April 14, 2026
www.protemgl.com
VIE ETUDIANTE / VOLUME 64 / ISSUE 8
@protemglendon
LE JOURNAL ÉTUDIANT DE GLENDON / GLENDON’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Is Liberal Democracy Failing?: Ex-Premiers Kathleen Wynne and Philippe Couillard at Glendon Theatre Panel By Destiny Chan, Editor-in-Chief
Source: Destiny Chan
Toronto, March 19, 2026 — A full audience crowded the Glendon Theatre Thursday evening for a high-profile discussion on the state of liberal democracy, as political leaders and policy experts discussed the growing distrust, rising populism, and deepening economic anxiety, particularly among younger generations. The event, titled “Have We Lost Confidence in Liberal Democracy? Populism, Trust, and Immigration,” was part of the Global Dialogues series hosted by The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs. Organizers opened with a land acknowledgement before noting the unusually high turnout, which required an overflow room, something the campus hasn’t seen in recent memory. Moderated by veteran journalist Steve Paikin, the panel featured former Québec premier Philippe Couillard, former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, public policy advisor and Obama Foundation Scholar, Victoria Kuketz, and President of the Institute on Governance, Allen Sutherland. A Crisis of Trust Panellists agreed that liberal democracies are under mounting pressure, driven by declining trust in institutions and what Sutherland described as the corrosive effects of populism. “Impairing faith in Left to Right: Steve Paikin, Kathleen Wynne, Philippe Couillard, Victoria Kuketz, Allen Sutherland and Marco Fiola institutions,” he said, warning that without trust, governments struggle to ask citizens to make sacrifices, misinformation rather than evidence. Wynne cited political managed carefully, the broader narrative should resist particularly in an era defined by rapid information flow strategies that target immigrants and minorities, arguing “othering” and scapegoating. Couillard later mentions and misinformation. they fuel division rather than address underlying economic during the Q&A that he has spent his whole political career Wynne echoed that concern, pointing to a issues. fighting against xenophobia in his province. He also broader erosion of confidence in political leadership. Kuketz described this dynamic as part of a reflected on the evolving meaning of terms like “woke,” “There is anger percolating,” she said, “people don’t broader “resentment politics” caused by the Affordability which he said have been politicized beyond their original believe in politicians anymore.” She connected this Crisis, where complex problems are reduced to simplified roots and meaning in the civil rights movement. frustration to a widening gap between expectations and narratives that scapegoat vulnerable groups. Referencing Economic Anxiety and Generational Divides reality. Born in 1953, Wynne reflected on a postwar the work of Tim Wu, Kuketz spoke of a “wave of A recurring theme throughout the evening was the narrative of steady progress, one that many now feel has extraction” in which coordinated messaging blames economic precarity facing younger Canadians. Kuketz stalled. “Life was supposed to get better and better,” she immigrants for systemic challenges. While she emphasized highlighted the growing affordability crisis, the rise of said. “And for many, it just hasn’t worked out that way.” that immigration policy must remain balanced, Sutherland automation, and a shrinking entry-level job market. “Many Populism, “Resentment Politics” and Immigration also called immigration “part of the Canadian miracle”, a organizations are not hiring entry-level workers,” she noted, Much of the discussion focused on the rise of defining feature of the country’s identity. adding that some roles are already being phased out in populism and its political consequences. Panellists Long a point of consensus in Canadian politics, anticipation of AI automation. Recent layoffs in the tech warned against leaders who “react to popular opinion in immigration has been increasingly a subject of debate. sector, she added, further underscore how quickly the a dangerous vein,” crafting policy based on Panellists agreed that while immigration levels must be labour market is evolving. (continued on page 5) VIE ÉTUDIANTE The New Glendon Student Caucus...........6 The ABCDE Motion...6 Annual Glendon Formal: Secret Garden Soirée...........................8
SANTÉ & BIEN-ÊTRE Starting My Gym Journey................................4
ISSUES & IDEAS La mode du “paraître niche”.............................5 Animal Highlight: The Arctic Wolf............5
EXPRESSION an hourly sum.......................4 be afraid, anything can.........4 head in the dunes..................4 Entrée 354.............................4
ARTS & DIVERTISSEMENTS The 2026 Oscars..............3 2026 au cinéma : le duo Zendaya–Pattinson s’impose............................3
GAMES
METROPOLIS
Word Search...................7 Is Liberal Democracy Maze................................7 Failing?.....................1&5 Spot the Difference........7 Sudoku............................7