If the federal government wants universities to keep the public’s trust, it should avoid any future activist-themed academic research grants and ensure that granting agencies eschew social justice priorities.
A sizeable proportion of Canada’s flagship political science journal is composed of papers using critical approaches and methodologies that place a greater emphasis on narratives of historical marginalization.
Although the Claudine Gay saga was an American story, it involved debates over antisemitism, DEI, and academic standards similar to those brewing at Canadian universities. The media itself also became part of the story, with duelling narratives that conservative outlets were targeting Gay while progressive ones were downplaying her plagiarism.
If the CBC continues to push allyship over objectivity—and to do so in a way that leads to a less informed public—its $1.3 billion annual public subsidy will become increasingly harder to defend.
Any supposed requirement that the notwithstanding clause can only be used reactively is at odds with the constitutional text, Supreme Court jurisprudence, and the history of its actual use.
