Explore every episode of the podcast The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge

Zelenskyy of Ukraine says Putin of Russia has told his military leaders to ignore the "rules of war". If that's true what does it mean and what could happen as a result? Dr. Janice Stein of the Munk School at the University of Toronto is here with her latest Monday analysis of our changing world, with today's focus on the Ukraine War.

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Quebec elections are always interesting, but Monday's vote carries with it all kinds of questions about what the future holds for the province and the country. Bruce and Chantal tackle that and also the latest moves by Donald Trump.

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Quebecers go to the polls on Monday and while the vote is about the formation of the next provincial government it could also lead to a third referendum on separation in the province. Then a couple of weeks later, the referendum on a referendum in Alberta. Also the Random Ranter with Part 2 of his rant on immigration.

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For Canada's National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we revisit interviews with the Minister of Indigenous Services and the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. How to navigate the road forward, and how to discover the truth.

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When David Eby called an election in BC, he seemed to be missing one thing -- a reason. James Moore and Gerald Butts are together again for another conversation and this is a natural, Conservative James knows BC and Liberal Gerald knows elections.

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Another week that had observers scratching their heads over Donald Trump. The US President gives the Chinese President a red-carpet welcome, then offers Vladimir Putin a seat at an upcoming G20 meeting. Dr. Janice Stein tries to make sense of those moves, and more.

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The Prime Minister drops a news nugget in an interview in New York -- and, not surprisingly, it makes headlines. How surprised should we be that he's asked for a risk assessment on US troops crossing into Canada?

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Once a month, usually the final Thursday, we open Your Turn for an Ask Me Anything episode. Today follows that pattern, with more interesting questions from your host, his personal and professional experiences, his thoughts on media, and more.

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It's an End Bits Wednesday, and you know what that means -- news you can use. A number of different "bits" today, including a fact that may surprise you. Of all the different age groups that exist in our society, which one do you think is the fastest growing?

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With Althia in sick bay, Andrew MacDougall joins Rob Russo for the latest Reporter's Notebook. While Andrew writes the occasional opinion piece, he's not really a reporter -- but he sure knows the business from his time as Comms Director for Stephen Harper.

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There's a lot of talk about war, especially in countries located close to Russia, but does talk mean ready?  That's the discussion today with Dr. Janice Stein of the Munk School at the University of Toronto, in the latest of her regular Monday discussions right here on The Bridge.

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For Mark Carney, this was a week to remember. Wining and dining the big players in big money, then flying over to France to be wined and dined by the EU. What will all this deliver, and how will Donald Trump react? And no matter what he says, should Canada care? Chantal and Bruce are here with their thoughts.

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Is the title just another alarmist threat or is there some truth to the new worries surrounding artificial intelligence? On this week's Your Turn you have the chance to answer that question and as always, you didn't fail us. Plus the Random Ranter joins in with his take on one of the issues of our times.

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Brian Stewart is a veteran of The Bridge but we've missed him the last few years as he was off writing, and then selling, his highly successful  book -- On The Ground. Today he returns to talk about current times and how they fit in history. I've done 1520 episodes of The Bridge, this may be in the top ten!

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Our first Moore-Butts Conversation of the new season, and Gerry Butts and James Moore take us "inside the room" to get a better understanding of what happens in high-stakes trade talks.

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Mondays on The Bridge mean Dr. Janice Stein from the Munk School at the University of Toronto, and this week the topic is Iran. While Donald Trump tries to distance himself from the mess he's created, the problems remain and may be getting worse.

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Prime Minister Carney is in Banff, Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre is in New York, and for this moment at least, they're towing somewhat the same line. The latest on where we are on this story, and a lot more, with Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson.

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A summer away from The Bridge has given you lots to think about, especially about the importance of your country. Comments from coast to coast to coast make up this first Your Turn of the new season.

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For the past two years, we have relied on the very experienced foreign and domestic correspondent, Keith Boag, to give us his take on Donald Trump. Keith covered him in Washington during Trump's first term, 2016-2020, and has been watching him from afar during his second, 2024 to the present.

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Our first Reporters Notebook of our new season brings together The Economist's Rob Russo and the Toronto Star's Althia Raj. The topic -- what else? Where we are on the trade war between Canada and the United States.

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All summer I was getting mail... lots of it. Most of it starting with "Where's Janice?" Well, today the Munk Schools' founding director kicks off a new season with her views on two issues that affect us a lot.

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Encore Episode. It's been a week. Canada/US relations have never been so low. Attacks on each other's trade strategies, attacks on our sovereignty, even a pathetic, rather lame attack on one of the Great Lakes that shares our joint border. Sounds like enough for a final, special summer  episode of Good Talk.

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It's been a week. Canada/US relations have never been so low. Attacks on each other's trade strategies, attacks on our sovereignty, even a pathetic, rather lame attack on one of the Great Lakes that shares our joint border. Sounds like enough for a final, special summer  episode of Good Talk.

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Encore Episode. Calling Trump a "fascist" or a "Nazi" has become far more commonplace in the past few months. But is it correct? That's the question for the opening segment of the latest Moore Butts conversation with former Stephen Harper cabinet minister James Moore and former senior aide to Justin Trudeau, Gerald Butts. 

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Encore Episode. There are hardly any governments in the world right now who aren't faced with an "affordability" crisis. Voters want action but what action is even possible? That was the question on our first Moore Butts Conversation of 2026. The former Harper cabinet minister and the former Trudeau principal secretary combine forces to face the issue.

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Encore Episode. James Moore and Gerald Butts are back with another one of their highly anticipated "Conversations." This time it centres around the possibility that the near future could see two referendums, one in Quebec and one in Alberta. Is Ottawa ready to handle that fight? Who would Captain Canada be if it came to that?

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This week seems to be all pipelines all the time. Alberta and Canada seem close to a deal on a memorandum of understanding about a new pipeline to the west coast. But now how do you make that MOU become a real finalized deal because let's face it, pipelines in Canada are hard to build. James Moore and Gerald Butts talk pipelines and the shift topics to talk jet fighters and the intense lobbying going on for those.

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SMT is one of the first shows we used to do when the podcast started all those years ago;  Bruce Anderson would join me and we'd lay an SMT verdict on various issues and quotes. So as we lounge through the summer of 2026 Bruce wondered whether we should try a special holiday edition of SMT. So here it is.

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How do two former Ottawa pros see the Trump, Carney, Ford story -- does it really matter? will it make a real difference? Former Harper cabinet minister James Moore and former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts get together for their Conversation #26. In the program's second segment, they also talk about the importance of debt and deficit as we approach the upcoming federal budget.

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It's our first Summer of '26 special Good Talk and there's lots to talk about. This week it's wildfires and the smoke they cause, upsetting the Canada/U.S. relationship. Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson take a break from their summers to discuss.

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The country was founded on the principle that it's a confederation where both federal and provincial levels of government have powers and responsibilities. It's worked for 158 years, but does it still work? Another fascinating Moore-Butts Conversation Encore.

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Encore Episode. For the last fifteen years different governments in Ottawa have known tough choices were going to have to be made about the Post Office. Now it's tough-choice time again. Is there a better way to deal with situations like this? Just one of the angles faced in today's Moore-Butts Conversation encore.

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Encore Episode. Society is trying to understand if there is an answer to this dilemma of disagreeing with respect and not hate.

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Today is a big deal for The Bridge.  First, it's the 1500th episode of our program/podcast, and second, it's our last show before we begin our summer hiatus.  Content-wise, we lead with a special AI report that focuses on the things where AI still can't replace us, the qualities that only we as humans can offer.  That and a lot more on our Wednesday End Bits special.  

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It's a very difficult decision to make whether you are a professional athlete or a practising politician. When to retire. How do you decide the time has come for you? That's one of the questions for James Moore and Gerald Butts during their latest "conversation" right here on The Bridge.

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Mondays with Dr. Janice Stein are always a learning experience, and it sure has been since the end of February, with the war in Iran. And in spite of alleged "peace deals," we're still wondering if the conflict will ever end. It's complicated and that's why Dr. Stein is with us again this week.

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Sometimes sport can be such a nice distraction. Like last night. Canada's first-ever win in World Cup Soccer. And what a win, 6-0 in front of a home crowd in Vancouver. Nice distraction for the PM, who was in attendance, after what some felt was a bended-knee performance for Donald Trump at the G7 in France. He wasn't alone. What was that all about? Do they still think it pays off?  Chantal and Bruce are here.

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The final AMA before the summer break brings lots of new questions from our listeners about the podcast, journalism, politics, and me. The Random Ranter drops by as well with his last rant before the holidays, and it's his first time exploring the issue of immigration.

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Encore Episode. She's the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, a great storyteller and a proud Canadian. Lyse Doucet has her first book out, and it's the story of Afghanistan, the country where she's been going to off and on since 1988. Covering that country has spanned her remarkable career. Her book is called "The Finest Hotel in Kabul."

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What's with the Conservatives using AI-created Canadians in their latest ad campaign? Plus, in this final Raj-Russo Conversation before the summer break, Althia and Rob suggest what each of the main parties needs to do over the holidays. Also, the G7 meets; will it accomplish anything?

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A deal is a deal, but what kind of deal was this? Did Donald Trump accomplish anything in his nearly four-month war with Iran? Dr. Janice Stein is here for her regular Monday conversation. Also, a political resignation in Britain is considered a warning not just for that country but for all NATO countries -- it's time to prepare for a confrontation with Russia.

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Lots of good talk on Good Talk this week, starting with Chantal and Bruce on Mark Carney's trip to Paris today and his talks with Emmanuel Macron.  France is hosting the G7 next week, but for many, it's really a G6 with Donald Trump's America, no friend of the group.  That and CUSMA and social media bans top the discussion agenda today.

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I wasn't sure when we asked this question just how many respondents we'd get. The World Cup of Soccer (Football) is being played in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. this month. The question was , how do you feel about the World Cup. Well, we got answers, lots of them.

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It's an End Bits Wednesday and some good ones again today. The battle over orange juice - is it good for you or not? And the one in our headline which may well be my favourite.

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Apparently, some in Mark Carney's caucus don't like the way their leader treats them. He "yells at us" claims one. If these stories are true, does this warrant concern? That's one of the topics for James Moore and Gerald Butts today in their latest conversation.

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Israel has always spied on the U.S., and the reverse is true as well. But there are claims that the spying has stepped up; the question is, why? Dr. Janice Stein from the Munk School at the University of Toronto joins us with her regular Monday appearance.

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First up this week, Prime Minister Carney summed up a critical week in the Canada-US trade discussions with the phrase, "some progress." So what does that mean? Plus the AI strategy. Then both Bruce Anderson and Chantal Hebert discuss the fall of an iconic broadcast network - CBS, and the "60 Minutes" debacle.

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How do you define yourself? How do you self-identify? That's the question this week, along with the Random Ranter who goes after a regular target of his.

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It's an End Bits Wednesday, and leading the program today is a follow-up to the story about Sweden declaring itself smoke-free. If that's the case, what's Canada? And which country in the world is far from smoke-free? That and more!

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Althia Raj and Rob Russo share what they're hearing on everything from Dominic LeBlanc's visit to Washington and what it says about Canada's latest stance on the relationship with the United States to what's happening inside the Liberal caucus and more.

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