Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 S P THIRTY-SECOND YEAR, NO.1772 policy expert them, says public thinking’ totackle need ‘systems care professionals makers, health- politicians, policy- right now, and confronting Canada ‘Six systemic crises’ News trying toensureCanadiansare beating backthe pandemicand have beentoobusyfocusingon would pay nineofMr. Meredith’s ment Oct. 14 that saidthe Senate omy Committeeissuedastate- order forthevictims. Don Merediththat includedagag staffers ofdisgraced ex-senator a financialsettlementwithformer declined tocommentlastweek on former staffers order forharassed that includesgag on Meredithdeal Senators ziplips News BY MIKE LAPOINTE BY PETER MAZEREEUW Michael By RoseLeMay p.5 peoples Indigenous given to doubt rarely Benefit of Harris The Senate’s InternalEcon- Internal Economy Committee enators who steerthepowerful health-care professionals oliticians, policy-makers, and p.14 Continued onpage 19 Continued onpage20

T returned with Chrystia Freeland inchargeof the nation’s finances. more difficult toget information out of theminister’s office’ since Parliament Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says he’s found it ‘much historic, multi-billion-dollar pan- News says PBO Yves Giroux share financialplans, Freelandneeds to new ‘fiscal anchor,’ Canada needsa BY PETER MAZERREUW make moredetailsaboutits he federal government should C anada ’ s P oliti deficit by year’s end, and what the measures, the expecteddebtand set asideforyet-to-be announced cluding information aboutmoney demic spendingplanpublic, in- Gwynne c s Dyer

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N ews debt-to-GDP ratio isunreachable, “anchor” now that adeclining Liberals willuseasanew fiscal p a p er Continued onpage 21 white supremacy Andrew Meade photograph by The HillTimes Yves Giroux. Budget Officer Parliamentary says Canada’s plan public, spending pandemic about its more details should make government Hill. Thefederal 25, 2020,onthe pictured Sept. Freeland, Minister Chrystia and Finance Minister Deputy Prime confront violent Canada’s public safety, national prioritize and security must MONDAY, OCTOBER 19,2020$5.00 A tensions fallout, China amid COVID-19 Taiwan, Canada between relations to strengthen opportunities envoy highlight MPs, Taiwanese first, Mr. Chen emphasizedthe economy already hard hitby the once againslowing sectorsofthe the ‘second wave’ ofthepandemic, said Mr. Chen. into manufacturingrealthings,” we cantransform that knowledge nancial resources, andin Taiwan, dance ofinnovation, ideas, andfi- side world inachallengingtime.” to show thestrengthstoout- easy forustowork togetherand pretty complimentary, itmakes it wan, because our structuresare Hill Times. Canada, inaninterview withThe Economic andCultural Officein Chen, representative of the Taipei yours,”to said Winston Wen-yi and years tocome. battered economy inthemonths required torebuildourcountry’s wan—particularly inlightofwhat’s between thiscountry and Tai- moves toward closercooperation this isa “massive opportunity” for office representative inCanadasay and Taipei’s economicandcultural China trade war, anumberofMPs in themidstofanongoingU.S.- News BY MIKE LAPOINTE As parts of Canada head into As partsofCanadaheadinto “You have suchahugeabun- “Our mindsetisvery similar By Huda Mukbil p. 4 between Canada and China between CanadaandChina t atimeofescalating tensions “With Canadaand Tai- Continued onpage 6 2 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES

dividual party loyalties to contribute to an Ms. Paul is seeking to win former important collective mission,” wrote con- finance minister Bill Morneau’s federal tributors Greg Sorbara, Zanana Akande, seat. Mr. Morneau resigned amid the gov- and Hugh Segal. Mr. Sorbara is a former ernment’s WE Charity controversy this Heard on the Hill Ontario Liberal finance minister and summer. president of the Ontario Liberal Party; Ms. Her bid to do so made headlines this Akande is a former NDP Ontario cabinet month when her predecessor, longtime by Palak Mangat minister who was the first Black woman to Green MP, former party leader and current serve in Ontario’s legislature and then in Green Party parliamentary leader Eliza- cabinet (under Bob Rae); and Mr. Segal is beth May, called on the NDP to stand a former Senator who once served as chief down in running a candidate in the riding, of staff to Progressive Conservative prime much as the Greens did when Jagmeet minister Brian Mulroney. Singh ran in a 2019 Burnaby South, B.C. ‘Good for their riding Noting they do not necessarily advocate byelection. The call went unheeded, with for the Green Party’s policies, the three the NDP saying its candidate, Brian Chang, said that “independent of our respective was chosen democratically. party platforms, the national dialogue Meanwhile, Ms. Paul has been renew- and good for political will only improve by adding the voice of a ing her calls to suspend the Oct. 26 vote to new national leader to the debates in our respect the advice of health experts amid the national legislature.” pandemic, a call that has also gone unheed- ed, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned discourse in Canada’: that conditions could worsen in the months to come. This month, the Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto regions were pulled back into a modified stage of reopening by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, after a sharp uptick in Sorbara, Akande, COVID-19 cases. Donner 2020 puts out call for Segal urge voters to submissions, announces new jurors The Donner Canadian Foundation’s Gregory Belton officially put out the call help Green Leader last week for submissions for the 2020 Donner Prize for the best public policy book by a Canadian. Those interested have until Nov. 30, 2020, to send in submissions Paul secure House of for the prestigious $50,000 book award for books published between Jan. 1 and Dec. Former Ontario cabinet minister Zanana Akande, 31, 2020. who served in office from 1990-1994, was among Commons seat the politicos who wrote new Green Leader Annamie Paul deserves a seat in the House. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Parliament Education’s Twitter A successful byelection bid of Green Party They noted Ms. Paul’s credentials in- Leader Annamie clude time at Princeton University and the Paul, pictured University of Ottawa, “notable internation- on Oct. 6, to al experience as a human rights lawyer,” enter the House and that she is the first Black woman to could improve the lead a national party. Ms. Paul speaks four ‘national dialogue languages—English, French, Spanish, and by adding the Catalan—and her parents are Caribbean voice of a new immigrants. She is also the Jewish mother national leader of two sons, aged 20 and 16, they added. to the debates “Our hope is that Liberals, Conserva- in our national tives, and NDP voters consider joining legislature,' wrote in with unaffiliated voters in Toronto a group of former Centre to elect Paul on Oct. 26. It would Former deputy health minister Glenda Yeates is politicians from be a notable moment in our political life, one of the two new jurors for the 2020 Donner different political an opportunity to go beyond what comes Prize. Photograph courtesy of Alberta Health Services parties this ‘natural.’ And with no disrespect or disloy- month. The Hill alty to each of our own parties, we hope “In these chaotic times, it’s even more Times photograph that Toronto Centre voters seriously con- critical to encourage a deep look at the by Andrew Meade sider Annamie Paul as both good for their significant issues facing Canadians and riding and good for political discourse in Canadian policy-makers. It is our hope that Canada.” authors have their ‘eye on the Prize’ as they hree politicos of different political 26 byelection in Toronto Centre presents a According to TVO’s Steve Paikin, who stripes threw their support behind “rare” opportunity. explore these issues in their books,” Mr. T spoke to Ms. Paul shortly after the piece Belton said in a press release. getting new Green Party Leader Annamie “There are rare occasions that should ran, the new leader said: “I love the spirit Paul a seat in the House last week, writing supersede partisanship, where it’s appro- of it … the goal of reminding people of a in The Toronto Star that the upcoming Oct. priate to step out of the armour of our in- better, less hyper-partisan time.” Continued on page 22

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In February 2020, the U.K. designated the Sonnenkrieg Divi- Canada’s public safety and sion (SKD), an offshoot of AWD, as a terrorist group, arrested and charged some of its members with terror offences and publishing material to stir up hatred based on national security organizations race and sexual orientation. Cana- da should follow suit and designate the Northern Order given the orga- nization’s links to the AWD. must prioritize and confront Consider this: according to the Soufan Center, a leading U.S. global security research center, Ukraine has emerged as a hub attracting white supremacist for- violent white supremacy eign fighters, with research show- ing there are an estimated 17,000 such foreigners from 50 countries, including 14 Canadians. Canada’s Public Who are these 14 Canadi- Canada’s public safety Safety Minister ans? The public has a right to be Bill Blair, pictured warned about individuals who organizations must July 22, 2020. The subscribe to a violent ideology, acknowledge without federal government are trained, possess combat expe- must take more rience, and possibly have access delay that violent concrete action to to weapons. Canada should also preserve democracy follow the U.S.’s lead in adding white supremacy is and guarantee equal the Russian Imperial Movement protection and rights. to the list, provide more intel- currently the leading These public safety ligence to the Canada Border measures and tools Services Agency including indica- domestic threat in can include existing tors for foreign fighters returning Canada. legislative measures, from combat in Ukraine, and use intelligence, law existing authorities to investigate enforcement, and charge these individuals. financial tracking This might dissuade violent white and leverage supremacists who may seek to relationships with travel to the U.S. in November to tech platforms to further aggravate the civil unrest tackle violent white south of the border. supremacists, writes The presence of violent white Huda Mukbil. The supremacists and sympathizers in Hill Times photograph the Canadian military is also an on- by Andrew Meade going concern. In 2018, the military produced a report that identified Huda Mukbil 53 individuals who had either been Opinion bona fide members of hate groups or expressed extremist sympathies. will take our side. Islam will not terrorist groups like al-Qaida violent white supremacy is cur- In the threat received by the Toronto TTAWA—Canada’s national defeat us. We have the guns to and the Islamic State in Iraq rently the leading domestic threat mosque, as indicated above, specific Oterrorism threat level, issued do a Christ church all over again and Syria (ISIS), here in Canada in Canada. reference is made to the potential by the Integrated Terrorism As- in our office. We have…soldiers and abroad. Today, violent white Local law enforcement cur- perpetrators being soldiers with sessment Centre (ITAC), is at the who have experience as snip- supremacist groups operate simi- rently investigates many of these specialized training. usual, medium, indicating that ers...” A third Toronto mosque larly by recruiting online, training hate crimes. However, they lack Last week, in a desperate call a violent act of terrorism could issued a press release calling for for combat, planning, and execut- expertise, global, and cross-pro- for action, the National Council occur, but not likely. It is doubtful police action following a series ing lethal terrorist operations vincial reach, as well as the man- on Canadian Muslims (NCCM), that many racialized Canadians of vandalism attacks and acts of with the goal of destabilizing date to determine the national supported by a coalition of com- and, particularly, Muslim Cana- hate towards the mosque and its society to hasten the demise of security context. The RCMP and munity groups and human rights dians, are feeling that way. More congregation, and the list goes on. Western liberal democracies and CSIS must participate when- organizations, called upon the accurately, for these communities, Growing up, nothing annoyed for white supremacists to acceler- ever a hate crime case involves government to establish a na- it is, high, with a terrorist attack me more than my father drag- ate a race war. a subject linked to a violent tional action plan on dismantling likely to occur. ging me to the mosque on a rare In the United States, the Feder- white supremacist group. They white supremacist and neo-Nazi On Sept. 12, Mohamed Aslim holiday Friday. At the mosque al Bureau of Investigation elevated must also recognize that violent groups that threaten Canadians Zafis was violently murdered entrance, senior volunteer women the threat by racially motivated vi- white supremacist extremism is who are Black, Indigenous, Jew- in front of a Toronto mosque. would suggest I dress more ap- olence to a national threat priority a transnational phenomenon that ish, Muslim, or Sikh, amongst Although the man charged with propriately. “No jeans, better wear with the risk levels equal to that of crosses international borders with other communities. his murder has not been charged a long skirt next time,” they would ISIS. On Oct. 6, the Department of group members sharing manifes- A spectrum of politicians re- with terrorism offences, it has say. Today, when I take my kids to Homeland Security warned that tos, training, and deadly tactics. sponded by releasing statements been reported that a social media the mosque they enter past bro- violent white supremacy was the Federal agencies must lead and of support and solidarity with account with the same name as ken glass and uniformed security “most persistent and lethal threat” coordinate with international racialized communities and their the accused included images officers, both present due to hate. in the U.S. Still, the surging risk of partners to investigate global experience with violence in this associated with a dangerous neo- They are fully aware that their violent white supremacy is not a linkages. country. Nazi group known as the Order of faith and worship places, their uniquely American problem. It is Moreover, violent white su- However, the federal govern- Nine Angles (O9A). The Counter- identities are under daily and here, present, and dangerous. In premacist groups should be listed ment must take more concrete Terrorism Project reports that persistent attack, even if we, their 2020, the Institute for Strategic Di- as terrorist organizations. In 2018, action to preserve democracy O9A members have been or are parents, downplay it to protect alogue, a British-based think tank, Public Safety designated two and guarantee equal protection alleged to have been involved in their innocence. And while these released the findings in a report neo-Nazi organizations—Blood & and rights. These public safety several violent terrorist plots, one acts are meant to terrorize Mus- titled, “An Online Environmental Honour and Combat 18—as ter- measures and tools can include in 2019 by a 16-year old British lim Canadians, synagogues and Scan of Right-Wing Extremism in rorist organizations. While that is existing legislative measures, male, and in 2020, by an Ameri- other worship places have also Canada.” It identified 6,660 Cana- commendable, more is required. intelligence, law enforcement, can soldier against his unit. been targeted in the same man- dian right-wing extremist chan- Public Safety should consider financial tracking and leverage Moreover, the Canadian Anti- ner. The good news is that many nels, pages, groups, and accounts designating the Atomwaffen relationships with tech plat- Hate Network, in a Toronto Star communities are working in soli- with activity reaching an audience Division (AWD), a dangerous forms to tackle violent white story, reported its awareness of darity to stand against the surge of millions of people. While this neo-Nazi organization whose supremacists. The threat posed several other Canadian adherents in violent white supremacy, and shows that thousands of Canadi- members have been allegedly by white supremacist extremism to the same ideology. Addition- the bad news that these challeng- ans are attracted to a violent and responsible for numerous attacks, is pervasive, persistent, national ally, in early October of this year, es will likely intensify throughout murderous ideology, it only takes one of which was the murdering and international, and our efforts a second Toronto mosque was the next decade. They will also one lone wolf-like Alexandre Bis- of a California man who was gay must match. forced to temporarily close its require a national response by the sonnette, the Québec City mosque and Jewish. The AWD’s affiliate Huda Mukbil is a national doors after receiving a mes- federal government. attacker, to turn into that hate in Canada is the Northern Order, security expert and a former se- sage that read as follows: “…We As a senior intelligence officer and act to terrorize and murder according to the Soufan Center’s nior intelligence officer with the will murder every muzzie…! We at the Canadian Security Intel- the innocent. Therefore, Canada’s report, ‘The Atomwaffen Division: Canadian Security Intelligence have a right to defend ourselves ligence Service (CSIS), I spent public safety organizations must The Evolution of the White Su- Service (CSIS). from the terrorists! …The police many years working against acknowledge without delay that premacy,’ released in August 2020. The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 5 Opinion Benefit of the doubt rarely given to Indigenous Canadians

N.S., we can all be sure that the RCMP database with legally required tracking The federal government has would have broken out full tactical gear and of racist incidents in public health by a called in military reinforcements. Instead, trusted organization such as the Canadian convened an emergency we hear about “mischief” and property Institute for Health Information. damage by white Canadian men while the Next, withhold funding from universi- meeting on racism against RCMP stand by. If it were First Nations ties and colleges until they prove they can Indigenous peoples in committing such actions, it would be called teach health professional programs with terrorism and the military would lock down full inclusion and safety for Indigenous the health-care system. the media from reporting on it. This is what students and patients. Further, put provin- is called the benefit of the doubt, and giving cial and territorial patient safety and qual- It’s a start. But it has to the white mob the benefit of the doubt. ity councils on notice they have one year do the serious internal Blatant acts of racism against others of to fully enmesh Indigenous cultural safety different cultures, for instance, the jokes from Canada’s federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, into their mandates or be defunded. En- work to fully understand some white Canadians about the death of pictured Sept. 30, 2020, on the Hill. The federal force health colleges to fire and nationally Joyce Echaquan in the past week, this is easy government has to ensure provinces and territories blacklist health professionals who commit unconscious bias, and to see. Unfortunately, even blatant racism sign on to implement an anti-racism plan through life threatening acts of racism, or be taken receives little-to-no official response from law which requires Indigenous members on every over by a civilian oversight body. discipline and fire Quebec leaders, reinforcing systemic racism. provincial/territorial health authority, every large All this is a systemic approach to elimi- anyone who cannot serve Another part on the spectrum of racism urban hospital and every public health agency and nating systemic racism in Canada’s public is the application of “the benefit of the doubt.” ministry, or face defunding, writes Rose LeMay. health-care system, led by resolute political When racism is perpetuated over genera- The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade leaders with Indigenous experts. A fear is Indigenous Canadians with tions, it becomes unconscious bias. When the the action will instead be a watered down compassion. white Canadian is walking down the alley federal government civil servants. In the as a toothless pilot and here’s how we at night, the white bystander is much more same way that the RCMP somehow does not would know: a decision to work with the likely to assume that individual needs help, discipline racism in its own ranks, neither willing partners instead of enforcing every but if that individual is Black or Indigenous does the federal government. If the federal minister of health to act, paired with a de- the assumption is much more likely to reflect government wants to lead on anti-racism in cision to do it cheaply, and to do it in policy fear and bias. That white Canadian walk- the public health-care system, then it needs rather than law. That’s the road paved with ing down the alley can bet on receiving the to walk the talk. It has to do the serious in- good intent, but paved with broken trust. benefit of the doubt, but Indigenous Canadi- ternal work to fully understand unconscious All the requirements are in place for a ans can never bet on receiving it. It’s another bias, and discipline and let go civil servants systemic approach, and anything less will part of the spectrum of systemic racism. who cannot serve Indigenous Canadians be failure. At this point it would be nice to see the with compassion. Then the federal govern- Rose LeMay is Tlingit from the West RCMP do its internal work to ensure all ment will have the credibility to do the real Coast and the CEO of the Indigenous Canadians are treated equally even dur- work required. And it’s serious work. Reconciliation Group. She writes twice a Rose LeMay ing protests, but that would be a waste of Ensure provinces and territories sign on month about Indigenous inclusion and rec- Stories, Myths, and Truths column inches. But there is hope. to implement an anti-racism plan through onciliation. In Tlingit worldview, the stories The federal government has convened law which requires Indigenous members are the knowledge system, sometimes told an emergency meeting on racism against In- on every provincial/territorial health through myth and sometimes contradict- TTAWA—If 200 First Nations had com- digenous peoples in the health-care system. authority, every large urban hospital and ing the myths told by others. But always Omitted the actions seen on video by It’s a start. But there may be barriers to real every public health agency and ministry with at least some truth. white Canadians in Middle West Pubnico, action because of unconscious bias in some or face defunding. We need a new national The Hill Times 6 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES News

Taiwan ‘willing to have those conversations’ around confronting economic challenges When the ‘One China’ policy was adopted in 1970 that rec- ognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole representa- tive of China, which suspended diplomatic relations between this country and Taiwan, Canada did not endorse it, but we “took note of it,” according to Sarah Goldfeder, a principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group, and a former U.S. diplomat who served in Southeast Asia. “And at the time, the belief was—and this is from people that I’ve talked to who were in govern- ment at that time—Canada wasn’t really comfortable with it,” said Ms. Liberal MP John McKay, left, Liberal MP Judy Sgro, Conservative MP Peter Kent, and Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada Goldfeder. “As being Canada, the Winston Wen-yi Chen. Mr. Kent says ‘Canada needs to stand with democracies like Taiwan’ The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, photograph courtesy of United States kind of accepted it, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada so [we] didn’t really feel like [we] could have too much air in between what the U.S. did and what Canada military expansionism,” said Mr. did, so they took note of it, but Kent. “Canada needs to stand with when they said that they didn’t democracies like Taiwan.” mean they were endorsing the ‘One MPs, Taiwanese envoy “Taiwan has been a bright China’ policy. shining light of providing infor- “We’re not going to argue, but mation, providing scientific and they didn’t agree either,” said Ms. medical evidence and working on Goldfeder. highlight opportunities technology,” said Mr. Kent. “They “That has changed. The under- deserve to have a better place in standing of that has changed in gov- the international community and ernment over time, and part of that Canada should stand up for them was this push to get closer to China much more forcefully.” for trade reasons. And so I think it to strengthen relations This country has had a very was a pragmatic approach to the positive relationship with Taiwan issues that really sacrificed some for many years, said Liberal MP democratic ideals along the way.” Judy Sgro (Humber River—Black Since then, Taiwan has taken between Taiwan, Creek, Ont.), who chairs the on considerable economic chal- Canada Taiwan Parliamentary lenges and has made sense of Friendship Group. them in a way that can be instruc- “I think we have learned a tive for countries like Canada, Canada amid COVID-19 lot from Taiwan as Taiwan has according to Ms. Goldfeder, in- learned a lot from Canada,” she cluding a shift from being 100 per said, describing Taiwan’s han- cent reliant on imports for food dling of the COVID-19 pandemic products, to a situation where the “unbelievable.” majority of their produce is pro- fallout, China tensions “For a small country to do duced in greenhouses that line the what they do is quite remark- southern stretch of the country. able, and so I think there’s a huge “And they’re willing to have Chen, who also highlighted relations with Taiwan as the de- opportunity for us to become those conversations,” said Ms. Liberal MP John Taiwan’s vibrant democracy and mocracy that it is and the demo- even better friends than we were Goldfeder. “They love Canada—they inclusive society that was the first cratic partner that it’s been, even before,” said Ms. Sgro. “And I don’t have as diverse and robust a McKay says closer to pass a law allowing for same- in these years that Canada has hope that we’re able to utilize the trade relationship with Canada as cooperation with sex marriage in Asia. kneeled to the Chinese Commu- parliamentary friendship group to they do with the United States … Liberal MP John McKay (Scar- nist Party,” said Mr. Kent. help move that along.” there’s a connectivity there with Taiwan in the borough-Guildwood, Ont.), who the U.S., but there’ s a philosophical chairs the House Public Safety preference, I think for Canada.” current environment and National Security Committee, “The Canadian government said he sees closer cooperation should look hard into relationships represents a ‘massive with Taiwan as a “massive oppor- with other, similar democratic opportunity with little tunity with little or no downside.” countries to see how they can “Given that the Chinese explore the potential opportunities or no downside.’ government alternates between between or among them,” said Jose- disparaging Canada and disdain- phine Chiu-Duke, a professor with ing Canada with their hectoring the department of Asian Studies at diplomacy and utter disrespect the University of British Columbia Continued from page 1 for the rule of law and any other “This does not mean that we importance of looking ahead—and convention or norm, I think we want to be hostile to China—even to prepare as much as possible to turn to the friends that we have,” the government in Taiwan doesn’t catch up on job losses incurred in said Mr. McKay. “Taiwan is one of want to do that—but no liberal the last several months. the friends that we have. And in democracy should give up their “Now you’re talking about the circumscribed circumstances, it’s own values to cave into unreason- second wave or maybe even the been a very mature relationship able external pressure,” said Prof. third wave, but you have to think over the years, and it’s got a lot of Chiu-Duke. The Taipei 101 tower pictured at sunset. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas/ one step ahead of the pandem- upside to it.” Prof. Chiu-Duke agreed that Wikimedia Commons ic—how to revive the economy, Taiwan can provide Canada with recover business activity, which opportunities for cooperation in is something that’s probably even ‘The democracies of the The opportunity to strengthen When asked about plans for terms of medical services, the more important,” said Mr. Chen. world are going to have relations with Taiwan has been virtual meetings with the member- semiconductor industry, and the “You have to do the preparation, there for a long time, according to ship of the parliamentary friendship food industry. how to re-organize critical sec- to stand together’ the Conservative MP. group moving forward in the midst “In a way, we have been doing tors, including PPE manufactur- Taiwan is a partner in science, “But the COVID pandemic has of COVID, Ms. Sgro said “as we all that, so perhaps this is time that the ing, the industrial supply chain, medicine, fair trade, and foreign made that option even more at- are becoming more and more fa- two governments should sit down and to work with democratic policy, said Conservative MP tractive and in some ways neces- miliar with life around Zoom, quite and re-think what they should do, reliable partners or countries.” Peter Kent (Thornhill, Ont.). sary,” said Mr. Kent. “The democ- possibly, we will try to reach out what areas they can explore fur- “I think that’s something that “The focus of a Canadian racies of the world are going to and see if there’s some opportunity ther,” said Prof. Chiu-Duke. Canada as a whole can work government, either this one or have to stand together to counter for us to have a Zoom call with our [email protected] together with Taiwan,” said Mr. the next one, should be to restore Chinese coercive diplomacy and current membership.” The Hill Times

8 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES

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Editorial Letters to the Editor World witnessing largest catastrophe Time for Liberals to since World War II, a global approach draw a line in the crucial, says Ottawa letter writer he world is witnessing the largest Global approach is crucial to end Tglobal catastrophe since World War COVID-19 which is why Canada has II due to the coronavirus pandemic. In committed $220-million to Vaccine sand for borrowing April 2020, 94 per cent of the world’s stu- Global Access (COVAX) facility to dent population were affected by school procure up to 15 million vaccine doses he federal Liberal government has pharmacare, and worker training, but closures with 99 per cent in low- and for Canadians along with $220-million Tpromised another update on the state haven’t yet said how much they are will- middle-income countries. An increase in to purchase doses for low- and middle- of Canada’s finances some time this fall. ing to spend to deliver on those promises. school and college dropouts is anticipated income countries and $400-million for It should come soon, and it should include The leaders of Canada’s biggest banks this year and the next, leading to serious global humanitarian aid. If we truly a clear signal that the government has also told Finance Minister Chrystia Free- social issues. The pandemic threatens want to end this pandemic, this energy a plan for stopping and reversing the land last month that the government had decades of progress and may result in and dedication needs to keep going and growth of Canada’s national debt. to commit to some kind of target for the wastage of untold human potential. Canada should contribute at least one Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves rise of Canada’s debt, according to report- In Canada, the start of 2020 school per cent of its COVID-19 funds towards Giroux called on the government to set a ing from Bloomberg. year has been rocky since students are global response. We must all work new fiscal “anchor” in an interview with The debt will become a problem once still struggling and coping with distance towards flattening the curve, while clini- The Hill Times last week. Having a clear, interest rates begin to rise, and the cost learning and online education. Moreover, cal trials for drugs and medical devices public target to limit government spending of servicing it begins to take a bigger several students contracted the disease are carried on. is important to reassure markets and lend- chunk out of the government’s spending which includes those from universities in Zohra Khatoon ers that the government is working within power. Interest rates are not expected to Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. Ottawa, Ont. a plan as it doles out money, he said. rise dramatically in the near future, but Prior to the pandemic, the Liberal gov- the debt will remain a major liability for ernment used a stable debt-to-GDP ratio the government until Canada’s economy as its anchor. The Conservative govern- grows to the point where higher debt ment before it used a balanced budget as payments are more manageable. That will its target. also take time. Oil and gas exports the path to The massive government spending The Liberals need to show that they during the pandemic has been necessary, have a plan to constrain government and with a second wave of COVID-19 spending eventually. The government has prosperity, says Calgary reader gripping Canada, it’s too early to turn the to do a better job of opening its books in taps off entirely now. That doesn’t mean a timely manner, and making public its ikipedia data shows Canadians are mitted to export their vast, environmen- the government can’t or shouldn’t plan financial projections, as it continues to Wthe ninth wealthiest people on Earth tally-responsible, raw and value-added ahead, and share those plans with the spend an unprecedented amount of bor- in terms of median wealth per adult. oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids people who will foot the bill. rowed money to help Canadians survive However, Canada lags such large, resources to world-priced international Mr. Giroux has said that significant the pandemic. resource-rich, economic heavyweights as markets. new government spending could push Whatever the new fiscal anchor is, it Switzerland, Iceland, Hong Kong, Luxem- In comparison, the U.S. is only 22nd, Canada’s debt beyond the point of sus- has to make sense both now, and for the bourg, Belgium, and New Zealand on that China is 44th and Russia, at 108th, tainability. The Liberals have promised next generation as they look back at how metric. is barely ahead of India at 115th in terms major new initiatives that won’t come the nation’s debt grew so quickly. Canadians would, should, easily be the of median wealth per adult. cheap, including expanded childcare, The Hill Times second or third or even wealthiest people Mike Priaro, on Earth if western Canadians were per- Calgary, Alta.

Agree with secretary general of the UN, time to end to fossil fuel subsidies, says letter writer s a boy growing up, I was fortunate that the form of lost revenue, where taxation Amy parents provided me with an allow- is involved. ance, with the expectation that I would take I then began to wonder why, after more on some of the household chores. Although than 100 years, would a private sector the expectation remained after I started industry still be getting an allowance? The getting part-time and summer jobs, the fossil fuel sector came to mind at the same financial assistance ended. time as I noticed two articles about António As an older person now, I can un- Guterres, secretary general of the UN, call- derstand the rationale for the limited ing for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. duration of my assistance. This started Given the duration of receiving an al- me thinking about the private business lowance and the need to transition toward sector and how many of those receive low carbon-emitting processes, I am in- what is basically an allowance, incentive clined to side with the secretary general. or subsidy. The spelling may change; but Ron Robinson the money going out is the same even if in Nelson, B.C.

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U.S. President The fact that no moderate Re- Donald Trump, publicans have crossed the floor Has Trump pictured Oct. to vote with the Democrats and 2, 2020, block the Barrett nomination is boarding a further signal of how powerful Marine One en the religious right has become in route to Walter the last number of years. damaged Reed National Senator Lindsay Graham, in Military a dead heat in his own bid for re- Medical election, has flipped his opposi- Center in tion to the early nomination and Canada-United Bethesda, is now leading the charge to see Maryland. her confirmed before the Novem- Official ber 3 election day. White House All that to say that even after photograph by Trump is no longer the president, States relations Andrea Hanks the cleavage between Canadian and American viewpoints is alienation than the actual belief By all accounts, Barrett’s growing. that the United States represents nomination will sail through the Only 22 per cent of Canadians irreparably? an enemy.” Senate hearing process, as there surveyed believe that Canada But I am not so sure. are more Senators who want to is getting more like the United The Senate hearings into the anoint her than oppose her. States. For the first time since the confirmation of Amy Coney Bar- What does that say about the question has been asked, more Even if Donald Trump is defeated on Nov. rett shine a light into what is re- state of democracy in a country Canadians felt our country is be- ally going on in the United States. with or without Donald Trump as coming less like America. Thirty- 3, and that is by no means a certainty, the That a candidate for the its leader? five per cent of those polled held Supreme Court could claim the The majority of Senators are that view this year, compared differences that mark our two countries will president does not have to abide willing to support a Supreme with only nine per cent back in by Supreme Court decisions is Court nominee, not because of 2001. only continue to grow. outrageous. Her public claim that her constitutional knowledge, but The trend lines are definitely it was an “open question” as to rather because of her religious continuing as Canada and the those statistics have been col- whether the president could par- beliefs. It is well known that Bar- United States go in distinctly dif- lected. don himself is startling. Barrett rett is opposed to abortion and has ferent directions. The polling consortium in- said she would have to study the already spoken out against the In addition to the Trump effect, cluded the Environics Institute, issue before rendering a decision legal decision of Roe versus Wade Canadians referenced Ameri- the University of Ottawa and the on it. that provides the basis for legal can racial unrest and its inept Century Initiative. She also refused to weigh in abortions in the United States. response to COVID 19 as reasons The number of Canadians on a defeated Trump’s potential Barrett refused to be pinned down why they believe the two coun- who consider the United States refusal to leave office and was on the matter during the Senate tries are growing apart. an enemy has jumped from one silent on the constitutionality of hearings, but she has previously Canadians continue to view per cent to 11 per cent in the past voter intimidation and deliberate joined groups and signed petitions our American neighbour with Sheila Copps seven years. attempts to discredit the election opposing all abortions. growing indifference. Some are Copps’ Corner Roland Paris, a political process. That runs counter to the view even openly hostile. science professor and former She also refused to affirm the of the majority of Americans, but Even if Trump is defeated on adviser to Prime Minister Justin legality of mail-in ballots, claim- aligns with the core of religious Nov. 3, and that is by no means TTAWA—Has Donald Trump Trudeau was quoted as saying ing that it was “a matter of policy zealots who have lined up to re- a certainty, the differences that Odamaged Canada-United the worsening of Canada’s view that I can’t express a view.” elect Trump. mark our two countries will only States relations irreparably? was largely a result of attitudes Even after Trump has left of- The fact that Trump still gar- continue to grow. According to a Focus Canada toward American president Don- fice, the chief constitutionalists ners 42 per cent support just two Sheila Copps is a former Jean poll published in The Globe and ald Trump. Paris said the number of the country are likely to be Su- weeks before the vote is a reflec- Chrétien-era cabinet minister Mail last week, Canadians’ view of Canadians who consider the preme Court judges who are not tion, not just of the president, and a former deputy prime of our southern neighbour has United States an enemy “is more prepared to defend against poten- but of the state of politics in the minister. sunk to the lowest level since an expression of frustration and tial fraud in the White House. United States. The Hill Times

To make such breakthroughs, however, he might have to pander to those provinces in ways which O’Toole’s balancing act could work against the economic interests of Alberta. AKVILLE, ONT.—Conser- Yet, if he hopes to topple the Indeed, his stance on march- As a matter of fact, O’Toole Erin O’Toole’s main Ovative Party Leader Erin Liberals, the Conservative leader ing in Gay Pride parades is a recently promised the premier of O’Toole better have a good sense will also need to attract more balancing act, as it’s seemingly a Quebec that, as far as he’s con- job as leader will be of balance because he’ll have to socially liberal Canadians to his position both social liberals and cerned, the Energy East pipeline perform a delicate tightrope act. banner, especially those who social conservatives can appreci- (which is unpopular in Quebec) to figure out how To put that in a less metaphori- inhabit “vote-rich” Ontario. ate—he will only march in Pride is “off the table,” a declaration he can win over cal way, O’Toole’s main job as So how does he reach out to parades that don’t exclude the which must have surprised Al- leader will be to figure out how he social liberals without simul- police. berta Premier Jason Kenney who new supporters to can win over new supporters to taneously pushing away social Meanwhile, another one of is still pushing to get the pipeline his cause without alienating ele- conservatives? O’Toole’s balancing acts will built. his cause without ments of his already existing base. Well, the best way to do it is to involve his Alberta friends. If O’Toole chooses to continue And, yes, such a balancing act strategically and judiciously push As we all know, Alberta is a in this direction, he’ll need to also alienating elements is a key skill in politics. policy issues both groups can get true-blue Conservative province, offer assurances to his Alberta of his already existing As famed American political behind. has been for decades. base that he’s still on their side, consultant Morton Blackwell put This isn’t easy but it can be done. Yet, in the crazy world of lest disillusionment with his party base. it, “You cannot make friends of For instance, social liberals politics, the more loyal you are to sets in. your enemies by making enemies and social conservatives might a party, the more likely that party Of course, another dimen- of your friends.” never agree on issues like same- will be to eventually betray you, sion to this is that if Albertans In O’Toole’s case, one group of sex marriage or abortion rights, because it will be tempted to take perceive O’Toole to be abandon- friends I’m sure he doesn’t want but they might see eye to eye on your vote for granted. ing their province for the sake of to make into enemies are social cutting taxes or on the need for a And it might be awfully tempt- gaining votes in Eastern Canada, conservatives. stronger military. ing for O’Toole—an Ontarian—to it might increase the already Yes, social conservatives might Certainly, I think, former ideologically distance his party a growing sense of Western alien- make up only a small part of the prime minister Stephen Harper bit from Alberta. ation. overall Canadian demographic, but thought fear of crime might be a After all, every time he looks So yes, if you like watching they’re still a key component in the unifying force, which is why he at a Canadian electoral map, daredevil political high-wire acts, Conservative Party’s coalition. strenuously pushed a “law and he sees that to win a majority keep an eye on O’Toole. Gerry Nicholls Simply put, O’Toole will need order” agenda. government he will have to make Gerry Nicholls is a communi- their donation dollars and their I suspect O’Toole will do some- substantial breakthroughs in cations consultant. Post-Partisan Pundit votes. thing similar. Ontario and Quebec. The Hill Times From our campus to the world

Imagine a future in which entire cities are green, from their pipes to their rooftops to the vehicles that pass through their streets and skies. A future where the health of the economy and that of the environment are inextricably linked. Where fresh food and clean drinking water are made available to all people, regardless of their means or location. A future where art is immersive and creativity ubiquitous. Where newcomers are empowered to move freely and integrate fully. And where access to justice is a given and equity a right, both in theory and in practice.

This is the future we are building today. This is why we innovate.

Discover a world of innovation innovation.ryerson.ca THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 11 Opinion Make the rich pay, one of these days

A version of a Taxing the rich sounds wealth tax, which already exists good in a campaign ad, but in a handful of European countries, making it work requires has made its way careful design, clever into Canadian political discourse— marketing, and enduring advocated by New Democratic Party commitment. These are leader Jagmeet Singh and vaguely not qualities associated approved by Prime Minister Justin with political leaders of any Trudeau, mostly persuasion. recently in the Throne Speech. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

stacks of statistics (including in Piketty’s dissuade Encana’s CEO Doug Suttles from disastrously, to close loopholes available to book) detailing a widening gap. Canada’s moving corporate headquarters from Cal- wealthy professionals and some businesses parliamentary budget officer—hardly a gary to Denver last year as Alberta’s oil- in 2017. That laudable initiative foundered spokesperson for Occupy Wall Street—re- sands investment stalled. In 2018, Emanuel partly because then finance minister, Bill ported recently that the top one per cent of Macron significantly lowered taxes on Morneau, defended it so poorly. Current Susan Riley earners own one-quarter of the country’s France’s wealthy to prevent them from finance minister Chrystia Freeland, who wealth. The top .01 per cent, the multi-bil- fleeing to other European countries. One literally wrote the book on income inequal- Impolitic lionaires’ club, own five per cent. notable result: the income of the wealthiest ity (The Plutocrats), will likely be more Canada’s top CEOs received an average .01 per cent sharply increased. sure-footed. HELSEA, QUE.—A wealth tax is one of 61 per cent hike in remuneration in 2018 The right-wing gospel that the wealthy There is no shortage of options for Cthose simple and beguiling ideas that over 2008, while the average Canadian must be coddled because they are innova- redistributing wealth—and plenty of cheer- resurfaces in times of economic turmoil, wage-earner barely kept up with inflation tors and job-creators has taken a beating leaders. Trudeau has proposed a three only to be forgotten as the economy rights over the same period. According to the in recent years. Study after study sug- per cent tax on the ad revenues of digital itself. Meanwhile, the rich keep getting World Bank, Canadian billionaires have gests that CEO compensation—an average giants like Apple Facebook and Google, richer and everyone else is just relieved to seen some of the largest wealth gains $11.8-million in salary/benefits in Canada although that would invite reprisals from be back at work. among their global peers, increasing by in 2018 and rising—bears diminishing the U.S. Adding another top bracket to But in the midst of a pandemic, the 238 per cent since 2009—compared to a 170 connection to job creation. The dominant the income tax is another possibility. An proposal is back with higher-than-usual per cent gain among mega-rich Americans. preoccupation in contemporary corporate additional one per cent GST could bring profile. Pre-COVID, the idea enjoyed What turns a niggling complaint to head offices is maximizing benefits to in $7-billion a year, but would have to brief celebrity status in 2013 as a result of full-bore outrage, however, is news that, shareholders—which, in the oil patch and be structured to protect low-income and French economist Thomas Picketty’s dense during the pandemic, the collective income elsewhere, often means eliminating jobs middle-class taxpayers. The showiest, tome (and unlikely bestseller) Capital. The of the top 20 billionaires in Canada grew through attrition or automation. most crowd-pleasing measure could be an concept of a tax on billionaires was further by $37-billion, according to analysis by the Back in the real world, Trudeau must increased luxury tax on expensive cars, popularized by U.S. Senator Elizabeth progressive Canadian Centre for Policy Al- figure out how to respond to NDP pres- private planes and properties. But that Warren in her doomed campaign to lead ternatives. Most of the winners were in the sure to tax the rich without losing Singh’s would not raise significant revenues. the Democratic Party. And now, a version tech and health-care sectors. However, the crucial electoral support. One option, Whether this appetite for economic of a wealth tax, which already exists in a list includes Loblaw’s CEO Galen Weston, previously favoured by Liberals, is capping justice survives the current moment is handful of European countries, has made who, along with other food services gi- tax deductions for stock options, which are uncertain. The precedents aren’t encour- its way into Canadian political discourse— ants, eliminated the pandemic bonus for a major part of corporate remuneration. aging and neither are the trends: federal advocated by New Democratic Party leader thousands of minimum-wage employees in Only 50 per cent of stock holdings and revenues now account for only 15 per cent Jagmeet Singh and vaguely approved by June—all the while increasing his fortune capital gains are taxed, compared to 100 of GDP. Taxing the rich sounds good in a Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, mostly by $1.6-billion. per cent of income—a system that over- campaign ad, but making it work requires recently in the Throne Speech. What to do about it? The federal NDP whelmingly benefits the wealthy. However, careful design, clever marketing, and en- What each advocate means by a wealth proposes a direct one per cent tax on some companies have already moved to during commitment. tax varies, but the fundamental, and fortunes over $20-billion, based on net larger cash bonuses for top executives in These are not qualities associated with politically powerful idea, is that govern- worth—salaries, stocks, luxury yachts, case the stock deduction shrinks. (This political leaders of any persuasion. But ments must intervene to correct a growing paintings and property. According to the makes the NDP approach—a tax on all an while they focus on the immediate crisis— income gap between the very wealthy and PBO, such a tax could collect $70-billion individual’s wealth, no matter the source— and there is always an immediate crisis— the rest of us, not only to bolster federal over 10 years, even factoring in lawful tax more appealing.) injustices pile up and equality erodes. tax revenues that pay for health care, and avoidance measures. But, of course, the tax To give him credit, the prime minister Susan Riley is a veteran political col- everything else, but to correct a moral haul depends on how seriously govern- followed through on a 2015 promise to umnist who writes regularly for The Hill wrong. ment pursues scofflaws. increase the tax rate on those earning Times. The counter-arguments, made by the It is a sobering caveat, particularly more than $200,000 a year. And he tried, The Hill Times wealthy and their factotums, are hardly given how spectacularly unsuccessful sub- new either. They were succinctly expressed sequent governments have been at shutting by former Liberal deputy prime minister down offshore tax havens. It will take more John Manley, who enjoyed a lucrative than two junior accountants at Canada career post-politics as chair of the lobby Revenue Agency and a fax machine and, group for Canada’s top CEOs. He called according to stout defenders of the status Trudeau’s promise to address ways of tax- quo, government could end up spending ing extreme wealth, “one of the dumbest more on enforcement than it recoups in things” in last month’s Throne Speech. additional revenues. Still, there is the small “There aren’t enough rich people and, matter of everyone paying their fair share, secondly, if you tax them enough, they’ll a fundamental value in a healthy and pros- leave,” Manley said, neatly channelling the perous society. longstanding, if self-serving, perspective of As to the claim that wealthy people will the country’s wealthy. simply move to other countries with more Both premises are debatable, but what favourable tax regimes, it happens. But they ignore is the underlying moral and not as often as claimed. Wealthy people, social affront inherent in a deeply unequal like the rest of us, enjoy benefits living economic system. And Canada is headed in Canada: free, if imperfect, health care; that way—although still lagging our clam- unparalleled natural beauty; liveable cities orous neighbours to the south. with relatively low crime rates; and an When Manley was in government there educated work force. were wealthy individuals and they were Nor is a favourable tax rate enough to much wealthier than the average elemen- retain wealthy CEOS in the face of other tary school teacher, say—but not as astro- pressures. Alberta’s business-friendly nomically rich as they are today. There are regime, for instance, wasn’t enough to 12 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Opinion Herd immunity, reinfection and the Great Barrington Declaration

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured. How did the United States and the United Kingdom end up in the same sad group? Both countries have populist governments so obsessed with their own popularity that they reflexively delay or avoid unpopular but necessary decisions. Too little, too late on the way into lock- down; too fast on the way out, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy Commons Wikimedia

masks, social distancing, contact If you include Portuguese- A few richer East Asian coun- ter run and less unequal countries Taking the Great tracing or COVID-19 tests—for speaking Brazil (709 deaths per tries in this under-100-deaths-per don’t make it. everybody except “the vulnerable,” million), then seven out of the million group have much older How did the United States and Barrington who would presumably self-iso- worst 10 speak the languages of populations (China’s median the United Kingdom end up in the Declaration’s advice late semi-permanently. the Iberian peninsula. Two others age is 37.4 years, Japan’s is 43.4 same sad group? Both countries Never mind that the spon- are English-speaking countries years). But these are all countries have populist governments so could cost half a sor is the American Institute for with populist governments: with well-developed medical sys- obsessed with their own popular- Economic Research, a libertarian the United States (666) and the tems, strong social discipline, and ity that they reflexively delay or million lives. Horses think-tank funded by the Charles United Kingdom (633). The tenth, recent experience with similar avoid unpopular but necessary Koch Foundation and other hard- mysteriously, is Belgium (880). pandemics. decisions. Too little, too late on for courses. right American groups whose How weird is this? Well, no oth- Then there is the broad group the way into lock-down; too fast main business is climate change er country on the planet is above of countries with between 100 on the way out. denial. 600 deaths per million. And equally and 500 deaths per million. Most And what about Spain and Never mind that the declara- curious is the fact that none of the are rich countries with relatively Belgium? Maybe that was just tion advocates “herd immunity,” other developed countries that old populations and good medical poor management: there are a blessed state that is normally speak English have exception- systems, but lower social dis- always a few outliers. But the achieved by mass vaccination, not ally high COVID death rates: New cipline (or, if you prefer, more general conclusion is clear. by exposing the entire population Zealand (five deaths per million), social freedom). What really matters is the age to a disease with a three per cent Australia (35 ), and Canada (255). They range from Germany profile of the population. In poor mortality rate. You can account for the very (117 deaths per million) and countries with fast-growing, very Never mind either that re- low Australian and New Zea- Russia (157) to Ireland (369) youthful populations, the eco- infections with COVID-19 are land death rates by the sheer and France (500). Elderly people nomic cost of lock-down prob- Gwynne Dyer now a documented fact, which geographical isolation of these are a big chunk of the popula- ably outweighs the harm done to Global Affairs means that “herd immunity” is not countries, but you could not find tion, and how many actually die the relatively few elderly people. really possible with the various two countries closer or more alike seems to be determined mainly In Uganda, only two per cent of strains of this coronavirus. Forget (except in their politics) than by how well each government the population is over 65: pro- ONDON, U.K.—After eight the ideology and look at what is Canada and the United States. Yet manages the pandemic. The tect them by wearing masks and Lfull months of the global pan- really happening with COVID-19 the U.S. death rate is almost three wrong policy or a few days’ so on, but don’t close down the demic, the pressure to keep the death rates. times the Canadian rate. How can delay in acting can make a huge economy. economies open and let the chips The leading indicator for vul- we explain all this? difference. In Germany, half the popu- (or rather, the elderly) fall where nerability to COVID-19 is speak- The great majority of the And the final group are the lation is over 47, and almost a they may is growing strong. ing Spanish. Among the countries countries with under 100 COVID Latin American countries (almost quarter are over 65. Taking the The ‘Great Barrington Declara- with the highest death rates per deaths per million people are all over 500), where median ages Great Barrington Declaration’s tion’ of Oct. 4 was signed by three million people, six out of the top Asian and African nations with are as high as in the rich coun- advice could cost half a million medical professors from Oxford, 10 are Spanish-speaking: Peru fast-growing populations and tries but medical services and lives. Horses for courses. Harvard, and Stanford universi- (1,010 deaths per million), Bolivia a median age of well under 30. government competence tend to Gwynne Dyer’s new book is ties and by tens of thousands of (711), Spain (710), Chile (699), COVID-19 selectively kills elderly be worse. Lots of old people die, ‘Growing Pains: The Future of other people. It demands a return Ecuador (691), and Mexico (649), people, and such people are very and even many younger people Democracy (and Work)’. to “life as normal”—no mention of as of Oct. 14. scarce in these countries. who would have survived in bet- The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 13 Opinion

planned to disrespect Canadian sovereign- advocate, leader, and feminist. The LAV deal ty and laws. One would expect, above all, was announced while the country was totally for an administration like the Liberals, who preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic. brand themselves as the guardians of glob- The truth is that MBS has become more Trudeau Liberals al human rights, to respond with a strong and more brazen in the past few years, denunciation of MBS and the Saudis. making the region much more unstable. The But we’ve gotten nothing. Ottawa re- Khashoggi murder is the most extreme ex- mains silent. ample, but the crown prince has been round- In fact, the last time we heard anything ing up rivals and dissidents at home at an failing to stand substantive about Saudi Arabia from the Lib- unprecedented pace, while trying to expand erals was back in April, when they announced Saudi influence abroad, often brutally. that Riyadh just inked a $14-billion deal to He has charged senior Saudi royals like buy fleets of light-armoured vehicles (LAVs) Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz with treason, from Canada, thereby ending of a 2018 freeze while holding Prince Faisal bin Abdullah up to MBS and on exports to Saudi Arabia, a prolific abuser incommunicado in an unknown location. of human rights. Liberals then tried to dismiss Princess Basmah Bint Saud, a relatively-re- and repel the subsequent criticism. form minded royal, is also being detained in Evidence like a video of Saudis using an undisclosed location. The list goes on. Yes, these Canadian-made vehicles (after sign- the Saudis were a large and dysfunctional Saudi Arabia ing a similar deal with the Conservatives family before MBS’s ascent, but his singular in 2014) to suppress protests in its Eastern aggression should give Canada pause. region emerged. Export permits were put on His foreign ambitions and decisions have nefarious role in the violent conflict over hold pending a 2017 internal Liberal govern- been even more disruptive, including an Nagorno-Karabakh. No such vigilance ex- ment investigation into the possible misuse attempt in 2017 to isolate the Gulf country ists for Saudi Arabia. of the vehicles. But the Liberals eventually of Qatar via economic strangulation while It was widely reported last month that MBS found the Saudis to be innocent of any planning to invade Doha. And of course, allegedly dispatched a 50-person hit team—the charges, a conclusion contested by critics. Saudi Arabia’s sustained intervention in “Tiger Squad”—to Canada to intimidate a This meekness is in stark contrast to Yemen has long been recognized as “Prince Saudi ex-intelligence officer, just weeks after 2018, when then foreign affairs minister Mohammed’s war.” It has helped engender their brutal murder of Saudi dissident and Chrystia Freeland openly tweeted in sup- the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. port of Samar Badawi and Raif Badawi, two Canada should be a leading voice in The squad was repelled at an airport in Toronto Saudi dissidents with ties to Canada, while questioning and challenging this string of Steven Zhou by the Canada Border Services Agency. MBS was becoming globally prominent. fiascos. One can only attribute the current Opinion The individual in question is Saad Al- The Crown Prince reacted by ending silence, particularly in light of the Al-Jabri Jabri, a close ally of former Crown Prince diplomatic relations and accusing Canada affair, as a lack of political will on Ottawa’s Mohammad bin Nayef, who’s now in prison of “blatant interference in the Kingdom’s part, despite Liberal rhetoric about taking ORONTO—The Trudeau Liberals’ weak thanks to MBS. Al-Jabri is living in exile in domestic affairs.” a stand on human rights issues. Tstance towards Saudi Arabia undermines the Toronto area and analysts suspect that This thorny recent history is why the This will only embolden the rash MBS, any promise to assert Canada as a principled he may have proof that MBS and his father University of Ottawa’s International Affairs whose authoritarian style represents the democracy in an increasingly illiberal world. Salman (now King of Saudi Arabia) dipped Professor Thomas Juneau called the Al-Jabri same illiberalism that Prime Minister Canada is dithering on core values of their fingers into the country’s counter- episode, “just one more hurdle” between Ot- Trudeau rails against. human rights and freedom by not re- terrorism fund. MBS even obtained a fatwa tawa and Riyadh, “but it’s not the only one.” Steven Zhou is a journalist and com- sponding to the antics of Saudi Arabia’s (religious edict) from compliant Saudi clerics Yet it seems the Trudeau Liberals are keen mentator based in Toronto who focuses on infamous Crown Prince, Mohammed bin that endorsed his violent plans for Al-Jabri. to remove these hurdles on MBS’s terms, a national security and foreign affairs. Fol- Salman, or MBS. Ottawa just suspended This alone should make Canadian decision that belies Trudeau’s own fashion- low him on Twitter @stevenzzhou. export permits for Turkey due to its leaders livid. A foreign country blatantly able brand as an international human rights The Hill Times

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20-1613 14 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Opinion Ottawa has the power to bring the temperature down in Nova Scotia

Fisheries and Oceans Minister Lobster fishermen Bernadette pictured fighting, Jordan, pictured Oct. 14, pictured Sept. 2020. Image courtesy of 30, 2020, CBC The National on the Hill. The fisheries minister, if wrote a book about the catastrophe, La- up their lobster licences to native fishers not the prime ment for an Ocean, that drilled into the so that new licences wouldn’t have to be is- minister, should causes. It was a true crime story—a tale sued and the pressure on the stocks would take a trip to of greed, and bureaucratic bungling with not increase. In Gorman’s case, he also St. Mary’s Bay ghastly consequences. helped train the new Indigenous entrants and listen, The second heartbreaker was hearing to the lobster fishery. It seemed like a face-to-face, first-hand, and in great detail, from the brilliant accommodation, but the collision to what both victim himself, the terrible story of Donald course had been set. sides have Marshall Jr., imprisoned 11 years for a Commercial lobster fishermen accused to say, writes murder he did not commit. Mi’kmaq fishers from the Sipekne’katik Michael Harris. Marshall went into Dorchester Peniten- band of taking lobster out of season in The Hill Times tiary as a teenager, and never stopped pro- their self-regulated moderate-livelihood photograph by testing his innocence. I wrote a book about fishery. They claim that could harm the Andrew Meade the young Mi’kmaw’s ordeal, Justice De- long-term sustainability of their industry. nied, that was used as a cross-examination But if the commercial fishermen have manual by Clayton Ruby. The crack Toronto that part of the story right, the Mi’kmaq about many terrible things—the 1982 criminal lawyer represented Marshall at have an irrefutable counterpoint. The high- When people are burning sinking of the Ocean Ranger with all hands the initial royal commission sparked by est court in the land has given them the lost, the 1998 crash of Swissair 111 with this miscarriage of justice. Marshall won constitutional right to fish exactly as they boats and urinating on no survivors, the ghastly abuse of boys at his freedom, and Roy Newman Ebsary was are doing. Bottom line? Both parties are other people’s vehicles, Mount Cashel Orphanage uncovered in the eventually convicted of the 1971 murder of right in their own way. late 1980s and early 1990s, the 2015 kill- Sandy Seale. What is not right is the Trudeau gov- there isn’t a moment to lose. ing of Newfoundlander Don Dunphy by a How do a fishery disaster and a miscar- ernment’s handling of an inherently member of the premier’s security squad, riage of justice come together? Like this. dangerous situation that has spiralled into and countless individual tragedies lost now After the cod collapse, which came violence with an ugly racial component. in the mists of time. nearly a decade after the Kirby Report on Where were the RCMP when an angry Improbably, two of the saddest events the troubled East Coast fishery, it became mob surrounded a few Mi’kmaq fishers I have ever covered have suddenly come obvious that the system of setting quotas inside a lobster pound, threatening to burn together in a tragic way. The first one was more political than scientific. There them out? The government had no problem took place on a warm July day in 1992 were too many boats chasing too few fish, mustering the Mounties to arrest pipeline when then fisheries minister John Crosbie and, as Kirby had recommended, there protesters in British Columbia. Where announced the unthinkable in the Radis- needed to be a reduction in the fishing were they when the Mi’kmaq were being son Hotel in downtown St. John’s. New- effort. threatened in southwestern Nova Scotia foundland’s storied cod fishery had to be The new buzzword of the day was and Middle West Pubnico? closed. They called it a moratorium, but the sustainability. It was a tough sell in a And why hasn’t Ottawa included Michael Harris truth was much harsher; the Great North- fishery that had been running for hun- representatives from the non-Indigenous dreds of years in Atlantic Canada, often commercial fishery in talks about creating Harris ern Cod were commercially extinct. To this day, that cod stock, fished con- on the dicey rules of all common property an Atlantic Canada First Nations Fishing secutively for 400 years by 60 nations until resources. Grab as much as you can before Authority that would work directly with ALIFAX—Over my time in this busi- it crashed, remains a shadow of its former the other fella does. the Crown? Their futures are involved in Hness I have witnessed and written self, reduced to a “vulnerable” fishery. I But in Nova Scotia, fishermen gradually any re-jigging of the fishery and its rules, bought in to the idea that if they were to and there is no reason not to keep them in have an industry that could endure, year the loop. Because when you take interested after year, the fishing effort would have to parties out of the loop, you create fertile be carefully regulated. That meant control- ground for suspicions, anger, and violence ling the number of licences issued. to fill in the blanks of what is going on. CAREERS Which is where Donald Marshall Jr. Two things ought to have happened by comes in. now. Since the same, 1999 Supreme Court It was Marshall who opened up the decision that extended fishing rights to the fishery to the Mi’kmaq. He did that by suc- Mi’kmaq also allows DFO to limit those cessfully arguing in front of the Supreme rights in the name of conservation, Fisher- Senior Policy Advisors – Justice; Health and Social Court of Canada that his treaty rights from ies Minister Bernadette Jordan owes it to a 1760-1761 agreement with the Crown the non-Indigenous commercial fisher- Development; Environment, Oceans and Wildlife; allowed him to fish for eels without a men to provide evidence that there is no Education; Economic Development licence, out of season, and using an illegal sustainability issue here. If DFO has that net. When the Mi’kmaq entered the lobster evidence, it is past time that they share it. Reporting to a Manager within the Department of Policy Advancement, Department: fishery, exercising the constitutional right Finally, the fisheries minister, if not the the Senior Policy Advisors will work towards promoting and improving Policy Advancement that Marshall had won for them, the first prime minister, should take a trip to St. the place of Canada’s Inuit in a number of policy areas. These positions Location: license fittingly went to Marshall’s son. Mary’s Bay and listen, face-to-face, to what provide recommendations to improve policy and associated outcomes Ottawa, Ontario Marshall died in 2009 at the age of 55. both sides have to say. Ottawa has the for Inuit and act as a liaison between government departments, Inuit Status: One of the little known parts of this power to bring the temperature down, and organizations and non-government organizations. Full Time, Permanent story is the role played by some non- when people are burning boats and urinat- Starting Date: Indigenous commercial fishermen when ing on other people’s vehicles, there isn’t a *Applicants who are a Beneficiary under an Inuit Land Claims Agreement October 2020 the Mi’kmaq entered the lobster fishery. moment to lose. will be given priority hiring. We encourage applicants to self-identify. Where to apply: We would like to thank all applicants in advance for their interest in ITK, https://myitk.bamboohr.com/jobs/ Convinced by Ottawa that no new licences Michael Harris is an award-winning however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. view.php?id=93 ought to be issued in the name of sustain- journalist and author. ability, fishermen like Percy Gorman, gave The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 15 Opinion Feds need to provide the analytical basis for new programs, like the superclusters project

would make Canada “a global leader.” Innovation Minister As we look ahead, the need What the documents failed to explain Navdeep Bains, was how the program—the government’s pictured on Oct. for a more innovative and innovation strategy “centrepiece”—would 8, 2020. The productive economy is more make Canada “a global leader.” Had the superclusters initiative department determined that the prin- is investing up to urgent than ever, which ciple reason for Canada’s failure to $950-million in public become a leading innovation nation was funds over five years, means that the quality of the absence of such an initiative? What matched by an equal was the evidence? Why would innova- amount from business, public policies is critical. tive companies use the superclusters for universities, and other serious projects given the need to protect players, in five so- intellectual property and the tendency to called superclusters— keep core innovation projects in-house the ocean economy, for competitive reasons? artificial intelligence- This failure to provide the analytical powered supply basis for new programs is not unusual. chains, advanced In May last year, for example, Bains manufacturing, protein announced a grant of $52.4-million to industries, and digital three Ontario incubator/accelerator hubs technology, writes to grow 30 small tech companies into David Crane. The Hill $100-million businesses by 2024, with Times photograph by David Crane 18,000 new jobs—without explaining what Andrew Meade the barriers to scaling up were or why Canada & the 21st Century these three entities, more accustomed to been ordered by Bains’ department not to urgent than ever, which means that the qual- helping start-ups, would have the capabili- discuss this with the media. ity of public policies is critical. We are more ORONTO—In predicting that the ties to deliver. In both these instances, my interest likely to get it right if policy-making is open, Tpromised economic benefits from the It would appear that the superclusters was in seeing the underlying assumptions exposed to public debate and discussion and centrepiece of the government’s innovation project was modelled, at least in part, on and analysis that would show this was a based on solid, publicly available analysis. strategy will fall far short of what Industry the British Catapult project, which consists productive way to spend public funds—and We don’t have that today so that it is hard to Minister Navdeep Bains has promised, the of a set of technology hubs that were set to see how the government expected this have confidence in what the government is Parliamentary Budget Office has turned up in 2011 in specialized technology areas would make Canada a much more innova- doing. That includes the superclusters. the spotlight on the government’s much to advance British innovation in selected tive and productive economy. David Crane can be reached at crane@ ballyhooed superclusters project. fields. There are nine such consortia—in- As we look ahead, the need for a more interlog.com. This provides an opportunity for the cluding digital technologies, connected innovative and productive economy is more The Hill Times House Industry Committee to review the places (including smart cities), high-value program—pluses and minuses—so that manufacturing, energy systems, compound Canadians can see whether the project semi-conductor applications, and cell and is delivering as promised, or needs to be gene therapy. changed. But the British approach was much Programs to advance innovation capac- different. Its policy was preceded by two ity in Canada are needed for future jobs expert studies, both published, and by and prosperity. But it is also important to hearings by the British House of Commons have confidence that any project, such as Science and Technology Committee. In the superclusters project, is well-designed Canada there was no such public role. and is achieving its promised results—and In announcing the names of the five to do this with a strong commitment to winning supercluster bids in February public transparency. 2018, Bains boasted that the “superclusters The superclusters initiative is investing will transform our economy and make up to $950-million in public funds over five Canada into a global innovation superstar.” years, matched by an equal amount from Moreover, he promised, “superclusters will business, universities, and other players, contribute over $50-billion to our GDP and in five so-called superclusters—the ocean create an estimated minimum of 50,000 economy, artificial intelligence-powered jobs over the next 10 years.” supply chains, advanced manufacturing, In a column for The Hill Times (Feb. protein industries, and digital technology. 26, 2018) Bains went further, promising In documents setting out the competi- that with superclusters “new businesses tion to choose the winning superclusters, will sprout up, investment will pour in and the department said that applicants were stable jobs will be ours for the taking.” expected to demonstrate how they would When the superclusters were announced, “build a supercluster advantage that will I was intrigued by how Bains was able to create high-quality, resilient jobs for Cana- promise that his superclusters would add dians, reinforce Canada’s highly innovative $50-billion to GDP and create 50,000 jobs industries (e.g., advanced manufacturing, over 10 years—what were the assumptions agri-food, clean technology, digital econ- underlying these promised results and how omy, health/biosciences, clean resources, would progress be measured? I was told the infrastructure and transportation), enable details were secret, though no one could the growth of innovative firms, and support explain why; they just were. the development of strong brands that at- The PBO estimates that the superclu- tract investors and mandates.” sters would add at most $18-billion to GDP The winning superclusters were ex- and create just over 27,000 jobs. It also pected to increase the number of high- found that while Industry Canada talked growth firms, raise the number of new and of providing performance indicators, none expanded projects in the cluster, expand were provided. the development of new products and pro- Similarly, when I asked to see the cesses, commercialize research into new contracts between each of the superclu- products and processes, increase business sters and the federal government, I was investments in technology, research, dem- again told this was secret. I wanted to onstration projects and commercialization, know whether there any milestones each boost employment growth in small and supercluster was expected to achieve? And midsize companies, expand the number of if so, what were they? What were the com- professional, science and technology jobs pensation arrangements? What would be and position superclusters “as world-lead- the relationship between the government ing innovation ecosystems.” and each supercluster? I actually called Applicants were to set out a strategy one supercluster to ask about its contribu- to demonstrate how, in their field, they tion agreement but was told it had already 16 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Opinion Veterans Affairs’ backlog and wait-times ‘a perfect storm’

to reopen, the individual health medical reports to substantiate wait-time-strategic-direction). times for veterans’ claims for years VAC is taking a professionals are simply over- entitlement to these programs This communication has been into the future, given the current whelmed with their own backlog has been waived by the govern- a significant priority for some pace of adjudication. number of positive and rescheduling of delayed ment, given the impracticality time, not only for NCVA, but also The department presented a steps to alleviate the appointments. The preparation of accessing any input from the for the Standing Committee on formal briefing of its policy posi- of medical reports to support medical profession in Canada at Veterans Affairs and many other tion on June 30, 2020, to various backlog of veterans’ veterans’ claims is not a priority this troubled time. stakeholder groups. Ministerial Advisory Groups. at this time for these beleaguered The initial reaction of the de- In our opinion, this policy As part of the ongoing dialogue disability claims. But physicians and therapists. partment to this proposed form of document is a statement of good surrounding this presentation, Unless creative steps are fast-tracking and or automatic en- intentions for the mid-term to NCVA took the position that the the government has taken, the adjudicative delays and titlement was that this approach long-term objectives cited in the department needs to accelerate its turnaround time dilemmas will could be implemented for benefits material, but fails to effectively plan of action through adoption to make this a higher not be relieved in the short term, that are paid on a monthly basis; remedy the present backlog crisis of the above-cited fast-tracking priority in order given the reality of the extreme however, given the fact in rela- which has only been intensified by protocols/automatic entitlement difficulty in obtaining these medi- tion to disability awards that the the COVID-19 challenge. approach for all outstanding vet- to establish a more cal and or therapist reports to majority of veterans are still Although it is somewhat erans’ applications. substantiate individual veterans’ opting for lump sums, this would encouraging that the VAC policy Given the unattainability of immediate resolution applications. represent a concern for the de- statement has adopted a number medical reports from various There is a general consensus partment. of our proposals including the health-care providers, the follow- for veterans and their among veteran stakeholders that In addressing this concern, prospective employment of au- ing fundamental question requires administrative and adjudicative it is our recommendation that, tomatic entitlement for common an immediate answer: what level families who are often measures leading to a form of as an interim step in granting disabilities, the utilization of pre- of evidence is the department pre- facing severe financial fast-tracking or automatic entitle- this form of automatic entitle- sumptions for certain consequen- pared to accept to approve current ment deserve immediate atten- ment, the disability award could tial disabilities, and the lessening claims in the backlog? insecurity during this tion. be paid as a monthly allowance of the requirement for medical Clearly, individual veterans and/or their advocates who are COVID-19 crisis. As Veterans Affairs preparing disability applications Deputy Minister must be cognizant of the depart- Walt Natynczyk ment’s position in relation to this stated before the important subject as to the suf- House Veterans ficiency of evidence required for Affairs Committee VAC approval. earlier this year, In our judgment, the “approve we have indeed and verify” philosophy we have reached a 'perfect espoused for many months is a storm' on the crucial ingredient to the solution current backlog of in this context. veterans’ disability Rather surprisingly, as part Brian Forbes claims, which and parcel of our discussions, Opinion has only been VAC has indicated through the compounded by briefing process that, ostensibly, the onset of the “higher government authority” is TTAWA—The National Coun- COVID-19 crisis, required to implement this form Ocil of Veteran Associations in writes Brian Forbes. of creative initiative. Canada (NCVA) continues to call The Hill Times file With all due respect, we are for dramatic and innovative steps photograph by Jake somewhat mystified by this pre- to be taken by Veterans Affairs Wright requisite for government author- Canada (VAC) to address the ity, as it has been readily appar- current unacceptable backlog and ent that VAC has determined the turnaround times experienced It has been the longstanding with a preliminary assessment referrals in specific cases, the overall question of sufficiency of with respect to veterans’ disability view of NCVA that this form of in the first instance. Ultimately, department’s report unfortunately evidence for many decades in ad- claims. automatic entitlement approach the department would have the concludes that this will take con- judicating veterans’ applications. As Veterans Affairs Deputy should have been implemented ability to assess the full extent of siderable time to implement. In this context, the impact of the Minister Walt Natynczyk stated by VAC years ago in regard to the veteran’s disability in order Furthermore, the department’s benefit of the doubt/presumptive before the House Veterans Affairs seriously disabled veterans, with to determine the veteran’s final policy statement places signifi- provisions of veterans’ legislation Committee earlier this year, we the objective of expediting these assessment, at which point the cant weight on the announcement has been in place for many years. have indeed reached a “perfect specific claims by circumventing veteran could choose to convert that an approximate $90-million In our experience, this unique set storm” which has only been governmental “red tape,” recogniz- his or her monthly allowance has been approved by the govern- of adjudicative principles gives compounded by the onset of the ing the fact that nearly all these to a lump sum award with the ment for VAC in a supplementary the department great latitude to COVID-19 crisis. cases are ultimately granted en- appropriate financial adjustment budget estimate to retain new reach a constructive resolution in The following represents the titlement, often following months to consider the monthly amounts employees to deal with the ongo- relation to policy amendments to core elements of NCVA’s position of adjudicative delay. It is our already paid. ing backlog. However, this newly address the present conundrum in relation to this ongoing admin- position that now is clearly the The great advantage in this acquired departmental staff will regarding wait times. istrative crisis. time to extend this thinking to all recommendation is that the veter- face a steep learning curve and In summary, the VAC policy The department should adopt veterans’ claims. an’s entitlement would be estab- will not be operational until Janu- statement contains a number the position that veterans’ claims It is noteworthy that the cur- lished early on and the veteran’s ary, 2021, at the earliest. of positive steps to alleviate the be considered at face value and rent mandate letter received by concerns surrounding financial It is also noteworthy that the backlog and the unacceptable be based on the reasonable the minister of veterans affairs security and access to health care Parliamentary Budget Office re- wait-times relevant to veterans’ evidence provided by the veteran from the prime minister contains and treatment benefits would be cently completed an evaluation of disability claims. However, the and his or her family, with the a specific direction that VAC addressed. the VAC backlog through a finan- scope and pace of these initiatives proviso that individual files could should implement a form of auto- The old adage that “desperate cial analysis report issued on Sept. require a higher priority from the be monitored over time and “spot matic entitlement with respect to times call for bold and creative 21, 2020, titled “Disability Benefit government in order to establish audits” carried out to address common disabilities suffered by measures” is particularly apt in Processing at Veterans Affairs a more immediate resolution for any potential abuses. The clear Canadian veterans. this situation. Canada” (https://www.pbo-dpb. veterans and their families who reality that medical reports usu- It is also significant that many The department issued a gc.ca/web/default/files/Documents/ are often facing severe financial ally required by VAC to support financial assistance programs policy statement in June, 2020, in Reports/RP-2021-023-M/RP-2021- insecurity during this COVID-19 these applications continue to be rolled out this year by federal response to this serious concern 023-M_en.pdf). The PBO conclud- crisis. almost impossible to obtain at and provincial governments are entitled “Timely Disability Ben- ed that, without further significant Brian Forbes is chair of the this time must be recognized in premised on the philosophy of efits Decisions: Strategic Direc- increases in government funding National Council of Veteran Asso- assessing this present dilemma. “pay now and verify later.” In tion for Improving Wait Times” to augment VAC staffing re- ciations and chair of the Execu- Even though medical offices regard to a number of financial (https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/ sources, the department would not tive Committee of The War Amps. and therapists’ clinics are starting initiatives, the earlier need for about-vac/addressing-wait-times/ substantially impact turnaround The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 17 Opinion Trudeau’s agenda suggests feds need full four years until October 2023 to get it all done

And while the Conservatives complain It would be useful if the about the irresponsible deficit, Canadi- ans—the business community included— political parties could find plead for more help and more spending, ways to cooperate and make which brings us to the second part: the big- ticket and long-term new policies, the am- things work, rather than bitious stuff of the recent Throne Speech, which was one of the most ambitious for a dare each other to bring the government in mid-term. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 1, 2020. Crises offer our society the Crises offer our society the opportunity opportunity to cower and run for cover, or to be bold and think big. We have the opportunity to government down. to cower and run for cover, or to be bold reimagine our society, learn the lessons that have been laid bare this year, and build back better, and think big. We have the opportunity to writes Andrew Cardozo. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade reimagine our society, learn the lessons that have been laid bare this year, and build back better. in 2019 when it died in the Senate), and Operating a Parliament virtually is These are huge items that require legis- then implemented; fraught with challenges, but this is where lation and considerable provincial partici- • A focus on combatting racism involving good leadership is demanded of all our pation. These include national child care, Diversity and Inclusion Minister Bardish leaders. pharmacare, and national standards for Chagger as well as Justice Minister David It would be useful if the political long term care. There is the plan for million Lametti on the legal system and Public parties in Parliament were constantly green jobs and the action plan for women Security Minister Bill Blair, who has to challenged by the media to find ways to and the economy. While basic income Andrew Cardozo drag the RCMP into the modern era; cooperate and make things work, rather was not announced, the ongoing support • Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough than dare each other to bring the govern- Opinion programs for individuals amount to a form to lead any initiative on a universal basic ment down. of basic income and give the proponents income, if it becomes real; The NDP badly needs to make national of it some hope that the issue is not off the • Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkin- child care a reality. There is room for the TTAWA—Government has to walk, table. son who still has a lot to do to meet reincarnation of a Lester B. Pearson-Tom- Ochew gum, and dance at the same time. Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the targets of the Paris agreement on my Douglas era of cooperation for policies Fourteen years ago, the NDP killed a high priority for the government, faces change. that will bring us another generation. Canada’s national child care plan days growing cynicism from Indigenous peoples This agenda would suggest the govern- Andrew Cardozo is president of the after it was signed and sealed. The party and leadership, so it needs a major boost, ment needs to go the full four years until Pearson Centre, based in Ottawa. can’t do it again this time. perhaps with a comprehensive response October 2023 to get it done. The Hill Times In 2006, the minority Liberal govern- to the reports from the Truth and Recon- ment of Paul Martin had signed a complex ciliation Commission and the inquiry on series of agreements with each province Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and territory, but before it could go into and Girls as well as introducing the United effect, the New Democrats voted with the Nations Declaration on the Recognition of Conservatives to bring down the govern- Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). ment, and national childcare was a casu- So moving on from COVID, Deputy alty for more than a decade. Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, espe- The government promised to try again, cially in her role as finance minister, is, of but it has work to do on many levels. The course, involved in all of the above along walk, chew gum, and dance is about doing with Treasury Board President Jean-Yves the urgent COVID work, doing the big Duclos, who makes the money flow, and things for the longer term, and dealing President of the Privy Council Dominic with the fallout from the WE scandal—all LeBlanc, who helps coordinate the govern- at the same time. ment agenda. In addition, there are several On the latter, the government and the ministers who have a lot of new stuff to do: Conservatives are locked in a high-stakes • Families, Children and Social Devel- battle of chicken. The Conservatives are opment Minister, Ahmed Hussen on betting that Canadians can be persuaded national child care and housing (both of to care about what went wrong, and the which require provincial involvement); government is convinced that Canadians • Health Minister Patty Hajdu, pharma- are much more concerned— if not down- care and the long-term care plan (both of right petrified—about the pandemic’s which require provincial involvement); second wave. • Infrastructure Minister Catherine On the first part, the government excels. McKenna, Innovation Minister Navdeep It has brought in new or amended pro- Bains and Environment Minister grams to help Canadians as the second Jonathan Wilkinson, on a big green jobs wave washes over us. Millions of people strategy (working with provinces and are extremely nervous and in need. When municipalities); Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “we • Gender Equality Minister Maryam Mon- have your back,” they believe him, not be- sef, on a new action plan on Women and cause of his regular press conferences, but the Economy; because the programs are there and acces- • Indigenous Services Minister Marc sible. Sure, there are gaps and challenges, Miller and Crown-Indigenous Relations but, overall, the performance is stellar, Minister Carolyn Bennett Minister, need while the government is in overdrive at- to up their output on responding to the tending to the myriad aspects from secur- two major reports and making sure ing jobs, to purchasing COVID vaccines. UNDRIP is adopted in good time, (unlike 18 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Opinion

on each section within a PER are provided by the person’s superior and, generally, are signed off on by at least two senior members of How to fix the Canadian the chain of command. PERs are important in a mili- tary context because they are a key component in recommending promotion within a trade. They also assist a member in under- Forces’ grievance system standing areas of improvement, and how they compare to their peers. Chief of the The issue is that many griev- Despite efforts Defence ances are filed each year by by successive Staff General members who disagree with Jonathan their superior officer’s PER eval- chiefs of defence Vance, uation. After an initial authority pictured April decision, the grievance system staff to delegate 30, 2020, compels these grievances to at a press be sent to the chief of defence their statutory conference at staff for review, despite that responsibilities down, the National many of the aggrieved are junior Press Theatre members, or non-commissioned the backlog and in Ottawa. members. Instilling Bluntly stated, the chief of delays in the military reasonable defence staff has no personal limitations knowledge of the day-to-day grievance system are on the right work, quality of output, lead- to grieve ership capability or promote- worse than ever. But would serve ability of the vast majority of the the growing backlog the greater aggrieved. For nearly all PER good, and grievances, the chief of defence in the CAF grievance would assist staff would not even know their in eliminating name. It is silly to have him system is due in large the backlog spend time reviewing PERs of grievances, for persons separated by eight part to the broad write Michel ranks or more, which is often Drapeau the case. wording of Sec. 29 of and Joshua An alternate approach would the National Defence Juneau. The be to give each member a right Hill Times of annotation. After receiving a Act which permits photograph by PER, that member could submit a Andrew Meade memo (possibly restricted to one a member to grieve page) to be appended to the PER, which could detail disagreements practically anything. that the member has with a particular rating or comment(s). This is an expensive Both the chain of command ple, in 2015, through a Canadian Bizarrely, of these more than able, but please don’t misunder- and merit review would then and inappropriate Forces general order (CAN- 1,000 grievances, more than 700 stand us. We are not advocating become cognizant of these an- use of energies and FORGEN) 056/15, now retired are with the final authority (i.e., for reducing the military’s suite of notations and, where applicable, general Tom Lawson launched the chief of defence staff) await- benefits—these are good for both take a member’s objection into resources. Operation Resolution whose ing a decision. For a regular force members and lawyers. What we consideration. Mission accom- noble goal was to “determine barely above 60,000 members, are proposing is to limit how C&B plished. As above, this could all grievances in a timely manner.” this is an astonishing number, can be grieved. be done through a very simple In Lawson’s estimation, “delays that may demonstrate either a Whether or not a member is amendment to the regulations in the CAF grievance process leadership crisis, or a morale entitled to C&B is, at its core, restricting the scope of grievance undermine both the confidence crisis, or both. a matter of black letter law. A matters. CAF members have in the chain The current delegation ap- member is either entitled to C&B, of command and their loyalty to proach is not working. Moreover, or they are not. If the chief of our institution.” it may demonstrate a crisis in defence staff wants to limit the Conclusion Last week, General Jonathan leadership. By constructively number of grievances in backlog, The growing backlog in the Vance, our current chief of de- removing himself from the he would only need to amend the CAF grievance system is due in fence staff, issued CANFORGEN grievance process, the chief of Queen’s regulations and orders large part to the broad wording 126/20. His strategy appears to defence staff is signalling to the stating that all issues of C&B are of Sec. 29 of the National Defence Michel Drapeau & Joshua Juneau expand on Lawson’s delegation troops that he is not interested not grievable; from herein, they Act which permits a member to Opinion idea, and as a sort of “absent in the concerns on the ground. will only be reviewable by the grieve practically anything. This landlord,” to completely remove If CANFORGEN 126/20 is fully director, C&B who is the expert is an expensive and inappropriate himself from the grievance acted upon, he may never have to in such matters. This is permit- use of energies and resources. TTAWA—The Canadian process. Under CANFORGEN review a grievance again which ted under the National Defence Reasonable limits to a mem- OForces grievance process has 126/20, the final authority of means that it would be difficult Act. At the end of the day, C&B ber’s rights to grieve should be been in a shambles for years, grievance decisions will now be for him to keep abreast of real decisions of the director would considered. In doing so, adminis- mostly attributable to excessive broadly delegated to a multi- discontent in the ranks. be subjected to judicial review trative mechanisms would need delay. In 1998, the former chief plicity of service commanders, There must be another way. under the Federal Courts Act. to ensure that processes remain justice of the Supreme Court of chiefs, and division commanders, This means that with the stroke fair and transparent, and that Canada, Antonio Lamer, in his all the way down to the one-star Compensation and of a pen, 40 per cent of griev- members have the right to be first independent review of the level. I’m not sure that this will ances will be appropriately heard on areas of disagreement, National Defence Act wrote, foster the confidence or loyalty Benefits delegated to an expert in charge all within a defined reasonable “Soldiers are not second-class that Lawson initially envisioned About 40 per cent of the griev- of said issues. period of time. citizens. They are entitled to be or that it will ensure unity of ances concern compensation and Instilling reasonable limita- treated with respect, and, in the purpose. benefits (C&B). This should have tions on the right to grieve would case of the grievance process, in Despite efforts by succes- been predicted, given the plethora PERs serve the greater good, and would a procedurally fair manner. This sive chiefs of defence staff to of financial top-ups available to Another issue that has no assist in eliminating the backlog is a fundamental principle that delegate their statutory respon- members of our military. For more basis for the involvement of the of grievances. This would not must not be lost in a bureaucratic sibilities, the backlog and delays than 15 years, we have watched chief of defence staff are an- only be appropriate for instilling process, even a military one. … in the military grievance system as the C&B package available to nual personal evaluation reports “confidence CAF members have They deserve a grievance process are worse than ever. Accord- serving members expands. Today’s (PERs). in the chain of command,” but that addresses their grievances ing to recent disclosures, there slew of C&B includes tax-free al- PERs are generally written an- could assist in improving mo- in a fair, transparent, and prompt are currently more than 1,000 lowances, travel-to-work expenses, nually by the immediate superior rale, and improve “loyalty to our manner.” grievances registered with the relocation, real estate, children’s of a member, for the purpose of institution.” In recent years, successive Canadian Forces. This is one education, gratuities, grants, tran- evaluating their on-the-job per- Michel Drapeau and Joshua chiefs of defence staff have at- grievance for every 65 soldiers. sition services, post-living allow- formance. Members are rated on Juneau are administrative law- tempted to break the log jam in Such a high incidence is un- ances, and structured bonuses. leadership, performance, and, ul- yers whose practice focuses on the military grievance process known even in a unionized work The number of C&B instruc- timately, a promotion recommen- military and veterans issues. through delegation. For exam- environment. tions (CBIs) are nearly innumer- dation is made, or not. Comments The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 19 News Senators zip lips on Meredith deal that includes gag order

Scott Tannas, Sabi Marwah, and Elizabeth Marshall lead the Senate's Internal Economy Committee, which announced on Oct. 14 that harassment victims of former Senator Don Meredith would collectively receive nearly half a million dollars in compensation—a for harassed deal that required that the victims sign a non-disclosure agreement. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

The Senate’s compensation The two vice-chairs of the Ms. Otis wrote in her report to deal included a non-disclosure Internal Economy Committee, the Internal Economy Committee former staffers agreement that the former staff- Canadian Senators Group Sena- that the “exceptional circumstances ers were required to sign, as first tor Scott Tannas (Alberta) and of the Meredith matter and the reported by The Huffington Post, Conservative Senator Elizabeth numerous investigations launched the former staffers said they did and confirmed by Brian Mitchell, Marshall (N.L.), both declined by the Senate and other authorities Senators on the not do so in part because of the a lawyer who represented two of to comment on the deal when slowed the process and resulted power imbalance in the Senate, the former staffers during some of reached by The Hill Times. So did ultimately in years of delay which Internal Economy where administrative staff and their dealings with the Senate. Ms. Independent Senator Raymonde accentuated the vulnerability and Committee have especially Senators enjoy a great Otis’ report did not recommend Saint-Germain (De la Vallière, the isolation of the claimants.” Ms. deal of job security, and Senate including a non-disclosure agree- Que.), a member of the Internal Otis wrote that the delay was an little to say about staffers have almost none. ment as part of the settlement. Economy Committee and one “aggravating factor” in her determi- “Political staffers, our reputa- None of the Senators who of the driving forces behind a nation of the compensation owed approving a deal to tion is a huge part of what gets us guide the committee would com- new harassment policy for the to the former staffers. our next job,” one former staffer ment when reached by The Hill Senate, and Independent Senator That determination was not bind Don Meredith’s told The Hill Times in August. Times last week. Marilou McPhedran (Manitoba), included in the report released to “If it’s seen that you might be a Independent Senator Sabi who called on the Senate to stop the public. Ms. Korn told The Hill harassment victims troublemaker, or that you might Marwah (Ontario), who chairs the requiring harassment victims to Times that Ms. Otis recommended to silence in order to bring unwanted negative press Senate’s Internal Economy Com- sign non-disclosure agreements individual compensation figures to your office, you’re not getting mittee, declined to comment when in an interview with The Hill for each of the nine former staff- receive compensation that job.” asked for an interview about the Times in January. ers, based upon their own experi- “To create an NDA and require ences and “in accordance with pre- for their treatment. silence on the part of complain- vious public sector settlements.” ants, that’s not an acceptable She confirmed that the settlement practice,” she said at the time. “We included the exact compensation Continued from page 1 should have a clear policy: we figures recommended by Ms. Otis. former staffers a collective total don’t do NDAs.” Ms. Otis also noted in her of $498,000 in compensation, and In a brief email exchange with report that the new harassment $30,000 for legal fees, for their The Hill Times on Oct. 15, Sen. policy being crafted by the Senate harassment by the former sena- McPhedran wrote, “I continue to was “designed to eradicate harass- tor, who resigned from the Senate be concerned about NDA require- ment by implementing a robust in 2017 while his fellow Senators ments in the new harassment system aimed to deter all forms of were considering expelling him. policy that is back under develop- harassment and make all poten- At the time, Mr. Meredith was ment at the CIBA Human Re- tial harassers fully accountable under heavy scrutiny over reports sources sub-committee—although for their acts. This clearly sends that he had a sexual relation- I have not seen the current itera- the message that harassment will ship with a teenager. Out of the tion.” never be tolerated in the Senate.” public eye, the Senate had by Senators on the Internal The new policy is nearly that point already conducted a Economy Committee, who would complete. Senators are currently secretive third-party investiga- have had to approve the settle- adapting portions of the policy to tion into Mr. Meredith’s serial ment deal, referred The Hill Times reflect new regulations related to sexual and verbal harassment of to a spokesperson, Alison Korn. workplace harassment that were his and other Senate staff, in what She responded to questions about recently released in connection became known as the “Quintet” the non-disclosure agreements with changes to new workplace or “workplace” report. Senate with a statement that said Sena- harassment legislation passed Ethics Officer Pierre Legault later tors on the committee would not in the last Parliament. That conducted his own investigation, be commenting on specifics in could include a change to allow making public some of the details Former senator Don Meredith, pictured at an Economic Club ‘Voices of Hope’ the deal “in order to protect the witnesses of harassment to file of that harassment. event in Ottawa in 2014. Mr. Meredith resigned from the Senate in 2017 confidentiality and integrity of complaints, according to Sen. Some of Mr. Meredith’s former while Senators were considering expelling him from the Chamber for good. The the process.” Saint-Germain. staffers fought for years to have Hill Times file photograph by Jake Wright Back in August, the two for- The new harassment policy the Senate address what they mer staffers who spoke to The would require a third-party have said was its failure to act on The settlement announced Oct. Meredith settlement and its inclu- Hill Times said that the Senate agency, working under contract, the harassment, of which they al- 14 followed an evaluation by Lou- sion of non-disclosure agreements. had not dealt with the failures to investigate claims of harass- leged some Senators and admin- ise Otis, a professional mediator He instead referred to a line from that allowed Mr. Meredith to ment from staff. If it deemed istrators were aware. Two former and retired high-ranking Quebec the apology he issued in the Sen- serially harass his staff without those complaints to be legitimate, staffers spoke to The Hill Times judge who was hired by the Sen- ate on behalf of the Internal Econ- repercussions. One staffer told it would send them to the Senate and other publications several ate in July to analyze the case omy Committee on June 25 to Mr. The Hill Times at the time that ethics officer. Serious complaints times during that process on the and recommend fair compensa- Meredith’s former staffers: “While they believed that harassment would eventually be dealt with by condition that their names not be tion for nine former staffers. The the measures we take today won’t was taking place elsewhere in the the Senate Ethics Committee. published, out of fear that they Oct. 14 press release included change what happened to you, it Senate as well. The new policy would bind would face repercussions in their a copy of Ms. Otis’ report to the is our committee’s sincerest hope “This whole process is all all participants to confidentiality, current workplaces on the Hill. Internal Economy Committee, that no one will have to endure about protecting themselves and preventing them from speaking No staffers ever filed a formal which was dated Aug. 20. That the pain and suffering caused by the institution,” one of the former out about their harassment once complaint against Mr. Meredith in report did not include a recom- any kind of harassment while staffers said in August of the Sen- they filed a complaint. the Senate. In an interview with mended amount of compensation working in service to the Senate of ate’s response to the harassment [email protected] The Hill Times in August, one of for the former staffers. Canada.” scandal. The Hill Times 20 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES News

health-care system, but people But Prof. Leuprecht said he who have scheduled or elective was concerned that in a country ‘Six systemic crises’ needs that are not urgent, but as diverse as Canada, sidelining nevertheless have an impact on parliamentary institutions that their quality of life, tend to wait give representation dispropor- confronting Canada right now, too long, so that has been exacer- tionately to underrepresented bated for sure,” said Dr. Martin. voices in a minority cabinet that Jennifer Jackson, who studies is heavily urban and concen- public health systems at the Uni- trated in particular parts of the and politicians, policy-makers, versity of Calgary, said she didn’t country comes with an “incalcu- believe the emergence of COVID lable risk.” necessarily created problems in “I think what we saw was our health care system, but that it efficiency and effectiveness as de- health-care professionals need revealed and worsened problems fined by the values and priorities that were already there. of the minority government at the “We had backlogs for non- expense of reconciling competing ‘systems thinking’ to tackle urgent surgeries, nationally, for demands on the federal political anywhere from a year to two system,” said Prof. Leupreceht. years prior to COVID-19,” said “That’s the broader casualty I Prof. Jackson. “That indicates think we’re living with in the them, says public policy expert that there were issues with those wake.” systems beforehand.” Health is a growing indicator and how capacious our thinking particularly sophisticated emer- of stability in democracy, added ‘This is a world historical Global Brief magazine needs to be to exit from this.” gency planning system, there Prof. Jackson. were few avenues available to the crisis’ “When people are healthier, Pointing to the tens of thou- editor Irvin Studin education system. ‘There was a massive they are more likely to vote.” sands of businesses that have “The only thing proposed was disappeared in this country,” Mr. says politicians education system to cancel school and send every- Studin said one must go into the body home,” said Mr. Bennett. “All Parliament unable to and policy-makers’ disconnect’ “corners of Toronto and Montreal” the things we’re doing now—hy- An underappreciated crisis provide ‘feedback loop to to effectively understand the brid, technology, live-streaming— thinking is ‘too small, that Mr. Studin said he believed scope of the economic fallout. none of that was ever envisioned power’ was “the most dangerous for “These are disintegrated busi- it’s too linear, it’s too as part of a recovery plan.” Given how members of the our future” surrounds the fallout House of Commons as well as nesses with families behind them, path dependent, and around an education system that legislatures across the country their employees, their supply was ill-equipped to adapt to crisis ‘What were cracks have are not physically present in most chains—entire economic sec- it looks increasingly conditions, and that in many cases, and much of the work is tors have disintegrated,” said Mr. cases left children unaccounted become chasms’ being done by “emergency mode,” Studin, who also pointed to “fiscal absurd as these for. Mr. Studin said in recent con- Parliament is not able to provide exhaustion” now seen at most systemic crises “In Ontario alone, there are versations he’s had with physi- the “feedback loop to power,” said levels of government. tens of thousands of students who cians, some say they are “amazed” Mr. Studin. “This is all a world historical consolidate into some have effectively defected from at the number of surgeries that “They cannot report what’s crisis that cannot be remedied formal schooling,” said Mr. Studin. have been postponed or can- happening on the ground to the with polite words like, ‘We’re on really dangerous “This is repeating in Quebec— celled because of preoccupations centre, and the centre, as a result, is the path to recovery,’” said Mr. they’re not in a physical school, around COVID containment. not able to correct grave mistakes Studin. “This is an objective disin- pressures on us.’ they may not even be online, they tegration.” might be in some sort of pod, Related to but separate from which is completely unregulated, Continued from page 1 the economic crisis are a num- these are improvised systems, or ber of national unity crises that shielded from the worst of the they are unaccounted for.” existed prior to the pandemic, but economic fallout while there are “They’re just not in school. are particularly “acute” now, ac- six larger, systemic crises that They were ejected from the public cording to Mr. Studin. have the potential to dwarf the schooling system during the quar- “It’s less Quebec and less the trauma already experienced in antine, and they’ve not been rein- Indigenous question, although this country if left unchecked, ac- tegrated and are unaccounted for,” those can rear their heads quite cording to Irvin Studin, the edi- said Mr. Studin. “These are people soon and are two of the three legs tor of Global Brief magazine and who are the future of the coun- of the historical national unity president of the Institute for 21st try, and if they’re not properly conundrum in Canada,” said Mr. Century Questions, a Canadian schooled, you imagine longitudi- Studin. “But the West is grum- think tank. nally, what Canada will look like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and bling.” “I’m of the strong, professional five years from now—what are we Health Minister Patty Hajdu. A narrow political focus on 'discrete, daily COVID “Economically [they’re] in- view that we don’t understand preparing these kids for?” counts' is not enough to address six systemic crises confronting politicians creasingly depressed, physically, our present circumstances or how There was ambiguity about and policy-makers in Canada, according to public policy expert Irvin Studin. they are separated from the cen- dire they are,” said Mr. Studin what pandemic education or The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade tre of Canada because nobody is in an interview with The Hill emergency home learning was all traveling, so the sense of physical Times. “We’ve reduced everything about, according to Paul W. Ben- isolation and distance is far more to discrete, daily COVID counts— nett, director of the Schoolhouse Dr. Danielle Martin, a family of policy and strategy,” said Mr. acute, and the inability to dream that’s essentially where the public Institute and author of The State physician at Women’s College Studin. “You can sit in Ottawa and of a productive future in Canada, mindset is on the ground, and the of the System: A Reality Check Hospital in Toronto, said there think that numbers on unemploy- given all these other forces, in- political mindset is only a little on Canada’s Schools. is still work being done to work ment have gone up, but if Parlia- creasingly starts.” more expansive.” “There was a massive educa- down the list of deferred care left ment and legislators are properly The final crisis confronting Addressing cracks in our pub- tion system disconnect,” said Mr. over from the first wave of the doing their job, they are going into the Canada is international in lic health system, a looming edu- Bennett. “I likened it to a power pandemic, and that health-care the corners of the country and [see- character, according to Mr. Stu- cational crisis, and the limits of outage—the lights went off, the professionals are now being told ing] how whole industrial zones din, particularly in regards to our our democratic institutions must plants closed, as the system is across the country that organiza- have been wiped out.” neighbours to the south. be added to an already sizable based on organization where tions can’t operate in the same In the Canadian variant of “Now with the radicalisation list that includes issues around there are students and teachers way in the second wave as they the Westminster parliamentary and a great growing destabiliza- national unity, growing interna- taught in confined spaces on an did in the first. system, a particularly strong tion within the United States and tional pressures, and an economic ordered and regulated schedule “We’re going to have to do prime minister can largely act as a closed border, we look very crisis that’s “world historical,” that had a beginning and an end.” all of the COVID work and do an almost unchecked sovereign isolated, we look very small, and according to Mr. Studin. In a centralized, bureaucratic, all of the scheduled work simul- as long as they can maintain the we have very few moves that we “The thinking is now too top-down educational system, “the taneously, so we’re going to be confidence of Parliament, ac- can make,” said Mr. Studin. “We’re small, it’s too linear, it’s too path lights went out, and it was next to learning as we go to see what that cording to Christian Leuprecht, not investing in either relation- dependent, and it looks increas- impossible to turn the lights back looks like,” said Dr. Martin. a Munk Senior Fellow, policy ships or building of any assets ingly absurd as these systemic on and get things operating,” said The biggest issues within the studies professor at Queen’s Uni- that allow us to exit from this crises consolidate into some Mr. Bennett. “You have directors Canadian health-care system that versity as well as a professor in international crisis.” really dangerous pressures on of education, superintendents, predated the pandemic have not leadership at the Royal Military “All told, all six crises, if the us,” said Mr. Studin, who also administrators, layers of admin- changed, according to Dr. Martin. College. pressure grows on us, could really spent time in the Privy Council istration, principals, teachers, “What were cracks have “The trade-off is, you can traumatize our country for any Office in Ottawa as well as in the students. What happens when become chasms,” said Dr. Martin. get a very efficient and effec- foreseeable future,” said Mr. Stu- Australian Department of the that power structure is disrupted, “Certainly wait-times for elective tive response—not necessarily din. “If we’re not seized of the six Prime Minister and Cabinet. “You and the lines of communication care was one of those pre-existing operationally, but in terms of in total, any move we make, let’s have to bring systems thinking, aren’t clear, and the regulations Achilles heels of the system.” making a decision and carrying say on COVID, is just too small which is absent, for us to prop- aren’t specific?” “In general, people who have it out, whether it’s the right or and it won’t get us anywhere.” erly understand how dangerous Mr. Bennett noted that al- urgent needs get treated very the wrong decision,” said Prof. [email protected] our present circumstances are though the City of Toronto has a promptly and very well in our Leuprecht. The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 21 News

previous and promised pandemic- more government money for their a new update on the government’s Canada needs a related spending up until Sept. 1 priorities, said Mr. Giroux. finances at some point this fall. at just under $238-billion. Mr. Giroux said the govern- How much of that spending ment needs to release more in- How much money has new ‘fiscal anchor,’ formation to back up its promises the government spent was for pandemic relief? since then. It’s hard to answer this ques- “We need a budget or a very during the pandemic? tion precisely as well. By the strong fiscal update. We need a In short, we don’t know end of July, the CERB had cost Freeland needs precisely. The government has plan for the government going more than $50-billion; the CEWS, forward with respect to the na- not yet reported on its spend- $31-billion. A collection of other tion’s finances,” he said. ing during August or September. pandemic-related benefit pro- to share financial That should include an up- However, it has reported spend- grams accounted for most of an to-date estimate of the federal ing a total of $222.5-billion during additional $17-billion increase in deficit for this year, and forecasts the first full four months of its the year-over-year cost of other for the next couple of years; a pandemic response—April, May, government transfers to individu- plans, says PBO detailed plan with timelines for June, and July. als during that period, according the government’s Throne Speech The government began to to the Finance Department. commitments; an idea of how take serious action to respond The government transferred much the government expects to the pandemic in March of $700-million to the provinces for Yves Giroux this year. MPs temporarily PPE and other pandemic expens- to spend, lose, or gain on the billions in loans and tax defer- suspended sittings of the House es and spent another $36-million minister’s office” since Ms. Free- rals it has given out during the on March 13, as the first wave of on consular assistance before The Parliamentary land took over the finance portfo- pandemic; how much money has COVID-19 took hold. The gov- April 1, according to its COV- lio in late August, Mr. Giroux told been set aside for “unannounced ernment proposed the Canada ID-19 response webpage. Budget Officer has The Hill Times in an interview. measures”—new programs or Emergency Response Benefit Without more detailed or up found it ‘much Mr. Giroux speculated that promises that the government is program (CERB) for people to date reporting, it’s not clear the transition from one minister currently planning—and a new thrown out of work during the how much more of the govern- more difficult to get to another could be part of the fiscal “anchor,” he said. pandemic on March 25. The Can- ment’s pandemic relief spending reason for the sluggish pace of The target of a stable or ada Emergency Wage Subsidy is already out the door. information out of the financial disclosures. declining debt-to-GDP ratio had program (CEWS) for businesses He said that he has not seen been the Trudeau government’s came a month later. Many more minister’s office’ since the Finance federal pro- How much has the Department grams were Parliament returned announced government promised to release the Chrystia Freeland was in the time in kind of infor- sworn in as Canada’s spend on pandemic relief? with Chrystia between and mation that finance minister on This is an area where the since. government has provided some Freeland in charge of it had been Aug. 18. The Hill The cur- more detail, and the Office of the providing to Times photograph by rent fiscal Parliamentary Budget Officer has the nation’s finances, the House Andrew Meade Finance Com- year for provided its own estimate that says Yves Giroux. mittee any- the federal falls within the same ballpark. where else. government The government lists its major Conserva- began on financial commitments for programs Continued from page 1 tive Senator April 1, and and transfers related to the pandem- says Canada’s Parliamentary Elizabeth during April, ic in a Finance Department webpage Budget Officer Yves Giroux. Marshall May, June, titled, Canada’s COVID-19 economic Finance Canada’s financial (N.L.), who and July response plan—overview. That web- updates to Parliament and the sits on the the govern- site includes both money already public have slowed since Parlia- Senate ment spent spent and money the government ment was prorogued and Deputy Finance Com- $222.5-billion has committed to or expects to Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland mittee and on all of its spend on pandemic relief. (University-Rosedale, Ont.) was spent 10 years programs, The webpage was last updated sworn in as the new finance min- as Newfound- transfers, and on Aug. 11, and at that point in- ister in August, said Mr. Giroux. land and Lab- expenses—in- cluded a total of $214.3-billion “di- The prorogation shut down the rador’s audi- cluding those rect support measures.” The most House Finance Committee, shut- tor general unrelated to costly of those were $19.4-billion ting off the biweekly financial from 1992- the pandemic. for the provinces and territories updates that the Finance Depart- 2002, has also It brought through the Safe Restart Agree- ment was sending the committee been trying in nearly ment; $80.5-billion for the CERB; during the spring and summer. to track the $74-billion $83.6-billion for the CEWS; and The government’s website that government’s of revenue $13.8-billion for the “forgivable” tracks its COVID-19 spending has pandemic during that portion of loans made through not been updated since Aug. 11. A spending over four month the Canada Emergency Business promised fall fiscal update has yet the past sev- period, leav- Account program. to materialize. eral months. ing a deficit That page also lists govern- Meanwhile, the Liberals under Finance of roughly ment relief measures that don’t Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada has $149-billion count as spending: for example, (Papineau, Que.) have continued not been providing up-to-date fiscal anchor until the beginning in those months alone. The gov- giving individuals and businesses to pledge new, extended, or adapt- information to Parliamentarians of the pandemic, he said. Having ernment has not yet reported more time to make $85-billion ed programs to keep Canadians or the public, she said. that kind of target “reassures fi- its spending for the months of worth of tax payments, or using and the economy solvent during “They should be able to give us nancial markets and bond holders August or September. Crown agencies to make billions the pandemic, including changes monthly updates. The government and the international community The CERB and CEWS pro- of dollars in loans. Those mea- to employment insurance benefits has modern financial systems,” including rating agencies that the grams together accounted for sures could come at a cost to the announced on Aug. 20, and three she said. “These are like the government has a plan, rather $81-billion of the $222.5-billion government—if the loans default, new benefits to replace the Cana- smartest people in the country, than not having one,” he said. the government shelled out in the or the taxes never get paid—but da Emergency Response Benefit and they can’t give us current Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio first fourth months of this fiscal the government hasn’t said how that were announced Sept. 24, numbers on anything. They can’t has climbed dramatically in the year, according to the Finance much it expects to lose. It’s also which the government estimated give us current numbers on the past seven months as the gov- Department. Transfers to other possible that the government will cost $37-billion. The Liber- deficit or the debt or the cost of ernment has plowed borrowed levels of government cost another makes a net gain from the inter- als promised another $10-billion the different programs. You just money into an effort to prop up $31-billion; debt charges reached est on the loans it has made. for infrastructure on Oct. 1, and can’t get the information.” the economy, as businesses and almost $7-billion; the Canada Meanwhile, the government promised a swath of initiatives “Either they have the numbers consumers have been restricted Emergency Business Account has announced a flurry of new, in their Sept. 23 Throne Speech and they won’t give them to us, or by public health measures (CEBA) program, which provided altered, or extended pandemic- that won’t come cheap, including they don’t have them. And if they intended to slow the spread of interest-free loans to small busi- related benefits since August expanded childcare, pharmacare, don’t have them, I mean, that’s COVID-19. The Sept. 29 report nesses, cost another $7-billion; 11, and delivered a Throne and worker training programs, scary.” from Mr. Giroux’s office predicted and all other government pro- Speech that listed a range of and to end chronic homelessness Mr. Giroux’s PBO has released that Canada’s debt would grow to grams and transfers to Canadi- new promises that will doubtless in the country. its own estimates of the federal 48 percent of its GDP by the end ans accounted for the remaining cost more money—for example, The government projected a defi- government’s spending during of this fiscal year, up from 31 per $96-billion. expanding childcare, and ending cit of $343-billion for the current fis- the pandemic on a regular basis cent last year. The government spent just shy homelessness. It has not yet cal year back in July, but has not yet as well, using whatever informa- A new fiscal anchor would of $114-billion during the same released any details about the provided an update on that figure. tion was available. It released a make it easier for Ms. Freeland to period last year. cost of those measures. It has been ”much more dif- comprehensive report on Sept. 29 decide whether to say “yes” or “no” The Liberals promised in last [email protected] ficult to get information out of the that pegged the total for all the to cabinet colleagues lobbying for month’s Throne Speech to release The Hill Times 22 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES

read a handout of Ms. Freeland’s schedule. Ms. Gould added in the release that the meetings “will help Heard on the Hill respond to vulnerable countries’ pandemic needs by enabling equitable access to COVID-19 by Palak Mangat vaccines, supporting the stabiliza- tion of economies, and helping prepare for recovery.” “We also made sure that key Canadian priorities, including Donner puts out call promoting gender equality and reducing the effects of climate change, continue to be central for 2020 submissions considerations in our collective response.” According to Reuters, the Oct. Continued from page 2 14 meeting saw decision-makers B.C. NDP MP Julian He also announced two new agree to extend by six months the jurors this year: Mark Docksta- Debt Service Suspension Initia- donates his harvest to tor, a director of the Indigenous tive, which freezes official bilat- local food bank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged Canadians to donate to local food Knowledge Initiative at Queen’s eral debt payments until the end Longtime NDP MP Peter Ju- banks ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend earlier this month. Photograph University, and a professor at of the year. Another consideration lian took aim at Prime Minister courtesy of Justin Trudeau’s Instagram the Chaney Wenjack School Justin Trudeau last week, shar- of Indigenous Studies at Trent ing a 34-second clip on Twitter University; and Glenda Yeates, of him holding up a cabbage “If you’re getting ready for noodle to show how far apart candy who served as Saskatchewan and and telling viewers that he and Thanksgiving dinner and you’re collectors should be, or handing out then federal deputy minister of his wife, Limei Tian, who is not able to help out too, please con- treats at the end of hockey sticks. health, and president and CEO of seen in the clip, had just finished sider grabbing an extra item or Her comments came shortly the Canadian Institute for Health harvesting a half-ton of fresh two for your local food bank, and before Ottawa’s top doctor, Dr. Information. harvested cabbage, tomatoes, let’s continue to be there for one Vera Etches, advised against the The two will join jurors Jean- and squash to take to a local another this long weekend,” he usual October trick-or-treat fes- Marie Dufour, Brenda Eaton, Pe- food bank. wrote on his Instagram. “It’s the tivities and suggested people stay ter Nicholson, and David Dodge, “Prime Minister Trudeau was Canadian way.” home. The capital currently has jury chair and former governor of at a photo-op on Friday, getting Later that day, he announced the highest rate of transmission the Bank of Canada. canned goods for the food bank, the feds were doubling pandemic in Ontario, Dr. Etches noted: “We “The Donner Canadian Foun- and I could not disagree with aid to food banks across the coun- have to do things differently here, dation, one of Canada’s oldest him more. Yes, we thank the food try. It had announced $100-million and it does mean celebrating in foundations, created the prize to banks, but we want to build a in relief back in April and added new ways.” encourage and honour the best Canada where food banks no another $100-million to its Emer- public policy thinking, writing longer exist,” said Mr. Julian. “I gency Food Security Fund that and research by a Canadian, and want to see a Canada where no week. the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians,” the press release said. The 2019 Donner Prize went to Dennis McConaghy for Break- down: The Pipeline Debate and International Development Minister the Threat to Canada’s Future. Karina Gould, pictured in June, took part in a virtual gathering of the IMF and World Bank last week. The Hill Freeland, Gould keeping Times photograph by Andrew Meade busy in multilateral will be made to extend it another meetings this week six months in April. Deputy Prime Minister and Ms. Freeland also took part in Finance Minister Chrystia Free- the 2020 annual meeting of the land has had a jam-packed couple International Monetary Fund’s of weeks, including numerous financial committee last week, virtual meetings with her inter- while her colleague, International national counterparts expected to Development Minister Karina continue this week. Gould, attended an IMF-World

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam, pictured Oct. 13, says one needs to go to a food bank to Canadians should pay attention put food on their table at the end Halloween will vary per to their local directions around of the month.” region, notes Tam Halloween plans. The Hill Times He used the post to reiterate photograph by Andrew Meade his party’s support of a wealth Canada’s Chief Public Health tax. “Millions of [Canadians] Officer Dr. Theresa Tam shared struggle to put food on their table. some advice for trick-or-treaters The pandemic has led govern- [Canadian] billionaires are 37B last week, saying that while ments of all levels to try creative richer since the pandemic. We people should ultimately listen solutions that are relevant to their need a #WealthTax,” he wrote, to their local public health units, local audience. adding a link to a motion he there are ways of “finding that The Yukon, for example, introduced in August, calling for balance of trying to provide some shared a quirky sign reminding the consideration to “immediately degree of normality.” people to physically distance by implement” a one per cent wealth Keeping the right distance staying “one caribou apart.” (It On Monday, she will speak to Bank Development Committee tax on those who make over apart, pre-packaging treats so added in the fine print: “Please the Coalition of Finance Minis- meeting on Oct. 16. $20-million. kids are not rummaging through stay at least 90 metres/300 feet ters for Climate Action, which “At these meetings, ministers Before the Thanksgiving long a bowl of candies, having hand away from actual caribou.”) As represents more than 50 coun- will discuss the actions the IMF weekend, Mr. Trudeau shared that sanitizer on the ready, and wear- noted by CBC, the territory was tries, just days after she attended and World Bank have taken to he “swung by” a grocery store on ing a mask while on the streets hoping to tweak a serious public a meeting of the G5 and G20 address the needs of member his way into work on Oct. 9 to do are all helpful tips, she said dur- health message but still “make Finance Ministers and Central countries in response to the CO- some shopping with an Ottawa ing an Oct. 13 briefing on the Hill. people smile a little bit.” Bank Governors on Oct. 13 and VID-19 crisis as well as next steps Food Bank worker, to help out Dr. Tam pointed to creative [email protected] Oct. 14. to continue to support people,” with its food drive. solutions as well, like using a pool The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 23

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, pictured at a press conference in the hill climbers West Block on May 14. The Hill by Laura Ryckewaert Times photograph by Andrew Meade Immigration Minister Mendicino scoops up new press secretary Alexander Cohen has taken over as Blair as the MP for Scarborough South- press secretary to Mr. Mendicino, and start- west, Ont.. He spent the 2019 election as ed on the job during the week of Oct. 5. field manager for Mr. Blair’s successful An Ottawa native, Mr. Cohen has been re-election campaign, which saw the MP working on the Hill since 2018, most returned to the House with roughly 57.2 recently as one of two press secretaries to per cent of the vote. Economic Development and Official Lan- Mr. Tooley has a master’s degree in pub- guages Minister Mélanie Joly (the other lic policy from the University of Toronto being Catherine Mounier-Desrochers, who and a bachelor’s degree in political studies was promoted to the role in mid-August, as from Queen’s University. While study- reported by Hill Climbers). ing for his master’s degree, he spent four Before joining Ms. Joly’s office last months as a co-op student with the Ontario January, Mr. Cohen had spent about half a Ministry of Economic Development, Job year as press secretary to then-health min- Creation, and Trade’s strategic programs ister Ginette Petitpas Taylor. He first joined development and delivery office. the health minister’s team in March 2018 as a special assistant for communications. Duncan Mr. Cohen is also a former vice-pres- Tooley ident of communications for the Young started on Liberals of Canada, a past digital editor the job of Parli (an online dictionary of Canadian in WAGE politics that’s published by Campbell Minister Strategies), and has previously interned in Maryam the office of Ontario’s minister of trans- Monsef’s port and minister of agriculture, in 2015 office last and 2016, respectively. He has a bachelor’s week. degree in history and political science Photograph from the University of Toronto and while courtesy of at school wrote for the student newspaper, LinkedIn The Varsity, and served for a term as presi- dent of the University of Toronto Liberals, amongst other past experience. Marie-Pierre Richard continues as director of communications to Mr. Mendi- cino. Cyndi Jenkins is chief of staff to the Back in August, Ms. Monsef’s executive Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is pictured at a press conference about border measures minister, whose office also currently in- assistant and scheduler, Heather Porter, and travel regulations related to COVID-19 in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Oct. 2. The cludes: Olga Radchenko, director of policy; exited. She’d been in the role since the Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Mike Jones, director of issues manage- beginning of the year and had previously ment; Olivier Cullen, director of operations done scheduling for then-seniors minister and outreach; Lisa Cheskes, director of Filomena Tassi. University of Laval, had been press secre- case management; Nyagua Chiek, man- Already, Tammy O’Grady has replaced Plus, Women and Gender tary to the minister of immigration from ager of parliamentary affairs; Emilie Si- her as executive assistant to the minis- Equality Minister Maryam March 2018—starting under then-minister mard, issues adviser; policy advisers Kyle ter, though she has stepped in from the Ahmed Hussen—up until the end of 2019. Nicholson, Matthew Paisley, and Sebas- departmental side to do so. Now a public Monsef has a new No longer acting as press secretary, he’ll tian Clarke; Nicholas Bransfield, special servant, Ms. O’Grady previously worked as now no doubt be focused on completing his assistant for operations; Ontario regional a special assistant in then-fisheries minis- communications assistant, degree. affairs assistants Casey Richardson, and ter Bernadette Jordan’s office during the Tanveer Sandhu; Mahamat Djalal, Quebec last Parliament. and Indigenous Services regional affairs assistant; Eric Gustavson, Christopher Evelyn is chief of staff to Western and Northern regional affairs Ms. Monsef. Minister Marc Miller assistant; Morgan Kelly, Atlantic regional Indigenous Services Minister Marc recently hired Nicola Cox. affairs assistant; and Christopher Masotti, Miller has a new legislative assistant in his executive assistant. office, with Nicola Cox recently brought on board. She’s also serving as assistant mmigration, Citizenship, and Refugees to Mr. Miller’s parliamentary secretary, IMinister Marco Mendicino has a new Ministers Monsef, Miller hire Liberal MP Pam Damoff, marking her first press secretary in his office, having re- new aides day on the job on Sept. 18. cently scooped up a replacement to relieve Women and Gender Equality Minister Ms. Cox replaces Hilary Lawson, who Mathieu Genest, who returned to the Hill Maryam Monsef has seen a few staffing left the Hill in August to pursue a master’s temporarily to lend his old boss a hand. changes in her office of late, including degree in global affairs and international Mr. Genest was brought back in August welcoming new special assistant for com- relations and affairs with the University of to act as press secretary to the minister munications Duncan Tooley to her team Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs after Kevin Lemkay exited to become an last week. and Public Policy. issues management adviser in Prime Min- From early 2019 until recently, Mr. Mike Burton is chief of staff to Mr. Miller. ister Justin Trudeau’s office. Mr. Genest, Alex Cohen is the immigration minister’s new Tooley had been working on the Hill as [email protected] who is currently studying medicine at the press secretary. Photograph courtesy of LinkedIn an assistant to Public Safety Minister Bill The Hill Times

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discussion at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Register now at MONDAY, OCT. 19 Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/what- House Sitting—The House of Commons Newt Gingrich to discuss Trump is-democracy-a-film-and-panel-discussion- is sitting in a hybrid format right now dur- tickets-119100872917. Ottawa Art Gallery, ing the pandemic, with most MPs connect- Alma Duncan Salon. ing remotely. The House is scheduled to THURSDAY, OCT. 29 sit Oct. 19-Nov. 6. It will take a one-week and future of U.S. politics at Munk break, Nov. 9-13, and is then scheduled to Bacon and Eggheads—Join Dr. Gary Kob- sit every weekday from Nov. 16-Dec. 11, inger, a professor at Université Laval, director and that’s it for 2020. of the Centre de recherche en infectiologie, Dialogues on Wednesday at 8 p.m and Canada Research Chair in Novel Vaccines WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 and Immunotherapies, for a discussion on Women, Business and COVID-19—The “Developing Vaccines for Pandemics–Contrast- CN-Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and ing the Ebola and COVID-19 Experience.” The Public Policy at the University of Ottawa hosts a 2014-2016 Ebola virus crisis in West Africa webinar on “Women, Business and COVID-19: prompted the fastest vaccine development ef- Impacts and Policy Solutions” to discuss the forts ever seen. Yet the first Ebola vaccine ini- particular ways that women in business have tially developed in Winnipeg from 2001-2014 been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how was finally licensed for use in humans only in businesses and governments have responded late 2019 in Europe and early 2020 in the to those particular impacts, and what policies United States. This presentation will highlight could governments and businesses adopt to opportunities and challenges in therapeutic help women as the pandemic evolves and we and vaccine research in Canada in the context prepare for other health, environmental and/ of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thursday, Oct. or economic crises in the future. With Déborah 29, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. To register for Cherenfant (regional director, Women entrepre- this free online presentation, contact Emma neurs, Quebec, TD Bank Group; chair, Junior Brown, PAGSE Manager at [email protected] Chamber of Commerce of Montreal); Tiffany or 613-363-7705. Gooch (principal, Aurora Strategy; Toronto Star columnist); Leah Nord (senior director, Work- MONDAY, NOV. 2 force Strategy & Inclusive Growth, Canadian Trade Minister speaks to Montreal Audi- Chamber of Commerce); Gladys Okine (execu- ence—Minister of Small Business, Export tive lead, Canadian Council for Youth Prosper- Promotion and International Trade Mary ity); and Barbara Orser (Deloitte professor Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.) will deliver in the management of growth enterprises, remarks at a virtual event hosted by the Telfer School of Management, University of Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. Ottawa; acting head of the W20 Canada delega- Monday, Nov. 2, from 12-12:30 p.m. Reg- tion). To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ ister online by Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. women-business-and-covid-19-impacts-and- policy-solutions-tickets-125139468519. This TUESDAY, NOV. 3 event is part of the CN-Tellier Series on Women, U.S. Presidential Election—The U.S. Business and Public Policy. presidential election is scheduled for The Globe and Mail’s Solving Workplace Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. U.S. President Challenges 2020—Expert advice on navigat- Donald Trump is the Republican candidate ing 2020 and beyond. Wednesday, Oct. 21, and former vice-president Joe Biden is the 1:30 p.m.-4:40 p.m. EDT. Join Globe and Democratic candidate. The winner is sched- Mail health reporter André Picard and in- uled to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021. dustry experts for an afternoon of practical ideas, insights and strategies to help HR FRIDAY, NOV. 13 teams and leaders support their employees Bridging Divides in Wake of a Global Pan- and adapt to shifted business realities. demic—The University of Victoria (UVic) and Register here: https://na.eventscloud.com/ the Senate of Canada are bringing together website/17905/?utm_source=Email_1&utm change-makers at the Victoria Forum to help medium=Email&utm_campaign=SWC20 generate solutions to some of the world’s Munk Dialogues—On Wednesday, Oct. most divisive problems. The two-day virtual 21, at 8 p.m. EDT, the Munk Dialogues series On Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. EDT, the Munk Dialogues series will feature a talk with Newt Gingrich, former forum will be held Nov. 13-14 to examine will feature a talk with Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives and bestselling author, on the legacy of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first issues that fall under the theme of “Bridging Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives and term as president, and the future of U.S. politics, two weeks out from November’s vote. Photograph courtesy of Flickr divides in the wake of a global pandemic.” bestselling author, on the legacy of U.S. Presi- The forum will draw on emerging trends and dent Donald Trump’s first term as president, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of U.S. politics, two weeks out our new economic reality, and how technol- ecutive secretary, Secretariat of the United and York Centre, Ont., won by Bill Morneau through biweekly webinars. For more informa- from November’s vote. The Munk Dialogues ogy can help Canada emerge stronger and Nations Framework Convention on Climate and Michael Levitt, respectively, in 2019— tion or to register, visit www.victoriaforum.ca. will be available live and on-demand on the smarter out of the COVID-19 crisis. Claude Change. Thursday, Oct. 22, from noon to will be held today. free CBC Gem streaming service (gem.cbc. Guay, IBM Canada president, and keynote 12:30 p.m. Register online at corim.qc.ca. Saskatchewan Election—Saskatchewan TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 2021 ca) and on the Munk Debates website (www. by Hillery Hunter, global VP and CTO of FRIDAY, OCT. 23 voters will elect their next provincial gov- 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Confer- munkdebates.com/dialogues). IBM Cloud. Panel discussion: Corpora- ernment on Oct. 26. ence—One of the largest annual gatherings THURSDAY, OCT. 22 tions standing up for social justice; City of After the Pandemic: The State And Future TUESDAY, OCT. 27 of Commonwealth Parliamentarians will Markham and IBM, collaborating in times of Canada—The Institute for 21st Century take place in August 2021 at the 65th Journalism In the Time of Crisis—Carleton of COVID with Frank Scarpitti, mayor of Questions and Global Brief magazine host a Mayor’s Breakfast with Minister Catherine Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference University’s School of Journalism and Commu- Markham; disease surveillance panel: Public two-day conference, “After the Pandemic: McKenna—Infrastructure and Communities (CPC) hosted by the CPA Canada Region in nication hosts a virtual symposium from Oct. Health and the Return to the New (Ab) The State And Future of Canada,” featuring Minister Catherine McKenna will take part in Halifax. The annual flagship event will bring 22-23 on “Journalism In the Time of Crisis,” Normal—featuring Provinces of Ontario a series of discussions on topic including the Mayor’s Breakfast, hosted by the Ottawa together over 500 Parliamentarians, par- examining the nexus between journalism and and Nova Scotia; Global Affairs Canada the economy, public health, Indigenous rela- Board of Trade. Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7-9 a.m. liamentary staff and decision makers from the COVID-19 pandemic to find lessons for and the value of Blockchain—with Global tions, and national unity. Speakers include Register online at business.ottawabot.ca. across the Commonwealth for this unique journalism practice and study in the future. Affairs Canada; Intuition to lead in uncertain former Conservative cabinet minister James WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 conference and networking opportunity. Panellists include Chief Public Health Officer times, a female leader’s perspective, with Moore; former P.E.I. premier Robert Ghiz; The conference will be hosted by the CPA of Canada, Dr. Teresa Tam, Globe and Mail’s Innovapost and the Department of National former senior adviser to the foreign affairs Munk Dialogues—On Wednesday, Oct. President (2019-2021), Hon. Anthony Rota, André Picard, The Hill Times’ Charelle Evelyn, Defence; and accelerated path to digital minister Jocelyn Coulon; former editor- 28, at 8 pm EDT, the Munk Dialogues series MP, Speaker of the House of Commons. All CBC Ottawa’s Adrian Harewood, CNN’s Daniel government. More information here: https:// in-chief of The Walrus Jonathan Kay; and will feature dialogue with James Carville, U.S. eligible CPA Branches will be contacted with Dale, and CBC’s The National’s Adrienne Ar- www.ibm.com/events/ca-en/think-summit/ singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark. The con- Democratic Party stalwart, political strategist, further information and invitations. senault. The free online event runs from 8:45 The Need for a Greener Economic ference runs Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, and bestselling author, on the likely outcomes a.m. to 8 p.m. Register via Eventbrite. Recovery—The Montreal Council on Foreign Oct. 24. Tickets available via Eventbrite. of the Nov. 3 U.S. election, one week out from FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2021 IBM Think Summit Canada—October 22, Relations hosts a webinar on “Building SATURDAY, OCT. 24 this high-stakes global event. The Munk Dia- Liberal Party National Convention—The the business and technology conference that Forward: The Need for a Greener Economic logues will be available live and on-demand on Liberal Party of Canada announced on will focus on the unforeseen challenges of Recovery,” featuring Patricia Espinosa, ex- B.C. Election—B.C. voters will elect the free CBC Gem streaming service (gem.cbc. Sept. 25 it was postponing its 2020 Liberal their next provincial government in a snap ca) and on the Munk Debates website (www. National Convention from Nov. 12-14. The CONDOS FOR RENT election to be decided on Oct. 24. munkdebates.com/dialogues). new dates are April 9-10, 2021. MONDAY, OCT. 26 The Ottawa Premiere of the Documentary The Parliamentary Calendar is a free ‘What Is Democracy?’—This event will feature events listing. Send in your political, The International Economic Forum of the a screening of the film ‘What Is Democracy?’ cultural, diplomatic, or governmental event 2 BED/ 2 BATH UPSCALE CONDO GREAT Americas: Toronto Global Forum—This year’s by Astra Taylor, and will then be followed by in a paragraph with all the relevant details CENTRAL LOCATION online event will focus on Forging A Resilient a panel discussion of the film, and its central under the subject line ‘Parliamentary Cal- 2 BED/2BATH, 1200 sf luxurious condo, centrally located, Economy Oct. 26-28. Find out more here question. The panel discussion features Ce- endar’ to [email protected] by Wednes- lina Caesar-Chavannes, Marie-Eve Desrosiers, open concept living, many amenities, underground parking and more details to come: https://forum- day at noon before the Monday paper or by americas.org/toronto/home/ Larisa Kurtovic and Joshua Nichols. Anoush Friday at noon for the Wednesday paper. We 2850$ mth, Nov 2020, [email protected]. Voting Day for Toronto Byelections—Prime F. Terjanian is moderating the event. For more can’t guarantee inclusion of every event, Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Sept. information and panelists’ bios, visit the CIPS but we will definitely do our best. Events 18 that byelections to fill two previously website. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. can be updated daily online, too. Liberal-held ridings—Toronto Centre, Ont., for the Ottawa film premiere and a panel The Hill Times

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