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Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Tuesday this week was budget day, the Carney government’s long-awaited, first. And as we typically do when there’s a fresh budget to pick apart – we’ve assembled the policy panel for our very own Herle Burly Budget Lock-up.
Dr. Jennifer Robson, Tyler Meredith and Ben Woodfinden are here to give us their review of Budget 2025.
You loyal Herle Burly-ites know Jennifer and Tyler well ... but Ben is new to the panel, so I’m going to start the bona fides with him.
Only one month ago, he joined Meredith, Boessenkool & Phillips as a Senior Advisor and Director of their new premium policy intelligence service, MBP Intelligence. Over his career, he’s provided advice, translated policy and shaped messaging in the highest stakes political environments, most recently as Director of Comms for Pierre Poilievre.
Jennifer has served in senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University, and a fellow of the Public Policy Forum
And Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool & Phillips Policy Advisors.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. Remember about 15 years ago, when the publicly-troubled-at-the-time actor Charlie Sheen went viral for invoking the word “WINNING!” all over the place and in some pretty odd ways. Even when he wasn’t winning.
Charlie’s past that now. But let me submit our guest today has full rights to that word: Veteran PC and Conservative Party campaign manager, Steve Outhouse.
He managed Premier Tony Wakeham’s majority winning campaign just a couple of weeks ago in Newfoundland. As well as Premier Smith’s UCP majority victory in Alberta.
Steve hails from Freeport, Long Island in southwest Nova Scotia. He worked in various comms roles in the Harper government before moving on to helm 3 federal CPC Leadership campaigns, as well as provincial leadership campaigns in Nova Scotia, PEI and the aforementioned Newfoundland and Labrador. He’s the founder of the “Just Campaigns” consultancy and says he’s “a bad business person”, but winning elections isn’t exactly bad for business.
We’ll talk today a little more about Steve’s background about what animates his political life. Then we’ll do a deep dive into modern campaign mechanics: What works today? What doesn’t? I want his thoughts on “hot button” issues and how best to use them. Then, and this particularly relevant because he was Chief of Staff to Pierre Poilievre prior to 2015, what advice would Steve give to the federal Conservatives?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites. The guy driving the online initiative, Build Canada, is here... Daniel Debow.
Build Canada bills itself as a community of entrepreneurs, leaders, and motivated citizens who are committed to driving Canada’s growth. The hub of it all is a website that allows Canadian “builders” to take their ideas – bold, courageous, policy ideas, and publish them as specific, actionable memos that people can read and react to. That would include government and public policy people.
I’ve talked about them on the pod before. About 5 months ago when I had on the pod journalist David Skok from The Logic.
But now, the volunteer Chair, co-creator, and “chief cheerleader” (as he calls himself) of the whole thing. Daniel Debow has quite a CV: ridiculously successful entrepreneur, early investor in over 50 tech companies, board director, educator and mentor.
We’re going to find out more about his backstory, because I want to start the interview there. What he’s learned in business and what lessons are applicable to making Canada better. What he’s trying to achieve with Build Canada. How much, and in what ways, does he think Canada needs to change. And does he see a new government that can help us grow (and I’m quoting from the website now) ... “fast and fearlessly ... to become the most prosperous country in the world”?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright Herle Burly-ites, we’ve got a Minister in the House today! It’s the 2nd time he’s been on the pod in just over 6 months: The Honourable Marc Miller is our guest.
Near the end of July, he came on here to talk about his work as Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations. Two days later the Prime Minister shuffled his cabinet and Mr. Miller into one of the most politically sensitive, highly pressurized portfolios … Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Now that he’s sitting squarely in the sights of both the opposition and the media, never more so than right now, I’m thrilled that Minister Miller is back to talk about both the challenges and the opportunities, including our actual and perceived capacity to increase immigration levels, exploitation of temporary foreign workers, and capping international student permits.
Finally, we’ll talk about the Liberal Party of Canada’s re-election chances and his take on Pierre Poilievre.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Today on the pod, a guest who makes me feel like we’re doing something right around here at Air Quotes Media. Or, at least, not altogether wrong. That’s because she keeps coming back to the show, pretty much every time we ask her. 5 times now! And that makes her the all-time record holder for appearances … taking her out of a tie with Peter Weltman.
I want all our listeners to know, I’ve offered her the coveted full-time position as Herle Burly In-House Economist, but for some weird reason, she prefers to remain in her current job: Global Chief Economist and Strategist at Manulife Financial.
Frances Donald is with us today!
So today, a tour of most of the economic hot button issues:
What’s the outlook for the next 18 months?
Canadian Fiscal Policy and the role of low deficits.
Immigration and the economy.And why is there a shortage of skilled trades to build the housing we so desperately need?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright, you Herle Burly-ites, I’m always chuffed when we’re able to put a journalist panel together. And goddammit, I feel just a huge amount of power putting questions to people who do it for a living! But let’s face it … they’re far better at it than me.
Vassy Kapelos, Aaron Wherry and Campbell Clark are here today!
Just a brief bio for each because you plugged-in Herle Burly-ites know these 3 pretty well:
Vassy is CTV News’ Chief Political Correspondent. The Host of their weekly political journal of record, Question Period, and Host of CTV News Channel’s weekday show, Power Play.
Aaron is Senior Writer at CBC News. He’s covered Parliament Hill since 2007. And he’s the author of “Promise and Peril”, a deep dive into Justin Trudeau’s years in power.
Campbell is Chief Political Writer for the Globe and Mail, with their Ottawa bureau since 2000. Before that, he wrote for the Montreal Gazette and National Post.
#BREAKING This is going to be a politics show. I want to get our panellists’ thoughts on the 3 major parties and leaders. Where they stand now in the minds of the electorate and how they got there. How current events and polling are shaping their strategies and their messaging. And what the “gallery” makes of the different approaches, and how best to cover it.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’re coming back strong with our first show of the year because of the history and political perspective we’re going to get over the next 60 minutes. Former multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister and over quarter century Member of Parliament, Carolyn Bennett is our guest.
Ms. Bennett is political wonder. Winner of 9 straight elections in Toronto-St. Paul’s. Family Physician by training. The first-ever Minister of State for Public Health where she led the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada and appointed our first Public Health Officer. She was appointed Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in 2015. Then, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. And in 2021, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. Ms. Bennett announced her retirement from public life just about a month ago.
So today on The Herle Burly: The Carolyn Bennett Exit Interview. We’re going to talk about the evolution of the Liberal Party over close to 30 years. Where the country’s at on Indigenous relations and how that’s changed. Similarly, Healthcare and Public Health.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright you holiday Herle Burly-ites, welcome to our last pod of the year. We’ll be back week of January 8th , 2024, as I’m heading to my prairie homeland during the break for a little L-H-R in R time. That’s a Herle acronym for Lemon Hart Rum in Regina time. But getting back to today’s show …
This is just a fantastic way to send out our podcasting year: Jason Kenney is our guest! The 18th Premier of Alberta. Former Leader of the United Conservative Party and the last leader of the Alberta PC Party. MP for the Reform Party and Canadian Alliance. And a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Harper’s Conservatives from 2006 to 2015. Just a highly distinguished political career. Which is where you might expect me to take the bulk of this conversation. Except that, I won’t.
Instead, today I want to talk to Mr. Kenny about the Conservative movement and modes of thinking on a larger scale and on a number of issues. Global Affairs. Russia and Ukraine. China. Israel and Gaza. Climate Change and different ways to grapple with it. The future of the U.S. Republican Party, and more.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. An auspicious pod for you today. It marks a first in the long and storied, yet somehow still dubious history of The Herle Burly.
We have the United States Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen as our guest. 2 years and 2 weeks into the job! I’d need a whole separate pod to cover off Ambassador Cohen’s CV (see official bio below) — it’s that long and accomplished.
Suffice to say his career has spanned business, law, politics, academia, non-profit and a host of board work. And I’m going to spend some time with the Ambassador on his backstory, so we’ll find out more.
We’re also going to talk his impressions of Canada, U.S. politics and leadership in the world, the future of global trade.
Official bio: Before his appointment by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen served as Senior Advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation as of January 1, 2020. He was previously Senior Executive Vice President at Comcast, where his portfolio included corporate communications, legal affairs, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact. Cohen also served as the company’s first chief diversity officer.
Before starting with Comcast in July 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country. From January 1992 to April 1997, Cohen served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.
Cohen served on many nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; as a member of the trustee board and the executive committee of Penn Medicine; as a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; as chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company; as a member of the Board of the National Urban League; and as chair of the corporate board of advisors of UnidosUS. Cohen also previously served as a member of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. He also served on the board of directors of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and PNC Bank, National Association.
A native of New York, Cohen graduated with a B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1977 and with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School summa cum laude in 1981. Cohen has received numerous honors and recognitions, including Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Prior to his appointment to Ottawa, he lived in Philadelphia with his wife.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Here we are, in late 2023. With housing prices still out of sight. Availability of affordable housing, negligible. Government measures crawling slowly into place. Poilievre making hay with a 15-minute docu-drama, viewed millions on the subject. I want to talk about all of that today. And I couldn’t have two better, more engaged-with-the-issue people, to do it with:
Mike Moffatt is an Assistant Professor in Business, Economics, and Public Policy at Ivey Business School, Western. He’s also the Senior Director of Policy at the University of Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute. His current area of research is on Canada’s housing supply and affordability crisis. He’s authored many research reports, made hundreds of media appearances from TVO’s The Agenda to CBC’s The National. His team’s work has led to several public policy changes at all levels of government. And in 2023, he was named one of the most influential people in Ontario real estate.
Ron Butler is a 28-year veteran of the mortgage industry and one of its most prominent names. He’s the founder, and a principal, of discount brokerage Butler Mortgage Inc and he’s a hugely outspoken voice on the Twitter-verse on the subject. A few months ago, he launched his own weekly show — “Angry Mortgage Podcast” — to share his insights, and vitriol, on the subject.
So today, we’re going to benefit from Mike’s 30,000-foot view … and Ron’s boots on the ground experience. What’s happening in the market right now? What’s the situation for mortgage holders facing renewal? What can we expect from government action at all levels? What are the prospects for people in their 20s and 30s to ever own a home? And what did they think of Poilievre’s opus?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Welcome back to our semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. This is edition 4 of The Chiefs, Herle Burly-ites. We debuted it back in January to discuss the issues from the unique perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do … i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense … but rather, from the POV of what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense. So once again, we’re doing that with these 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:
Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.
Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.
Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.
So today, I want to talk about how major policy choices, like what was contained Fall Economic Statement affect the political positioning of each of the parties, as they head into Year 3 of this mandate. Lots of governing grist in that!
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites. We’re recording the show on FES+1 ... one day after Minister Freeland dropped the Fall Economic Statement. So that’s precisely what we’re going to focus on for most of the pod, today.
With me to do that is a guest I’m really excited about. Not only because it’s his first time here on The Herle Burly. But because he’s an economist who hasn’t been afraid to do some fiscal truth-telling, both federally and provincially, for quite a while now.
Trevor Tombe joins us. Trevor is based out west. He’s a Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary, and a Research Fellow at The School of Public Policy. His research focuses mainly on fiscal federalism, macroeconomics, and international trade. He’s also a Co-director at Finances of the Nation, which assembles public finance data and builds tools to make it more accessible and useful for analysis and research.
So, here’s where we’re going with this today: I want to get Trevor’s take on the specifics of the fall update. What did we learn and what did it reveal about where we’re headed fiscally? Then we’ll do a general overview of our economy, with a special focus on the Western economy. Including Trevor’s own research into Alberta’s position in the CPP.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’re setting the policy table ahead of the 2023 Fall Economic Statement with our pod's favourite public policy thinkers. We had them on here last December as a policy troika, then after last spring's federal budget, and with us again today are: Dr. Jennifer Robson, Sean Speer and Tyler Meredith.
Jennifer is Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of public programs.
Sean is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, The Hub dot ca.
And, as of January, Tyler is a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. He’s the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! That guest is Mark Podlasly. Mark is a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia and he’s the CEO of First Nations Major Projects Coalition.
The F-N-M-P-C is an Indigenous-led organization involved in major energy, infrastructure, and resource developments across Canada. Specifically, Mark drives engagement and advocacy for greater economic participation for member nations. And, he has over 25 years’ experience leading the planning and execution of complex capital projects around the world.
So, “Major Projects” ... “National Projects” ... “Nation Building” ... we hear all these terms coming from the Carney government. But if it’s truly a National Project, it has to be with Indigenous support and participation. Easy to say. Maybe a little more difficult to make a reality. That’s what Mark and I are talking about today.
How do those negotiations happen? What’s the right amount of equity? What are the other factors that matter, besides equity? Are there past examples we can look to for guidance? And is the governance in place to get it all accomplished?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites!
We’re going to spend the next hour examining a topic that, if you listen to Curse of Politics, we’ve also spent a little time on there — but today we’ll dive deeper into it: the future of the federal Liberal government and its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
What needs to happen in the short and longer term to turn around deeply sagging poll numbers and perceptions? And not just the electoral strategy behind it, but how should it governs and what needs to change with policy and leadership?
I couldn’t have a better guest to have this conversation with. Don Guy.
Don Guy is, was, and will always be a force in Canadian politics. He’s been described by Maclean’s Magazine as a legendary political strategist, by the Globe & Mail as the most successful political strategist of the past decade, and by the Toronto Star as a policy wizard.
Don has a long list of professional accomplishments. Campaign Director for the Ontario Liberal Party for over 13 winning years, Chief of Staff to Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 - 2006, Senior Advisory to the 2013 BC Liberal election campaign. Today he’s a founding partner at GT&co and owner and chief strategist at Pollara Strategic Insights.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites! I’m excited about this pod and the conversation we’re about to have, for a couple of reasons. First is, our guest today is the ONLY GUEST we’ve ever had on the show, or likely WILL EVER have, who has stepped foot in my hometown of Prelate, Saskatchewan — rural municipality of Happyland, current population, about 154. I’ve talked about this here before … my Dad was the Reeve of Happyland!
The great John Ibbitson joins us.
We’re going to look back on the DiefenPearson years. John’s new book is “The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson, and the Making of Modern Canada.” About how these 2 leaders, fierce rivals who came from very different places and backgrounds, worked to establish policy and political norms that built the country we all recognize today. We’ll talk about all of that and we’ll also talk about how, in this current climate of political polarization, those norms may be under threat.
You all know John. One of this country’s foremost authors and journalists. He’s currently a Writer-at-Large for the Globe and Mail. He also served as Chief Political Writer, Political Affairs columnist and Bureau Chief in both Washington and Ottawa. John’s previous books include the number 1 bestselling “The Big Shift” (with Darrell Bricker), and “The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream”. And among a ton of other accolades, he’s a winner of the Governor General’s Award, and he’s been shortlisted for the Donner Prize and National Newspaper Award.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! I’m so chuffed to introduce our guest today on The Herle Burly: The 24th Premier of Ontario. Dalton. I mean, that’s pretty much all I have to say, eh? You all know who I’m taking about. But if you’re looking for the full deal … Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr.
The first Liberal leader to win 2 successive majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn, 70 years earlier. And then a 3rd consecutive term after that. His government established education, health care, the environment, and the economy as areas of priority. Test scores rose by 17%. Wait times went from Canada’s longest to shortest. Ontario closed its coal plants in the single largest greenhouse gas reduction initiative in North America. And the McGuinty government cut the marginal tax rate on new business investment in half.
Today, he’s involved in the study and teaching of leadership. He’s a Fellow at Carleton University, served as a fellow at Harvard, and is a Senior Fellow at U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance.
On the 20th anniversary of forming government in 2003, we're going to talk to Mr. McGuinty about lessons learned and his life in politics.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Welcome to Hotel Pacifico with McDonald, Hammer, and Meggs #BCpoli
Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a pretty cool show on tap for you today. It’s one podcast sitting inside another podcast. Kind of like a 2-fer. Or a really lazy Russian Nesting Doll. Here’s what I mean: Air Quotes Media, the super smart and moderately attractive people who bring you The Herle Burly and Curse of Politics, is launching a brand-new pod, in partnership with Mike McDonald, Kate Hammer, and Geoff Meggs.
“Hotel Pacifico” is the name. And you guessed it, it’s your weekly dose of what’s going down in West Coast Politics.” You can find #HotelPacifico on all your favourite podcast apps right now, so give it a follow or subscribe today. Episode one starts next week.
And today, I’m talking to Kate, Mike and Geoff. Sort of like a Hotel Pacifico primer. More specifically we'll talk about what's happening in BC provincially, what's happening federally out there, and what is the special situation out there with opioids, drugs and street crime that is making that such a big issue in Vancouver.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Welcome to a very special edition of the pod, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. If you’re a long-time listener, you might remember way back in 2020, just about a month before the world shut down we held our own, Herle Burly version of an Ontario Liberal Leadership debate. Which basically means we took most of the overwrought rules of national network debate and chucked ‘em out. Well, we’re doing it again, 43 months later. Last time, we had 5 of the 6 leadership candidates in the studio. Del Duca declined our invitation.
This time around, I’m chuffed to say we have the whole goddamn enchilada! All 4 candidates are here in the studio. Yasir Naqvi, Ted Hsu, Bonnie Crombie, and Nate Erskine-Smith.
There are no podiums. No prepared statements and no official clock. This is going to be an equitable and fair debate, but NOT necessarily an equal time debate.
These 4 good people are applying for a very serious job and we want to hear what their vision for Ontario is. Part of my role is to play Debate-Cop. Here to arrest over-canned talking points immediately. But when they say something interesting, or oppose another’s POV in a persuasive way, I’ll give them as much time as they need to finish their thought. And I will give each candidate substantial time to make a closing argument. 3 minutes or so. An unfiltered chance to state their case to whatever audience they want to make it to. I want to stress one final thing. This is not a roast or an accountability session. We’re not here to bust you but help reveal you.
Our goal is simply this: To help Liberals make an excellent choice.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Today on the pod, a man who has put me in the same writerly company as David Frum, the late Hugh Segal, Sean Speer and Guy Giorno, among others. What am I doing there, alongside a number of Team Blue stalwarts, contributing a chapter to my guest’s Alister Campbell’s new book “The Harris Legacy: Reflections on a Transformational Premier” … well, you may have some questions about.
I’ll get to those today and a helluva lot more in my chat with Alister, who has been CEO of several Canadian Insurance companies, but back in 1995, was the “Message Guy” for Mike Harris’ Common Sense Revolution. Responsible for policy, speech, communications, advertising and media. We’ll dive into the book and examine the question: After 7 years of fundamental change in Ontario under Harris, “Do we still live in Mike Harris’ Ontario today?”
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Welcome to a special episode of The Herle Burly, recorded live at the Toronto Region Board of Trade!
Our guest today is Jean-François Perrault, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at Scotiabank. His role there? Well, it’s a big one, as you might expect of a Chief Economist. He leads the Economists team, supporting Scotiabank’s domestic and international business lines, and their clients, from retail to capital markets. He also provides the bank’s senior executives, business lines and customers with insights and forecasts on economic, financial market and policy developments. Prior to joining Scotiabank, Jean-François held prominent roles with the Federal Government – including Assistant Deputy Minister at Finance Canada – as well as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Our conversation today is going to focus on productivity, cost of living, housing, interest rates, and the economy more broadly.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We are chuffed – chuffed, I tell you – to have a Party big shot on the pod today! And because Party big shots are typically busy people, we’re gonna get right to it. Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP and the Official Opposition, is our guest.
Just a short backgrounder here, because we’ll be diving deeper into Marit’s personal story on the pod: Born in Newfoundland, as so many of the best people who don’t come from Saskatchewan, are. First elected in Davenport in 2018, becoming the riding’s 2nd NDP MPP. A passionate advocate for public education, and a community activist, she was a Trustee for the Toronto District School Board for 4 years, beginning in 2014. She served as President of the federal New Democratic Party from 2016 to 2018. And prior to all of that, Marit was the National Director of Public Policy and Research for ACTRA, working to strengthen Canada’s arts and cultural sector.
So today, we’re going to find out much more about who she is, what makes her tick, and why. We’ll talk about NDP policy priorities and how she intends to hold Doug Ford’s feet to the fire … he’s just reversed himself on the Greenbelt, but does it end there? On healthcare and education … on housing affordability and rent … And then we’ll get into electoral politics … what she’s doing to prepare her party to win in 2026.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites! A special show today because it’s a guest I’ve wanted to have here on the pod for quite a while. We’re talking to Brian Tobin, who, in my mind, has a place on the first-line, all-star politician team. Probably plays centre, but now that he’s in business, we’re likely to find him on the right side of the ice from time to time, too.
I’ll précis his bio because it’s long and accomplished. Born in Stephenville, Newfoundland. First elected to Parliament in 1980. Re-elected to his Liberal seat during the Mulroney wipe-out of 1984, which was no small feat. Becomes a well-spoken and persuasive Minister of Fisheries and Oceans when the Liberals regained power after almost a decade in opposition. Leads and implements The Oceans Act. Plays a critical federal spokesperson role in the 1995 Quebec Referendum. Resigns in 1996 to become leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and wins a large majority there. Returns to federal politics in 2000 and becomes Minister of Industry. Departs politics (rather abruptly) 2 years later and embarks on a long and successful business career. And named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013.
So, we’re going to talk about all of that today. We’ll look back on the career of this excellent politician, talk about his transition from politics to business … as well as get his thoughts on today’s political scene and the current economic climate.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we have an Ontario PC Cabinet Minister on the pod today. Todd Smith, Ontario's Minister of Energy is our guest!
Minister Smith is a graduate of Loyalist College. He had a 16-year career in radio news, rising to the position of news director at Quinte Broadcasting. In 2011, he ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Prince Edward Hastings, and knocked off a well-tenured Liberal cabinet minister. He was elected to the new riding of Bay of Quinte in 2018, as part of Premier Ford’s Conservative majority. In the last 5 years, Minister Smith has headed up 3 different portfolios as well as serving as Ontario Government House Leader. He was appointed Minister of Energy in June 2021, so, over 2 years in that job now.
Today, besides learning a little more about his backstory, we’re going to dive into the Electrification of Ontario. How do we do it? How is the power generated? How are we getting it to everyone’s home? And WHY are we riding with electricity?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Fred DeLorey: Broke And Broken NDP & A New Two-Party System?
Well greetings, you politically curious Herle Burly-ites! Fred DeLorey is here, making his 2nd appearance on the show, which means he’s dangerously close to becoming an official “friend of the pod.”
Fred is a long-time Conservative strategist and campaign director. He was the National Campaign Manager for Erin O’Toole in 2021. Before that he was Director of Field Operations for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. And he’s a former Director of Political Operations for Stephen Harper. As well as Director of Comms and National Spokesperson. Today, he’s Chair and Chief Strategy Officer at NorthStar Public Affairs. So, with that kind of CV, you’d expect we’d talk about the current state and prospects for the Conservative Party, which we will.
But first, I want to take this conversation in another direction. Fred’s a longtime Party and campaign operative, as you’ve just heard. And we talk a lot on the pod about what makes a party succeed. I want to dive into: What breaks a Party ... with specific reference to Canada’s NDP.
Given the dismal results of the last election is the NDP facing bankruptcy to the point their existence is threatened? What kind of resources does a party need these days for a fully funded modern campaign? How does the NDP come back from their debt, without having official Party status? Should they even try or just fold and let a new party emerge? And what does this mean for the CPC, who need a strong party on the Left?
Full disclosure here: I’m banking on Fred being able to talk about the reality of the NDP’s predicament in a way that most NDP folks can’t, or won’t, right now.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Dr. Andrew Boozary is here. And I’ll just come out and say it: Dr. Boozary’s CV intimidates the crap out of me. He’s a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and the Founding Executive Director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He completed his medical training at U of T and his health policy training at Princeton and Harvard. He is also the founding Editor in Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review. Dr. Boozary’s work is at the intersection of health policy, social justice and equitable health care delivery — his aim is to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations. And with a background like that not shocking at all that he’s served in senior advisory roles for policymakers in Canada and abroad.
I want to focus our conversation on a few key questions:
How does poverty manifest itself in health issues, what kind of stresses does it put on the health care system?
Homelessness. What is it, and is the approach scalable to the size of the problem?
How does everybody get ready access to primary care?
And finally, some politics.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. I think our guest is setting some kind of record on today’s show. Here’s why: He’s a cabinet minister who’s making his third appearance on The Herle Burly. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson is here.
The first time he joined us it was in his capacity as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The second was as Minister of Natural Resources. And just about a month ago – you all remember the cabinet shuffle – well, Minister Wilkinson was not shuffled out … he was shuffled further IN … as his portfolio was expanded to Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Join us for a deep dive on climate, energy, and affordability and the politics of it all.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright, our guest today is renowned urban planner, developer, lecturer and public speaker … Jennifer Keesmaat.
Jennifer has been named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Macleans, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life. She spent 5 years as Toronto’s Chief City Planner, where she was celebrated for her forward thinking and collaborative approach to city building. She’s a Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto and she shares her vision for cities of the future and the importance of the public sector’s role through publications like The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, Macleans, Foreign Affairs and The Toronto Star. Today, Jennifer is the CEO of The Keesmaat Group, and a founding partner of Markee Developments, where she’s developing new communities across the GTA as sustainable, liveable places that prioritize access to high-quality, affordable rental housing.
So, no surprise where we’re going with this conversation: Cities! What their challenges are. Housing. Homelessness. And transit.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
The pod today is nirvana for polling nerds like me. And anyone who’s just curious about why Canadians, who don’t live and work in the Ottawa bubble, are thinking what they’re thinking. Our guests are two fantastic pollsters I’ve wanted on the show for a long time: Dan Arnold and David Colleto.
Dan has a Masters in Statistics from the University of Alberta and began his research career at Pollara where he led projects for their biggest clients. In 2014, he joined the Trudeau Liberals as their Lead Research Strategist and oversaw the party’s research in the lead up to their historic third-to-first 2015 majority election victory. And he did it all again in 2019 and 2021. He also played a prominent role in the PMO as Director of Research and Advertising. Dan rejoined Pollara about 20 months ago as Chief Strategy Officer.
David is one of Canada’s best known public opinion analysts and social researchers. He’s the Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data – where he works with some of North America’s most respected brands. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary and he’s an expert on voting behaviour and the intersection of public opinion and public policy. Not only that, David teaches in the Graduate Program of Political Management at Carleton.
So today, with this kind of expertise on pod, I want to focus on a singular topic: The multi-year logjam in polling between the Liberals and Conservatives – never more than about 2 points away from one another – appears to have broken. The Conservative Party of Canada have now opened a 10-point lead. What’s happening out there? Who’s moved and why? Is there a road back for the Liberals? And what might be the clinching argument for the Conservatives?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Evolving News Media Landscape: Brown, Ling and Spitale
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! If you’re a regular listener here, you’ll know that we’ve been exploring the future of media and news on the pod, these last number of weeks. We’ve had a couple of fantastic panels. The first was Elly Alboim and Bill Fox, who we’re referring to around here as “The Interns.” The second, “The State of Canadian News and Journalism," just two weeks ago, was with Paul Wells, Joyce Napier and Andrew Coyne. So today, we’re completing the set.
We’ve gathered a third panel – Jesse Brown, Justin Ling and Michael Spitale – because I want to specifically explore the new media landscape … what it is, exactly … what it can do, what gaps it fills … and the power it wields that traditional media no longer does.
Jesse Brown is a well-known Canadian journalist, media personality, and new media entrepreneur. Among a long list of accomplishments, in 2013, he founded the “Canadaland podcast, grew it into a full-fledged media company and one of the most popular podcasts in the country.
Justin Ling is an award winning, freelance investigative journalist who specializes in privacy and security issues, foreign policy, politics, law, media and where all those things intersect. His Substack is “Bug-eyed and Shameless – dispatches from the fringes of the information war.”
I got to know Michael Spitale working for Premier Wynne in 2013. He became the youngest ever President of the Ontario Liberal Party. He’s currently the public affairs director for a well-known labour union. But he’s here today, because he’s a co-founder of Air Quotes Media — together with Jody Colero, Jill Engelman, David Rosenberg and myself — and one of the creators of “The Herle Burly” and “Curse of Politics” podcasts.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’ll get right to it because we have a cabinet minister in the house today, and I don’t like to keep cabinet ministers waiting: The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
First elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015, Mr. Miller was a lawyer prior to entering politics … specializing in international and commercial law … working in Montréal, Stockholm, and New York City. Previous to that, he served as an infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. And he made history in 2017 when he delivered a statement in the House of Commons entirely in Mohawk … the first time the language had been spoken in either the House or Senate since Confederation.
Today on the pod:
We’ll talk about what his mandate is … what the government is doing/intends to do in this area … and why.
Criticism from the indigenous community … as well as from the political right.
And, is there a looming conflict between indigenous rights and our ability to access critical minerals in an timely fashion?
*NOTE: This interview was recorded on Monday, July 24, 2023, before the Prime Minister shuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, which resulted in Minister Miller leaving his previous portfolio and assuming the role of Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
The State of Canadian News and Journalism: Coyne, Napier, and Wells
Today on the pod, we’ve assembled just a fantastic panel of three noted Canadian journalists: Andrew Coyne, Joyce Napier, and Paul Wells.
I don’t feel I need to get into their bios. If you don’t know these three – where to read them, where to watch them – you’re not paying proper attention. And that, dear Herle Burly-ites, dovetails nicely with the crux of our show. What we’ll be talking about here, is the elemental question ... What is the Future of Journalism? To stretch a metaphor … As a society we need people to eat their vegetables. But it seems like fewer and fewer of us want to eat vegetables, much less pay a market rate for them. So how do get nourishing vegetables produced and consumed?
ANDREW COYNE: https://twitter.com/acoyne
JOYCE NAPIER: not on social media
PAUL WELLS: https://substack.com/@paulwells
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
The Herle Burly Q1 2023 best of reels, selected from the Air Quotes Media #Vault
06 Jul 2023
00:53:46
We're off this week, but more "politics from the inside, out" follow Air Quotes Media on #ThreadsApp: https://www.threads.net/@airquotesmedia
TIME STAMP (click links to watch the full interview):
00:00 - 04:27 | Peter Weltman | https://youtu.be/gb9x3bHHCIw
04:28 - 07:28 | Premier Andrew Furey | https://youtu.be/D2koSVPdv94
We have the Honourable Perrin Beatty here with us today. Mr. Beatty is the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s largest national business association. Prior to joining the Chamber, he was the President and Chief Executive of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. Business has always been in his blood, and this is the part of his life that we’ll largely be focussing on today. But he’s probably known to most as the long serving Progressive Conservative MP first elected to Parliament at the age of 22! And a Minister of 7 different departments including National Revenue, Solicitor General and Secretary of State for External Affairs. In 2018, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the development of our nation as a politician and corporate leader. So, here’s where we’re going with this conversation:
We’re going to talk investment vs spending in the context of long-term growth. How unaligned the parties seem to be when it comes to business interests. What is the business community’s view of increasing inequality? And why is there increasing disengagement of business people from the political life of the country.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Welcome back to our semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. This is edition 3 of The Chiefs, Herle Burly-ites. We debuted it back in January to discuss the issues from the unique perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do … i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense … but rather, from the POV of what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense. So once again, we’re doing that with these 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:
Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.
Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.
Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.
Today is time for some summer stock taking. We’re on the cusp of summer recess for a government almost 2 years in, so what does it need to be thinking about or setting their minds to doing differently, come September? Same for the opposition parties. Where should their heads be at these next couple of months?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Last week on the pod, we had Scott Aitchison on – Conservative Housing Critic. This week we’re sticking with that theme – housing – so central to the last federal election and something I want to keep exploring with you.
So on the pod today I want to look it at from a couple of perspectives. Experience on the ground and policy making. What’s the current state of play in the market? What’s been the impact of measures to date? Has the situation improved? How does the condo glut affect things? And broadly, is the government plan a good one?
We’ve assembled a housing panel to help answer those questions: Ron Butler + Mike Moffatt + Tyler Meredith!
Ron Butler describes himself as a “big, old, overly opinionated mortgage broker, worried about the future of housing for average Canadians.” He’s the founder of Butler Mortgage Inc, with over 30 years in the business. And hosts of his own weekly pod, “The Angry Mortgage Podcast”, where he swears a f**k of a lot and shares his insights about the industry.
Mike Moffatt is co-host of the “Missing Middle Podcast.” His twitter bio says he’s a Husband, Father, Brother, Son, Economist and Housing Guy. Among other things, he’s an Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics, and Public Policy Group at Ivey Business School, Western University. He served as Director of Policy and Research at Canada 2020. And he’s done extensive research on Canada's housing supply and the affordability crisis.
Tyler Meredith is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. And he was a co-host of the limited run podcast “Race to Replace”, right here at Air Quotes Media!
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Let’s get right to it, because our topic today is elemental. We are going to dig deep – DEEP! – into the economy. More specifically, what I really want to do here is put Bank of Canada policy, and its antecedents, under the microscope.
What led them to last week’s rate increase? What’s going to be required to get us to 2% inflation? Is that even worth doing and what will be the ramifications? How hard a landing are we in for here, and how do mortgage and debt holders cope? And this emotional undercurrent to sum it all up, Herle Burly-ites: Why oh why does an economy with almost no unemployment … feel so goddamn lousy to so many people?
Here to help me sound smart on all of that are Dr. Lindsay Tedds and Randall Bartlett.
Dr. Tedds is currently Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary. Her primary research is in tax policy, public economics and public policy design and implementation. She publishes far and wide and, in her own words, it’s important that her work be accessible to broader audiences in order to spark conversations about public policy beyond the academic community. So, it’s not at all shocking that her blog is called “DEAD FOR TAX REASONS”.
Randall Bartlett is Senior Director of Canadian Economics with Desjardins Group. Based in Toronto, he covers the Canadian and provincial economies & housing markets outside of Quebec, as well as government budgets & fiscal policy. Before Desjardins, Mr. Bartlett was the Director of Economic Research on OMERS’ Total Portfolio Management Team. And he’s a frequent publisher of what’s on his economic mind on both Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as various other media.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
The amazing Jennifer Welsh is making her second appearance here on the pod! Jennifer hails from Regina as I do, but that’s where the similarities end. She’s a Rhodes Scholar, earning her Master and Doctorate in International Relations at Oxford. She co-founded the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict. She was a Special Adviser to Ban Ki-moon – the UN Secretary General – on the Responsibility to Protect. And she’s currently the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University.
Given that kind of expertise, this is conversation I’d like to have today:
The world has been in great flux in the last decade.
A China that suddenly seems threatening.
Russia’s invasion and its backing from China and tacitly India.
Democracy is under attack. America is unsteady, at best.
What does it all mean for Canada and how should we be comporting ourselves internationally?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’re recording this one 2 days post the UCP majority victory in Alberta. And while that result may have been a shock to some, it was not a shock to me, based on what I was observing as the campaigns wound into their last couple of weeks.
We’re gonna break it all down today, doing a retrospective anatomy of the campaign. Who voted for who and why? What ended up mattering most to the electorate? What didn’t matter. And then we’ll speculate just a bit on the possible futures for Smith, the UCP, Notley and the NDP.
Helping me do that, 2 pair of highly analytical, Alberta boots on the ground:
Jason Markusoff, making his debut on The Herle Burly! Jason has been writing about Alberta for nearly 2 decades with Maclean’s, the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. He’s currently at the CBC as a producer and writer … and appears regularly on Power and Politics’ Power Panel, and various other CBC current affairs shows.
And then, it’s our most excellent friend of the show, 4-time Herle Burly guest (she’s almost a squatter here, godammit!) … Janet Brown. Janet is the Principal of Janet Brown Opinion Research, based in Calgary. She’s been examining and tracking public opinion in Alberta for over 25 years. There’s simply no voice I trust more on what going on in the province.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’re bringing together 2 people — “The Interns” — who mean a helluva lot to me in both a professional and personal sense. As mentors, colleagues, advisors and friends.
Elly Alboim and Bill Fox are here!
Both Elly and Bill are now 2-time Herle Burly guests. An honorific I’m assuming will go right to the top of their CVs. But listen up to their bona fides: Elly was a journalist for the CBC for almost a quarter century, before becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for TV news and National Political Editor. He was a senior advisor to Paul Martin as well as Kathleen Wynne. Today he’s an Associate Professor of Journalism at Carleton and a Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. And he wrote a fantastic piece on today’s topic, called “Eliminating the CBC”, which you can check out at Air Quotes Media. Bill began as working journalist and became Ottawa and Washington bureau chief for The Toronto Star. He then turned his eye toward politics as Director of Communications for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Today, he’s got about 18 academic degrees from small shops like Harvard and Carleton, and he’s a leading analyst of media and communication. His latest book is “Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth: A Conversation” which is a fantastic read.
We’re going dive into a topic that’s become quite the political battleground over the last little while: The role and importance of CBC news … How the news division is performing … the case for dismantling … other legitimate journalistic alternatives … but first, media coverage of China election interference.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Alright … Michelle Rempel Garner is our guest this week, making her second appearance here on The Herle Burly! You all know the Conservative Member for Calgary Nose Hill: she’s a vocal force, both within her own party, and in The House. Ms. Rempel Garner is a former cabinet minister in Stephen Harper’s government.
She’s been an effective shadow minister for a number of portfolios and when I say she’s a vocal force, part of the reason for that is her nuanced, long-form Substack writing on a variety of complex social and public policy issues. As Michelle says … “No talking points. No speech writers.”
We’re going to dive a little deeper into that today. Her observations on a changing media landscape, the role of the CBC, and how to connect with people in non-traditional ways.
We’ll get her thoughts on the current government from the perspective of an opposition MP.
We’ll also get into the current state of the Conservative Party of Canada, and how she feels about leadership in general … both Poilievre’s and Trudeau’s.
And finally, we’ll get her observations on the Alberta Election!
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Today on the pod is a topic I’ve wanted to explore and a guest we’ve been trying to get for a while: Shimon Fogel, Chief Executive Officer of CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
Prior to his long career in Jewish Advocacy, Mr. Fogel studied Government and International Relations at Clark University going on to pursue graduate and doctoral studies at McGill. The Hill Times named him as one of the 100 most influential figures within Canada’s political sector. And Embassy Magazine ranked him among the 50 most important people influencing foreign policy in Canada.
I’ve known Shimon for over 25 years now. Today, we’ll be talking about Israel and its political climate. As well as the rise of antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment and hate crimes.
Welcome to The Herle Burly mishpucha! (You didn’t know I had Yiddush fluency, did ya?)
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re going to get right to it, because we have here with us the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport!
Minister Alghabra has represented the riding of Mississauga Centre since the 2015 election. Born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family, and a mechanical engineer by trade, he moved to Toronto when he was 19 years old and completed his Bachelor of Engineering at what is now Toronto Metropolitan University. He is also a Master of Business Administration from York University. Minister Alghabra is a long-time community activist, working on initiatives that empower new Canadians. He’s served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Minister of International Trade Diversification, before becoming Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
Today, we’re going to find out more about Mr. Alghabra’s background and what led him to a life in politics. We’ll take a deeper dive into the strengthened Passenger Rights Charter, announced just last week. Plus, we’ll talk about the intersection of climate issues and transportation. Then … we’ll talk some pure politics. About the Liberal party and its leadership. About Parliament today. And about the next election.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Our regular listeners will know that Frances Donald is Senior Managing Director and Global Chief Economist and Strategist at Manulife Financial. In 2019, when she was appointed to the role, she became the youngest Chief Economist in Canada — 1 of only 2 women to hold the title.
Not at all surprising then that the economy is what we’ll be talking about today. The stuff you might expect … the budget, inflation, interest rates, our industrial strategy with the VW deal as a backdrop to that. But then, I also want to get Frances’ take on the immigration/wages relationship I’ve been exploring here on the pod. We’ll follow up on my conversation a couple of weeks ago with Neil Hetherington and talk about full time workers at food banks. And then we’ll take on Friendshoring … what are the tradeoffs and geopolitical implications here and what might it cost us?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We have The Honourable Sean Fraser with us today, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
A proud son of Pictou County, Minister Fraser first entered public life in 2015 when he was elected MP for Central Nova. Before politics, he had a successful legal career practising commercial litigation and international dispute resolution. And prior to his current cabinet post he served as Parliamentary Secretary in a number of portfolios … to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity … to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change … as well as to the Deputy Prime Minister. And here’s an interesting tidbit we’re surely going to put to the test today, Minister Fraser was chosen as “Best Orator” during Macleans’ 12th Annual Parliamentarians of the Year Awards.
So, here’s where we’re going with this:
We’ll find out a little more about Minister Fraser’s life and what shaped him for a career in politics.
The meaty stuff about his key Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship portfolio. Where’s he and the government going with it, and why?
What are some of the knock down issues he’s dealing with around housing, wage impacts and temporary workers.
And finally, we’ll talk pure politics. About the Liberal Party. About Parliament today. The next election … and anywhere else his oration skills take us!
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
I’m gonna get right to our guest this week, because we’re taping this thing at 8am sharp, which based on who this man is and the good work he does, only tells me he’s got people to serve.
Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank is on the pod today. Neil has served as their CEO since January 2018. His non-profit experience includes 16 years as CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Toronto – where he was the youngest CEO of a Habitat affiliate in the world – and then New York City. As well as 2 years as CEO of Dixon Hall, which serves thousands in Toronto through social programs, shelters, seniors’ programs, youth initiatives and community revitalization efforts. Neil holds degrees and certificates from University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School, Harvard Business School, and the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.
So, in light in of the current context, which is The Daily Bread Food Bank is now seeing 4 times more client visits(!) than before than pandemic, we’re going to do a Food Bank 101 here:
What kind of organizations are they?
Where does the funding come from?
Who used Food Banks pre-pandemic, when the numbers were lower, and who’s using them now?
And what other concomitant services and programs are required to address the challenges that come from inadequate income support, mental health, and housing?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ll get right to it, because we’ve a Member of Parliament today on the pod, and an issue that’s not only central in the public consciousness, but urgent in terms of policy making, playing an outsized role in our last election: Scott Aitchison, Conservative critic for Housing.
Scott is from Huntsville, Ontario, and opened up on the pod about leaving home at 15 and his journey into public life at the age of 21.
And then, a deep conversation on what matters to so many Canadians. The housing crisis. A place to call home. Affordability. Policy to help them get there. But we’ll also broaden the aperture and talk party politics, the election just past and get Scott’s take on the early moves of the Carney government.
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
We’re getting right to the pod today, because Cabinet Ministers are busy people. Especially so, when the cabinet minister in question, has responsibilities for not one but two portfolios!
The Honourable Randy Boissonnault is our guest today.
First elected as a Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre in 2015, Mr. Boissonnault is the Minister of Tourism and the Associate Minister of Finance. He’s also Canada’s Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 issues. A graduate of the University of Alberta, he went on to study at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Minister Boissonnault is also a successful entrepreneur, community leader, and philanthropist with a strong record of leadership in business, public service, and the not-for-profit sector.
So, that’s where we’re going to start: We’ll find out a little more about the Minister’s personal story today. Then we’ll dive right into last week’s budget. And since he’s one of only two Liberal MPs from Alberta, we’ll talk Alberta politics for a while.
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We’re breaking down and analyzing yesterday’s “grocery bag budget” with the best public policy thinkers I know. We had them on here last December as a policy troika:
Dr. Jennifer Robson, Sean Speer and Tyler Meredith.
Jennifer is Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of public programs.
Sean is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, The Hub dot ca.
And, as of January, Tyler is a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. He’s the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau.
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We have what I think is a great pod for you today because our guest is someone I’ve wanted to get in here for a long time. He’s someone I have a lot in common with, as we’ve both been strategists and campaign directors for Prime Ministerial candidates.
Fred DeLorey is our guest today!
Most know him as the man who helped Erin O’Toole win the Conservative leadership in 2020. And then, managed Mr. O’Toole’s ultimately unsuccessful bid to become Prime Minister in 2021.
Fred has also served as Director of Field Operations for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. He a former Director of Political Operations for Stephen Harper. As well as Director of Comms. Prior to that, he was Atlantic Canada Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister. He’s even run for political office himself, in Central Nova in 2015. Right now, he’s a Managing Partner at Deslauriers Public Affairs.
So, here’s our conversation today:
We’re going to break down the 2021 Campaign. What actually happened? What Fred hoped would happen? What surprised him? And what got in the way of a victory?
We’ll also talk China election interference. If you read Fred’s op-ed in The Star on March 5th, he advocates for a different approach than a public inquiry.
And finally, we’ll do a little Pierre Poilievre speculating. What’s going to happen in the next election? And would 2019 or 2021 been any different with Poilievre as leader, instead of Scheer or O’Toole?
Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.