In late November, early December 2022, students from the Max Bell School of Public Policy's Masters in Public Policy visited Ottawa and the House of Commons to gain firsthand knowledge from policymakers. The trip, organized by the Max Bell School of Public Policy, was designed to educate and inspire the fourth cohort of MPP students who are preparing themselves for a career in public policy careers in government, private and non-private sectors.Ěý
MPP students Aftab Ahmed, Linda BĂąi, Gianna Formica, and Elisa Alloul share their experience and reflections from Parliament Hill with us.
Shaping the Arc of History Through Policy by Aftab AhmedĚý
Beyond the childlike gratification of being acknowledged as future policy leaders at Question Period, in the presence of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and parliamentarians from across the aisle, our trip to Ottawa moulded an innate and humbling understanding of the complex nature of policymaking. In engaging with politicians, staffers, policy practitioners and civil servants over a series of panel discussions, dialogues and meetings, we were provided a glimpse of how government functions behind the glitz and glamour of what we see in the media.
As a cohort, we recognized that whilst the approach taken in designing, implementing and delivering public services, is in reality, a slow, rigorous, and perhaps, frustrating process, at its core our system is democratic and celebrates a diversity of perspectives, opinions, and values, which makes the policymaking architecture a conscientious entity within the Canadian political landscape.
Throughout both days, we sought to understand the nature of the association between civil servants and the elected political leadership. We were repeatedly informed that the unofficial motto of the public service is that of “fearless advice and loyal implementation”. Civil servants guarantee the smooth function of government and hold the political leadership to account, by curating innovative policy solutions and by providing bold, pragmatic and evidence-based advice – whilst faithfully discharging the decisions taken by those with an elected mandate to govern. In more ways than one, this unique relationship between elected and unelected stakeholders, represents the strength of the policymaking system, and certifies appropriate levels of checks and balances within our government.
Importantly, the trip also provided an opportunity to learn about the perspectives of members of the Cabinet and parliamentarians, who shared their thoughts regarding public safety, environmental protection, digital security, the state of our democracy, housing and more. There are practical reasons for aspiring policymakers to be wary of the doom and gloom under which we desire to make positive impacts on society. Our trip reminded us of how events such as the pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia war, the ongoing Sino-American rivalry and the existential threat posed by climate change, is shaping a global community which faces novel challenges on multiple fronts.
The threats posed by online harms, climate catastrophes, economic downturns and soaring energy prices, endangers the stability of an already fragile international political order. Yet, it also provides an exciting prospect for aspiring policy practitioners to serve their communities, by identifying solutions which can ensure a better world for future generations.
In his statement to the House of Commons, MP Francis Scarpaleggia welcomed the Max Bell School community to the heart of Canadian democracy, by reminding parliament that students have an obligation to “take up roles and responsibilities that will guide our ship of state into a promising future”. Our 11-month MPP program seeks to develop a robust toolkit for policy scholars, by providing hands-on training to graduate students on interdependent, but distinct policy issues. As we commit to crafting future careers in this space with a sense of passion, purpose and progress, I am confident that the future of Canadian public policy is in good hands.
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Aftab Ahmed is a Master of Public Policy Candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill. Aftab serves as the Vice President (International Student Affairs) at the Public Policy Association of Graduate Students and as the Chief Editor of The Bell, the student-run policy newsletter at the Max Bell School. He is a Freelance Columnist for two major Bangladeshi media outlets and worked as a banking professional at Toronto Dominion Bank prior to joining the Max Bell School.
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Reflections from the Hill by Linda BĂąiĚý
I had the opportunity, alongside my peers at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, to participate in a tour of the House of Commons and learn about the federal government in Ottawa.
Our packed agenda consisted of meetings with Members of Parliament including Cabinet Ministers, political staffers, federal public servants, and alumni of Ď㽶ĘÓƵ. Each person we met was a part of a larger puzzle in decision-making, pieced together to reveal a larger tapestry of how our communities can dream and work together on an array of policy issues.
Here are a few takeaways from my time on the Hill, which will be informative to me and my peers as we reflect on our future roles in shaping policy issues in the near future:
More can be done to combat partisan divides.
While it is positive that there is a cross-party collaboration among MPs through their committee work, there are still ways in which the legislative process is designed to encourage combativeness. For instance, one MP spoke about how seating is arranged in the house during debates. It can be entertaining to watch government and opposition members seated in opposing sides to one another, considering a mixed-seating arrangement could foster more collaboration among MPs.
Potential reforms should be explored to address equity challenges with representation.
Moreover, funding allocations are not always equitable for officials. For example, MPs receive the same budget to manage their offices, regardless of costliness due to differences in regional contexts. In other words, for MPs in northern, rural and remote settings, they have the same budget as their urban counterparts, and their cost of reaching out to their constituents is relatively more expensive. Considering changes to the funding allocation to MP offices, whether it be through proportional allocations,, can help to better address equity challenges with representation.
Get creative with the sandbox you’re in.
Finally, during a panel with public servants, one speaker outlined an analogy to consider how different departments may be in the same “sandbox,” but the tools for how they would go about building the sandcastle may be different. This is a useful analogy for understanding what should be contained within the sandbox, or scope, of a policy issue, and for considering how different departments would approach them. Since each department often has some variation in culture and language, working to create interdisciplinary opportunities to learn from various perspectives and audiences can help to improve outcomes of policy and program development.
All in all, it was an informative experience to broaden our understanding of how federal policymaking and governance work, including the challenges and opportunities to shape them. There are many creative ways and prospective future careers for us to get involved in federal politics and beyond.
Linda Bùi is a Master of Public Policy Candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill and is a 2022 McCall MacBain Scholar. Previously, Linda worked for the Council of Ontario Universities and the Ontario Legislative Assembly. She co-founded the Girls Empowerment Movement—a youth-led initiative for young women— and Empowered Phụ Nữ—an arts collective of Vietnamese women based in Tkaronto/Toronto.
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Ottawa From an American Perspective by Gianna FormicaĚý
Before embarking on the Max Bell School Ottawa trip, I hoped that it would help me better understand the Canadian political and policy landscape. As an American, I have noticed our systems can be quite different so my goal for this trip was to immerse myself in the Canadian policy experience as much as possible.
I am delighted to share that I returned from Ottawa with a new knowledge and appreciation of the Canadian political and policy system.
One of the first activities my cohort and I partook in was watching the House of Commons Question Period. This enticed me because it was an opportunity for opposition parties to hold others accountable by asking difficult questions that the press does not always ask. I listened to the passion and cadence of each opposition leader and glanced at peers next to me with excitement. One feature of this system that I particularly appreciated was the presence of the Prime Minister. It demonstrated to me that even the country’s most powerful leader must be held accountable. In the United States, you would never see the President taking questions from Congress weekly, that is simply not how the system works.
The next day, my peers and I met Members of Parliament, ministers, political staffers, and public servants. These groups demonstrated how much dedication and patience it takes to get anything accomplished in public policy. Nothing can ever be done by a single person; it must go through a series of steps in which each of these groups is collectively involved. Members of Parliament surprisingly opened my eyes to the bipartisanship between different parties in parliament to pass important issues via committees. They gave me hope that things could get accomplished in politics, at least in the Canadian system. Meeting the ministers further solidified my belief that there are multiple complexities to pressing issues such as gun control and housing and that nothing is black and white. Ministers also emphasized the challenge of making quick, difficult decisions despite the criticism they may receive. Staffers informed my peers and I of the complexities behind the scenes that the average person might not see. They are essentially the backbone of the political system; without them, politicians would be nothing. Finally, public servants showed us the impartial side of policy, and the rewarding process that comes with it. Meeting these individuals was all-encompassing, filled with new insights. I left appreciating their hard work and dedication to the general public.
However, that is not to say the Canadian system has no flaws. One significant issue apparent to me in Ottawa is politicians sidestepping issues—question period is simply for questions, not answers. There is also a ton of bureaucracy–just because a staffer approves of a policy does not mean a politician does. Lastly, there is still not enough representation of BIPOC and women on the hill. I hope that going forward, my peers and I can bring the diversity and accountability that Ottawa needs.
Gianna Formica is a Master’s student at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ. She also serves as the Chief Editor of the Bell Newsletter and Content Creator for the Max Bell School. Her interests include global affairs and political communications.
Making Meaningful Policies Through Engagement by Elisa Alloul
The last time I was in Ottawa, I had recently completed my time working as a Legislative Assistant on Parliament Hill. As a Legislative Assistant, I was responsible for everything from Private Members' Bills and Member's statements to Question Period and committee work. As a result, I felt completely immersed in the happenings of Parliament Hill and thought I knew everything there was to know about the political side of government. While I enjoyed the position immensely and had the chance to work on many meaningful projects, ultimately, I chose to move on to the nonprofit sector to engage with the education and advocacy side of policy. Believing that I had seen the inner workings of government, I felt disenfranchised by the hyper-partisan politics I had witnessed. I came to think that political agendas, talking points, or opportunities to make another political party look bad were being prioritised over implementing sound policies that would benefit the public. Like many Canadians, I thought the answer was to take a step back and explore other ways to engage with policy. So, in pursuit of learning about and strengthening my abilities to develop, engage with, and implement sound and equitable policies, I joined this year's Masters of Public Policy (MPP) cohort at the Max Bell School of Public Policy. And so, my pursuits led me back to Ottawa.
I was not sure what to expect after returning to Ottawa as an MPP candidate with the Max Bell School but returning to Ottawa was nostalgic, exciting, and enlightening. We partook in high-level engagements with political staffers, Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, and folks from the public service. I quickly realised there is still a lot to learn about both sides of the government. I was amazed to see all the efforts policymakers and public servants go to, to ensure Canadians are appropriately represented by those they elect and the policies they implement. It became clear that policymakers are greatly influenced by their constituents and what they are asking for. I also enjoyed learning about the extensive policy research and development that public servants establish for legislators, the comprehensive information and options they advise legislators with, and the loyal application they pursue once the legislator has chosen the policy direction. As seen with the online harms legislation, the government is currently revisiting based on feedback from experts and members of the public; when experts and constituents demand a policy change, their representatives listen and work to make those changes.
I left Ottawa feeling inspired about what policy leadership can look like in government and the public service. As a future policy leader, I look forward to participating in and contributing to this meaningful process. While hyper-partisanship on Parliament Hill still exists, significant and sound policies can be implemented when the public engages with the government rather than taking a step back and disengaging from the government.
I look forward to learning more about meaningful policy development and engagement during my time at McGill's Max Bell School of Public Policy.
Elisa is an MPP Candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and an editor of The Bell Newsletter, with prior experience in the non-profit field, the Ontario public service, and the Parliament of Canada. Elisa is especially interested in global and educational policy.
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