The Really Big Show with Jim Csek &Iain Burns

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Today’s episode of The Really Big Show, Jim Csek and Iain Burns take a hard look at what many Canadians are starting to feel but few in power seem willing to acknowledge: a growing crisis of integrity in Canadian politics. With another MP, Marilyn Gladu, crossing the floor to join the Liberals, now the fifth defection this Parliament, the conversation zeroes in on what this means for democracy, ac...

In today’s episode of The Really Big Show, Jim and Iain reiterate Elon Musk’s sobering assessment: “Canada is cooked.” Following the major political earthquake of former Conservative leadership candidate Marilyn Gladu crossing the floor to join the Liberals, marking the largest mass defection to a governing party since 1917. The discussion examines what this move means for voter trust, democratic...

Support the Really Big Show. We’re building independent Canadian media into a powerful voice and we can’t do it without you. Contribute here: https://thereallybigshow.ca We tell real Canadian stories the mainstream won’t. Become a member and be part of it. Subscribe, share, and comment to help us grow. Live every weekday at 9AM PST

Today’s episode of The Really Big Show with Jim Csek and Iain Burns takes a hard look at what many are now calling a breaking point for Canadian democracy, as another Conservative MP crosses the floor and helps deliver a working majority to the Liberals. With Marilyn Gladu becoming the latest MP to switch sides, and now the fifth overall this Parliament, Jim and Iain unpack what this means for vot...

Today’s episode of The Really Big Show with Jim Csek and Iain Burns takes a hard look at what is increasingly feeling like a breaking point for Canada’s economy, as global instability and domestic policy pressures collide. With tensions escalating in the Middle East following a reported U.S. strike on Iran’s key oil export facility and warnings about the Strait of Hormuz, the ripple effects are al...

Jim Csek and Iain Burns sit down with Tracy Gray, former Member of Parliament for Kelowna–Lake Country, former Conservative Shadow Minister for Export Promotion and International Trade, and founder of TG Strategy, for a wide-ranging discussion on Canada’s economic, political, and trade challenges. The conversation covers everything from the upcoming CUSMA (USMCA) review and Canada’s lack of transp...

**Carney: Tear Down These Interprovincial Trade Barriers**In this segment, we dive into one of the most overlooked issues holding back Canada’s economy: interprovincial trade barriers. Ron Kubek, owner of Lightning Rock Winery, joins the show to break down the real-world impact of government policies that make it easier to sell Canadian products internationally than within Canada itself. From exce...

Today’s episode of The Really Big Show with Jim Csek and Iain Burns takes a hard look at what many are now calling a breaking point for Canada’s economy. With new polling showing jobs and the economy have overtaken even U.S. tariffs as the top concern for Canadians, the conversation dives into a troubling OECD report warning that Canada is set to lag behind other advanced nations for decades due t...

Jim Csek sits down with BC Conservative interim leader Trevor Halford and MLA Gavin Dew to break down what they see as growing economic instability in British Columbia. They discuss rising taxes, expanding PST on services, and how these policies are creating a “tax on tax on tax” effect that is hitting small businesses and consumers alike. The conversation highlights how uncertainty around governm...

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor of Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University and widely known as the Food Professor, provides a detailed look at the current state of food inflation in Canada. We discuss:• the primary drivers behind rising grocery prices• the role of dairy supply management in food costs and Canadian politics• how federal and provincial policy decisions have influenced...

Jim Csek and Iain Burns sit down with Heather Exner-Pirot, Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, for an in-depth and wide-ranging conversation on Canada’s energy industry and future. Heather breaks down the reality behind pipeline development in Canada, explaining why natural gas projects are moving ahead while oil pipelines remain stuck in polit...

Catherine Swift is a prominent Canadian economist, business leader, and advocate for entrepreneurship. She currently serves as President of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers & Businesses of Canada (CCMBC), where she represents the interests of Canadian industry and small business. Swift has had a distinguished career spanning both the private and public sectors. She was President of Wor...

Former BC Finance Minister Selina Robinson joins Jim Csek and Ian Burns for a candid, in-depth conversation on the state of British Columbia’s economy — and where things may be headed. In this wide-ranging discussion, Robinson reflects on her time delivering budget surpluses and contrasts that with today’s growing deficits, credit downgrades, and rising debt costs. She shares concerns about govern...

Today on The Really Big Show, Jim Csek and Iain Burns tackle a wide range of major national stories, led by a central question: are Canadians about to face a GST hike? The discussion focuses on growing fiscal pressure in Canada, with new reports suggesting that increased defence spending could force the federal government into difficult decisions, including raising taxes. This comes as concerns mo...

In today’s April 1st live show, Jim Csek and Iain Burns break down a series of major political and economic developments shaping Canada — with a central focus on Mark Carney, China, and growing concerns around conflicts of interest. The discussion zeroes in on the controversy surrounding Liberal MP Michael Ma, including his comments questioning evidence of forced labour in China, the reaction from...

While the world enters a "scramble for security," Canada sits on the very resource everyone is desperate for, yet the domestic economy is showing signs of "energy paralysis." According to the latest Statistics Canada data, the economy eked out a meager 0.1% growth in January—and that tiny fraction was driven almost entirely by the 1.2% rebound in the oil and gas extraction sect...

The imagery of the last 48 hours perfectly encapsulates this divide. In Hamilton, Prime Minister Mark Carney was seen rubbing shoulders with music royalty at the Juno Awards, where legendary songwriter Joni Mitchell accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award and publicly anointed Carney a "blessing" for the country. However, miles away from the orange carpet, the reality for average Canadians...

While the Prime Minister touts hitting the NATO 2% defense target early, the victory is being overshadowed by allegations of "creative accounting"—folding non-military bureaucracies into the $60B defense spend to meet the goal without actual military enhancement. This occurs against a backdrop of $2.6 trillion in household debt, with Gen Z and Millennials now holding nearly half of that...

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The headline story this week is the total collapse of integrity within the International Student Program. A devastating Auditor General report has confirmed that the system is not just flawed—it is being treated with "indifference" by those in charge. With 150,000 high-risk cases left uninvestigated and 92% of known fraudsters later being granted legal status, the message to the world is...

A scathing 2026 report from the Auditor General has pulled back the curtain on a system defined by "indifference." The audit reveals that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has effectively lost track of its own mandates, allowing a culture of fraud to take root in the international student program. With 710 out of 800 closely examined students found to be using fraud...

For decades, the "first job" was a rite of passage for Canadian youth—a way to build a resume and save for tuition. Today, that path is increasingly blocked. New data from the immigration department (IRCC) confirms what many families have felt: the unprecedented surge in foreign students and temporary workers has directly worsened the youth labor market, displacing domestic students from...

The current headlines reveal a country fractured by its own geography and policy. While Saskatchewan powers ahead as a rare economic engine—fueled by a massive $60B project surge and Canada’s lowest unemployment—the rest of the nation feels increasingly left behind. From the global stage to the kitchen table, the prevailing sentiment is one of being "sidelined." Internationally, Canada i...

After 11 years of shifting policies and economic cycles, Canada finds itself at a historic crossroads where the standard of living no longer aligns with the national "brand." While the country was once a perennial Top 5 contender in global well-being, it has now plummeted to 25th in the Oxford World Happiness Report—its lowest position since records began.