Experts: Trudeau’s Throne Speech
As Canada's parliament returns and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seeks to put an ethics scandal behind him, his government will unveil its plans this week for the country's pandemic response and recovery. The Liberal government is expected to announce plans to tackle both the immediate crisis – a new surge in COVID-19 cases as the country enters the colder months - and to a roadmap for a longer-term recovery. (BBC News)
Here are some experts from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:
Daniel Béland, James McGill Professor, Department of Political Science and Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada
“Canada is facing tremendous economic, fiscal, and public health challenges, a situation that makes this throne speech especially meaningful from a policy standpoint. Politically, the presence of a minority parliament creates an even more complicated situation for the Trudeau government, which will likely face a confidence vote after the speech. An unusually significant throne speech.”
Daniel Béland is the Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada and James McGill Professor of Political Science. Since 2012, he has held the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy (Tier 1) at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He specializes in the fields of Canadian and comparative politics, as well as the study of public policy, including social policy.
daniel.beland [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)
Olivier Jacques, PhD candidate, Department of Political Science
“It will be particularly interesting to see how the government of Canada plans to increase its revenues in order to reduce the deficit. Will it increase taxes on high income Canadians, tax the GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, or the ‘Big Five’) or reduce tax credits?”
Olivier Jacques is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science. His doctoral dissertation, The Politics of Fiscal Policy Trade-offs in an Era of Permanent Austerity, concerns the comparative political economy of public finance in advanced democracies.
olivier.jacques [at] mail.mcgill.ca (English, French)
Erin Strumpf, Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health
“Additional federal health care funding will help provinces and territories navigate the large and ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, federal health care transfers should be accompanied by guidance and leadership so that all Canadians can benefit from sound testing strategies, accessible services, and high-quality care regardless of where they live.”
Erin Strumpf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Her research in health economics focuses on measuring the impacts of policies designed to improve the delivery of health care services and improve health outcomes. She examines the effects on health care spending and health outcomes overall, and on inequalities across groups.
erin.strumpf [at] mcgill.ca (English, French, Spanish)