QUEEN’S
INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVER Summer in Review
INSIDE THE ISSUE
News in Brief: Political Headlines This Summer Egypt: An American Foreign Policy Challenge The Euro Crisis: A Summer Update Quebec Student Protests: Solidarity Continues Into a Fall Election The Queen’s International Observer (QIO) is a quarterly, student-run magazine published by the Queen’s International Affairs Association. QIO aims to explore and promote discussion of international affairs in the Queen’s and Kingston communities by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas between students, academics and professionals alike.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Canada’s Omnibus Federal Budget by Stephanie Rudyk
On June 14, the omnibus federal budget implementation bill, C-38, passed in the House of Commons after a marathon 22 hour voting session. Opposition parties, interest groups and public organizations slammed the bill as undemocratic due to its 400 page length and changes to nearly 70 federal statutes, with limited opportunity for interdepartmental oversight or informed public debate. Mount Royal Liberal MP, Irwin Cotler, referred to C-38 as a ‘hydra-headed Trojan horse omnibus budget implementation bill’. Officially called the Jobs, Growth and Long Term Prosperity Act , the Conservatives packaged the disparate contents of the bill as necessary to keep the Canadian economy moving forward in this time of global economic malaise. This bill makes sweeping changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, which ensures environmental regulation oversight and accountability in the Canadian public and private sectors. It limits the scope of the National Energy Board to rule against oil pipeline projects or ensure protection of ecosystems when projects are implemented. It also eliminates funding to the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy which played a policy advisory role to the federal government in the area of sustainability. These, among other amendments, were the catalyst for Black Out Speak Out. This grassroots campaign organized petitions, demonstrations and a website blackout campaign to protest the silencing of environmental organizations and limited opportunity for federal debate on the subject. The fall session of parliament, which begins September 17, will open debate on the second federal budget implementation bill.
Stephanie Rudyk
Editor-in-Chief
Natasha Mukhtar Brenna Owen
Assistant Editors
Staff Writers
Social Media Director
Layout Editor
Idrees Ali Daniel Bodirsky Deborah Chu Sara O’Sullivan William Leung
Ellen Fu Logistics Coordinator
Changes to Canada’s Refugee Act by Natasha Mukhtar
On June 27, the Canadian Senate passed a set of controversial amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Act. Proposed as Bill C-31, the changes confer greater decision-making powers to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, a position currently held by Jason Kenney. Kenney now has the ability to single-handedly decide which countries are ‘safe’ to inhabit and thus, whose citizens are not eligible to be granted refugee immigration to Canada. If a refugee comes from a country on the ‘safe list’, he or she may be held in detention centers or deported before a final decision is made. The decision poses legal and interpretative questions as to what constitutes ‘safe’ at all.
coming from democracies, can occur. However, the bill has incited criticism for undercutting international agreements on refugee situations and restricting rights to immigrants who face greater difficulty in attaining refugee status. Controversy surrounding the bill deepened when the government announced cuts to the Interim Federal Health program, which provides health care to refugees and those seeking asylum. Access to basic health care services will be severely limited to refugees and completely denied to those hailing from ’safe’ countries.
In response to these actions, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Kenney proposed the bill as a means to safeguard Watch and the domestic Confederation of Medical Stuagainst abuse of the Canadian immigration system dents are campaigning against the potential denigration wherein cases of unqualified refugees, such as those of refugee rights caused by Bill C-31. 2
QUEEN’S INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER
OCTOBER 19th & 20th
QUEEN’S FOREIGN POLICY CONFERENCE PRESENTS
QUEBEC STUDENT PROTESTS
Solidarity against the government and Bill 78 continues into a fall election
society. Quebec turned to education as a means to preserve Francophone cultural heritage, and to maintain political clout in a predominantly Anglophone country. Subsidized tuition was implemented as part of sweeping reforms to the province’s education system, with the goal of making higher education accessible to all Francophones. Many consider the current protests to be a successor of the Revolution’s ideals and rhetoric. Protestors poised to inherit the challenges of economic recession and a host of social and political hurdles insist that education is more crucial than ever. For many, paying double the current tuition compounded by skyrocketing costs of living will be impossible.
The protests and their motives have proven to be contentious across Canada. For every commentator who hails the demonstrators as proponents of a ‘maple Last February, thousands of university students in spring’, another disparages them as ‘enfants-rois’, or Quebec took to the streets in protest over a provincial spoiled children. Factionalism exists even within the government proposal that would raise tuition fees by student community, with only one third of students ofroughly 80% over five years – a $1,625 increase from a ficially striking. provincial average of $2,519.
by Deborah Chu
Tuition in Quebec is historically one of the lowest in North America, a trend that is largely due to the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. The period gave rise to separatist sentiments amidst what many French Canadians perceived to be federal encroachment into Quebecois 4
A tipping-point in the controversy surrounding the protests was Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s introduction of Bill 78 in early May, which imposes severe restrictions on public demonstrations. Canadians across the country maligned the bill for its repression of constitutional
QUEEN’S INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER
rights including freedom of speech and assembly, and many expressed their displeasure by banging pots and pans in a series of “casserole nights.” Ultimately, the highly controversial bill has been ineffective in curbing protests. On May 22, hundreds of thousands marched through Montreal in one of the largest demonstrations in Canadian history. Nine days later, talks between the Quebec government and student leaders ceased without reaching a stable consensus. A provincial election has been called for September 4. Recent polls indicate that Charest’s Liberals trail the separatist Parti Quebecois led by Pauline Marois. Ma-
rois has openly condemned Bill 78 and expressed her solidarity with the student movement. Former president of Quebec’s College Student Federation (FECQ), Léo Bureau-Blouinhas also declared his PQ candidacy for the Laval-des-Rapides riding, strengthening the ties between the separatist party and the student protests. Demonstrations abated when classes ended for the summer, but as students return in the fall, they must assess whether continuing to protest will risk swinging the voters’ sympathies towards Charest. The strikes have both galvanized and shaken the province, and only time will tell what kind of Quebec will emerge.
News in Brief: Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development by Brenna Owen On June 20-22, 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20, took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Thousands of world leaders, members of the private sector and representatives of environmental advocacy groups converged at the conference, an international forum for idea sharing and negotiation. The focus of Rio+20 was to explore and establish the parameters of an institutional framework that will foster sustainable development, particularly a green
economy and poverty eradication. Specific issue areas addressed included food security and sustainable agriculture, disaster readiness, science and technology and sustainable cities. High-level negotiations produced a controversial document entitled The Future We Want. Environmental and social justice advocacy groups such as Oxfam and the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, as well as world leaders, including Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and French President Francois Hollande, criticized the document as weak, having been stripped of many clear, concrete and time-sensitive goals. Hollande further
criticized U.N. member nations for failing to transform the existing U.N. environmental program into a full-fledged agency. Canada’s role at Rio+20 has also come under fire. Environment minister Peter Kent made almost no new commitments to environmental sustainability on behalf of the country, and actually refused to support a commitment to phase out Canada’s subsidy of fossil fuels in its oil and gas industry.
Look for QIO's first full length issue at the
Queen's Foreign Policy Conference October 19th and 20th
@QueensObserver or online at www.queensoberver.org
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EGYPT
AN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGE by Idrees Ali
Egypt is not the first Arab nation to place the United States in an uncomfortable position because of its internal politics. After the recent Arab Spring and overthrow of the U.S. supported dictator, Hosni Mubarak, the United States must choose between supporting the democratically elected Islamic government lead by the Muslim Brotherhood, or military rule in Egypt.
cessfully fills the void left by Mubarak is the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in the early 1920’s with the goal of spreading particular Islamic values, the Muslim Brotherhood is today one of the most influential Islamic parties in the Middle East.
of creating an Islamic state, and anti-Israel stance could trigger greater instability in this tumultuous region.
While the situation in Egypt poses a foreign policy dilemma, it is imperative that the U.S. accepts Even before assuming power, the Mus- the democratic mandate of the lim Brotherhood came into conflict with Egyptian people. The Muslim another key player in Egyptian politics: Brotherhood won over half of the the Supreme Council of Armed Forces seats in parliament in the January (SCAF), which represents senior mem- 2012 elections, and Egyptians The U.S. has a vital stake in again demonstrated their support Egypt, the most populous country for the party in June by electing in the Middle East and one of its its candidate Mohammed Morsi closest allies in the region. It has as President. a strategic geographical location, given its peaceful relations with The choice between the Muslim neighboring Israel, and control Brotherhood and the Egyptian of the Suez Canal, through which military is a watershed moment 8% of all seaborne trade passes. for American foreign policy in the region. The United States has In early 2011, Egypt underwent faced persistent criticism for its a revolution, leaving a vacuum bers of Egypt’s armed forces. It is wide- support of authoritarian leaders in its political sphere. On Janu- ly believed that the SCAF was behind the in the Middle East. During her ary 25, Egyptians poured onto Supreme Constitutional Court’s decision recent visit, U.S. Secretary of streets throughout the coun- to dissolve Egyptian parliament on tech- State Hilary Clinton tried to retry to call for the resignation of nical grounds. move this perception, stating that Hosni Mubarak. After over two the U.S. was ready to work with Egypt and its armed forces have tradiweeks of protests, which culthe Muslim Brotherhood. This is minated with demonstrations in tionally supported U.S. interests in the a step in the right direction to creTahrir Square in Cairo, President region and the U.S. is the largest suppli- ate a new era in Arab-American er of weapons to the Egyptian military. relations, based on support for Mubarak stepped down. Critics of the Brotherhood believe that the democratic aspirations of the The political party that most suc- its Islamic ideology, based on the goal people.
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QUEEN’S INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER
EURO CRISIS SUMMER UPDATE by Daniel Bodirsky
Between elections and anti-austerity movements, the summer of 2012 has proved tense for the European Union’s ongoing debt crisis.
exit also renders investors less likely to lend to other countries in the Eurozone.
retirement age, Hollande captured 51.64% of the French vote. As the Eurozone’s second-largest economy, the implications of this election are enormous. Sarkozy’s loss means the end of “Merkozy”, the pro-austerity marriage of convenience between France and Germany. Much of Hollande’s platform – higher taxes, increased spending, and a delayed deficit reduction effort - are opposed to Merkel’s own policies.
Spain’s economic malaise worsened significantly over the summer, with unemployment estimated to have reached In Greece, back-to-back elec- 24%. In the Eurozone’s fifth-largest tions have left the country’s state economy, hundreds of thousands have of politics increasingly muddled. taken to the streets of the country’s major The initial round of elections on cities to protest deep spending cuts. A May 6 failed to generate either a €65 billion austerity package was passed majority government or a coali- by Spanish parliament in July, as the tion, forcing a second round of country was forced to pay a record interelections on June 17. To the relief est rate of 6.459% to sell five-year bonds. of debtor countries like Germany, To compare, France paid less than 1% for A democratic backslide among Eastern European countries new the election produced a pro-aus- similar five-year bonds. to the Eurozone has proved to be terity coalition led by the New Democracy Party. The top prior- Germany has so far avoided the unrest another headache for the Euroity of the new government thus sweeping across the Eurozone’s Medi- pean Union. In Hungary, Prime far has been the renegotiation of terranean countries. Under conservative Minister Victor Orban passed a a €130 billion bailout deal. Far- chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany has new constitution allowing the right party Golden Dawn rode a largely been the driving force in keep- government extended control wave of popular discontent to ing the Euro afloat. On August 8, rating over the country’s Central Bank secure eighteen seats in Greek agency Fitch reaffirmed Germany’s AAA and courts. Civil liberty groups in parliament, and will likely con- credit rating with a stable outlook. Bond Hungary also charge that the continue to thrive amidst Greece’s credit ratings assess the credit worthiness stitution does not offer protection of a government’s debt, and receiving the of ethnic, sexual, and religious economic distress. highest possible rating is good news for rights. The EU Commission has Despite the formation of a pro- Berlin. Germany is the only advanced responded with a legal challenge austerity government, it looks economy with a lower unemployment for failing to comply with its govincreasingly likely that Greece rate for the first half of 2012 than it had ernance standards. will exit the Eurozone. In July, prior to the crisis in 2007. However, figCitibank of the U.S. reported ures released by the German economic The comings months offer little a 90% chance of Greece leav- ministry in August show declines in in- reason for optimism. The Euroing the Euro in the next 12-18 dustrial output and manufacturing or- pean Commission has predicted months. The fallout from a Greek ders. These declines have fuelled fears that the Eurozone’s economy will exit would be cataclysmic to the of a recession in what has become the shrink by 0.3% in 2012. Continuing backlash against austerity global economy. A diminished European Union’s lifeline. measures, the rise of extremist Euro would make exports from France’s elections in May saw the vicnationalism, and nervous investhe Eurozone more competitive in international trade than exports tory of Francois Hollande’s Socialist tors indicate that the EU’s tense from countries like China and the Party over incumbent Nicholas Sarkozy. summer will give way to an United States, whose economies Campaigning on a platform of canceling equally uneasy autumn. are already faltering. A Greek tax cuts for the wealthy and lowering the SUMMER IN REVIEW
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