COVID-19 has tested Canada’s intergovernmental system. With the stakes as high as they are, it’s crucial that all levels of government continue to meet, communicate, and try to work together. To make that process a little easier, this week’s podcast has lessons for policymakers on successful cooperation in the face of complex intergovernmental challenges.

Charles Breton, executive director of our new Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, moderates a discussion between Mireille Paquet, Robert Schertzer, and Roxanna Benoit. Mireille and Robert, who are associate professors of political science at Concordia University and the University of Toronto respectively, share findings from their recently released study with the Centre of Excellence, Irregular Border Crossings and Asylum Seekers in Canada: A Complex Intergovernmental Problem. Meanwhile, Roxanna brings insights on intergovernmental collaboration, drawing on her experience in the public service, including as Alberta’s former deputy minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations. This discussion was originally recorded as a webinar by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada for its recent conference.

Download for free. New episodes every other Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @charlesbreton.

Download for free. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.

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Mireille Paquet
Mireille Paquet is an associate professor in the department of political science and holder of the Research Chair on the Politics of Immigration at Concordia University. Twitter @Mireille_Paquet
Robert Schertzer
Robert Schertzer is an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. He researches and teaches on the intersection of federalism, judicial politics and national identity and diversity.
Roxanna Benoit
Roxanna Benoit is a member of the expert panel at the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation. She has held executive level positions in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including as deputy minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations in Alberta.
Charles Breton
Charles Breton is the executive director of the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation at the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and the former research director at Vox Pop Labs. He holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia. Follow him on Twitter: @charlesbreton