The LeDrew Three Minute Interview

John Capobianco of FleishmanHillard joins Stephen LeDrew to look at the latest federal by-elections and ask whether Conservatives should actually be worried about the results. Capobianco argues that by-elections are usually snapshots rather than predictions of the next general election. Two of the recent contests were in longstanding Liberal territory, while the Conservative loss in Quebec may des...

Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri joins Stephen LeDrew to tackle the question being asked after another difficult night of by-election results: does the Conservative Party need a new leader? Ferreri says replacing Pierre Poilievre would be an easy answer — but probably the wrong one. Her argument is that Donald Trump currently consumes so much of the Canadian political conversation that almo...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew argues that Canada is undergoing major changes in its relationships with the United States, China and Europe — but Canadians are getting far too little information about where the country is heading. His central concern is not simply Mark Carney. It is the absence of parliamentary debate and accountability while major decisions are being made. LeDrew questions w...

Joe Adam George, researcher with the Middle East Forum, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss the Muslim Brotherhood, its international reach and concerns about its influence in Canada. George explains that the Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational political Islamist movement founded in Egypt in the 1920s and distinguishes it clearly from Muslims generally or Islam as a faith. The conversation focuses o...

Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss why Donald Trump continues to dominate Canadian politics — and what that means for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party. In this free three-minute preview, Ferreri argues that Trump has become such an overwhelming political distraction that Canadians are struggling to focus on domestic issues like affordability, debt, i...

Former Liberal MP Dan McTeague joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss what happened to the Liberal Party — and why so many younger Canadians are struggling to build the kind of life previous generations took for granted. McTeague argues that the Liberal Party he once represented was focused on balanced budgets, economic growth, controlled immigration and responsible government. In his view, Justin Trudea...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew argues that Canada’s problems go beyond politics and partisanship. The real issue is whether Canadians are getting good government. Mark Carney remains popular for standing up to Donald Trump, but LeDrew argues Canadians are deeply frustrated with the economy, taxes, affordability, development and the difficulty of getting major projects built. He also questions...

Dan McTeague joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss gasoline prices, diesel costs and why an energy-rich country like Canada continues to struggle with expensive fuel. In this free Three Minute preview, McTeague argues that Canadians are paying the price for years of weak energy policy, insufficient pipeline capacity, taxes and regulations that make it harder to produce and move oil and gas. He also warn...

Former broadcaster and MPP Peter Shurman joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Donald Trump, Mark Carney,Canada’s economic problems, and why Canadians may be focusing their anger in the wrong direction. Shurman argues that Trump did not create Canada’s economic decline. In his view, many of the country’s problems began under Justin Trudeau and will continue unless the Carney government produces a clear...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew declares that Mark Carney was right to reject a U.S. trade deal if the terms would have made Canada economically subservient — but argues that the decision is only the beginning. LeDrew points out that Donald Trump has forced Canada to confront weaknesses it has ignored for years: poor productivity, interprovincial trade barriers, stalled pipelines and resource...

Peter Shurman joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss a troubling question: is the business world beginning to give up on Canada? In this free Three Minute preview, Shurman argues that Canadian companies are increasingly moving operations and investment to the United States — and that Donald Trump and tariffs are only part of the story. LeDrew and Shurman discuss the economic legacy of the Trudeau years,...

In this Friday rant, Stephen LeDrew reacts to the Ontario Court of Appeal overturning a lower-court decision involving Toronto bike lanes — and says the ruling is about much more than cycling. LeDrew argues that the original decision crossed the line between law and politics by treating bike-lane policy as a Charter issue. He says the Court of Appeal delivered an important reminder: elected govern...

André Proulx, producer of The LeDrew Three Minute Interview and an NDP supporter, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Tim Hortons, temporary foreign workers and whether one of Canada’s most recognizable brands is doing enough to hire Canadians. Proulx says Tim Hortons pledged earlier this year to rely less on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and hire more Canadians — yet he says job postings conne...

Michael Nitefor, President of Air Lab, Inc., joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss the future of Ontario’s auto industry — and why he believes the current model is no longer sustainable. In this free Three Minute preview, Nitefor argues that decades of government intervention and subsidies have left Canada vulnerable as the North American auto industry changes around it. He warns that Ontario could lose...

Dan McTeague joins Stephen LeDrew to ask why personality and image seem to matter more than results in Canadian politics. McTeague argues that Canadians stuck with Justin Trudeau through three elections despite a weakening economy and growing dissatisfaction with his government. Now, he says Mark Carney is benefiting from a similar phenomenon: Canadians praise his résumé, seriousness and leadershi...

Alexander Brown of Without Diminishment joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Project Ontario, Doug Ford, conservative politics, and whether Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Government is living up to conservative principles. In this episode, Brown explains why Project Ontario is bringing together conservative groups, communicators, and organizations to push for better from the Ford government. While...

Kate Marland, deputy editor at Without Diminishment, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss morality, leadership, community, and whether society has lost the ability to tell right from wrong. In this episode, Marland argues that modern culture has become detached from reality, tradition, history, and objective truth. She says that when people are encouraged to define morality only for themselves, it beco...

Jerry Amernic, author of Sleepwoking, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss the controversy surrounding residential schools, the Kamloops announcement and calls to criminalize residential school “denialism.” Amernic argues that Canadians must be allowed to question historical claims and examine the evidence without fear of criminal punishment. He and LeDrew acknowledge that residential schools existed,...

Peter Shurman joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss why Canadians increasingly expect government to solve every problem — and why both men believe government should be doing far less. Shurman argues for a more minimalist approach: government should focus on core responsibilities like defence, immigration, transportation, health and education, while leaving businesses and individuals free to build, inves...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew asks how Canada allowed a generation of young people to leave school without mastering basic skills like handwriting, spelling, reading and writing. LeDrew argues that schools, education experts, unions and governments abandoned fundamentals in favour of digital learning — while many parents had no idea what their children were no longer being taught. But his bi...

John Turley-Ewart, contributing columnist with The Globe and Mail, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Nutrien’s decision to invest roughly $1 billion in export infrastructure at Longview, Washington, rather than expanding through the Port of Vancouver. Nutrien is a major Canadian potash producer, but Turley-Ewart explains that railway bottlenecks, labour disruptions and concerns about reliability mad...

Brian Lilley, columnist with the Toronto Sun, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Mark Carney’s secretive approach to government, including international agreements,the China Agreement, the Gordie Howe deal, and why Canadians are still giving the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt. In this episode, Lilley argues that all politicians prefer secrecy, but that Carney has taken it further by keeping...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew takes aim at what he calls the latest “Carney Caper” — a Canadian Armed Forces directive that forbids the use of the word “God,” including during services led by military chaplains. LeDrew argues that this is another example of government creep and a broader unwillingness to defend Canada’s own history, traditions and institutions. He contrasts the treatment of...

Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri joins Stephen LeDrew for a spirited debate about Pierre Poilievre, Mark Carney and the future of the Conservative Party. In this free Three-Minute preview, LeDrew asks whether Poilievre’s blunt political style is dividing Conservatives and making it harder for the party to present itself as a government-in-waiting. Ferreri pushes back, arguing that voters sh...

Franco Terrazzano, head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, joins Stephen LeDrew to talk about government waste, taxpayer money, and the staggering cost of Canada’s growing debt. In this episode, Terrazzano points to examples of public money being spent on projects he says taxpayers should never have been forced to fund — from Global Affairs Canada spending on international events, to municipal...