UBC experts on 2023 federal budget

Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland is to present the federal government’s 2023 budget on Tuesday. UBC experts will be available to comment on the budget and spending priorities identified by the government.

Affordability

Dr. Penny Gurstein
Professor Emeritus, School of Community and Regional Planning
Tel: 604-327-1971
Email: penny.gurstein@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Affordable housing

Dr. Paul Kershaw
Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health
Tel: 604-761-4583
Email: paul.kershaw@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Implications for Canadians in their 20s, 30s, 40s and their children; generational equity, including policy related to housing, families and medical care; taxation; debts

*unavailable Tuesday before 1 p.m. PT

Clean economy

Dr. Werner Antweiler
Associate Professor, UBC Sauder School of Business
Tel: 604-822-8484
Email: werner.antweiler@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Energy and electricity infrastructure

Prof. Robert Godin
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Tel: 250-807-8438
Email: robert.godin@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, French

• Solar energy, photocatalysis, solar fuels, hydrogen 

Dr. Carol Liao
Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law
Director, Centre for Business Law
Co-lead, Canada Climate Law Initiative
Email: liao@allard.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Sustainability, climate governance, socially responsible investment, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, ESG

Dr. Walter Mérida (he/him)
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tel: 604-822-4189
Email: walter.merida@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Spanish, Italian

• Net-zero transition and role of hydrogen; sustainable energy, decarbonization, climate policy

Dr. U. Rashid Sumaila (he/him)
University Killam Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Tel: 604-351-7406
Email: r.sumaila@oceans.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Hausa, Norwegian

• Blue economy, sustainable and just ocean systems, fisheries economics

Health

Dr. Kim McGrail (she/her)
Professor, School of Population and Public Health
Tel: 778-998-3821
Email: kim.mcgrail@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Health care, health data, public health

Dr. Jason Sutherland
Professor, School of Population and Public Health and Interim Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Email: jason.sutherland@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Health care funding policy

*available Tuesday from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., except for 10-11 a.m. PT

Politics

Dr. Allan Tupper
Professor, Department of Political Science
Tel: 604-827-3387
Email: allan.tupper@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

• Canadian politics, Western Canadian politics