Insights from Gerry Butts – Part 2, COVID Politics

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For this final 2-part episode of the 2020 Network’s special COVID-19 series, host Jodi Butts speaks with Gerald Butts, current consultant with the Eurasia Group, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former CEO of the World Wildlife Fund.

In part 2 of this episode, Gerry shares his unique perspective about some of the most significant public policy impacts of this pandemic, and considers Canada’s road to recovery.

Insights from Gerry Butts – Part 1, Climate Change and Coronavirus

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For this final 2-part episode of the 2020 Network’s special COVID-19 series, host Jodi Butts speaks with Gerald Butts, current consultant with the Eurasia Group, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former CEO of the World Wildlife Fund.

In part 1 of this episode, they discuss climate change in the context of a pandemic, what the new economy might look like post-pandemic, and the challenges that lie ahead.

Open to Debate: Do we need the United Nations Security Council?

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In June, Canada lost its bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. The loss came after four years of campaigning for the spot and is reminiscent of Stephen Harper’s 2010 failure. Back then, we lost to Germany and Portugal. This time, it was to Ireland and Norway. Each time, we have been left asking: Why?

Previously, going back to 1946, Canada had won each of its bids for a UNSC seat. What is it about Canada’s contemporary foreign policy that led to the two losses? And beyond that do we need the United Nations Security Council?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Caroline Dunton, a doctoral student in political studies at the University of Ottawa who studies campaigns for seats on the United Nations Security Council and a researcher with the Centre for International Policy Studies.

Thinking During a Pandemic

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The COVID19 pandemic is moving quickly, as is the news and information around it. That’s why our team on the 2020 Network is focused on giving you some balanced perspective on the story as it develops.

On this episode of the 2020 Network, host Jodi Butts speaks with Dan Gardner about how we cope with the uncertainty and unpredictability of this pandemic, and what we are all working towards. Dan Gardner is a New York Times best-selling author of books about psychology and decision-making, and a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Open to Debate: Whose pandemic is this?

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Since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, observers have been talking about the “egalitarian” nature of the virus. ‘Covid-19 doesn’t discriminate’ has been a common refrain. But while the virus itself may have common effects across populations, the pandemic and its consequences are far from equally shared.
As with many public health challenges, the effects and costs of the pandemic are distributed unequally, with marginalized individuals and groups often asked to do the most while facing a higher likelihood of becoming ill.
It may comfort us to say we’re all in this together. But that isn’t quite true, leaving us to ask: Whose pandemic is this?

On this bonus episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Arjumand Siddiqi, Canada Research Chair in Population Health Equity and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.