It was a gathering of accomplished scholars, a robust sample of what Canada’s social policy establishment thinks, full of mutual admiration and inside jokes. Like most public policy conferences, almost all the participants were of a similar mind, though progressive policy thinkers always regard themselves as broad-minded and diverse, an endearing bit of self-flattery. The conference addressed itself to “federalism and the welfare state in a multicultural world,” picking up three key areas of Banting’s distinguished career — federalism, social policy and immigration/multiculturalism. There is also the importance of history, in that official multiculturalism accompanied official bilingualism in federal policy in the 1960s and 1970s. In important way they are the authors of Canada’s generous immigration policy.

Source: National Post September 26, 2016 20:26 UTC