Do Past Compromises Ensure Future Ones? Fiscal Federalism in Canada Under Challenge

Canada, Covid, Equalization, Federalism, Fiscal Federalism, Forum

Special Series: Fiscal Federalism in Canada – Author: Julien Doris – Since the beginning of the pandemic, the federal government has had to resort largely to its spending power to support the provinces and territories. In opening the first panel of the Conference on Fiscal Federalism, Gilbert Charland, Quebec’s Deputy Minister for Canadian Relations, highlighted two central issues for the future: the anticipated imbalance in health care spending (Conseil de la Fédération, 2021) and the updating of equalization parameters (The Globe and Mail, 2021). While discussing the constitutional elements and historical advancements of fiscal federalism, the following sections will also highlight some short- and longer-term economic issues.

Enduring and Contemporary Challenges to Fiscal Federalism in Canada

Canada, Climate Change, Covid, Federalism, Fiscal Federalism, Forum

Special Series: Fiscal Federalism in Canada – Author: Éric Desrochers – Opening session: Wednesday, April 21 (1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET)
The opening session of the “Fiscal federalism in Canada” virtual conference was a panel of scholars and practitioners of fiscal federalism, featuring Louis Lévesque, Richard Bird, and Jim Dinning as panellists, and Madeleine Drohan as moderator. The panel centred on current issues in Canadian fiscal federalism and their interactions with the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as an introduction to two full days of discussions about fiscal federalism.

Decentralized Governance to Reinforce Women’s Political Participation in the MENA Region

Decentralization, Forum, Gender, MENA

Author: Laurie-Ève Beauchamp – The Middle East and North African (MENA) region is characterized by low participation of women in decision-making processes. Women face multiple challenges when they seek recognition as active political actors. This article examines the obstacles to women’s political participation in the MENA region and how the mechanisms of decentralized and multilevel governance can better support their political participation.

Federalism: To the Advantage or Disadvantage of Women’s Political Representation?

Federalism, Forum, Gender, MENA

Author: Dariya Akhova – The effects of federalism on women’s representation is an emerging field of research. The dynamics of women’s political representation and federalism may have garnered little interest in the past, but emerging evidence and scholarship is emerging in this important area. This article will explore the factors that have been cited as most favourable to women’s political representation and attempt to identify their relationship to federal systems.