Wonk

Tucked into this year’s federal budget document was something a little out of the ordinary and of great consequence: Indigenous Loan Guarantees. The program has the potential to open massive energy and resource developments that will benefit both Canada and Indigenous communities. Mark Podlasly is the chief sustainability officer of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, which has championed...

Canada’s lagging productivity has become what the Bank of Canada calls a national ‘emergency’. The OECD’s incoming chief economist, Álvaro Santos Pereira, a dual citizen of Portugal and Canada, is one of the foremost experts on the subject. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about why Canada lags other countries, the opportunities it’s missing, and why he’s optimistic Canadians will rise to the cha...

Scott Balfour is the CEO of Emera, the owner of Nova Scotia Power and a major player in energy in the United States. He is central to the efforts to wean Canada off carbon and build a clean electricity system – all at a time when demand for power is soaring. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about investments, promising technologies and the so-called ‘energy trilemma.’

After 12 years leading one of Canada’s fastest growing cities, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage recently announced he’ll be stepping down. In his time as mayor, Halifax went from worrying about its declining, aging population to becoming a magnet for newcomers and residents from other provinces. Savage joins host Edward Greenspon to talk about his successes, managing growth and the importance of local jo...

David Shoemaker is the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the organization tasked with promoting Olympic values and helping get Canadian athletes onto the podium. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about why he expects big things in Paris, the challenge of making sport safer in Canada, and the delicate balance of international competition in a time of war.

Canada is perhaps the most successful immigration nation in the world. But its system is showing some cracks, as immigration is twinned in the public mind with housing shortages and high rental costs. Rupa Banerjee, Canada Research Chair in Economic inclusion, Employment and Entrepreneurship of Canada’s Immigrants, talks to host Edward Greenspon about what Canada’s getting wrong and why it’s unfai...

The longest-serving Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and the first woman to hold the position, weighs in on the good and the bad of the federal government’s long-awaited online harms bill. She talks to host Edward Greenspon about anti-hate laws, freedom of expression and why some provisions in the new bill will likely end up before the courts.

JP Gladu is one of Canada's visionary leaders in the national dialogue around Indigenous ownership in the economy. He has decades of experience bringing Indigenous communities together with industry and governments in pursuit of their economic sovereignty. He joins host Edward Greenspon to talk about the rise of Indigenous business, getting the government to say 'yes', and overcoming fear and igno...

John Hannaford is the Clerk of the Privy Council, the most senior job in the public service. It is really three jobs rolled into one: deputy minister to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the cabinet and head of the public service. Hannaford talks to host Edward Greenspon about the historic challenges facing the public service, the renewed focus on ethics and the importance of fearless advice.

Paul Wells is the dean of political reporting in Canada. For 30 years he wrote for national news outlets before recently launching his own little media empire. He has a buzzing Substack and podcast. His brand name is now, well, his name. He joins host Edward Greenspon to talk about his life in a fast-changing media landscape, the future of journalism and why he stopped caring about being edgy.

Shingai Manjengwa is one of the leading AI educators and thinkers. She is the head of AI education at chainML, the founder of Fireside Analytics, and the director of professional development at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. She talks to host Edward Greenspon about how AI actually works, its challenges and why we shouldn’t fear the future.

Dr. Vivek Goel was an ace up Canada’s sleeve when the pandemic hit. He’s a physician and top public health researcher. He was on COVID-19’s Immunity Task Force and advised the national body for COVID-19 research. He’s also the president of the University of Waterloo. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about the unrest in higher education institutions, the importance of health data and what a better...

Anne McLellan is known as ‘Landslide Annie’ for her nail biting wins as a Liberal MP in Alberta. She served as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Health and deputy Prime minister. Today, she’s a co-chair, along with former conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, of the coalition for a Better Future. She talks to host Ed...

Crystal Smith is the elected chief of the Haisla National Council and the guiding force behind a multi-billion-dollar LNG project on Haisla territory that is fast becoming a model for Indigenous led and owned development. She talks to host Edward Greenspon about the dramatic changes occurring in her home town of Kitimaat Village, overcoming environmental opposition to LNG, and her hopes for the fu...

Marc Garneau has been a naval officer, an astronaut and a cabinet minister. He’s led the Canadian Space Agency and served as ‘Capcom’ at NASA – that is, the voice of Houston on shuttle missions. For his remarkable career(s), his name is etched in the history books, on two highschools and a postage stamp. Garneau talks to host Edward Greenspon about a life of no regrets, the highs and lows of astro...

Peter Nicholson has advised leaders of the OECD, major corporations and was instrumental in Canada's deficit busting 1995 budget. Today, the dean of public policy thinking in Canada has turned his efforts to the topic of wind power, and its potential to make Atlantic Canada the next energy superpower. He talks to Edward Greenspon about the urgent energy transition, why he ‘marches toward the sound...

Jayna Hefford is one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians, having won four straight gold medals. She’s also one of the top goal scorers ever to play the game of hockey. Now she’s turning her considerable talents to the Professional Women’s Hockey League, a six-team league of elite players that hits the ice next month, on Jan. 1, 2024. She talks to host Edward Greenspon about inspiring a new genera...

At a time when news outlets are falling into decline and disappearing from the map, Jeff Elgie has been steadily growing Village Media from his base in Sault Ste Marie, Ont. In the process he has wound up at the centre of one of the most important debates of the digital news era: how to effectively sustain journalism and, by extension, the strength of our democratic fabric. He talks to host Edward...

As Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae has taken on what may be his most consequential role in a 45-year career largely in public service. From the invasion of Ukraine to the war between Israel and Hamas, he speaks for Canada with a rare and often critical clarity. Ambassador Rae talks to host Edward Greenspon about the emotional toll of life at the UN and Canada’s recent diplomatic...

In this episode of Policy Speaking, John Casola, Chief Investment officer of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, joins host Edward Greenspon to break down what the Infrastructure Bank does, why we need it and what projects are in the pipeline.  

In this episode of Policy Speaking, Steve Verheul, Canada's former Chief Trade Negotiator, joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss negotiating the new NAFTA, the strength of middle powers, and Canada's potential leadership in creating a new trading system.

In this episode of Policy Speaking, Scott Balfour, CEO of Emera joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss the many puzzle pieces inherent in Canada’s energy transition. Balfour and Greenspon discuss how to reach renewable energy goals, the need for honest conversations and the question that’s on everyone’s mind: affordability.

Paired with the release of the Public Policy Forum’s Taking Back Health Care report, this special edition of Policy Speaking features report authors Dr. Victoria Lee and Dr. Danielle Martin. Dr. Lee, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University, and Dr. Martin, Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine with T...

In this episode of Policy Speaking, Harold Calla, executive chair of the First Nations Financial Management Board, and CEO Geordie Hungerford join host Edward Greenspon to discuss a roadmap for achieving economic reconciliation. Calla and Hungerford call for the creation of new Indigenous-led institutions, including a First Nations Infrastructure Institute, an Indigenous Development Bank and an In...

Stéphan Déry, Assistant Deputy Minister of Real Property Services at Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Edward Greenspon, PPF President and CEO, discussed the future of work and workspaces during a recent PPF Member Event. Their conversation ranged from how to modernize the federal government's workspaces to ways to attract and retain workers – including beautiful places to work. This epi...