The LeDrew Three Minute Interview

John Capobianco of FleishmanHillard joins Stephen LeDrew to ask whether Donald Trump and the Canada-U.S. trade dispute are changing the traditional relationship between the Prime Minister and Canada’s Premiers. Normally, Ottawa speaks for Canada internationally while Premiers concentrate on their provinces. But Doug Ford, Wab Kinew, David Eby, Tim Houston and others have increasingly taken their o...

Mark Milke, President of the Aristotle Foundation, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss a growing frustration in Canada: the feeling that institutions making major decisions are increasingly disconnected from the people who live with the consequences. Milke argues that businesspeople and politicians face obvious reality checks — businesses fail, politicians lose elections — while people working within...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss one of the biggest political questions hanging over the province: could Alberta actually separate from Canada? Smith says roughly 30% of Albertans currently support leaving Canada — a number she says is far too high for comfort. She argues that separatist sentiment grew after another Liberal federal victory and reflects years of frustr...

In this Friday rant, Stephen LeDrew shares two recent conversations that convinced him Canadians are paying closer attention to politics, government and the direction of the country. The first came when several businessmen challenged LeDrew for being too hard on Prime Minister Mark Carney. LeDrew’s response was simple: show me the results. He argues that Carney has made ambitious promises about ac...

Public provocateur Robin Bredin joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss a question increasingly confronting Canadians: how do we rebuild social cohesion in a country that feels increasingly divided? Bredin argues that restoring Canadian society begins with individual liberty, independent thinking and a stronger education system. He and LeDrew discuss whether schools have abandoned fundamentals, whether pa...

John Capobianco of FleishmanHillard joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss one of Ottawa’s most persistent problems: a federal bureaucracy that can make even major government priorities extraordinarily difficult to deliver. The conversation begins with the departure of the Prime Minister’s handpicked official tasked with military procurement after roughly a year on the job. LeDrew argues that the episode...

Conservative strategist Michael Diamond joins Stephen LeDrew to tackle a frustrating question for the Conservative Party: if Canadians are unhappy with the economy, housing, transportation and the direction of the country, why isn’t the opposition further ahead? LeDrew argues that Mark Carney may understand strategy but has failed to deliver good government. Diamond pushes back, arguing that Conse...

In this LeDrew rant, Stephen LeDrew argues that Canada needs more accountability, more public participation and far more scrutiny of the people elected to govern. Pointing to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s push for faster project approvals and citizen-initiated votes, LeDrew asks whether Canadians should have more direct ways to influence government between elections. That could include referend...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Donald Trump, the Canada-U.S. trade war and why she believes Canada needs to stop thinking only about Washington. Smith argues that the strongest advocates for Canadian trade are often Americans themselves — governors, legislators, businesses and workers who benefit directly from doing business with Canada. She points to Bombardier as...

Conservative political strategist Michael Diamond joins Stephen LeDrew to debate a basic question about political loyalty: should anyone support a party simply because they always have? Diamond says no. Political parties still have to earn votes by producing policies that respond to the issues Canadians actually care about. The conversation turns to the Conservative Party’s challenge under Pierre...

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...