Drummond to tackle ‘messed up’ economy during campus talk

How did the world economy get so messed up?

The McMaster Economics Society wants to address this complicated and multifaceted question, and invited Don Drummond to crunch the numbers.

Former chair of the province’s Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services and overseer of the so-called “Drummond Report,” the native of Victoria, B.C. is one of the nation’s foremost experts in government spending and fiscal policy.

“It’s such an honour to have someone of Don’s stature here on campus,” says Hooria Raza, upper-year representative with the McMaster Economics Society. “He has so much experience with budgeting, and can provide valuable insight into our economy.”

At next Monday’s free event, Drummond will deconstruct the global recession that began making headlines nearly five years ago, and address some of the public and private sector challenges facing Canada and other countries. According to Raza, the lecture will be a great learning opportunity for students from all departments and faculties, and no prior knowledge is necessary.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re working toward a science degree or studying economics. We’ll all be looking for a job at some point,” she says. “The important question for all of us to ask is, ‘what is my future going to be like after university?'”

In addition to his government work, Drummond is a former senior VP and chief economist with TD Bank, and is currently serving as the Matthews Fellow and distinguished visiting scholar at the School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University.

He’ll present “How Did the World Economy Get So Messed Up: Some Old and New Lessons” on Monday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery (MDCL 1110). The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session.

Registration is not required, and the event is open to McMaster students, staff, faculty and the general public.