On June 19, 2025, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, in collaboration with Secure Canada, hosted two panels at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa that sought to chart a path toward greater national resilience in the face of rising domestic and international threats.
The event, which featured policy-makers, experts, and thought leaders, opened with remarks from Foreign Policy Director Christopher Coates, who critiqued Canada’s liberal internationalist posture. Coates argued that Canada’s global pursuit of liberalism has yielded few strategic or material gains, while the crumbling of the post-Cold War international order increasingly calls into question the wisdom of the multilateral approach that has long guided Canadian foreign policy.
The first panel discussion featured MLI Senior Fellows Dan Pujdak, Kaveh Shahrooz, and Bruce Pardy, as well as Sheryl Saperia, chief executive of Secure Canada, in a wide-ranging discussion on the rise of antisemitism and ideological extremism in Canada and the West. Panelists examined how radical leftist ideologies seriously threaten liberal democratic norms, and emphasized the importance of promoting an assimilationist vision of citizenship for new immigrants. The discussion also highlighted how Canada’s political and cultural elite have allowed these trends to take root, eroding national cohesion.
The second panel discussion featured MLI Deputy Director Peter Copeland, Senior Fellow Andrew Kirsch, Calvin Chrustie, and Sophie Milman, and examined foreign interference and internal vulnerabilities. The panel assessed the growing influence operations of authoritarian states such as China and Russia, the destabilizing effects of a lack of robust law enforcement, and the consequences of political monoculture in stifling dissent and policy innovation. Speakers also underscored the long-term risks that uncontrolled migration may pose to community safety and social trust if not met with coherent and enforceable policies.
All participants agreed on the urgent need for clear-eyed leadership and principled policy-making. At a time when Canada’s democratic institutions face mounting pressure from within and without, the panels called for bold action to restore national unity, reinforce civic values, and safeguard the country’s social and political fabric for the challenges ahead.