Hub Podcasts

Jack Mintz, well-known economist and president’s fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says that while the federal government’s updated deficit may be “better than expected,” Canada is still running large, persistent deficits with a rising debt-to-GDP ratio and no credible path back to balance. He argues the bigger issue is the absence of clear fiscal anchors, warning 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. 0:22 - The media is begging for even more money. Here’s why the government keeps giving it to them , by Peter Menzies 6:16 - Why the Senate got antisemitism half-right , by Michael Geist This pr...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer react to the Carney government's spring economic statement. They discuss the government's structural deficit problem, its reliance on inflation to improve fiscal projections, and the distinction between operating and capital budgets. They also explore why the government favours new agencies and sovereign wealth funds over fundamental tax, regulatory, and competitio...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss Prime Minister Carney's proposed sovereign wealth fund for Canada. They argue that his proposed fund fundamentally differs from traditional sovereign wealth funds because it is debt-financed, not surplus-funded, and focuses on domestic rather than international investments. They explore whether this represents a subsidy program for economically unviable pro...

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. 0:22 - China is knocking at the trans-Pacific trade door—Canada must not swing it wide open , by Ed Fast 9:36 - The rise of the progressive bureaucrat and the fall of the efficient state , by Pa...

Investigative journalist Derek Finkle discusses how Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood became ground zero for Canada's drug policy debate after a fatal shooting at a supervised injection site. He details years of community concerns about open drug use, dealers, and mismanagement that preceded the tragedy, the inadequate institutional response afterward, and revelations from the criminal trial abo...

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 - 73 Pages, 4,800 hate crimes, 70 percent of them directed at the Jewish community—yet 0 real answers , by Stephen Staley 6:31 - When it comes to oil, price remains king for Canadian consum...

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. 0:29 - The big problem with the government’s AI supercomputer plan , by Sean Speer This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other gre...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the deteriorating Canada-U.S. trade relationship as CUSMA renegotiations loom. They explore how MAGA media portrays Canada as authoritarian and influences the Trump administration's hardline stance against its northern neighbour. They also examine how Prime Minister Carney's anti-American positioning, while politically successful domestically, may undermine...

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. 0:21 - Doug Ford’s private jet controversy might shed light on Alberta’s ‘gerrymandering’ debate , by Falice Chin 12:16 - Cheer up, conservatives , by Michel Kelly-Gagnon This program is narrate...

Rudyard Griffiths, publisher and co-founder of The Hub, testifies before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the state of Canada's journalism and media sectors. During his testimony, he argued that government funding creates an uneven playing field favouring legacy media over startups, undermines public trust in journalism, and stifles innovation. He proposed the following reforms: e...

Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and chair of Abacus Data, join Sean Speer to discuss Prime Minister Mark Carney's "Forward Guidance" video and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's competing video. They analyze Carney's approach and whether his technocratic style serves as a political strength, as well as Poilievre's strategic challenges in b...

Keith McLaughlin and Amber Ruddy offer sharply different views on Alberta’s electoral boundaries controversy but agree it has escalated into a high-stakes political and legal dispute, fuelled by accusations of gerrymandering. They highlight the tension between fast-growing urban centres and vast rural regions, raising fundamental questions about fair representation, political power, and whether po...

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. 0:20 - How Ottawa’s gas tax holiday will save the average household $65 , by Trevor Tombe 5:34 - The disastrous higher education policy Canada must avoid , by Adam Kemle This program is narrated...

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. 0:19 - Canada’s brain drain is only half the story , by Charles Lammam 9:07 - Ottawa’s election security fix is too little, too late , by Wesley Wark This program is narrated by automated voices...

Matt Duss and Trevor Sutton from the Center for International Policy explore the collapse of the post-Cold War neoliberal consensus and what comes next. In particular, they argue that both Trump's "America First" and Biden's "America is Back" frames are trapped in nostalgia for American dominance, when what's needed is a fundamentally new approach, one that disciplines capital rather than states,...

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. 0:20 - AI’s economic impact is going to be massive , by Sean Speer 6:30 - Canada, it’s time to break our long Stanley Cup curse , by Kirk LaPointe This program is narrated by automated voices. T...

Former media baron and author Lord Conrad Black reveals how real his friend President Trump’s Canadian annexation threats really were, grades Prime Minister Carney’s leadership, and explains why Canadians should quit downplaying how important their country is. He also reflects on why journalists have lost the trust of the public, his years behind bars, and explains why his name is in the Epstein f...

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. 0:22 - Down payments require 4 years’ worth of income in Toronto and Vancouver—in Edmonton, it’s less than 2 months’ worth , by Alicia Planincic 4:48 - What to do about Kanye West , by Ariella K...

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. 0:31 - How Poilievre’s biggest strength became his biggest weakness , by Sean Speer This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other gr...

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the Carney government's new majority and examine how Conservative MPs are abandoning their opposition role for constituency funding. They raise concerns about parliamentary tradition and democratic principles, questioning whether this represents a broader failure in Canadian political culture and civics understanding. They also consider the implications for...

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. 0:22 - To bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada, give Canadian NHLers a tax break , by Ian Cooper 6:37 - Stop trivializing the use of ‘genocide’ , by Harry LaForme This program is narrated by aut...

In this episode of Hub Politics, Amanda Galbraith, co-founder and president of Oyster Group, and David Coletto, founder and chair of Abacus Data, join Sean Speer to discuss Prime Minister Carney's majority government, examining how he's transformed the Liberal Party from Trudeau's progressive brand into a broad anti-Trump coalition. They discuss the challenges facing Conservative leader Pierr...

Krista Rabidoux, managing director at Andersen in Canada, explains how tax policy shapes the flow of talent and capital between Canada and the United States. In this episode of Alberta Edge , she outlines why lower thresholds for high incomes, tighter reinvestment rules, and fewer tax-free gains in Canada can create a “hoarding” mentality and limit entrepreneurs’ ability to scale. Yet in a moment...

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. 0:20 - How Canada’s economy is choking from federal regulations: 7 graphs , by Charles Lammam 8:52 - Canada’s critical mineral diplomacy aims to keep it at the table and off the menu—as U.S. com...