Experts: Federal elections 2019

Here are the McGill experts available to comment on the upcoming Canadian Federal Election. The election is scheduled to take place on October 21, 2019.

Politics

Daniel Béland, Department of Political Science, McGill University

“Territorial tensions and issues related to federalism and the proper role of the federal government in the economy, the environment and social policy are likely to play a central role in this campaign but it’s not clear whether national unity will become a central aspect of it.” - Daniel Béland

Professor Béland is a James McGill Professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University and the Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC). A student of politics and public policy, he is currently working on research projects focusing on issues ranging from universal social policy and health care reform to the role of ideas in policy development and the relationship between fiscal policy and welfare state development. He is regularly asked to comment on key policy and political issues by Canadian and international media outlets.

daniel.beland [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)

Daniel Weinstock, Faculty of Law, McGill University

"Quebec will be a central battle ground in this election. Polls -- and history! -- suggest that the Quebec electorate is quite volatile, which suggests that unlike other parts of the country, the province is up for grabs. SNC-Lavalin and Bill 21 play very differently in Quebec as opposed to other parts of the country. How the federal leaders and local candidates will negotiate this will be a fascinating angle of this election.” – Daniel Weinstock

Daniel Weinstock is a James McGill Professor at the Faculty of Law and Director of the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy. His research explores the governance of certain types of liberal democracies, and the effects of religious and cultural diversity from an ethical perspective on the political and ethical philosophy of public policy.

daniel.weinstock2 [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)

Jean-François Daoust, Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of Democracy Citizenship, McGill University

Dr. Jean-François Daoust is a post-doctoral fellow at McGill University and he is a specialist in electoral studies and public opinion.  His research and teaching interests include political behaviour, public opinion and Canadian politics.

jean-francois.daoust [at] umontreal.ca (English, French)

Role of media/social media during elections

Derek Ruths, School of Computer Science, McGill University

“How people obtain and share information is important to the way they come to understand issues and candidates. Online platforms are becoming an increasingly important source of this information and I seek to understand where that information comes from and what it tells us about how people are thinking about the election.” – Derek Ruths

Derek Ruths is an Associate professor at the School of Computer Science. His research focusses on using data to measure and predict large-scale human behavior. He is also working on the Digital Democracy Project which is studying the media ecosystem in the run-up to and during Canada’s October 2019 federal election by monitoring digital and social media.

derek.ruths [at] mcgill.ca (English)

Environment

Chris Barrington-Leigh, McGill School of Environment & Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University

“This election, public understanding about the confusing details of carbon mitigation policies, including pricing, is starting to mature, and climate policy may be a top priority for the first time. Nevertheless, the key economics behind these policies is still hard to grasp and needs more exposition.” - Chris Barrington-Leigh

Chris Barrington-Leigh is an Associate Professor at McGill University. He works with the Institute for Health and Social Policy, the McGill School of Environment, and is an Associate Member in McGill's Department of Economics. His research focusses on environmental economics and climate change policy.

chris.barrington-leigh [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)

Sébastien Jodoin, Faculty of Law, McGill University

“The election will be critical for efforts to combat climate change in Canada and its outcome could mark a turning point that either strengthens or undermines Canada’s commitment to transitioning to a low-carbon economy.” - Sébastien Jodoin

Professor Jodoin is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law of McGill University, where he directs the Law, Governance & Society Lab. He is also a member of the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, an Associate Member of the McGill School of Environment, and a Faculty Associate of the Governance, Environment & Markets Initiative at Yale University. His research focuses on legal and policy solutions to complex environmental and social problems that cut across multiple fields and levels of governance. His areas of interest include sustainable development, environmental law and governance, climate change, public policy, and social innovation.

sebastien.jodoin-pilon [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Trans%20Mountain) , (English, French)

Gender and Politics

Melanee Thomas, Eakin Fellow, McGill University

Melanee Thomas is an Eakin Fellow at McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. She is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary. She researches the causes and consequences of gender-based political inequality, with a particular focus on political attitudes and behaviour.

thomasm [at] ucalgary.ca (English)