rabble radio

This week, we share a clip from the latest episode of the Courage My Friends podcast series. In this episode, host Resh Budhu sat down with visiting professor and dean of the faculty of agriculture and veterinary medicine at Gaza's Al-Azhar University, Dr. Ahmed Abu Shaban. The two discuss the weaponization of already fragile food systems in Gaza, the acceleration of the climate crisis through conflict and Palestinian resilience under occupation. Listen to the full episode here. And, if you'd like to hear more from the Courage My Friends podcast, please subscribe to Needs No Introduction. Available on rabble.ca, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  About our guest  Dr. Ahmed Abu Shaban is a visiting professor at York University in the faculties of liberal arts & professional studies and environmental and urban change. He is also dean of the faculty of agriculture and veterinary medicine at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. His work focuses on food systems and climate vulnerability, particularly the impact of conflict on agricultural production and food security in the Gaza Strip. Dr. Abu Shaban plays a leading role in advancing higher education in crisis settings and co-founded the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

As of April 2025, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least seven million people globally. The true toll is likely even higher, as many countries have stopped reporting reliable data. Without clear data, it can feel like the pandemic is behind us—but that perception is far from reality. For disabled people and those living with long COVID, the crisis is ongoing. COVID remains a serious, disabling, and deadly threat. This week on rabble radio, rabble.ca's Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Ashleigh-Rae Thomas spoke with Fatima Adam about what COVID realism is and how it's connected to disability justice.  Links mentioned in this interview:  How To Talk To Your Loved Ones About Covid Crip Crash Course by Sins Invalid I Don't Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People (Kayla Chadwick, Huffpost, 2017)  Relevant episodes to cue up after this one!  Disability justice is the antithesis of capitalism on rabble radio  What does disability justice look like in the workplace? on rabble radio  About our guest  Fatima Adam (she/her) is a Toronto based writer, arts administrator, and facilitator, with a focus on disability justice and COVID realism. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

On April 26, a violent attack took place at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver — an event meant to honour Filipino heritage and community. At least 11 people were killed, and many others injured. In the days since, members of the Filipino community in Canada and their allies have been coming together to grieve, reflect, and support one another through this difficult time. This week on rabble radio, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga spoke with Zuha Zubair from Migrante Ottawa to reflect on the recent Lapu Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver, and to shed light on the often-overlooked struggles faced by Filipino migrants in Canada. About our guest  Zuha Zubair is a Filipino and a community organizer with Migrante Ottawa, a chapter of an international migrants organization fighting for national liberation and genuine democracy in the Philippines. Zubair was born in the Maldives to parents who were overseas Filipino workers, known as OFWs. She came to Canada in 2019 as an international student and is currently pursuing a masters' degree in anthropology. Zubair's research focuses on overseas Filipino workers and the political connections they have to the Philippines. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

After announcing that he would not seek re-election as the NDP Member of Parliament for Timmins–James Bay, Charlie Angus has stepped into a new role — as a vocal leader in what he calls Canada's “resistance” against U.S. President Donald Trump, fascism, and rising threats to democracy. This week on rabble radio, Charlie Angus joins rabble editor Nick Seebruch to discuss The Resistance, the growing threat of “maple MAGA,” and how everyday Canadians are pushing back against creeping U.S. influence and far-right politics in their own communities. About our guest  Charlie Angus is the former Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay, serving two decades from his first election in 2004. He has been the NDP critic for Ethics, Natural Resources, FedNor, Indigenous Youth, Income Inequality and Affordability, and Deputy Critic for Labour. Charlie is a member of the Council of Canadians and was instrumental in developing the Pledge for Canadians. He is the author of nine books, including the most recent, Dangerous Memory. Charlie is a songwriter, musician and lead singer with the Juno-nominated Grievous Angels. He is a grassroots activist leading The Resistance. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.   

On April 28, 2025, Canadians will head to the polls and elect members of the House of Commons to the 45th Canadian Parliament – and with it, a Prime Minister.  Canadians have a lot to weigh in this election—from the cost of living crisis and rising inequality, to the ongoing trade tensions with the United States, and a range of other pressing issues. So, this month on our Off the Hill panel, we discussed Election 2025: What's next for Canada? Joining us this month were former NDP Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth Craig Scott; poet and activist El Jones; community organizer and political commentator Jennifer Arp; and rabble's senior parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Libby Davies.  About our guests  Craig Scott is a professor of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and a former Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth from 2012-2015. While an MP, he served as the Official Opposition Critic for Democratic and Parliamentary Reform, during most of which period the government minister for this portfolio was Pierre Poilievre.  El Jones is a poet, author, journalist, professor and activist living in Halifax. She is the author of Abolitionist Intimacies (2022) and Live from the Afrikan Resistance! (2014). Jennifer Arp is a community leader and non-profit professional. Previous roles include interim national president and CEO with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and senior vice-president of the community at MS Canada. She had the privilege of representing her community on the Toronto District School Board as trustee and vice-chair from 2014-2018 where she led numerous initiatives including the Enhancing Equity Task Force. Other experience includes working at both the federal and provincial level for multiple cabinet ministers. She recently completed her Master of Arts in International and Intercultural Communications at Royal Roads University. Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

*Audio of pro-Palestine demonstration at the Vancouver Art Gallery on March 18, 2025* The Freedom of peaceful assembly – or, in other words, to protest – and the freedom of association are among the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Protest has been a vital aspect of Canada's democracy and social fabric since the country's formation, playing a key role in advancing Indigenous rights, environmental causes, 2SLGBTQ+ and feminist issues, and labour rights.  This past week alone, people in various cities across the country came together to protest against the threats to Canadian sovereignty made by US President Donald Trump.  And sure, we might not all agree with every protest which happens in our cities and communities (the Freedom Convoy of 2022 comes to mind). But as stated in our Charter, as long as the protests do not include hate speech, become violent, incite violence, or pose a danger to public safety, we have decided – as a country – that the right to protest is more important than agreeing with every protest that is organized.  It is crucial that we are able to express our opinions, criticize our governments and institutions, and participate in public discourse.  Which is why the City of Toronto's recent survey and proposed bylaw about demonstrations near vulnerable institutions is sounding some alarm bells.  This week on rabble radio, Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Ashleigh-Rae Thomas sits down with Samira Mohyeddin to talk about what this bylaw is and why it is being considered, why the right to protest is so important, and the “Palestine exception.”  About our guest  Samira Mohyeddin is an award winning journalist and producer. For nearly ten years she was a producer and host at CBC Radio and CBC Podcasts. She resigned in November of 2023 and founded On The Line Media. Samira has a Master of Arts in Modern Middle Eastern History and Gender from the University of Toronto and Genocide Studies from the Zoryan Institute. She is currently working on a documentary about the People's Circle for Palestine student encampment at the University of Toronto. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. *Audio courtesy of Jase Tanner. 

Working Canadians are facing a multitude of issues in 2025.  Between 2023 to 2024, in Ontario alone, one million people used food bank services – a 25 per cent increase from the year before. Canada's housing market is among the most unaffordable in the world. And of course – the latest crisis on everyone's mind – the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.  With a federal election at the end of the month, there's a lot to consider for working Canadians.  This week on rabble radio, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Deena Ladd, one of the founders and executive director of the Toronto Workers' Action Centre. The two discuss the issues facing working Canadians today, how workers without union support are often more vulnerable to these issues, and how the Workers' Action Centre advocates for fair work for all.   About our guest  Deena Ladd is one of the founders of the Toronto Workers' Action Centre and currently serves as its executive director. Ladd has 30 years of organizing experience. She helped build grassroots campaigns like the Fight for $15 and Fairness campaign. Beyond the Workers' Action Centre, Ladd has also fought for migrant justice through her involvement with the Migrants' Rights Network and the Migrant Workers' Action Centre. The Workers' Action Centre (WAC) is a worker-based organization. They are committed to improving the lives and working conditions of people in low-wage and unstable employment. They believe that the leaders in the fight for decent work should be the workers directly affected by poor working conditions. Workers have firsthand experience of problems at work, and have the best insight into what will bring fairness and dignity to Ontario's workplaces. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

On Friday, March 14, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney was officially sworn in at Rideau Hall, and with that, he revealed his selections for the new cabinet. In a significant move, Carney has reduced the cabinet size from 37 members under former prime minister Justin Trudeau to just 24—a notable trim. This reshuffling means that several former ministers have lost their roles, some portfolios have been consolidated, and certain positions have been entirely eliminated. One such casualty of this restructuring is the cabinet position for the Ministry for Women, Gender Equality and Youth. This marks a departure from Trudeau's cabinet, which was intentionally designed to reflect a commitment to progressive values, including a strong feminist agenda. Trudeau's cabinet also had gender parity between men and women; Carney's cabinet does not. With this change, Carney appears to be charting a different course for the government's priorities moving forward. Today on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with Jacqueline Neapole, the executive director of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. The two discuss what this removal means for gender equality in Canada and what's at risk for women and gender diverse people heading into a federal election.  About our guest this week  Jacqueline Neapole is the executive director of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW). Jackie has been with CRIAW since 2013 working with community and academy-based researchers to conduct feminist research for action. A feminist activist for over 20 years, she has previously worked and volunteered in various capacities with other social justice organizations to advance women's rights and equality, including the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action. She currently serves on the board of the Women's History Project. Since 1976, CRIAW-ICREF has been researching and documenting the economic and social situation of women in Canada. Using intersectional frameworks, they have developed and undertaken a variety of important, ground-breaking research that is women centred. CRIAW-ICREF is a not-for-profit member-based organization. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from the latest episode of the Courage My Friends podcast series in which Henry Giroux and Resh Budhu discuss the rise of authoritarianism in the US and around the world as an updated fascism, its attack on democracy and the urgent need for solidarity.  About our guest  Henry A. Giroux currently holds the McMaster University Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest in the English and Cultural Studies Department and is the Paulo Freire Distinguished Scholar in Critical Pedagogy. His most recent books include Pedagogy of Resistance: Against Manufactured Ignorance (Bloomsbury 2022); Insurrections: Education in the Age of Counter-revolutionary politics (Bloomsbury in 2023), co-authored with Anthony DiMaggio, Fascism on Trial: Education and the Possibility of Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2024) and Burden of Conscience (Bloomsbury, 2025).  Listen to the full episode here, on Needs No Introduction – home of the Courage My Friends podcast series. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, CEO and founder of Moms at Work, Allison Venditti sits down with rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga to talk about the challenges facing mothers in the workforce in 2025 and what her organization is doing about it. About our guest  Allison Venditti is a career coach, HR expert, salary negotiation whisperer and founder of Moms at Work. She has over a decade of experience helping women make more money, grow their careers, and build communities designed to support and advocate. She has worked in many sectors including health care, technology and startups, nonprofit, manufacturing, finance, banking, consulting, mining, engineering, insurance, government, corporate real estate, transportation and more.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week, Michael Bueckert from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, sits down with Libby Davies. The two discuss how CJPME hopes to make solidarity with Palestine an election issue this year, as well as how his own education and activism led him to his current position as acting president of the organization.  About Michael Bueckert and CJPME  Dr. Michael Bueckert has a PhD in sociology with a specialization in political economy from Carleton University. He has written for publications including Africa Is A Country, Jacobin and Briarpatch. He is co-editor of Advocating for Palestine in Canada (Fernwood Publishing, 2022). He joined CJPME as vice president in June 2020, and became interim president in January 2025. CJPME's mission is to enable Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in the Middle East, and here at home in Canada. To learn more about Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, please visit: https://www.cjpme.org/  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.   

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from our February Off the Hill political panel.  In this panel, our guests – including community organizer and political commentator Jennifer Arp; writer and policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam; political, advocacy and communications professional Sabrina Grover; and rabble's own parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg – discussed the ongoing high-stakes Liberal leadership race.  Review the entire panel here.  About our guests Chuka Ejeckam is a writer and policy researcher. His work focuses on inequity and inequality, drug policy, structural racism, and labour. He is also a columnist for rabble. Sabrina Grover is an experienced political, advocacy and communications professional with an expertise in the international development and global health and nutrition sectors. Grover served as the campaign manager for the Mark Sutcliffe Campaign for Mayor in Ottawa, and in 2021 Sabrina ran as the Federal Liberal Candidate for Calgary-Centre. She also sits on the board of several organizations including the Public Affairs Association of Canada, the Sled Island Music Festival and HomeSpace where she primarily supports stakeholder relations and building partnerships with government and private sector partners. She's also a frequent political commentator on CBC Calgary, CTV Power Play and the Vassy Kapelos Show. Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. Jennifer Arp is a community leader and non-profit professional. Previous roles include interim national president and CEO with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and senior vice-president of the community at MS Canada. She had the privilege of representing her community on the Toronto District School Board as trustee and vice-chair from 2014-2018 where she led numerous initiatives including the Enhancing Equity Task Force. Other experience includes working at both the federal and provincial level for multiple cabinet ministers. She recently completed her Master of Arts in International and Intercultural Communications at Royal Roads University. About Off the Hill  Since 2019, Off the Hill has been rabble.ca's live political panel. Through this series, we break down important national and international news stories through a progressive lens.  This webinar series invites a rotating roster of guest activists, politicians, researchers and more to discuss how to mobilize and bring about progressive change in national politics — on and off Parliament Hill. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week, we share a clip from the latest episode of the Courage My Friends podcast series.  In this episode, host Resh Budhu sat down with author and storyteller Carolyn Roberts, dean of the Centre for Preparatory and Liberal Studies at George Brown College, Susan Toews, and director of Student Well-Being and Support at George Brown College, Alex Irwin to discuss this year's upcoming Mental Health Conference. This year's conference theme is Thriving Together in the Classroom: Creating the Conditions for Student Well-Being.  About our guests Carolyn Roberts uses her voice to support Indigenous resurgence through education. She is a St'at'imc and Sto:lo woman belonging to the Thevarge family from N'quatqua Nation and the Kelly Family from the Tzeachten Nation and under the Indian Act she is a member of the Squamish Nation. Carolyn is a speaker, author, Indigenous academic, and a faculty member in UBC Teacher Education and NITEP programs. She has been an educator and administrator for over 20 years in the K-12 system. Carolyn's work is grounded in educating about Indigenous people and the decolonization of the education system. She works with pre-service teachers to help build their understandings in Indigenous history, education, and ancestral ways of knowing, to create a brighter future for all Indigenous people and the seven generations yet to come. She is also the author of Re-Storying Education: Decolonizing Your Practice Using a Critical Lens (2024).  Alex Irwin is an accomplished educator with broad experience managing people and projects and developing innovative education programming for a wide range of students, both domestically and overseas. He is director of Student Well-Being and Support at George Brown College, where he oversees counselling, accessible learning services, deaf and hard of hearing services, and the college's peer wellness programming. He is also a clinical social worker, with a history of working at community-based mental health and treatment centres. Susan Toews has over 35 years of experience in education, with the last 18 years of her career at George Brown College, where she has served in leadership positions in both academic roles and service areas. She is currently the Dean, Centre for Preparatory and Liberal Studies. Susan is a strong advocate for a whole campus/whole student approach to student mental health and believes in the wide application of Universal Design for Learning, as it provides guidance for creating accessible, inclusive and engaging student-centered learning opportunities – critical to student well-being. Susan holds an M.Ed. from OISE/University of Toronto and, as a committed lifelong learner, continually engages in professional development in education, including graduating from UBC's Organizational Coaching program in 2024. For online registration, conference fees and information about the February 27, 2025 conference, please click this link.  Listen to the full episode here, on Needs No Introduction – home of the Courage My Friends podcast series.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Ahead of a provincial election in Ontario, rabble's Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand sits down with Sarah Jama to talk about her re-election campaign as an Independent MPP for Hamilton Centre and how Jama believes that voters between parties have more in common than they think. About our guest Sarah Jama is running for re-election to continue representing Hamilton Centre as MPP. Her community work spans over a decade in Ontario and beyond, including leading intersectional leadership programs, civic engagement initiatives for youth, and grassroots efforts addressing social inequities such as food insecurity. Before being elected, Jama was a sessional faculty member at McMaster University and the executive director of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario. Sarah creates and amplifies spaces for young people by promoting skill-building, knowledge-sharing, and community organizing. As an MPP, Sarah Jama brought her grassroots organizing experience and deep community connections to Queen's Park, providing platforms for disenfranchised individuals who are often dismissed. She has consistently advocated for public healthcare, rent control, affordable and supportive housing, childcare, protected bike lanes, environmental sustainability, and increased funding for education. She has also opposed unnecessary highway expansions, private healthcare, and policies that fail to prioritize the well-being of our communities. Sarah puts working people first, and working people are the heart of Hamilton Centre. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

What does it mean for a workplace to be truly accommodating for all? How can we advocate for more people-first workplaces? Where are governments and companies failing us and how can we better protect each other?  Labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Brad Evoy, the executive director with Disability Justice Network of Ontario to discuss all this and more.  About our guest Brad Evoy is the executive director with Disability Justice Network of Ontario. Brad is a member of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation and has worked across Ontario and Newfoundland as a governance and community organizing nerd. His experiences as a Disabled person—with Cerebral Palsy and high myopic vision—have helped ground him in community and the interlocking fight for justice. DJNO was founded in 2018 by racialized, disabled community members in Hamilton, Ontario to build a world where disabled people are free to be, able to thrive and grow in community together, and have the power to hold the powerful to account. The Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO) aims to build a just and accessible Ontario, wherein people with disabilities: have personal and political agency; can thrive and foster community; and build the power, capacity, and skills needed to hold people, communities, and institutions responsible for the spaces they create. For more information about DJNO, visit here.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week, we share a clip from the first episode of the latest season of the Courage My Friends podcast series. In this episode, independent journalist and public historian Taylor C. Noakes, author, political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ricardo Tranjan and social justice activist and former organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, John Clarke reflect on the current state of progressive politics in Canada.  Listen to the full episode here, on Needs No Introduction – home of the Courage My Friends podcast series.  About our guests John Clarke is a writer and activist who became involved in anti-poverty organizing in the 1980s, when he helped to form a union of unemployed workers in London, Ontario. In 1990, he became an organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and stayed in this role until 2019 when he became Packer Visitor in Social Justice at York University. Taylor C. Noakes is an independent journalist and public historian from Montreal. Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, frequent media commentator in English and French, and author of two books, including the national bestseller The Tenant Class. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

In 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States, it sent shockwaves through Canada as we questioned how this decision might impact us. For many, it sparked a new sense of concern that similar actions could be taken here, prompting a closer examination of the work needed to strengthen and expand reproductive rights and access in Canada. This week, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. While he promises to usher in a “golden age,” in the five days he's been in power, he's already made extremely harmful decisions concerning health care, gender identity, citizenship, the environment and much more. And so we're forced to consider, again, what these actions could mean for Canada. Leading up to a federal election of our own, one where a Conservative federal leader seems the likely outcome, we're asking: what is the state of reproductive rights in Canada – and what's at stake in the upcoming election?  This week on the show, Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand sits down with Joyce Arthur, the founder of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada to discuss all this and more.  About our guests Joyce Arthur (she/her) has been an abortion rights activist for over 30 years. She is the founder and executive director of Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, where she carries out lobbying work, activist campaigns, and public education. She's also a writer, media spokesperson, and speaker on abortion and other gender rights and social justice issues. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from our first Off the Hill political panel of 2025.  In this panel, our guests – including NDP MP Niki Ashton, senior researcher at the CCPA National Office Stuart Trew, economist Jim Stanford, activist and writer Judy Haiven and rabble's parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg – talked about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement, his accomplishments and failings during his time as leader, parliament's current prorogation and what's next for Canada.  Review the entire panel here.  About our guests Niki Ashton is NDP Member of Parliament for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski in Manitoba. Stuart Trew is a senior researcher at the CCPA National Office and the past editor of the CCPA Monitor. He is director of the CCPA's Trade and Investment Research Project. Jim Stanford is an economist and the director of the Centre for Future Work, a labour economics research institute with operations in Canada and Australia. Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. Judy Haiven is a former professor of Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  She retired to become a volunteer human rights activist and writer. She is a founder of Equity Watch, a nonprofit organization that fights bullying, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. A founding member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Judy supports the struggle to end Israel's genocide against Palestinians. Her social justice newsletter, Another Ruined Dinner Party, is available for free on Substack.  About Off the Hill  Since 2019, Off the Hill has been rabble.ca's live political panel. Through this series, we break down important national and international news stories through a progressive lens.  This webinar series invites a rotating roster of guest activists, politicians, researchers and more to discuss how to mobilize and bring about progressive change in national politics — on and off Parliament Hill. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, journalist and filmmaker Nelofer Pazira-Fisk sits down with Libby Davies to discuss her experience completing her late husband's book on Middle Eastern politics and shares her reflections on how Western mainstream media could be doing a better job reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict. For more information about Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East, visit this website.  About our guest Nelofer Pazira-Fisk is an award-winning Afghan-Canadian author, journalist and filmmaker. She was based in Beirut for fifteen years working alongside her late husband, Robert Fisk. She reported for Canadian television and radio as well as UK and Canadian newspapers from Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt and Syria. In 2001, she starred in the film Kandahar, based on her real-life story and has directed and produced several films including Return to Kandahar (2003), Act of Dishonour (2010), and This is Not a Movie (2019). Nelofer's 2006 book, A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan, won the Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize. She is a recipient of Gemini Award, New York's Media Award, Gabriel Award and A.D. Dunton Award of Distinction. She has a degree in journalism and English literature (Carleton University), an MA in Anthropology, Sociology and Religion (Concordia University), and two honorary doctorates from Carleton and Thomson River universities in Canada. Recently, she saw the completion and publication of Robert Fisk's last book – Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East. Nelofer shares her time between Dublin and Ottawa. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

It's hard to believe, but it's already time to say goodbye to 2024 and ring in a new year. Before we do, however, we'd like to take the next half an hour to review some of our favourite interviews of this year. It's become a tradition at rabble radio, after all! Let's dive right in.  2024 at a glance…   In January, then-Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Madison Edward-Wright sat down with associate professor at Concordia University Ted Rutland to talk about his research work on anti-Black racism and policing in Canada – and specifically, in Montreal. In this clip, Rutland will take us through a brief history of policing in Quebec and give us a temperature check of the situation today.  At the end of her term as Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow in 2023, Kiah Lucero covered the Kearl mine tailings leak, and how the Alberta Energy Regulator and Imperial Oil both failed to report those leaks for a disastrous nine-month period. Brandi Morin, an award-winning Cree/Iroquois/French journalist, released Killer Water, a documentary which shines a light on the environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands industry. Morin shares with Lucero the grave ways the community of Fort Chipewyan has been impacted by the Kearl mine tailings spill. May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and this year we were very excited to share with our listeners a two-part discussion on the history of Asian labour in Canada. Kiah Lucero sat down with Patricia Chong and Karine Ng from the Ontario and BC branches of the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance. In this clip, we'll hear them dive into the concept of a “model minority” and how all racial justice fights are intertwined. This year, a major win for the pro-choice movement – and indeed a win for women's health across Canada – came in the form of an announcement by the Liberal federal government that crisis pregnancy centers and charities must now clearly reveal to their clients whether they offer abortion or abortion referrals. This new policy will prevent anti-choice pregnancy crisis centers from misleading women to try to deter them from having an abortion. In the months leading up to this policy being announced, Joyce Arthur, the founder and executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, joined rabble editor Nick Seebruch to talk about belief-based denial of care and the state of abortion rights in Canada.  And finally, listeners, the last clip we wanted to highlight today came from a conversation between Nick Seebruch and Louise Smith from Independent Jewish Voices Canada. Solidarity with Palestine was a huge topic of conversation this year on the podcast and on rabble.ca, and in this interview Smith and Seebruch  outline the important work Independent Jewish Voices Canada does to advocate for peace and justice in Israel-Palestine and explain how all forms of oppression are connected. In this clip, Smith aims to dispel the myth that solidarity with Palestine equals antisemitism and criticizes the Jewish groups in Canada which tout that sentiment.  Did we miss a favourite interview of yours from 2024? Let us know on social media or by leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube!  Thank you for listening to rabble radio! Our show would not be possible without listeners like you. So thank you!  From all of us here at rabble, we want to wish you and your communities a very merry holiday season and a safe and happy new year!  If we've caught you in the giving mood and would like to support our show today, please visit rabble.ca/donate. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

Last week, our Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand shared a piece on rabble.ca which examined the Ontario government's decision to move forward with plans to close 10 of its 19 supervised consumption and treatment sites, despite a report from the auditor general criticizing the decision for lack of planning and consultation.  In the piece, she explained that experts and advocates argue that the decision to close these sites – which have been shown to reduce harm and save lives – will worsen the opioid crisis and increase public health and safety risks. Today, Wand sits down with Dr. Alexander Caudarella, the CEO from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and family physician, to talk about the benefits and misconceptions of supervised consumption sites and how whole communities must work together to discover what feels safe for all.  About our guest Dr. Alexander Caudarella is a bilingual family physician with specialty training in substance use health issues. As a leader and clinician, he brings years of collaborative substance use healthcare experience to CCSA from his work across the country. Previously, Alexander served as the medical director of substance use services (SUS) at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and lead SUS physician with Inner City Health Associates. In his work as a researcher and clinician he frequently advised public health officials on issues related to substance use health. As one of the key leaders of the Toronto Opioid Overdose Action Network, Alexander coordinated the implementation of in-hospital substance use components and developed a regional system to access rapid expert support. He has served as a substance use consultant and clinician for the Government of Nunavut. For more than a decade, Alexander worked on Indigenous-lead programs in Canada and abroad aimed at building capacity, decreasing stigma and building local workforces. He joined CCSA as Chief Executive Officer in August 2022. Through CCSA's work with national and international partners, Alexander wants people in Canada to understand the scope of substance use health and the solutions they can put in place in their communities. He passionately believes that collaboration across sectors is essential in improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs and alcohol. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.   

Earlier this year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced dramatic changes to that province's approach to the healthcare, education, and inclusion of transgender youth.  READ MORE: In Alberta's new war on trans people, children will suffer Since then, queer activists and groups supporting the rights of 2SLGBTQIA folks have come together to challenge and speak out against policies like the ones proposed in Alberta and have done their best to support queer and trans youth across the county.   This week on rabble radio, Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand sits down with Bennett Jensen, the director of legal at Egale Canada to discuss what's at stake under the proposed legislation targeting trans youth in Alberta.  “When there are restrictions on access or information around queer and trans people, that communicates that there is something wrong with being queer or trans.”  About our guest and Egale Canada Bennett Jensen (he/him) is the director of legal at Egale Canada where he develops, leads and directs strategic litigation in furtherance of 2SGLBTQI rights. Jensen began his career as a litigator at a leading law firm in New York City, before becoming the deputy head of the firm's award-winning pro bono practice and leading responses to national rights violations like the Muslim travel ban and the family separation crisis.  Prior to joining Egale, he served as a policy advisor and then as director of litigation to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada where he supported the passage of the criminal ban against conversion “therapy.” He has been recognized as a Rising Star by the American Bar Association, as one of the LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Best 40 Lawyers under 40, and, most recently, with the 2024 Canadian Bar Association's National SAGDA Hero Award. Egale Canada is the country's leading 2SGLBTQI rights organization. Egale's vision is a Canada, and ultimately a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: How just is Canada's justice system?'  Our panel featured poet and activist El Jones; and rabble's own parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg.   About our guests El Jones is a poet, author, journalist, professor and activist living in Halifax. She is the author of Abolitionist Intimacies (2022) and Live from the Afrikan Resistance! (2014). Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

By now, we've all heard about the poor working conditions Amazon workers face globally. So, why then, are there only two unionized Amazon factories in North America?  Labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga talks to Félix Trudeau, the president of the first union to be certified at an Amazon warehouse in Canada, about his efforts unionizing his colleagues and what other Canadian workers can learn from their experiences.  About our guest  Félix Trudeau is the president of the first union to be certified at an Amazon warehouse in Canada. The union was created in May 2024 and is a part of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). Trudeau and his colleagues have entered their first round of collective bargaining with Amazon. Members continue to mobilize to secure the first collective agreement in the history of the multinational.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Well, it's official: Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.  So… now what?  For those in and out of the States, the news comes as a bit of a shock. Despite the presidential race being a tight one, particularly over the past few weeks, there were those who held out hope that Kamala Harris and her “new way forward” was going to win out.  But no. Instead, the convicted felon with a history of sexual abuse toward women won.  This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch joins parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg by phone from France to discuss what Trump's win means for America, Canada and beyond.  Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.  Photo by: Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Thomas et al v. Canada is a class action lawsuit which was filed in the Federal Court of Canada in 2020 on behalf of Black Canadians employed in the Public Service of Canada. The action seeks to address and dismantle the systemic racism and discrimination within the Public Service of Canada. Specifically, for Black individuals who applied for employment with the Public Service and were denied entry based on their race, and those who were employed but were denied promotions based on their race (including those who have been employed within the past five decades).  rabble.ca and labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casusa have been following this story as it develops, and this week Calugay-Casuga sat down with Bernadeth Betchi, a representative plaintiff who shared why seeking justice through the court is meaningful to her.  About our guests  Bernadeth Betchi is a representative candidate for the Black Class Action lawsuit.  In 2023, Betchi ran for the position of president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE). Her candidacy was historic, she was the first Black woman to ever put her name forward for the position. Betchi is also a co-founder of the Ottawa-Gatineau Black Breastfeeding week, which aims to bring awareness to the realities of Black parents and their access to support when it comes to breastfeeding. Outside of organizing, Betchi is a PhD candidate in her fourth year of studying philosophy, feminist and gender studies. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Last year, the big headline to come out of the COP28 conference held in Dubai, was the news that an agreement had been made amongst participating countries to transition away from fossil fuels.  With Canada being the fourth-largest oil producer in the world and the fifth-largest producer of natural gas, where does this leave us? And what are we expecting to see come out of the upcoming COP29 conference in November?  Today, Andréanne Brazeau from the David Suzuki Foundation sits down with rabble editor Nick Seebruch to talk about COP29, the work the foundation does to research and report on climate progress (and regress), and how Canadians can participate in climate action.  About our guest and the David Suzuki Foundation  The David Suzuki Foundation is a national, bilingual non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, the Foundation works to conserve and protect the natural environment and help create a sustainable Canada.  Andréanne Brazeau is a senior policy analyst based in Québec. Her expertise is in climate governance in Quebec, Canada and internationally; public policy related to the environment, climate, energy and consumption; sustainable transportation; international climate negotiations and the just transition. Brazeau has held various positions in policy analysis, government relations, communications, research and advocacy before joining the David Suzuki Foundation. She has worked for Équiterre, the UNESCO Chair in the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Extremism at the Université de Sherbrooke, ENvironnement JEUnesse, the Réseau québécois des groupes écologistes and the Young Diplomats of Canada. To read material from the David Suzuki Foundation, visit their website here or catch up on the latest from the foundation on rabble here.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: Catching up on Canadian and U.S. politics.'  Our panel featured  NDP MP Niki Ashton; rabble columnist and policy analyst Chuka Ejeckam; poet and activist El Jones; and rabble's own parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg.   About our guests Niki Ashton is NDP Member of Parliament for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski in Manitoba. El Jones is a poet, author, journalist, professor and activist living in Halifax. She is the author of Abolitionist Intimacies (2022) and Live from the Afrikan Resistance! (2014). Chuka Ejeckam is a writer and policy researcher. His work focuses on inequity and inequality, drug policy, structural racism, and labour. He is also a columnist for rabble. Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Monday, October 7, 2024 marked the one year anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attacks in Israel-Palestine, which was followed by Israel's ongoing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.  Over the past year, activist organizations, groups and citizens worldwide have done their part to call for an end to this genocide. One such organization is Independent Jewish Voices (IJV).   Today, Louise Smith from IJV sits down with rabble editor Nick Seebruch to talk about the work IJV does to promote peace in the Middle East, how solidarity with Palestine does not equal  antisemitism, and how all forms of oppression are connected.  “There are a lot of really strong voices in the Jewish community that are invested in confusing people about anti-semitism and anti-zionism. And the Israel Lobby and funders of the Israeli state, they really want people to be so afraid of being accused of anti-semitism that they stop protesting any of the humanitarian violations committed by the state of Israel.  And we really need to make a distinction between people who are critical of Jews for being Jewish or Jewish conspiracy theories that are focused on Jewish people or perceived Jewish traits and separate that from legitimate criticism of state decisions. It is very normal for people to criticize state actions, state policies; and that shouldn't be any different for the state of Israel.”   – Louise Smith About our guest and Independent Jewish Voices  Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) is a grassroots organization grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace for all in Israel-Palestine. IJV has active chapters in cities and on university campuses across Canada. Learn more about IJV here.  Louise Smith grew up in and lives in Toronto, on Dish with One Spoon territory. She is proudly Jewish and organizes in solidarity with Palestinians as part of Independent Jewish Voices and the Jews Say No to Genocide coalition.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

To tip or not to tip?  Tipping culture has become a large conversation in Canada over the past few years, as both customers and service workers across the country struggle to meet the demands of the cost-of-living crisis. Receiving tips to supplement a small paycheque becomes all the more necessary. Meanwhile, giving generous tips feels all the more harder.  So how would you react to knowing that a portion of the tips you're giving are not even being collected by the people who are serving you – but rather, upper management.  This is called tip theft, and in one Atlantic province it's perfectly legal.  Nova Scotia is one of the only provinces in Canada without anti-tip theft legislation, and organizers at the Halifax Workers' Action Centre are trying to change that.  This week on the show, rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with community organizer Syd Blum to talk about their work organizing workers in Nova Scotia and trying to bring the issue of anti-tip theft to the attention of the provincial government.  About our guest Syd Blum (she/they) is a community, political, and union organizer living in Mi'kma'ki / Nova Scotia. They are the organizer for the Halifax Workers' Action Centre, a community legal worker at Dalhousie Legal Aid, and the vice-president of IASTE Local B-778.  They were previously a head organizer with the ACORN Tenant Union, where they led successful campaigns for a rent cap and anti-eviction policies in Atlantic Canada, and a union-cooperative developer. They have a profound commitment to building a strong labour movement in Nova Scotia, fighting for a union at home, at work, and in our communities. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with Alistair Hepburn, executive director of ACTRA Toronto. The two discuss the do-not-work notice placed on Mr. Beast's Beast Games in Toronto and other actions ACTRA is taking to protect Canadian performers.  About our guests  Alistair Hepburn is the executive director of ACTRA Toronto, the largest branch of ACTRA (the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), the union representing performers in the film, radio, television, and new media industries. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with Off the Hill co-hosts to review how rabble's monthly panel series came to be and where we hope to go in the future.  About our guests  Robin Browne is Off the Hill's co-host. Robin is a communications professional and founder of the 613-819 Black Hub, living in Ottawa. His blog is The “True” North. Libby Davies is Off the Hill's co-host and author of Outside In: a Political Memoir. She served as the MP for Vancouver East from 1997-2015, and is former NDP Deputy Leader and House Leader. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, we share a clip from the first episode of the new season of the Courage My Friends podcast: Climate and the city: Are we ready? In this episode, host Resh Budhu sits down with former mayor of Toronto, David Miller to discuss the crucial role of cities in “fixing” the climate crisis and what we can learn in building sustainable and equitable urban communities. Miller and Budhu also explore the question of just how prepared Canadian cities are to meet the challenges of this crisis. About our guest  Miller was Mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010 and served as Chair of C40 Cities from 2008 until 2010. Under his leadership, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength and social integration. He is a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies.   Miller has held a variety of public and private positions and served as Future of Cities Global Fellow at Polytechnic Institute of New York University from 2011 to 2014. He has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waterloo in Environmental Studies, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from York University and is currently executive in residence at the University of Victoria. David Miller is a Harvard trained economist and professionally is a lawyer. He and his wife, lawyer Jill Arthur, are the parents of two children. About Courage My Friends  The Courage My Friends podcast is presented by rabble.ca and the Tommy Douglas Institute, with the support of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation. If you'd like to hear more from the Courage My Friends podcast, please subscribe to Needs No Introduction - a podcast by rabble which presents a series of speeches and lectures from the finest minds of our time. Available on rabble.ca, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Earlier this month, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) launched a campaign this month highlighting how the fossil fuel industry in British Columbia is increasing healthcare system costs and reducing access to care. The campaign shared billboards and transit ads, held a press conference in front of Vancouver General Hospital and shared an open letter from over 300 doctors and nurses calling for immediate action to protect communities and the healthcare system. Today on rabble radio, Dr. Melissa Lem, the president of CAPE, joins rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga to discuss in more detail about this campaign, and how CAPE works with other healthcare organizations and unions to create a healthier planet and population.  Lem last joined us on rabble radio in 2022 as part of our Boiling Point series. She and Stephen Wentzell explored the many ways in which climate change is a health issue and why it's so important for governments, at all levels, to put policies in place to protect people during extreme weather events. About our guest  Dr. Melissa Lem is a Vancouver family physician who also works in rural and northern communities within Canada. President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, she is an internationally recognized leader in the field of nature, biodiversity and health. Lem has also engaged in advocacy and policy work on a broad range of other issues ranging from extreme heat and hydraulic fracturing to sustainable health care and low-carbon transportation. A widely published writer, climate change panelist on CBC Radio's Early Edition, in-house medical columnist for CBC TV Vancouver and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, one of her major priorities is knowledge translation. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Mahendra Pandey. Mahendra shares his experience as a former migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, as well as his work organizing migrant workers today. About our guest  Mahendra Pandey is the senior manager of forced labor and human trafficking at Humanity United. Through this role, he focuses on the human trafficking in labor migration portfolio. Before getting involved in advocacy work, Pandey worked in Saudi Arabia as a migrant worker and experienced first-hand the poor working conditions that many Nepali migrant workers face.  While in Saudi Arabia, he developed a Nepali migrant rights network, Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC). Pandey holds a master's degree in digital media and storytelling from American University at Washington D.C. and recently completed a leadership organizing and action course at Harvard University.  To learn more about Humanity United, visit this link.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Nick Seebruch sits down with Joyce Arthur, founder and executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada to talk about belief-based denial of care and the state of abortion rights in Canada. About our guest  Joyce Arthur is the founder and executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.  The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) is a broad-based national feminist organization consisting of groups and individuals who support ARCC's vision and mandate. It recognizes and respects the cultural and political diversity of our country and its provinces and territories, works to represent as many women and communities as possible, and operates in both official languages.  ARCC acts as a “voice for choice.” Its primary mandate is to undertake political and educational work on reproductive rights and health issues. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Being an activist brings an emotional burden.  The issues we deal with are intense, difficult and sometimes without any immediate solution. And often, we try to deal with these issues through logically planning a strategy and communicating issues using words. It's an intellectual process, but with a lot of underlying emotional baggage. Elisa Lee has some thoughts about how to get under the intellect to connect with ourselves and people in our communities on a deeper level. She, and many other people involved in grief work, think that it's important to deal with the full range of emotions ranging from anger and fear to hope and joy. Today on rabble radio, we're re-releasing an episode from May 2020, in which former rabble radio host Victoria Fenner sat down with Elisa Lee to talk about climate grief and how activists can better take care of themselves. This interview was originally a part of rabble's series on Climate Hope in the Time of the Pandemic. To listen to the original episode, please click here.  About our guest  For the past 15 years, Elisa Lee has been promoting personal development in collaboration with nature as a specialist teacher in ecological education, a self-care facilitator and a rite of passage guide. She holds a masters degree in environmental education with a focus on women's rites of passage and is the founder of Fire & Flower, a rite of passage organization for girls.  Lee's current activism focuses on community grief rituals and nature-based rites of passage for girls and adults. A big part of that sense of being is getting beyond the intellectual processes which help us explain the world to ourselves and others, but does not get to the root of our reactions to the complex issues that we all face in these difficult times. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

In January last year, rabble's parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg shared a piece calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to revive the idea of electoral reform for Canada – and on the podcast, he joined Réal Lavergne, former president of Fair Vote Canada, to dissect Canada's current voting system and discuss how a fairer way to vote might be accomplished in the future.   Today, we're revisiting the topic of proportional representation and electoral reform in Canada.  Next year is an election year in Canada, and with a decline in popularity for current Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and with far-right extremism on the rise (and apparently influencing certain Conservative leaders across the country), many Canadians are already wondering how they might cast their vote.  Joining us on rabble radio this week is Ted Cragg, a spokesperson for Fair Vote Canada.  Ted Cragg has been involved with Fair Vote Canada since 2009, during the British Columbia referendum on electoral reform of that year. He previously served as president of the organization's national capital region chapter. He currently lives in Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, Québec, a province showing promising signs of being the first to adopt proportional representation in Canada. Fair Vote Canada seeks broad, multi-partisan support to embody in new legislation the basic principle of democratic representative government and ultimate safeguard of a free society: the right of each citizen to equal treatment under election laws and equal representation in legislatures. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

On July 8, workers at the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) walked off the job after contract negotiations broke down with their employer over issues of funding and a strained workforce for essential child care services. On Tuesday OPSEU/SEFPO, the union representing CASO, took to X (formally Twitter) to announce a tentative agreement had been reached with their employer.  "Children's Aid Society of Ottawa workers, members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 454, reached a tentative agreement last night after braving 24 days on strike. Further details to follow once the ratification vote concludes this afternoon – solidarity!" On Wednesday, it was announced the deal had been ratified. However, as Michele Thorn, president of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 454 and adoption worker at CASO, says: the fight is far from over. Michele Thorn has worked at the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa since 1995 and was a child protection worker for 20 years. She is currently working as an adoption worker. She has been the president of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 454 since 2017 and has now been on the bargaining team six times since 2009. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

On April 17, 2024 a pro-Palestine protest encampment was built at Columbia University where students called on their school to disclose and divest their investments in companies linked to Israel and its war on Gaza. This inspired a movement in universities across North America –and the globe– for students to create their own on-campus encampments.  After months of peaceful protest, the encampments at UofT, McGill, UOttawa have now been dismantled, but the pressure for divestment continues.  Today on rabble radio, freelance reporter Stephen Wentzell sits down with journalist and activist Desmond Cole to outline the misconceptions some had about the student encampments and what responsible reporting for Palestine looks like. Desmond Cole is a journalist, radio host, and activist. His debut book, The Skin We're In, won the Toronto Book Award and was a finalist for the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award and the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. It was also named a best book of 2020 by The Globe and Mail, NOW Magazine, CBC, Quill & Quire, and Indigo. Cole's writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, Toronto Life, The Walrus, and the Ottawa Citizen, among others. He lives in Toronto. Stephen Wentzell is a journalist based in New York City covering politics, social issues, and the criminal legal system. A former national politics reporter at rabble.ca, Stephen has also worked at publications including CTV Atlantic and CityNews Halifax. In 2023, Stephen began studying at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where he is concentrating in local accountability journalism, as well as health and science reporting. When he's not working, Stephen can be found snuggling with his cat Benson and watching the latest episode of the Real Housewives. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, Nick Seebruch sits down with Deblekha Guin, the executive director of Access to Media Education Society. The two discuss the work the organization does to educate and empower youth through storytelling, artistic collaboration and peer facilitation.  In 1996, Deblekha (she/her) founded Access to Media Education Society (AMES), a non-profit that supports directly impacted youth in making and sharing personally and socially transformative digital stories. Since AMES's emergence Guin has co-visioned and coordinated 50+ distinct participatory media and digital arts production programs that have engaged over 2000 youth from equity-deserving communities in the creation of 500+ videos, animations and digital works.  Guin was recognized for her extensive BIPOC-centred, intergenerational and intersectional creative community-building work through an Intercultural Trust Award at the BC Multiculturalism and Anti-racism Awards in 2020. To learn more about Access to Media Education Society please click here.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, Libby Davies sits down with Avi Lewis to talk about a lifetime of activism and his plans to run in the next federal election. Avi Lewis is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, educator, and activist. Lewis is also the co-founder of The Leap, a grassroots climate organization launched to upend our collective response to the crises of climate, inequality and racism. Lewis engages in transformative change locally and globally. He was a candidate for the NDP in the last federal election and is currently an associate professor in geography at the University of British Columbia. Libby Davies is the author of Outside In: a Political Memoir. She served as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East from 1997-2015, and is former NDP deputy leader and house leader. Davies is also a recipient of the Order of Canada. She currently co-hosts rabble.ca's monthly political panel, Off the Hill.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

“Unions are not just a place for rank and file issues – they are also political.” This week, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Ala' Qadi to discuss how student unions and labour issues intersect with the crisis in Palestine.  Ala' Qadi is the second vice chair of the Coalition of Racialized Workers at Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU). He is also a steward of Algonquin College faculty union and one of the coordinators of Labour 4 Palestine, Ottawa Chapter.  To learn about and donate to Labour for Palestine's defense fund, please click here.  Ala' is the former second vice president of Algonquin College Faculty Union, OPSEU Local 415. He has been active in union movements and social justice advocacy in Ottawa and Ontario for the last seven years and has been involved in organizing with unions and student movements throughout his life – in Palestine, Canada and the United States.   If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

On Tuesday, June 25, more than 300 people rallied outside SickKids Hospital in Toronto to call on the employer to end their decades-long pension holiday. Today, Leonora Foster, patient service aid and president of the CUPE local at the hospital joins rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga to talk about the need for a new pension plan for SickKids employees.  Leonora Foster is a patient service aid at SickKids Hospital and a union steward for CUPE 2816. She has been working at SickKids for 36 years. After decades of backbreaking labour, Foster says she wants to secure a decent pension plan for herself and her co-workers to escape the clutches of poverty in her sunset years.  To read the full story from Calugay-Casuga, click here. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: Pride in Canada – The fight continues.'  Our panel featured  NDP MP Blake Desjarlais; rabble columnist Charlotte Dalwood; podcaster Shawn Dearn; professor Fritz Pino; and activist Martine Roy.  About our guests MP Blake Desjarlais (he/him) was born in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Edmonton) and raised on the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement. Prior to his election as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton Griesbach, Desjarlais was a community activist and national director of the Métis Settlements General Council. Desjarlais made history in September 2021 when he was the first openly Two-Spirit person ever elected to the House of Commons and the first Indigenous representative from Edmonton. Charlotte Dalwood (she/they) is a Student-At-Law at Prison & Police Law in Calgary, AB, and an incoming Master of Laws student at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. She holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale University and is a monthly columnist on legal and 2SLGBTQ+ issues for rabble.ca. Their first book, Until At Dawn We Wake: Gender, Madness, Theology is forthcoming from Quoir in 2025. Fritz Pino is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Regina. Her work focuses on queer and trans philosophies and theories; racialized LGBTQ immigrant communities; decolonial approaches to social work research; and more. Her work aims to create culturally-grounded interventions and approaches by centering the cultural knowledge and practices of marginalized groups and communities. Martine Roy serves as the regional director for 2SLGBTQ+ Business Development in Québec & Eastern Canada for TD Bank and is committed to bridging the gap between the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the workplace. In the past, Roy served as a member of the board of directors of Pride at Work Canada for 10 years and served as president of Fondation Émergence until 2015. In 2017, she was awarded the Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec, and in 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her tireless efforts as a leader, activist and advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in Canada's 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Shawn Dearn is an award-winning podcaster, broadcaster and strategic communications executive. He is co-founder at Montreal-based social impact entertainment firm, Secret Agents, and Shawn is the host of Queer Legends: An Oral History Podcast. Shawn spent the last two years researching and conducting interviews for an eight-part documentary series about Canada's LGBT Purge, which is now streaming everywhere you get your podcasts.   Check out the entire panel on rabbleTV or rabble's YouTube channel! If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch joins Josh Bizjak, executive director of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation, to talk about the history of the organization and current research projects and initiatives.  Josh Bizjak was the founding director of development at the Broadbent Institute until joining the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation in January 2021, as the executive director. In his past role, he was instrumental in the Broadbent Institute's financial success and growth over the past decade. In 2018, Bizjak was senior advisor to the national director of Canada's New Democratic Party under the leadership of Jagmeet Singh, and served in this position until 2021.  To learn more about how the DCL partners with rabble, be sure to check out the Jack Layton Journalism for Change Fellowship page on rabble.ca. And, to discover the current research projects and initiatives of the DCL, be sure to visit douglascoldwelllayton.ca/.  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

It's June, listeners! And in Canada and the US, June marks the start of Pride Season. Pride is when 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and allies gather in solidarity to celebrate queer identity and visibility, to commemorate the history of resistance to discrimination and violence, and to come together to fight current issues facing queer people.  This week on rabble radio, we're re-releasing an episode from 2019 where Victoria Fenner sits down with Lyla Miklos, a queer activist from Hamilton, Ontario to talk about the city's record of hate crimes and what other small communities in Canada can learn from Hamilton.  Continue the conversation on Pride in Canada by joining us for Off the Hill this month! Guests include rabble columnist Charlotte Dalwood and assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, Fritz Pino. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. Register today to save your spot for our panel on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

Under the Rachel Notley NDP government in Alberta in 2015, and in response to public outcry over excessive compensation and benefits for public sector senior executives, the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act (PSCTA) was introduced. With the Act came “sunshine lists” which outlined the compensation of all public sector workers whose earnings exceeded a certain threshold. In a blogpost by the Parkland Institute, Jason Foster explains the act and lists were originally created in hopes that disclosing names, salaries, and benefits would “curb tendencies toward financial excess by senior executives.”  He continues: “Whether it has worked as intended is an open question. What is clear is that it is something of a blunt tool.” And this blunt tool may not be the best solution.  This week on rabble radio, rabble labour reporter Kiah Lucero joins Foster to discuss the design flaws and shortcomings of the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act and sunshine lists in Alberta.  About our guests  Jason Foster is the director of Parkland Institute and an associate professor of human resources and labour relations at Athabasca University. He is the author of Gigs, Hustles, & Temps (2023) and Defying Expectations: The Case of UFCW Local 401 (2018), as well as co-author of Health and Safety in Canadian Workplaces (2016). His research interests include workplace injury, union renewal, labour and employment policy, and migrant workers in Canada. Foster is committed to sharing research to as broad an audience as possible, so that it might contribute to policy change and making people's lives better. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from our most recent Courage My Friends podcast series episode, hosted on Needs No Introduction. In this episode, host Resh Budhu sits down with professor and researcher Dr. Chandni Desai and professor, author and policy analyst Dr. Muhannad Ayyash. The three discuss the destruction of Gaza's educational systems and the role of scholasticide within genocide.  About our guests  Dr. Muhannad Ayyash was born and raised in Silwan, Al-Quds, before immigrating to Canada where he is professor of Sociology at Mount Royal University. He is also a policy analyst at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. He is the author of A Hermeneutics of Violence, has co-edited two books, and is the author of multiple journal articles, book chapters, and opinion pieces. Dr. Chandni Desai is an assistant professor in the Critical Studies of Equity and Solidarity at the University of Toronto. Her areas of research, teaching and supervision include: comparative settler colonialisms, Palestine studies, the politics of the Middle East, state violence (carceral politics, militarism and war), cultures of resistance and revolution, political economy, third world internationalism, solidarity, memory, oral history, anti-racism and feminism. She is working on her first book Revolutionary Circuits of Liberation: The Radical Tradition of Palestinian Resistance Culture and Internationalism. Desai also hosts the Liberation Pedagogy Podcast.  Check out Scholars Against the War on Palestine and SAWP's International Actions Against Scholasticide Toolkit.   To listen to the full episode of Scholasticide and solidarity: The mind and memory of Gaza, please tune into Needs No Introduction. Needs No Introduction is available on rabble.ca, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The Courage My Friends podcast series is presented by rabble.ca and the Tommy Douglas Institute, with the support of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: The myths and realities of Canada's labour shortage'  Our panel featured MP Matthew Green, economist Jim Stanford, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour Laura Walton and researcher and policy analyst at the CCPA, Véronique Sioufi.  About our guests MP Matthew Green was first elected Member of Parliament for Hamilton Centre in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Previously, he served for the 2014-2018 term as the Ward 3 Councillor, and first person of colour to be elected to Hamilton City Council. Green is NDP Critic for  Employment and Workforce Development; Labour; Ethics; and Deputy Critic for Public Services and Procurement.  Laura Walton is the President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Canada's largest provincial labour federation. The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. Laura previously served as the President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees' Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), which represents over 55,000 education workers across the province. In 2022, Laura led an historic strike that won unprecedented gains for OSCBU members and that led to the defeat of Bill 28, the provincial government's landmark anti-labour legislation. Jim Stanford is an economist and the director of the Centre for Future Work, a labour economics research institute with operations in Canada and Australia. Véronique Sioufi is the racial and socio-economic equity researcher and policy analyst at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC.  Check out the entire panel on rabbleTV or rabble's YouTube channel!  If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.