2. Canada’s social and economic future will rely on our
government’s approach to policy.
The conference will bring together some of Canada’s
leading thinkers and practitioners to discuss the
direction of our foreign and domestic policies. With the
change in government after the recent 2015 election,
we want to give students an informative and exciting
event on Canada’s public policy that will allow them to
be well informed on the direction of Canada at home
and abroad.
3. Welcome to the 2016 Public Policy Conference!
#PPCPP16
Inourworld,policymakersfaceavarietyofnewandevolvingchallenges
both at home and abroad. At the second annual student-led Public
Policy Conference we will explore these challenges and their effects.
Withinaneverchangingdomesticandinternationallandscape,Canada’s
social and economic prosperity will depend on our government’s
approach in developing public policy. This conference looks to bring
together some of Canada’s leading thinkers and practitioners to rethink
our current domestic and foreign policies within the context of an
evolving world.
Over the course of the day you will hear from a variety of policy experts,
politicians, and academics, each of whom will speak to a wide range
of topics. Our goal is to provoke a meaningful discussion in order to
provide you with a better understanding of these issues and their effect
on Canada and the world.
As the 2015 Federal Election is now over, the government’s transition
will be a recurring topic throughout today, which is where we derive our
theme for this year’s conference - What’s Next For Canada?
I wish you a great day and enjoy the 2016 Public Policy Conference!
Nicholas Zelizniak
Vice President Academic Affairs
International, Political, and Policy Studies Association
4. 2016 PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE
ABOUT THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
The Public Administration Committee is chaired by the Vice-President of
Academic Affairs (PAP) Nicholas Zelizniak. It is mandated to create events to
promote meaningful dialogue, provide innovative opportunities for student
learning, challenge students to take responsibility, enchance the student
academic experience, engage students in public policy issues and establish a
network for students.
ThePublicAdministrationCommitteeoperatesundertheInternational,Political,
and Policy Studies Student Association (IPPSSA), which is the representative
body of students in Political Science, Public Administration, and International
Studies and Modern Languages at the University of Ottawa.
Nicholas Zelizniak
Vice-President
Academic
Jennifer Caruso
Chief Financial
Officer
Kelsey Leng Fung Hoi
Internal Affairs
Coordinator
Colin Poulin
Bilingualism Officer
Karly-Ann Perron
Public Administration
Representative
Neven Ahmad
Public Administration
Representative
Aaron Millette
Communications
Officer
Rolando Ramírez
Director of External
Affairs
Philip Krasna
External Relations
Officer
Jillian May-Anne
LeBlanc
Communications
Officer
Nick Barnes
Director of External
Affairs
5. PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE 2016
FEBRUARY 6, 2016
Time Panel Participants Description
8h50 -
9h00
Room:
FSS
4007
Opening
Ceremonies
Nicholas Zelizniak Vice-President of Academic Affairs: Public
Administration
International, Political, Policy Studies
Student Association
THE WORLD AROUND US: International Relations
9h00 –
10h00
Room:
FSS
4007
Syrian
Refugee Crisis
Rouba Al-Fattal
Anita Vandenbeld
The global refugee crisis has impacted
people all over the world, and it shows no
sign of slowing down. Given Canada’s rep-
utation as a land of immigrants, it has been
generally understood that Canada has a
large role to play in responding to the refu-
gee crisis. The current federal government
has put forward a Syrian refugee policy
in order to address this issue. Not only do
we expect to have an obligation to accept
a greater number of refugees as conflicts
in the Middle East escalate, but there are
also greater questions surrounding the
economic, social, and cultural integration
of refugees in Canadian society. How will
Canada move from the initial stages of the
Syrian refugee policy to a comprehensive
strategy for the resettlement and integra-
tion of refugees?
WITHIN OUR BORDERS: Intergovernmental Relations
10h00 –
11h00
Room:
FSS
4007
Aboriginal
Affairs
Alastair Campbell
Tim O’Loan
Ravi Pendakur
The newly elected Prime Minister men-
tioned in his victory speech various com-
mitments to the Aboriginal peoples of
Canada. There is a plethora of issues that
all coalesce into Aboriginal affairs. These
issue are arguably the most fundamental
to Canadian society. What is the future for
Aboriginal Education? There has also been
a focus on infrastructure? What would
self-government look like and what is the
process? Is a nation-to-nation basis possi-
ble in the near future? What exactly would
such policies look like?
11h00 –
11h15
Coffee Break
6. 2016 PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE
11h15 –
12h15
Room:
FSS
4007
Municipal
Affairs
Caroline Andrew
Peter Hume
Sylvie Goneau
Municipal governments play a huge role
in our everyday lives. They are increasingly
pressured to deliver more social programs
and better infrastructure with very limit-
ed resources. They are not constitution-
ally recognized as governments and they
heavily rely on provincial and federal trans-
fer payments to deliver their programs.
What are some of the biggest problems
cities today are facing? How can Mayors
and city councils secure more funding
and have more power to make important
decisions for cities? Infrastructure invest-
ments are an important part of Prime Min-
ister Trudeau’s plans. Do cities have a good
partnership with the federal government?
12h15 –
13h45
Room:
FSS
4007
Lunch
OUR EVERYDAY LIVES: Social Policy
13h45 –
14h45
Room:
FSS
4007
Health Care Dr. Graham Sher
Dr. Nancy
Edwards
Dr. Bernard Leduc
Dr. Alain Beaudet
Discussion is needed for a more
transparent health care policy. Who is in
charge of health care? Health care is under
the provincial responsibility but relies on
essential funding. Therefore, the federal
government must give provinces transfer
payments in order to provide health care.
This creates a large issue of cooperation.
Additionally, should the Canadian system
include a drug plan or are Canadians on
their own? What about long term hospice
care?
7. PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE 2016
MECHANISMS OF GOVERNMENT: Governance
14h45 –
15h45
Room:
FSS
4007
Blueprint
2020
Frances McRae
Lisa Sullivan
Bruce Campbell
Toby Fyfe
Blueprint 2020 is meant to innovate the
public service by engaging with public
servants to find solutions. We seek to
find out what exactly this will translate
to and how. Blueprint 2020 is a govern-
ment-wide initiative. Is it being effectively
implemented and how are public servants
responding to it? What does Blueprint
2020 mean for young students interested
in entering the public service?
15h45 –
16h00
Coffee Break
16h00 –
17h00
Room:
FSS
4007
Transparency Robert Marleau
Duff Conacher
David Brown
There is a resurgence in the global com-
munity to enhance the quality and overall
access to data and information. Some of
the initiatives include the adoption of
the G8 Open Data Charter with growing
political commitment to unlocking the
supply of data; in addition to the orga-
nization of the Open Data Conference
series, the last one organized by IDRC
and the Canadian Federal government in
Ottawa in May 2015. What is the expected
path that Canada’s policy will take in the
years to come? What is Canada’s level of
government transparency? What are the
major challenges are? What do we need to
do going forward?
17h00 –
20h00
Room:
FSS
4007
Wine and
Cheese Event
(Networking)
8. 2016 PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE
PARTICIPANTS
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Dr. Rouba Al-Fattal
Founder & Policy Consultant of Impact Policy
Dr. Rouba Al-Fattal is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa, teaching Middle
East and Arab Politics. She is a Founder & Policy Consultant of Impact Policy, which is a
global policy consultancy providing analysis, advocacy and cross-cultural training to
Canadians involved in the Arab world. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Ottawa,
championing its Syrian Refugee Fund and leading her own #Canadian4refugees
campaign. Al-Fattal has received a number of awards and prizes for her research and
intercultural initiatives, and she authored numerous articles and books including
Transatlantic Electoral Assistance in the PalestinianTerritories andThe EU Foreign Policy
in the Palestinian Territories.
Anita Vandenbeld
Member of Parliament for Ottawa West- Nepean
Newly elected Member of Parliament for Ottawa West- Nepean, Anita Vandenbeld has
worked with the United Nations and was a Senior Parliamentary Advisor with United
Nations Development Program and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe in Kosovo. Anita Vandenbeld received her B.A. in History from the University of
Calgary and an M.A from York University in Toronto.
Aboriginal Affairs
Alastair Campbell
Senior Policy Analyst at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
Alastair Campbell is a Senior Policy Analyst at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
Tim O’Loan
Policy Analyst with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Tim O’Loan is a policy analyst with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. He
is First Nations from the Dene Nation in the Northwest Territories. He served 10 years
in the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds a bachelor’s in political science, a master’s in
Canadian studies and is a certified mediator. Mr. O’Loan was a negotiator in Aboriginal
LandClaimandselfgovernmentprocesses.Hemostrecentlyserved4yearsasanadvisor
to Justice Sinclair, Chair of Canada’s historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission of
Canada (TRC). Mr. O’Loan now works in the federal government in international and
intergovernmental affairs.
9. PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE 2016
Ravi Pendekur
Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of
Ottawa
Ravi Pendekur is a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at
the University of Ottawa. His research focuses primarily on diversity, with a goal toward
assessing the socioeconomic characteristics of minority groups in Canada and other
settler societies. His work on Aboriginal issues has assessed earnings differentials as well
as the impact of self-governance on socio-economic outcomes.
Municipal Affairs
Caroline Andrew
Director of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa
Caroline Andrew is the Director of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa.
Her professional career at the university spans more than 30 years. A former dean of
the Faculty of Social Sciences (1997-2005), she is also a full professor at the School of
Political Studies. She is a nationally recognized authority on urban and feminist studies,
as well as on cultural diversity.
Peter Hume
Chief Strategist at HP Urban Inc.
Peter Hume is the Chief Strategist at HP Urban Inc. in Ottawa. He was a City of Ottawa
councillor for 23 years and chaired city council’s planning committee for over a decade.
Mr. Hume’s innovative ideas have led to intensification in Ottawa’s downtown, major
contributions to the launch of the organics recycling program as well as the design of
Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park.
Sylvie Goneau
Vice-President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Sylvie Goneau has been an independent councillor for the City of Gatineau since 2009.
She is also the Third Vice-President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Ms.
Goneau sits on numerous committees and commissions such as the Gatineau Advisory
Committee on Agriculture and boards of directors such as Développement économique
– CLD Gatineau.
10. 2016 PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE
Health Care
Dr. Graham D. Sher
CEO of Canadian Blood Services
Graham Sher has served as CEO of Canadian Blood Services since June 2001. He is a
renowned hematologist and internationally respected public service agent. Dr. Sher is
a founding member of the Alliance of Blood Operators and is the first international di-
rector on the board of the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks),
serving as its president in 2013-2014. Dr. Sher has overseen the rise of Canadian Blood
Services as trusted government agency. Beyond blood system governance, he is pas-
sionate about health system design and management, and is active in a number of ar-
eas of health system performance improvement and policy development.
Dr. Alain Beaudet
President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Alain Beaudet is the President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),
Canada’s federal funding agency for health research. As President, Dr. Beaudet acts
both as Chair of the Governing Council and CEO of the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research. He is an internationally acclaimed neurologist and held teaching positions
at McGill University in Neurology and Neurosurgery. In 2012, he was awarded the
Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Medal and toured seven Australian
cities as a keynote speaker to highlight the importance of patient-oriented research and
illustrate how research and development can support the healthcare needs of aging
populations and indigenous people.
Dr. Nancy Edwards
Director of the Interdisciplinary Population Health PhD Program at the University of Ottawa
Nancy Edwards is a Distinguished Professor at University of Ottawa in the School of
Nursing. She was appointed Scientific Director, Institute of Population and Public Health,
Canadian Institutes of Health Research in July, 2008 and Director of the Interdisciplinary
Population Health PhD Program at the University of Ottawa on July 1, 2015. She
is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and has been awarded two
honorary doctorate degrees. Dr. Edwards’clinical and research interests are in the fields
of public and population health. She has conducted health services, policy and clinical
research both nationally and internationally. Her research has informed the design and
evaluation of complex multilevel and multi-strategy community health programs.
Dr. Bernard Leduc
Chief Executive Officer of Hôpital Montfort
Dr. Bernard Leduc took office as president and Chief Executive Officer of Hôpital
Montfort, in Ottawa, on January 4, 2010. Under his leadership, Hôpital Montfort
obtained its accreditation with exemplary standing from Accreditation Canada in 2014;
it also earned recognition from the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization. In June 2013, the hospital was designated a
11. PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE 2016
Group A teaching hospital. With a degree in Medicine from the Université de Montréal,
Dr. Leduc has a 27-year experience in the practice of family medicine. He also obtained
his Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from Queen’s University in
January 2010. Mr. Dale the CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association recommended Dr.
Leduc to speak on his behalf due to his extensive experience in developing healthcare
policy.
Blueprint 2020
Bruce Campbell
Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Bruce Campbell has been the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives (CCPA) since 1994. Mr. Campbell is co-author or editor of five books and
numerous reports and will spend 2016 as a visiting fellow at the University of Ottawa’s
Faculty of Law.
Lisa Sullivan
National Chair for the Federal Youth Network at the Canada Revenue Agency
Lisa Sullivan started her career as a project supervisor at Statistics Canada, and later
moved on to become a senior program officer at Canada Revenue Agency. She is
widely recognized for her wealth of experience in the fields of policy analysis and
project management. Since 2014, she has been the National Chair for the Federal Youth
Network at the Canada Revenue Agency.
Toby Fyfe
Vice President of the Learning Lab
Toby Fyfe is Vice President of the Learning Lab. Mr. Fyfe represented Canada at an OECD
public management experts panel examining arm’s-length agency creation. He has also
worked on important governance and change management initiatives for the RCMP,
the Caribbean Development Bank and the creation of the Natural Resources Canada
Shared Services Office. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa.
Frances McRae
Privy Council Office Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Business Transformation and Renew-
al Secretariat
Frances Mcrae works at the Privy Council Office as the Assistant Secretary to the Cabi-
net, BusinessTransformation and Renewal Secretariat, which provides policy advice and
support on the management and modernization of the Public Service in keeping with
the Blueprint 2020 vision. She has worked in a variety of departments in the National
Capital Region as well as in the Atlantic Region.
12. 2016 PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE
Transparency
Robert Marleau
Integrity Commissioner of the City of Ottawa
Robert Marleau is a former Canadian federal public servant and current Integrity Com-
missioner of the City of Ottawa. Beginning in 1970, Marleau served 31 years in the Par-
liament of Canada, 13 of which were as the Clerk of the House of Commons. After that
he served as Senior Advisor to the Speaker of the House of Commons and as the 4th
Information Commissioner of Canada.
Duff Conacher
Co-founder and former Coordinator of Democracy Watch
Duff Conacher is a co-founder and former coordinator of Democracy Watch, Canada’s
leading democratic reform and corporate responsibility advocacy group. He is now a
visiting professor at the University of Ottawa and the Director of GoodOrg.ca Consulting
which provides advices and services on reputational risk, good governance, ethics and
public relations to businesses, governments and NGOs.
David C. G. Brown
Former Canadian federal public servant and current professor at the University of Ottawa
David Brown is a former Canadian federal public servant and current professor at the
University of Ottawa. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of public sector
governance, administrative reform and comparative public administration.During a ca-
reer in the Canadian federal public service he served as Executive Director, Information,
Communications and Security Policy in Treasury Board Secretariat. He is a former chair
of the international committee of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC)
and a former President of IPAC’s international counterpart, the International Institute of
Administrative Sciences (IIAS), which is based in Brussels.
13. PUBLIC POLICY CONFERENCE 2016
MODERATORS
Sally Dimachki
Brittany Tremblay
Adam Gilani
Stephane Mukunzi
Liz Radtke
VOLUNTEERS
Taylor Sullivan
Jerry Zhu
Shannon Connolly
Emily Lum
Dilana Kumarachandran
Karle Beauchamp
Sapphira Thompson-Bled
Marcus Mattucci
SPECIAL THANKS
IPPSSA Executive
Cassandre Mercier
Iris Wong
Dr. Ethan Elliott
Caylie McKinlay
Sebastian Muermann
Stefan Supplice
Adrian Clarke
Yianni Boosalis
Beth Dodwell
Christina Ganotakis
Wesley Fenwick
Rachel Moncada
Timothy Doan
Dylan Silva
Ève Grébert
