FILE PHOTO - Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton smiles as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-POOL, Rick T. Wilking
October 01, 2016 - 1:51 PM
PENTICTON - With the first U.S. presidential debate now in the rear-view mirror, many Canadians are left wondering what effect the outcome of the upcoming election will have on Canada.
Dr. Rosalind Warner, Chair of Okanagan College’s Political Science department, will provide context and clarity to what all of this political discourse and the upcoming election results will mean to Canada and the world at large.
Warner will present “Off the Rails: The U.S. Presidential Election” on Oct. 24 in the lecture theatre of Okanagan College’s Penticton campus. Warner will be one of eight presenters who will lead the College’s Penticton Speaker Series, which takes place on Monday evenings between 7-8:30 p.m. from now until Dec. 5.
Warner, who holds a doctoral degree in International Relations and Canadian Politics from York University, won’t be forecasting the outcome of the election, but will provide insight into how a republican or democratic president-elect will impact Canada.
“The main question people ask me with regard to this presidential election is why it has taken this tone,” explains Warner. “People are wondering, is this politics as usual for the United States or is something different going on? And the short answer is that some of these issues are new and others are not.”
Warner explains that regardless of the outcome, there are a number of important issues on the table that will have a serious impact on Canada, chief among them is the U.S. policy on trade.
“One of the things that is interesting about this race is that both candidates share similar views on trade and that should be a worry for Canadians,” said Warner. “Every day Canada and the United States trade more than $2 billion in goods and services – that is extremely significant. With both candidates committing to curtailing open trade, Canada will be impacted.”
Warner will also take a closer look at the role of social media in the lead-up to the election. She will shed light on topics such as the role of the media as a watchdog and the importance of fact-checking.
“The world is concerned about the outcome of November’s election, and Canada is one of the countries that will be most impacted,” said Warner. “My goal is to provide understanding and context from a Canadian perspective and we will take a look at how we got here.”
Warner’s lecture, and all others in the Penticton Speaker Series, is hosted by Okanagan College with admission by donation. All donations support the Dire Straits Fund, an emergency bursary for Okanagan College students.
To view the complete line up of speakers in the series, click here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016