Vincent Rigby Weighs In on Halifax International Security Forum | POLITICO
November 2025 | POLITICO’s Canada Playbook featured Vincent Rigby in its preview of this year’s Halifax International Security Forum, highlighting the absence of a U.S. delegation. Rigby said democracies must stay aligned and show that their defence commitments and political values continue to guide their choices. He explained that Canada can affirm its partnership with allies while avoiding any actions that could be perceived as deliberately provoking the Trump administration.
Jennifer Welsh on Protecting Civilians in a Turbulent Age | 2025 Keenan Lecture
November 19, 2025 | Jennifer Welsh delivered the keynote address at the 36th Michael Keenan Memorial Lecture at St. Thomas More College, speaking on the weakening of civilian protection in contemporary conflict. Welsh explained that impunity now shapes conflicts in a way that weakens long-standing commitments to civilian protection.
Pearl Eliadis on Finding Solutions to Combat Montreal's Homelessness Crisis | ICI RDI
November 17, 2025 | Pearl Eliadis recently spoke to Radio-Canada's ICI RDI on the right to housing as a proposed tool to combat homelessness.
Currently in Quebec, there is no explicitly stated right to guaranteed housing. Eliadis discussed the role of the state in protecting vulnerable populations, as well as how the Quebec government can take action to treat housing as a top priority.
Vincent Rigby on What Budget 2025 Means for Canada’s Defence Industry | CDA Institute
On the Conference Defence Associations Institute's Expert Series, Vincent Rigby analyzed the 2025 Canadian Budget's major increase in defence spending and the creation of the Defence Investment Agency. He welcomed the focus on procurement reform and a stronger defence industrial base, while cautioning that new machinery will take time to deliver results. Rigby also stressed the importance of transparency and steady cooperation with the United States through NORAD and other defence efforts.
Pearl Eliadis on Free Speech Rights in Quebec School Disciplinary Case | The Montreal Gazette
November 11, 2025 | The Montreal Gazette reported on a case involving a Montreal West high school student who was disciplined after posting comments critical of Israel on her private social media account. The student’s family argues that the school violated her right to freedom of expression and plans to file a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal, while the English Montreal School Board maintains that the posts breached its anti-bullying policy.
Pearl Eliadis on Understanding and Using the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms | Democracy, Explained
November 12, 2025 | Pearl Eliadis was featured on Apathy is Boring’s new podcast Democracy, Explained in an episode titled “Know Your Rights.” The discussion focuses on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, what it means in everyday life, and why it matters for young people who want to understand and exercise their rights.
Vincent Rigby on the Case for a Real National Defence Strategy | RAUSI
October 31, 2025 | Vincent Rigby spoke at Canada's Missing Playbook, a RAUSI webinar series from the Rocky Mountain Conference on Security and Defence. He discussed the absence of a coherent national framework guiding Canada's defence and called for stronger leadership and coordination across the government. Rigby argued that effective national security depends on a clear purpose and the political will to turn commitments into action
Anil Wasif on Canada's Immigration Policy Breakdown | Policy Magazine
October 30, 2025 | Writing in Policy Magazine, MPP '21 Anil Wasif reflected on the opening of the 2025 Max Bell Lecture in Calgary, featuring Globe and Mail columnist Tony Keller. Drawing on Keller's book Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong, Wasif explored how weak governance and competing interests have eroded public trust in Canada's immigration system.
Vincent Rigby on Canada–India Relations and National Security Tensions | CTV News
October 21, 2025 | Vincent Rigby discussed on a panel with fellow former national security advisors Jody Thomas and Richard Fadden on CTV’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos about the increasingly strained relationship between Canada and India. The panel explored issues of trust following the expulsion of Canada’s last envoy to India and examined broader national security concerns shaping the bilateral relationship.
McGill roundtable on Arctic sovereignty and security focuses on co-operation, Indigenous partnerships | McGill Reporter
October 16, 2025 | Vincent Rigby spoke at a McGill roundtable on Arctic sovereignty and security that examined Canada’s northern strategy amid rising geopolitical tensions. He emphasized that national defence cannot be addressed through military means alone, calling for a broader approach grounded in partnership and community well-being. “You can’t have national security without human security,” he said, pointing to the need for sustainable development and trust with Indigenous communities.
The roots of Quebec's secularism debate, why it isn't going away — and who it benefits | CBC
October 19, 2025 | In a CBC News story examining Quebec’s debate over secularism, new proposals to ban public prayer have reignited long-standing divisions over the role of religion in public life. Pearl Eliadis explains that what is often called secularism in Quebec reflects laïcité, a stricter model that seeks to exclude religion from the public sphere. She warns that pushing this approach too far risks creating a new form of isolationism rooted in the province’s past.
Vincent Rigby on Canada’s Shift Toward U.S. Missile Defence | The Globe and Mail
October 10, 2025 | Professor Vincent Rigby was featured in The Globe and Mail on Canada’s decision to collaborate with the United States on the Golden Dome missile defence initiative.
Taylor Owen Appointed to Government of Canada AI Strategy Task Force
September 26, 2025 | Taylor Owen, Max Bell Professor at McGill University and Founding Director of the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, has been appointed to the Government of Canada’s AI Strategy Task Force. The Task Force, composed of experts from industry, academia, and civil society, will provide advice to the Government of Canada on its renewed AI strategy.
Anil Wasif on Canada’s foreign policy reset at UNGA 80 | Policy Magazine
September 21, 2025 | In Policy Magazine, MPP '21 Anil Wasif reflects on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the turbulent backdrop for this year's general assembly. While commemorations recalled the UN’s history, this year’s high-level week exposes global fractures, from rising authoritarianism to stalled progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Pearl Eliadis on why courts must clarify Quebec’s language legislation | CJAD 800
September 18, 2025 | Pearl Eliadis alongside Andrew Caddell, president of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, discussed the federal government’s stance on Quebec’s language law on CJAD 800 radio. Eliadis noted that Ottawa has not taken a position on the bill, citing political reasons linked to Canada’s minority government. She explained that clarification is needed, which is why the issue is being brought before the courts.
