The Backbench

Support us now! Click here :  canadaland.com/join The first episode of Canadaland was published ten years ago today. If we were to announce this is the last episode of Canadaland, no one would be surprised. Journalism in Canada is in a fight for its life. You can have an impact. Head to  canadaland.com/join  to become a supporter today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Canada is accusing India of a state-sanctioned assassination. What does this mean for the future of Canada and India’s relationship? AND, parental rights, an opioid crisis, and the missing Indigenous women whose bodies are presumed to be in a Winnipeg landfill are front of mind in this Manitoba Provincial election.  Host:  Mattea Roach Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Prod...

We’re busy preparing for our upcoming live events and working away on an exciting fall season, so we’re bringing you an episode from our friends Allison Smith and Jonathan Goldsbie on Wag the Doug   – a monthly podcast that grapples with the realities of the Ford government in Ontario.  They look at an issue that continues to make headlines - the international student market. Allison and...

The tale generally goes like this: Gen Z is disconnected, disinterested, and buried so deep into their screens that they don't care about the politics going on around them. But it's also clear that some young people are ready to ignite change if they have to. From the climate marches to the BLM protests to the Maple Spring, young people have been at the forefront of protests and disruptions for a...

It’s summer time, and Parliament’s been out of session for 2 months. For this episode of the Backbench, host Mattea Roach is joined by an all-star panel of Riley Yesno , Emilie Nicolas , David Moscrop . With updates on stories you may have missed this summer. Did shutting down an illegal border at Roxham Road work? Have we taken any political moves on addressing foreign interference? We’ll look ah...

Despite two catastrophic climate emergencies earlier this year, Nova Scotia has faced yet another devastating crisis - intense flash flooding. Our Scotian host, Mattea Roach, is joined by Halifax-based reporter from the National Observer, Cloe Logan to interrogate Nova Scotia’s climate emergency response. And in the wake of this climate catastrophe all eyes are on the recently implemented carbon t...

Mattea kicks it with esteemed Backbencher and political journalist David Moscrop at a café in Ottawa to talk about the current climate in Canadian politics, the impact of social media on discourse, the state of Canada’s political left, and are we in for an election next year? Editor's Note: In this episode of The Backbench, The Black Squirrel neighbourhood is incorrectly identified as being in Sun...

When Dr. Andrea McCrady first heard the sound of the carillon, she was hooked. Her passion led her to become the first woman Dominion Carillonneur on Parliament Hill where she plays for thousands. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at Parliament Hill and the history of this booming instrument.  Host:  Mattea Roach Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Tony Wang (Ma...

Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole has officially stepped away from Canadian politics, leaving behind the Conservative party he called home for over a decade. O’Toole addressed parliament for the last time on June 12th 2023, warning Canadians with the polarization of politics, the dangers of algorithms (their role in political discourse) and his overarching concerns with politics in this coun...

It’s Pride month! So we’re taking you back to notable moments in Canada's 2SLGBTQ+ history, so we can remember the people and work that can have made Canada the place it is today.  The history of LGBT rights in Canada is not as simple as pride campaigns, parades and vibrant gay villages. It’s a history of resilience, courage, and a determination to redefine what it means to be free and equal...

Are Canadian policy makers ready for the AI revolution? How effective are our current regulations? what should we be worried about? AND, are immigrants going to save our economy, or break it? From controversial rhetoric, a housing crisis, & more…How can we navigate this immigration conversation? Host:  Riley Yesno Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (...

A fiery election in Alberta. No, literally Alberta’s on fire this provincial election. AND, a $95 billion dollar lawsuit against the Ontario and Canadian Government challenging a lack of consent around resource extraction and the way treaty rights are upheld. This week longtime guest, first time host Riley Yesno is filling in for Mattea Roach . Host:  Riley Yesno Credits: Aviva Lessard (Produ...

This week host Mattea Roach is joined by Riley Yesno , Karen Restoule, and Ethan Cox to unpack the The Public Service Alliance of Canada Strike, and the increase of police involved deaths. PSAC has reached a tentative contract agreement after almost two weeks of striking against its employer – the Government of Canada. AND, there’s a sharp rise in police-involved deaths peaking in 2022. What is re...

This week Mattea Roach, is joined by Ziya Jones , Riley Yesno , and Frances Bula , to talk about public safety. A few weeks ago unhoused folks in Vancouver were met with displacement and decampment by police and bylaw officers. Who is this supposed solution meant for? AND, transgender and queer people have been facing a new wave of violent attacks globally. What kinds of protections might actually...

It’s that time of the year again! Budget season… AND, the story about Chinese government influence just keeps getting even more complicated. This week Mattea Roach is joined by Murad Hemmadi , Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Stuart Thomson to unpack how the complex issue of government interference is being seized on by various parties, and how feasible Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland’s proposed budget is for t...

Dig into Canadian politics from the best seats in the House. Join host Mattea Roach and our rotating roster of panelists from across the country while we engage in discussions about what is happening in Canadian politics right now, and why it matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, marking it as the biggest bank failure in the United States since the 2008 Financial Crisis. AND, our three top grocers testified at the House of Commons recently, but Canadians learned very little. This week host Mattea Roach is joined by Murad Hemmadi , Meagan Simpson , and Arshy Mann to unpack the future of the bank and tech industries, and why many Canadians...

Host Mattea Roach is joined by Emilie Nicolas, Stuart Thomson and Les Perreaux to talk about the latest at Roxham Road, the irregular border crossing where thousands of asylum seekers flock to Canada. What’s bringing them here and what’s happening once they arrive?    And a subset of Google users in Canada have discovered a bunch of Canadian news mysteriously disappearing from their sear...

Host Mattea Roach is joined by Nick Taylor-Vaisey , David Moscrop and Sandy Garossino to talk about the two objects shot down over Canada. Is this a question of national security? Or a weather monitoring program gone wrong? It’s probably not aliens, right?  Also, the Rouleau Report was released shortly after RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki announced the end of her tenure. The RCMP has felt the...

A proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit has been reached between the federal government and 325 First Nations, which applies to Indigenous children who attended residential schools during the day—students who were left out of the 2006 residential schools settlement. This episode gets into the legal elements of this lawsuit, how we got here, and what impacts it might have going forward.&nbs...

Armed conflicts across the world are increasingly demanding the attention of Canadians and prompting the federal government to get involved. This episode, host Mattea Roach is joined by Emilie Nicolas , Arshy Mann , and Steven Chase to talk about what Canadian intervention in Haiti could and should look like, and they also tackle the existential questions we have about our military: What is the st...

We tackle two crises facing our country – healthcare and climate change. Host Mattea Roach asks our panelists Riley Yesno , Drew Brown , and Sara Birrell about what we are doing to solve the major problems that exist in our splintered healthcare system and where we are really at when it comes to climate change policy. Does throwing money at the problem actually help? Host:  Mattea Roach Credi...

On December 14th, we brought The Backbench to you LIVE and in-person from the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto. It was an evening of “serious” political discourse and endless laughs. Our host Mattea Roach and our expert panelists, Emilie Nicolas , David Moscrop , and Murad Hemmadi unpacked the seriously eventful year that was 2022 – from faulty infrastructure, to the Pope’s visit, to our 2023 political...

We want to warn listeners that segment one talks about suicide and may not be suitable for all listeners. If you'd like to skip it go to 23:37. If you’re struggling with mental health please connect with a crisis responder to get help without judgment: Call 1-833-456-4566 / Text: 45645 (4 pm – midnight ET).  In this episode, host Mattea Roach, and panelists, Karen Restoule, Jaskaran Sandhu, a...

The six weeks of dramatic testimony have officially come to an end with testimony from the Prime Minister himself. Join our host, Mattea Roach, and an exceptional panel with Stuart Thomson , David Moscrop , and Sandy Garossino for a deep retrospective on Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act against the 'Freedom Convoy' this past February. Also, the Green Party has a “new” leader. Welcome ba...