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Experts - Quebec election campaign

Published: 23 August 2018

Graham Fraser, Visiting Professor,SM Institute for the Study of Canada

Distinguished author and journalist Graham Fraser joinedthe SM Institute for the Study of Canada as a visiting professor. Fraser served as the sixth Commissioner of Official Languages from 2006 to 2016, becoming the longest-serving Commissioner in this post.With an extensive knowledge of language issues and cultural policy in Québec and Canada, he's available to provide comments on the current Quebec elections.

“In addition to being the first election since 1985 in which no-one is proposing a referendum on sovereignty in the next four years, this is an election of small promises and little ideological conflict. While there are some promises that distinguish Québec Solidaire, like an end to university tuition, many of the commitments being made by the other parties are indistinguishable. The Liberals are promising safe hands in a time of economic uncertainty, the CAQ is arguing that it is time for a change and the PQ is calling for a stronger role for government. 'Time for a change' is always a potent theme, but uncertainty can lead to a desire for reassurance and familiarity.”

graham.fraser [at] sympatico.ca (English, French)

Charles Pitts, Instructor, School of Continuing Studies

Former national political consultant, he’s a senior public relations consultant with many years experience in corporate affairs, media production, communications and event management in Canada and abroad. He can discuss issues related to communications and social marketing in the elections campaign. He's a psychotherapist and holds an MA in Counseling Psychology.

charles.pitts [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)

Benjamin Forest, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, SM

Benjamin Forest and colleagues have been working on a forecasting model for the Quebec election. The model predicts which party will win the elections and whether they will have a majority government. He will be able to talk about how the model works and how changing poll numbers affect the predictions. To see the most recent forecasting predictions:

English –

Benjamin.forest [at] mcgill.ca (English)

Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, SM

Professor Quesnel-Vallée examines how social policies contribute to the development of social inequalities in health over time. She is also the Director of the SM Observatory on Health and Social Services Reforms.

Media coverage: "" by The Canadian Press

amelie.quesnelvallee [at] mcgill.ca (French, English)

Jan Doering, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, SM

Jan Doering is an expert who can talk about race, ethnicity and politics. He looks at how political candidates use race and ethnicity to mobilize voters.

“Islam is a longstanding issue of political debate in Quebec. But Muslims are themselves also voters and political subjects. How do they view Quebec's political parties, the politics of religion (such as Bill 62), and the electoral campaign? Based on an ongoing study of Muslim Montrealers, I can provide insights in relation to these topics."

jan.doering [at] mcgill.ca (English)

Daniel Weinstock, Professor, Faculty of Law, SM

Professor Weinstock’s areas of expertise include the politics of language and identity, democracy, citizenship, secularism and pluralism.

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

Olivier Jacques, PhD student, Department of Political Science, SM

Olivier Jacques studies the politics of public finance, the welfare state and the impact of policies on income distribution.

"I think one of the main issues of the election campaign in Quebec will be how parties intend to fund their policy proposals: notably costly tax cuts combined with more generous social transfers; deal with growing health care costs; and, more generally, how do parties position themselves vis-à-vis the Quebec welfare state model, which seems to be contested."

olivier.jacques [at] mail.mcgill.ca (English & French)

Sébastien Jodoin, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, SM

His research focuses on legal and policy solutions to complex environmental problems. His areas of interest include sustainable development, public policy, environmental law and governance and climate change.

sebastien.jodoin-pilon [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)

Updated on September 11, 2018

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