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Page 6 December 11, 2017 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com COMMENT u EDITORIAL OBITER By Gabrielle Giroday Rest up for 2018 N o one would say it was a dull year. While 2016 might have brought external developments that few could have anticipated, the most interesting facets of the legal profession in 2017 were the discussions that took place internally. A widening set of voices spoke out about lawyers' interests, with often split or contrasting views. In fact, many of the issues that some would say were latent for years finally came to the fore. Some notable stories this year touched on diversity within the profession (or lack thereof ), with extensive debate at the Law Society of Upper Canada around the statement of principles, as well how to remove barriers faced by racialized lawyers who practise in Ontario. Some other stories touched on the duty lawyers have to the public, and their relationship to professional organizations such as the Cana- dian Bar Association, highlighted by debate over proposed changes to private incorporation tax rules. And some debates were fast-moving — with the controversy over the change in a name to the Law Society of Upper Canada coming to conclusion, within months. (Spoiler alert for those who weren't pay- ing attention — it's biting the dust, and now will be known as the Law Society of Ontario). Law Times has covered these issues, and more, this past year, in- cluding an in-depth look into how the LSUC discipline process works. We also launched a newly designed website at lawtimesnews.com. In the year ahead, I expect more discussions (and de- bates) about how legal education is delivered, how licensing could be re-structured, and about how the profession can serve a special role when more and more non-lawyers are entering the legal space. We're grateful for your readership, and we'll be there to cover these and more issues. Have a wonderful holiday. And in the meantime — rest, listen, and come into 2018, ready to share your views. LT ©2017 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or stored in a retrieval system without written per- mission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Law Times disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reli- ance upon information in this publication. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40762529 • ISSN 0847-5083 Law Times is published 40 times a year by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 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Karen Lorimer Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Brown Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gabrielle Giroday Staff Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alex Robinson Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patricia Cancilla CaseLaw Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leah Craven Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phyllis Barone Production Co-ordinator . . . . . . . . .Catherine Giles Electronic Production Specialist . . . Derek Welford An optimistic end to 2017 BY SUSAN DELACOURT W hen 2017 got under way, Canadian politics-watchers were keen to see how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would find common ground with Unit- ed States President Donald Trump. How could they work together? As this year draws to a close, however, all eyes are on the differences between Trump and Trudeau — especially their diverging paths on everything from free trade to taxation to immigration. While sharper differences may make for headaches in the corridors of power, many Canadians may take some comfort that this country is turning out to be so un-Trump-like. But, could that change? With so many developments in Cana- da that start in the United States, is it in- evitable that Canada will one day have its own brand of Trumpism? Michael Adams, a founder of the En- vironics polling firm with a specialty in looking at Canada-U.S. differences, has two basic answers to that question. He has written a book called Could it Happen Here?: Canada in the Age of Trump and Brexit. First, he says, Canada has already had outbreaks of populist politics. "We've had our f lings with polarizing politics, but when the buzz wears off, we always seem to muddle our way back to the middle," Ad- ams writes. For example, he points to the Reform Party, the "Com- mon Sense Revolution" by former Ontario Premier Mike Harris and former To- ronto mayor Rob Ford. Even the 2015 federal election fea- tured elements of the politics that fuelled Trump's rise in the United States — de- bates over immigration and religious clothing, for instance. But why do we keep muddling back to the middle? That's the second answer Adams pro- vides, and it is particularly interesting with regard to some significant differ- ences between Canada and the United States. One notable example Adams points to is that Canadians are more fond of com- promise in politics. According to Envi- ronics' research, nearly 60 per cent of Ca- nadians said they valued political compro- mise, while only 40 per cent of Americans did. That same 60:40 ratio also applied (in reverse) when people were asked about politicians stick- ing to their positions. About 60 per cent of Americans said that was important, while only 38 per cent of Canadians said they wanted politicians to stick to their views. Another example Adams uses is that Americans are far more patriarchal. In 2016, a whopping 50 per cent of U.S. poll respondents agreed with the idea that "the father must be the mas- ter in his own house." In Canada, only 23 per cent agreed with that statement. Adams says he loves the cultural differences exposed by this simple question. Looking for why our country seems more feminist than the one with the White House? It's not just Trudeau versus Trump. Newcomers to Canada are a bigger part of the democratic culture, Adams argues, both inside and outside the cor- ridors of power. A full 13 per cent of the current members of Parliament in Ot- tawa were born in other countries, while the same could be said for only a couple of dozen elected folks in the current U.S. Congress. Adams admits he's upbeat about Canada. Ever since writing his previous book, Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada And The Myth Of Converg- ing Values, more than a decade ago, he's been convinced that political cultures in Canada and the United States are actu- ally diverging — not unlike Trump and Trudeau themselves. Fundamentally, he says, Canadians still have enough faith in the idea of government, rule of law and each other to withstand Trump's shock-politics ap- proach to democracy. So that's an optimistic note on which to end the year and fodder, perhaps, for some interesting discussions around the holiday dinner tables later this month. Perhaps we'll remember 2017 as the year we went looking for how to get along with Trump and recognized it was maybe better to celebrate Canada's differences with that brand of politics instead. LT uSusan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based political author and columnist who has been working on Parliament Hill for nearly 30 years. She is a frequent politi- cal panellist on national television and author of four books. She can be reached at sdelacourt@bell.net. The Hill Susan Delacourt Susan Delacourt

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