Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦
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jbroschek.bsky.social
Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦
@jbroschek.bsky.social
Political Science Prof and Laurier Research Chair | Federalism/Multilevel Governance | Political Economy | (Active) Transportation and Infrastructure Policy | Kitchener/Waterloo Region
More at https://tinyurl.com/4pzjpykm
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Hello!
My research compares how governments address major policy challenges that cut across jurisdictions - from the local to the supranational level.

I currently work on
• trade + industrial policy
• transportation infrastructure policy
• local democratic governance

Recent op-ed contributions ⬇️
Maybe we would see a different pattern if the federal government had taken seriously proposals to foster a broader “national dialogue” (A. Roberts), e.g. by establishing something like a Royal Commission for the 21st century.

policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/03/roya...
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
From Laurier's John Milloy, former Ontario cabinet minister. Worth reading.

www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
The Ford government needs to know this is unacceptable
Why are political staffers – not ministry officials – making decisions about who gets taxpayer funds?
www.therecord.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Excellent op-ed. Federalism seems almost just like a minor inconvenience rather than a constituent element of effective policy-making for the long-term.

And an element in dire need for reform, I would add.
November 8, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Reposted by Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦
Great piece by @theturner.bsky.social.

"There might be a moment, nearer at hand than many expect, when a revolution too cheap to contain and too big to ignore forces Canada to choose more conclusively which side of the divide will best fuel its future."

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: A decade after the Paris Agreement, the clean economy is winning
As the world’s climate negotiators gather in Brazil, they must understand that the energy transition is now inevitable
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:59 PM
“It’s disappointing to see that there isn’t a strong emphasis by the government on estimating the expecting emissions from each tax credit, and as well estimating the value for money for Canadians in these large-scale subsidies”

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Watchdog warns of low uptake of emissions-reduction measures as Ottawa seeks to spend billions more
Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco says Ottawa’s investments in projects to reduce emissions have been implemented poorly
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Why is Canada on a different trajectory?

The answer lies in
a) policy design
b) governance
Ahead of COP30, the State of the Energy Union Report 2025 shows progress towards our targets.

Clean, affordable energy and continued efforts to cut emissions remain crucial in reaching our security, independence, competitiveness, and climate neutrality objectives.
November 6, 2025 at 12:07 PM
But wait, no worries: The CCS will surely turn things around, based on results, not objectives that will result "in the greatest emissions reductions and competitiveness benefits at the lowest cost for Canadians" (p. 106).
COUNTRY ANALYSIS: We have downgraded #Canada’s rating to "Highly insufficient". It has weakened policy ambition, implementation is slow; there's a widening gap between current emissions levels and its 2030 target. This despite 2025 seeing second worst wildfire season in history.
bit.ly/CAT_CAN
November 5, 2025 at 10:47 PM
And one question we should ask ourselves is:
Why has the EU been able to develop such a “Grand Strategy” (far from being perfect, of course) since 2019, in a more rigid system of multilevel governance – with less competencies, much, much weaker fiscal capacities and 27 powerful member states?
Agree with this op-ed.

Put differently, using A. Roberts' argument in “The Adaptable Country”: The budget prioritizes resilience (= preserving continuity in times of dramatic change), but not so much adaptability, that is: Developing a new “grand strategy”.

www.thestar.com/politics/pol...
Susan Delacourt: Once again, Mark Carney doesn’t quite live up to the hype
Despite the image it tries to project, Carney’s government finds itself dealing with change instead of driving it, Susan Delacourt writes.
www.thestar.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Agree with this op-ed.

Put differently, using A. Roberts' argument in “The Adaptable Country”: The budget prioritizes resilience (= preserving continuity in times of dramatic change), but not so much adaptability, that is: Developing a new “grand strategy”.

www.thestar.com/politics/pol...
Susan Delacourt: Once again, Mark Carney doesn’t quite live up to the hype
Despite the image it tries to project, Carney’s government finds itself dealing with change instead of driving it, Susan Delacourt writes.
www.thestar.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Yes,..."the strategy for now adds up largely to a holding pattern."
November 5, 2025 at 12:18 AM
The *industrial strategy* remains wishy-washy:

➡️measures rather additive, not mutually reinforcing across policies + sectors
➡️no justification of strategic sectors
➡️no plan for governance and transition pathways
➡️transition to a low-carbon economy without binding targets - I doubt it.
November 4, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Looking for continuity in times of change on budget day.

Some How Ottawa Spends editions can help to put the "big, bold" budget into historical perspective.

The past speaks to the present, starting with 1982: The (still broken) promise of a new "national policy". ⬇️
November 4, 2025 at 9:06 PM
"Even if the CUSMA review gets underway in a reasonable manner, a new bargain that deepens Canada-U.S. integration (...) could easily weaken Canada’s industrial policy options and undermine relations with other countries."

Excellent analysis and trade policy options for Canada to move forward ⬇️
November 4, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Several cracks - horizontally and vertically - in what has always been a fragile architecture.
November 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Interesting INTA meeting today: MEP Cavazzini also refers to latest tariffs threats + intimidation tactics, pushes for ACI:

“I will table amendments that go further than your approach,” she added, including the activation of the ‘trade bazooka‘ – the Anticoercion Instrument (ACI) – into the deal."
November 4, 2025 at 5:17 PM
I've been contemplating for months now what title of classic scholarly work best captures the reality of Canadian federalism in 2025.

Or maybe it was "And No One Cheered", after all.
November 3, 2025 at 10:30 PM
"The B.C. premier said LeBlanc conveyed the desire for 'an integrated approach between the federal and provincial government'"

Good, but:
1.) Why singular: there are 10 provinces, 3 territories.
2.) A desire alone won't lead to an integrated approach.

www.thestar.com/politics/pro...
Doug Ford says he rejected two Mark Carney requests to pull anti-tariff ad
The Reagan ad caused a furious U.S. President Donald Trump to scuttle trade talks with Canada.
www.thestar.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
"On top of threats of tariffs, port fees and visa restrictions on crews, the U.S. said it would also look at “sanctions on officials sponsoring activist-driven climate policies.”"
November 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦
Reposted by Jörg Broschek 🇨🇦
Jeff Jones continuing to do yeoman’s work bringing the O&G closure liability fiasco to #ableg and #cdnpoli.

Willful ignorance at the top — among the c-suite, auditors and investors — will keep pushing this bill down onto taxpayers’ lap.

www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Insufficient disclosure obscuring billions in Alberta oil sands liabilities, advocates say
Shareholders of Canada’s largest oil and gas companies could face a shortfall of tens of billions of dollars tied to spent wells, oil sands mines
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Another factor any serious industrial strategy will have to take into account when assessing the long-term viability of the sector.
November 3, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Overconfidence in "econometrics" at the expense of sound analysis of the politics of policy-making. A long-standing issue that should, by now, be well-known.
The key to understanding Carney‘s politics is, as an economist, he sees the world in terms of models. That’s what he meant when he promised to “govern in econometrics.” But that only works when a) your model somewhat reflects reality, and b) one remembers that models are simplifications of reality.
Will Carney’s budget finally reveal where the prime minister is taking Canada?
The Liberals won the election on Carney’s promise to “win” the trade war with Trump. So now what?
www.thestar.com
November 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM