Resuming Debate

After being appointed Shadow Minister for Employment, I did a lot of reading about philosophies of work. In the process, I very quickly became fascinated by the writings of Dorothy Day, one of the most interesting and important 20th century thinkers involved in social action, writing, and concepts of social justice that are both pro-work and pro-poor. She is a figure of profound religious and poli...

Conservatives recently announced proposals for major reforms to the parental leave system in Canada, introducing greater flexibility for parents, allowing learning on leave, and making it easier for parents to earn extra income while watching their kids. Part of the rationale for this policy was the reality of Canada’s sharply declining fertility rates – and the growing gap between the number of c...

Liberals are making major changes to Canada’s Military Justice System, in ways that experts and other parties say will make the situation worse for victims. Over the past year, Bill C-11 on the Military Justice System has undergone careful review and significant amendment in committee. One of the first actions by the Liberals after getting their majority was to undo that work and advance a complet...

Government has a basic obligation to protect kids from sexual abuse. Exposing children to explicit sexual material is undeniably a form of abuse. At the same time, there is understandably a level of suspicion associated with any effort by government to impact the online space. So how can we protect kids in a way that is both responsible and effective? Bills by Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne have no...

I'm honoured to be joined this week by Carol Anstey, Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, a riding covering the whole western coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. MP Anstey was elected in the last general election following a successful career as a real estate agent and then broker, as well as a consultant for small- to medium-sized businesses. In our conversation, we talk about her e...

Canada’s housing crisis has become a central issue in the national conversation, with a deepening divide between those who own a home and those who worry that they never will own a home. While there are many factors contributing to the issues of housing supply and affordability, beauty might be an important and under-discussed consideration. Joining me this week are Jaydean Boldt, principal at New...

What does the ancient philosophy of Stoicism have to do with modern Canadian politics? According to my guests, a lot. At a time when we are grappling with how to adjust to unexpected changes outside our control, Stoicism provides a series of ideas and techniques which are potentially very useful as we adapt. When applied to national action, this outlook has been called "National Stoicism&quot...

With war again raging in the Middle East and elsewhere, I sat down with “Rusty” R.R. Reno, an American theologian, political philosopher, and editor of First Things Magazine, to discuss ideas about just war and how Vatican engagement on warfare is impacting the American political conversation. In this episode we explore the criteria for a just war, thechallenges involved in determining real motive...

In this heavy episode, I talk with longtime Conservative Shadow Minister for Veterans Blake Richards about how dealing with Veterans Affairs Canada has been a source of frustration, pain and even further trauma. In particular, we discuss the scandal of bureaucrats suggesting facilitated death to Veterans looking for help with essential services, and how C-260 will help put a stop to it. Be sure to...

Leah Libresco Sargeant is a family policy expert working in Washington D.C. and is the author of three books. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times , First Things , The Dispatch , The New Atlantis , and even CNN , and she publishes frequently on her Substack, Other Feminisms . In this episode, Leah and I discuss some of the key themes and topics in her most recent book, The Dignity of Dep...

Aaron Gunn represents North Island-Powell River in British Columbia in the House of Commons. Now he's thinking about making a bid for the leadership of BC's provincial conservative party. In this episode, Aaron explains his political philosophy, and we discuss key issues that are important to his constituents like energy development and drugs. We also break down the Vancouver Island politi...

Sandra Cobena is a new MP elected from the Toronto-area riding of Newmarket Aurora. Sandra left a successful career as a senior manager at TD Bank to run for the Conservative Party, and she now sits on the Finance Committee (a very rare appointment for a new MP). In this week’s episode of Resuming Debate, Sandra and I discuss her journey into politics, her take on the nation’s finances, the role o...

In the last couple months, some major intentional peace agreements have been negotiated. In other cases, such as Ukraine, war continues in spite of ongoing peace efforts. What does it take to achieve peace and what are the prospects for more peace agreements to come? This week I am joined by Balkan Devlen, a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and co-founder of the Pendulum Group. ...

How relevant is Ronald Reagan to modern Conservatism? This week I sat down for a conversation with Sean Speer and Anthony Koch about Reagan's enduring legacy. Sean Speer is a scholar and columnist and The Hub's Editor-at-Large. Anthony Koch is a prominent conservative political strategist and the Managing Principal of AK Strategies. Follow Sean Speer on X Follow Anthony Koch on X Read The Hub and...

In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Richard Dias, CFA. Richard is an economic analyst with Ice Cap Asset Management and a global strategist with a knack for breaking down complex data into clear and simple terms. He is a co-host of The Loonie Hour, a popular Canadian finance podcast and has been featured on countless other podcasts to share his insights. Join us for a t...

We're back! Resuming Debate has been on a bit of a hiatus since March, but we'll be returning to our regular programming of biweekly episodes released Tuesday evenings. In this episode, I sit down with friend and colleague Andrew Lawton. Andrew is a well-known media personality, author, and the newly elected Member of Parliament for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South. We talk about gun control,...

In the year after a devastating wildfire wreaked havoc on the town of Jasper, the people of that community continue the enormous task of rebuilding – and planning for the future. Joining me on today's episode of Resuming Debate are Dane de Souza, Indigenous Fire Stewardship Expert, and Dane Lloyd, Conservative Member of Parliament for Sturgeon River–Parkland. In this episode, we discuss the multit...

While Canadians are already struggling, Canadian charities are trying to fill that gap. But charities also face a series of unique challenges, some of them driven by government policy. Joining me on today's episode of Resuming Debate are Bruce MacDonald, President and CEO of Imagine Canada, and Deina Warren, Director of Legal Affairs at the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC). We discus...

I’m excited to kick off the new year with a very special guest - Michael Cooper, MP for St. Albert-Edmonton. In this episode of Resuming Debate, Michael shares his journey from getting involved in politics as a high school student to his current role as Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform. Join us as we talk about his early involvement in the Canadian Alliance party, his commitment to battling f...

Joining me today is a very special guest, my brother Dr. Quentin Genuis, emergency care doctor at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital. In addition to working on the front lines, Quentin speaks and writes a lot about subjects that draw on connections between medicine, theology, philosophy, and policy. In this episode we talk especially about his work with patients struggling with addiction, and what we...

Sudan faces the world’s worst catastrophe that you mightnot have heard about. While the rival armed factions of the RSF and SAF continue their war, the conflict has resulted in devastating impacts for the Sudanese people. 5 million children are being displaced and millions more Sudanese are succumbing to either violence or starvation. Joining me for adiscussion on this unfolding humanitarian crisi...

In the global struggle between freedom and tyranny, the battle for Burma is one of the least discussed and the most important. On this episode I speak to Zaw Kyaw, spokesperson for Burma's National Unity Government. We discuss that country's raging civil war and how the democratic forces are planning for the future._________________________________________X/Twitter: https://x.com/GarnettGenuisFace...

I never would have believed that a YouTube channel offering colour commentary on Parliamentary committee meetings could become so popular. On today’s episode, I chat with one of the unrelenting founders of NorthernPerspective about their work covering Parliament Hill. We talk Liberal scandals and the growing problem of political discrimination.

The Liberals like to talk about their childcare program, but childcare operators and experts are starting to identify big failures in implementation. On today’s episode I discuss the mechanics of the childcare program with two experts - Krystal Churcher from the the Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs and Peter Jon Mitchell from Cardus, an Ottawa-based think tank. We’re pleased to be ba...

In our final episode before the summer, I talk to John Bernard, the CEO of IT firm Donna Cona Inc. Several weeks ago John testified before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee and expressed profound concern about the problems in the federal government's Indigenous procurement system.  The government has a policy of setting aside a certain percentage of contracts for Indigenous firms. How...