Affordability and Climate: Addressing Intertwined Challenges in Politics Today

Helping oversee Canada’s economic response to COVID-19, Tyler witnessed firsthand how solid non-partisan policy saved jobs, businesses, and lives during one of the most critical times in Canadian history. Tyler is intent on bringing the same strong policy acumen to supporting clients across Canada and creating superior policy-based solutions.

First enticed into political life in late 2015, Tyler was recruited from a think tank to advise Canada’s Prime Minister on domestic economic policy. Tyler then spent the next seven years in government because he knew there was no other job where he could impact so many people in so many positive ways in such a short period of time. Tyler helped deliver six federal budgets, held responsiblity for tax and financial sector policy, including all financial sector transaction reviews from 2019-2022, and architected two winning federal campaign platforms.

Along with his partner role at Meredith Boesskenkool & Phillips, Tyler is also Fellow at University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and Fellow at the Maytree Foundation. When not busy shaping policy, Tyler loves to experience the world and all it has to offer with his life partner Chris, and their chocolate lab Cole.

Kathleen Monk is a veteran campaign strategist and an award-winning communicator. She works with businesses, labour unions and non-profits, to build strategies that shape public opinion and secure public affairs victories. Kathleen served as director of communications for the late Jack Layton. Before entering her career in politics, Kathleen worked in newsrooms in Toronto, Ottawa, and Washington, D.C. She appears weekly on CTV “Sunday Strategy Session” and CTV Power Play’s “Front Bench Panel.”

Jennifer Ditchburn is the President and CEO of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. She is a not-for-profit sector executive and seasoned communicator working to make complex public policy issues and politics better understood by Canadians. From 2016 to 2021, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the IRPP’s influential digital magazine, Policy Options.

Prior to joining the IRPP, Jennifer spent two decades covering national and parliamentary affairs for The Canadian Press and for CBC Television. She is the winner of three National Newspaper Awards, the recipient of the prestigious Charles Lynch Award for outstanding coverage of national issues, and three Canadian Online Publishing silver awards for her columns. In 2015, she was named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic–Canadians. Jennifer sits on the board of the Banff Forum, an influential Canadian leadership network. She is also a fellow at Carleton University’s Political Management program, and an inductee in the Hall of Distinction at CEGEP John Abbott College.