Prof. Paul Quirk discusses critical significance of Wisconsin Supreme Court election
If Republican candidate Dan Kelly wins, “not only will the Republican districting remain in place,” says Prof. Quirk, “but Wisconsin may be vulnerable in 2024 and thereafter to a reprise of the 2020 Republican efforts to overturn the state’s election results.”
Visiting Prof. Swaran Singh writes on China’s slow and steady leadership transition after China’s quinquennial Two Sessions
“Both Xi’s unprecedented third term in office and China already being an advanced economy now place real tough challenges on the shoulders of Xi’s new team who are expected to sustain the magic that Deng Xiaoping’s reforms unleashed from the early 1990s.”
In light of King Charles’ coronation, Prof. Emeritus Philip Resnick asks: should Canada retain a British monarch as our official head of state?
“Were Canada to go the republican route, we would need to do so through a long constitutional process. The Canadian constitution states that there must be unanimity of the provinces for changing the head of state. In addition, treaties between First Nations and the Crown would have to be carried forward into a Canadian republic.”
Op-Ed: Prof. Kathryn Harrison writes that LNG Canada is “bullying provincial and federal governments”
“LNG Canada’s project cleared federal and provincial environmental assessments in 2015. However, both levels of government still have options to ensure that this project only proceeds if it’s consistent with climate goals,” write Prof. Kathryn Harrison and colleague Karen Tam Wu.
Registrations open for the first pan-Canadian Model European Union
The Delegation of the European Union to Canada has announced the launch of the first pan-Canadian Model European Union simulation that will take place in Ottawa from 5-7 May 2023. Students can email Professor Kurt Huebner to apply to attend.
Prof. Yves Tiberghien calls China’s COVID-19 policy “unsustainable” in CBC interview
“It’s difficult in the sense that [China has] reached an impasse, where they have forced everyone to do perpetual tests, to have sudden quarantines at home, lockdowns, and nobody can plan their life. The economy is in freefall,” says Prof. Tiberghien.
“Probing Biden could be risky,” says Prof. Quirk about possible subpoena from Republicans in the House of Representatives
Prof. Quirk notes that although “the new House Republican majority seems ready to bet the farm on making an investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings the top item on their agenda,” their bet may not be as successful as they hope. The move has clear risks and questionable payoffs, he says.
Prof. Paul Quirk discusses Vice President Kamala Harris’ influential role in the 2022 midterm elections
Prof. Paul Quirk addresses claims from the party that “every candidate she campaigned for won their elections,” noting that instead, this may suggest that Vice President Kamala Harris “largely stayed away from the toughest races, where a small boost from her visit could have made the difference.”
Prof. Gerald Baier deliberates the BC Liberals’ decision to rebrand as ‘BC United’
“They’re doing an old thing that political parties have done for a long time,” Prof. Baier says, “which is to have a name that allows them to appeal to more than one narrow constituency.” Still, there are fears that this choice may backfire for Liberals worried about the party’s direction.
Watch: BC Votes Municipal Election Panel
On October 18, a panel of UBC Political Science faculty and alumni broke down the results of the province’s municipal elections and their consequences for future policy and the future of local government.