Open to Debate with David Moscrop

In January, the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel released its report ‘Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act’. The recommendations are sprawling; some are wise and timely, others are invasive and unnecessary, advocating a highly regulated internet and an interventionist communications regulator in service of, among other things, the future of Canadian content and c...

Canada’s national defence regime has long been bound up with the United States and our allies. For years, along with our partner states, we have been under various threats from the Cold War to terrorism and beyond. Most recently, challenges from Russia and China have become particularly significant while questions surround the future of American hegemony and the NATO alliance. That leaves us to as...

The Royal Family is once again front and centre in the news, this time thanks to two of its most prominent members, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, stepping back from their official duties. Whenever the royals take centre stage, the country is plunged headlong into a familiar debate: Does Canada need the monarchy? On episode 10 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Dale Smith, a freelance jo...

In June of this year, the Conservative Party of Canada will choose a new leader. Its last leadership race, in the spring of 2017, highlighted competing visions of conservatism within the party springing from different values, priorities, and approaches among the country’s conservatives. What is the future of conservatism in Canada? On episode 9 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Kate Harr...

Canada’s 43rd Parliament is in session. The Speech from the Throne has been delivered. Justin Trudeau remains Prime Minister. But the dynamics in the House of Commons are likely to change now that the country has a minority government. What should we expect from Canada’s 43rd Parliament? On episode 8 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Tonda MacCharles, senior reporter with the Toronto Sta...

The internet was once imagined as a free and open communications utopia. Like all utopias, however, it was not to be. But the spirit of an unbound and accessible internet lives on, as does the question “can we fix the internet?” On episode 7 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Laura Tribe, executive director of Open Media, about digital rights and telecom policy in Canada.

Meet the new government, same as the old government. Kind of. On election night, Canada returned a hung parliament with Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party set to maintain power--but now in a minority position. The prime minister remains the prime minister, but he will be forced to cooperate with opposition parties to legislate. On episode 6 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Aaron Wudri...

On this election campaign special, we discuss one of Canada’s closest races ever -and what you should expect in the days, weeks, and months to come. For episode 5 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Shannon Proudfoot, a journalist with Maclean’s, about the performances of each party so far, minority and majority parliaments, voter turnout, and some ridings to watch.

On October 21st, Canadians will go to the ballot box and return a government in Canada’s forty-third general election. The race is very close--the incumbent Liberals and the Conservatives are within a few points of one another in most polls. In episode 4 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Kevin Milligan, a professor of economics at the University of British Columbia, about some of the pol...

For years, researchers, activists, and both current and former prisoners have asked “Do we need prisons?” The state of correctional services in Canada and around the world--and the disparity between the theory of corrections and its practice--make this a timely and important question that reflects concerns about justice, equity, dignity, and decency. In episode 3 of Open to Debate, David Moscrop s...

Climate change is the most significant threat to humankind in recorded history. Despite increasingly alarming warnings that our way of life is unsustainable—and driving us towards potential ruin—we resist the reforms necessary to save ourselves, opting instead for half-measures that seem to be too little, too late. Can we manage the climate crisis?

Democracy has survived ideological challengers, economic disruption, and even war. But can it survive the internet? In this episode, we discuss digital threats, to democratic health--from at home and abroad.

Smart, witty, and thoughtful political conversations that break from the limits of the 24-hour news cycle and the 280 character limit. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of the history and implications of the issues that shape us and our environment, anchored in discussions about public policy, and supported by research. Open to Debate is a space for agreeable disagreement based...