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Are you ready for the end of prohibition? Legalized returns for Season 2


Canada is heading into uncharted territory. Just over a year ago, the federal government set July 1, 2018 as the deadline for cannabis legalization. Since then, we’ve had front-row seats to the green rush. With a dedicated Cannabis practice, Navigator has been following developments in the cannabis industry, with an eye to how government, entrepreneurs, activists, medical professionals, law enforcement, and Canadians are planning for the end of prohibition.

Since November 2016, we have been tracking Canadians’ feelings about legalization in Canada’s only tracking poll dedicated to Cannabis. In January 2017, we launched the first season of Legalized. In our first season, we followed the announcement of legalization through its study by the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation and the announcement of its recommendations. But we were just getting started.

By request, and popular demand, we’re pleased to announce the return of Legalized for its second season on March 26, 2018.

Which means you have less than two weeks to binge on the first season, as we’ll be picking things up where we left off last year.

Over the past 17 months, we have heard the excitement and concerns of Canadians. We watched as provincial government introduced legislation about cannabis retail and as the cannabis industry expanded across the country.

In season 2 of Legalized we’ll speak with Aaron Salz, head of Stoic Advisory to discover how Canada is quietly becoming the top exporter of medical cannabis. What does that look like? What are other countries borrowing from Canada’s model? What does this mean for Canadian exports?

We’ll explore the economic impacts inside our own borders. Is the end of prohibition proving to be a boon for small towns that have been hit hard by the decline in manufacturing?

And what can we expect of entrepreneurs seeking to build cannabis lifestyle brands? How can these pioneers build modern cannabis businesses that eschew the traditional “stoner” aesthetic? How do they plan to shed stereotypes about cannabis consumption?

As businesses and entrepreneurs professionalize the industry, how will they manage public opinion, which hasn’t yet fully embraced legalization? In our Cannabis in Canada report, we have watched support for legalization slowly decrease from a high of 46% to a low of 42% over the last 18 months. Similarly, we have seen opposition to legalization rise from a low of 33% to a high of 38% in that same period.

What will it take for Canadians to feel comfortable that law enforcement have the tools they need to tackle impaired driving and youth access? We’ll dig into these concerns in our new season of Legalized.

Last season, we spoke with the Hon. Anne McLellan, head of the federal government’s Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, about the findings and recommendations of the Task Force. In season 2, we’ll check-in with her again about Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, to see if the legislation lines up with the findings of the Task Force, and the degree to which it will produce a safe environment for Canadians and cannabis consumers.

While the bill has passed votes in the House and is now being debated in the Senate, issues remain among activists and opposition parties. We’ll speak with one Member of Parliament—Tracey Ramsey—who has voiced her concerns with the government’s legalization plan. We’ll explore how —in her view—the legislation has created confusion about what’s legal vs. what’s not,  and it will fail to equip law-enforcement with the tools needed to accurately test for cannabis-impaired driving.

Similarly, we’ll hear from activists and advocates, such as Jonathan Zaid from Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana, that the federal government’s approach to legalization will place undue burden on medical patients. A refusal by the federal government to exempt medical cannabis from its $1-per-gram excise tax and HST/GST will create a situation in which medical cannabis is the only prescribed drug that is not exempt from taxation. What impact will this have?

There are a host of issues that still need to be addressed by all levels of government about legalization. Despite these, we have already seen the incredible economic impact the cannabis industry can have on Canada. The expansion of medical and recreational cannabis businesses has been unprecedented and full legalization could bring even more growth.

As we explore these questions, we hope you’ll subscribe to our second season of Legalized, wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcast, Google Play, SoundCloud). We’ve been lucky enough to speak with industry professionals, medical experts, MPs, activists, and advocates about what legalization means for Canada and Canadians. And we can’t wait to share their perspective with you.

New episodes are released every week, starting on March 26, 2018.

To subscribe to one of our podcast feeds, click here: 

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: The Public’s Perspective

 

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: The Public’s Perspective

Download the report here: Report on Public’s Perspective of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

We are in the midst of a transformative moment for the workplace; the beginning of a cultural zeitgeist that approaches harassment and misconduct in a professional environment in a profoundly different way than it ever has before. It is difficult to watch television, open a magazine, or read a newspaper without being inundated with stories of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. The shocking fall of Harvey Weinstein was only the beginning, as the #metoo and #timesup phenomena have swept the globe with ever-increasing momentum.

It is a moment that has set into motion significant change and will, hopefully, have lasting effects on the way that people interact with each other in the workplace. It also brings with it major implications for organizations, and the public’s expectations of their processes and procedures in the face of these types of high-profile challenges.

While many organizations have taken steps to shape the culture of their workplaces to be positive, inclusive and free from harassment, it is naive to think that employers can, in all cases, control the behaviour of employees as there will always be those who engage in behaviour that contravenes the values of the organization.

What can be controlled, however, is the preparation for and the management of these challenges when they arise.

Public and media expectations of an organization’s response have evolved and grown, and are under more acute scrutiny now than ever before. There is little public sympathy for a slow or indecisive response when allegations surface regarding inappropriate behaviour within an organization. Organizations that are perceived to be delaying or protecting wayward employees are at an increasing risk of receiving significant negative attention on social and traditional media, harming their long-term reputation. They also risk lasting harm to their workplace culture and employee morale, and put themselves at substantial risk in both the court of public opinion and a court of law.

However, there has been speculation that the expectations of media are out-of-line with that of the public. Leaders of organizations have wrestled with questions of morality, and the importance of protecting their organization. The absence of data meant that organizations were acting blindly, taking or delaying action based on instinct rather than taking an evidence based approach.

At Navigator, we believe in always taking a research-guided approach to solve challenges. When managing issues that capture the public attention, it is critical that organizations understand the expectations of the public.

With this in mind, to better understand how Canadians perceive these issues and how they prefer to see them addressed, Navigator undertook a major national survey that investigates the attitudes and beliefs of the public. The survey examines a number of issues, and uses a specialized approach to understand whether some of the received wisdom that exists on the issue is correct.

The results provide a comprehensive and fascinating understanding of the landscape, and should be used as a tool for organizations to understand how to create a safe environment internally, to manage its approach to challenges, and to protect itself from reputational damage should an issue emerge.

It is vital that leaders of organizations understand and manage this issue, for the good of their employees and for the protection of the organization. This survey is a vital and valuable tool in that understanding.

Methodology

The survey was conducted among a national proportionate sample of 2000 Canadians.

The study was conducted using an online methodology and was undertaken from February 12 to 20, 2018. Respondents were able to complete the survey in the language of their choice: English or French.

Quotas were instituted for region, age and gender to ensure that the sample reflects the characteristics of the Canadian population based on recent Statistics Canada data. Further, weights were applied to ensure that the educational level of respondents reflects Statistics Canada data.

Responses may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Understanding of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The legal definition of sexual harassment is defined in legislation differently across jurisdictions, but those definitions rarely align with public perceptions of sexual harassment. For instance, in Ontario, which is the province in Canada with the most wide-ranging definition of sexual harassment, the legislation describes sexual harassment as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.”

This wide-ranging definition leads to significant confusion when used in real-world situations. Situations involving harassment, for example, often involve the harasser being unaware of how their actions are perceived. The past year has provided many examples of this; rarely, it seemed, did a statement from an accused not include an explanation that they did not understand their behaviour to be harassment at the time. Such confusion can be deeply challenging for organizations attempting to appropriately and fairly adjudicate such situations.

This confusion is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that the public’s understanding of sexual harassment varies greatly. When asked to self-assess their understanding of sexual harassment in the workplace, 66% of Canadians describe themselves as having a good understanding; only 7% describe themselves as having a poor understanding.

However, when asked to describe whether an action is sexual harassment or not, views are far from aligned on a number of issues.

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Perceived Seriousness and Prevalence of the Issue in Canada

During the media frenzy of the #metoo moment, prominent commentators have questioned whether the intensity of public concern is aligned with that of journalists.

When asked, 82% of Canadians describe the issue as a serious or very serious issue, with only 18% believing it is not serious.

Notably, more women (88%) than men (74%) feel it was a serious or very serious issue.

To understand the intensity of Canadians’ belief that sexual harassment is a serious issue, Navigator asked those participants to rate a variety of well-known but unrelated issues. Sexual harassment in the workplace ranks along other hot-topic issues, including the signing of NAFTA, the legalization of cannabis, and volatility in the stock market.

Further, two-thirds of Canadians express the belief that all or most Canadian companies struggled with issues of sexual harassment.

Often, when managing public affairs issues, companies must overcome narrative challenges. If a pattern of behaviour that is unacceptable in the eyes of the public becomes evident, a company’s credibility is tarnished and their ability to counter public criticism is limited. It is with this in mind that Navigator sought the opinions of Canadians on their assessment of industry. Navigator tested more than 18 different sectors for their credibility on this issue.

Participants believe that organizations in the entertainment industry, hospitality industry, and in the media are most likely to be hotbeds for sexual harassment.

 

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Prevalence of the Issue in the Workplaces of Respondents and Evaluations of Current Employers

It is vital that leaders of organizations create a safe space for employees. Not only does creating such an environment help the organization thrive, but it allows leaders to deal with issues openly and rapidly, preventing them from sustaining public criticism. A surprisingly high proportion of employed Canadians – 2 in 5 – feel that sexual harassment is a serious problem in their own workplace.

40% of Canadians say there is some or a lot of sexual harassment in their workplace.

When tested on a variety of issues, Canadians expressed ambivalence about the internal policies of their own organizations. Many feel that their organization has simply not done an adequate job, while fewer than a quarter answered that their organization was doing a “very good job” on a variety of metrics. Those metrics included whether the company has in place appropriate policies, whether they provide a safe culture, and whether they
do an appropriate job of informing employees.

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Incidence of Personally Experiencing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace is another metric that was tested in the survey. Approximately 24% of Canadians reported that they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Women are considerably more likely than men to report that they have been victims of harassment.

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Problematically, of those who report that they have been sexually harassed in the workplace, nearly 2 in 5 report that the sexual harassment stemmed from a person who had direct influence over their career.

Perceptions of Management

When it comes to how Canadians perceive the management of the issue, the opinion of Canadians is more nuanced. For instance, while 71% of Canadians feel that it has taken far too long for the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace to be taken seriously, when asked if they believe the pendulum had swung too far, 54% agree with only 18% disagreeing.

This question once again demonstrates a gender disparity:

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Takeaways for Organizations 

It is evident that Canadians believe that sexual harassment is an issue, and one that must be dealt with appropriately by organizations. Their expectations and beliefs regarding how organizations must behave will define whether those organizations will survive public criticism.

Organizations must not wait for the challenges to come to them: they must be prepared to manage and deal with issues as they come, and they must act to prevent issues from emerging by creating a safe work environment in the first place.

It is vital that leaders of organizations take steps to create this safe work environment, both to maintain a healthy organization and to prevent themselves from sustaining reputational damage.

Download the report here: Report on Public’s Perspective of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

 

What A Coup D’Etat Can Teach Us About Effective Communications

On November 14, 2017, Robert Mugabe’s iron-fist rule over Zimbabwe came to an abrupt end. In just a matter of hours, the country’s military placed the 93-year-old ruler and his wife under house arrest, and quickly declared his days as president over.

While Africa is no stranger to power-struggles and coups, what happened in Zimbabwe is rather peculiar in the fact that no one—not even the international press—knew exactly what was going on. This was not because information was not getting out. Actually, it was quite the opposite.

The country’s military put forward a communications strategy that controlled the narrative and helped drive support internally and externally for their actions. While it’s safe to say that Mugabe’s ousting garnered very little sympathy, the international community typically frowns upon non-democratic coups. But in this case, the world seemed okay with this development.

While the situation in Zimbabwe bears all the hallmarks of a coup, the military did a very good job of convincing the international press to report it otherwise. In any time of crisis, the first priority is to take control of your message and start shaping the narrative.

Zimbabwe’s military commanders knew this, and they quickly took control of the national broadcaster. While this is common practice in most government takeovers (there have been 300 or so over the past 50 years in Africa), it was what the military said on national television that raised eyebrows:

 

“We wish to assure the nation that his excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and commander-in-chief of Zimbabwe defence forces comrade R.G. Mugabe and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed. We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country, in order to bring them to justice. As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.”  – Major General SB Moyo

 

Military spokesman Major General SB Moyo took to the airways and declared his men had carried out “a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power” and that the country would return to genuine democracy as a “modern model nation.” He went on to say “to both our people and the world beyond our borders, we wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover of government.”

General Moyo’s statement is a perfect example that despite all evidence pointing towards a coup, sticking to your key talking points, no matter how much the evidence says otherwise, helps to shape the conversation. He managed to cause enough confusion that the African Union condemned the events as “what seems like a coup” and the international media had no idea what to call it. While some networks labeled the events as a ‘coup’, many others refrained from using that terminology altogether.

So what happened? By announcing the military was going after corrupt criminals and not Robert Mugabe himself, the army effectively positioned itself, not as power-hungry thugs, but as civilian partners ending the rule of a man who bankrupted a country with unemployment rates north of 95%.

By promising to restore civilian rule as quickly as possible, the military painted itself as a sort of caretaker-government. Whether military leaders are telling the truth, or just playing kingmaker by installing another iron-fist leader, so far their communications strategy has been paying off: the vast majority of Zimbabweans are celebrating their swift actions.

In the world of communications, persuasion campaigns take time to effectively shift public opinion. Recognizing that Mugabe still had small legions of supporters out there, the military decided to trot the world’s oldest leader out from house arrest to preside over a university ceremony in the nation’s capital. In what was Mugabe’s first public appearance since the alleged coup, the frail 93-year old delivered a rambling, incoherent speech, then promptly fell asleep on stage in front of hundreds of people.

Pictures of him asleep at the job, so to speak, were quickly broadcast across the country, driving home the military’s message that Mugabe must go. A convenient PR-boost for a coup that is not a coup, by allowing Mugabe himself to show his country he is incapable of leading. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and no amount of military-propaganda could have a better impact than this.

While scholars will debate whether or not the events in Zimbabwe are actually a coup or not, the military did an expert job of amassing support on its side, including those who are quick to dismiss any form of political change through the barrel of a gun. If things couldn’t be any more complicated, Mugabe’s former Vice President, who was sacked just days before the military moved in, has just been sworn into power.

But as history has shown, coups, (or “bloodless corrections” in this case) are often popular immediately after they happen, especially when the end result is the fall of a tyrant like Mugabe. However, even popular coups elicit negative responses from the international community.  Perhaps this military’s communications strategy kept the international community at bay, preventing it from making rash decisions that could have caused the situation to spiral out of control. In the end, this strategy bought the military—and Zimbabwe—time, which is crucial when a government that has been in power as long as the country has existed comes to an abrupt end. For the sake of Zimbabweans, let’s hope positive change is in store in the post-Mugabe era.

Quebec Fiscal and Economic Update

Context

In a favorable economic environment that helped to generate annual growth of 2.5% in the second quarter and reduce the unemployment rate (6.1% in October), the government’s budget had a surplus of $2.6 billion after only five months of the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The remaining question was how the Liberal government, after months of fiscal discipline, intended to use this surplus with less than a year to go before the next provincial election.
Minister of Finance Carlos Leitao made the announcement yesterday during the Fall fiscal and economic update in the Quebec National Assembly. The main goals of this announcement are:

  • Improving Quebecers’ standard of living and reducing poverty.
  • Increased academic success and improved health services.
  • Fostering regional development.

Overall, this represents an additional investment of about $2 billion, where 50% of this will be directed first and foremost to Quebec households.

Key New Measures

  • 1 billion tax reduction ($250 per person or $500 per couple).
  • Support for families with children in school: $100 will be allocated annually for every child aged 4 to 16.
  • Increases in education and health spending: $1 billion over five years will be invested, in addition to the $5 billion announced last spring. This represents an increase of 4.2% for the health services sector in 2017-2018.
  • The 3rd Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan: $2 billion will be invested by 2023. The Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, François Blais, will announce in the next few days the details of the program but specified that the priorities would be single parents with children.
  • Regional development: $667 million will be allocated, including 367 million for the implementation of infrastructures to ensure better access to the very high-speed Internet.

Also, worth mentioning is the announcement of a readjustment of the school tax, which will be discussed with the School Boards.

Strategic Perspective

Less than a month before Christmas – and approximately 10 months away from the next provincial election – this is one of the Liberal government’s last major chances to score points with the public. While the opposition CAQ is challenging the Liberals in the polls following a recent cabinet shuffle that did not seem to have made a significant difference.
By avoiding too much sprinkling, and by concentrating its efforts on Quebec middle class households, the government probably wanted to cut off the legs of the CAQ by trying to reinvest in public services as well.
It also means that in the end:

  • The estimated surplus of $1.7 billion in June will soon be swallowed up by the tax cuts announced today;
  • Business tax relief will have to wait, maybe in next spring’s budget?

Navigator’s Heather Watt receives CPIR designation

Navigator is pleased to announce that its Chief Strategy Officer, Heather Watt, has completed the joint Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI)/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program and is now a Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR).  Heather is excited to apply this experience to serving Navigator’s clients facing strategic communications challenges in the capital markets space.

CIRI President and CEO, Yvette Lokker acknowledged the graduates, saying,“Congratulations to those who have earned the CPIR designation in 2017. The CPIR represents a higher level of knowledge, skill and commitment. The designation lends additional credibility to the investor relations profession and creates greater awareness of the important role that IROs play in the capital markets.”

CIRI’s CPIR designation is the first investor relations certification in North America. CIRI describes the CPIR as a program and certification that “allows investor relations professionals to demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning and excellence in investor relations.”

In addition to serving clients, as Navigator’s Chief Strategy Officer, Heather Watt is responsible for the growth, innovation, revenue management and margin improvement of the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Heather was responsible for leading complex corporate strategy projects for clients including Fortune 500 companies and governments, in industries such as consumer products, life sciences, health insurance, retail pharmacy, industrials, and private equity.

For more information see CIRI’s press release here. 

About Navigator

Navigator is Canada’s leading high-stakes public strategy firm retained by clients when they can’t afford to lose. Navigator was created by public affairs and government relations practitioners who recognized a market need for an organization that truly understood how to develop a winning, overarching plan, bringing together research, planning, stakeholder outreach, communications and government relations tactics. Navigator has grown to become a diverse firm with consultants from a variety of backgrounds including journalism, public opinion research, politics, marketing and law.

Navigator serves clients from offices in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Ottawa and London, UK.

About CIRI

CIRI is a professional, not-for-profit association of executives responsible for communication between public corporations, investors and the financial community. CIRI contributes to the transparency and integrity of the Canadian capital markets by advancing the practice of investor relations, the professional competency of its members and the stature of the profession. With close to 500 members and four Chapters across the country, CIRI is the voice of IR in Canada. For further information, please visit CIRI.org.