Feb. 26 - Mar. 01 2024; 9th week of the winter semester.

Aligning Tactics with Strategy and Interests

During our PPOL607: Politics and Strategy lecture we explored a range of strategic actions, including lobbying, research, public engagement, legal action, polling, advertising, public inquiries, etc... Understanding these tools and when to deploy them is crucial in shaping public policy effectively.

Public opinion is influenced by attitudes, beliefs, and values, and plays a critical role in influencing policy. Understanding how these elements interact is crucial for effective advocacy and strategy development.

Fiscal Federalism and Equalization in Canada

This week's PPOL615: Public Finance lecture focused on the complexities of fiscal federalism and the equalization payment system in Canada. Key topics included the historical context of equalization, the pros and cons of decentralization, and various challenges and reforms required to the system.

  1. Equalization Payments: These are designed to ensure that all provinces can provide comparable public services at comparable levels of taxation, despite differing fiscal capacities. However, the system faces criticisms over how it measures fiscal capacity and incentives it creates for provinces.
  2. Historical Evolution: Equalization has undergone numerous reforms, shaped by economic events and political pressures. The formula has evolved to address disparities in resource revenue, but challenges persist, such as how to handle natural resource income and provincial tax base differences.
  3. Current Issues and Reforms: Proposals for reform include adjusting the formula to reflect expenditure needs, treating natural resource revenues like business income, and incorporating migration incentives. Adjusting federal spending and tax policies, such as raising the GST or reforming employment insurance, are also suggested to address fiscal disparities.

ZEV Mandate and Policies to Electrify Transportation in Canada

SEDV633: Energy and Climate guest lecturer discussed Canada's policies to electrify transportation, highlighting the urgency to reduce transportation emissions, which are a significant contributor to Canada’s overall GHG output.

Canada's strategy involves both demand-side and supply-side measures:

  • Demand-Side Measures: These include carbon pricing, financial incentives for new and used zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), and public charging infrastructure expansion. Policies like EV-ready building codes and right-to-charge requirements aim to increase access and adoption of electric vehicles.
  • Supply-Side Measures: ZEV standards mandate automakers to sell a certain number of electric vehicles, and vehicle emission standards push for improved fuel efficiency. The Clean Fuel Standard requires suppliers to reduce carbon intensity in their fuels. There are also incentives to attract EV manufacturing and supply chain development through direct funding, tax breaks, and other measures.

*Photo: Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park near Jasper, AB taken Jul/20 2020.

Summit photo