Original reporting, sharp political analysis, and media criticism you won’t get anywhere else. Keeping you informed about what’s happening now in your country.
Complaints of Rebel Media hogging question period after Wednesday's French-language leaders debate led to chaos just minutes before the English-language leaders debate was set to take place. Cops were called, slurs were thrown around. What the hell happened in the media room on Thursday night? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jan Wo...
There are 1959 people running to represent YOU in this federal election in the year of our lord 2025 - and we’re looking for dirt. This week - a liberal candidate that didn’t want to be a distraction was replaced by an EVEN bigger distraction, a far-right media personality has some INSANE takes, and independent candidate Elliot Moose is on the loose. Host: Sam Konnert, Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thom...
Radio-Canada’s Tout le monde en Parle asked some tough questions. We decided to translate. Hear what Poilievre and Carney had to say about Trump, Climate, Trudeau, and where their campaigns are headed in the final stretch. Plus, more Jagmeet Singh cringe. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jan Wong Further reading: Carney defe...
With two weeks out from election day, Ottawa is buzzing. Staffers are partying late into the night and reporting to work at 7 a.m., Chipotle’s are turning into war rooms, and the polls are telling stories. We went to three party-specific events in Ottawa for a pulse check on how people feel in the nation’s capital. From 11-year-old door knockers to Jagmeet Singh to Trump’s former trade representative, we heard a LOT of opinions. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Kon...
We have been hearing a lot about Prime Minister Mark Carney and a company called Brookfield Asset Management. That's the company he left when he entered politics. Today's episode is not a look back at Carney’s time at Brookfield. It's about right now. Because among all of those claims and arguments about Carney and Brookfield and the past, there's something else that hasn’t made as many headlines. An allegation about an ongoing connection between Carney and Brookfield. Is he still financia...
What would it look like to take the agenda back? With reports of unprecedented message control on the Conservative campaign trail, San Grewal and Dr Lori Turnbull consider the threat to our democracy when the media no longer sets the agenda. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Lori Turnbull Further Reading On Our Website &n...
It’s an election, we’re googling your candidate. There's a candidate for the Green Party who’s actively campaigning for the Conservative Party. There’s a famous YouTuber candidate with an icky social media history, there’s a guy who is promising to fix housing problems that HE created. And then we’ll get to the explicit Garfield porn. It gets crazy. Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor a...
CTV faces backlash after hiring (then firing) Rachel Gilmore for an election fact checking segment. Is the role of the fact checker still viable in the modern media ecosystem? Plus, reports of foreign interference in the current Canadian election. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Lori Turnbull Further Reading On Our Website Sponsor...
Last week, Pierre Poilievre said tick tock goes your biological clock. This was the first time that host Noor Azrieh noticed, during the campaign, that someone ( anyone! ) was speaking to women directly and explicitly. And it prompted a wave of pushback…and some praise. The gap between men and women is widening. If the election happened today, and only women voted, Mark Carney would be on track for the biggest landslide in Canadian history. Gender gaps have been a mainstay of Canadian poli...
In the last 50 or so years the number of independent first-time political candidates elected to office in Canada could fit in a car. Five candidates have made it to, albeit a very small portion of political power, without party support. That covers both provincial and federal elections. As Canadian elections become increasingly presidential affairs, focusing on the personality at the top of the ticket, the quality that seems most necessary in an aspiring MP is fealty to the Party, the leader, th...
This episode of CANADALAND delves into Mark Carney's handling of a Liberal MP's controversial comments regarding China, examining the implications for Carney's leadership image. It further explores Canada's complex relationship with China, touching on trade, foreign interference, and the transition to renewable energy. The episode also discusses the erosion of press rights and a potential influx of academics from the US.
There are hundreds of unvetted candidates vying for a seat in Parliament… Canada has 343 federal electoral districts stretching from coast to coast to coast. In every riding, candidates are stepping up…some for the first time. This means there are hundreds of unvetted candidates vying for a seat in Parliament. This week, we’re looking at a few standouts: a candidate who bragged about making coin flipping condos, an MP that’s a “published writer on Mi’kmaw laws, history, and knowledge” but said a...
The call is coming from inside the party. With reports swirling about Poilievre’s campaign dysfunction at the end of week one, Sandy Garossino joins to unpack why Conservatives are sabotaging their own party. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Sandy Garossino Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors: Pol...
With 78 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons, Quebec isn’t just a battleground…it could decide the entire election. And this time, the usual Bloc-Liberal-NDP tug-of-war is taking some unexpected turns. We hit the streets of Montreal to find out what is on people’s minds, and host Noor Azrieh sits down with Martin Patriquin to unpack what it all means. And, you’ll hear from Philippe J. Fournier, founder of 338 , to talk about where the parties are at in the polls, and if we can even tru...
Internet trolls, doxing, conspiracy theories, harassment, criminal investigations, all the usual things that spring to mind when you think of small town council meetings. Welcome to Pickering, Ontario, best known for its nuclear power plant. Is the alt-right driving Pickering to political meltdown? Or is the town council trying to silence a duly elected official over political disagreements? Either way things have gotten so out of hand that city council has locked the doors to the public. Counci...
This episode explores the evolving relationship between Canada and the United States, particularly under the influence of Donald Trump's policies. It delves into the emotional impact on Canadians, the resurgence of Canadian nationalism, and the potential reshaping of Canada's political landscape. The discussion also covers strategies for Canada to protect its sovereignty and economy in an era of increasing uncertainty.
First on the list of Paul Wells’s 4 Rules of Canadian Politics: “For any given situation, Canadian politics will tend toward the least exciting possible outcome.” In an election marked by foreign interference, an unelected newcomer leading the incumbent party, and annexation fears, what does “least exciting” even look like? Journalist and aforementioned rule-maker Paul Wells joins Jesse to review possible outcomes of the snap federal election. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Pr...
And we’re off to the races! It’s time for the matchup, and election, of a generation. Newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney is taking on former front-runner Pierre Poilievre on April 28th. It’s a 5-week campaign. In the backdrop of a trade war, Trump’s annexation threats, And almost 10 long years of Liberal leadership. For over a year, Poilievre pretty much held a 20-point lead. A landslide Poilievre win wasn't just possible, it felt inevitable. But now? The game has changed. Somehow, ag...
In this episode, Jesse Brown analyzes the upcoming Canadian election, framing it as a fight for independence amidst rising American influence. He scrutinizes the potential leadership of Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney, examining their past actions and policy stances. Brown emphasizes the need for a leader who can articulate a clear vision for Canada's future, independent of American interests, and calls for a focus on uniquely Canadian values and identity.
Poilievre bans journalists from travelling with him on the campaign trail, but did he get a free ride in the press so far? Dougald Lamont joins San Grewal to discuss coverage of Poilievre heading into the next election. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Dougald Lamont Further Reading On Our Website Spon...
Mark Carney’s visit to Europe signals Canada’s new approach to the trade war with the US. Dougald Lamont joins The Pointer’s San Grewal to discuss the economic reality behind the trade war theatrics. Plus, pulling the plug on Doug Ford’s electrical fiction. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Sam Konnert (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Dougald Lamont Further Reading On Our Webs...
Is AI slop the ultimate weapon for foreign interference? Or are we spiraling into another internet-fueled moral panic? Last week several AI-generated photos of Mark Carney and Ghislaine Maxwell looking chummy went viral. It was easy to spot the fake, but it raised an important question: should we be worried about AI in this election? Ryan Broderick, author of the Garbage Day newsletter, and host of his own podcast Panic World, doesn’t think so. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Pr...
Take your pick: censoring, banning, removing, or “weeding.” However you want to describe it, Canadians are pulling books from library shelves. The books in question range from The Handmaid's Tale, Gender Queer: A Memoir, to the works of Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl. The drive to rid our shelves, particularly school library shelves, of books comes from both left and right. Both sides censor. You can frame their motivation as opposition to woke indoctrination, or you could call it diversif...
Trudeau rides off into a ‘Sunny Ways’ sunset. As Mark Carney takes over as Prime Minister, Stuart Benson joins to consider Trudeau’s legacy and whether his trade war finale will reshape how he is remembered. Plus, Trudeau’s impact on the media might get overlooked, but it will have lasting effects on the viability of Canadian news outlets. Click here to complete the Canadaland survey—thank you! Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), max collin...
The Liberal’s Carneycopia is betting big on Dad Energy. Mark Carney wins the Liberal leadership in a landslide, but is he a saviour or a snoozefest? Plus, Tesla’s surprising sales spike and BC salmon farming courtroom drama. Click here to complete the Canadaland survey—thank you! Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Stuart Benson Furt...
Canada is deep in the trenches of a trade war with the United States. After U.S. President Trump unpaused the 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports, all hell has broken loose: the federal government has fired back, provincial leaders are firing shots of their own, and more threats have been made - and then walked back - by the White House. All this, while Canadians are caught in the middle. What sense can we make from the mudslinging? If the chaos unfolding only covers one week of this dispute, wh...
When Trudeau prorogued Parliament 26 bills were binned. Bills are the democratic process made concrete and the laws that they can turn into are the end product of the whole political machine. They decide whether you have the right to die by choice. They decide what you can and cannot say. They tell you whether or not you can go back to work or not because you can or cannot afford to send your kid to daycare. Each bill is the end result of years of campaigning, research, fundraising, debate...
Battle lines are being drawn in the Canadian tech industry around a policy initiative that is drawing comparison to Elon Musk’s DOGE. Plus, updates on tariffs, and The Breakdown podcast’s legal battle. CORRECTION : In an earlier version of this episode, producer James Nicholson suggests reports of the number of USMCA-compliant goods imported from Canada to the United States are between 62% and 95%. The number reported is actually between 38% and 95%; the CBC reported Canada-imported ...
Making Sense of Trump’s Tariffying Tuesday. Douglas Soltys joins to dissect Trump’s trade war chaos, Doug Ford’s tough talk, and Trudeau’s non-tariff options. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Douglas Soltys Further Reading on our Website Sponsors: Douglas : Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress pu...
This episode examines the phenomenon of "Carney Mania" and its potential impact on Canadian politics. It explores Mark Carney's appeal as a political figure, comparing him to figures like Kamala Harris and Barack Obama. The discussion covers his centrist strategy, debate performance, and potential matchups against political rivals, as well as broader issues like Trump's tariffs and Canadian nationalism.
