Hub Podcasts

Charlie Kirk, a prominent American conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated at age 31. Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss how his assassination highlights the escalating political violence in the U.S., drawing parallels to the attempt on President Trump's life. Kirk's influence extended beyond traditional politics, leveraging podcasts and social media to bu...

Christine Van Geyn, litigation director for the Canadian Constitution Foundation, discusses the controversial case of a Hamilton man ordered to remove 10 security cameras from his property under a 2010 municipal bylaw. She argues that the bylaw is being misapplied, and is potentially a violation of rights. The conversation explores broader themes around property rights, privacy expectations in the...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:28 - Ottawa floods the zone as the economy treads water , by Darrell Bricker 5:47 - Smaller audiences, bigger bailouts—Expect even more subsidies for Canada's dying broadcast platforms , by Pe...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the proposed merger between Canadian mining giant Teck and British mining company Anglo American, and whether this is a merger of equals or a takeover in disguise. They also examine the political implications of the deal, including its review under Canada's Investment Canada Act, and how economic nationalism and upcoming trade negotiations with Trump's Amer...

Conservative MP and immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner discusses the Conservative Party's proposal to eliminate Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program. She explains how the previous Trudeau government dismantled safeguards across immigration streams, with a particular focus on the TFW program, creating economic distortions that are suppressing wages, lowering productivity, and harming bo...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:27 - Lies, damned lies, and crime statistics , by Howard Anglin 5:46 - Crime is not going away as an issue for the prime minister , by Ben Woodfinden 9:17 - How conservatives can actually empo...

Zachary Siewert, professional forecaster from Cultivate Labs, discusses the growing role of economic and geopolitical forecasting, including how it's carried out and its potential uses for businesses, governments, and others. He then forecasts potential scenarios for the Canada-U.S. relationship, ranging from the likelihood that CUSMA is repealed to its renegotiation. The Hub is Canada's fastest g...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the Conservative Party's evolving relationship with organized labour as traditional working-class voters increasingly shift away from the NDP. They also get into competing perspectives on whether the Conservatives should embrace unions directly or pursue a "pro-worker but not pro-union" approach. Finally, they examine the NDP's transformation away from a pa...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:27 - Why Conservatives should be pro-union , by Bryce McRae 9:24 - Canadian universities must do more to protect freedom of speech , by Michael Zwaagstra and Matthew Mitchell This program is n...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the latest jobs report which showed big job losses in August, resulting in the unemployment rate reaching its highest since 2016, and the implications for Canada's economy and next month's federal budget. In the back half of the show, exclusive for Hub Heroes and Fellows, they cover Pierre Poilievre's provocative call to end the Temporary Foreign Worker pro...

University of Toronto economist Joseph Steinberg joins The Hub to examine whether Donald Trump's tariffs can actually boost American manufacturing or if they might have the opposite effect. Steinberg presents his research showing that although tariffs could lead to some long-term reindustrialization, the benefits would be concentrated in low-tech "toy" manufacturing sectors, while higher-value man...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:30 - Canada is experiencing the death of liberal democracy and the birth of 'prosecutorial democracy' , by Collin May 8:56 - Canada can fix its xenophobia by fixing its immigration system , by...

Leading author, journalist, and thinker David Frum and The Hub's editor-at-large Sean Speer discuss the significance of last week's high-profile meeting between Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi, and Indian Prime Minister Modi and what it tells us about the future of geopolitics. In the back half of the episode, they examine the crisis facing the New Democratic Party and what it could...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer examine Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent use of the term "austerity" ahead of the fall budget, examining what this signals for Canada's fiscal direction. They explore the political and practical challenges of implementing spending cuts when two-thirds of the federal budget remains off-limits, and the apparent contradiction between Carney's austerity messaging an...

Alberta's oilsands have come a long way from the early days of resource-heavy open-pit mines, when they became the poster child for environmentalist opposition. Today, new technologies, lower costs, and shifting ownership have reshaped both the industry's footprint and its role in Canada's economy. Alberta Edge host Ryan Hastman sits down with former energy executive Will Lacey to trace that trans...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:30 - Poilievre's call to scrap the temporary foreign worker program is a good first step , by Alexander Brown and Michael Bonner 8:07 - Canada's private space industry is—(nearly)—ready for la...

Sharren Haskel, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Israel, discusses her unique political journey from Toronto-born veterinarian to Israeli politician and her role in Israel's wartime diplomacy. She also discusses the current state of the Israel-Hamas war, where she argued that international pressure on Israel—including Canada's recognition of Palestinian statehood—has undermined ceasefire neg...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer analyze the striking images from China's military parade featuring Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un marching alongside leaders from the Global South. They examine what this display of authoritarian unity means for the end of unipolarity and the growing bifurcation of the world into competing spheres of influence, with China building an alternative networ...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:30 - On energy, Carney is talking the talk but not walking the walk , by Heather Exner-Pirot 6:02 - As Canada's healthcare system crumbles, our elites tell us there's nothing to see here , by...

Sean Speer joins Rudyard Griffiths to analyze what they describe as one of the most consequential weekends in recent geopolitics—a summit in China where leaders Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Narendra Modi were photographed in a symbolic embrace. They examine how this moment represents the world fracturing into two major power blocs, with India's participation marking a significant shift away fro...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:28 - Canada's immigration policy needs to address the students who don't speak English or French , by Danella Aichele 6:43 - Canada is no longer a reliable ally on the world stage , by Christi...

Marc J. Dunkelman, fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, discusses his must-read book "Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back." He outlines how well-intentioned progressive instincts to increase dialogue and input have inadvertently created a bureaucratic system of "vetocracy," increased government overregulation and inefficien...

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub . Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go. 0:28 - What can Mark Carney the goaltender tell us about Mark Carney the prime minister? , by Kirk LaPointe 6:42 - It's time for national military service , by J.L. Granatstein This program is n...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss Canada's economic contraction in Q2 driven by a decline in exports and business investment, while the U.S. economy grew over the same period, and the economic and fiscal consequences leading up to the fall budget. In the back half of the show, they discuss how these economic developments may affect the Canada-U.S. trade negotiations including the Carney gov...

Nancy Qian, professor of economics at Northwestern University, discusses China's growing pains, including its fertility crisis, per capita GDP struggles, and youth unemployment problems. The founding director of China Econ Lab discusses what these struggles spell for the Middle Kingdom's future. The Hub is Canada's fastest growing independent digital news outlet. Subscribe to The Hub's podcast fee...