Futureproofing Canada

North American relations under President Trump,a Policy Options Podcast. If Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric is any indication of what his foreign policy will look like, then America’s relationship with its neighbours is about to change dramatically. Trump’s promise to renegotiate NAFTA is just one of the many policy proposals that has Ottawa and Mexico City on pins and needles. So what is the fut...

Preparing for the transition in Washington, DC, a Policy Options Podcast. The race for the Oval Office is closerthanthis, and both candidates are preparing for victory. Their transition teams are putting in place plans for the aftermath of the election, which will include the naming of a new cabinet and thousands of senior government officials, as well as the setting of legislative priorities and...

Why more academics should engage with the media, a Policy Options Podcast. Imagine putting months of work into an article to have it read by only 10 people. This is the situation in much of academia right now, where the influx of new material is making it increasingly difficult for academics to get their research out to the public and to policy-makers. What can academics do to get their work notic...

Protecting Canadians' Privacy, a Policy Options Podcast. Last week, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada submitted its 2015-2016 Annual Report to parliament. As well as giving a thorough account of the privacy risks facing Canadians today, the report calls on the federal government to update Canada's legislative, legal, and regulatory framework to better protect Canadians' privacy. Dan...

Public Policy and Young Canadians with PM Justin Trudeau, a Policy Options Podcast. Justin Trudeau is not just the Prime Minister, he’s also the Minister of Youth – the first time that such a portfolio has been a full position in cabinet. What is Trudeau’s vision for engaging youth? How will he shape the policies that address the specific challenges young Canadians face today? Carleton University...

Democracy Promotion, a Policy Options Podcast. Earlier this month the Liberal government released a review of Canada’s international assistance efforts. The review recommends that we strengthen our international humanitarian response in a number of key areas – including democratic governance. What might this look like? Lisa Sundstrom, associate professor of political science at the University of B...

Towards a new Canada-China relationship, a Policy Options Podcast. Justin Trudeau’s visit to China has come to an end. The takeaway from the Prime Minister’s meetings with the country’s economic and political elite – including President Xi Jinping – has been generally positive, with all signs pointing to closer ties between the two G20 partners. So what does the future hold for Canada-China relati...

Why Gawker's Bankruptcy is a Policy Issue, a Policy Options Podcast. Where should media outlets draw the line between revenue generation and content quality? Between truth and ethics? CBC News’ Lauren O’Neil stopped by the podcast to weigh in on these issues and more. We looked at the Gawker bankruptcy, the ethics and business of new media and Canada’s evolving media landscape. Download for free....

Refocusing Canada’s International Security Agenda, a Policy Options Podcast. This week, we spoke with James Fergusson, director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, about the changing international security landscape and how it affects Canada. We look at the lessons from Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan, our relationship with NATO, and whether Canada is...

Technology-enabled trade in Canada, a Policy Options Podcast. E-commerce is revolutionizing the way we trade by giving businesses unprecedented access to new markets. Tools such as eBay have become the great equalizer of international trade: empowering small businesses in a globalized trade environment traditionally dominated by large firms. With so much to gain from these emerging trade patterns,...

Episode 15 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. In an era where access to political figures is unprecedented (and a scandal is just a tweet away), for those in politics controlling the political brand has become major priority. Narratives come from the top and make their way down, driving the need for message consistency throughout the process. In his new book Brand Command: Canadian Politics and...

Episode 14 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. In the wake of the Brexit referendum, this week’s episode tackles a Canadian issue that might soon trigger a referendum of its own: electoral reform. To kick off the podcast, podcast host Alex Shadeed briefly explains why some Canadians want to do away with the current system and what lies ahead in the electoral reform debate. Then, Policy Options e...

Episode 13 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. Five years ago, the special expert panel on innovation in Canada, chaired by Tom Jenkins, tabled its report, which outlined several policy recommendations for improving Canada's lackluster research and development portfolio. Last week, the IRPP released a report by Andrei Sulzenko that looks at whether governments have followed up on the Jenkins Rep...

Episode 12 of the IRPP's Policy Options Podcast. This week we spoke with immigration scholar and IRPP research director Leslie Seidle, to learn more about the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, how the European Union's response differs from the Canadian government's response, and how European states can improve their immigrant integration regimes. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday...

Episode 11 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, we spoke with acclaimed author and scholar Donald J. Savoie – winner of the 18th Annual Donner Prize for his book What Is Government Good At? A Canadian Answer – to learn how the federal government can improve public administration and regain the waning trust of Canadians. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. The Donner C...

Episode 10 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, we caught up with Dwayne Winseck of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication to talk about the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunciations Commission’s “#TalkBroadband” conference, and how we can make the Internet more accessible to all Canadians. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Dwayne Winsec...

Episode 9 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, we caught up with Canada’s information commissioner, Suzanne Legault, to learn more about access to information in Canada and how the federal government can be more open and transparent. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. The Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada’s report Striking the Right Balance for Transpa...

Episode 8 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, we caught up with Christopher Waddell, one of the co-authors of the IRPP's colloquium report to learn more about the major points of consensus and contention surrounding leaders' debates in Canada. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. The IRPP's leaders' debate colloquium report: http://bit.ly/1TLR8Mf

Episode 7 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week's episode analyses the new federal budget straight from the media lockup in Ottawa. Policy Options' Jennifer Ditchburn and Alex Shadeed were joined by the IRPP's Stephen Tapp and David Deault-Picard to discuss what stood out in the budget, and what its provisions mean for Canada. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Stephen...

Episode 6 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week we spoke with Mel Cappe, a professor in the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto, about whether government scientists should be allowed to engage in policy debates. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. For Mel Cappe’s article “Government scientists and the management of science in government,”...

Episode 5 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, the IRPP released the fifth volume in its Art of the State series, Income Inequality: The Canadian Story. We spoke with the books co-editors, David Green and France St-Hilaire, to find out why, in their opinions, income inequality is on the rise in Canada, and what our governments can do to reverse the trend. Download for free. New episode...

Episode 4 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week we spoke with John Rainford, director of The Warning Project, about the threat posed by the Zika virus and the complexities of communicating its health risks. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. For John Rainford and Joshua Greenberg’s Policy Options Perspectives article, “Uncertainty management: communicating the Zika ris...

Episode 3 of the Institute for Research on Public Policy's "Policy Options Podcast". This week, we spoke with Mostafa Askari of The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada (PBO) to discuss Canadian households and debt. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report "Household Indebtedness and Financial Vulnerability": http...

Episode 2 of the Institute for Research on Public Policy's "Policy Options Podcast". This week, we spoke with Jatinder Mann of University of Alberta about Canada's Internal Trade Regime. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Jatinder Mann and Andrew Smith's working paper, "Federalism and Sub-National Protectionism: a Comparison of the Internal Trade Regimes of Canada and Australia"...

Episode 1 of the Institute for Research on Public Policy's "Policy Options Podcast". This week, we spoke with Ted Mallett, Chief Economist for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) about small business tax structures. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Ted Mallett's paper: see "Policy Forum: Mountains and Molehills — Effects of the Small Business Deduction" http...