Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Upcoming Events

• Check out our slate of spring events:

• Next event: “The ‘Illusion’ of Childcare Reform: Childcare, Taxation, and Social Policy in Post-WWII Canada”

• Plus, a preview for the rest of the semester!

News from Canada

• PM Trudeau Resigns as Canada Faces Uneasy Relations with the United States

• Opinion: “Memo to Trudeau’s Successor: Make Canada Count Again”, by Jeremy Kinsman

External Events

• Rediscovering Édouard Roditi: The 20th Century of a Dazzling Mind

• Distant Early Warning: The Arctic Under Siege | Photographs by Louie Palu

UPCOMING EVENTS

The “Illusion” of Childcare Reform: Childcare, Taxation, and Social Policy in Post-WWII Canada

Tues., Jan. 28 | 12:30 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

The recent introduction of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, known as C-WELCC, has brought renewed attention to the history of childcare policy and politics in Canada. Recognized as the culmination of decades of advocacy for universal, accessible, high-quality, and inclusive childcare, C-WELCC has been transformative for many Canadian families. The initial years of its implementation have also been tumultuous. Many ask how a “universal” program can be achieved or sustained when perplexing issues remain: what about the role of private operators? How can we ensure an adequate and qualified workforce when wages are not adequately addressed in the plan? How will capacity be created to deliver services to all who need it?

History reminds us that Canadian governments have often dealt with perplexing social policy issues by using the tax system. Indeed, critics of C-WELCC often insist that its challenges are insurmountable, and that it would be more effective to give parents more tax credits than to publicly fund a childcare system. But is it? This presentation, inspired by a need for informed debate about the future of childcare policy in Canada, looks backward to consider the relationship between the tax system and childcare policy in post-WWII Canada. It does so by focusing on the Child Care Expense Deduction (CCED), introduced in 1971. The CCED, while it is often relegated to footnotes in histories of Canadian childcare, had a significant impact on the childcare policy landscape in the decades after its introduction, and has a lot to tell us about the kind of childcare services that develop when policymakers lean on the tax system to deliver social policy objectives.

About the Speaker

Dr. Lisa Pasolli is an associate professor in the Department of History at Queen’s University, Ontario. Her research explores the history of childcare, women and gender, and social policy in 20th-century Canada. Her published works include the monograph Working Mothers and the Child Care Dilemma: A History of British Columbia’s Social Policy, published by UBC Press in 2015. She is currently one of the investigators on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada-funded Partnership Grant “Reimagining Care/Work Policies”, a multi-year and multi-disciplinary program examining childcare policies as well as parental leave and employment policies.

If you require an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please let us know at least 7 days in advance.

• February 18: Dr. Laura Madokoro (Carleton University) will discuss her recent book, Sanctuary in Pieces: Two Centuries of Flight, Fugitivity, and Resistance in a North American City, which uncovers Montreal’s history as a haven for people seeking refuge.
• February 25: Representatives of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick will discuss their ongoing litigation for title to millions of acres of unceded territory in one of Canada’s largest-ever Indigenous land claims. Panelists will include Chief Patricia Bernard (Madawaska Maliseet First Nation) and Renée Pelletier, lead external lawyer on the case.
• March 11: Historian Dr. Benjamin Hoy (University of Saskatchewan) author of A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands, will discuss his recent research how the process of demarcating and enforcing the border affected communities on both sides.
• April: A special panel of academics, politicians, and pundits will discuss the upcoming Canadian federal election and the state of the Canada-United States relationship.
• May 6: Grad student Hildebrand Fellows Nadia Almasalkhi and Britt Leake will present their Canadian Studies-funded research, exploring the effectiveness of Canadian immigrant integration and its functionality as a multicultural state.

NEWS FROM CANADA

PM Trudeau Resigns as Canada Faces Uneasy Relations with the United States

Last week, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau officially announced his intent to resign as Prime Minister of Canada and step down as head of the Liberal Party. Trudeau’s decision comes in the face of mounting criticism and inter-party dissatisfaction with his leadership. The end of his nine-year term leaves a void in Canadian politics as the country faces an increasingly unfriendly international climate and domestic discontent over deep-seated economic problems.

At the press conference, Trudeau announced that he will prorogue Parliament, freezing all parliamentary business until March 24. This will buy the Liberal Party some time to elect a new leader, as Trudeau has no clear successor. Whoever is chosen will likely be a sacrificial lamb, as recent polling shows the Conservative Party on track for a decisive majority with a 23-point national lead.

While elections are not technically required to be called before October, they will likely occur much sooner as it is unlikely that a Liberal government will survive the confidence vote that will follow Parliament’s reopening. The Liberals do not have a majority of seats, and cannot rely on support from any other party. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NPD) and a former Trudeau ally, has already announced that he will vote to bring down the government, stating that the Liberals “do not deserve another chance.”

The antipathy Trudeau faces today is a stark reversal from the widespread admiration he enjoyed at the start of his tenure. When first elected, Trudeau was seen as the fresh face of Canada’s liberal values. His youth and optimism made him an international icon of Canada and won him fans around the world. His major policies achievements included increased childcare spending, legalization of marijuana and medical assistance in dying (euthanasia), and the implementation of a national carbon tax. He also signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and negotiated the CUSMA trade treaty that replaced NAFTA. Canadians also largely approved of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Trudeau’s domestic popularity has steeply declined in the last few years, and today, he holds an abysmal 22% approval rating with Canadian voters. His political star has dimmed as major structural issues have become more apparent in Canada’s economy, particularly around housing and immigration. The country continues to struggle with low productivity, high costs, and low salaries. The exploding cost of housing has raised discontent across the country, and made homeownership essentially unattainable for large sections of the Canadian population. And while Trudeau’s welcoming immigration policy boosted Canada’s overall GDP, per-capita GDP has remained essentially flat for the last decade and even declined for the last six quarters. These issues have contributed to a breakdown of Canada’s positive consensus on immigration. Trudeau, formerly a strong champion of using immigration to grow Canada’s economy, announced in October that the government would limit new admissions in the face of increasing political backlash.

Trudeau’s resignation comes at a potentially dangerous time for Canada to be without leadership. The country faces a chilly international climate, including major ongoing disputes with India and China. However, the largest concern will be Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Trump has threatened Canada repeatedly in recent weeks, beginning with a commitment to implement a steep 25% tariff on all Canadian products as soon as he is inaugurated next week. More troublingly, he has also repeatedly expressed a desire for the US to annex Canada, called the border “artificial”, and stated that he would consider using “economic force” to coerce a union. Canada is heavily dependent on the US for trade and security, and any hostile actions by its southern neighbor would be devastating to the country’s economy.

Trump’s comments have prompted near-universal condemnation in Canada, and a rare show of unity from Canada’s political leadership. Trudeau issued a forceful response, saying there is “not a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would join the US. He was joined by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who affirmed that Canada is “not for sale” and that Canadians would “fight like hell to defend it”. Even formerly Trump-friendly parts of the Canadian Right have taken umbrage against his latest statements. Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre insisted that Canada will “never be the 51st state” and pledged to strengthen the country by rebuilding Canada’s military.

Opinion: Memo to Trudeau’s Successor: Make Canada Count Again, by Jeremy Kinsman

In his newest op-ed in Policy Magazine, Jeremy Kinsman, a former diplomat, UC Regents’ Scholar and past Canadian Studies speaker, argues that Canada’s need for a robust foreign policy is more urgent now than ever. Canada needs strong diplomatic leadership that must not only persuade the US of the importance of an interdependent North American community; it must also strengthen its ties with other democracies and allies around the world to be able to stand on its own. Kinsman argues that while Trudeau said the right things, the substance of his policy failed to materialize. Canada has a chance to become a leader for sovereign, liberal democracies – if Trudeau’s successor can back up words with actions.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Tues., February 4 | 5:00 pm | 4229 Dwinelle Hall

Dr. Robert Schwartzwald (Université de Montréal) and Dr. Sherry Simon (Concordia University) will discuss their recent publication, Worldwise: Édouard Roditi’s Twentieth Century. The book explores the life of critic, poet, translator, and essayist Édouard Roditi. Born in Paris, Roditi was a perceptive social analyst whose outspoken views irritated American, Soviet, and French authorities by turns. From his Jewish roots, his work as a translator for the Nuremberg Trials, French decolonization, contributions to LGBTQ culture, and essays on contemporary writers, Roditi’s writings are a unique account of a life lived at the flashpoints of history and at the margins of society, providing acute and unsparing observations of literature and political events.

This event is sponsored by the Department of French and is cosponsored by the Canadian Studies Program, the Jewish Studies Program, and the departments of English and History of Art.

Distant Early Warning: The Arctic Under Siege | Photographs by Louie Palu

Thurs., Feb. 6 | 6:00 pm | 121 North Gate Hall | RSVP

The Reva and David Logan Gallery of Documentary Photography proudly presents the opening reception and presentation of “Distant Early Warning: The Arctic Under Siege” by Canadian documentary photographer and filmmaker Louie Palu.

Palu has made over 40 trips to the Arctic since the early 1990’s, resulting in over 200,000 photographs, documenting the transformations taking place in this vast and isolated region. As polar ice melts, countries are scrambling to stake claims on untapped resources and new trade routes. With support from a Guggenheim Fellowship and National Geographic magazine, Palu examines the growing geopolitical tensions in the polar region and the changing life for Indigenous Inuit people amidst the warming of the planet. Read more about Palu’s challenges photographing the Arctic in GUP Magazine.

This event is sponsored by the Berkeley School of Journalism. An RSVP is required, and a suggested donation of $10 is requested from attendees.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

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