Protecting Democracy in the Modern Age

When: 6pm - 9pm (Doors open at 6pm, Lecture begins at 6:30pm, Cocktail Reception begins at 8pm)
Where: 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa (Atrium Richcraft Building)
Speakers: 
- Megan Leslie
- Jean Charest
- Maryam Monsef
- Jonathan Malloy
Moderator: Adrian Harewood

Public trust in democratic institutions is essential to our system of governance. Trust requires that governing institutions are responsive to citizens’ needs, but it is also shaped by the degree to which values of openness, integrity and fairness are upheld by those institutions and the people working in them (OECD, 2022). While Canada enjoys well-developed mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing ethical conduct by members of Cabinet, Parliamentarians, unelected advisors and public servants, we are not immune from the global trends towards declining public trust.

This lecture aims to create a venue for multi-partisan reflection on the evolution of civility in political discourse and political practices, and the impacts on citizen trust and engagement. This event will host a panel of past Parliamentarians who can reflect on the need for mutual respect across party lines, civility in politics, how times are changing, and how to restore trust in our democratic institutions.