REPORT of The Pearson Change Conference: April 2021

• Date: April 7, 2021, 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
• Location: Webinars
• For more information:

REPORT OF THE
Pearson Centre
CHANGE CONFERENCE: Planning for the Unpredictable Future

Annual Conference 2021- Virtual Dialogue
April 7 – 23; 2021
(Seven days in April, 12 webinars, 30+ experts, Across Canada & Beyond)

ALL WEBINARS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE – PEARSON CENTRE CHANNEL
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Speakers Included:

Hon. Mona Fortier, Associate Minister of Finance
Senator Peter Boehm, Independent Senators Group; Former Deputy Minister
Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage
Hon. Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources
Will Marshall, President, Progressive Policy Institute, Washington DC
Debi Daviau, President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
Stephen Poloz, Former Governor, Bank of Canada
Annamie Paul, Leader, Green Party of Canada
Karen Vecchio, MP; Deputy House Leader, Official Opposition (Conservative)
Hon. Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport

Hon. Jim Carr, Prime Minister’s Representative for the Prairies
Senator Frances Lankin, Independent Senators Group
Hassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress
Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne, Independent Senators Group
Hon, Perrin Beatty, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Scott Marks, Assistant to the General President, IAFF
Lindsay Mathyssen, MP (NDP)
Dave Bulmer, President, AMAPCEO, Ontario’s Professional Employees
Ruby Sahota, MP; Chair, Procedure and House Committee, House of Commons
Sean Strickalnd, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Prime Minister
Jerry Dias, President, Unifor
Monique Pauzé, MP (Bloc Quebecois)
Indira Naidoo-Harris, Associate VP, Diversity & Human Rights, University of Guelph
Alexandre Boulerice, MP (NDP)
Marc-André Leclerc, Former Chief of Staff to Andrew Scheer
Leah Nord, Senior Director, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Eleni Bakopanos, Chair of the Board of Directors of Equal Voice, Former MP
Rose Lemay, CEO, Indigenous Reconciliation Group
Elizabeth May, MP; Former Green Party Leader

Kathleen Monk. Principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group
Dr. Karen Mock, Pearson Centre Board, Human Rights Specialist
Madeline Ziniak, Chair, Canadian Ethnic Media Association
Scott Simms, MP; Chair, Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
Monika Ille, CEO, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
James Scongack, Executive VP. Bruce Power

SPONSORS

SUSTAINING
International Association of Fire Fighters
Canada’s Building Trades Unions
AMAPCEO. Ontario’s Professional Employees

PLATINUM
Bruce Power

GOLD
CN
The Hill Times
Vancouver Port Authority

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REPORT

The following is a report on each of the webinars of the conference.

Rebuilding Across the Prairie Provinces

Key Takeaways:
 As the energy industry transitions toward renewables, oil & gas workers across the prairies cannot be left behind and must also be transitioned into jobs of the future in order to maintain Canada’s global competitiveness
 Energy projects in Canada should continue in tandem with Indigenous reconciliation

Guest:

• Jim Carr – Special Representative for the Prairies to the Cabinet of Canada

Responsibilities as Special Representative for the Prairies

• Represent the diverse interests of the prairie provinces at the Cabinet table
o The prairie provinces are not a monolith and cannot be stereotyped
• Ensure that the policies of the federal government impact Western Canadian communities meaningfully

Growth Strategy for Western Canada

• Growth in the prairies is closely tied to the nature of production, both of resources and of communities
o The former includes oil & gas, renewable energy, agriculture and water resources
o The latter includes immigration policy, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
• The prairies are producing the resources, communities, and brainpower that the world is increasingly requiring, and it will benefit as Canada continues to sign newer and more updated trade deals
o This even includes breakthroughs in vaccine technology and cancer research

Cross-Party Collaboration on the Western Canadian Political Scene

• Canadians, as taxpayers, want to see their governments cooperate and work together to effect policy
• At the heart of cross-party collaboration is the individual relationships that politicians build with each other in attempting to seek common ground for the collective good

The Future of Oil & Gas for Workers in Western Canada

• Communities in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan have experienced a ‘double whammy’, where the downturn in the oil & gas sector came at the same time as the pandemic
• In cases such as the above, it is imperative for government to provide communities with the basics to sustain themselves
o This includes pandemic-related programs like the CERB and CEWS, but also industry-specific spending such as the $1.7B dedicated to the reclamation of orphaned wells
• While many Western Canadian oil & gas workers will retain their jobs, there will be large numbers of workers that will be adapting to a changing energy landscape in the region, including in renewable energy and carbon capture utilization and storage

The Challenge of Diversifying the Western Canadian Economy

• Market change in the energy sector seems inevitable, and should be communicated as such to Canadians, in order to be able to more readily make the necessary shift to remain competitive
• Key to diversifying the Western Canadian economy is mutual support between governments and the private sector
• Along with change in investment patterns in the energy sector, governments need to support oil & gas workers and facilitate their transition through skills retraining other support programs

Canadian Competitiveness on the Global Stage

• In order to retain Canada’s competitive position in the world, entrepreneurs will have to be more aggressive, inventive, and understanding of the investment realignment in the market
• Canada could benefit, too, from a North America-wide environmental and energy strategy in order to better align the interests of Canada and the United States

Canadian Energy Competitiveness & Indigenous Reconciliation

• A greater flow of capital to Indigenous communities along with increased equity positions is vital to participating in the energy economy, which, in turn, facilitates investment in Canada and aids Canadian competitiveness
• There is increasing participation of Indigenous leaders in the energy economy because Indigenous leaders understand that their participation is vital for creating greater economic opportunities for future generations

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Energy Policy and Rebuilding the Canadian Economy

Key Takeaways:
 Canada strives to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 through measures such as electrifying transport and investments in renewable and nuclear energy
 This transition will need to be made in concert with the private sector and, especially, energy-producing provinces like Alberta and Newfoundland & Labrador
 Space for cooperation and collaboration between Canada and the United States has widened with the Biden administration

Guest:

• Seamus O’Regan, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources

Role of Energy in Post-Pandemic Rebuilding

• Natural resources are already leading the recovery in Canada
o Oil prices are rebounding
o New attention and investment in renewable energy
o Investments are simultaneously being made in carbon capture technology, which is essential for the oil & gas industry
• The energy industry is operating, moving forward, acknowledging and embracing the need to reduce emissions drastically
• The private sector is essential to decarbonizing, as public sector investments alone will fall short of sufficing
• More space for cooperation on climate change has opened up between Canada and the United States with the election of the Biden administration
• At the heart of tackling climate change is creating jobs and boosting employment
• An energy-based recovery cannot leave any region of the country behind, nor can it leave behind workers currently employed in the energy industry

Role of Transportation in Attaining Canada’s Net-Zero Emissions Goal

• Transportation plays an important role in reaching net-zero emissions because it makes up one fourth of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions
• The Liberal government has built over 3000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country and will continue to implement monetary incentives to encourage the purchase of EVs
• The government is also currently looking at the possibility for container and cargo ships to run on hydrogen or other zero-emission energy sources

Nuclear Energy

• The issue of nuclear waste and its storage are a major concern to the public and should be taken seriously
• The development of nuclear energy and small modular reactors is a medium- to long-term project, but whose groundwork needs to be established in the present
o Canada is advantageously placed to start establishing the groundwork for the development of nuclear energy and ensuring its longer-term reliability

Balancing Economic Benefits and Opposition to Fossil Fuel Projects

• It would be impossible to achieve the net-zero emissions goal without Alberta or Newfoundland & Labrador, nor will we achieve this target without oil
• Markets gain confidence in seeing a concerted effort, on the part of governments, to lower emissions
• A good example of balancing this wide array of interests is the collaboration between the federal government, the Alberta government and the energy industry in developing carbon capture technology, especially given the proportion of the Canadian economy the oil & gas sector occupies

Canadian Energy Projects and Indigenous Reconciliation

• Indigenous communities are not monolithic in their support or opposition for energy projects
• As a result, consultation on a case-by-case basis, on their terms, is necessary when pursuing energy projects
• The sooner consultations are conducted, the clearer and more certain the future of an energy project is
o An earlier sense of the trajectory of energy projects is always advantageous

Role of Provincial Governments in Achieving Net-Zero

• Key to achieving net-zero across the country is productive collaboration, through mutual respect, between provincial governments and the federal government

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Parliament in 2021 – The Priorities

Key Takeaways:
 There is inter-party consensus that job creation is the single biggest issue as Canada exits the pandemic
 Women and marginalized communities have been hit particularly hard by the health and economic fallout of the pandemic and targeted support for these groups is crucial to building back better

Guests:

• Ruby Sahota, Liberal MP for Brampton North
• Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP MP for London–Fanshawe
• Karen Vecchio, Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London
• Senator Frances Lankin, Independent Senators Group

Reflecting on Parliament during COVID-19

• MP Sahota recounts her experience listening to and communicating with constituents of her riding, which had been particularly hard hit, and reflecting on the consequential nature of the decisions her government was to make
• MP Mathyssen reflects on having to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances in the early days of the pandemic, including juggling between parliamentary responsibilities in Ottawa and constituency responsibilities in London, as well as seeing her party’s long-held stance on the public provision of services become especially relevant
• MP Vecchio acknowledges the urgency with which this government was able to implement some of their aid programs and reiterates her concern for businesses and infrastructure that might continue to dwindle as a result of the pandemic

The Liberal Party’s Vision of Building Back Better

• The ‘She-cession’ is of great concern to the Liberal Party and a plan to build back better requires a path for women and BIPOC communities not just to regain lost economic ground but to go beyond the pre-pandemic situation
• Government support programs would need to be more unified, instead of having patchwork systems
• Childcare is a key area in which the federal government aims to work alongside provinces in rebuilding the economy
• Infrastructure and housing is another key area of focus for the Liberal government in Budget 2021
• Investment in the not-for-profit sector is also vital as they are able to reach communities and accomplish tasks that government may not necessarily be able to do directly

The NDP’s Vision of Building Back Better

• Building back better should be centered around people and around programs that promote equity, fairness and justice
• The pandemic accelerated and exacerbated the path of inequity we had already been on, so building back better involves moving society away from that same path that produces inequitable outcomes
• An economic recovery involves rethinking where public money is spent and redistributing wealth more generally

The Conservative Party’s Vision of Building Back Better

• The Conservatives prioritize ensuring that there are enough jobs for Canadians to go back to
o Jobs re-training programs are especially important in accomplishing this
• Ensuring Canada is protected from foreign influence is also an important issue to consider post-pandemic
• Canadians’ mental health needs to be prioritized by government as we exit the pandemic

Senator Lankin’s Priorities in Building Back Better

• Childcare is a big priority, as it presents a feasible solution for women, especially, to enter or re-enter the workforce, but also benefits businesses at the same time
• Workers in the gig economy need to be further protected as well, in order to ensure that the benefits and security that come with ‘traditional’ jobs also apply for this sector
• There needs to be a review of the pandemic response in order for us to learn all necessary lessons (including in terms of PPE production and acquisition, domestic capacities in manufacturing vaccines, etc.)

Top Priorities in the Event of a Potential Election

• Liberal Party
o Job creation
o Healthcare and social well-being, including long-term care
• NDP
o Jobs and small businesses
o Healthcare and social programs
o Tax fairness
o Environment
• Conservative Party
o Securing jobs
o Accountability of the government and of government spending
o Mental health
• Senator Lankin
o The state of fiscal transfers between the federal government and provinces

Canadian Broadcasting for the Future

Key Takeaways:
 Bill C-10 is able to finally acknowledge the vast changes that have occurred in broadcasting and telecommunications over the past 30 years
 Bill C-10 should ultimately empower, support and uplift content from Indigenous communities and racialized communities, as well as local news and other local content

Guests:

• Scott Simms, Liberal MP for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame
• Monika Ille, CEO of Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network
• Howard Law, Director of Unifor Media Sector
• Kevin Desjardins, President of Canadian Association of Broadcasters
• Madeline Ziniak, Chair of Canadian Ethnic Media Association
• Alain Strati, Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs at Bell Media Inc.

Highlights of Bill C-10

• The CRTC recommended in a 2018 report that all players benefitting from operations in Canada also contribute to the production of Canadian content
• Priorities of this bill:
1. Confirming that online broadcasting is covered under the Broadcasting Act
2. Canadian broadcasting systems should serve the needs of all Canadians, including francophones, anglophones, Indigenous peoples, racialized Canadians and Canadians of other diverse socio-economic statuses, abilities & disabilities, sexual orientations, genders and ages
3. Create a more flexible approach to regulation and sustainable funding for Canadian stories
4. Modernizing CRTC’s enforcement powers
5. Updating oversight and information-sharing provisions
• Online broadcasting is finally being covered by government legislation
• Bill C-10 happens to better reflect Indigenous peoples than older legislation in the same area, especially as it places Indigenous languages at the same level as English and French
• Incorporating foreign entities is able to generate more contributions overall

Space for Change in Bill C-10

• The bill should avoid excluding Indigenous content ownership on online platforms as well as ensure the CRTC’s continued support for smaller entities
• The bill seems to contain a drafting error that would repeal requirements for Canadian ownership
• The scope of the bill could be extended to include providing opportunities for racialized Canadians to produce programming in diverse languages as well as in English or French, or any combination of those, which would put it on equal footing with programming in English, French and Indigenous languages
• Provisions to support local news, that is produced locally and that employs locally, need to be strengthened

The Importance of Regulation

• Regulation is important in preserving Canadian cultural sovereignty
• Regulation is also vital in contributing to elevating minority voices in media and broadcasting, including playing a role in the success of APTN
• Notwithstanding the above, in the era of an increasing prevalence of racism, regulation should be a tool to advance Canadian society on those front

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Transportation and Rebuilding

Key Takeaways:
 Investments in the transportation sector are vital to Canada’s economic recovery as the country slowly aims to open up
 The federal government’s aid package to the airline industry helped in refunding passengers with cancelled tickets, while simultaneously holding them to account by attaching strings to the package

Guest:

• Omar Alghabra, Canadian Minister of Transport

Safety of Air and Rail Industry during COVID-19

• The government has implemented a number of COVID-related safety precautions, including temperature checks, mask mandates, physical distancing, etc.

Role of Transportation in COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement and Distribution

• The global nature of COVID-19 vaccine demand has rendered vaccine procurement competitive and, at times, challenging

COVID-19 and the Airline Industry

• The nature of the transmission of COVID-19 has resulted in airlines being one of the hardest hit industries in Canada, if not the hardest hit
o The airline industry lost over 90% of their customers
• Given the capital-intensive nature of the aviation sector, it needs liquidity to maintain its financing, thus further putting it in a difficult position

Federal Government Aid Package to the Airline Industry

• The federal government’s aid package, most crucially, provided airlines with the ability to refund passengers whose flights had been cancelled
• The government ensure that strings were attached to the aid package in the areas of executive compensation, shares buyback, dividend payouts in order to ensure that taxpayers’ funds are protected
• All of the funds in this aid package is expected to be repaid by the airline industry, both in the forms of loans and equity stake

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Economic Rebuilding: Business Perspectives

Key Takeaways:
 The federal government should continue to support businesses through existing programs, like the wage and rent subsidies, until Canada’s recovery has fully taken shape
 The government needs to have a well-crafted plan for the post-pandemic economic recovery that:
o Allows businesses to stand on their two feet
o Takes into account:
 The sectors of the economy have been hardest hit
 The utility of vaccine passports in accelerating economic activity
 Relevant legacies of the pandemic, including hybrid work models and the importance of high-speed internet

Guests:

• Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and former cabinet minister

Business & Budget 2021

• Government needs to have a plan that lays out a path for moving away from an economy based around subsidies and toward an economy in which families and businesses are able to become self-sufficient
o E.g. Governments should be drawing up criteria along which the Canada-U.S. border can be re-opened
• In the meantime, however, it is important that subsidies for small- and medium-sized businesses continue throughout the summer and until these businesses are able to stand on their own two feet

Hard-Hit Sectors of the Canadian Economy

• Digital businesses, like Shopify, seem to be doing relatively well through the pandemic
• Travel and tourism are sectors that have been the hardest hit by the pandemic
o This includes, restaurants, hotels, airlines, festivals, etc.
• Hardest-hit service sectors tend to employ women and racialized peoples disproportionately

Vaccine Passports & Business

• Vaccine passports will have the ability to help businesses recover faster, as such passports are currently being developed for travel between some countries
o This also allows increased freedoms for people sooner, rather than waiting until herd immunity is reached

Government Supports for Businesses

• The wage and rent subsidies for small businesses should continue for the foreseeable future
• Governments should consider providing supports for businesses to be able to digitalize
• For women, who make up a significant share of the labour force and small business entrepreneurs, to get back to work, affordable childcare should be provided by government

Work-from-Home

• An increasing number of companies are preparing for a hybrid work model as the pandemic comes to an end

Necessary Economic Investments

• High-speed internet connection across the country, especially in rural and remote communities, is vital considering that the pandemic has demonstrated the necessity and relevance of increased virtual connectivity
• Investments in the economy need to be well-measured such that it ensures sufficient returns, especially in the form of improved standard of living for Canadians

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Economic Rebuilding: Labour Perspectives

Key Takeaways:
 Canada’s economic recovery needs to:
o Strengthen the country’s social programs, such as Employment Insurance
o Dignify and uplift essential workers, who are disproportionately represented by racialized peoples

Guest:

• Jerry Dias, National President of Unifor

Racialized Peoples in the Labour Force

• Canada has a long history of discriminating against racialized peoples, which has led to the antagonization and marginalization of racialized peoples across a wide variety of workplaces
• Racialized workers, throughout the pandemic, have been the most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 for several reasons, including a lack of affordable housing, largely being relegated to lower-paying jobs, reliance on public transit to commute, etc.
• One of the first steps in effecting change is acknowledging that systemic racism is pervasive throughout Canadian society

Labour & Economic Recovery

• Canada currently lags in terms of social programs that contribute to our economic infrastructure
• The impressive rollout of the CERB demonstrated the inadequacies of Canada’s current Employment Insurance program
o The pandemic even exposed that most frontline workers were not able to access E.I. because they were precarious or part-time workers
• The pandemic highlighted that programs like universal childcare and pharmacare are necessary to the Canadian social fabric
• The pandemic additionally exposed Canada’s lack of capacity to produce vaccines domestically

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Conversation with Leaders: Canada-US Relations

Key Takeaways:
 With the inauguration of the Biden administration earlier in the year, more space has opened up for a return to close collaboration between the United States and Canada, especially on combatting COVID-19 and climate change
 Canada and the United States are now well-positioned to pose a united front against China

Guests:

• Will Marshall, President of Progressive Policy Institute, Washington D.C.
In conversation with Elizabeth May, Green Party and Don Arseneault, Pearson Centre

Joe Biden’s Performance Thus Far

• The Biden administration is off to a relatively good start
o Particularly notable is his $1.9T relief package to tackle COVID-19 and stimulate the economy
• Biden’s approach to economic rebuilding does not simply look at the economic recession caused by COVID-19 alone, but also attempts to address the structural inequities laid bare by the pandemic
• While differences with Trump supporters may be irreconcilable, Biden was able to reach Republican-leaning voters, especially in the suburbs, and independent voters that may tend to vote for Republican presidential candidates, demonstrating that he takes seriously his public service to all Americans

Opportunities to Improve Canada-US Relations

• Biden is aware that he is tasked with repairing relationships with traditional allies, like Canada
• Forming a united front against China opens up space for greater collaboration between the US and Canada, along with other liberal democratic allies
• The upcoming G7 and G20 summits additionally allow for the United States and Canada to find and occupy common ground

Divisions and Debates within the Democratic Party

• The 2020 Democratic primaries demonstrated quite a bit of “factionism” within the Democratic Party between the moderates and the progressive left
• In spite of this division, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders successfully managed to coalesce their support around the Democratic Party and defeating Trump in the general election later that year
• Different factions within the Democratic Party should acknowledge the regional and demographic disparities that Democrats represent in Congress and be able to accommodate these differences

Minimum Wage & Basic Income

• The federal minimum wage in the US should urgently be raised, given that it is quite outdated
• While Sanders’ proposition to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hour may be necessary in larger urban centres, it may prove difficult to implement in more rural areas and may face more resistance from Republicans, thus necessitating some space for compromise

The Relationship Between the Vice-President & the President

• Kamala Harris fits into the category of Vice-Presidents that will be taking on portfolios and engaging actively with the President and Congress
• One of her most major portfolios is immigration and the situation at the American southern border

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Economic Rebuilding: The Big Picture

Key Takeaways:
 Canada’s macroeconomic outlook is better than what was predicted in the early stages of the pandemic
 Measures that will continue to boost Canada’s economy include continued spending in areas like childcare, housing, strengthening supply chains internationally as well as through immigration

Guest:

• Stephen Poloz, Former Governor of Bank of Canada
in conversation with Sandra Pupatello, Pearson Centre

Federal Budget 2021

• The economy today seems to have performed better than most forecasts from last year, giving the government much more space to maneuver and allowing them to take on initiatives that add further to economic growth or contribute to economic fairness
• Government debt has increased from 30% to 50% of national GDP and is expected to taper off over time as the economy continues to grow – this number is lower than one would have expected a year ago
• Spending measures in the budget, like childcare, will play a vital role in investing in the economy, which ultimately bring in more revenue and decrease budget deficits in the long run

The Economy & Housing

• The housing crisis can be alleviated by building more homes, given that the market will cool down once more demand is met through increased supply
o Governments should consider matching the supply of housing to the rate of immigration
• The pandemic has resulted in a shift in housing demand, where more people may prefer to live further away from urban centres, which would require a shift in the approach toward transit infrastructure, the strategic location of subsidiary services
o This further necessitates increased supply of family homes outside of urban centres

Recovering Canada’s Global Competitiveness

• Canada should focus on strengthening supply chains internationally or, at least, replicating supply chains to ensure that essentials are not left vulnerable, such as with personal protective equipment and vaccines throughout the pandemic
• Canada should continue to pursue international business agreements with the goal of ensuring fair and equal treatment of Canadian companies abroad

Boosting Canada’s Economy

• Canada’s economy will likely boost itself
• Strategic investments by government will have to be made to ensure that society’s most vulnerable do not get left behind in the recovery, and these investments, when done right, will continue to add to economic growth
• The removal of interprovincial trade barriers should additionally be considered

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Economic Rebuilding: Future of Work

Key Takeaways:
 A national childcare program acts as a form of social infrastructure that will greatly impact the future of work and work patterns, aiming to minimize barriers to women, especially, from re-entering the workforce
 As Canada enters the post-pandemic stage, there needs to be a greater recognition of the disparities that the pandemic has laid bare as well as the mental health of Canadians and as it relates to work

Guests:

• Leah Nord, Senior Director at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Rose LeMay, CEO of Indigenous Reconciliation Group
• Eleni Bakopanos, Chair of the National Board of Directors of Equal Voice, and former MP
Moderator: Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Budget 2021 & The Future of Work

• The budget’s commitment to continue supports for businesses, including the CEWS and rent subsidies, is positive
• The budget includes programs that support small- and medium-sized businesses, which is vital given that they make up 98% of Canada’s businesses
• This budget crucially makes significant investments in infrastructure, including by expanding its definition to include social infrastructure
• While the budget attempts to address inequities, it could go further in attempting to improve Canadians’ social well-being, including mental health

National Childcare Program

• The issue of affordable childcare is not exclusively a ‘women’s issue’, but also an economic issue
• The federal government’s childcare program will only be met with success with enthusiastic uptake and coordination from provincial and territorial governments
• While childcare will crucially help women re-enter the workforce, the government has not addressed the issue of fairer compensation for workers in the childcare sector, who are also predominantly women
• It is essential that this childcare program receives sustained levels of funding from all levels of government in order to guarantee sustained quality of service

The Changing Nature of Work

• The pandemic has not only moved large cross-sections of the population to work from home, but it has also accelerated the trend of automation, which has the potential to shrink the labour force
• Budget 2021 seems to have addressed the issue of lifelong learning, which is becoming increasingly relevant as industries and work patterns continue to morph and change
• The nature of work is shifting in such a way that requires the workforce to be more technologically astute than ever, and all levels of government need to account for this and provide supports to facilitate adaptation to this shift
• As the pandemic has exacerbated many disparities, this includes the disparity between those with access to high-speed internet and those who without, which poses a serious problem as the nature of work becomes increasingly digitized
• As the economy grows more resilient from this pandemic by adjusting the nature of work, there still seems to be a lack of attention and action on Canadians’ mental health and sense of community belonging

Employment Barriers for Indigenous Peoples

• There may typically be a lack of good schools, from kindergarten to secondary, on reserve
• Systemic racism and discrimination are additionally roadblocks for Indigenous youth in their educational journey
• Given that Indigenous women make up the largest share of women in entrepreneurial positions, investments in post-secondary for Indigenous peoples can cultivate a more positive trajectory for Indigenous employment in Canada
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Public Service, COVID-19 & Beyond

Key Takeaways:
 The emergency response to the pandemic demonstrates the key role that the public service plays, as well as their expertise, in delivering essential services to Canadians
 Governments, moving forward, should come to appreciate the public service as a form of investment, rather than a type of redundancy

Guests:

• Debi Daviau, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
• Dave Bulmer, President of AMAPCEO
• Scott Marks, Assistant to the General President of the International Association of Firefighters
• Peter Boehm, Senator for Ontario and former Deputy Minister in the Government of Canada

Role of the Public Service during the Pandemic

• The pandemic highlighted and underscored some of the work done by the public service that would otherwise go unnoticed, such as in expediting the implementation of the CERB and other aid packages, which were developed in a matter of weeks
• Other areas in which the public service was involved include the procurement of personal protective equipment and researching the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, as well as the repatriation of Canadians as the pandemic first hit
• While most public servants are working remotely, there are several who continue to work in-person in labs, even coming into contact with contagions
• The rate of delivery of the work done and services provided by the public service is unprecedented
• The public service is also credited with policy innovation in a time where the government of the day had never faced such an emergency

The Pandemic & The Labour Movement

• Essential and frontline workers during the pandemic need to be fairly compensated and their wages should be raised for at least the duration of the pandemic, if not from now onward
• This pandemic also highlighted the urgent need for paid sick leave for workers
• Additionally, joining a union needs to be rendered easier for workers
• Essential and frontline workers need to be further prioritized during current and upcoming COVID-19 vaccination schedules

The Public Service & The Potential for Austerity

• The potential for austerity in the near-term is relatively low
• Governments need to consider their public service as a necessity, rather than as an expense
• Canadians now see the benefit of the public service and the work it is capable of doing, which potentially lowers the likeliness that governments of the future may cut from this area
• Given that municipal governments are required to balance their budgets, public servants at the municipal level are at greatest risk of being harmed by cuts in spending, which is why it is vital that the federal government step in to ensure that they are supported

New Government Revenue Sources

• It is impractical to attempt to pay of sovereign debt dollar-by-dollar
• Governments should spend more when interest rates are low
• The government should look to the investments made in this year’s budget to ensure that return on that investment is able to generate increased revenues for the government

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Conversation with Leaders: Hassan Yussuff

Key Takeaways:
 The labour movement in Canada has been essential in bringing about greater protections for workers, including:
o An expanded Canada Pension Plan
o The banning of asbestos
o Working toward achieving pay equity
o Transitioning workers into the green economy

Guest:

• Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
In conversation with Dr. Karen Mock and Andrew Cardozo, Pearson Centre

Expanding the Canada Pension Plan

• The recession of 2008 left workers in a vulnerable position and it became clear that the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) needed to be improved in order to take into account recent circumstances
• The Canadian Labour Congress spent $20M on its campaign to expand the CPP, which was finally realized in 2016 after the first budget tabled by the newly elected Liberal government
• The reform instituted a 30% increase in the CPP for the first time in the history of the CPP

Banning Asbestos

• Given the carcinogenic properties of asbestos that could even induce fatal disease upon exposure, the CLC launched a 1.5-year long campaign to ban asbestos, including its import and export
• Though controversial among some workers who mined asbestos, the CLC was able to come to a consensus on this issue

Pay Equity

• The CLC challenged the government when its policy could be used punitively against employers who attempted to bridge the pay gap between women and men
• Inspiration from both Quebec and Ontario legislation around pay equity to draft legislation to be proposed to the Canadian government
• The legislation proposed by the CLC concerns both the federal public sector and the private sector at the federal level
• Women should be able to see the fruits of this legislation within 10 to 20 years

Phasing Out Coal

• A coal phase-out is necessary to combat climate change and to assure the prosperity of future generations
• As this phase-out is imminent, it is essential to consult and communicate with the workers and communities that will be impacted by this policy shift to ensure that they are not left behind

Recent Changes to Canada’s Social Safety Net

• The recently announced childcare program will be beneficial to Canadian society and the economy for generations to come
o This measure meaningfully helps reduce disparities between women and men and makes it easier for families to thrive
o Moving forward, it will be essential to bring provinces on-side with the federal government’s childcare program
• It is clearer now than ever before that national standards for long-term care are vital
o Long-term care should be brought under the Canada Health Act to be regulated by the federal and provincial governments
o Workers providing care at long-term care homes need to be paid attention to and more adequately compensated

Changes in the Labour Movement

• Now, more than ever, the world is moving at a much faster pace and the labour movement, accordingly, is more dynamic than ever before with increased representation of minorities and women, among other forms of diversity
• With this new diversity in the movement, the CLC has begun to take on a wider range of issues, including paid days for workers in situation of domestic violence
• The labour movement needs to stand in solidarity with issues that concern ethnic minorities, women, and Indigenous peoples

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Conversation with Leaders: Annamie Paul

Key Takeaways:
 Domestic inequities that have been exposed by the pandemic need to be more diligently addressed through programs like:
o A guaranteed livable income
o Universal post-secondary education
o Universal childcare
o Universal pharmacare
 Green investments are essential toward economic growth and the prosperity of workers that are currently employed in the fossil fuel sector

Guest:

• Annamie Paul, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
in conversation with Dr. Karen Mock and Andrew Cardozo, Pearson Centre

The Federal Budget, Childcare, Seniors’ Care, Pharmacare and Basic Income

• While childcare is an important program introduced in the 2021 federal budget, it is necessary that the life of this current parliament can allow for its implementation
• Urgent reform of long-term care is needed
o The current system that places long-term care within the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial government does not seem to be working – long-term care should have been included under the Canada Health Act

The Green Economy

• The United States’ return to its commitment to tackling climate change creates a great amount of opportunity for the global community to combat climate change
• The post-pandemic economic recovery provides Canada with an opportunity to construct a green economy of the future that will provide new jobs with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions
• Vital to building a green economy is:
o Setting an emissions reduction target of 60% below 2005 levels by 2030
o Implementing a carbon border between the U.S. and Canada
o Investing in climate infrastructure
• The provinces that are most dependent on resource extraction, like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, are the same provinces that stand to benefit the most from a green recovery
o Alberta is currently the best position location globally to produce geothermal energy and solar energy
o Jobs in these industries pay more and require skills that are directly transferrable from the oil & gas industry
• Every $1M invested in green sectors yields 8 jobs, as opposed to only 3 jobs for the same amount invested in the fossil fuel sector
• Economy diversification is necessary as soon as possible in order to prevent workers and communities from being displaced and left behind

Domestic Inequities

• The pandemic has laid bare the intergenerational inequalities, gender inequality, racial inequality and regional inequality that existed before the pandemic
• The federal government has to play the role of bridging these gaps and they can do so through programs like a guaranteed livable income, universal post-secondary education, universal childcare, universal pharmacare, etc.

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The Federal Budget and You (2021)

Key Takeaways:
 The federal government’s 2021 budget prioritizes getting the country out of the pandemic and continuing supports for businesses and workers that have been hit hard
 The budget puts forward significant investments that will contribute to the post-pandemic economic recovery, including childcare, seniors’ care, and green investments

Guest:

• Mona Fortier, Associate Minister of Finance of Canada
in conversation with Brian Gallant

Priorities of Budget 2021

• The first and most important issue that needed to be addressed in the budget was supports to continue to ward off the pandemic as well as continued supports for workers and businesses that were affected by the economic fallout of the pandemic
o $5B in total was set aside in the budget to support the provinces’ and territories’ healthcare systems and their vaccination rollout programs
o The wage subsidy and rent subsidy programs were extended to help businesses
• The creation of jobs and the growth of the economy post-pandemic are equally important and have been prioritized in this budget

Green Investments

• Green investments are a win-win strategy that help Canada achieve its emissions reductions targets while simultaneously growing the economy
• This budget sets aside $17.6B for green investments, which include funds for home retrofits, green innovation, green infrastructure among others

Seniors’ Care

• This budget supports instituting national standards for long-term care and allocates $3B toward collaborating with provinces and territories on this front

Universal Childcare

• The new childcare program precisely addresses the issue of a substantial number of women leaving the workforce at the same time that an even higher number of men re-entered the workforce
• Early learning and childcare is an investment in social infrastructure that will pay for itself with the passage of time
• A good example of the success of a childcare program is Quebec, which has the highest labour force participation in the world of women with children under the age of 3
o According to TD Economics, every $1 invested in childcare in Quebec, between $1.5 and $2.8 is returned to the economy
• The $30B investment in childcare alone that the 2021 budget has put aside will yield a 1.2% economic increase over the next 5 years
• This investment in childcare will position the care economy to be an even greater driving force for the economy

Federal-Provincial Collaboration

• The prime minister has met with provincial and territorial premiers over 27 times since the beginning of the pandemic
• The federal government will continue to collaborate with provinces and territories and assist them where it may be necessary, especially as it pertains to the fight against COVID-19

Combatting Systemic Racism

• The federal government will continue to support community organizations that conduct advocacy on behalf of Black Canadians
• This budget sets aside $200M to establish a new Black-led philanthropic endowment fund, which would create a sustainable source of funding for Black-led social purpose organization

Combatting Wealth Inequality

• This budget puts forward luxury taxes and measures to counter tax evasion

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Canadian Culture, Broadcasting, Diversity, and the Web Giants

Key Takeaways:
 As Canada recovers from the pandemic, the artistic and cultural sector will be vital to rejuvenating the economy and the well-being of Canadians
 As Canada continues to become increasingly diverse, this diversity needs to be proportionally reflected in Canadian culture
 The federal government is taking action to regulate online hate, as well as ensure that digital web giants are contributing their fair share to the Canadian economy and its culture by modernizing the Broadcasting Act with Bill C-10

Guest:

• Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage of Canada
in conversation with Andrew Cardozo

COVID-19 & Canada’s Cultural Sector

• The artistic & cultural sector will be vital to Canada’s post-pandemic recovery, playing a particularly crucial role in ameliorating the well-being of Canadians
• The federal government has allocated $40M to the Indigenous Screen Office and $60M to the Canada Media Fund to help support productions from equity-seeking groups

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

• The federal government has started the path of diversifying its nominations to the highest ranks of federal institutions in order to better reflect the diversity of the Canadian population
• The government has also started working on doing away with mandatory minimum sentencing, which disproportionately targets Indigenous peoples and other racialized minorities, in favour of more community-based support systems
• The government, additionally, has moved to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• The latest budget sets aside $100M for the preservation of Indigenous languages

Regulating Hate Speech Online

• Putting the onus on online social media platforms to self-regulate harmful content does not work
• Upcoming legislation from the federal government aims to address hate speech, incitement to violence, incitement to terrorism, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and child sexual exploitation

Bill C-10 & Amending the Broadcasting Act

• The Broadcasting Act plays a vital role in Canada’s cultural sovereignty by protecting Canadian heritage from the dominance of American culture
• The Act currently falls short of considering the relevance of the internet and as a result, digital web giants, like Netflix and Amazon, currently have no obligations under Canada’s regulatory system
• Bill C-10 will ensure that Canada’s laws and regulations around broadcasting will apply to web giants that are now dominant in the sector
• This bill additionally ensures that web giants in the sector are contributing their fair share to the Canadian economic and cultural landscape
• Bill C-10 mandates that broadcasters invest in Indigenous productions, where this is only optional in the current form of the Broadcasting Act

What’s New

Current Initiatives