A recent article in CTV News discusses a new round of expense reports released by Alberta politicians, disclosing spending on everything from hotel stays and steak dinners to minor purchases like chewing gum. Politicians are required to publicly share their quarterly expenses on legislative websites, as these expenses come out of taxpayers’ pockets. Ian Stedman, associate professor of Canadian public law and governance at 91��ɫ’s School of Public Policy & Administration, was quoted in the article. He said that while most of the expenses were not unusual, some were more questionable. He added that since many politicians expense their meals, this can often look more personal  rather than professional. Rules about which expenses are considered an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars are determined by each caucus.  

Stedman holds a PhD in law from Osgoode Hall Law School. His research interests include law and justice, science and technology, public sector ethics and accountability, as well as AI.  

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Tom Hooper, a professor in the Department of Equity Studies, discussed the history of the bathhouse raids, which led to the first Pride parade, in a recent Toronto Today article. On June 22, LGBTQ+ activists and historians gathered for the unveiling of a new plaque commemorating Toronto’s bathhouse raids. Protests surrounding the raids led to the city’s first-ever Pride parade.  

The raids took place in 1981, when police arrested 309 gay men who were gathering peacefully. Hooper said that while he is proud of the plaque, he wishes it contained more information about the events, as well as other bathhouse raids in the city, so that details of this important history are not forgotten.  

Hooper holds a PhD in history from 91��ɫ. His work has explored topics such as the bathhouse raids, the construction of queer historical narratives and the misuse of heritage grants donated to 2SLGBTQ+ organizations. His research specialisms include human rights, law and justice and 2SLGBTQ+ history. 

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Premier Doug Ford has made changes to Ontario’s Freedom of Information (FOI) system, exempting the Premier, his cabinet and their staff are from FOI laws. He has defended the decision as being in line with what is done in the federal government, however many critics have raised concerns as requests for information about hospital deficits, flu briefings and airport records have been rejected. 

Zachary Spicer, associate professor in the School of Public Policy & Administration, says that while the FOI system can be cumbersome to administer, it serves an important purpose by allowing the public to see government activity and helps maintain public trust. He said that while the FOI process is important, it won’t capture everything, as politicians may alter or omit information from their written communications knowing they may be viewed.����

Spicer holds a PhD in political science from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include politics and government, public administration, local government, smart cities, data governance and innovation policy.  

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Zac Spicer, an associate professor in the School of Public Policy & Administration, was quoted in the Calgary Herald. The RCMP are investigating a situation in Calgary in which a developer consultant allegedly offered illegal campaign donations in exchange for support on land-use decisions. This has led to Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas to discuss the need for a lobbyists registry to create greater transparency around lobbying activities. However, there are mixed opinions about whether a registry would help to help prevent corruption.  

Spicer says Toronto’s lobbyist registry gives insights into whom councillors are meeting with, but it does not require them to disclose what their conversations were about.   

Spicer holds a PhD in political science from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include politics and government, public administration, local government, smart cities, data governance and innovation policy. 

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Ricardo Grinspun, an associate professor in the Department of Economics, has written an article for Popular Resistance titled Regulating Social Media Is Climate Policy.  

In the article, Grinspun discusses how social media platforms and AI are being used in tandem to spread misinformation about climate change. He believes that climate activists must include social media regulation in their policy agendas, since social media platforms profit by driving conspiracy theories and perpetuating misinformation related to climate change. He discusses issues that drive this, such as the lack of proper regulation of AI and social media. 

Grinspun is a fellow of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) and a founding member of the University Consortium on the Global South at 91��ɫ.  

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A recent article in The Gleaner highlighted the Strategic Insights Seminar Series held in May by the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM). The series brought together business leaders, HR professionals and public sec­tor prac­ti­tion­ers to explore ways to improve workplace performance. Marie- Hélène Budworth, a professor in 91��ɫ’s School of Human Resource Management and a keynote speaker at the conference, shared her research on performance reviews.  

Bud­worth shared that tra­di­tional performance reviews are detrimental to employee-manager relationships as they undermine trust and create anxiety. She encourages a “feedforward” approach, which promotes con­tinu­ous improve­ment. She discourages the act of providing feedback retrospectively and says performance reviews should be seen as opportunities to build the company culture and employee trust, rather than just a chance to manage individual outcomes. 

Budworth researches and teaches in the areas of individual development and learning. She holds a PhD in organizational behaviour and human resource management, a master’s degree in counselling psychology and a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology. Her early training in psychology and the natural sciences guides her research and her approach to teaching. 

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Anja Krstić, an assistant professor at the School of Human Resource Management, has co-authored an article in The Conversation discussing how men’s careers can benefit from taking parental leave. According to her research on communality – a set of traits that include warmth and sensitivity – Krstić explains that men who take parental leave benefit by being seen as more communal in a way that will enhance their leadership ability. This can increase their likelihood of obtaining management roles where this trait is valued. However, the research shows this perception of communality enhancing career prospects is not tied to women.����

Krstić holds a PhD in Organizational Behaviour/Human Resource Management from the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. She has been published in the  Journal of Applied Psychology, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, as well as in Harvard Business Review. Her research focuses on gender and diversity in organizations, particularly the intersection of gender and work-family policies and their impacts on employees’ career outcomes. 

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Fred Lazar, an associate professor of economics in LA&PS, has written an article piece in The Hamilton Spectator about the current state of affairs in international trade. The piece discusses the renewal of the CUSMA trade agreement, with Lazar noting that such agreements require compromise. He outlines what Canada needs to prioritize in its upcoming negotiations, as well as the demands the United States is likely to bring to the table. While no one party is likely to get everything they want, he says that having a trade agreement in place is better than not having one.   

Lazar holds a PhD in economics from Harvard University. His research interests are in labour economics. 

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Ian Stedman, an associate professor of Canadian public law and governance at 91��ɫ’s School of Public Policy & Administration, was quoted in a recent CBC article on the review of Alberta Lobbyist’s Act, which is up for review after five years. Experts agree that the act is outdated and there are issues that must be addressed, including a lack of transparency about lobbying activities in the province.����

Stedman says that lobbying registries should be kept up to date so that the public can see who is trying to influence government decisions. However, since many lobbyists have contributed to funding campaigns, the rules around the registries don’t tend to change unless there is a scandal.  

Stedman holds a PhD in law from Osgoode Hall Law School. His research interests include law and justice, science and technology, public sector ethics and accountability as well as AI. 

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A recent article in CTV News article discusses tattle phones – imitation phones that give students a place to vent about issues. The phones allow students to air grievances by recording their complaints rather than speaking to teachers directly. These devices give students an opportunity to consider if their complaints are worthy of sharing with a teacher or if they can be resolved independently.  

Several experts share their opinions about the pros and cons of tattle phones in the article. Associate Professor Natalie Coulter says that while the phones provide a positive outlet for students, she worries about privacy issues that could arise from the use of a tattle phone, especially if recordings were to be shared on social media. 

Coulter is an associate professor in Communication and Media Studies and director of the Institute for Digital Literacies (IRDL) at 91��ɫ.  Her research interests include communications, children and youth, digital literacies, consumer culture, gender and communications and critical technology studies. 

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