Week 9 of UCalgary MPP 2023-2024 Class

Oct. 23 – Oct. 27, 2023; last week I shared the exciting news that I was accepted into NSERC's ReDeveLoP (Responsible Development of Low-Permeability Hydrocarbon Resources) program. This interdisciplinary training program focuses on the transition of Canada's unconventional resource sector toward a low-carbon energy future. It emphasizes communication, project management, conflict resolution, and integrates Indigenous ways of knowing. I am part of the Circular Economy challenge, where we will be focusing on prioritizing recycling, reusing, and remanufacturing for sustainability and economic resilience. You can find my bio on the competition's website. The program will run until May 2024 and I will be discussing our progress using this weekly reflection forum.

On the 23rd, I had my first midterm for PPOL699: Competitive Policy. Returning to the world of studying for midterms after a few years was an interesting experience. I had to carefully consider how much time to dedicate to studying, given the high opportunity cost of my time and I believe I was able to strike the balance I was looking for by studying for ~6 hours.

During a conversation with a classmate about their capstone project, I was introduced to the concept of tacit collusion, a form of collusive behavior where firms coordinate their actions without explicit communication or formal agreements. It is also known as implicit collusion.

e.g. In a town with two gas stations, A and B, both know that if one changes prices, the other will respond to remain competitive. When A raises its prices, B can either undercut or match the increase. If B matches A's price, both stations raise prices without communicating, indicating tacit collusion. This implicit coordination can lead to higher prices for consumers, though it's harder to prove than explicit collusion.

I completed a legislative history writing assignment on Alberta's carbon pricing for PPOL 619: Governance, Institutions, and Public Policy. Alberta's carbon policy has evolved, balancing federal directives, industry needs, and public sentiment. The province aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, navigating complex stakeholder dynamics, including provincial autonomy, Indigenous involvement, municipal governance, and industrial perspectives.

During PPOL 619 lecture we started discussing federalism, a fundamental aspect of Canada's political landscape. Canada's inception involved the union of four colonies, and the accommodation of the diverse religions, cultures, and languages of its people, particularly the English and French Canadians. Quebec's aspirations played a pivotal role in shaping Canadian federalism, emphasizing the notion of "two founding peoples." However, it's important to recognize that the founding moment excluded Indigenous peoples, treating them as subjects of jurisdiction rather than sovereign partners in the country's formation.

In a federal system, the constitution delineates the powers of each level of government. In Canada, the Constitution Act, formerly known as the British North America (BNA) Act, fulfills this role. Section 91 outlines federal powers, while Section 92 addresses provincial powers. Since the framers of a constitution cannot predict all future government involvements, interpretation becomes necessary as society and governance evolve. Consequently, disputes between federal and provincial governments often require judicial intervention to clarify the original document's intent.

Section 91 Exclusive Legislative Authority of the Parliament of Canada i.e. Federal Jurisdiction

Public Debt and Property; Regulation of Trade and Commerce; Unemployment Insurance; Direct/Indirect Taxation; Postal Service; Census and Statistics; Defence; Navigation and Shipping; Quarantine; Sea Coast and Inland Fisheries; Ferries (interprovincial/int'l); Currency and Coinage; Banking; Weights and Measures; Bankruptcy; Patents and Copyrights; Indians/Indian reserves; Citizenship; Marriage/Divorce; Criminal Law/Penitentiaries

Section 92 Exclusive Legislative Authority of each Province
i.e. Provincial Jurisdiction

Direct Taxation within Province; Management/Sale of Public Lands belonging to Province; Prisons; Hospitals; Municipalities; Formalization of Marriage; Property and Civil Rights; Administration of Civil/Criminal Justice; Education; Incorporation of Companies; Natural Resources

In our capestone workshop series we delved into Indigenous ethical research, which involves conducting research grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems, cultures, and experiences. According to the Tri-Council Policy Statement, Indigenous research must prioritize engagement with Indigenous communities and adhere to Indigenous data governance principles, respecting the values and perspectives of Indigenous peoples.

The Indigenous ethical research conversation introduced me to Canada's Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 for the first time. Tri-Council refers to the three primary federal granting agencies that support research across the country:

  1. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): primarily funds health and biomedical research
  2. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC): funds research in the fields of natural sciences and engineering
  3. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC): funds research in the social sciences and humanities

Our dicussion was centered around Chapter 9 – Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada

During our PPOL602: Markets and Public Policy lecture, we explored several key concepts related to income distribution, poverty, and inequality. Here are the main points discussed:

  1. Income Distribution and Free Markets: Allocating goods and services through prices and free markets often results in some individuals earning higher incomes than others.
  2. Concerns About Poverty and Inequality: Income disparity raises significant concerns about poverty and inequality within society. Poverty and inequality are complex issues that have wide-reaching social and economic implications.
  3. Measurement Challenges: Poverty and inequality are challenging to measure accurately, making it difficult to define the scope of these problems, design effective solutions, and assess progress.
    • Measures of Poverty:
      • Low-income cutoff (LICO): relative measure of poverty that assesses whether a household's income is significantly lower than the average income in their community, taking into account the proportion of income spent on basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing.
      • Low-Income Measure (LIM): relative measure of poverty that defines a household as in poverty if its income is less than 50% of the median income.
      • Market Basket Measure (MBM): absolute measure of poverty that defines a household as in poverty if it cannot afford to purchase a specific basket of goods and services. This basket typically includes essential items such as food, shelter, clothing, and transportation, which are necessary for maintaining a basic standard of living. However, the MBM goes beyond just basic necessities; it also includes items that are considered necessary for enabling social inclusion, such as a smartphone or the ability to take holidays. In August 2018, Canada adopted the MBM as its official poverty line.
  4. Liberalism and Redistribution: The political philosophy of liberalism suggests that income should be redistributed as part of an insurance scheme to compensate for adverse outcomes. This idea is often discussed in the context of John Rawls' "veil of ignorance."

I have attended two events during the week which will be covered in a seperate blog posts.

  • 2 hours: Will the world use enough of our oil and gas? Andrew Leach in conversation with Deborah Yedlin
    • Oct. 25 // Studio Bell, Calgary
  • 10 hours: Pembina's 2023 Alberta Climate Summit 
    • Oct. 26 // Hudson Event Complex, Calgary

*Photo: Japser National Park, AB taken Aug 2/2020.

Summit photo