Public Policy at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy | University of Toronto

Canada-UK Colloquium,15-16 May 2021 (virtual)

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In both Canada and the UK, the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities related to governance structures. The virus knows no boundaries, yet the response has required policy coordination and resource management between different jurisdictions:

• In Canada, where the health system is rooted in provincial regulation, the lack of a central system for information-sharing led to public confusion at times. Over the course of the pandemic, cities and mayors, as well as local health officials, were given unprecedented authority. At times they gave advice which contradicted higher levels of government. Things were further complicated by the vastness of the country, Canada’s complex relationship with the US, tensions between provinces, and the unique linguistic and cultural characteristics of French-Canada. The crisis has raised questions about the operation of Canadian federalism and even its governance structure.
• The UK has faced similar problems of coordination and competing competences, not just between its constituent nations (with different lockdown strategies in each, for example) but between central government and Metro Mayors, concerning financial support for individuals and businesses.

For Canada, these challenges have arisen within a reasonably settled polity. Devolution of powers from Westminster, however, has been piecemeal over the last 20 years, with many unresolved questions, not least about the impact of the various settlements upon the UK as a whole.

As the UK faces these challenges it is worth considering whether there are lessons it can learn from the Canadian experience with federalism – though it should be observed that, unlike Canadian federalism, UK devolution is theoretically reversible. The devolved institutions are products of laws enacted in Westminster.

The 2021 Canada-UK colloquium will bring together political representatives, academics, policy makers, business leaders and civil society in both countries to discuss the past, present and future of devolution and federalism in Canada and the UK. Special attention will be paid to lessons learned from COVID19 and digital transformation, as well as challenges and opportunities presented for example by Brexit, climate change and immigration.