Wonk

Andrew Furey has been the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador for an extraordinarily eventful five years, from the pandemic and its fallout to going all in on oil and gas, and lately, of course, the chaos of Trump and a trade war. The popular leader shocked everyone recently when he announced he’s leaving politics. Host Amanda Lang talks to Furey about why he’s stepping down, his fears about the...

After weeks of uncertainty it finally happened: Canada has been plunged into a trade war it desperately hoped to avoid. Even as it unfolds the path is unclear. Already there are signs that some tariffs could be reduced or removed, but it will cause pain on both sides of the border. Make no mistake, we are in a new era of Canada-U.S. relations. David Paterson is Ontario’s representative in Washingt...

Local news has been disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving a huge void in communities and undermining a key pillar of democracy. Guest host Alison Uncles talks to Lisa Sygutek, the publisher of the Crowsnest Pass Herald, Stacey Brzostowski, editor and publisher of The Haida Gwaii News, and Andrew Phillips, former editor-in-chief of The Montreal Gazette and Victoria Times Colonist, and a columni...

Canada has a very short time to act before Donald Trump's 30-day tariff reprieve ends. It's a tall order given the stakes and magnitude of the challenge ahead. Our panel of experts, host Edward Greenspon, Janice Stein and Riaz Kara, talk about the need for a disciplined response, the time-intensive task of diversification, and why the smart move now might be to reopen trade negotiations.

President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have forced Canadians to take a long, hard look at our economy and how it needs to evolve. This is especially true for the oil and gas industry which is deeply linked with the United States. Our panel of top energy wonks — Jackie Forrest, Janet Annesley and Bryan Cox — discuss the impacts and real costs of U.S. tariff threats, and the path to Canadian energy...

The moment Canadians have been waiting for, and in some cases dreading, is here. President Donald Trump is continuing to threaten us with massive tariffs, but now with all the levers of a president who controls both houses of Congress. What does Trump's so-called "Golden Age for America" mean for the world and for Canada? Our expert panel — Luiza Savage, Don Wright and Sean Speer — discuss the dan...

In the lead-up to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, he has escalated his taunts and economic threats against Canada. How can we prepare for the potential upending of a trade relationship that is the backbone of the Canadian economy? To help sort through this we've gathered one of our all-star panels: Marta Morgan, former deputy minister of foreign affairs, Peter Loewen, the dean...

The former leader of the Conservative party was almost the Prime Minister of Canada. In the 2021 election, his party won more votes than the Liberals, but not more seats. O’Toole, now the president and managing director of ADIT North America, is out of politics, but he remains a wonk at heart. He joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss how he’d deal with Donald Trump, defence spending and what toda...

British Columbia gave the green light this week to nine wind energy projects intended to meet the insatiable demand for clean electricity. In the words of B.C. Premier David Eby, "we need a lot more juice." Eight of these projects are majority owned by First Nations communities and all are set to proceed without the regular environmental assessments. Host Edward Greenspon speaks with an all-star p...

We convened an expert panel for an emergency WONK session to talk about President-elect Donald Trump's latest tariff threats and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Host Edward Greenspon talks with Janice Stein, the Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Steve Verheul, Canada's former chief trade negotiator, and Andrew Phillips, a columni...

How do we hit Canada's climate goals without harming consumers and the overall economy, especially if that harm hits some regions particularly hard? To untangle this, host Edward Greenspon talks to Andrew Leach, a professor at the University of Alberta's Department of Economics and Faculty of Law. He's also an architect of Alberta's climate change strategy under former Premier Rachel Notley. As on...

Although President Donald Trump swept the table in the U.S. election, the vote still showed an America sharply divided. Recent events represent a high watermark of the polarization that has come to dominate politics in much of the Western world. Host Edward Greenspon talks to Peter Loewen, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, about the big changes in American life and po...

From tariffs to tax cuts, Americans, Canadians and people around the world are thinking through the implications of Donald Trump’s proposed economic plans. Wonk host Edward Greenspon talks to Brett House, a professor at Columbia Business School and a former deputy chief economist at Scotiabank about the major flaws in Trumponomics, why CUSMA sowed doubt in the minds of investors... and how Taylor...

After one of the most consequential elections in U.S. history, we've gathered a trio of consequential policy wonks to help us understand what went down in this election and what the result means to Canada and the world. PPF Fellows Don Wright, Janet Annesley and Sean Speer join WONK host Edward Greenspon to talk about President Trump’s decisive victory, the big political shifts that are unfolding...

Alex Himelfarb served as Canada’s top public servant, Clerk of the Privy Council, under three Prime Ministers: Jean Chretien, Paul Martin and, briefly, Stephen Harper. He knows a thing or two about the immense challenges of governing at the highest levels. He's also been fascinated by the big trends that policymakers must come to terms with, such as inequality and climate change. Himelfarb believe...

The question on everyone's mind these days: What happens if tariff-loving Donald Trump wins the U.S. election in November? Specifically, what does it mean for Canada, our side of the world's biggest trading relationship? Host Edward Greenspon talks to Canada’s chief NAFTA negotiator, Steve Verheul, about the ‘ugly choices’ we face in dealing with a more protectionist America, changes in global tra...

The biggest turnaround since the Second World War is underway in Atlantic Canada. But it comes with a bit of a cautionary flag. As PPF’s Atlantic Canada Momentum Index shows, growth is occurring at a more tentative pace than the year before. WONK host Edward Greenspon talks to all-star economist David Campbell — the wonk of the East — about what’s going well and what needs to be going better.

As the climate warms and geopolitical tensions heat up, Canada’s eyes, and the appetites of the world, are increasingly turning north. An area renowned for its stark beauty is now also viewed as an untapped resource for rare earth and critical minerals. It is also feeling the impacts of global warming more acutely than almost anywhere on Earth. Host Edward Greenspon speaks with R.J. Simpson, Premi...

There are few people in Canada who understand the ins-and-outs, the strengths and the undeniable weaknesses of our healthcare system as well Dr. Jane Philpott. She recently poured her decades of invaluable experience into a new book called Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada. A core prescription in her book? That primary care must be easily accessible to everyone. On thi...

Over 13 years, the organization Raven Lacerte co-founded with her dad has distributed seven million little squares of moose hide that people wear on their lapels. The Moose Hide Campaign has sparked an estimated 30 million conversations about ending violence toward women and children in Canada. She speak with host Edward Greenspon about how it all started and the progress she’s seen in that time.

On lists of influential people to watch, Sean Speer is often described as a guide, an influencer and a conservative who is committed to policy. He was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Today, he's an editor-at-large at The Hub, the conservative leaning news and opinion website. And he's a leading thinker on the ideas behind conservatism as a political movement. He talks to...

If you are a Canadian who's interested in the world, then you are almost certainly a Canadian who has encountered Professor Janice Stein. She’s Canada’s preeminent interpreter of global issues through her teaching, academic research and regular media appearances. She is the founding director at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and she's a good frien...

John Risley is best known for his by-the-bootstraps creation of global seafood giant Clearwater — and for orchestrating its sale to a coalition of First Nations. The self-made billionaire’s next big project is as chairman of World Energy GH2, which plans to build a massive green hydrogen project on Newfoundland’s west coast. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about why the project could be revoluti...

The University of Calgary economics professor’s views on the intersection of policy and economics are in high demand because, well, his cool empirical perspective makes them so compelling. Trevor Tombe talks to host Edward Greenspon about why the now-operational Trans Mountain pipeline isn’t the boondoggle critics think, why Canada’s economy lags the U.S. and why he’s only the second most famous e...

As chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada for the past 23 years, Craig Wright has offered essential insight through booms and busts, from the great financial crisis to the pandemic. Everyone from CEOs to prime ministers, to news reporters have relied on his prognostications. When he retires in June, he’ll relinquish his title as longest serving big bank economist. He talks to host Edward Gree...