Break In Case of Emergency Emergency Marker 2: Create New Institutions (w/ Alex Himelfarb, Linda McQuaig & Seth Klein)
Dec 3, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Alex Himelfarb, a former senior public servant, Linda McQuaig, an award-winning journalist, and Seth Klein, director at the Climate Emergency Unit, explore the urgent need for new public institutions in Canada. They critique the failures of market-driven solutions to climate change and emphasize the potential of crown corporations. Their vision includes innovative ideas like a Youth Climate Corps and public ownership in renewable energy and EV manufacturing. Together, they call for a revival of democratic accountability and collaborative public responses.
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Why Public Institutions Matter
- Markets failed to rapidly solve the climate crisis because incentives alone won't drive the scale or speed needed.
- New public institutions purpose-built for emergencies can deliver at the required pace and scope.
WWII Mobilization Example
- Seth Klein recounts WWII mobilization where Canada created crown corporations to build ships, planes, and vehicles at scale.
- C.D. Howe used public enterprises when private industry couldn't meet urgent wartime needs.
Privatization Eroded Public Capacity
- Alex Himelfarb connects privatization to policy shifts that prioritized growth and profit over public capacity.
- Treating taxes and regulation as burdens hollowed out state ability to act in emergencies.