As Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae has taken on what may be his most consequential role in a 45-year career largely in public service. From the invasion of Ukraine to the war between Israel and Hamas, he speaks for Canada with a rare and often critical clarity. Ambassador Rae talks to host Edward Greenspon about the emotional toll of life at the UN and Canada’s recent diplomatic efforts.
Sounding out smart policy and the passionate people behind it. Wonk is a weekly conversation with the leaders and policymakers who are shaping our democracy, driving the economy, and tackling the issues that matter to Canadians. Hosted by author, former journalist and president and CEO of the Public Policy Forum, Edward Greenspon, Wonk is rooted in the belief that good policy – and thoughtful discussion -- make a better Canada. New episodes on Thursdays.
In this episode of Policy Speaking, John Casola, Chief Investment officer of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, joins host Edward Greenspon to break down what the Infrastructure Bank does, why we need it and what projects are in the pipeline.
In this episode of Policy Speaking, Steve Verheul, Canada's former Chief Trade Negotiator, joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss negotiating the new NAFTA, the strength of middle powers, and Canada's potential leadership in creating a new trading system.
In this episode of Policy Speaking, Scott Balfour, CEO of Emera joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss the many puzzle pieces inherent in Canada’s energy transition. Balfour and Greenspon discuss how to reach renewable energy goals, the need for honest conversations and the question that’s on everyone’s mind: affordability.
Paired with the release of the Public Policy Forum’s Taking Back Health Care report, this special edition of Policy Speaking features report authors Dr. Victoria Lee and Dr. Danielle Martin. Dr. Lee, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University, and Dr. Martin, Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine with Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, join host Edward Greenspon to discuss w...
In this episode of Policy Speaking, Harold Calla, executive chair of the First Nations Financial Management Board, and CEO Geordie Hungerford join host Edward Greenspon to discuss a roadmap for achieving economic reconciliation. Calla and Hungerford call for the creation of new Indigenous-led institutions, including a First Nations Infrastructure Institute, an Indigenous Development Bank and an Indigenous Economic Council to create capacity and get capital flowing, ultimately fueling the Indigen...
Stéphan Déry, Assistant Deputy Minister of Real Property Services at Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Edward Greenspon, PPF President and CEO, discussed the future of work and workspaces during a recent PPF Member Event. Their conversation ranged from how to modernize the federal government's workspaces to ways to attract and retain workers – including beautiful places to work. This episode includes a #PPFproud shoutout to Manulife for being recognized as one of the World’s Best Emplo...
In this special edition of Policy Speaking, Edward Greenspon, PPF president and CEO, is joined by outgoing B.C. Premier John Horgan. On one of his last days as premier of British Columbia, Mr. Horgan gives a no-holds-barred interview on challenges in energy policy, healthcare and climate change, as well as his bubbling frustration with the federal-provincial relationship. This episode includes a #PPFproud shoutout to Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for offering more t...
In this special edition of Policy Speaking, Edward Greenspon, PPF president and CEO, is joined by Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada , to discuss the latest Monetary Policy Report. Against a backdrop of the sixth interest rate hike this year, Dr. Macklem discusses economic green shoots, maximum sustainable employment, the weight of expectations, historic inflationary lessons — and why he wishes he'd paid more attention in high school science classes....
This week, Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) is joined by Chris Barry (President of Microsoft Canada) to discuss all things technology. This episode was recorded at Microsoft’s Toronto Offices. Barry and Greenspon chat about the workspace Microsoft has created and the workforce changes that came out of the pandemic. They discuss collaboration, productivity, sustainability and how Microsoft’s space contributes to all three of those things. Looking at Russia’s war against Ukraine, Barry d...
This week, Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) discusses Electrification with Bruce Lourie (President of the Ivey Foundation) and Janet Annesley (Chief Sustainability Officer for Kiwetinohk Energy). They discuss what Electrification is and what role it can play in Canada’s path to net zero. Lourie and Annesley look at supply, demand and the overall question of efficiency to help paint a picture of what this part of the energy transition can look like. They discuss what’s available now and...
This week, Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) discusses the results of the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race with Ginny Roth (Vice President and National Practice Lead for Government Relations at Crestview Strategy) and Sean Speer (PPF Scotiabank Fellow in Strategic Competitiveness and a Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy). After a historic leadership election and clear victory for Pierre Poilievre, Roth (a strategist on Poilievre's campaign) and ...
This week, Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) discusses LNG and geopolitics with Karen Ogen-Toews (CEO of the First Nations LNG Alliance), Bryan Cox (President & CEO of the Canadian LNG Alliance), and Janice Stein (Professor and founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy). Following the German Chancellor's visit to Canada, they discuss what role Canada's natural gas can play in lowering global carbon emissions and in helping other countries through their...
This week, Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) discusses Canada’s COVID-19 response with Dr. David Naylor (Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto) and Dr. Fahad Razak (Scientific Director of the COVID-19 Ontario Science Table). Nearly two and a half years later, we're taking stock of how Canada fared compared to its peers during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a report published on June 27th in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), authors: Dr. Faha...
This week, PPF’s President and CEO and our host of Policy Speaking, Edward Greenspon sits down with Nancy Southern (Chair and CEO of ATCO Ltd. and Canadian Utilities Limited ) at the...
In this episode of Policy Speaking, our host and PPF’s President and CEO Edward Greenspon chats with the co-chairs of the Energy Future Forum’s Carbon Management Work Group, Janet Annesley (Chief Sustainability Officer at Kiwetinohk Energy ) and Michael Bernstein (executive director of Clean Prosperity ). They discuss small and large pathways to net-zero as Canada tries to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets through carbon capture and storage as well as other carbon management technologies. Annesley...
In this week’s episode of Policy Speaking, our host Edward Greenspon (President and CEO of PPF) chats with Dahabo Ahmed-Omer (Executive Director of the BlackNorth Initiative ) about systemic racism, economic inclusion and the disproportionate impacts the pandemic has illuminated among different communities across Canada. They reflect on the progress made towards combatting discrimination and examine the path of rhetoric to results in strategizing for impactful change. Finally, they discuss the B...
In marking the fifth anniversary of PPF’s The Shattered Mirror report, the host of Policy Speaking and PPF’s President and CEO Edward Greenspon sits down with three of the principal researchers on The Shattered Mirror project, Colette Brin (Professor in the Department of Information and Communications at the Université Laval), Elizabeth Dubois (Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa). They discuss what’s changed in the past five years regarding the role of journalism in democracy, the v...
This week our host and PPF’s President and CEO Edward Greenspon discusses Indigenous ownership and economic self-determination with Jeff Cyr (CEO of Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation and Managing Partner of Raven Indigenous Capital Partners) and Alicia Dubois (Founder of Nish Synergies Advisory Group and former CEO of Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation). They examine the role of reconciliation in driving a more inclusive economy, Indigenous access to equity and capital and the importa...
This week our host Edward Greenspon (President and CEO of PPF) chats with Aron Feuer (Managing Director of Cybersecurity at Valencia) and Brad Brookman (former Director of Finance and Treasurer at the Municipality of North Grenville) about the landscape of cyberattacks and ransomware attacks in Canada. They discuss the cyberattack in North Grenville, the targeting of public sector institutions across Canada and the role of cryptocurrency in ransomware attacks. The discussion concluded by stressi...
In this week’s episode of Policy Speaking , our host and PPF’s President and CEO Edward Greenspon sits down with Dr. David Naylor (past Dean of Medicine and President Emeritus at the University of Toronto) and Jodi Butts (lawyer, entrepreneur and self-described healthcare nerd) to discuss the new Omicron variant. They compare public health measures taken with Omicron and previous variants, and discuss reactions from Canadians as we approach a second holiday season in this pandemic. Dr. Naylor an...
This week’s episode of Policy Speaking is literally out of this world and focused on the space economy. Our host Edward Greenspon (PPF’s President and CEO) chats with Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, former Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. They cover the importance of investing in space technology along with strategic changes in the industry and the difference between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and Geostationary (GEO) sat...
In this week’s episode of Policy Speaking, our host – and PPF’s President & CEO – Edward Greenspon chats with the co-chair of the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression, Taylor Owen, Commissioner Nathalie Des Rosiers and Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression, Peter MacLeod. They discuss what the Commission and Citizens’ Assembly has been working on and what it hopes to accomplish in the next year. Taylor Owen, Nathalie Des Rosiers and Peter MacLeod also examine the h...
In this week’s episode of Policy Speaking, our host Edward Greenspon (PPF President & CEO) chats with the Honourable Jean Charest and Amanda Affonso looking at Canada’s efforts to balance national interests while decarbonizing. They discuss leveraging Canada’s energy advantages and becoming policy shapers in the global race to net-zero carbon emissions. Hon. Jean Charest and Amanda Affonso also examine COP26, the implementation of the Paris Agreement, carbon border adjustments, and rising en...
In our first episode this fall, Ed Greenspon (host of Policy Speaking and PPF President & CEO) is joined by the Right Honourable Joe Clark and the Honourable Christy Clark. They discuss the recent report by the Senate Prosperity Action Group, called Rising to the Challenge of New Global Realities , and focus on the 'how' of achieving its outcomes. Some of the conversation points include building consensus in a post-pandemic Canada, contemplating historical events like the Charlottetown Accor...
In this week’s episode of Policy Speaking, Edward Greenspon connects with Jerry Dias, President of Unifor Canada. They reflect on the state of the ‘union’, the impact of the pandemic on Canada’s auto, manufacturing & service industries and the constant transition to new & different work. Jerry shares thoughts on industrial policy based on U.S. protectionism, the roles government, business and consumers play and how technology is not the workers’ enemy. --- Music: Raro Bueno by Chuzausen ...
Brave New Work special | Episode 3 of 3 Vass Bednar takes over as host of Policy Speaking, for a special Brave New Work discussion on new data policymakers can use in this digital era. Joining the podcast is Paul Cowan, Chief Marketing Officer at FreshBooks who talks about the birds-eye-view insights his accounting company gleaned during the COVID economic crisis, and how sharing those trends helped Canada's policymakers. We also have Caitlin Stanley, Regional Manager at GoFundMe who talks about...
Brave New Work special | Episode 2 of 3 Vass Bednar takes over as host of Policy Speaking, for a special Brave New Work discussion on algorithms that pit workers – especially precarious workers – against the clock. Joining the podcast is Emily Guendelsberger, author of 'On the Clock', who wonders: how do you measure misery at work and what do political solutions for misery look like when policymakers are insulated from the dehumanising daily experience of low-wage work. Later in the podcast, lab...
Brave New Work special | Episode 1 of 3 Vass Bednar takes over as host of Policy Speaking, for a special Brave New Work discussion on how to think more fully about technological change. This week's focus is on skills and surveillance, with special guests: Unifor economist and policy analyst Kaylie Tiessen who talks trends in workplace training and how truck driving has been transformed; Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association Brenda McPhail who talks about the right and very wrong w...
