We the unions, weak breaking know this is about We communities. ening the public service and dividing the UCP debates a 100% know that while We funding should actually increase. justice. This is now a question of educational ask us to compromise. So don’t the expense of ask us to negotiate at Don’t children. Alberta’s the United Conservative Party is debating if that the United Conservative Party is debating 10 T subjugation. structures of dispossession,marginalization, and are inevitablyattachedtohistoricalandongoing proactively lesseninequalities — inequalitiesthat tively downplaysociety’s broader obligation to equalizer,’ politicalfigures andpunditseffec taken toreduce andeliminateit. aspects ofinequity, and thestepsthatmustbe claim obfuscatessomeofthemostimportant equalizer’ doesn’t tellthewholestory. Infact,this do not.However, citingeducationas‘thegreat on tofare betterintheirlivesthanchildren who access toeducationalresources dotypicallygo access toeducationisessential. socioeconomic outcomesandcircumstances, argue thattodecrease inequityandinequalityin average incomes.Politicalfigures andpundits ing employmentinadulthood,andhavehigher post-secondary education,findingandmaintain likelihood ofgraduatinghighschool,attending outside oftheirtimeatschool — haveahigher access toeducationalresources andexperiences schools intheirearlyyears — and,critically, have outcomes. Thosewhoattendwell-resourced years, drasticallyimproves individuals’life First, byraisingeducationas ‘thegreat In manyways,thisistrue.Children whohave Justice obscured The “great argument equalizer” isn’t aboutisn’t education or equity especially intheearlychildhood access toeducationalresources, shorthand forthebeliefthat political discourse.Ithasbecome equalizer’ is that ‘educationisthegreat he commonly-deployed widely

used adage in in Chuka Ejeckam -

- school andcontinuing ontopost-secondary — the that impactstudents’ likelihoodofcompleting high which wouldlessenthesurrounding inequalities dissuade policymakersfrom pursuingmeasures deterrent policy implications — inthatitcould other thanthepursuitofwealth. able benefitstosocietyproduced bypractices benefits ofpursuingeducation,andtheinnumer employment, ignoringentirely theself-actualizing programs mostlikelytosecure high-income narrative thatstudentsshouldselecteducational one’s economiccircumstances. Thisreinforces the pursued specificallyforthepurposeofimproving implicitly assertsthateducationshouldbe students foruniversity. than academicstreams whichseektoprepare be from school,andare disproportionately likelyto are groups experience also obscures themarginalization thatcertain more difficultformanyyoungpeople.Theclaim pursuing post-secondaryeducationsignificantly Such disparitymakescompletinghighschooland funding disparity in Canada,forexample,facean systems — Indigenous andFirstNationsstudents of resources experiencethemostinequitablelack the mostinequitablelackofeducational that thegroups inoursocietywhichexperience While thefirstaspectof claimhaslargely Secondly, the‘great equalizer’claimarguably The ‘great equalizer’claimignores thefact all pushed intoapplied-educationstreams disproportionately suspendedandexpelled resources, publicservices,andsupport ofhundreds ofmillionsdollars. while inschool. educational Blackstudents , rather

- 11 - noted is heightened structure in British structure they experience in their academic they experience in insecurity This has already impacted the trades. In This has already The long-term effects included a decrease Further, this funding structure has implications has implications this funding structure Further, no question that, in the long term, There’s tradespeople in Ontario. While injury rates in almost always higher than those the trades are or professions of workers in university-related office-based workers, the underlying point stands; education the benefits of a comprehensive and the negative difficult to fully quantify, are consequences of modularizing education at the predict. difficult to fully behest of employers are in fields deemed least This is especially relevant susceptible to automation — the fields of education that both work and education become less that both work and education become segmented into a series and more comprehensive, of isolated tasks. a 2003, the BC Liberal government introduced modularized trades training and Columbia — a system which trained students task-specific model, as young workers in a more education a comprehensive opposed to providing fields. For example, in the students’ respective program rather than offering a comprehensive certification with individual an provide would which the modularized training system as a carpenter, set of learning modules a progressive offered framer, as a former, certification which provided and so only cumulatively and finishing carpenter, The system also training in the full trade. offered skill requirements upon employers to identify relied themselves, and develop training programs of diminishing the education and training role the labour movement (an additional benefit to employers). in completion of full-trade certifications, a registrations across stratification in the number of in rates trade sectors, and an immediate increase of workplace injury to a level four times that of colleges and universities might be hesitant to take hesitant might be and universities colleges or of their political who, as a result on students of their or even as a result interests, educational for dependents or (including caring life situation could negatively obligations) other significant funding. school’s impact the who — along with professors, for new and young the now have to contend with employment — will being tied to the workplace- institutional funding expectations and demands and economy-based they have taught. A placed on the students precarity impact of employment which does immense and anxiety, levels of stress experiencing it, as well as harm to the person costs, and nega societal health care increasing tively impacting students. on how automation will have a significant impact fact, this has we conceive of and perform work. In employers demanding been leveraged by already - � - accused of “crazy Marxist by the Conservative by the Conservative also recommended perfor also recommended A number of socioeconomic forces A number of socioeconomic forces What’s more, a host of problems a host of problems more, What’s by application of metrics that prioritize and employer market-based forces demands. In a worst-case scenario, of using public institutions to bear the costs of training workers, to the benefit of private-sector employers. It us to consider what sorts also forces experiential learning, of research, skills and competencies, or communi valuable ty impacts will be considered by a government that student unions nonsense.” likelihood that influence a student’s of of graduation, let alone their areas and reinforced replicated are interest, serve everyone, not just those who it. from seek only to profit arise when considering metrics which incentivize colleges and universities of education that to prioritize streams especially desirable to employers. are In many ways, it functions as a means policy announced

This decidedly employment-centric perspective This decidedly employment-centric perspective

than recognizing that workers and broader society and broader that workers than recognizing changes can use collective power to make those mance-based funding metrics) is often combined mance-based funding metrics) is often graduates for the with the stated need to prepare which implicates the trades ‘jobs of the future,’ is certainly as well. While the labour environment over control changing, this view effectively cedes rather that change to employers and corporations, grants and loans, and has stated that funding will grants and loans, and has stated that its new also be contingent on compliance with speech’ policy. ‘free (which of post-secondary education policies is certainly not limited to Ontario — Alberta’s Blue Ribbon Panel research funding and capacity, and community and community funding and capacity, research The amount of funding impact will be considered. and in this manner to Ontario universities directed 1.4 per cent, at 1.2 and colleges sits presently cent by 2024. but will rise to 60 per respectively, free-tuition The government has also replaced with a mix of for low-income students programs indicators that include the job placement rate of placement rate that include the job indicators full list of criteria that will be their graduates. The performance has not used to evaluate schools’ Colleges, and but the Training, been revealed, has identified that graduation Universities Minister graduate earnings,rate, graduate employment, experiential learning, ‘skills and competencies,’ second aspect of the claim can be actively be actively can of the claim aspect second This can be seen ways. troubling enacted in in the governmentfunding to which makes in Ontario, in part, upon institutions contingent, educational

inequality. inequality. such grievous grievous such and entrench entrench and which produce produce which the structures structures the seek to reshape reshape to seek society, must must society, that we, as a as we, that than arguing arguing than up, rather rather up, themselves themselves ladders to raise raise to ladders and economic economic and rungs of social of rungs on the lower lower the on onus upon those those upon onus placing the the placing bootstrap myth, myth, bootstrap reinforces the the reinforces equalizer’ claim equalizer’ claim The ‘great ‘great The 12 service ofjustice,ratherthanprofiteers. social movementseekingtoreshape societyin The only‘great equalizer’availableisamass accomplished withasinglepolicyorinstitution. they propagate through generationscannotbe our politicstothisday, andcurtailing theharm These are structures whichunderpinandinform produce andentrench suchgrievousinequality. society, mustseektoreshape thestructures which themselves up,ratherthanarguing thatwe,asa rungs ofsocialandeconomicladderstoraise myth, placingtheonusuponthoseonlower the ‘great equalizer’claimreinforces thebootstrap embedded inoursociety. Inimplying otherwise, inequities andinequalitiesthatare structurally and benefitoftheservice. ‘the fullperson’exponentiallyincreases thevalue and care provision — where teachingandaiding The educationsystemalonecannotsolve PHOTO SOURCE:SUPPORT OURSTUDENTS(ALBERTA) be found on Twitter at @ChukaEjeckam Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Hecan Federation of Labour, and Research Associate with the BC Chuka Ejeckam primarily — a meanstoeconomicsecurity. self-actualization, notmerely — and certainlynot considered anessentialaspectofwell-beingand reduce inequality. However, educationshouldbe tunities duringpost-secondaryeducationcan and improve accesstoresources andoppor educational institutionstoeliminatetuitionfees is certainlypositive,andincreasing fundingto of existence.Increasing accesstoeducation place inthestupefyingandinscrutablecosmos about themselves,andhelpsthemfindtheir an educationthatteachesthemabouttheworld, Everyone deservestheopportunitytopursue is Director is of Research and Policy at the BC

œ - 13 - -

Canadian

are Indigenous, black, or visible minorities, as Indigenous, black, or visible are by the indicated in a 2018 report Association of Social Workers. Canada at 25th out of 41 affluent nations. Canada is at the bottom of the rankings for challenges that may seem inconceiva child poverty, ble — child health and safety, hunger and abuse. impact on have had a profound These realities of austerity as the supposed The promotion ● UNICEF ranks the well-being of children in ● UNICEF ranks the well-being of children an attachment with a consistent caregiver, which an attachment with a consistent caregiver, has ramifications for physical development and language. This has major consequences: children’s threaten and protection inadequate care developing and well-being and stops them from further learning to their full potential. Inequities are to provide perpetuated when services required unavailable. are and protections meaningful care who experience a lack of Because many children already commonly come from or protection care the ability of teachers, social workers and otherthe ability of teachers, social workers the improve staff to support communities, and help of chil education, emotional and social well-being the Nova Scotia government continues Yet dren. and management to implement an organizational change strategy that will transform crucial services to resources overall financial without increasing schools’, families and community services. “solution” to our supposedly “failing” public of the in the erosion services has resulted most vulnerable well-being of Nova Scotia’s often lack in institutional care Children children. - - Alec Stratford Alec that report. Over the last report. Canadian Centre for Canadian Centre of children in Nova Scotia in Nova children of Falling behind Falling Prioritizing care and well-being well-being and care Prioritizing

Raising Canada

workers are going above and beyond their going above and workers are that duties to try to hold a system together the resources, a lack of from has suffered in our society being care of professional role for undermined, and a focus on searching to “efficiencies” rather than best practices n Nova Scotia, child protection social n Nova Scotia, child protection cent increase in hospitalizations of children in hospitalizations of children cent increase and youth due to mental health concerns. In hospi were Nova Scotia alone, 806 children talized for mental health concerns in 2016. youth and families who ly involves children, child poverty increased from 18.1 per cent in from child poverty increased in 2016. 1989 to 21.5 percent and youth, according of Canadian children to the was a 66 per cent increase 10 years, there visits and a 55 per department in emergency Clearly, provincially and nationally the well-being provincially Clearly, continues to rise. The Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia reported The Nova Scotia government is determined to ● The child protection system disproportionate ● The child protection ● Suicide is the second-leading cause of death ● Child poverty remains stubbornly high and ● Child poverty remains of our children and youth is not being properly and youth is not being properly of our children prioritized or adequately supported. For example; foster human-centered connection. foster human-centered and expansion mark its success by the growth will benefit of the economy which theoretically in political leaders this has resulted all; however, overall dismissing any evidence demonstrating well-being continues to deteriorate. I 14 affecting working andvulnerableNovaScotians: Domestic Product (GDP) cangoupwithout Nova Scotianwell-beinghas beendire. was at20.4percent.Theimpact onCanadianand represents adrop from the1990s,whenCanada per centofGDPcompared to21percent.Thisalso in CanadafallwellbelowtheOECDaverage:17.2 itize theinterests oftheaffluent. Socialexpenditures overall socialspending,choosinginsteadtoprior needs, andoverthepast20yearshavereduced ly wehavefailedtokeeppacewithcomplexsocial the policiesthatleadtogreater well-being.National that generatebetteroutcomes. needs ofthepeopletheyserve,andpolicies treated likeabusiness,rather thanfocusingonthe a neoliberaltraitwhere services are government from communitiestotop-heavy bureaucracies is of education;however, shiftingdecisionmaking costs andcreate more efficienciesinthedelivery stated aimwastocentralizeservices,reduce boards withoneprovincial advisorycouncil.The ary 2018NovaScotiareplaced seven localschool shifts intheprovincial educationsystem. InJanu for marginalized families. develop meaningfulsolutions;thisisheightened authentic andempatheticrelationship-building to Family structures canbecomplexand require protection forat-riskfamilies,youthandchildren. cult, ifnotimpossibletoprovide qualitycare and creating conditionswhichmakeitextremely diffi sizes andcomplexclassroom needsforteachers, workloads forsocialworkers,andlarge class children andyouthmaintainoverallwell-being. essential toensuringthatvulnerablefamilies, and accesstomeaningfulincome,whichremain supports suchashousing,foodsecurity, childcare failedtoincreaseScotia government community of theamendmentswouldnotbemetifNova wereimportantly concerns raisedthatthegoal changes giventhetightenedcourttimelines.Most es andtheabilityoffamiliestomakenecessary community organizations toimplement thechang increased caseloads,thereadiness ofstaffand included to implementation.Theirconcerns withthelegislativechangesprior their concerns workers andcommunityorganizations reported years ofage,andtightenedcourttimelines.Social need ofprotective services,includedyouth16–19 Act in2016,broadened thedefinitionofachildin amendments totheChildren andFamilyServices implementedover80 services, thegovernment an inadequatesupportsystem. tion theyhaveexperiencedisfurtherreinforced by marginalized groups, thestigmaanddiscrimina This crisis is driven by lack of political focus on This crisisisdrivenbylackofpoliticalfocuson havebeencompoundedby These concerns This hasledtohighcaseloadsandchallenging With theaimoftransformingchildprotection As economistscontinuetopoint out,Gross ------ing dogmaisattheroot of: overwhelming evidencethatthismarket-prioritiz MonetaryFund(IMF). International notably bytheverypeoplewhoinventedit: society hasbeendebunkedmanytimesnow, most growth andexpandingGDPwillbenefitallof as wewere promised. Theclaimthateconomic the benefitsstubbornly refuse to“trickledown” of theentire populationhasbeenjeopardized as we’ve seenoverthepast20years,well-being balanced budgetsandcompetitivetaxes,butas political leadersrespond withpoliciesthatvalue When successisjudgedbyeconomicgrowth, 20 percentofCanadianshaveactuallyincreased. two decades,butonlytheincomesofrichest GDP inCanadahassteadilygrown overthelast [email protected]. as asessional instructor. Alec canbereached for comment at worker, school support counselor, community organizer and Nova Scotia Office. He has worked asa child protection social committee for the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives, Scotia College of Social Workers and Chair of the steering Alec Stratford similar focus. progress, andhowweachieveit. This couldbeagamechangerforhowwedefine on enhancingthequalityoflifeforallitscitizens. focus cannotjustongrowing theeconomy, but budget, whichatitscore recognized thattheirsole New Zealandimplementeditsfirsteverwell-being of momentum; earlierin2019thegovernment goal ofdevelopingastrong economy. There is improving well-beingisequally importantasthe shift. Andthismeansensuringthatthegoalof political goalsrequire afundamentalparadigm the servicesandcare thattheyrely on,our on theabilityofNovaScotianstoreceive ● Governments enactingausteritypolicies ● Governments ● Risinginequalityandthecontinuedclass ● Managerialismthatdevaluesanddeskills ● Entrenchment ofthepatriarchy, which increased anxietyandillnessforall; oppressed togounnoticed,eroded trust,and divide, whichhasallowedthevoicesof And yettheclaimcontinuestobemade,despite Nova Scotia—indeed, all of Canada—needs a allofCanada—needs Nova Scotia—indeed, To address thesetrends, andtheirimpact cies ratherthanpromoting humanconnection. services likeabusinesssearching forefficien framework whichaimstorungovernment professional competence,andcreates a dominantly donebywomen; devalues theworkofprofessional care — pre top-down bureaucratic systems; services,leadingtohighly government new managementsystems,andcentralize attempt tocutthecostofcare, institutionalize (expanding corporateinfluenceintheprocess) is the is Executive Director/Registrar of the Nova

œ - - - 15 - - recently recalled recalled recently

, the Commission came close to What was the Catholic Church gain soon What was the Catholic Church In 1968 the government struck weaken the overall exercise eventually allowed the weaken the overall exercise position to prevail. Church’s public financing of pri loss; this became Quebec’s to be a one-way street vate education would prove and its consequences. to school segregation Circle A Vicious This public money allowed subsidized private of their share schools to continuously increase prior to that point, the Catholic and Protestant prior to that point, the Catholic and Protestant of education but, had been in charge churches with the baby boom, the government was strug And the gling to keep up by building new schools. still wielded enormous power in Catholic Church the province. former a deal to fund private schools (mostly the few francophones “collèges classiques” where who had access at that time to secondary educated) with taxpayers’ money. education were Commission, tasked by the provincial The Parent Lesage to make government under Premier to modernise Quebec’s in order recommendations education system, backed this decision. As former commission member Guy Rocher in an interview officially opposing the public funding of private give-and-take of such an schools, but the inherent would and the fear that a minority report exercise - - - Stéphane Vigneault Stéphane

Quebec’s

’s political blind spot for ’s

� containing never-seen-be report (sadly) distinct distinct (sadly) e Mouvement L’école ensemble e Mouvement L’école in 2017 to was launched by parents public connections between address financing, equity and school segre gation, an issue that no government in Quebec has ever wanted to tackle. Until now.

education system la belle province

How did we get here? The high degree of structural unfairness and The high degree We Quebecers like to pride ourselves on having Quebecers like We serious problem. Revolution Quiet The The Quiet Revolution was in motion when the in 1964: Department of Education was created ment : Quebec is dead last on every indicator. education system has inefficiency in Quebec’s been in and changing: more but things are half a century, people, including key influencers in politics more starting to admit we have a and the media, are this (mostly true) narrative is unwelcomed. But this (mostly true) narrative is unwelcomed. time to acknowledge that, when comparing it’s system of funding models, Quebec’s provincial it is also the education is not only the most unfair, least efficient. A on equity OECD data comparing provinces fore was made public in October 2019 by the Mouve some of the most progressive public policies on some of the most progressive not support the continent. So anything that does L 16 well thanthose inprivilegedschools,but this in disadvantaged schoolshaveperformed less “in allprovinces orregions ofCanada, students to EquityinEducation 2016 landmarkreport, supérieur del’éducationto sound thealarmina This three-tier schoolsystemledtheConseil Consequences vicious circle becomesevenmore entrenched. public schoolsmore attractivetoparents. Andthe classroom makessubsidized privateandselective this compositionofthe“regular” publicschool of underfundedandunder-resourced schools, to require more support.Particularly inanera tion ofstudentswithspecialneedswhotend “regular” publicschoolshave anover-representa much highertoday. Mouvement hasreceived suggestthis figure is this figure as“conservative”. Testimonies the in selectivepublicschoolsat20%,describing l’éducation selective publicschools. public dataonthesocioeconomiccompositionof schools’ attendanceand,likewise,there isn’t any make publicanydetailedpicture ofselective the publicsystem. of private-likeschoolingwithoutactuallyleaving for left-of-centerparents whowantedthebenefit private schools, they offered a comforting loophole parents. Notonlywere mostofthemcheaperthan “public” schoolsproved extremely popularwith programming — thesports, artsoralternative new a numberofdifferent focuses — international, letters, mandatoryparental involvement,etc.With (anywhere between$100and$10,000),auditions, right “fit”: registration, examfees,exams, tuition that are stillusedtofilteroutkidswho aren’t the schools) were created, withmodesofselection (selective publicschools,orclasseswithin environment fortheirchildren. had, i.e.thecapacitytoofferparents anexclusive the samecompetitiveadvantageprivateschools own turf:selection.Publicschoolsofficialswanted decided tocompetewithprivateschoolsontheir institutions andeducationministersinstead granted tosubsidizedprivateschools,public ing socioeconomicsegregation. tuition feesandscreen applicants,furtherreinforc are insubsidizedprivateschools,whichcharge that 93%oftheprovince’s privateschoolstudents more than22%ofthemdoso.Itshouldbenoted students attendedprivateschoolsin1970:today, the schoolmarket.Only5%ofsecondary As aresult ofthissocioeconomic “skimming”, In a2007 The DepartmentofEducationdoesnot And so,inthe1990s,“projets particuliers” But ratherthanopposingthefiscalprivilege 2 estimatedtheproportion ofpupils report , theConseilsupérieurde . TheConseilexplainedthat Steering theCourseBack 1 - - (emphasis added): of Quebec. clearly statesthatsomethingisrotten inthestate difference ismuchhigherinQuebec.”The report the world)tend toperformlesswellacademically and marginalized students(andthis istruearound this case, the more fortunate. to anunequaltreatment that tends tofavour leading programs andprivateschools—is about byaproliferation ofselective special the offerincompulsoryeducation—brought analysis alsoshowsthat be more generous thaninotherprovinces. The social programs inQuébecare considered to Canadian provinces orterritories more significantinQuébecthanother in affluentonescontinuestobemarkedly schools indisadvantagedareas andthose ence inachievementbetweenstudentsfrom in everysubjectmeasured byPISA, influence ontheirscore (OECD2014).However, students appearsineffecttohave relatively little The socio-economicstatusofCanadian Its findingsare worthquotingextensively This issue is one of fairness orequity — or,This issueisoneoffairness in can). challenging (shunnedbythose teacherswho families whocan)andworking conditionsmore (shunnedbythose less conduciveforlearning with someinstitutionsorclassrooms viewedas Thus agapisgrowing betweencommunities, is openingthedoortoamulti-tiered school. profiles, students byeducationalandorsocio-economic This crisisreinforces thetendencytogroup weakening thepubliceducationsystem and isfeedinga with thebeliefthatnotallschoolsare alike, Competition ineducationgoeshand inequalities barely madeadentinreducing thesecontextual in thesecommunities,theeducationsystemhas Thus, despitecountervailingmeasures inplace their rightsorlackthecapabilitytoassertthem. communities tendtobelessinformedabout [...]. Inaddition,familiesfrom disadvantaged are overrepresented inpublicclassrooms backgrounds disabilities andthosewithlearning perpetuating it. in waysthatcontributetosomeextent ever, theQuébec educationsystemoperates Rather thanreducing socialinequality, how the veryessenceofequity. benefitting from them,andthis runscounterto conditionsaremost needthebestlearning not un resulting inaformofexclusionthat fairness and fairness . Children from disadvantaged crisis ofconfidencethatis Inotherwords, thosewho in the stratificationof equity. Disadvantaged . Andyet the differ . - -

17

Joint press press Joint Middle Montreal launch, June 2017 2017 June launch, Montreal

Top Anne-Marie Vigneault, (Stéphane Boucher) Cloutier Alexandre with conference Nadeau-Dubois Gabriel and (PQ) (QS) PHOTO SOURCE: TVA WEBSITE PHOTO SOURCE: TVA PHOTO SOURCE: JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL WEBSITE - PHOTO SOURCE: LE DEVOIR WEBSITE PHOTO SOURCE: LE DEVOIR school Moving Forward Moving , released in January 2018, were were in January 2018, , released results was always in quotation marks in the press. was always in quotation marks in the press. Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg. It gave the Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg. 150 assembled at the École nationale d’administration publique a taste of what a unified system could be. In wanted to use Finns “In the 70’s, words, Pasi Sahlberg's discovered We education to even out social inequality. that equity also brings about excellence.” We received endorsements from a range of groups a range of groups endorsements from received We committees and the including the Federation of parent de Montréal (the biggest school Commission scolaire vote at that!) and a unanimous in the province, board the During the last electoral campaign, we organised, with Montreal in the debate, a conference night before When we launched our movement, the term When we launched our movement, the segregation work of our hard This is slowly changing. And as a result and good timing, elected officials took a stand on school in the National Assembly — a first! — bringing segregation education critics of both the Parti Québécois and Québec together on the same stage. Solidaire We asked CROP to poll Quebecers on our three pro to poll Quebecers on our three asked CROP We posals and the 75% of Quebeckers overwhelmingly in our favour: almost for private schools; 65% opposed to public funding were admissions wanted an end to student selection through exams for public schools. projects, at both primary and secondary levels. at both primary and projects, calling for is put public system we are Our longer term goal (#3), once the unified students and in place, is to consolidate aid to struggling for students develop an enriched learning environment well-served all kids are high achievers, ensuring who are classroom. and adequately supported within a common Le Mouvement L’école ensemble was created by Gatineau parents in June 2017, parents by Gatineau ensemble was created Le Mouvement L’école election, to advocate for an equitable in the leadup to the October 2018 provincial system of public education. our two main demands in their platform: Our goal is to have political parties include private school funding and or indirect 1) Put an end to all direct in the public system for selective special 2) Put an end to the selection of students 18 of population density orlocation. to itandallteachers mustbepaidfairly, regardless a universalcommitment,all kids musthaveaccess not acknowledgethatbecause publiceducationis overrepresented inthepublicsystem, anditdoes cost ofsupportingspecialneeds kidswhoare with apples;itdoesnotacknowledge thehigher reality, becauseitdoesnotcompare apples for thepublictreasury. taxpayers andthiswouldprove toogreat aburden the remaining 40%would alsohavetocomefrom claim thatifprivateschoolswere nationalized, private schoolparents. Privateschoolproponents taxpayers, andtheremaining 40%comesfrom private schoolsreceive 60%oftheirbudgetfrom According toQuebec’s DepartmentofEducation, Private Schools Save Us Money? Really? of Quebecersalthoughtheyare builtonsand. schools). Thesemythsare heldasfacts bymillions next generationofleaders,andtoinspire public need tocontinuetheirexemplarywork(toformthe private schoolsare simplybetterand therefore taxpayers money. Thesecondonestatesthat that subsidizedprivateschoolsactually serious attackonitsprivileges.Thefirstclaims d’enseignements privés[FEEP])toavoidany school lobby(theFédérationdesétablissements Until now, twomythshaveallowedtheprivate Political Mythology Quebec’s poorresults andtheirconsequences: selective schools),weshouldnotbesurprisedby the [atleast]20%ofchildren screened bypublic the subsidizedprivatesectorschoolsinadditionto children segregated (22%ofchildren chosenby taged studentsperformwell.” more equitableeducationsystemsmore disadvan strong influenceonstudents’performance,butin Focus summarised theissueinOctober2018’s line remain untilthefinishline.PISA researchers system likeQuebec’s, inequalitiesatthestarting performance ismitigated.Butinaninequitable fairer system,suchasFinland’s, thisdifference in particularly absentthenecessarysupports.Ina ● ● ● ● 53% of16–65year-olds inQuebec havelow A quarterofteachersleavetheprofession Dropouts costtaxpayers$2billioninannual A quarterofsecondaryschoolstudentsdrop But thelegendary60%figure disguises So whyare weignoringthissituation? or insufficientliteracyskills. during theirfirstfiveyearsinthelabourmarket. ised dollarsaccording toa2009BMOstudy. out. With more than42%oftheprovince’s school newsletter:“Socio-economicstatushasa save PISA in

- - - school pupilscomesfrom publicfunds. 10 dollarsneededtoeducatesubsidizedprivate students. Inotherwords, almosteightoutofevery of publicfundingfor funding, wereach anastonishingfigure of79% split thedifference andadd$20milliontodirect between $16millionand$24peryear. Ifwe tax credits fordonationstoprivateschoolscostus a studybyUniversitédeSherbrooke professor, indirect preschool. school, 63.9%inelementaryschooland63.6% of thatanequivalentpublicstudentinhigh state ofasubsidizedprivatestudentwas74.8% in 2014. poux-Lesage, whoexaminededucationfinancing by theformerQuebecOmbudsman,Ms.Cham estimate camefrom thegroup ofexpertschaired some lower-income parents singthepraises of possible schools, reinforce thisidea. Andeven anxious tohelpparents “shop”forthebest Institute rankings,dutifullyreported bymedia ingrained inthepublicconscience. AnnualFraser of studentsandtheresulting schoolsegregation. obstacles, sowhatisatissuehere istheselection private schoolstudentshavefewerchallengesand In otherwords, privateschoolsare notbetter: school peerswithuniversity-educatedparents.” associated withacademicsuccessandtohave have socio-economiccharacteristicspositively attended privatehighschoolswere more likelyto 2015 report public ones.StatisticsCanadastudiedthis that privateschoolsare simplybetterthan The secondmythisperhapsthemostpowerful; Private Schools are Not Better for privateeducationtowards publicschools. though redirecting ofallpublicfundingearmarked the publicsystemmore efficientand more fair cohesion) foroureconomyasaresult ofmaking long-term gains(lowerdrop-out rates,bettersocial secondary schools).Andthissaysnothingabout save Quebectaxpayers$14millioneachyear(for private schoolstudentsintopublicschoolswould public subsidytoprivateschoolsandintegrating schools, atzero costtotaxpayers. of secondarylevelstudents(in2016)attendthose where privateschoolsare notsubsidized, must absolutelybetakenintoaccount.InOntario, purse apenny — anotherpotentialsavingthat sidized, theirstudentswouldnotcost forgets thatifitsschoolswere notpubliclysub But theprivateschoolslobbyalsoconveniently That’s along wayfrom theoftenquoted60%. But tothatdirect fundingwemustalsoadd So, what’s therightnumber?Thebest-known The myththatprivateschools are betteris In fact,wehavecalculatedthateliminatingthe fundingthrough taxcredits. According to The group estimated , andconcludedthat“Studentswho private secondaryschool thatthecostto 3 thepublic 5.6% in a - -

19 œ

www. but, in the did not campaigns against school school against campaigns . But the debate was . But the debate was is the coordinator of le Mouvement Mouvement le of coordinator is the . Individuals and organizations interested interested organizations and . Individuals the requirement for the state to for the state to the requirement Mouvement L’école ensemble L’école Mouvement There are few things more difficult for politicians more few things are There it may. And for the first time, it appears that In the end, the majority CAQ government the majority CAQ In the end, Good socioeconomic data for the public system in general is not available. There Good socioeconomic data for the public system in general is not available. There length advisory The Conseil supérieur de l’éducation (CSE) is a public, arm’s leader of the Canadian Conservative until recently Scheer, note) Andrew (Editor’s than taking away a privilege from current and current than taking away a privilege from against school potential voters. But the arguments backed by facts and science, are segregation the and by the majority of Quebecers — and shifting. Distinguishing odds against change are ourselves in Canada with the unfairness currently to end. built into our education system needs Vigneault Stéphane and a consultant, as art sector in the works ensemble, L’école QC.. Gatineau in lives Le at petition can sign its You in Quebec. segregation ecoleensemble.com a full-time hiring of goal its achieve association the in helping online. can donate employee Notes 1. two public school socioeconomic rankings publicly available (SFR and IMSE), are kids bring in their postal code’s poorly constructed indexes in which but they are excluded from Private schools are characteristics instead of their household’s. these indexes. 2. body for the Minister of Education and Higher Education. 3. private to children their send who parents provide to intentions his voiced had Party, the federal government if he from of up to $4,000 per child schools with a tax credit the election. pledge before this He reversed was elected Prime Minister. school inequity in the province, all three opposition opposition all three in the province, inequity school usually a vocal the Liberals, parties, including the issue took on matter, on the force status quo schools. in selective public of tuition for the first to pass its bill, putting managed time in law that does not apply public education free provide schools to selective public joined other citizen groups intense. Le Mouvement to focus Bill 12 on general calling on the Minister the like — and set up a and fees — for recorders to study tuition in selective public commission to with all matters relating public schools along opposition parties All three school segregation. The Minister supported the idea. to admit his department he was forced process, of the attendance of selective had no clear portrait data public schools nor any socioeconomic and publicly about the students who attend them him with this mandated his department to provide information. - - - ), the ugly Le Monde data from Quebec children Quebec children data from analyzed When presented with these numbers, we can, with these When presented It’s also notable that, to access this data, we also It’s Although the Department of Education does Although the Department pay a fee for her child’s recorder. Thanks to the recorder. pay a fee for her child’s of the causes and implications of rising awareness Social acceptance of entrance exams, tuition Social acceptance of entrance exams, fees, expulsion of unwanted students or other is falling. Last children methods of screening Bill introduced spring, education minister Roberge 12 which sought to clarify what additional costs after to parents, schools can and cannot charge to who refused a lawsuit launched by a parent like the current Education minister Jean-François like the current say they tell us nothing new and main Roberge, Or we policy. tain our unofficial school segregative can fight back for the common good. is Coming Change changing. are school segregation Attitudes toward education system, but the results were not were education system, but the results knew (thanks particularly surprising: we already that subsidized to a private schools lobby report) 184% private families have a median income higher than that of public families. France’s similar numbers in France’s numbers truth is that had we been able to extract selective public public from that isolated regular likely that the situation is even worse. schools, it’s PISA servers in Paris to get had to go through at play in Quebec’s a better portrait of forces there are few low-income children in private children few low-income are there disad six times more are schools. In fact, there than in private in public schools vantaged children 5.6%). While this six-fold ones (29.8% versus debate an emergency have triggered should figure (like it did in France after in the National Assembly about famous economist Thomas Pikkety wrote And isn’t this the First Law of Being a Parent: a Parent: Law of Being this the First And isn’t your child? wanting the best for concerningnot publicize information the income the Mouvement L’école of private school parents, ensemble PISA exam and found that participating in the public subsidies for private schools. We occasion We schools. for private subsidies public some from on social media feedback ally receive saying that they families financially-squeezed their kids to so they can send take vacation don’t a matter of “priorities.” it’s private school — that 20 S outside-the-box approaches toproblem-solving. standardized — creativity, criticalthinking,or to recognize or“score” topicsthat are noteasily part duetotheinabilityofthis formofassessment to assessstudents’educational performance,in opposition toareliance onstandardized testing succeeding. in variousareas todetermine iftheschoolis scores allowparents totracktheirchild’s progress ket-based orconsumer-friendly: standardized test form ofassessmentispromoted asmore mar “leveling theplayingfield”fortesttakers.This therefore remove barrierstohighereducationby such asrace,genderandclass,would as, atleasttheoretically, immunefrom indicators test scores). Standardized testingispositioned students’ abilitytosucceed(oratleastimprove dies (resources orfocus)thatmightimprove the “achievement gaps”andpropose variousreme bodies abouttheeducationsystemtodetermine assessments provide informationtogoverning of education. assessments ofstudentsuccessinspecificareas A numberofarguments havebeenraisedin Proponents argue thatstandardized results are presented asobjective student atacertainlevel/grade.The are meanttoapplythesameevery which coveraparticulartopicand nal groups, are aformofassessment policy forpoliticiansandsomeexter tandardized tests,apoliticallypopular Testing, testing standardized assessment in A provincial scanof K-12 Canada Dylan Kelly - - - at somelevel teachers andschoolsare being time inclass favouroftestpreparation, because related issueisthereduction ofactual learning or prioritizedduringtheregular schoolyear. A content (oreventest-taking skills)notcovered as teachershavetocommit classtimetoteaching objectives ofaprovincialand learning curriculum, assessments are notdirectly linkedtothecontent the standardized test.Thissuggeststhatthese prepare studentsfortheformatandcontentof deprioritize orforego otherclassroom contentto of teachingtothetest,where teacherswill solution whenitcomestomandatorytests. Plansarestudents withPersonalLearning noreal assessments. Minimalaccommodationsmadefor and maynotperformwellonthesehigh-pressure have different stylesorspecialneeds learning students isproblematic becausecertainstudents That standardized testsapplyequally toall students basedonlocationandfamilyincome. of education,are increasingly outofreach for cational opportunitiesthat,withtheunderfunding impacted byfamilywealth on standardized assessmentsissignificantly ized testresults, whichsuggeststhat “success” affects educationoutcomesincludingstandard and classare Socio-economicstatus concerned. deeply inequitableoriginswhere race,gender abilities, theveryactof“sorting”studentshas objective performancemeasurements ofstudents’ Another common concern istheissue Another commonconcern Although standardized assessments claim tobe 1 andaccesstoedu - - 21 - - -

9 - Grade 5 7 Despite this, the Provincial Despite this, the Provincial 8 The stated purpose of the FSA, The stated purpose 4 The stated purpose of these Pro 6 The PATs are administered in grades administered are The PATs 10 Government policy changes regarding provincial provincial Government policy changes regarding numeracy to identify areas of student success, as numeracy to identify areas achievement gaps exist so teachers well as where done. work is needed to be more know where The SLA has been optional since 2018, based on opinion as to whether it is professional a teacher’s learning and development best for their student’s in the class. language arts, math, 6 and 9 in English/French science, and social studies; the stated purpose of these assessments is to show Albertans literacy as defined by the provincial curriculum, as literacy as defined by the provincial “knowledge, reason, well as the ability to apply, exam and communicate effectively as [students] and solve problems.” ine, interpret, unclear: the 2017 Ministry testing are standardized mention of Education mandate letter does not generally as student assessment or use language testing (accountability, sociated with standardized metrics, assessment). that the Graduation Assessments demonstrate goal is to not only BC government’s current standardized maintain but enhance the amount of the way in testing in K-12 education, and continue is associated with which this form of measurement assessment of student achievement. Alberta types of K-12 stand three are In Alberta, there testing: the Student Learning Assessment ardized and (PAT), Achievement Test (SLA), the Provincial Diploma Examinations. The SLA is administered at the commencement of grade 3 for literacy and British Columbia British standardized conducts various British Columbia Foundation Skills through tests on K-12 students in grades 4 and 7; in the early Assessment (FSA) with grade 10 was replaced 2000s the FSA for exams. provincial curriculum, is to provincial which corresponds schools school districts, “to help the province, councils evaluate how well and school planning and make achieving basic skills, students are student achievement.” plans to improve assessments for numeracy were 10 provincial in 2018, a grade 10 literacy test introduced and a grade 12 literacy test starting in 2019/2020, in 2020/2021. grade vincial Graduation Assessments (a passing to graduate high-school) is to ensure is required and students have developed skills of numeracy - 2 and to advocate in favour of a more and to advocate in favour of a more 3 In Canada, education is under provincial In Canada, education is under provincial The association of student success, as The association of student success, Test scores also lend themselves to superficial scores Test This pressure only intensifies when assessments only intensifies This pressure When student scores on a standardized on a standardized scores When student embraced — in one form or another — standardized embraced — in one form or another — standardized testing as a method of assessment. workplace demands and educational interests do interests workplace demands and educational not coincide. for some variation jurisdiction, which provides when it comes to content, between provinces and assessment methods. Despite structure, have all provinces this ability for differentiation, determined by standardized assessments, with determined by standardized is also the language of work-place preparation workplace shorter-term as it prioritizes problematic in demands over students pursuing educational obvious or immediate that may not have an terests could have employment-based application. This if significant implications for student engagement classes. It’s also become a useful hammer in the classes. It’s anti-public school toolkit, meant to “convince with the public-school people” of problems system private, market-friendly model. school rankings which reinforces the “good school rankings which reinforces narrative. Rankings schools = good test scores” private schools in of this sort often overrepresent schools without fully controlling the top-scored more for factors including higher family income, extracurricular activities and much smaller portion of the student’s final grade. Test results Test final grade. portion of the student’s self for a student’s can also have implications on graduation as a failure esteem and identity, to question tests can lead students requirement ultimately in education and may their future school out of to drop contribute to the decision altogether. pressure on educators, whose reputation is now reputation on educators, whose pressure on an assessment linked to student performance a flawed, and also creates method that is deeply for students, which itself situation high-pressure can impact test performance. to a or contribute requirement a graduation are assessed through students’ performance on on performance students’ through assessed well. tests as standardized teacher to perceived linked are assessment tremendous puts are — it generally they quality — as 22 government. this direction maybepursued bythecurrent ous attemptstointroduce assessmentssuggests however, the languageused,coupledwithprevi a plantointroduce provincial standardized tests; provinces. Overall,Saskatchewandoesnotoutline the subjectofstandardized assessmentsinother reading, writing,andmath measurable outcomestoidentifystudentlevelsin to improve studentachievement,andtheuseof 2019-2020 references accountabilityasaway the program. and parents pointedtoalackofconsultationon from thisproposal teachers afterconcerned however, quicklybackedaway thegovernment included annualtestingforeverystudent; minister announcedaneducationplanwhich provide 100%ofastudent’s evaluation. non-qualified instructorwhowouldotherwise compensate forthelackofqualifications the finalgradeincourse,andisdesignedto Theexammakesup40%of as adultlearners. homeschooled, orwhoare takingthese classes been instructedbyanon-accredited teacher, by studentsingrade12courseswhohave Departmental Examinationswhichare completed the onlyformofstandardized testingisthe In Saskatchewan'sK-12educationsystem Saskatchewan the gradevalueattachedtothem. both inthenumberoftestsadministered andin increased standardized testingforK-12education, isheadingdownapathof Alberta government 30%). Diploma Examinationsat50%(upfrom thecurrent indicated hisinterest inreinstating thevalueof grade 3students. grades 1,2and3,reintroducing thePAT for are newliteracyandnumeracyassessmentsfor the recently-elected UnitedConservativeParty and across theprovince. ment standard whichremains consistentovertime curriculum objectives,andtoprovide anassess is toassessstudentachievementrelative tothe grade. ThestatedpurposeoftheDiplomaexams or college,makingup30%ofthecourse’s final a factorinstudent’s admissiontouniversity students enrolled ingrade12courses,andare necessary. monitor anddeterminewhere improvements are each year, andtohelpschoolsauthorities if studentsare meetingprovincial standards Back in2013,theSaskatchewaneducation Going forward, specificchangesproposed by 14 Thissuggeststhat.overall,thecurrent 11 DiplomaExaminationsare takenby 16 TheEducationMinistryPlanfor 13 Premier JasonKennyhasalso 12 17 — topics commonly 15 - - set byprovincial curriculumdocuments. and understandingrelative tothestated objective information aboutastudent’s levelofknowledge the student’s finalmark;theseare meanttoobtain Tests forvariouscourseswhichmakeup30%of and gradelevel. ment isatrespective totheirprogram objectives system) astowhere students’levelofachieve is toinformparents (andtheprovincial education engagement. which coversmath,reading, writing,andstudent Middle Year Assessmentfor grades 7and8 Four AssessmentinFrench Immersion,anda Assessment innumeracyandreading, aGrade out K-12education,startingwiththeGradeThree Manitoba hasvariousstandardized teststhrough Manitoba citizenship, are alltobe assessedfrom withinthis to pursue,including parental engagement and indicatesitwants other themesthegovernment of datawhilefocusingonequity. Interestingly, the EQAO,andmoremodernizing effective use regarding educationincluded acommitmentto ment inaccordance withtheOntariocurriculum. provide ameasurableresult ofstudentachieve tests inOntario,asstatedbytheEQAO,isto course ingrade12.Thegoalofsuchstandardized second failure meansthestudenttakesaliteracy the studenttoretake thetestfollowingyear;a requires a75%passinggrade,whilefailrequires high school,isalsoagraduationrequirement. It ary SchoolLiteracyTest (OSSLT), administered in student’s finalmathmark. graduation requirement, contributesto10%ofa as wellagrade9testfornumeracywhich, assessments inreading, writing,and numeracy, Office (EQAO)administersgrade3and6 The EducationQualityandAccountability Ontario currently playinK-12educationwillcontinue. the prominent role standardized assessments the absenceofapolicyshift,wecanonlyassume is regarding thegoalofimproving outcomes. The onlymentioninthemandateletterofK-12 needs ofthelabourmarketandManitobaindustry. economic terms:thefocusisonmeeting andonlytalksabout‘development’in learning, Education andTraining doesnotoncemention The 2018mandateletterfortheMinistryof The planreleased bythecurrent government 18 Thepurposeoftheseassessments 19 Ingrade12there are Provincial 22,23 TheOntarioSecond 20 21 - In - 24 - - 23

- - 38 - - The directives of PLANS are of PLANS are The directives 40 36 41 ); to restore provincial testing provincial ); to restore 37 In grade 10, students complete the 39 The Education Plan (2015) justifies its focus on The current government Brunswick in New The current government regarding achievement for education government regarding decision-making, help teachers understand assessment principals/practices, publish account for all assessments/achievements to ability reports teachers and public. by raising concerns about data and test results international national and test Nova Scotia’s and intends to modernizein education scores, by using student assessment results the province will continue for the New Brunswick’s students. will continue for the New Brunswick’s Scotia Nova in NovaThe administration of all assessments Scotia, whether international, national, or of Learning is done by the Program provincial, a branchAssessment for Nova Scotia (PLANS), Childhoodof the Ministry of Education and Early tests, Development. The first set of standardized in gradeNova Scotia Assessments, take place Students in 3, and cover numeracy and literacy. Immer grades 6 and 8 in both English and French writing and assessed in reading, are sion programs mathematics. Nova Scotia Examinations in math (for both English and English (for Immersion programs), and French English students only). These secondary school final examinations contribute to 20% of a student’s grade in said course. assess as follows: develop/administer program ments to determine curriculum effectiveness, conduct student assessments to assist students information to the to achieve outcomes, provide assessments is to monitor student achievement so so achievement student is to monitor assessments while and learningthat teaching be improved, can the education the public about also informing well-being. system’s party provincial in 2018, but their was elected policy regarding a sense of their platform provides the heading assessments (under standardized by teachers in classrooms, “have decisions made not politicians” government, and to cancelled by the previous on school and display test results prominently suggests that the department websites — which is espe assessment results data collected from government’s the provincial cially important to Childhood Early and (Education agenda. education also talks of Dominic Cardy, Development Minister, decision-making, data to inform using test score of but what has been left out of the discussion assessments of students classroom the data are it Overall, that teachers carry out regularly.) tests appears that continuation of standardized

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27

35 The Ministeri 28 The current PC The current The final form of 26 34 Another secondary school 29 31,32,33 Additional tests occur in grades 4, 6, 30 Quebec’s provincial government has focused provincial Quebec’s must take the English Language Proficiency must take the English Language Proficiency Reassessment in a later grade. Examinations testing is the Provincial standardized for various high school courses; a passing grade to get the course credit. (60%) is required The stated purpose of these various provincial and 10 where students are assessed in reading, reading, assessed in students are and 10 where math and science. assessment, the English Language Proficiency to test students’ designed Assessment (ELPA), with provincial skills in accordance reading a “below curriculum, is a graduation requirement; achievement” mark means the student appropriate New Brunswick English Reading Assess grade 2 New Brunswick’s being modified to focus more ment, is currently on literacy. heavily on school board elimination, and has not heavily on school board testing policies made changing standardized mandate, in K-12 education a part of its stated and suggesting that the status quo for assessment data use will likely continue. of the program objectives in accordance with the objectives in accordance of the program Administrative Guide 2015 Edition. final mark al Exams constitute 50% of a student’s is required in the subject, and a pass on all exams to graduate. in order results contribute to 20% of a student’s final grade a student’s contribute to 20% of results purpose in the specific course, and the stated is to evaluate learning in particular subjects. in grade Students write Ministerial Examinations and math; in grade 10 covering science, history, assessments, the and French English are 11 there purpose of which is to demonstrate achievement Quebec tests called standardized Quebec students take in grades 4 (French Compulsory Examinations and English assessment) assessment), 6 (math assessment). The test and 8 (Secondary II, French been increased from part-time (at $5,000 salary) part-time from been increased salary). to full-time (at $140,000 of continued government direction demonstrates a students. assessment of K-12 frame of EQAO-based standardized assessment. standardized of EQAO-based frame the most impor the data angle seems In particular government. new chair of The current tant to the unsuccessful Progressive is an board the EQAO the position has candidate, and Conservative 24 to inform teaching and learning decisions in to informteaching andlearning data toschools, teachers,andthegovernment to curriculumoutcomes,and toprovide the Assessments istocompare studentachievement and 9. Language ArtsandMathematics ingrades3,6, for the2019-2020schoolyear tocoverEnglish currently developingnew Provincial Assessments of EducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentis In NewfoundlandandLabrador, the Department Labrador and Newfoundland was nocommitmenttotheirelimination. provincial standardized testing,” on acommitmentto“[r]educethefrequency of countries. by Canadianjurisdictionsandothernotable and inorder tobeconsistentwithmodels adopted assessments duetosupposedgeneralsupport, cates foracontinuationofvariousstandardized to theelectionofcurrent advo government, ment Program completedinFebruary2019,prior resource allocationineducation. professional anddecisionsabout learning level, whichthenisusedtoimprove teaching, current studentachievementrelative totheirgrade purpose oftheprovincial testingisto indicate makes up25%ofthefinalgrade. Assessment (SMA)forcertainmathcourseswhich and grade11includesaSecondaryMathematics write theSecondaryLiteracyAssessment(SLA), their overallreport card mark.Grade10students matics Assessment(IMA)whichisworth10%of Grade 9studentswritetheIntermediateMathe an ElementaryMathematicsAssessment(EMA). and grade6studentstakeanELAinadditionto take anElementaryLiteracyAssessment(ELA), in grade3.Grade5French Immersionstudents Primary MathematicsAssessment(PMA) — occur Primary LiteracyAssessment(PLA)andthe Assessment Program. Thefirstsetoftests — the assessment iscalledtheProvincial Common In PrinceEdward Island(PEI)K-12student Prince EdwardIsland system. and tomeasure theperformanceofeducation importance ofevaluationstoensure accountability The EducationReformAct(2018)reiterates the to address achievementgapsandotherissues. A review ofPEI’s Provincial CommonAssess 48 ThestatedpurposesofNL’s Provincial 43 46 Thatsaid,thecurrent ran government 47 45 44 thoughthere Thestated - - - 42

continue unchanged. platform, mentioned inthecurrent government’s campaign testing, orexaminationsineducationwere not of standardized testing.However, assessments, ongoing commitmenttotheresults andobjectives (re-electedgovernment inMay2019),indicatingan for the2019/2020schoolyearbycurrent exam basedoncurriculumoutcomes. of thecoursethrough studentachievementonan Assessments: toevaluatethecognitivedomain Public ExaminationsissimilartotheProvincial final gradeineachclass.Thepurposeofthese courses, whichcontributeto50%ofastudent’s the PublicExaminationsforvariousgrade12level education. language arts and mathematics.Thestated goalof 6 and9covering subjectslikeEnglishand French Achievement Tests), whichtakeplaceingrades3, Achievement Tests theProvincial (alternatively set ofstandardized testsinNWTistheAlberta including thevariousstandardized tests.Thefirst Northwest Territories isbasedonAlberta’s, The current K-12education systeminthe Northwest Territories in K-12educationtheYukon. the FSAisusefulandwillcontinuetoadministered new standardized tests,it reaffirms thebeliefthat Yukon doesnotmentionintroducing government assessment. the FSAsandrepeats thestatedpurpose ofthis “Yukon PerformancePlan”mentions Government tests forYukon students. of assessmentorintroduce anynewstandardized the ministerofeducation,mentioncurrent form ment from theelection,normandateletterfor students’ needs. of howwelltheeducationsystemismeeting more focusisneeded,andtocareate asnapshot in whichindividualstudentstounderstandwhere FSA istoprovide avaluableindicator ofsubjects reading andnumeracy. Thestatedpurposeofthe ministered tostudentsingrades4and 7inwriting, used: aFoundationSkillsAssessment(FSA)isad comes tothetypeofstandardized assessments The Yukon is similartoBritishColumbiawhenit Yukon The Provincial Assessmentswere created Neither thepartyplatformofcurrent govern 51 suggestingthatthecurrent policieswill 49 Thenextsetofstandardized testsare 55 Whilethisplanproduced bythe 52 53,54 However, the2018 50 - - 25

- - 61 - - 62 While the most effective method of opposing While the most effective method of can a form which parents The BCTF provides The fewer students who participate in these Conclusion education assessments in of standardized The role embraced, to appears to be a policy direction governments of all by provincial varying degrees, concerns continue to political stripes. However, and community be raised by educators, parents, about the usefulness of this tool as a groups method of determining education quality and student engagement. A number of provinces concerted opposition; have experienced more standardized testing is to receive an exemption testing is to receive standardized in a position are the school, not all students from or for to do so. For those who choose to opt-out, behalf, their child’s who choose this on parents can make this requirements educational different of a a challenge, particularly if the test is part In requirement. final grade or a graduation child’s this is not the case, or grades where provinces option. realistic opting out may be a more writing the fill out to withdraw their child from for a clear process FSA. Such a form ensures and eliminates students and educators, parents, in other the confusion and guesswork experienced for self-exemption the process jurisdictions where and consistent because it may is less transparent be decided at the school level. less assessments, the provincial standardized and valuable the test data. This representative begs the question: at which point is the data so institu invalid that governments and third-party tions will have to change how these assessments a conducted, or if they should be considered are valid assessment method at all? on increasing the number of standardized tests of standardized the number on increasing government has demon the current in Nunavut, with the already willingness to continue strated a existing examinations. Opposition opposition to the significant organizational is There and a testing, emphasis of standardized and role infor have mounted groups number of provincial concerned to provide mation-based campaigns to push with resources groups citizen and parent agenda. Some of back against the standardization teacher federations vocal opponents are the more alliances including and parent or informal educator of Ontario, Federation the Elementary Teachers’ the British Co Association, the Alberta Teachers’ (BCTF), the Manitoba Federation lumbia Teachers’ Teachers’ the Nova Scotia Society, Teachers’ Scotia, Union, Educators for Social Justice — Nova which and the Boycott EQAO Facebook group concerns with information regarding often provide assessments. standardized - The 58 - There has There 60 59 56 57 Nunavut has been criticized for its education The mandate letter to the minister of education, The mandate letter The second form of standardized testing in form of standardized The second no recent statements on whether increasing the statements on whether increasing no recent assessment might lead to number of standardized to the most updated practices, according different Nunavut government website for the education department with Minister David Joanasie. While the new minister has not made any statements 2014-15). In 2016, in response to concerns being 2014-15). In 2016, in response raised about the practice of social promotion, the education minister defended the system’s involvement, and parental called for more rigour, would make standardization suggested increased it easier to deliver inclusive education. since been a change in government leadership but to demonstrate best practices in educational to demonstrate best practices in educational assessment; to meet the needs of students, teachers and the public; and to ensure parents, better quality teaching and learning. system being insufficiently inclusive (a com was conducted in external review prehensive on Alberta’s K-12 learning, which also means the on Alberta’s used. While Nunavut tests are same standardized Tests, does not conduct the Alberta Achievement place the Alberta Diploma Examinations take and in this territory for select grade 12 courses final mark. The counts as 50% of a student’s as follows: purposes of the Diploma Exams are Nunavut is based education system, like NWT’s, Nunavut’s a comprehensive accountability framework. a comprehensive commonly of the term ‘accountability’, repetition of standard associated in education with the use ized testing, suggests the government plans to tests, and standardized continue using the current the data they provide. education system. employment does not mention plans and culture it does emphasize tests, but for new standardized system, specifically by an accountable education of the Inclusive a directive making accountability and by the implementation of Schooling Directive, the Northwest Territories is the Alberta Diploma is the Alberta the Northwest Territories take place for certain grade Examinations, which up 30% of the final grade in 12 courses and make purpose of these exams is said class. The stated is at the expected to certify student achievement for the certain standards level and to maintain administering these assessments is to determine if if is to determine these assessments administering student learning expected level, ensuring is at the met, informing are standards/objectives curriculum and identifying on student success the public improve. students can where areas 26 and Influence. 24. Canada, “EQAOTesting,” June6,2016. 23. for Ontario,2013. Provincial AssessmentProgram ItsHistoryandInfluence 22. Letter 21. for Provincial Tests 20. Grade 4AssessmentinFrench ImmersionLecture Program Divisions, 19. Evaluation,” AccessedJune2019. 18. 17. Saskatchewan,” 16. Departmental Examinations:StudentFAQ 15. add newprovincial exams,” 14. Edmonton Journal 13. Administration, “Diplomaexams — overview,” accessedJune2019. 12. June 2019. and Provincial AchievementTesting, “Provincial AchievementTests,” accessed 11. Association 10. accessed June2019. and Provincial AchievementTesting, Assessments(SLAs),” “StudentLearning 9. 18, 2017. 8. Policy Guide 7. accessed May2019. 6. Assessment,” September25,2007. 5. Assessment — The BattleOverTesting,” December12,2008. 4. part ofa‘communicationagenda,’”April4,2016. 3. no. 2(2011):112-130. An ExaminationofImpactonThoseWhoFail,” 2. BCTF SocialJusticeNewsletter 1. Notes but prior to publication. proposed or implemented after this research was compiled welcome from readers any updates that may have been As educational policy continues to rapidly evolve, we would reached at [email protected]. Centre for Policy Alternatives for summer 2019. He canbe University, and was Student/Research aCo-op at the Canadian Dylan Kelly it, iscertaintoplayaprominent role. tion, standardized assessment,andresistance to is certain:intheneoliberalizationofpubliceduca challenging provincial educationpolicy. Onething fear someparents andstudentsmayfeelat which eliminatesguessworkoreventheoutright notably BC,haveclearer processes foroptingout, for thisformofassessment. revealedOntario government lowlevelsofsupport the recent publicconsultationsledbythecurrent Government of Alberta, Ministry of Education, Student Learning Assessments ofAlberta,MinistryEducation,StudentLearning Government Canada, BritishColumbia,MinistryofEducation, Canada, BritishColumbia,MinistryofEducation, ofBritishColumbia,MinistryEducation,“ProvincialGovernment Assessment,” British ColumbiaPublicSchoolEmployers’Association,“FoundationSkills British ColumbiaPublicSchoolEmployers’Association,“FoundationSkills Press Progress, “Video: FraserInstituteVPtoKoch-fundedgroup: schoolranking “High-stakesStandardizedLaura-Lee Kearns, Testing andMarginalized Youth: Clarke, Pat.“AccountabilityandStandardized Testing: ASocialJusticeIssue?” Janet French, “AlbertateachersurveysaysGrade3examsnohelptostudents,” Canada, Ontario, ofOntario,MinistryImmigration,RefugeesandCitizenship Government Canada, Ontario,EducationQualityandAccountabilityOffice, Canada, Manitoba,MinistryofEducationandTraining, Canada, Manitoba,MinistryofEducationandTraining, School Canada, Manitoba,MinistryofEducationandAdvancedLearning, ofManitoba,MinistryEducationandTraining,Government “Assessmentand Canada, Saskatchewan,MinistryofEducation, Marc SpoonerandPaulOrlowski,“Standardized testing(almost)comesto Canada, Saskatchewan,MinistryofEducation, Janet French, “UCPwouldroll backschoolprotections forLGBTQstudents, ofAlberta,MinistryEducation,DiplomaPrograms/ExamGovernment Assessments ofAlberta,MinistryEducation,StudentLearning Government Cory Hare, “SLAstobecomeoptionalforteachers,” , October12,2018. , May30,2017. , December2018. is aPolitical is Science student at Carleton Our Schools/OurSelves, , February23,2016. , 2018. Grade 3AssessmentinReading,Lecture andNumeracy EQAO: Ontario’s Provincial AssessmentProgram ItsHistory

Edmonton Journal , Winter2006. , September2017. Fall 2013.

63 , March 25,2019. Canadian Journal ofEducation Canadian Journal Otherprovinces, ,

2009 (UpdateMay2015). Ministry ofEducation Plan for2019-2020 Minister’s MandateLetter, B.C. GraduationProgram: The AlbertaTeachers’ , Toronto: Queen’s Printer Minister’s Mandate Policies andProcedures

œ EQAO: Ontario’s . 2019. July 34, - 41. Development, “NovaScotiaExaminations,”accessedJune2019. 40. Development, “NovaScotiaAssessments,”accessedJune2019. 39. scores, saysminister,” 38. Party Platform 37. Development, “AssessmentandEvaluation(AnglophoneSector).” 36. and Labour, “Provincial Exams.”accessedJune2019. 35. Development, 34. Assessment Development, 33. Assessment Development, 32. Assessment Development, 31. 2019. Development, “AssessmentandEvaluation(AnglophoneSector),”accessedJune 30. 2019. 29. Certification ofStudiesandManagementMinisterialExaminations 28. Preschool, ElementarySchoolandSecondary 27. EQAO chair,” 26. You — Modernizing Classrooms,” March 15,2019. 25. Released,” March 19,2019. 63. Parents AbouttheGrade3,PrimaryDivisionAssessment.” 62. students. cancellation oftheEQAOthatyear, aseducatorsrefused toadministerthetest 61. Nunavut’s schools,” 60. Evaluation,” accessedJuly2019. 59. oftheNorthwestTerritoriesMandate oftheGovernment 58. Employment, “StudentAssessmentTools.” 57. Employment, “StudentAssessmentTools,” accessedJuly2019. 56. 55. 2017. 54. 53. Assessment,” June19,2019. 52. Leadership,” 51. Childhood Development,“PublicExamInformation,”March 6,2019. 50. Parent Information Childhood Development, 49. Childhood Development,“Provincial Assessments,”March 6,2019. 48. Platform 47. Assessment Program,” 46. “ProvincialLearning, Assessments.” 45. “ProvincialLearning, Assessments,”February19,2015. 44. 43. Nova Scotia’s ActionPlanforEducation2015 42. Development, “AboutPLANS,”accessedJune2019. Government ofNovaScotia,MinistryEducationandEarlyChildhood Government ofNovaScotia,MinistryEducationandEarlyChildhood Government ofNovaScotia,MinistryEducationandEarlyChildhood Government Elizabeth Fraser, “SwitchtoGrade1immersionthecruxoflowerprovincial test New BrunswickProgressive Conservatives,“RealExperience.RealResults,” ofNova Scotia,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood Government ofNew Brunswick, MinistryofPost-SecondaryEducation,TrainingGovernment Canada, NewBrunswick,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood Canada, NewBrunswick,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood Canada, NewBrunswick,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood Canada, NewBrunswick,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood ofNew Brunswick, MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhood Government ofQuebec, MinistryofEducation,“Thefinalmark,”accessedJune Government Canada, Quebec,MinistryofEducation, Canada, Quebec,MinistryofEducation, Caroline Alphonso,“FordappointsfailedPCcandidateasfirsttime government ofOntario, MinistryofEducation,“EducationthatWorksGovernment for People forEducation,“Resultsfrom Ontario’s EducationConsultation Education QualityandAccountabilityOffice,“QuestionsAnswersfor In 2015,ajobaction(work-to-rule)byETFOinOntarioresulted inthe Rachel Zelniker, “’Oureducationsystemisveryrigorous’: Ministerdefends ofNunavut,MinistryEducation,“StudentAssessmentand Government Canada, NorthwestTerritories, MinistryofEducation,Culture andEmployment, ofNorthwestTerritories,Government MinistryofEducation,Culture and ofNorthwestTerritories,Government MinistryofEducation,Culture and ofYukon,Government Canada, Yukon, MinistryofEducation, Yukon Liberals,“K-12Education,” ofYukon,Government MinistryofEducation,“Yukon FoundationSkills Newfoundland andLabradorLiberals,“Onward: ClearDirection Proven ofNewfoundlandandLabrador,Government MinistryofEducationandEarly Canada. NewfoundlandandLabrador, MinistryofEducationandEarly ofNewfoundlandandLabrador,Government MinistryofEducationandEarly Prince Edward IslandProgressive Conservatives,“It’s AboutPeople,” Richard Jones,“ReviewofPrinceEdward Island’s Provincial Common ofPrinceEdwardGovernment Island,MinistryofEducationandLifelong ofPrinceEdwardGovernment Island,MinistryofEducationandLifelong ofNovaScotia, Government Canada, NovaScotia,MinistryofEducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopment, , 2019. , 2019. . , 2019. Party Platform The GlobeandMail, , 2018. Test Specifications Information BulletinforParents andGuardians Grade10Provincial Information BulletinforParents andGuardians Grade6Provincial Information BulletinforParents andGuardians Grade4Provincial , 2017. CBC News CBC News RMJ Assessment 2017 Provincial Assessment:EnglishLanguageArts Performance Plan , 2019. , September14,2016. Education ReformAct , 2018. , December20,2018. February 19,2019. Party Platform , February2019. Minister’s MandateLetter Administrative Guide-2015Edition: General EducationintheYouth Sector: , 2018. , 2015. , 2016. , 2018. , 2018. , November7,2016. , 2015. , January6, Party 27 -

Of course, raising spirits and rebuilding Of course, raising spirits and rebuilding efforts to oppose the process, we should directly we should directly efforts to oppose the process, this issue. That is, we should develop confront our spirits, and reinvigorate strategies that rebuild commitments, and connections and, by lifting us up, help bring corporatization down. university reverse not sufficient to connections are corporatization. It is also true that these goals of more as byproducts can be achieved indirectly, such challenges to corporate structures, direct this article, I want to suggest that those concernedthis article, I want to suggest that those attend about corporatization would do well to health, broadly to the issue of mental more well-being. understood as mental or inter/personal corpora Many if not most analysts of university to focus tization, myself included, have tended transforms the structures on how the process on how within which people interact, rather than who do the it transforms the dispositions of those in a for, interacting. This is a serious omission, and multiplicity of ways, corporatization dispirits divides those who work and learn in the university, cultivating insecurity and self-interestedness deprives This instead of confidence and solidarity. us of crucial personal and collective resources we need to undertake and sustain resistance the entrenches to corporatization, and thereby If we see inter/personal dis-ease not process. simply as a side effect, but as an integral feature, of corporatization, it follows that, as part of our , in Claire Polster Claire 3

, administrators were , administrators were 2 our selves

Seven ideas to lift us up up lift us to ideas Seven hese days, the issue of mental a lot of attention health is receiving in our universities as elsewhere. This is due to a rise in rates of among psychological distress staff and students and increased efforts to support those suffering and bring corporatization down corporatization bring and

Our universities/ Our . While this issue is absolutely important, . While this issue is absolutely important, 1

While it would be valuable for those concerned implying that difficulty coping with them was a personal failing for which faculty members should seek help. to with mental health on campus to attend more to university corporatization its relationship I visited in 2017, where I saw posters asking I visited in 2017, where and feeling stressed, faculty members if they were advising them of counselling and other services the university made available. These posters were for instead of acknowledging deeply troubling, that the brutal working conditions and redressing making people unwell were the social structural conditions that give rise to the social structural conditions that give them. Not only may this lead to misdiagnoses of for and to ineffective treatments peoples’ troubles them, but it may also allow people to be blamed or they did not cause and pathologized for problems on their own. This was the case at cannot resolve several of the highly corporatized U.K. universities from it from is being at times I fear that too much attention mental states, as opposed to placed on people’s T 28 which isroutinely diminishedinthecorporate faculty canrecover asenseoftheirautonomy to enjoy — notsimplyendure — in theuniversity doing so.Further, ingivingthemselvespermission pressures anddemands thatprevent themfrom ening theirdispleasure withthoseinstitutional their workwithmore easeandjoywhileheight or minds.Itcanalsoarouse adesire torelate to and tothetollittakesontheirspirits,bodies,and/ the relentless productivism underwhichtheywork experience ofthemomentcanwakepeopleupto university’s regime oftimeandthepleasurable rather thanutilitarianvalue.Thisbreak from the take time“out”andtodosomethingforitsintrinsic corporate university, byencouragingpeopleto significantly, itdefiestheinstrumentalismof on ourspiritsandrelationships. Perhapsmost challenge corporatization’s corrosive effects modest act(andvariationsonit)canprofoundly among departmentfacultyandstaff.Thisvery led toseveralguitarplayingandsingingsessions placed aguitarinhisdepartment’s lounge.This heard wasshared byaprofessor who,onawhim, capacity tomakeouruniversitiesotherwise. inspire othercreative initiativesthatstrengthen our less asprescriptions foractionthanasmeansto suitable inalluniversitiesattimes.Iofferthem much torecommend thesestrategies,notallare and mobilizeourenergies toact.Althoughthere is feelings deepwithinusand,insodoing,helpfree are moving,bothinthesensethattheymaystir Finally,healthier alternatives. allofthesestrategies by layingbare theirflawsandoffering glimpsesof corporate valuesandpracticesintheuniversity, they posepotentiallypowerfulchallengesto determination. Second,despitetheirsimplicity, resources — though theydorequire courageand require muchinthewayoftimeorothermaterial relatively easytoimplement,inthattheydonot they share. First,forthemostpart,theyare I chosetheseforthree importantcharacteristics respondents offered manymore wonderfulideas, zation inCanadaandtheUnitedKingdom participants inastudyofresponses tocorporati ratization. Mostofthesewere shared withmeby resolve andresources toresist universitycorpo prioritized. argue thatrightnow, sucheffortsshouldevenbe and fragmenteduniversitycommunity, onemight resist isunlikelytobesustainedinademoralized pursue them.Indeed,becauseeventheimpulseto resistance willsucceed,there isgoodreason to they canincrease thelikelihoodthatotheractsof members oftheuniversitycommunity, andthat may belessthreatening andmore appealingto others. Nonetheless,giventhattheseobjectives as occupations,strikes,legalproceedings, and One ofthesimplestyetmostinspired ideasI In whatfollows,Ioffersevenideastofortifyour 4 . While - 5 , - - the institution.Forexample,organic and additional spin-offbenefitsthatradiatethroughout actions Iwilldiscusshere, thisonemayproduce open channelsforittotakeplace.Aswithallthe also generatetherecognition andgoodwillthat engagement amongcolleagues,thisactioncan may strengthen thedesire formore andricher to theirpersonalends.Atthesametimethatit colleagues alsotorelate tooneanotherasmeans or workfrom home)andagrowing tendencyfor offices behindcloseddoors,interacton-line,and/ social interaction(asmore peopleeatlunchintheir that manyfacultyandothersfeelduetoalackof bring intosharperrelief thelonelinessandisolation experience ofbeingandsingingtogethercan to re/build connectionwithintheuniversity. The instruments ofadministrators’goals. indignation overbeingtreated themselvesasthe as opposedtonervousemployeesandhelpstoke self-conception aspublic-servingprofessionals university. mayrestore This,inturn, someoftheir also allows them to relate differently to the speaker from theholder ofaparticularposition or award. It exceeds orfallsshortofwhat onewouldexpect speech, withoutcontinually evaluating whetherit people toopenmore fully tothecontentofothers’ introduced. Thissimpleyetsubversiveactallows information theyneedtorank thepersonbeing if onlyforamoment,bywithholdingfrom them prevent participantsfrom engagingincompetition, sustains andadvancescorporatization.Theyalso implicitly critiquetherelentless competitionthat those makingtheintroductions problematize and why theyare passionateabout it how theirresearch hasmadeadifference and accomplishments andawards, butbyaddressing colleagues tocolleagues)notwithalistoftheir ty membersintroduce speakerstoaudiences(and these measures, theauthorssuggestthatuniversi institution the auditculture andtheculture ofstardom inthe distinguished research chair)whichfeedsboth member ofeliteacademicsocietyorholder factors, andprofessional designations suchas indicators likeleaguetablesandresearch impact in corporateuniversities(includingperformance challenging thegrowing useofranking measures es) where more spontaneousinteractioncanoccur. university clubsand,ironically, departmentloung the diminishmentofcommonspaces(including manage andmonitorcollectiveinteractions, coffee breaks withthePresident) whichcarefully of manufactured socialevents(liketownhallsand and connection.Theseincludethe growing number corporate universitythatunderminecommunity see through ifnotchallengeotheraspectsofthe authentic nature oftheexperiencecanhelppeople A further benefit of this action is its potential A furtherbenefitofthisactionisitspotential A secondexcellentideacomesfrom anarticle 6 . Aspartofasuitestrategiestoresist 7 . Insodoing, - - 29 - - - - , and to 8 . This collectively generated document . This collectively generated document 9 Both the process and product of such initiatives of such initiatives and product Both the process Such meetings can also strengthen relations relations can also strengthen Such meetings relations A fourth means of bolstering spirits and can build social capital on campus. As it did to may allow people the process at Aberdeen, engage and find common cause with members of the university whom they would otherwise not meet nor expect to ally with, and to discover talents and experiences of and appreciate It can also know. colleagues whom they already solidarity and trust, for example, by nurture enabling people to acknowledge — and together that of their fears of retaliation overcome — some in the corporate university is to boldly affirm in the corporate university is to boldly norms and traditional and public-serving academic the values, as was done by those who produced Reclaiming Our University University of Aberdeen’s Manifesto and not only denormalizes corporate discourse and inspiring al values, but, in offering an inspired offers a powerful ternative vision of the university, to corporatization that antidote to the resignation affirmations pervades university campuses. These newer to the university the lan give those who are guage to name, and means to think systemically discomforts about, what may seem to be personal quo. They or difficulties with the corporate status serving also validate the critiques that longer members have learned better cope with to quell to repudiation. the institution and/or avoid derision or Manifesto can Affirmations like the Aberdeen those further lift peoples’ spirits by rekindling higher ideals and aspirations that first called them sacrificed or routinely but are to the university, trampled by corporate imperatives and exigencies. their longing for more This may not only revive fulfilling and meaningful academic lives, but also right are their conviction that such desires restore and achievable. expense of the individuals who adopt them and/or and/or them who adopt individuals of the expense belong. to which they the collectives a creating by They do this directly on campus. who acquire among the participants community en that community and obligations all the supports reminding by do this indirectly, tails. They may also (and other collegial bodies)those who sit on Senate but as individuals not as rootless there that they are to whom of various constituencies representatives accountable — and by encouraging them they are At the same time that they foster to act accordingly. connection, these meetings interpersonal more for faculty to re/learn impor opportunities provide or been that have atrophied tant collective skills in the corporate university suppressed and fellowship that comedevelop the confidence them. This may motivate other faculty, using from organize staff, and students also to mobilize and instead of acquiescing or to shape the university, quo. accommodating to the corporate status - - - - Another laudable idea that is being implemented Another laudable idea that is being implemented As well as helping to level and nurture to level and nurture As well as helping ernance. positive change can beget others. This the For instance, it can discourage if not prevent to cynical and opportunistic approaches more it as a personal university service (such as treating choice or as a means of self-advancement) that by the corporate university at the promoted are common goal, these meetings may lessen feelings of powerlessness and insignificance that are manageri by increased and reinforced produced These meetings alism in the corporate university. meaning and purpose to may also lend greater revitalize academics’ service work and thereby collegial gov for, their investment in, and energies agenda, identify matters that might affect the agenda, identify matters that might affect interests, and/or its members’ association’s to them. This and develop collective responses practice can support well-being in a number of ways, not least of which is by combatting the individualization and individualism that sustain a corporatization. In uniting faculty around of appreciating and celebrating others. of appreciating to hold in in at least one Canadian university is advance of every Senate meeting, a meeting the Senate between faculty members who sit on The and the Executive of the faculty association. the Senate’s aim of these meetings is to review aggrandizement. This may also raise awareness awareness aggrandizement. This may also raise practices of, and opposition to, other university competition, such as that incite and reward incessant inducements to pursue acknowledge events and splashy recognition ments and awards, some under the guise which shame and threaten is ranked above or below them), allowing them to is ranked above or below them), allowing The relief fully into the presentation. more relax suspending the that come from and refreshment status can open relative obsession with one’s a sense of their work space for people to recover service as an end in itself and/or form of public or as opposed to a means of self-preservation individuals’ spirits. They may lead them to recon individuals’ spirits. about their own work, nect to what they value and accolades on the awards instead of dwelling They may also not — received. they have — or have judging that comes from the stress from them free (to determine to the speaker themselves in relation s/he who whether or not they could do better than that other colleagues too are not mere occupants not mere colleagues too are that other to — a superior or inferior of — or stepping stones human beings intrinsically valuable status, but are and commitments, much like with deep curiosities themselves. can lift such introductions interpersonal relations, themself and to approach them as someone as someone them approach and to themself as social interests intellectual or with particular or less successful to a rival who is more opposed In turn, may spill over this experience than they. them with others, reminding relations into peoples’ 30 University ofBrighton specifically “free” universities,suchas theFree involves supportingdifferent kindsofinstitutions, taking actioninsidecorporate universities,thesixth these campaignsandthose involvedwiththem. tries). Thiscaninfusefresh hopeandvitalityinto forms ofdisengagementfrom fossilfuelindus or share theirgoals(such asdivestmentandother university withactivistsoutsideofitwhosupport of thesedeclarationsmayunitethoseinsidethe well. Additionally, theproduction andpromotion undertake similar(ornewkindsof)campaignsas a virtuouslycircular manner, and spurothersto and determinationofeachuniversitygroup in back ofthesetothem,mayboostthecourage activists outsidetheirinstitution,andthegiving receiving ofsupportandresources from university within andbeyondnationalborders. Boththe connection andcommunityacross universities in relation totheprevious idea,andextend interpersonal benefitsthatwere addressed fashion, domesticateandpassifythemselves. corporate expectationsand,inFoucauldain ways theynotonlycomplywith,butinternalize about also raiseothers’awareness andconcern beliefs thatresisting corporatizationisfutile.Itcan in thesecampaignsanddislodgedeepseated from exercising it,canreinvigorate thoseinvolved power, andtheassurancepridethatcome do better. Therenewed appreciation oftheirown and stewards oftheinstitutionwhodemandthatit superiors toconsidertheirrequests, butasequals ing — them toactnotassubordinates whoask stance intheinstitution,allowing — indeedrequir They dothisbydramaticallyreorienting individuals’ that iscauseandconsequenceofcorporatization. people overcome theprofound disempowerment well-being oncampus,particularlybyhelping processes.internal Suchcampaignspromote guiding visionofasingleinstitutionusingitsown public campaigns,ratherthantochangethe particular feature ofmanyuniversitiesthrough the previous idea,thisoneaimstochange for them.Thoughitshares somesimilaritieswith administrations tosignonandbeaccountable Research Assessment such astheSanFranciscoDeclarationon and totheuniversitycommunityasawhole. also theirfeelingsofresponsibility tooneanother their senseofindividualandcollectiveagency and vulnerabilitytheyoftenfeel.Thismayreinforce simultaneously highlightsandlessenstheisolation people arichexperienceofbelonging,which and outsideofthemselves,thisprocess alsooffers In bringingthemtogetherinsomethingbeyond often holdoppositiontocorporatizationincheck. Such campaignsproduce manyofthe same A fifthideaistocraftorchampiondeclarations, Whereas alltheideaspresented thusfarinvolve 11 10 . More sothan anyofthe , andtopressure university - - these institutions.Theserelations, andthemore whoare and learners themaindecision-makersin and communityamongbetweentheirteachers Free universitiesalsocultivategenuinecollegiality restores theirspiritsandcapacitytoresist them. incorporateinstitutions, which teach andlearn free universitya“spaceofresilience” forthosewho makethe corrupt andunderminehigherlearning freedom from thosecorporatepracticesthat Additionally andperhapsmore importantly, conviction thatitcanandmustbeopposed. to corporatehighereducation,andreinforce their validate, inavisceralway, individuals’opposition can primacy ofplacetoteachingandlearning of participatinginaninstitutionthattrulyaccords such informantnoted,thepleasures andrewards in bothcorporateandfree institutions.Asone especially beneficialforthosewhoteachandlearn not full-onexperience,ofit.Free universitiesare education andofferingpeoplealivingexample,if well-being byprefiguring non-corporatehigher previous ideas,free universitiesmayenhance research units centres, childcare cooperatives, andcommunity public-serving, suchasanti-oppression resource are orwere intentionallynon-corporate and campuses touncoverandrecover spacesthat kinds university/industry partnerships ofvarious institutions haveusedtoexposeandcritique mapping projects thatactivistsatmany incorporatizedinstitutions. work andlearn affect thedispositionsand relations ofthosewho appropriate targets, thisangertoomaypositively long asitischannelledinappropriate waysandat for anincreasingly impoverishededucation.So as theunconscionablyhighfeesthatstudentspay light ontheinjusticesandharmstheyendure, such ire ofthoseincorporateuniversities, byshininga versities maynotonlyraisethespirits,butalso purposes itserves.Itisworthnotingthatfree uni dedication totheacademiccallingandhigher edge andthepublicgoodcanrenew theirown conducted freely andsolelyforthelove ofknowl colleagues’ accountsofeducationoffered and university administrations).More generally, into questionthevalueandnecessityofswollen democracy (particularlyasthesedescriptionscall commitments tocollegialismandinstitutional practices infree universitiescanrestore theirown instance, colleagues’descriptionsofgovernance sities maybeupliftedbythemnonetheless.For positive conditionsintocorporateuniversities. motivation andtoolstotransplantsomeofthese who straddlebothinstitutionsandgivethem them respectful andhumanepoliciesthatstemfrom The lastideaisaclevertwistonthecorporate Those whodonotparticipateinfree univer 12 13 , further support the well- being of those , furthersupportthewell-beingofthose . Itinvolves“unmapping”corporate 14 . Unmappingprojects maymove - - - 31 - - - œ

University Inc.: , 43(3), p. 300. . Ottawa: Our Schools/Our In Pursuit of Knowledge: Dissident Knowledge in Higher Academy of Management Learning . New York: Basic Books, 2005 and . New York: . Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006 2006 University Press, Stanford . Stanford: How Corporatization Devalues Teaching, How Corporatization Devalues Teaching, Higher Education . HEPI Occasional Paper 20, 2019. : Unmapping the Corporate Campus: Cartography Pressure Vessels: The Epidemic of Poor Mental The Epidemic of Vessels: Pressure available at http://www.blog.ryanhay.es/ Out of the Shadows: Experiences of Contract Academic — [email protected] — is Professor in the in the Professor — [email protected] — is Academia Inc.: How Corporatization Is Transforming Canadian Academia Inc.: How Corporatization Is Transforming , 2009, 18(10), p. 92. . Halifax: Fernwood Publishing, 2015. . Regina: University of Regina Press, 2018. . Regina: University of Regina Press, A Penny For Your Thoughts A Penny For Your , published in 2015 by the CCPA. the by in 2015 , published . CAUT, 2018. . CAUT, For example, at the Free University of Brighton, instructors are actively University of Brighton, instructors are For example, at the Free See, for example, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/ See, for example, Ryan Hayes, Washburn, For discussion of some of these effects, see Jennifer This declaration, which is available at http://sfdora.org/read, calls for improve This declaration, which is available at http://sfdora.org/read, at no cost, education that is decided on and provided universities provide, Free Paradoxically, while the kinds of actions actions kinds of while the Paradoxically, A Penny For Your Thoughts: How corporatization devalues devalues A Penny For Your Thoughts: How corporatization See, for example, the 2016 Canadian release of the National College Health See, for example, the 2016 Canadian release See, for example, Liz Morrish, and ongoing process to the longstanding I use the term “corporatization” to refer carried in the U.K. were 2016-2018. My interviews I conducted this study from in Oili-Helena Ylijoki, as cited Webster A. Smith and F. I take this phrasing from metrics to evaluate use of standardized to the growing refers The audit culture the Nancy J. Adler and Anne-Wil Harzing, “When Knowledge Wins: Transcending and how rules of order These skills include how to use or uphold the institution’s trust, education, and on four pillars of freedom, The Manifesto (which rests mean to imply that they are simply a means to this end. On the contrary, they are they are simply a means to this end. On the contrary, mean to imply that they are many benefits to important and valuable institutions in their own right which provide society. their participants and the broader 12. that they don’t to ensure taking on excessive workloads in order from prevented and burn contrast sharply with the disrespect This consideration and care out. subjected routinely faculty — are exploitation to which faculty — especially precarious in the corporate university. 13. challenging-mcworld-second-edition p. 19. 14. University of Toronto” of a “Free university-notebooks 15. The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education Jamie Brownlee, Universities ties Notes 1. Assessment at http://oucha.ca/pdf/2016_NCHA-II_WEB_SPRING_2016_ONTAR Foster and IO_CANADA_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.PDF Bauer, and Louise Birdsell Staff 2. Health Among Higher Education Staff 3. with, and as businesses. For a for, which universities work more in and through Polster and Janice Claire and its impacts, see detailed discussion of this process Newson, Universities and Public Service in Canada’s Research, Selves, 2015. 4. Sarah Amsler of Nottingham out in the Winter of 2017 in collaboration with Dr. University. 5. “Entangled in Academic Capitalism”, 6. to the creation refers of stardom academic performance. The culture and reward and privileged tiers of academic of highly valued within the academic profession motion. Both of these stars and superstars and the various dynamics this sets into individual and collective generate a range of dysfunctions which harm cultures on this, see Deborah Rhode, well-being. For more Scholars, Status, and Academic Culture Spooner and James McNinch (eds.), and Marc Education 7. Sense and Nonsense of Academic Rankings”, and Education 8. to craft motions — and strategies to get them passed. 9. status, may be community), as well as information about its history and current found at https://reclaimingouruniversity.wordpress.com. 10. metrics on the part of individuals and organizations, ments in the use of research faculty and others has resulted from years, pressure including universities. In recent number of universities signing on. in a growing 11. education as a public public spaces. They aim to reclaim by local people in free on ways in which good that is accessible to everyone. Although I focus here in corporate universities, I do not universities can fortify spirits and relations free proposed here may be easier, in objective terms, in objective terms, may be easier, here proposed to other forms of resistance than are to undertake hope and energy mustering the corporatization, precisely difficult, them may be more to initiate and demoralizing of corporatization’s because have relations. I our spirits and divisive effects on have persisted to who readers no doubt that many inclined to dismiss or forget this point will be more let than to try them out, here the ideas presented if even one of these Yet, alone invent any others. or recognition, feeling of joy, ideas sparked any all of them did in me — I rightfulness in you — as on to hold fast to this feeling and to act you urge you can. For these sparks can it in whatever ways ease and well-being greater light the way toward but for all others currently not only for ourselves, the corporate university. struggling in and with Polster Claire University the at Studies Social and Sociology of Department Newson, Janice Dr. with along is co-author, also She Regina. of of universi in Canada’s service and public research, teaching,

- against . 15 something they believe in, rather than they believe in, rather something Taken individually, and even collectively, the and even collectively, individually, Taken Finally, unmapping projects can build relations can build relations unmapping projects Finally, and solidarity within and beyond the academy is neither trivial nor secondary work. Rather, therefore challenge to and indirect it constitutes both a direct corporatization, undoing some of the inter/personal damage that holds it in place and paving the way to follow. for additional acts of resistance conditions that underpin it. Corporatization is not and sustained by changes to the only produced within our institutions: it is policies and structures and sustained by changes within also produced our aspirations our selves. Attempting to revive and expectations as members of public-serving connection institutions and also to reestablish have been compromised by corporatization’s by corporatization’s have been compromised harmful effects numerous clearly insufficient to undo the above ideas are corporatization of our universities. Nonetheless, these ideas, and others like them, have con siderable potential to undermine some of the against the privatization and self-interestedness against the privatization and self-interestedness the revive that advance corporatization, and help public-serving ethos and mission — two academy’s of the most grievous casualties of corporatization. between the relations They may also help repair general university and those members of the institution public whose trust in and loyalty to the on, the latter’s legacy) and connect them also to on, the latter’s as community, members of the university future initiatives it is primarily for their sakes that these and bonds of solidarity undertaken. In forging are time as well as space, support that extend across a bulwark unmapping initiatives can provide on campus, both among those who do the actual on campus, both among those who do called either to unmapping and those who are others support existing initiatives or to resurrect they that have ceased operations. Additionally, involved in the present may link those who are involved in the past (allowing with those who were and put their own spin the former to learn from, tenacity from its opponents. These accounts can its opponents. These tenacity from of inventive if not irreverent also unearth an array advance used to that were strategies and tactics in the past, surprising and public-serving initiatives oppose corporatization and delighting those who and imaginations. igniting their creativity for the recounting in Further, things they oppose. they denote, “ummaps” histories of the spaces may be no more struggles can show that current past, thereby those of the difficult than were of overwhelm that challenging lessening the sense evoke and eliciting greater corporatization can people by attesting to the continued presence of presence continued to the by attesting people on campus values and practices public-serving can they where them to places and pointing may also rejuvenate extend them. They enact and to work opportunities them affording people, by 32 I positive addition, thoughabsentthewrap-around good policy:full-day kindergarten remains a backlog. deteriorating infrastructure, ontopofa$16billion nities are further marginalized. Andcontinually the problem ofhowalready-vulnerable commu and communityhandouts...whichexacerbates shortfall through fundraising,userfees,corporate of privatefinancingtoinequitablyaddress the kids withspecialneeds.Increased normalization English orFrench wasnotafirstlanguage,or needs ofallkids,particularlystudentsforwhom basis offundingorotherresources tomeetthe have onlygrown more prevalent: aninsufficient This hasresulted inanumber oftrends which to pullover$2billionoutofpubliceducation. infrastructure, andafundingformuladesigned overhauling thesystem. and spokeabout“creating acrisis”to justify And sowegotlabourunrest, guttedpublic When elected,theLiberalsimplemented some teachers as“front lineserviceproviders,” as “clients,”parents as“customers”and more comfortablereferring tostudents famously ahighschooldropout, wasmuch mier. Hiseducationminister, JohnSnobelen, when MikeHarriswaselectedOntariopre came ofageasanactivistandresearcher Familiarity breeds there’s nothing innovative about Harris-era parents knowHarris-era Ontario’s education cuts resistance Erika Shaker - - our kids. feels veryfamiliar. Except nowit’s beingdoneto province. we havewhatwe’re currently seeing across the teachers andunionsagainst parents andstudents, services, andintheirmedia commentstriedtopit further under-resourced publiceducation,limited elected that,ontopofaflawedfundingformula, was funding continued.So,whenagovernment needs stillwentunmet,andthesystemicunder structural flawsoftheFundingFormula,student accountability. term financialguarantees,andmeasures toensure pockets ofcash.Theyrequire codifiedpolicy, long through goodwillandtemporary orquick-fix human rightandapublicgoodcan’t beprovided seemed tobealmostgleefulunderfunding. welcome, afteryearsofdeliberateandwhat provided forvariousprojects andtop-upswas cancelling it).AndcertainlythemoneyLiberals a large reinstated extentthegovernment itafter a politicalfootballintheprovincial election,to ulum updatewasalsowelcome(thoughitbecame have been.AnupdatedHealthandPhys-edcurric care itproved lesstransformativethanitcould For parents ofacertainage — likeme — thisall Because theLiberalsdidnotaddress the But thingsweconsidertobeafundamental - - 33 - - . She is on Twitter at at is Twitter on . She œ

is Interim Director of the CCPA National Office Office National CCPA the of Director is Interim Our Schools/Our Selves Our Schools/Our And surely our kids deserve more than, at best, our kids deserve more And surely I know my daughter will be shortchanged by I know my daughter will be shortchanged Of course, we’ll mitigate that to the best They’ve also given me insight into how insight into me also given They’ve had excellent ECEs, educa Both my kids have traditional but a fairly My eldest is creative, out-of- more My youngest is less predictable, responsible for. He’s one of the lucky ones. But He’s for. responsible access to a human right — and education is a human right — should never be about luck. shortchanged. being merely Shaker Erika of Editor and @ErikaShaker. time to express himself clearly, more time to settle, more himself clearly, time to express require Adults and caregivers breaks. and more navigate his leaps of time and patience to more their laughter at his quirky from logic (and recover sense of humour). being done to public education. My son, what’s just be shortchanged. He will be won’t however, these cuts. damaged academically and socially by likely to be that kid who will get caught more He’s of discomfort in the shuffle, whose silent signals or confusion — that often look like disinterest — can whose classroom; go unnoticed in a larger while he flexible approach a more for requirements and what’s gets comfortable with his surroundings less likely to be met. And not expected of him are and because educators and education workers operating with the best of inten schools aren’t of the system’s tions, but because of the erosion for and meet the needs of those kids ability to care vulnerable. more already who are and tutors and with meetings of our ability, extracurricular activities and extra attention that for the school can simply no longer provide — not lack of trying, but because of the higher number of kids each educator and education worker is differently kids learn, for them, what works well differently And, this that can change. and how what doesn’t, to a number of opportunities me with provides best work how I, as a parent, think about really them. schools to support with their and administrators. These tors, education workers listened well, who have worked hard, people are than possible navigated larger and as patiently as the additional demands of optimal classes and clubs and team sports. school plays, school She takes instructions exceedingly well, learner. expected, navigates of what’s has a good sense aplomb, is emotionally social situations with has always been able to advocate and mature, effectively for herself. extremely the game,” the-box, with less patience for “playing how we some of which of course has to do with needs more He socialize boys and girls differently. ------These days the government’s rhetoric and policy These days the government’s So long as the current funding formula remains funding formula remains So long as the current To counter this disengagement we need to this disengagement we need to counter To My partner — who I met during the Days of Action — and I have two kids; one in high school, me with all sorts They provide one in elementary. and question of opportunities to live my research my assumptions. detrimental for kids with autism. Limiting course options for kids is short-sighted and contradictory. will be 6,000 to 10,000 fewer In five years there teaching positions (depending on which govern Ricardo Ontario’s using). CCPA ment number we’re mapped this to show what this means to Tranjan the province. communities across direction is getting a rough ride. As a recent Envi ride. As a recent is getting a rough direction understand that parents poll makes clear, ronics All school resilience. classes do not build larger experiencing cuts in total operating are boards funding, in per pupil funding, or both. Mandatory choice for stu more e-learning does not create dents. A market-based service model is extremely Formula review that this current government might that this current Formula review about not just undertake, we need to start thinking now — which leave the schools we have protecting building a so many people out in the cold — but we need movement to advocate for the schools and that our kids deserve. under-resourced, even if the government of the under-resourced, we need to day is less right-leaning. This is why that maintain turning back the arguments reject of cuts round this current clock to just before not. And while I am deeply is good enough. It’s of any Funding concerned about the direction caregivers. This commitment to broad engage to broad This commitment caregivers. against the ment is fundamental to pushing back and will cuts that will not serve any of us well, already who are hurt those disproportionately and vulnerable. most marginalized to be in place, schools and kids will continue ensure that we are talking with and listening to talking we are that ensure way we can because this is the only each other, publicly high quality, advocate for well-funded, met, kids’ needs are where accountable schools, have educators and education workers and where they’re to meet kids where required the resources and parents at, and communicate effectively with would like. And because of overlapping vulnerabil And because of overlapping would like. families and communitiesities, this impacts some also have the deliberate others. We than more that exist to help mitigate undermining of programs to keep or the money required this disengagement, dependable way. them operating in a Currently we have a population increasingly dis increasingly have a population we Currently and precarity dealing with inequality enfranchised, for people difficult to it even more which makes let with each other, and engage build community they kids’ education as involved in their alone be as 34 T experiencing poverty weneedacoherent and problem. and causesmultipletypesof damage — isthe poverty thatincludesvarious formsofoppression averages. Poverty — complex, multi-faceted readiness forschoolisfarbehindtheDivisional be asurprise;evenbefore theystart,thechildren’s below theaverageforLRSD.Thisshouldnot themselves are excellent,theiroutcomesare well with thoseintheinnercity. in theLouisRielSchoolDivision(LRSD)are onpar neighbourhoods surrounding thesethree schools Vital provide aclearexample.Povertylevelsinthe as well;three elementaryschoolsinsouthSt. poverty existinvarioussuburbanneighbourhoods Winnipeg’s innercity, large pocketsofsevere Although povertyisparticularlyconcentratedin meaningful stepstodrivedownpovertylevels. to improve educationinManitoba,they wouldtake werecomes. Ifgovernments seriousaboutwanting Despite evidencethatthethree schools To improve educationaloutcomes forchildren Winnipeg suburb the lowereducationalout outcomes. Thehigherthepoverty, in producing pooreducational that povertyisacrucialfactor in countriesallovertheworld drawn from decadesofresearch here isoverwhelmingevidence education in a a in education Poverty and and Poverty Jim Silver and Kate Sjoberg - LRSD. Theseare someexamples: months sinceaninitialreport wasdelivered tothe said, muchhasbeenaccomplishedinthepast18 build community. Thisis aCDapproach. they believeisneededtostrengthen familiesand who liveinthecommunitytotrydeterminewhat been tomeetwithandlistenparents andothers will produce improved schooloutcomes. stronger andhealthierfamilies andcommunities families andbuildingcommunity. Thetheoryisthat community” strategy, aimed atstrengthening (CD) strategy, whatwehavecalleda“whole implement aninnovativecommunitydevelopment neighbourhood organizations andparents to the LouisRielSchoolDivisionisworkingwith strategy drivenbythethree levelsofgovernment, low-income children sufferasa result. success ofallfamilies.Thatisnothappening,and Indigenous citizensandmeasures tosupportthe thatincludesreparationslevels ofgovernment to long-term anti-povertystrategyledbyallthree ●

The co-locationatthepreviously almost-emp the Morrow Avenue Childcare Program, and EALprogramming toalmost400adults; Skills Centre, offeringacademicupgrading ty ReneDeleurmeCentre (RDC)oftheEDGE Building onwhatcommunitymembershave The approach takenbytheSchoolDivisionhas In theabsenceofaneffectiveanti-poverty - 35 - Kate (Winnipeg: Canadian Centre for for Centre Canadian (Winnipeg: Reducing Poverty to Improve Reducing Poverty to Improve œ

is a Professor in the UW’s Department of Urban Urban of Department UW’s in the is a Professor more likely to succeed in school. likely more is a community worker and educator in Winnipeg. in Winnipeg. educator and worker is a community far The engagement of community members in members of community The engagement clear two important things: This study has made dramatic and adverse effect First, poverty has a can play a boards Second, local school the context in which children will thrive in school. the context in which children in this study are schools included The three The School is the poverty. excellent; the problem for understanding this, Division deserves credit and taking action. Silver Jim the with Associate a Research and Studies, Inner-City and Alternatives-Manitoba. Policy for Centre Canadian Sjoberg of co-authors the are They Division and a Local a School What Outcomes; Educational Community do Together Can Alternatives–Manitoba). Policy prescribing and creating new supports and shifts and shifts new supports and creating prescribing community renewal, is driving in approaches It is building and vitality. cultural resurgence Children families and communities. healthier communities families and up in healthier growing are effort to education. Any serious on children’s educational outcomes in Manitoba must improve This is not being the issue of poverty. address by governments.done at all satisfactorily the negative impacts reducing role in significant educational outcomes. The that poverty has on in using a community LRSD is being innovative in partnership and working development approach to and parents with community organizations healthier communi families and build strengthen in However, ties. This is not a quick fix approach. will create time, healthier families and communities on its third cohort, is proving to be highly is proving cohort, on its third successful. to what These new initiatives have been added associated with complex poverty. modeled on a highly successful program in Chicago, which brings a select number schools to three into each of the of parents life work alongside teachers and to undergo now working skills training. This program, children’s likelihood of success at school. children’s to aimed at cultural reclamation programs An families and build community. strengthen Road to Healing program, example is the Red so closely to the trauma which responds programs and their co-location at the RDC are RDC are co-location at the and their programs families and the community. strengthening first new Boys and Girls Club in Winnipeg’s this recommended 15 years. The community Research for children. program after-school Girls Clubs improve shows that Boys and which will soon have 100 childcare spaces spaces childcare have 100 will soon which Abecedarian the highly effective and will use Neighbourhood Immigrant and the approach; last year worked which Program, Settlement These needs of 800 newcomers. to meet the The creation of a parent-mentor program program of a parent-mentor The creation The implementation of new Indigenous The implementation The establishment at Lavallee School of The establishment

● ● ● community members consider the outstanding community members consider the outstanding of the work done by teachers in the classrooms schools. three is already a strong array of programs offered offered array of programs a strong is already by the LRSD and by community organizations of which serve to support what all in the area, EST/ÉTABLIE 1980

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives 1000-141 Laurier Ave W Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 running for the NDP who became one of the faces of the What’s next national Our Time campaign. The latest UN assessment gives us a mere decade to hold “I was really honoured to be supported by the Our Time global temperature increases to less than 1.5 degrees Celsi- campaign and I’ve been pushing Our Time at every oppor- us. According to Camfield, the movement should prioritize tunity,” she says. “It’s important to recognize youth…are on finding a consensus on what climate justice means and the frontline of the climate emergency. They’ve asked for how to achieve it in this urgent political context. “We need very reasonable things—healthy land, healthy food, clean a strategy of escalation to exert power on the federal gov- water and clean air…. But [the Liberal government is] really ernment for what’s needed,” he says. focused on building a pipeline. Canada has one of the worst Students continue to organize “Fridays for the Future” cli- climate plans of all G7 countries. We are the least likely to mate strikes. A strike in Winnipeg on November 29 included meet climate targets.” a round dance organized by activists, as well Of the 35 candidates endorsed by Our Time, eight (in​cluding as a clothing swap. A global follow-up to the millions-strong Gazan) were elected: for Churchill–Keewati​ - September 27 climate rally is planned for the spring. nook Aski (MB), for Elmwood–​Transcona Here in Winnipeg, Our Time and the CCPA-Manitoba (MB), for Rosemont–La​ Petite-Patrie recognize the need to build stronger relationships with (QC), for Vancouver–​Kingsway (BC), Peter the Indigenous community and beyond. We know that Julian for New Westminster–​Burnaby (BC), Matthew any struggle for a Green New Deal must take direction Green for Hamilton Centre (ON), and for from those who are most dispossessed by fossil capitalism Vancouver East (BC). and most exposed to climate change. We do not wish to On election night, Gazan announced: “Our campaign was reproduce in our organizing spaces the undemocratic rela- a testament to the power of a grassroots political move- tionships of exploitation that have gotten us to this point. ment. It was fuelled by people. It was funded by people. I We need to unlearn the oppressive practices we frequently think it shows the power of people and how that is going deploy, often unconsciously, even when our hearts are in to lead to change in this country.” the right place. There is a lot of pressure to act now, but building rela- tionships and trust takes time, as does learning new skills. After the election With that in mind, several Our Time¬–Winnipeg organizers The first few weeks are critical for influencing the course of recently participated in a direct action training session the new government. On October 28, Our Time organizers organized by the Indigenous youth–led Strawberry Heart from Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal occupied the House Protectors and the Indigenous Peoples Power Project. of Commons to call for immediate climate action and a “We need the grassroots and electoral politics,” says Green New Deal. Twenty-seven Our Time activists were Gazan. “We can move it if we mobilize people and lift up arrested for this action, receiving tickets for trespassing people’s voices.” M and a one-month ban from Parliament Hill. Several MPs, including NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, later tweeted their support. In the following days, we reached out to all 338 MPs to deliver a mandate letter calling for a public pledge to make a Green New Deal a top priority when the House resumes. When the Monitor went to print, 17 had accepted the pledge. New Westminster–Burnaby MP filed a GND private member’s bill in the House of Commons in December. Separate from these political moves, non-governmental members organizations of the Pact for a Green New Deal will release their plan in early 2020. Importantly, it will be based on the priorities of the 150 communities visited during last year’s GND tour, and emphasize the needs of Indigenous, low-income, newcomer, racialized, and young people. The last thing we need is for the language and spirit of the Green New Deal to be co-opted to appease calls from the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments for more pipelines and corporate handouts for the fossil fuel industry. “Jason Kenny had a “I love Oil and Gas” jersey on at the Grey Cup. People don’t love oil and gas, they love working, working themselves out of poverty, having a roof over their head,” says Gazan. “We need to change the rhetoric from an Hannah Muhajarine speaking at a rally in July outside ‘oil and gas’ issue to ‘I need to have a job’ issue.” CBC headquarters in Winnipeg. PHOTO BY CAM CANNON 23 debt, with the debt/income ratio at 177%. Canadians are Work ill-equipped to take on more debt to stimulate the economy. Life • Corporate debt is also at record highs, but many corpora- tions have not invested in the real economy; they’ve spent LYNNE FERNANDEZ lavishly on mergers and other financialization schemes that boost shareholder value (and CEO salaries) without stimulating the economy. • Interest rates can’t go much lower, so that tool can’t really How will the new be used again in the event of a recession. • China was relatively untouched by the crisis and was government respond buying Canadian resources, keeping our exports moving. China’s economy is not nearly as strong today and cannot to an economic crisis? be counted on to play the same role in the future. • As King reminds us, the global economy is “stuck in a low growth trap,” and the post-slump recovery was weaker AR FROM ALTERING the risky behaviour that precipitat- than the recovery after the Great Depression. ed the 2008 financial crisis, bankers, financiers and These conditions mean that the next recession could be corporate CEOs have grabbed government handouts longer and deeper. Nonetheless, there are some practical and continued on their merry way. Corporate merg- policies that could be lined up to support workers when ers and stock buybacks have benefitted their bottom it hits. One program that needs attention is employment Flines, while the global economy stalls in the face of trade insurance. disputes, war, and hot spots of growing civil unrest. Our Former CCPA economist Armine Yalnizyan found that in federal election revealed deep regional divides that reflect the 1970s, 85% of unemployed men and 81% of unemployed the discontent found around the world. These develop- women were eligible for EI. In the Great Recession those ments make the threat of another economic downturn percentages had fallen to 45% of men and 38% of women. truly alarming. This weakening of the EI system meant that workers’ Former Bank of England governor Lord Mervyn King demand for products and services remained weaker than counts himself as among those worried about a repeat of it should have. 2008. He notes that after the Great Depression, there was a The Canadian Labour Congress believes that a system fundamental intellectual change in our understanding of overhaul to better meet workers’ needs is urgently need- the financial sector and how it needed to be regulated. With ed before we find ourselves in another recession. Donna the right rules in place, a more rational economy—one that Wood’s research found that there was a gap between those benefited the majority of society—was possible. who need coverage and those who are eligible to receive it. Decades of lobbying by the financial sector eventually Benefits are too low to meet workers’ needs and there are eroded those regulations, and the 2008 crises ensued. many workers who pay into the system but who cannot Canada’s banking sector would be held as an example to collect benefits. the world of how proper regulation protects countries Governments should be rolling out measures now to from these sorts of crashes. But nothing could shield us combat climate change, including spending on green from plummeting demand for exports, which dropped 16% infrastructure and retraining workers in the oil and gas over three quarters in 2009, and a stunning 22% decline in sector for new jobs. Training of this nature should be part investment over the same period. At one point, 430,000 of the EI reforms. Canadian workers and 8.7 million Americans had lost their When the next recession hits, governments should jobs. be ready to ramp up these investments to keep workers Unfortunately, the sort of reforms that ushered in a employed and prevent a catastrophic collapse in demand, period of calm after the Depression have not been seriously and advance a transition away from fossil fuels. Having a considered in the U.S. or Europe, adding to experts’ worries. plan in place now would also go a long way to addressing King argues, “no one can doubt that we are once more living western workers’ understandable fear of job loss and through a period of political turmoil. But there has been no uncertainty regarding the region’s future. comparable questioning of the basic ideas underpinning No one knows when the next downturn will arrive, but economic policy.” His warning is particularly dire consid- arrive it will. Will a minority government rise to the occa- ering the following post–Great Recession challenges to the sion, or will partisan bickering sideline the changes workers Canadian economy. will so desperately need? Given the potential severity of the • Canada’s relatively weak recovery since the 2008-09 next economic downturn, the parties better find a way to recession was largely built on household consumption move ahead with policies that work for all Canadians. M facilitated by historically low interest rates. But those low LYNNE FERNANDEZ IS THE ERROL BLACK CHAIR IN LABOUR ISSUES AT THE interest rates have resulted in worrisome rates of household CCPA-MANITOBA. HER COLUMN, WORK LIFE, APPEARS REGULARLY IN THE MONITOR. 24 Transportation Authority packaging weighing 4,000 park, but campaigners has approved a US$51.5 tonnes from products in its continue to pressure the billion (almost $68 billion) stores by the end of 2020. government for the identity capital plan that includes / The U.K. government has of the site’s private owners. 500 new zero-emission called for an immediate / Three Tjiwarl women from electric buses. Columbus halt to fracking (hydraulic western Australia, Shirley Ohio’s Yellow Cab company fracturing of deep shale Wonyabong, Elizabeth aspires to be fully electric rock by pumping water, Wonyabong and Vicki within a few years. / Forbes chemicals and sand Abdullah (pictured), have The good / Guardian (U.K.) / Cnet into the ground at high been awarded the 2019 / Observer (U.K.) pressure) after a new study Peter Rawlinson Award news page claimed it was not possible for their decades-long to rule out “unacceptable” campaign to protect their Compiled by n collaboration with the consequences for those country’s environment Elaine Hughes IUniversity of Kentucky, a living near fracking sites. and culture from proposed Kentucky City school board / The Pennsylvania state mining projects, including has launched an all-girls government will spend Canada’s Cameco uranium floating solar farm just academy for science, US$3 million (almost $4 mine at Yeelirrie. The A south of the Dutch town technology, engineering million) on two three-year women, along with other of Zwolle, about 60 km east and math (the STEM fields). studies on the possible Tjiwarl traditional owners, of Amsterdam, was built in The program, currently for links between fracking have spoken up for their a record six-week period in 150 girls from kindergarten and childhood cancers. / country and culture on 2019 and will yield enough to Grade 2, hopes to expand The Ulcinj Salina wetland eight annual one-month energy to power 4,000 into grades 3–8. / Italian covering 15 square km in walking tours, around homes while cutting 6,500 Education Minister Lorenzo southern Montenegro, a campfires, in politicians’ tonnes of carbon dioxide Fioramonti announced former salt works, has been offices, on the streets emissions. / The private that, beginning September saved from development of Perth and in western owner of a solar farm in 2020, all state schools will thanks to local pressure Australia’s highest court. East Sussex, England, dedicate 33 hours per year from the Save Salina / Reuters / Guardian (U.K.) claims that inverters, which (one hour per school week) Campaign. The marsh / usually convert solar power to study climate change, will be declared a nature / Mongabay / Mining Watch to electric current, can also as well as geography, smooth out volatility in mathematics and physics, the grid, saving 400 million from the perspective of British pounds (about $690 sustainable development. million) that would other- / Canadian pianist Angela wise be spent on network Hewitt will become the first upgrades and new solar woman to receive the City plants. The inverters would, of Leipzig’s Bach Medal the company says, stop at an award ceremony in voltage in the grid from June 2020, at which she rising too high on blustery will perform from Bach’s nights when there is more Goldberg Variations. / A wind power generated, five-year Harvard University and they would prevent study has confirmed the voltage from falling too low poet Longfellow’s 200-year- on still nights in the winter old assertion that music is when demand is high. / Los indeed a universal language Angeles’ transportation of humankind, pervading department has bought 130 social life in similar ways electric buses, the largest across the world. order in U.S. history, from / Associated Press Chinese manufacturer / Reuters / CBC News Build Your Dreams. The / Harvard University vehicles will be built at the firm’s Lancaster plant about 120 km from L.A. city ritish food retailer Tesco Tjiwarl women Shirley Wonyabong (left), Elizabeth hall. Not to be outdone, Bhas pledged to remove Wonyabong and Vicky Abdullah, winners of the New York’s Metropolitan one billion pieces of plastic 2019 Peter Rawlinson Award. 25 26 ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAURA DOYLE Feature

SABRINA WILKINSON When will Canadians have the right to repair?

N MAY 2019, a private member’s bill that would have given parts, software and other tools” needed to fix their electron- Ontario consumers the right to repair their electronic de- ic products. The legislation allowed companies to charge vices was voted down in the provincial legislature. The customers for these resources, but at limited rates. Imeasure aimed to give consumers the access and resourc- Although the Ford government voted down his initiative es needed to fix and modify their gadgets, appliances and in May, Coteau says the right to repair isn’t a dead issue in vehicles, ranging from cellphones to tractors. Ontario or other parts of Canada. “The whole process of The Liberal MPP behind the initiative, Michael Coteau, companies monetizing the process of repair and controlling emphasized that the bill would save consumers money the product exclusively is something that needs to be ad- and reduce environmental harm. The Ford government dressed, so I don’t think this issue is going away,” he tells me. wasn’t interested. In Quebec, Bill 197, a private member’s bill sponsored by Despite this setback, right-to-repair efforts have gained independent MPP Guy Ouellette in April 2019, similarly momentum in Canada and around the world. In the United aims to bolster consumers’ right to repair while deterring States, two Democratic presidential candidates, Elizabeth planned obsolescence, where producers design goods to Warren and , have called for federal legis- quickly break down or become outdated. The scheme would lation to give farmers the right to fix their tractors and have manufacturers affix a label to household appliances equipment. As of 2021, manufacturers in the European that lists the average time before an item needs repair. Union will need to make spare parts available to profes- Similar to the Ontario bill, Quebec’s legislation would sional repairers, though unfortunately not consumers, for require companies to offer replacement parts and other up to 10 years. resources “at a reasonable price and on reasonable condi- In particular, our reliance on expensive digital devices tions.” It would also ensure that the warranties of goods in our social and professional lives has led consumers sold in Quebec remain intact even if items are repaired by and politicians of all stripes to hold up the right to repair non-specialists. If successful, the initiative could serve as as a necessary principle in a connected world. Advocacy a guide to other provinces and territories. organizations, such as OpenMedia in Canada, have helped Importantly, new right-to-repair rules in Quebec could shine a light on this dialogue. also give an important boost to the idea of a national law. Indeed, even with strong opposition from manufactur- ers like Apple and John Deere, both of which profit from specialist repair schemes and keeping the code in their computers and tractors inaccessible to consumers, the right to repair movement has burgeoned in recent years. Among other arguments, industry players suggest that intellectual property rights and security and safety concerns should limit consumers’ rights to fix their devices. In Canada, some provincial politicians, like Coteau, are taking the debate seriously. Research reveals that Cana- dians are widely supportive of the right to repair. And in spite of manufacturers looking to stifle this momentum, there are initiatives to put the issue on the new federal government’s agenda.

Provincial action In part inspired by activism in the United States, Coteau’s Bill 72, which entered the Ontario legislature in February 2019, sought to require “brand holders” such as cellphone manufacturers to provide consumers, at their request, with “the most recent version of the documents, replacement 27 While the NDP and Greens did promise national legislation Outside policy development settings, manufacturers during the recent election campaign, the topic got little use other means to limit whether and how consumers can airtime and was not championed by the Liberals, Conserv- tinker with their tools. “[T]hey use a combination of the atives or Bloc Québécois. technology…with warranty and contractual arrangements,” says Leanne Wiseman, associate professor in law at Griffith University. If a vehicle is in need of repairs, it’s often that the Industry strategies owner’s “local mechanic can’t access the technology in the At the same time, opposition to right-to-repair efforts in car to find out what’s wrong in the first place.” That driver Canada and around the world is active and well-resourced. might also have their warranty invalidated for seeking In the United States and Europe, “any time a bill gets support from an unauthorized source. proposed, companies like Apple, Samsung, John Deere, Under public pressure, Apple recently introduced a Microsoft will be knocking at the doors of the legislatures program that grants select repair businesses free access and lobbying against these bills because it affects their to company resources like tools and training. But to no one’s bottom line,” says Rodrigo Samayoa, digital campaigner surprise, the initiative has a few catches. For one, these at OpenMedia. measures aren’t made available to consumers. Another Samayoa adds that in Canada, where advocacy in sup- limitation is that the program only offers resources for port of the right to repair is not as prevalent, there is less fixes not covered by warranties. lobbying. Yet, as Coteau tells me, Canadian politicians are petitioned on this issue too. “During the [provincial] process there were many people that appeared out of nowhere to Power to the people defend the big companies,” he says. Like in the United States, some of the hardest hit by the lack And these lobbyists have undeniable influence. In 2018, of right-to-repair legislation in Canada may be the country’s the California Farm Bureau undermined its constituency farmers and small manufacturers of farming equipment. by signing off on a deal crafted by the Equipment Dealers “As more closed technology systems are introduced into Association, which represents John Deere and other man- equipment, many of the innovative farm implements made ufacturers. Alongside other commitments, the document by [smaller manufacturers] will no longer work on large states that farmers won’t reprogram “electronic control equipment,” Scott Smith, an aircraft electronics technician units or engine control units [and download or access] the living in rural Saskatchewan, wrote in a CBC op-ed last source code of any proprietary embedded software or code.” June. “All of this has a direct impact on rural Canadians With the digitization of the agricultural sector, such and diminishes our ability to participate in the economy.” measures effectively bar farmers, many of whom have The right to repair gives consumers, workers and citizens the necessary know-how, from repairing their equipment agency where their limited power is so often undermined. independently. “We do not want a world around us where our access to the technology we build and incorporate into our lives is limited,” Coteau says. Rather, he adds, people should be given the rights, tools and resources they need to safely and securely fix their things or hire someone of their choosing to do it for them. Of course, allowing consumers to readily repair their tools and devices has obvious environmental benefits, too. Canada is one of the greatest generators of waste in the world, with each Canadian producing roughly 673 kg every year. If there were easy and effective ways to repair our gadgets, who knows how much of this waste we might divert from landfills. The December 5 Speech from the Throne outlined the new minority government’s priorities. While climate change and renewable power featured prominently, there was no mention of the right to repair. To be fair, many Canadians still aren’t well-versed in the debate or the ideas behind the policy. “There’s a big education piece that needs to happen for people to realize this is a big issue,” says Samayoa. But a growing interest in the issue internationally and at the provincial level, alongside vocal campaigns for the right to repair, may eventually put pressure on the Trudeau gov- ernment to act, possibly in co-ordination with the Greens and NDP. As all Canadians—not just farmers—become increasingly reliant on expensive digital tools, a right to repair makes economic and environmental sense. M 28 International

ASAD ISMI Stalemate in Ecuador Mass protests reverse Moreno government’s austerity package, but authoritarian dangers lurk.

URING THE LAST months of 2019, recipient countries since the 1980s. “In a country that has seen very little large-scale protests against neo- Moreno’s latest deal was called out unrest on a significant scale for the last liberalism, corruption, inequality for what it was: an unreasonable, 12 years, the deaths of seven people Dand poverty were flaring in Iraq, unnecessary and ideologically driven in less than 10 days is anything but Iran, Lebanon, Indonesia, Algeria, bargain with the country’s conserva- normal,” write journalist Mohammed France and Chile. The mass protests in tive political forces and the economic Hamarsha and linguist Cloe Perol in Ecuador in October were provoked by elite. an article for the North American an austerity agreement signed by the The demonstrations in Ecuador Congress on Latin America (NACLA). government of President Lenín More- lasted from October 3 to 13, culminat- The article quotes a volunteer who was no with the International Monetary ing in an agreement between Moreno helping the Indigenous protesters and Fund (IMF) in exchange for a $4.2 bil- and Indigenous protesters whereby who holds the Moreno government lion loan. In it, Ecuador had promised to the president cancelled the austerity responsible for the violence. “We are fire thousands of state workers, lower agreement and the demonstrations Ecuadorian people; we are all united in public sector salaries, raise taxes, cut ended. Moreno’s security forces’ brutal this,” she tells them. “And many of us public investment and increase gaso- assaults on protesters left seven people are outraged by so many deaths for so line prices by 30%. dead, 1,340 injured and 1,152 arrested. much violence, that it is by the state, by This last promise particularly the national police, and the military.” angered protesters, who “paralyzed The protests began when transport the economy” for 10 days, stopping workers went on strike against cuts to Ecuador’s oil exports in the process. Riot police detain demonstrators fuel subsidies, triggering the Moreno The IMF’s loan conditions are notori- in Quito protesting Lenin Moreno’s government to call a national emer- ous in the Global South for imposing cancelation of fuel subsidies gency. Two Indigenous organizations, neoliberal “structural adjustment” on in early October. REUTERS/DANIEL TAPIA. the Confederation of Indigenous 29 Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and the Confederation Long. By May 2017, when Moreno took office, “the economy of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon had recovered and was growing at 2.5% again.” (CONFENIAE), joined the striking workers on the streets. According to Long, the fake economic crisis that Moreno When the transport unions struck a deal with the gov- has invented was firstly meant to hurt Correa, who is his ernment—a guarantee of some kind of relief from higher main political opponent in Ecuador. The president accused oil prices—the Indigenous groups took a leadership role Corea of orchestrating the protests from Belgium, where in the protests, bringing 7,000 people to Quito, Ecuador’s he currently resides, and of planning a coup against the capital. They were soon joined by labour unions, students current government. and other citizens’ groups. All told, an estimated 40,000 The second reason the government is fomenting panic protestors would face off against the police and army that is “to prepare the people for the shock therapy Moreno attacked them with guns, tear gas, rubber bullets and water and his economists wished to carry out,” Long adds. cannons. The government temporarily moved its offices to “Essentially a pro-elite, neoliberal structural adjustment the coastal city of Guayaquil. program that would deregulate the economy and compro- Indigenous nations make up 7% of Ecuador’s popula- mise the development model privileged during Correa’s tion and are disproportionately poor compared to other government.” citizens. Increasing fuel prices would have been especially To justify austerity measures, Moreno argues that hard for Indigenous small farmers who depend on cheap Ecuador’s budget deficit and external debt are too high transport to bring their goods to markets affordably. One and need reduction. While both have increased over the Indigenous bean and squash farmer who went to Quito past five years, so has Ecuador’s GDP. Meanwhile, Moreno’s to protest told Bloomberg News he spends about $120 per economic policy, which went into effect in August 2018, month on transportation and is concerned his costs would included tax amnesty provisions that have resulted in rise steeply if the reforms went into effect. about US$3 billion in corporate taxes being forgiven by his “The Moreno government wants to force us to accept government. Cancelling fuel subsidies, had the IMF-agreed these economic measures but will forgive high amount of plan gone ahead, would have raised only US$1.3 billion for debts of bankers and large companies,” says Ñusta Sánchez the government in a US$103-billion economy. (Kichwa), an Indigenous youth fellow with Cultural Sur- “What is truly interesting to witness is how Ecuadorians vival, in an interview posted to the organization’s website. have become wise to this manipulation,” says Long. “A ma- “They are violating our rights to express ourselves, to live jority of Ecuadorian citizens are deeply opposed to these in a quiet place and more than anything else we have the policies and to the IMF and its recipes.” right to protest because we disagree. There are people who The Ecuadorean national assembly unexpectedly scuttled have little and these measures cause more poverty.” the rest of Moreno’s neoliberalization plans, at least for now, by rejecting his proposed monetary and tax reform pack- he loan was not needed by Ecuador,” says Andrés age on November 17, 2019. “[T]hat would have meant a full Arauz Galarza, who was general director of Ecua- neoliberal revolution in the tax, planning, fiscal, monetary “Tdor’s central bank during the socialist government and financial deregulation sphere,” as Arauz puts it. But of former president Rafael Correa (2007–2017). “Ecuador Ecuador’s elite has nowhere else to go and Moreno remains had sufficient ways to finance its public expenditures with very much their man in government. taxes, oil revenues and domestic debt. If necessary, it could “Moreno does not really exist politically,” says Long. issue bonds in the capital markets. “He was sustained during the protest…by the elites and “However, Moreno asked for the IMF loan to anchor the the army. He is essentially a weak puppet, used by those economic policy in the medium term towards a neoliberal who wish to banish Correa from political life in Ecuador. agenda,” he tells me. “Most important in the agenda was “It is important to understand that the only way the cur- the privatization of the central bank governance and the rent authoritarian alliance has managed to keep ‘correismo’ privatization of public assets.” at bay is by jailing its leaders,” Long continues. Immediately Moreno was vice-president under Correa from 2007 to after the end of the protests, the government initiated “a 2013 and ran for office on a leftist platform as a candidate major crackdown on the democratic opposition…something of Correa’s party Alianza PAIS. But after winning the which takes us back to the…military dictatorships of the presidency in 2017, Moreno rejected Correa’s progressive ‘60s and ‘70s, and something we are seeing throughout policies and shifted to the right—giving a military base to South America at the moment.” the U.S., handing over Julian Assange to British authorities The police raided the home of Paola Pabón, governor and inviting the IMF into Ecuador. of the province of Pichincha, arrested the Correa ally and Guillaume Long, who served as Ecuador’s foreign accused her of supporting an armed rebellion. Several other minister under Correa, tells me Moreno inherited a stable opposition figures got the same treatment while still others economy in spite of two very difficult years (2015 and 2016) fled to the Mexican embassy where they have been granted when the price of Ecuador’s commodity exports collapsed asylum or left the country. causing “the biggest external shock since 1948.” Correa was Drawing parallels to the right-wing coup last year in able to shorten the recession “through the implementation Bolivia, Long says “this is the most authoritarian it has of a number of measures to protect national production been in Ecuadorian history, certainly in my generation, and and employment, and thanks to a major tax reform,” says arguably for decades.” M 30 CCPA DONOR PROFILE Meet Lynda Lange Every few issues, the Monitor gets to know one of the CCPA’s incredible supporters. Here we speak to Lynda Lange of Toronto, Ontario. Lynda is Emerita Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto and an active member of Grandmothers Advocacy Network.

Hi Lynda, whatchya reading? When I heard about the CCPA, I knew at once I had to support it The Return of History by Canada’s because the development of well- Jennifer Welsh (House of Anansi researched policies other than the Press, 2016) is a terrific, well-written above was crucial—to show that little book that exposes the fallacy of there are alternatives. I have been the claims that global trade freedom impressed over the years by how well is inevitable at this, “the end of the CCPA has disseminated its good history.” I am also reading The work, clearly gaining the attention of Story of the Jews by Simon Schama mainstream news outlets and hence (Penguin, 2017). Schama is a highly many Canadians. respected historian who happens to be very readable. Opposing What one policy could Canada anti-Semitism was my very first enact today that would make political consciousness growing up people’s lives better? in Winnipeg. It is a sad thing that instead of fading into history, it is A national child care system. It now on the rise. reduces poverty and enhances gender equality by enabling women Tell us about a person who What made you decide to to participate more easily in made a big impact on your life become a CCPA supporter? economic and other activity outside or ideas. the home. Also, our newly re-elected I clearly remember the shock of the prime minister promised to plant As a young leftist and very early wave of neoliberal ideology that two billion trees to combat climate “second wave” feminist, I greatly began in the 1980s. The idea that change. Great! Let’s get going and admired Gloria Steinem. I went to “greed is good,” that more and more do that. hear her speak only a year or so ago “free” trade was inevitable, that in Toronto. She is in her eighties social programs must be lessened in and her politics are still highly order to cut taxes, because the rising admirable! tide of wealth would “lift all boats” (it did not). And all of it presented as if, as Margaret Thatcher said, There Is No Alternative (TINA).

The CCPA is incredibly grateful to all its supporters without whom we could not do any of the progressive research and advocacy we do. We are especially thankful for those supporters who have switched to monthly giving. If you would like to know more about monthly giving and why it is important for the CCPA, please contact Katie Loftus, Monthly and Legacy Giving Officer, at 1-613-563-1341 ext. 318 (toll free: 1-844-563-1341 ext. 318) or [email protected]. 31 32 PHOTO BY HUGO MORALES, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Feature

EDGARDO SEPULVEDA Inequality’s offspring Why Chile up

N OCTOBER 25, 2019, more than one million people marched in the streets of Santiago and other cities across Chile to demand structural change to reduce that country’s Oextreme inequality, to replace the dictatorship-era con- stitution, and to protest against the government’s excessive and indiscriminate use of force to quell mass social protests that started October 18. After an impressive, decades-long period of economic growth, Chile is now Latin America’s highest-income country and has been a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) since 2010. The irony of Chile being asked to join this “rich nations club” is not lost on the demon- strators. The country’s economic model has funnelled most of these gains toward an oligarchic elite made up of hyper-wealthy families whose interconnected companies run much of the economy, and whose scions exert significant political influence in Chile. Pension security, health care and education are largely pro- vided on a for-profit basis. People feel exploited having to pay inflated prices for basic services and are demanding that the government change the free market policies first imposed dur- ing the 1973–1990 dictatorship. In addition to privatization, the dictatorship reduced taxes, opened up the country to free trade and broke up unions. Starting in the 1980s, that “neoliberal” playbook would be followed in the U.K., the United States and Canada under Thatcher, Reagan, Mulroney and their successors. But nothing has driven protestor anger more than the knowl- edge that these harsh economic policies have been perpetuated by all seven of Chile’s post-dictatorship governments, including five led by centre-left or centrist presidents. Referring to the modest fare increase in the Santiago subway that sparked the mass demonstrations, the saying goes: “It is not 30 pesos, it is 30 years.” Not surprisingly, most Chileans have turned away from the electoral process. For Chileans who believe that the market and politics are rigged, taking to the street was the only remaining way to be heard and to demand respect and justice.

Inequality The inequalities and injustices against which the protestors in Chile are raging are multifaceted. They include inequality before the law—impunity—as corporate collusion and other types of white collar crimes, political corruption or sexual abuse 33 in religious institutions appear not to Nothing has driven etc.) and economic policies (the intro- be prosecuted, or with the perpetra- duction and then decline of progressive tors given relatively light sentences. protestor pain and taxation, rates of unionization, etc.) in They also include ethnic inequality, as anger more than each of these countries. Differences in Chilean Indigenous peoples continue economic policies explain much of the to fight against centuries of mistreat- the knowledge variations among countries around ment; and gender inequality, as women that these harsh the general trend. consolidate long-denied political and Chile’s inequality is higher and has social gains. With respect to economic economic policies been more variable than the other inequality, which I focus on here, it is have been countries, reflecting its oligarchic possible to show how Chile’s oligarchic legacy, smaller size and historic reli- democracy has narrowed the scope of perpetuated by all ance on the export of a small number politics to matters that are not likely to seven of Chile’s of raw materials. But Chile’s situation challenge concentrated wealth. also reflects its recent political history. We can measure income or wealth post-dictatorship Privatization, free trade, union inequality by focusing on the share of governments. repression and the dismantling of national wealth captured by a certain fledgling welfare institutions during percentage of the population, say, the the 17-year-long dictatorship resulted top 1% or the top 10%. Or we can look at in an unprecedented jump in inequality one of a series of indices that capture in Chile that came earlier and was more the shape of the distribution of income, severe than in the other countries, the most popular of which is the Gini feel aggrieved by the privileges and including the U.S., where policies have index. The Gini varies between 0 and impunities of the oligarchic few. To raised inequality to levels not seen 1, with 0 meaning no inequality (with put today’s rage against inequality in in a century. Canada’s inequality also all persons having the same income) historical and international context, increased starting in the 1980s, but not and 1 meaning the most inequality (one Figure 1 tracks inequality over the last as much as that of Chile or the U.S. person has all the income). Very high century, as measured by the share of I include France and Sweden in inequality has been shown to have a income held by the top 1% in Chile this and other charts to counter the number of negative social, political and and four other countries including selection “bias” that would result if economic effects and is also considered Canada. Chile was compared only to the U.S. by many to be morally repugnant. The graph shows that inequality in and Canada. I also include them to Economic inequality has long been Chile and the other countries slowly demonstrate that high inequality is of concern in Chile, the enduring declined over much of the 20th century, not inevitable: the socialist and social legacy of Spanish colonial economic only to climb back up starting in the democratic governments in power in institutions first imposed on the 1970s and ‘80s. The general decrease France and Sweden in the 1980s mostly region’s Indigenous peoples. These and then increase in inequality is due continued with inclusive growth pol- institutions have produced a rigid to a complex combination of historical icies and did not adopt the neoliberal social class system based on genealogy, events (the Great Depression, Second policies implemented by conservative income and race, wherein the many World War, the fall of the Soviet Union, governments in the U.K., U.S. and Can- ada, and as a result their inequality increased less and later.

FIGURE 1 TOP 1% SHARE OF INCOME 30% Permanent austerity CHILE DEMOCRATIC BREAK What are some of the symptoms of DICTATORSHIP 197390 extreme income inequality and why 25% have Chileans now woken up? One is Chile the primacy of the market over social 20% U.S. services. The oligarchic strategy is to reduce taxes and cut public funding of social services so that the services 15% Canada people need can be provided by the for-profit firms that they own. 10% France Indeed, a key demand of the Chileans Sweden marching in the streets is increased public financing of social services, 5% including those for retirement, health and education. Tax revenues in Chile 0% 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 hover at about 20% of GDP, which is 34 SOURCE: WORLD INEQUALITY DATABASE, INCOME INEQUALITY IN CHILE SINCE 1850 (WEBER) AND AUTHOR’S CALCULATIONS well below the average of more than FIGURE 2 PUBLIC FINANCING OF SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURES % OF GDP­ 35% in our other comparator countries. 40% But this is a matter of policy choice, France not national income. Those same 35% countries—Canada, the U.S., U.K., Sweden Sweden and France—had comparable 30% tax revenues well before they reached 25% Chile’s current GDP in the 1990s. U.S. Some progressive economists in 20% Canada Chile have called for an increase in revenues to fund social services in 15% the order of 5% of GDP in the medi- Chile um term, but even that would only 10% get Chile one-third of the way to the average of the other OECD countries. 5% Given the historical social debt built up after half a century of austerity, the 0% 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 longer-term objective may be closer to SOURCE: OECD SOCIAL EXPENDITURES DATABASE AND EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS, AND AUTHOR'S CALCULATIONS an increase in the order of 10% of GDP. Low government revenues mean less ability to provide social services. Fig- out of pocket by individual Chileans for example by taxing higher-income ure 2 shows that Chile funds pensions, rather than by employers as in the households and providing cash health care, education and other social U.S. By comparison, private health transfers to targeted groups. Canada’s services at about half the rate of the expenditures average only about 25% federal old age security (OAS) and other countries. This is done in Chile in Canada, France and Sweden. A com- guaranteed income supplement (GIS) in order to provide economic space for parable situation holds for education programs, the Canada Child Benefit the privatized provision of services, and retirement security. (CCB), and provincial social assistance and thus Chile has parallel public and Chile’s parallel public/private (welfare) are prime examples of such private systems in all sectors. system perpetuates high market in- transfer programs. The publicly financed systems are come inequality because it relegates Redistribution is measured by the designed to be universal and have lower-income households to generally change in inequality after taking into relatively modest or no user fees or lower-quality public systems that are account how market income is modi- contribution charges. In practice, less conducive to building (education) fied by such taxes and transfers into however, many middle-income and and maintaining (health and retire- “disposable” income. Figure 3 shows almost all high-income Chileans opt ment) human capital. At the same time, how much inequality was reduced out of what they perceive to be lower the privatized systems allow for the in Chile and our other comparator quality public systems by subscrib- creation of financial capital, further countries since 1990 as measured by ing into a retirement or health plan concentrating oligarchic wealth. the change in the Gini index. We can offered by a user-fee-based, for-profit Chileans’ struggle for comparable clearly see how little Chile has redis- private provider. In fact, many of the public services to those of other in- tributed income since the end of the grievances of the marchers are directed dustrialized countries highlights the dictatorship. Both Canada and the at these economic institutions—the need for Canadians to protect what U.S. have about three times the level private retirement plan administrators prior generations in Canada have of redistribution, while Sweden and (“AFPs”), the private health care plan achieved. The reduction of 3% of GDP France are even higher. providers (“ISAPRES”) or the for-profit (all levels of government) in social And so while Chile, the U.S. and universities. expenditures since the 1990s shows France start off with high market in- As we see in Figure 2, public fund- the precariousness of past gains. It come inequality (Gini indices of about ing has barely budged since the end is why university fees are so high in 0.50) and Canada and Sweden with of the dictatorship. This is because Canada, leaving students with huge lower Gini indices of about 0.44 for the none of the successive governments debts; why hallway medicine exists; latest numbers, redistribution reduces undertook the structural economic and why social assistance rates are market inequality to around 0.30 for reforms to provide the free, quality even more inadequate than before. Canada, France and Sweden, 0.40 for and universal health care or educa- the U.S, but barely budges it in Chile tion that Canadians, the French and to 0.46. Similar to the 1% measure, this Swedes take for granted. This means Redistribution Gini number confirms Chile’s rank as that, as in the U.S., Chileans pay about Democratically elected governments one of the most economically unequal 50% of health expenditures privately. in Chile have also failed to reduce countries in the world. But the impact is worse in Chile be- income inequality. They could have So, what does it mean to be in cause health care plans are paid for done so by redistributing income, the bottom economic half of the 35 population in Chile? It means your households are living paycheque to platforms that have delivered econom- employment income is low because paycheque and have to borrow to ic growth without economic justice. the minimum wage has been kept low make it to month’s end. To take into account differences in by market-friendly legislation and the Of course, this is not a uniquely Chil- voter registration, researchers often labour market is marked by precarious ean phenomenon. Many lower-income use voting age population (VAP) and informal jobs at the bottom end. households in Canada and the other turnout as an indicator to measure Unemployment insurance is meagre countries, including the working poor voter turnout. Figure 4 presents VAP and only available to designated con- and those on social assistance, are in a turnout for Chile and the comparator tract workers, not those labouring similar situation and have to borrow countries from 1964 on, for presiden- in the large informal sector. There is and resort to food banks. But at least tial elections in Chile, the U.S. and virtually no social assistance if you they can rely on some high quality, France and parliamentary elections become destitute. Private health insur- publicly funded social services like in Canada and Sweden. ance premiums are unaffordable, so health care. We can see that VAP turnout in Chile you make do with the underresourced Redistribution is fundamentally a was low compared to the other coun- public health system. political choice and social contract tries in the 1960s and peaked at 86% in There is no public pension in Chile with real societal consequences. In the first post-dictatorship election of like the Canada Pension Plan; instead, principle, in a democracy people decide 1989. After that there was a precipitous it is mandatory to pay into for-profit on the level of redistribution and the decline in Chile, to well below 50% in retirement funds (if you are lucky provision of public services by electing both the most recent presidential enough to be a designated contract or a government that will carry out that elections, including the one in 2017 permanent worker). Day-to-day you program. But extreme inequality ap- that elected the current president. pay higher prices for many goods and pears to short-circuit that process. An In contrast, VAP turnout in the other services because many sectors, includ- oligarchic democracy seems to limit countries has been steady or declined ing banking, foodstuffs, medicines, the scope of the politically possible, moderately over the last 55 years. etc., are controlled by a small number regardless of citizens’ wishes. The euphoria of being able to cast a of oligopolistic firms often owned by ballot for the first time in a generation the oligarchic few. in 1989 soon turned to disappointment Low incomes and high expenditures Disenchanted citizens and ultimately outright disgust with lead many Chileans into debt. Indeed, Can democracy counteract oligarchic politicians and the electoral process the median debt service ratio—the power? Research suggests that voter after a series of governments offered amount of disposable income devot- engagement, a critical democratic input, similarly inadequate economic vi- ed to service all debt—for a Chilean is suppressed by increasing inequality sions. Lack of citizen engagement is household with debt at the bottom and that this effect is particularly pro- a hallmark of oligarchic democracy: half of the income distribution in- nounced in post-dictatorship countries why bother playing if you know you’ll creased from 20% to more than 27% in where democratic governance does not lose? The electoral process ends up the decade to 2017. That is not mostly deliver on citizen expectations. This driven by those who can commit the mortgage debt or asset investment but certainly describes Chile, where polit- most resources to maintaining the student and retail and other consump- ical parties vying to form government status quo. tion-oriented credit card debt. Many have competed on narrow economic Is reform possible? Since October 25, a parade of political leaders from the left and sometimes from the right have apologized for not having “heard FIGURE 3 REDISTRIBUTION MARKETDISPOSABLE INCOME GINI INDEX­ the people” and not doing enough 0.25 to reform or change the neoliberal economic model. But many in the France centre and centre-left governments 0.20 in Chile seemed to actually believe in what they were doing, much like the “Third Way” governments of Tony 0.15 Sweden Blair, Bill Clinton and Jean Chrétien/ Paul Martin. All adopted the mantra Canada of maintaining the “responsible” neo- U.S. 0.10 liberal policies established by earlier conservative regimes. The political situation in Chile has 0.05 been in a dangerous negative feedback Chile loop for some time. The political spectrum is narrowed to promote and 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 defend concentrated wealth, making 36 SOURCE: OECD INCOME DISTRIBUTION DATABASE AND AUTHOR’S CALCULATIONS government policy less responsive to FIGURE 4 VOTING AGE POPULATION TURNOUT citizen demands. This leads to citizen 100% disenchantment and exit from the CHILE DEMOCRATIC BREAK political process, which in turn results DICTATORSHIP 197390 90% in decreased political competition against concentrated wealth. 80% Sweden

What’s next? 70% At the time of writing, Chileans were France still massively protesting in the streets. The current conservative president, 60% Canada one of the wealthiest men in the coun- U.S. try, has offered only modest one-off 50% initiatives, but no medium or long-term Chile plans to reduce inequality and improve quality of life. Opposition demands for 40% 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 serious reform, including a multi-year SOURCE: IDEA VOTER TURNOUT DATABASE AND AUTHOR’S CALCULATIONS plan for Chile to finance quality uni- versal social services, appear to have fallen on the deaf ears of a government injuries or loss of vision from the use of offspring. Thirty years since the end of committed to the neoliberal model. anti-riot shotgun pellets by the police. the dictatorship, it is well past time for Along with this economic incre- The police continue to hold more Chile to move beyond minor tinkering mentalism there has been positive than 1,000 of the more than 20,000 at the margins and begin addressing news on the constitutional front: a that have been detained. Human rights the structural issues bringing Chileans congressional agreement to establish entities have documented ill treatment, into the streets. the framework to review and replace sexual abuse and torture of some Chile’s struggle against inequality the dictatorship-era constitution that detainees. The national police, whose matters because it is not theirs alone. constrained certain economic policies. image had begun to be rehabilitated Starting with the 2011 Occupy move- The process was top-down and driven after their role in the dictatorship, will ment, this generation has seen protests by a highly discredited congress, and need another generation of real reform, against inequality with limited policy the agreement was not unanimous. including stronger political oversight, impact. But as income and wealth gaps But it now appears that Chileans to be trusted by most of the population. continue to widen, the policy debate in will decide on whether they want to Chile’s path is uncertain. Mass mo- the U.S and elsewhere about the dangers start this constitutional process in a bilization has not yet resulted in the of inequality is now the most robust in historic plebiscite in April. structural reforms that would provide a century. Inequality in Canada is less While the mass peaceful protests Chileans with what most advanced pronounced, but we should also be very have continued, so has the destruc- democracies have had in place for concerned that the top 1% of Canadians tion of property and looting, and the generations: policies to substantially hold 17% of total wealth and that many pitched battles with the police. As in moderate income inequality and to policies seem designed to favour them. other countries, there is often a “first finance high quality, universal social We see how political and economic line” of protesters that engage the services. There is no administrative or ideas cross national boundaries. Chile’s security forces, often violently, using economic constraint to implementing dictatorship-driven jump in inequality the mass peaceful protests as cover. In these policies in Chile. But that has came earlier and was more severe this volatile context, public attention never really been the issue. Rather, than in other countries. Does today’s has focused on strategies to achieve until October 25, the political space democratic call for economic justice in social peace, while ensuring justice for was so narrow that structural reforms Chile signal the break in the 40-year those killed and injured by the police did not seem feasible. increase in inequality there and else- and the military. Chileans generally support the mass where? Canadians can and should feel Human rights organizations have peaceful demonstrations because they emboldened to insist on a turnaround accused the security forces of excessive have opened up political space that can in this country, too. Policies to reduce and indiscriminate use of force. Five result in change. They abhor the van- income and wealth inequality, and to confirmed deaths from live ammuni- dalism and looting and are tiring of the counteract the outsized influence of tion or beatings by the security forces street barricades and battles with the the few over the many, are the least we and two suspicious deaths in custody police. Most also acknowledge that the should expect from government today. are being investigated. Thousands perpetrators are often dispossessed, A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE WITH ADDITIONAL of protestors and security personnel lower-income youth that have borne ECONOMIC DATA AND ANALYSIS ORIGINALLY RAN ON THE PROGRESSIVE ECONOMICS have been injured, including hundreds the brunt of Chile’s class injustices and FORUM ON OCTOBER 31 AND CAN BE READ AT of demonstrators with serious eye permanent austerity—inequality’s WWW.PROGRESSIVE-ECONOMICS.CA. 37 Books

REVIEWED BY JOHN W. FOSTER No benign superpowers

CLAWS OF THE PANDA: progeny were only one dimension of bites.” He points out that Canada’s BEIJING’S CAMPAIGN OF INFLUENCE imperial power in 19th and 20th centu- “formula” for recognition, i.e., “taking AND INTIMIDATION IN CANADA ry China. While Chinese labourers were note” of the People’s Republic’s claim to JONATHAN MANTHORPE being imported to build the Canadian Taiwan, led to many other negotiations Pacific Railway, Canadian clergy and and agreements with other Western Cormorant Books, 2019, $24.95 their families were being exported to governments. Not least was the slow south, western and northern China to advance in U.S.–China relations, from EW DOUBT THAT relations between evangelize and educate. Nixon’s July 1972 visit to Beijing to full Canada and China are in crisis, In 1888, the suggestively named Pres- diplomatic relations in January 1979. the most acute in 50 years. In a byterian Jonathon Goforth left Toronto The challenges of mapping avenues September column in the Globe for the Middle Kingdom, following in of influence are evident in the decades and Mail, veteran journalist Jon- the steps of English and Scottish di- leading to Canada’s official recognition Fathan Manthorpe said the situation vines. Dozens (later hundreds) of of China in October 1970. Were par- has “pulled into sharp focus the fun- Canadian Anglicans, Methodists and ticular personalities “friends of China,” damental incompatibility of the values Presbyterians followed. That these ini- “agents of influence,” “espionage agents,” held by the Chinese Communist Party tiatives were possible owed much to the or something else? It depended on what (CCP) and Canada.” This, he wrote, dominance of foreign powers in China, the CCP expected as results of the raises “very legitimate questions, both gunboat “diplomacy,” the victories in the engagement. Attention is given to key about the overly optimistic views of Opium Wars and the “unequal treaties” figures including academic Paul T.K. Lin the relationship held by a succession of in the 19th and early 20th century. and Diefenbaker’s agriculture minister, Canadian governments in the past and Manthorpe gives particular atten- the Honourable Alvin Hamilton. China’s the extent of the ties Canada should tion to the role, in the early 1940s, of cultivation of Canada had strategic pursue with [China] in the future.” United Church missionary James G. priority beyond the nation itself: it was Manthorpe elaborates these themes Endicott, who provided intelligence aimed squarely at our giant neighbour. in Claws of the Panda, a book-length reports from Sichuan to the U.S. Office Early in his study, Manthorpe asks critique of Communist Party avenues of Strategic Services and engaged the whether Canada can change China, of influence in Canada and the often CCP’s Zhou Enlai’s co-operation as noting such items as the Trudeau muddled responses of Canadian gov- well. Endicott’s friend, Lester Pearson, government’s hopes for a trade deal ernments. According to the author, was in the Department of External Af- that would include human rights and Canadian attitudes toward China, from fairs, whose staff were also recipients environment-related elements. He official recognition of the People’s Re- of his China assessments. (Endicott’s concludes in the negative: “Far more public to today, were not just optimistic son Stephen, a distinguished academ- pertinent is the question, is China but based on a “naïve” understanding ic, passed away recently.) changing Canada?” His book examines of the country. “The Mish Kids had considerable em- many of the ways in which the Chinese pathy for China, which they understood Communist Party has spent decades to be a fragile, conflict-ridden, develop- establishing networks and influenc- Missionaries and their children ing country that posed no threat to ing Canadian political, commercial, Examining the earliest days of official Canada,” wrote UBC professor Michael media and academic discourse, “to its relations between Canadian govern- Byers early last year, summarizing advantage.” ments and pre- and post-revolutionary Manthorpe’s case. “This benign under- The interpenetration of population China, Manthorpe lays a good deal standing of China made Canadians easy is significant, with 1.56 million immi- of responsibility at the door of the targets for the Chinese regime.” grants from Greater China living in “Mish Kids,” offspring of Canadian Canada and, for instance, 300,000 or missionaries in China. Because of lan- more Canadians in Hong Kong. Given guage and field experience they were Recognition and after the diversity of Canadians of Chinese influential before the 1949 revolution, The book moves on to the establish- origin, the CCP, aware of dissident and on return to Canada often gained ment of bilateral diplomatic relations elements working to change China, is positions of influence in government in 1970, with Manthorpe surveying the “intent on maintaining an espionage and academia. early evolution of Canadian engage- network in Canada that keeps watch It may be useful to remind readers ment in chapters suggestively titled on these people and intimidates them that Christian missions and their “Romance meets reality,” and “Reality when necessary.” Manthorpe advises 38 that it is wrong to regard the issues of immediate threat or that any threat in racial terms; the focus must be on was being ignored. Still, Manthorpe the Communist Party as a particular concludes that “other public material regime at a particular stage in history. has emerged to support the thesis that The party, he writes, sees “the Chinese the CCP has worked assiduously to diaspora as an asset to be used and influence Canadian media, academia, abused.” businesses and political life.” While much of the latter portion of the book surveys the history of bilat- eral relations, it also provides detail A relationship in crisis, on a number of particular dimensions, policy in question many of them as fresh as yesterday’s Since Panda’s publication, relations newscasts: Chinese interest in acquiring have been thrown into greater crisis access and control of natural resources, by the arrest in Vancouver of the Global and Mail reporter Robert Fife (left) including the energy sector; CCP con- Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in and Jonathan Manthorpe at a book launch trol of both state-owned and private pursuit of an extradition agreement organized by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute companies and their operations abroad; with the U.S., and the apparent repris- last year. security and intelligence concerns al arrests of two Canadians in China. regarding Huawei and other firms, etc. Sanctions against Canadian agricul- Of particular concern is the influ- tural and other exports to China, and more assets in Canada than the other ence of the CCP in Canadian politics waves of spillover from the mercurial way around.” and its interference in elections. The U.S.-China trade negotiations, further A memorable element of opposition issue can be visited in municipal, pro- complicate bilateral relations. Mean- to the agreement was a legal challenge vincial or national theatres. The role while the democracy protests in Hong initiated by the Hupačasath First of a number of Chinese institutions Kong, which in themselves should give Nation of Vancouver Island. The case and Communist Party arms such as us pause regarding an extradition argued that Aboriginal rights under the United Front Work Department, agreement with China, have burned the Canadian Constitution would be or local “friendship” and cultural soci- strong for half a year. injured by the agreement. The case eties, in sponsoring activities by such Recently, Manthorpe told a journal- was dismissed by the Federal Court Canadian organizations as the Union ist that the crisis may actually be a in August 2013 and an appeal was de- of British Columbia Municipalities is good thing for Canada. “We have been nied by the Federal Court of Appeal in one example of China’s engagement in a state of self-delusion about our re- January 2015. In between, the Harper here. Ensuring that Canadian uni- lationship with China for a long, long government ratified the FIPA. versities and school boards receive time,” he said. “China has been using As Van Harten points out, the FIPA invitations to visit China thanks to us and has been setting up agents of was lopsided for another critical the Confucius Institute or Chinese influence and otherwise operating in reason: its long “zombie clause,” to consulate is another. Canada against our interests for 60 or use a critical descriptor of a danger- Manthorpe gives useful attention 70 years.” ous feature of bilateral investment to matters of “intelligence” and the treaties. Even if Canada gave notice extent to which it has been influential in 2030, for example, of its intention or ignored in Canadian policy and Unequal treaties revisited to terminate the FIPA with China, action. The background to the 1997 One—perhaps the chief—omission the treaty would continue in effect secret report, “Chinese Intelligence of the Manthorpe study is the lack for Chinese investments until 2045. Services and Triads Financial Links in of serious consideration of the Worse still, the Canadian government Canada,” which was produced jointly Canada-China Foreign Investment is not bound to be transparent about by the RCMP and CSIS (in Operation Promotion and Protection Agreement Chinese lawsuits against it. We could Sidewinder), makes for fascinating (FIPA) of 2014. Osgoode Hall Law be threatened with significant costs reading. The mix of actors included School professor Gus Van Harten, in without public disclosure. not only the often brutal triads, but his critical study Sold Down The Yang- prominent business elements in Hong tze, provides essential insights into Kong and Canada. why this deal is tragically lopsided. Clear eyes What should be done with the report “Unlike in NAFTA, Canada did not Given the scale and complexity of rela- provoked conflict between the police get any new access to China’s market tions with this great power, Canadians and CSIS, leading to review by the for exports of Canadian goods, in are well advised to study this Panda Security Intelligence Review Commit- exchange for Canada’s concessions and several more current publications tee (which then included Bob Rae and on investment,” Van Harten writes. about China. As Manthorpe concludes, Frank McKenna). SIRC critiqued the “Canada simply accepted powerful we “need to understand that the CCP’s CSIS/RCMP report as “deeply flawed” protections for foreign investors, in a China is not going to be a benign su- and concluded there was no evidence situation where Chinese investors own perpower. No superpower is.” M 39 REVIEWED BY FRANK BAYERL Whose streets? Google’s streets.

THE SMART CITY IN A DIGITAL WORLD In his new book, Vincent Mosco, a and reduce the blight of industriali- VINCENT MOSCO professor emeritus at Queen’s Uni- zation. The garden city movement, versity, asks some pointed questions Le Corbusier’s technocratic vision Emerald Publishing, August 2019, $33.33 about this vision for the smart city. of totally planned cities, Brutalism, For example, how is privacy and Jane Jacobs’s organic city, and Richard UST GIVE US a city and put us in data confidentiality affected by this Florida’s creative city were all very charge.” That quote from Eric approaching urban future? And how different attempts to maximize the Schmidt, founder and former will the technology of the smart city positive forces of urbanization and CEO of Google and its parent com- change how we govern ourselves? reduce its negative impacts. Florida’s pany, Alphabet, may seem a little Google and other smart city advo- vision is, in fact, only a small step away “Jimmodest taken out of context. But it cates assume the private sector is best from the smart city. encapsulates one vision for the city of equipped to organize municipal life by Mosco’s skepticism of technological tomorrow, the smart city. applying business principles to public utopias leads him to prefer what is A smart city can mean many things. sector functions such as security, traffic known as “municipalism,” the view that Usually it involves the application management, housing, education and city-level government offers the best of computer communications (the community development. Singapore, opportunity for democratic participa- “internet of things”) to enhance the on every list of the most advanced tion. It incorporates many elements of operations and maximize the efficiency smart cities, is also one of the world’s Jacobs’s philosophy of urbanism with of a city. The proposed renovation of most privatized, intensely monitored, its emphasis on street-level experience Toronto’s port lands district by Al- and unequal in terms of income. and human-scaled neighbourhoods. phabet-owned Sidewalk Labs offers a The issue of who governs a smart Municipalism is significant, Mosco Canadian exemplar. city is key. Mosco identifies three says, because it recognizes “that cities In partnership with the City of models or tendencies. In one, the gov- derive their intelligence from their Toronto and the federal government, ernment, primarily the nation-state, is people.” He sees it as offering an al- Sidewalk has planned a futuristic responsible, as in Singapore. In another, ternative to elite-driven neoliberalism community of apartments and con- private corporations are the major de- and authoritarian nationalism. dos, offices, schools, parks and shops cision-makers—a kind of 21st century In the case of Toronto, Sidewalk equipped with the latest internet version of the old company town, but Labs seems to be losing the public technology to gather and use data with robots. The Facebook-developed relations battle over its proposed about just about everything. Traffic Willow Village in California is one exam- waterfront development. It looked signals adjust to the flow of traffic. ple of this model, alongside Elon Musk’s bad when former Ontario privacy Monitors track noise and pollution. Yarrabend project in Australia, and commissioner Ann Cavoukian, who Underground tunnels keep delivery Belmont, Arizona’s smart city, which is had been a consultant on the project, trucks off the streets. Heated bicycle loosely associated with Bill Gates. resigned over concerns about data paths and sidewalks melt snow. Net- In Mosco’s third, preferred scenario, protection. A recent decision by Wa- worked thermostats and cameras citizens run the show with a commit- terfront Toronto limits the project promise more efficient use of energy ment to democracy. Only Barcelona, to the original 12 acres of Quayside in buildings and faster emergency re- Spain has tried this approach so far, district land (the company wanted sponses to traffic and other problems. but Mosco is enthusiastic about its much more space) and requires that “But perhaps the greatest oppor- potential. Some 40,000 Barcelona res- any data collected will be treated as tunity for information collection,” idents have contributed ideas to help a public asset—not the company’s enthused the mayor of Squamish, build the project, putting citizenship property. Sidewalk has also agreed to B.C. in 2017, “is to envisage every cit- ahead of technology. Deals that would work with local developers. izen as a potential sensor, collecting lock the city into long-term contracts While many decisions on this pro- information, measuring, mapping, with large tech firms are ruled out. ject are yet to be made, this assertion crowdsourcing and ground-truth- Public ownership of data and the of public control, along with Barcelo- ing their reality, and the potential use of open-source and open-licence na’s democratic leadership, give hope for greater collaboration between software are priorities. that smart city developments can be academics, the private sector, govern- Mosco reviews the history of handled with adequate concern for ments and its citizens.” attempts to make cities more livable the public interest. M 40 Excerpt

PAIGE GALETTE From Cheechako to Sourdough Reflections on northern living and surviving while being black

ACK IN 2014, friends of mine invited in the streets of Whitehorse, I couldn’t public trails; I was taught to forage for me to visit them in the Yukon. help but notice the number of Indige- Labrador Tea; I saw northern lights for “The Yukon?” I thought. “What nous people. Suddenly I didn’t feel so the very first time. I did things I hadn’t Bthe fuck am I going to do there? alone. Yukon is home to fourteen First done in a really long time, but that I Black people don’t go north, let alone Nations, eleven of which are self-gov- loved: camping, hiking, exploring. On the Yukon.” erning. This is a fact that is barely my last day in Whitehorse, I hiked up But with a heart full of love for discussed in Canadian history, politics, a mountain with my friends to see these friends, who assured me that the or education. I hold a bachelor’s degree the sunset; I sat down on the fresh Yukon was a magical place, I left for my in social sciences and political science. ground, cracked open a beer, and tears first visit to the North; my first time Never did we learn about Indigenous started flowing. At first I thought it was travelling on my own. I still remember governance. But I was required to learn because of the winds and the fact that boarding the flight to Whitehorse on about the colour of the carpet in the I was going back home and probably Air North, which I later found out House of Commons and the Senate. wouldn’t see my friends again in a was owned by a First Nation in the Am I surprised? Absolutely not. This while. I thought I was sad. But when territory. country is founded on colonialism, I took the plane back home to Ottawa I was nervous. I thought to myself, racism, and genocide. I was ashamed the next day, I started to sob uncontrol- “What the hell am I doing, going to a that I had assumed that white people lably. I cried tears of joy, I cried tears of place so far north and by myself?” The had power and control in this land sadness, but most of all I cried because I friends I was visiting weren’t Black. So, simply because that’s what I was used was able to breathe! That was it! I knew as much as I believed them when they to seeing. I’d be back. said the Yukon was magical, I began to Needless to say, my visit was spectac- The following winter I was invited panic. All I knew is that I was heading ular. I ate berries from backyards and to come up to Yellowknife, Northwest to a hunting area.... Would I get shot? Territories, to visit a friend. I figured Would I be asked questions about if I was going all the way up there, I my Blackness and forced to contend might as well stop by Whitehorse in with inappropriate stares? Would I be the Yukon. And there I was, so far the only Black person in town? What north, only this time in the beginning if my friends lured me into a place of winter. I was so “misplaced,” even where their whiteness and privilege my phone would die from the cold as prevented them from seeing the soon as I took it out of my coat. I was dangers that were present for Black cold. But I didn’t care. I was facing and racialized folks? The experience of mountains. The same ones that had travelling to somewhere new is often taken my heart a year prior. The fraught for Black people. Wherever sun would rise near 11 a.m. and go we go, we need to consider whether back down near 3 p.m. The sun was or not we will be treated with dignity. almost nonexistent, yet the darkness Add the fact that I am a woman, queer, was calming, soothing, and best felt and unapologetically outspoken; I was with a burning fire. That year, winter truly nervous. But I needed to leave was different; during my Yukon visit the city. we played in the snow all day, went While leaving the airport in my tubing in the Carcross Desert. I wasn’t friend’s car, I looked in the rearview once cold. I was glowing. I felt like a mirror and gasped at the multitude of kid again. mountains looking back. “If you think I remembered being a kid in London, these mountains are pretty, just wait Galette is interviewed by CBC’s Ontario, building houses made out of until we take the road to Skagway Natasha MacDonald-Dupuis in 2017. snow on our front lawn. I’d invite my (Alaska),” my friend said. As I walked PHOTO FROM MACDONALD-DUPUIS’S TWITTER FEED. neighbours for “lunch” in my made-up 41 Yukon is home to fourteen in this world, I needed a place that allowed me to be me, to love myself, and a place where I could escape when First Nations, eleven of things would get wild again. I say “wild again,” because which are self-governing. (a) being Black in Canada, you can’t seclude yourself from racist bullshit. There is no place, not even one as big and This is a fact that is barely diverse as Toronto, that will protect you from haters, rac- discussed in Canadian ists, misogynists, and white supremacists. Our country is founded on , and its roots run so deep. history, politics, or It is everywhere. And I say “wild again” because (b) being education. unapologetically outspoken means shit will sometimes pop off, no matter how hard I try. And trust me...I’ve tried! Being Haitian, I like to think that I can never be tamed in my activism, in my quest for social justice. It’s in my blood, it’s in my history, and it’s in the generations of my ancestors and in the generations of my futures. I need to be able to speak my mind. kitchen. Most of the other kids couldn’t sustain the cold And so I packed my car and drove across the country, and would make up an excuse to run back home. I didn’t refusing to look back. I couldn’t look back. The view in really have that many friends growing up, and as a result front was too sweet to take my eyes off of it. However, I realized that it was nice to not have to share my “snow the decision to move was complex. Firstly, I needed to ac- house” with anybody else. I hadn’t played in the snow for knowledge that it was complex to move and create a life for such a long period of time in so long until that Yukon visit. myself on land that isn’t mine. I often think about whether Growing up I often cursed the snow. As an adult living in or not I’m participating in a modern-day colonialism, one Canada I’d ask myself why the hell was I still living in this where I chose to move somewhere, without being invited cold-ass place. Yet, after one experience of Yukon winter, or consulting the First Nations community in that place. I had a different, a very different view: She (winter) was I truly believe in decolonization and that by decolonizing, gorgeous! A wonderland to discover, so inviting. With fauna Indigenous people will be free. But I also feel like a fraud that seemed so mysterious, like out of a fantasy novel. for settling in a location where I wasn’t invited. I’m still con- There was caribou, elk, bison, arctic fox and lynx. Due to the flicted by this. Modern-day settlerism. It doesn’t feel good. lack of humidity, I felt this winter visit was so much warmer Second, I am extremely privileged to have been able to move than winter in Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal—all places away. I left my family, my friends, my community. Leaving that made me despise winter. People here were laughing, made me feel so selfish. I was fortunate enough to have the always wanting to do things outside and be cozy inside. funds, to find employment, and to have friends to take me I’d meet up with a friend of mine, who is visibly racialized, in while I found a place to live. But leaving is not that easy. and I allowed myself to ask the real questions: Are there As Black people, it can be hard to leave a place you know Black people here? Other racialized people? Could I move has all your needs, your community—especially for a place here? Would I be happy? Could I find community? Sure, I so unfamiliar, so unknown. I think of the displacement of give credit to my friends: they were the ones to invite me refugees seeking a place to live, to be alive, to be free, to up to visit in the first place. But the greater credit goes to breathe. I think of the barriers that borders place in front my friend Reem: she inspired me to be who I am and to of people seeking refuge. I think of the tests that migrants embrace my love for camping and hiking and loving the have to go through and pass in order to prove they are able North’s winter while still being true to myself. She showed to “conform” to the white supremacy already rooted in this me that we poCs can enjoy life not fitting “the norm.” We country. Leaving and coming, travels and migrations: they can still do those outdoor sports and activities and not are hard processes and complex ones. let ourselves down or betray ourselves. I decided to take a I left Ontario with absolute peace of mind, and I left no bold step and move north. one—not family, child, dependant—behind. I left without Leaving Toronto was easier than I thought. Sure, I was the need to conform or to prove and declare patriotism. rattled with anxiety, depression, and fear, but my activism I left easy, while my people, Haitian people, are at the had always pushed me in unfamiliar territory. At this time United States–Canada border seeking refuge, a promise in my life, the price of my activism was catching up to of a better future and opportunities, while facing sacrifices, me—I was receiving real threats from people with power a generous colder weather, and isolation. and influence, as well as your average asshole trolls. I read I’d be a great liar if I were to say I’m living a perfect life descriptions of me online that were so vile in ways I had in Whitehorse, free to be me, to show my Blackness, to live never seen or imagine possible. I’d be belittled with the most carefree. My new life in Yukon has still been marked by hurtful words, criticisms of my Blackness, my queerness, anti-Blackness. For example, at my work, when I straighten and my intelligence. People who I had never seen or met my natural hair, I still get reactions from colleagues: “I before wished ill on my well-being and pain on my friends didn’t recognize you.” There are only two Black people at and family. I saw darkness everywhere I went. I couldn’t my workplace of over 300 employees. I am short (four feet, breathe. I knew I needed to leave, to go. If I were to survive eleven inches), with a very distinguishable tattoo on my 42 forearm and a nose piercing. And yet will bring liberation of other racialized was accepted, and that if things didn’t I was still “unrecognizable” because people, including Black people, on work out, I’d be allowed back. That’s a my hair was straight. Similarly, as Turtle Island. tough one with community. Leaving president of a not-for-profit’s board I moved in May of 2017, and finding is hard, but not being allowed to come of administration, I get questioned community, let alone Black commu- back, that’s heart wrenching. every day about my intentions and nity, proved difficult. I left Toronto Because Yukon, especially White- actions. I get undermined constantly, with other people’s fears put onto me. horse, gets filled up with tourists in even by fellow board members. All of From close friends to family members the summer, most Yukoners are gone this is steeped in anti-Blackness. When to co-workers and bosses, everyone during the months of May through meeting new people, I get asked how seemed to have an opinion on how August, camping, exploring, anywhere “my people” react to x, y, and z. I get I was going to live in the North. Yet away from the tourists! Others, who questioned about the fact that I’ve most of them had never visited or lived stay, don’t want to get emotionally never been to my homeland, Haiti, there. Alone, scared, and constantly attached to tourists who are just pass- when Becky, Julie, Chad, and Matt all questioning this move, I left friends ing through. To this day, I get asked if went on at least three to four “mis- and family with very little warning. I plan on moving back, even though I sions.” And yes, I still get told that I knew I was going to be told not to have changed my health card, license my anger with white people wearing leave or that opportunities, such as plate, and gotten a (real cute) puppy so-called dreads at music festivals is work or partnerships, too good to pass and continuously make my apartment unwarranted. Don’t let my Instagram up would suddenly arise, as they had a home. It wasn’t until autumn, when account fool you—anti-Blackness is done before. I especially didn’t tell my winter started creeping back, that alive and present in Yukon. Black friends until much later because people started opening themselves But there are also lots of great I knew I would be made a fool of. “You and their homes to me. things, worth taking into account, going where there’s snow? The hell? And suddenly, I was introduced to about living in the North. First off, Where are you going to get shea butter? Black people! That’s the thing about the impact of the self-governing First You gonna be dusty as hell!” Well, to my winter; she can be real sweet, if you’re Nations people is tremendous. I’ve surprise, most Black friends offered ready to welcome her. But she can cut never lived in an area where people, to send up care packages, which was you real deep if you neglect her, speak white people, question their own ac- so touching. I felt cared for and, in a ill of her, or don’t welcome her! People tions and impacts with the intention sense, permitted to go. I did feel like I would ask me what equipment I had of respecting First Nations people. was leaving my Black fam behind, to for winter, and because I had already Living in Yukon is living on recognized suffer alone rather than to experience visited in wintertime, I was prepared. First Nations territory. A lot of this is pain together, at a political time when What I wasn’t prepared for was finding due to policy changes and implemen- friends and close family members were my Black community. You can have all tations as well as consultations with being attacked in the public eye in the the warmest gear for winter. If you and directions from First Nations media or social networks. It was nice don’t have your people, your Black peoples. Their strength, tenacity, and to know that, even though it wasn’t family to enlighten you and make you resilience has made it that the North up to them, I was to go and my leaving happy, people to trust and keep you is a much more welcoming place for cozy, it’s as though you have nothing. racialized people as these changes The Black people I have met were positively impact the lives of people also people who, like me, lived in big from marginalized communities. cities, mostly Toronto, and left with In Whitehorse, a government a need for adventure and the need town, instead of seeing buildings and to breathe! When meeting Black streets named after Wilfrid Laurier, people, I wasn’t offered clothing or Mackenzie King, and other nonsense winter gear, but rather hair products, slave owners, as I’ve experienced in Ot- The Black people well-seasoned food, talks on and re- tawa, there are names of First Nations I have met were views of Black culture/Black movies, people, and there are First Nations and invitations to family gatherings. cultural centres able to host a variety also people who, This also was offered by First Nations of events and feature the First Nation’s like me, lived in people I met. My first Christmas history, art, and culture. Hunting, trap- in Whitehorse was definitely not ping, and fishing season are done with big cities, mostly lonely. I was invited to a multitude intention, and with recognition of and Toronto, and of family gatherings and dinners respect for First Nations culture. For a and met extended family members Black person like me, who may feel dis- left with a need of new friends and acquaintances. placed, it’s quite comforting to know for adventure That’s the thing with community, it’s white people don’t own everything. It rooted in culture and love. Because I permits me to feel safe and hopeful, as and the need to was welcomed in such manners, I feel reconciliation with Indigenous people breathe! the necessity to continue doing the 43 To become a Sourdough reaction to northern living is fear, confusion, and angst. We tend to fear the unknown. And when we are in a country you need to survive and that openly celebrates its racist history and refuses to earn your right of passage, acknowledge and remedy its practices, policies, and laws rooted in white supremacy, the fear of the unknown is so to speak, by surviving doubled. We fear for our lives, and we tend to limit ourselves winter. by missing what could be another way of living: one that is guided by First Nations practices, culture, and rituals. A way of living that would lead us to decolonization, progress, and thus, liberation. In Alaska and Yukon, a term used to describe a new person in the North is Cheechako. A Cheechako is a person who has yet to survive a winter. As you continue to live same for others. Whenever I see Black people, I don’t offer in the North—some will say after having survived one clothing and winter gear—I know they’ll find such things winter, others will say five years, and still others will say with ease. What they won’t find easily is community. We over ten-plus years—you become a Sourdough. Legend are so spread out, all over the territory, it can be months and history have said that the term comes from settlers before we meet each other. The times I had seen the most who would come through the North for the Gold Rush and Black people were in gathering places, such as public talks would carry their sourdough starters through the harsh with Lawrence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes, who winters, in order to keep their culture alive. In other words, is currently writing about and researching the history of to become a Sourdough you need to survive and earn your Black soldiers who helped build the Alaska Highway and right of passage, so to speak, by surviving winter. their encounters with First Nations people. Or meeting I would argue that being a Black in the North, not only Auntie Antoinette. I put the “Auntie” in front of her name, do we survive every day, but we also face the winter’s chal- as she really has been an auntie to me, even if we’ve mostly lenges in addition. If I am able to write, to speak, to breathe, encountered each other across great distances. When asked today, it’s because my ancestors have survived. Northern if there are Black people in Yukon, one of the first names living for Black people, in my opinion, is just a testament to pop up is Antoinette. Owner of Antoinette’s Caribbean that we are far more resilient than what others make of restaurant and very involved in the Yukon community, she us. We shouldn’t fear moving to the North because of the shares her story with Black people she barely even knows winter; we have, and continue to, survive much worst. This while welcoming them to her “Northern” life. Another place is an ode to northern Black people, such as myself, who I’ve found Black people are community centres and gyms! continue to defy all odds put against us. M Winter hits hard with thirty-five to forty degrees below EXCERPTED AND ABRIDGED FROM THE FORTHCOMING BOOK, UNTIL WE ARE Celsius. We have to stay motivated and active, even despite FREE: REFLECTIONS ON IN CANADA, EDITED BY RODNEY DIVERLUS, AND SYRUS MARCUS WARE, AND PUBLISHED BY the lack of sun! The first time I walked in the Canada Games UNIVERSITY OF REGINA PRESS. THE BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK Centre (a gym/community centre), my jaw dropped as I ($22.95) THIS FEBRUARY (BLACK HISTORY MONTH). had never seen so many Black people and Black babies in Whitehorse! I’m sure they were equally shocked when they saw me. We’d exchange smiles so big with a feeling of hugging each other, similar to the scene in The Colour Purple when Celie is reunited with her sister and family. But instead, cognisant that white people are constantly watching (and probably with the RCMP on speed dial, ’cause you know...white people!), we exchange nods and smirks à la Black Panther, and carried on our workout or whatever business we had going. Every time I leave a Black person’s presence without making conversation, internally I melt, hitting myself in the forehead, like, “gahh, what are you doing, go back, go back!” But unless they were visiting, I am relieved with the thought that we will see each other really soon! That’s the thing, Black people, we are everywhere! Even in the smallest of towns, in the furthest of lands, in the coldest of winters: we are here. And we’ve been here for a long time. In the Yukon, Black history goes as far back as the Klondike gold rush, and even includes their contribution to the construction of the Alaska Highway. Yet, Black history in Canada is not taught and barely shared from a northern perspective. Which is not surprising when Black people’s 44 HELP US SHED LIGHT ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU. (we’ve got some bright ideas)

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