Today, we're sharing another except from Paul Wells' audiobook, Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, read by the author himself. 

Much of Trudeau's reign as Prime Minister has been shaped by major external events, including the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. This section of the book looks back on how Trudeau adapted to a Trump presidency.

Justin Trudeau on the Ropes is published by Sutherland House. The audiobook was recorded at the National Arts Centre. You can download the entire thing wherever you get audiobooks.

In this excerpt from his audiobook, Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, Paul Wells looks back to the beginning of Trudeau's political career.

Justin Trudeau on the Ropes is published by Sutherland House. This audiobook was recorded in studio at the National Arts Centre. You can find the full thing wherever you get audiobooks.

COVID-19 exposed some serious weaknesses in Canada’s public institutions. So what have our governments learned? There has been no official attempt to answer that question thoroughly across the country. So two think tanks decided to take it on. They invited experts including politicians, senior public servants, Indigenous leaders and others, to get together and talk about what happened during the pandemic. The Institute for Research on Public Policy and the Institute on Governance released a new report about what they learned.

The IRPP’s President and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn and Charles Breton, who runs the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, join Paul to talk about it.

A new book takes us into the messy succession drama inside one of Canada’s biggest companies, Rogers Communications. It features family members fighting in public, two competing boards, and even actor Brian Cox from HBO's Succession.

Globe and Mail reporter Alexandra Posadzki’s book Rogers v Rogers takes us behind the scenes of a company trying to find its footing after the death of their founder, all while navigating a high-stakes business deal.

In the two years since the Russian invasion, there's largely been a consensus in Canada about supporting Ukraine. Debates in Parliament and the media focus almost entirely on how to best help Ukraine, and not whether we should be helping in the first place. William Thorsell thinks that's a shame. He also thinks it’s time for the West to withdraw from the war and concede defeat.

William Thorsell is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum. He’s currently a distinguished fellow at the Munk School.

How do Canada’s Prime Ministers measure up when it comes to foreign policy? Political scientist Patrice Dutil polled some colleagues to come up with a ranking. They placed Trudeau right near the bottom, alongside his predecessor Stephen Harper. Dutil joins Paul to break down the rankings and make the case that foreign policy needs to be taken more seriously in Canada. 

Patrice Dutil is the editor of Statesmen, Strategists and Diplomats: Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy.

Housing policy has become one of the main debates among federal political parties. It wasn’t always this way, even as house prices were getting out of control. So why exactly did the housing crisis become such a prominent issue on the national stage? And can the federal government solve it?

Mike Moffatt keeps a close watch on housing policy, and has advised the Trudeau Government on the issue. He is the founding director of the PLACE Centre at the Smart Prosperity Institute, and an assistant professor at Western University’s Ivey Business School. He shares his thoughts on the debate over housing playing out in Parliament.

Police have been facing heavy scrutiny lately over how they handle protests, from the convoy in Ottawa to pro-Palestine demonstrations. OPP Acting Superintendent Marcel Beaudin shares the police perspective on this issue. Until recently, Beaudin ran the OPP’s Provincial Liaison team that deals with demonstrations and protests. He has also been a leader in the service’s Indigenous Policing Bureau. 

This episode was recorded at the Munk School.

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Paul's former sparring partner Andrew Coyne joins us to discuss the state of politics, the media and the “difficult and dangerous” times we're living in. 

These days, Andrew Coyne is a columnist for the Globe and Mail.

This episode was recorded at the Munk School.

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Join us for a night of jazz, political wonkery and a novel-length poem about werewolf whalers for some reason.

Featuring:

- Shuvaloy Majumdar, the new MP for Calgary-Heritage
- Jason Guriel, reading from his book The Full Moon Whaling Chronicles
- Larisa Galadza, Canada’s former ambassador to Ukraine
- Jazz singer Caity Gyorgy, accompanied by Mark Limacher on piano

CBC/Radio-Canada announced today that they’re cutting 600 existing jobs and leaving another 200 vacant positions unfilled.

Shortly before these cuts were announced, their president and CEO Catherine Tait joined Paul to lay out her case for a public broadcaster, and her vision for its future.

Pierre Poilievre may be our prime minister next year, so it’s a good time to learn more about him. Journalist Andrew Lawton’s new book, Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life, follows the Conservative leader’s life and career from childhood to today. Andrew talks to Paul about Poilievre’s political record, his particular brand of conservatism, and what we can expect from Poilievre if he becomes prime minister. 

For more detailed show notes or to subscribe to Paul’s Substack, head over to paulwells.substack.com

As the former president of Estonia, Toomas Henrik Ilves has a unique perspective on Russian aggression. Though he grew up in the United States, he moved back to Estonia and got into politics, helping to lead a technological revolution that has given them a unique advantage for a country of only 1.3 million inhabitants. He talks to Paul about building up his country’s tech sector, pushing to get Estonia into NATO, and what it’s like watching from a small, Baltic country as Russia grows more aggressive.

When John Tory resigned as mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow decided to take another shot at the job. Despite much of the establishment lining up against her, she won. She talks to Paul about that campaign, and about trying to implement her vision for the city on a shorter-than-usual term, while dealing with a $1.5 billion deficit from COVID.

This episode was recorded live at the University of Toronto’s Munk School.

Graham Carr, president of Concordia University in Montreal, tells Paul that these changes will cause a major blow to Concordia’s finances. He also talks about how we got here, and why this has become such a hot button issue in Quebec.

The National Gallery of Canada had a rough year, as they reckoned with shifting attitudes towards culture and representation. Their new CEO, Jean-François Bélisle, joins Paul to talk about how he plans to move forward, and what a national art gallery should look like in the year 2023.

This episode was recorded live at the National Arts Centre.

FURTHER READING:
Turmoil Engulfs Canadian Art Museums Seeking to Shed Colonial Past - The New York Times

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Mark Sutcliffe decided to run for mayor of Ottawa after being frustrated by the Freedom Convoy and the city's ill-fated LRT project. He won. A year into his term, he reflects on trying to solve some of the city’s biggest problems, including saving the downtown core and getting the LRT back on track.

This episode was recorded live at the National Arts Centre.

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Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu joins Paul to talk about reconciliation, drug policy, and the road that led her from working with the most vulnerable members of society, to sitting in Trudeau's Cabinet.

This episode was recorded live at the National Arts Centre.

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Timothy Garton Ash has chronicled some of the biggest moments in European history for over 40 years. In his new book, Homelands: A Personal History of Europe, he offers a history of postwar Europe, told through personal memoir. He talks to Paul about the future of Europe, the war in Ukraine, advising George W. Bush on how to think about the European Union, having Victor Orbán as a student, and why these days, his main concern is about the United States.

This episode was recorded at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

You can get a premium version of this show with extra content by subscribing to Paul's newsletter: paulwells.substack.com

The part of King Lear has a storied history, with classic performances by actors like William Hutt, Brian Cox and James Earl Jones. At 64, Paul Gross has taken on the role at Stratford, and he thinks the whole mythology around it is “just bullshit.” He reflects on the weight of the role, making Lear his own, and why Shakespeare still feels relevant. 

In the episode, we mention Paul Gross's age as 62, but he is 64. We regret the error.

You can get a premium version of this show with extra content by subscribing to Paul's newsletter: paulwells.substack.com

How do people like Stephen Sondheim, Sofia Coppola or David Simon create something from nothing? And what are the threads that tie their work together with making a cookbook or a cartoon?

Former New York Magazine and New York Times Magazine editor Adam Moss talked to dozens of creative people to find out how they do it. In his new book, The Work of Art, artists from a wide range of mediums break down the process behind a single piece, sharing sketches, outlines and rejected attempts they worked through along the way. 

Go to paulwells.substack.com to see some pages from the book.

Kennedy Stewart is a former federal NDP MP and was mayor of Vancouver from 2018 to 2022. In his new book, Decrim: How We Decriminalized Drugs in British Columbia, he writes about how he worked with the federal government — and, eventually, with a provincial NDP government he saw as far less cooperative — to decriminalize simple possession of street drugs in British Columbia. He joins Paul to talk about that experience, as the national conversation around drug policy heats up.

You can get a premium version of this show with extra content by subscribing to Paul's newsletter: paulwells.substack.com.

The job of Government House Leader is always a challenge, but it's especially so in a minority Parliament. For Justin Trudeau's outnumbered Liberals, that minister is Mark Holland. One of the Liberals' longest-serving MPs, he's responsible for steering the government's legislative agenda through Parliament. He speaks frankly about the perils of political life, his own struggles with mental health, and about navigating a partisan landscape to get stuff done.

k.d. lang reflects on her four decade-long musical career, which may have reached its end. “All music tends towards silence and I have to honour the silence,” she tells Paul in an open and wide-ranging conversation in Calgary. 

In May, Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley will get a shot at becoming Premier again. Paul meets Rachel in Calgary to discuss her vision for the province and the prospect of facing off against a united conservative movement. She also talks about the opioid crisis, the federal healthcare deal, the future of the energy industry and dealing with Ottawa.

What is the future of sitting in the dark with strangers? The film industry has had to face major existential questions lately, between disruptions from COVID and the rise of streaming. Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival, joins Paul to talk about it. He also talks about how TIFF became the world-class institution that it is, his path from film critic to CEO, and casting his first ballot for the Oscars.

Andy Byford has gained a reputation as the person to call when your public transit system is in crisis. In over three decades as a public servant, he has run transit systems in Toronto, New York and London, England. He talks about what makes a good transit system, a recent wave of violent crime, and his public battle with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The Trudeau Government has made a lot of promises about reconciliation. As the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs, Marc Miller’s job is to follow through on them.In this live conversation, Minister Miller talks frankly about his successes and failures in the role. He also talks about his own background, including his childhood friendship with Justin Trudeau, his time in the military and learning to speak Mohawk.

This episode was recorded live at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. 

The tables are turned this week! Guest host Vassy Kapelos interviews Paul Wells about his new book on the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau on the Ropes. In the book, Paul chronicles how Trudeau came to power, how he's held on for eight years, and how his approach to governing has changed over that time. 

Vassy Kapelos is the Chief Political Correspondent at CTV News and the host of CTV Question Period, Power Play and the Vassy Kapelos Show.

Former finance minister Bill Morneau joins Paul to talk candidly about his life in politics, his resignation, and his vision for the future of the Canadian economy, from pension reform to green energy. His new book is called Where To From Here: A Path to Canadian Prosperity.This episode was recorded live at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Last week, German police arrested 25 members of a far-right group who were plotting a coup. What is the Reichsbürger movement? How dangerous are they? And what does this incident tell us about the nature of political extremism in Europe -- and closer to home? To answer these questions, Paul Wells is joined by Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project.

This week, Paul has two conversations about the struggle for democracy in Eastern Europe, with people who are living through it. First, Janis Kazocins, national security advisor to the president of Latvia, talks about what lessons we can draw from the Baltic states to shed light on Ukraine, NATO and Russia.

Next, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talks about how she went from being an “ordinary housewife” to running as the pro-democracy candidate in the Belarusian election. Though there’s reason to believe she won, her opponent claimed victory and crushed dissent. Paul spoke to her onstage at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

Children's hospitals across North America are seeing a major surge of sick kids as a result of the "tripledemic" of COVID, RSV and the flu. And they're struggling to keep up. Alex Munter, President and CEO of CHEO, talks candidly about how the current crisis in children’s healthcare has only exacerbated problems that began long before the pandemic. 

Grammy-winning bass player and singer esperanza spalding (she does not capitalize her first and last names) brought a jazz quartet to Ottawa recently to play with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. While she was here, she joined Paul onstage to talk about collaboration, avoiding the pitfalls of success at a young age, and working with legendary musician Wayne Shorter on his first opera.

As the UN’s Climate Change Conference takes place in Egypt, Paul talks to Susannah Pierce, President and Country Chair at Shell Canada, about the green energy transition. Susannah talks about how Shell intends to reach net zero, concerns around greenwashing, and why reducing the carbon tax may actually be bad for business.This episode was recorded live at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

In Winnipeg, problems like homelessness, addiction and crime have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Their new mayor, Scott Gillingham, won the election with just 27.54% of the vote, on a promise to raise property taxes in order to revitalize the city. This week, Paul flies to Winnipeg to meet Gillingham and talk to him about solving big problems at a local level.

New York Times writer Max Fisher talks about his new book, The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds And Our World. Relying on international reporting, leaked corporate documents and social science, he lays out the case that the problem with social media is not just about amplifying the wrong messages; it’s that social networks are designed to bring out the worst in everyone. 

As Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae is not afraid to speak his mind, even when it’s not clear whether the government stands behind him. In this episode, he talks about the role of the UN in an age of mounting skepticism towards global institutions, his reputation for being outspoken, and dealing with the "cascade of crises" taking place around the world. He also challenges Paul on a column he wrote in 2020, questioning Rae’s appointment to his current job.

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Is the commission into foreign election interference asking the wrong question about China? That’s what journalist Jonathan Manthorpe thinks. He argues the real issue is that for decades Canada has failed to confront China’s efforts to control Canadians of Chinese heritage and influence Canadian institutions. 

He wrote a book about it, Claws of the Panda: Beijing’s Campaign of Influence and Intimidation in Canada. It was originally published in 2019, but it’s now been updated to take into account everything that’s happened since, right up to the Foreign Interference Commission 

Beth Macy is one of the leading chroniclers of crisis in the American heartland. Working in Roanoke, Virginia, she wrote Factory Man, an influential book about outsourcing in American industry. Then she wrote Dopesick, an account of the opioid overdose crisis. Dopesick became an award-winning TV series. Now Macy has written a sequel, Raising Lazarus, looking for hope and a path forward on overdoses.

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"We may be sick of the virus. It ain’t sick of us.” Dr. Peter A. Singer, Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, joins Paul for a conversation about the state of the pandemic, the politicization of public health, and how to get the world back on track.This episode was recorded live at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

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Singer-songwriter Sarah Slean talks about Joni Mitchell’s enduring influence on music and women in the arts. Slean also talks about the challenges of pursuing a music career in the digital age, and what's coming next for her.Slean will be performing orchestral versions of Mitchell’s songs with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the end of October. You can find more details here: https://www.vancouversymphony.ca/event/sarah-slean-a-joni-mitchell-tribute/

Audio sources: Glenn Gould, Joni Mitchell, Sarah Slean

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney reflects on his surprise resignation, after he lost the votes of nearly half of his party. He talks about how COVID hardened the divides in the conservative movement, how Donald Trump has influenced Canadian politics, and the future of conservatism in Canada.