Canadaland

Internet trolls, doxing, conspiracy theories, harassment, criminal investigations, all the usual things that spring to mind when you think of small town council meetings. Welcome to Pickering, Ontario, best known for its nuclear power plant.Is the alt-right driving Pickering to political meltdown? Or is the town council trying to silence a duly elected official over political disagreements? Either way things have gotten so out of hand that city council has locked the doors to the public. Council meetings have moved online. Now political foes don’t have to sit in the same room.From Pickering to the wave of recent news stories south of the border where politicians from left to right are being shouted down at town hall meetings by angry constituents, are we witnessing the death of civil discussion in the civic sphere?Host: Jesse BrownCredits: André Proulx (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking b

Canada’s sudden political reorientation.As Trump continues to escalate the trade war, Paul Wells joins to consider the lasting impact on our relationship with the US. What started as anger is reshaping our politics. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Paul Wells Further reading: Trump says larger tariffs could be imposed on Canada, EU if they cause US 'economic harm' | ReutersTrump’s auto tariffs a ‘direct attack,’ Carney says as leaders react | Globalnews.caI’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped | US immigration | The Guardian‘Breakdown of rule of law’: McGill professor cancels trips to U.S. amid immigration crackdown - CTV NewsHere’s what experts say when it comes to U.S. border agents looking at your phone - CTV NewsFederal leaders' debates scheduled for April 16-17 in Montreal | CBC

First on the list of Paul Wells’s 4 Rules of Canadian Politics: “For any given situation, Canadian politics will tend toward the least exciting possible outcome.” In an election marked by foreign interference, an unelected newcomer leading the incumbent party, and annexation fears, what does “least exciting” even look like? Journalist and aforementioned rule-maker Paul Wells joins Jesse to review possible outcomes of the snap federal election.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Paul Wells Further reading: CSIS alleges India organized support for Poilievre’s 2022 Conservative leadership bid - The Globe and Mail‘Let’s just put things on pause': Alberta premier under fire for Breitbart interview - CTV NewsPaul Wells’s Rules of Canadian Politics, Annotated - MacleansMike Myers joins Mark Carney in Liberal ad supporting ‘elbows up’ movement - CTV NewsOPINION: Pier

And we’re off to the races! It’s time for the matchup, and election, of a generation. Newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney is taking on former front-runner Pierre Poilievre on April 28th. It’s a 5-week campaign. In the backdrop of a trade war, Trump’s annexation threats, And almost 10 long years of Liberal leadership. For over a year, Poilievre pretty much held a 20-point lead. A landslide Poilievre win wasn't just possible, it felt inevitable. But now? The game has changed. Somehow, against all odds, the Liberals have clawed their way back to the top. Host Noor Azrieh sits down with conservative strategist Amanda Galbraith and progressive strategist Jordan Leichnitz to dissect what went so wrong for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.And the latest on, Mark Carney’s long-awaited seat announcement coupled with the ousting of Liberal MP Chandra Arya, and Premier Danielle Smith’s untimely appearance on Breitbart.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh

It’s possible that this will be the most consequential vote you’ll ever cast. With our sovereignty, our nation, our very future on the line Jesse breaks down the big questions for you. How can Miss Manners help Carney? And why is Poilievre’s Schwarzenegger impersonation glitching?Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor, Mixing & Mastering), Julian Abraham (Fact Check) Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther Reading:Canada's housing bubble can be traced to Mark Carney and his bias for easy policy - Financial PostHousing hell: How we got here and how we get out [Video]WACKOS: the weird, wild, woke & wonderful world of the people running our country [Video]Carney in the coal mine  [Video]Canada, Pierre Poilievre Is Just Like Donald Trump [Video]This is Carbon Tax Carney—he's Just Like Justin! [Video]Sponsors: Douglas: Douglas is giving our list

Poilievre bans journalists from travelling with him on the campaign trail, but did he get a free  ride in the press so far? Dougald Lamont joins San Grewal to discuss coverage of Poilievre heading into the next election. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Dougald Lamont Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors: Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offerPolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs.Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.BetterHelp:  Visit BetterHelp.c

Mark Carney’s visit to Europe signals Canada’s new approach to the trade war with the US. Dougald Lamont joins The Pointer’s San Grewal to discuss the economic reality behind the trade war theatrics. Plus, pulling the plug on Doug Ford’s electrical fiction. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Dougald Lamont Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors:Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.PolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows

Is AI slop the ultimate weapon for foreign interference? Or are we spiraling into another internet-fueled moral panic?Last week several AI-generated photos of Mark Carney and Ghislaine Maxwell looking chummy went viral. It was easy to spot the fake, but it raised an important question: should we be worried about AI in this election?Ryan Broderick, author of the Garbage Day newsletter, and host of his own podcast Panic World, doesn’t think so.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Ryan BroderickFurther Reading On Our WebsiteSponsors: Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off & 10GB of free data. Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Whether you'reprotec

Take your pick: censoring, banning, removing, or “weeding.” However you want to describe it, Canadians are pulling books from library shelves.  The books in question range from The Handmaid's Tale, Gender Queer: A Memoir,  to the works of Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl. The drive to rid our shelves, particularly school library shelves, of books comes from both left and right. Both sides censor. You can frame their motivation as opposition to woke indoctrination, or you could call it diversifying the cannon. But does it really matter what you can or can not access with your library card when your phone can give you, or your child, access to almost anything? With all that “anything” implies. And if you’ve taken the time to read this far you’re an exception. People are reading less and less. So does any of this matter? According to Ira Wells, author of On Book Banning it does. For him it’s central to art, crucial to democracy, and fundamental to our basic respect for each other, and of course, our child

Trudeau rides off into a ‘Sunny Ways’ sunset.As Mark Carney takes over as Prime Minister, Stuart Benson joins to consider Trudeau’s legacy and whether his trade war finale will reshape how he is remembered. Plus, Trudeau’s impact on the media might get overlooked, but it will have lasting effects on the viability of Canadian news outlets. Click here to complete the Canadaland survey—thank you!Host: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Stuart Benson Further Reading on Our Website Sponsors:Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data. PolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with

The Liberal’s Carneycopia is betting big on Dad Energy. Mark Carney wins the Liberal leadership in a landslide,  but is he a saviour or a snoozefest? Plus, Tesla’s surprising sales spike and BC salmon farming courtroom drama. Click here to complete the Canadaland survey—thank you!Host: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Stuart Benson Further Reading on Our Website Sponsors: Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data. PolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. BetterHelp:  Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll als

Canada is deep in the trenches of a trade war with the United States. After U.S. President Trump unpaused the 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports, all hell has broken loose: the federal government has fired back, provincial leaders are firing shots of their own, and more threats have been made - and then walked back - by the White House. All this, while Canadians are caught in the middle. What sense can we make from the mudslinging? If the chaos unfolding only covers one week of this dispute, what could possibly come next?Host Noor Azrieh catches up on the longest week in Canadian politics with Max Fawcett, lead columnist for the National Observer. Together, they sift through the madness, and they argue whether or not Canada’s new, un-elected prime minister, Mark Carney, is up for the task of wartime leadership.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Edito

When Trudeau prorogued Parliament 26 bills were binned. Bills are the democratic process made concrete and the laws that they can turn into are the end product of the whole political machine. They decide whether you have the right to die by choice. They decide what you can and cannot say. They tell you whether or not you can go back to work or not because you can or cannot afford to send your kid to daycare. Each bill is the end result of years of campaigning, research, fundraising, debates, and compromise. So, multiply that by 26, then throw it all out.What bills were trashed? Are they gone forever? What should come back and what should stay in the bin?Jesse sorts the trash with conservative pundit and former Communications Director for Pierre Poilievre’s leadership campaign, Ginny Roth, as well as Katherine Scott from the Canadian Centre for Political Action, and digital law expert Michael Geist from the University of Ottawa.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Prod

Battle lines are being drawn in the Canadian tech industry around a policy initiative that is drawing comparison to Elon Musk’s DOGE. Plus, updates on tariffs, and The Breakdown podcast’s legal battle. CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this episode, producer James Nicholson suggests reports of the number of USMCA-compliant goods imported from Canada to the United States are between 62% and 95%. The number reported is actually between 38% and 95%; the CBC reported Canada-imported good to the U.S. could be as high as 62% non-compliant. The episode was edited to remove the mention of this range.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Douglas Soltys Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors: Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.PolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.V

Making Sense of Trump’s Tariffying Tuesday.Douglas Soltys joins to dissect Trump’s trade war chaos, Doug Ford’s tough talk, and Trudeau’s non-tariff options.  Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Douglas Soltys Further Reading on our Website Sponsors:Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offerPolicyMe: Get Covered in Minutes—No Hassle, No Hidden Fees.Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutBetterHelp:  Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to g

For the first time since 2021, the Liberals are beating the Conservatives in a recent poll. We’ll find out on March 9th if Carney is officially sticking around for the long haul. And then? He’s going to be the Prime Minister - at least for a little while. Carney-mania is going around - is it real? Or seriously overblown? Is he Canada's Kamala Harris - mild, overhyped, and fated to lose - or a serious contender? Host Noor Azrieh and Luke Savage try to diagnose what's behind Carney-mania– how a socially conscious banker became the man of the moment. And the latest, on the ongoing saga of Trump’s tariffs. Also, King Charles’s sit-down with PM Justin Trudeau over “matters of importance” to Canadians. And BREAKING NEWS, Donald Trump doesn't like Chrystia Freeland or Pierre Poilievre. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony

It's so normal to complain about the CBC that it's hard to imagine that one day, maybe one day soon, there may no longer be a CBC to complain about. The Conservatives are campaigning on defunding it. The Mother Corp. itself can’t seem to figure out which way is up, particularly when it comes to television ratings. Sure, radio still pulls in the numbers, but what is the future of radio itself?So, is CBC f*cked, like f*cked as in doomed? How do we unf*ck it? F*ck if I know. So we’re asking you, dear listener, how to fix it. The lines are open caller…Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Guests: Listeners like youFact checking by max collinsAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther reading:Bang for our buck — Canadian Centre for Policy AlternativesSponsors: Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pi

Why not being American is at the core of Canadian identity. With Canada’s big win at the 4 Nations and SNL’s 50th anniversary, Canada entered the American zeitgeist. But is there more to Canadian identity than hockey, poutine, and not being American?  Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rahim Mohamed Further reading: Opinion: This was the weekend that Canada dominated the zeitgeist - The Globe and Mail Most Canadians believe hockey is core to Canada's national identity | Toronto SunCanadian fans irked by Wayne Gretzky's affiliations with Trump amid tensions - Sportsnet.ca Trump defends Gretzky, says ‘the Great One’ wants Canada to remain Canadian | Globalnews.ca Canada Is Taking Trump Seriously and Personally - The Atlantic Opinion: Wab Kinew has the makings of a great national leader - The Globe and Mail  Sponsors:Squarespac

Canadians are furious at CBC’s Cross Country Checkup trainwreck.  Plus, why did CBC’s new mandate sit on Trudeau’s desk for months? National Post’s Rahim Mohamed co-hosts. We want to hear from you! Tell Jesse your plan to “Unfuck the CBC.”  On Thursday, February 27th, 1pm ET/10am PT, go to www.callinstudio.com/show/canadaland  or call us toll-free at 1 888 401 7056Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rahim MohamedFurther Reading On Our Website Sponsors: Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offerPublic Service Alliance of Canada: Take action at remoteworks.ca today to support a future of work that benefits everyone.Crash Safe Dog: For a limited

The Arctic is quickly becoming the center of a geopolitical shitstorm. We’re talking power, resources, and territory at stake. And everyone wants a piece of it. Donald Trump floated taking Greenland and Canada to make his claim. But he’s not the only one. Russia’s making moves. So is China. And Canada? Politicians, left and right, are talking about it. Host Noor Azrieh sits down with Gavin John, a freelance journalist embedded in the Arctic, and asks, what’s really at stake for Canada in the Arctic? Is this frozen tundra our greatest vulnerability or our most valuable asset?And the latest on, the crash and burn of Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla, and PM Justin Trudeau’s Ukraine visit. Oh, and don’t forget the Ontario election. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Gavin JohnBackground reading:Canada T