York experts discuss tariffs, illegal immigration, lengthy delays in the justice system and more
Professor Dennis Pilon weighs in on the sudden resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland who clashed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the appropriate response to stiff tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump. The crisis has prompted questions over the appropriate diplomatic response for Canada and other countries bracing for a second Trump term. "Trying to give Trump what he wants almost never works for anybody. The more he gets, the more he wants. He doesn’t respect people who give into him, he only respects absolutely loyal followers," Pilon tells The Guardian.
Professor Mark Winfield writes about Canada's response to Donald Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican exports to the U.S. in an op-ed for The Conversation. "The provinces are too fragmented and divided among themselves to provide effective and co-ordinated responses to Trump without federal leadership," writes Winfield. "Canada's premiers would be smarter to focus on engaging with their sub-national counterparts in neighbouring states rather than conducting their own freelance diplomacy."
In an op-ed for The Globe and Mail, Professor Michael Barutciski writes about why Canada should look at closing a loophole in its border agreement with the U.S. that could be incentivizing illegal migration. Barutciski says the inclusion of the 14-day rule (or loophole) in the amended Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) is an example of Ottawa’s tendency to favour laxness and administrative expediency. "This rule allows migrants who enter Canada clandestinely to claim asylum if they evade the authorities for two weeks," writes Barutciski.
Associate Director of the Refugee Law Lab Petra Molnar comments on Canada and the U.S. turning to technology to keep migrants out. Canada will soon boost investments in drones, sensors, and other tech, including its own surveillance towers. Advocates and experts say the deployment of new technologies risks endangering migrants. "There's this normalization of tech at the northern border now... where Canada perhaps feels like it has to acquiesce to what the United States is asking for," Molnar tells CBC. She says the technology being deployed on borders dehumanizes people who are trying to cross the border as well as posing privacy concerns about data collection for those who live or travel near borders.
Professor Palma Paciocco talks to CTV News about legal delays making it increasingly difficult for people to have their day in court. Judicial and court staff vacancies, limited courtroom space and increasingly complicated legal processes all contribute to delays in the justice system. "This is really largely a supply and demand issue," says Paciocco.
Professor David Doorey weighs in on the federal government directing the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to order Canada Post workers back to their jobs and to extend their existing collective agreement until May of 2025. Doorey says that the degree of power that a union holds might have determined the speed of government intervention in a strike. "Governments are far more likely to intervene quickly when the union has a lot of power and the employer wants intervention," says Doorey, speaking to The Globe and Mail.
Professor Sapna Sharma talks to CBC about cities losing weeks' worth of winter ski, skate, and snow days each year due to climate change. In Canada, some cities and regions have lost more than two weeks of winter weather. Sharma's research has found that ice-free years have become far more common for many lakes, leading to problems such as toxic algae blooms that follow in the summer.
Professor Zac Spicer comments on eastern Ontario mayors pointing out that recent provincial funding to help cover policing costs has left municipalities with their own police forces searching for financial support. The year-over-year increase in OPP billing was between 20 and 30 per cent and, in response, the provincial government announced $77 million to ease policing costs in those communities. Some mayors say OPP cost increases are affecting them, and they don't have any provincial support to show for it.
Professor Vijay Setlur talks to Global News about the owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC announcing that they have started the process to sell the club. This has left local soccer fans concerned about the future of the club that just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Professor Emeritus Paul Delaney weighs in on the Geminid meteor shower that peaked Friday night, bringing bright shooting star-like streaks to the sky in one of the best displays of the year. Delaney says the debris ranged from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a basketball. "It's a natural fireworks display with this material hitting the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrating," Delaney tells Toronto Star.
Recent research by Professor Ela Veresiu and co-authors reveals a complex moral landscape underlying everyday consumption practices. They discovered that people often unknowingly hold different meanings for concepts central to their consumption such as "self" and "care," reports Florida State University News. The study identified four primary strategies consumers use to justify their self-care choices: denouncing, positioning, balancing, and ritualizing.
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