Podcast appearances and mentions of Libby Davies

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.

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 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. 

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, 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. 

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.

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: Dissecting the 2024 federal budget.'  Our panel featured economist at the Centre for Future Work Jim Stanford, senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives David Macdonald, and writer and policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  About our guests 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. David Macdonald is the senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). He has been a commentator on national policy issues, appearing often in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Canadian Press.  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.ca. 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, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: We want gender equality and affirmative action, not lip service.'  Our panel featured social entrepreneur pk mutch and professor Nadia Abu-Zahra in discussion and analysis. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  About our guests pk mutch is an award-winning sustainability/social entrepreneur and former C-suite publishing executive (McGraw Hill, Canada and John Wiley & Sons, NY), journalist, writer and educator who is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, just post growth economy by transforming entrepreneurship narratives, ecosystems, policy and education. mutch is also a columnist for rabble.ca and the former publisher of Liibseth Magazine.  Dr. Nadia Abu-Zahra (she/her) speaks five languages and has worked in multiple spaces of colonial and neocolonial conflict. She has collaborated on two books and over 30 other publications on freedom of movement, community mobilization, systematic oppression, and resistance. She held the Joint Chair in Women's Studies from 2019 to 2023 at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Dr. Abu-Zahra is an associate professor of International Development and Global Studies. 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, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ‘Off the Hill: How whiteness impacts federal policy.'  Our panel featured poet and activist El Jones; social responsibility and equity communications consultant Beisan Zubi; and assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, Fritz Pino. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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). Beisan Zubi is a Canadian of Palestinian heritage who was born in Toronto, raised in Ottawa and has called Waterloo Region home for eight years. She works as a social responsibility and equity communications consultant with local nonprofits and recently founded a nonprofit that works to provide support and mentoring for Palestinian youth in Canada. 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. 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: Media accountability and covering Gaza.'  In this panel, our guests analyzed the media coverage the conflict in the Gaza Strip has received. Our panel included Chris Farris Zabaneh, Beisan Zubi, El Jones and Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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. 

Robin Browne joins rabble radio this week to talk about his activist work with the 613-819 Black Hub and his work to address anti-Black racism in Canada.  Browne is an activist and communications professional based in Ottawa, ON. He is also founder of the 613-819 Black Hub, and rabble.ca's Off the Hill co-host, alongside Libby Davies. His blog is The “True” North. Read more from Robin Browne on rabble.ca here and catch up on Off the Hill 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: Why we're in an affordable housing crisis and what to do about it.' In this panel, our guests discussed how such a large-scale housing crisis can exist in such a wealthy country and discuss what needs to be done now to develop affordable accessible housing for people.  Our panel included Tanya Burkart, Alex Hemingway and Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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: Truth before reconciliation.' This month, our Off the Hill panel was informed by National Indigenous People's Day. From coast to coast to coast, Canadians want to see reconciliation – but are they willing to hear the truth first? Our June panel dissected this question and more. Special guests this month included: Joan Phillip, Melanie Mark and Rachel Snow. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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. Joan Phillip is a respected community leader and Indigenous Elder who has dedicated her life to fighting for social justice, human rights, and climate action. Her work experience includes youth counsellor at Britannia School, program director at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre, and lands manager for the Penticton Indian Band. Melanie Mark served as the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant from 2016 to 2023. Mark is the first First Nations woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the first First Nations woman to serve in the Cabinet of British Columbia. Mark is Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree and Ojibway. Rachel Snow is Iyahe Nakoda, the daughter of late Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow. She holds a juris doctor from the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and is an outspoken educator, speaker, writer and co-contact person for the Indigenous Activist Networks. Rachel resides on her ancestral lands in Mini Thni which is west of Calgary, Alberta. Rachel is also a columnist for rabble. Photo: Tungsten Rising on Unsplash  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: Labour in high gear for action and change.' Recent months have seen significant activity in Canada's labour movement — including a public service strike, actions against austerity across the country, and the CLC convention in Montreal. This month our panel dove into recent developments and wondered what's next for the labour movement in Canada. Our panel included MP Alexandre Boulerice, OSBCU - CSCSO president Laura Walton, policy expert and rabble columnist Chuka Ejeckam and rabble parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. 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, Georgia Kelly and Norm di Pasquale discuss why the current renovation plans for Ontario Place may not be in the best interest of Ontarians – or the surrounding wildlife and environment.  Norm di Pasquale is the co-chair of grassroots advocacy group Ontario Place for All. Norm has been fighting for waterfront public space for a decade, leading the NoJetsTO fight against jets at the island airport. di Pasquale has been an elected school board trustee in Ontario and has also run in federal and municipal elections. About Ontario Place for All  Ontario Place for All is a grassroots organization which aims to ensure Ontario Place redevelopment plans truly serve the public of Ontario, maintains the cultural heritage of the building and respects the surrounding environment.  Learn more about Ontario Place for All here – and, for those of you who want to donate to the cause, visit this page.  Join us for Off the Hill this month!  Recent months have seen significant activity in Canada's labour movement — including a public service strike, actions against austerity across the country, and the CLC convention in Montreal.  This month, rabble's Off the Hill political panel takes a dive into recent developments and what's next for the labour movement in Canada. Register for this free event here!  Guests this month include: MP Alexandre Boulerice, OSBCU - CSCSO president Laura Walton, policy expert and rabble columnist Chuka Ejeckam and rabble parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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 the show, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell sits down with Olivia Chow, currently running for mayor of Toronto. The two discuss her platform, her history and why she believes it's all about love and ‘creating a caring city.' “People in Toronto are feeling stuck. They're stuck waiting for the bus, stuck in traffic or stuck on lists for housing, childcare and recreation programs. After a decade of conservative mayors, the city has become more expensive and less liveable for people,” said Chow. “We can give in to fear and pessimism, or we can choose to channel our frustration into hope. We can open up city hall and work together to build a more caring, affordable and safer city.” – OliviaChow.ca.  About Olivia Chow Olivia Chow has served two terms as a school trustee, four terms as a Toronto city councillor and eight years as New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014. Chow is a well-known public figure for social justice and progressive political change. She is also the founder of the Institute for Change Leaders where she has trained thousands of activists in political organizing.  Join us for Off the Hill this month!  Recent months have seen significant activity in Canada's labour movement — including a public service strike, actions against austerity across the country, and the CLC convention in Montreal.  This month, rabble's Off the Hill political panel takes a dive into recent developments and what's next for the labour movement in Canada. Register for this free event here!  Guests this month include: MP Alexandre Boulerice, OSBCU - CSCSO president Laura Walton, policy expert and rabble columnist Chuka Ejeckam and rabble parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  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: Corporate interference and the climate crisis.' Corporate interference – or corporate capture – refers to the means by which large corporations can (and do) influence politicians and political decision-making. We have to wonder: how does corporate Interference affect the climate crisis in Canada?  Our April panel included MP Leah Gazan, Diana Yoon and Gordon Laxar. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.   Happy birthday, rabble.ca!  This week, rabble is celebrating 22 years of sharing progressive news and views! And it's all thanks to the support from our rabble rousers.  Thanks to the financial support of rabble rousers like you, rabble can continue to publish journalism that matters - reporting on the news from progressive social and labour movements and providing context and analysis to national and world events that you will not find elsewhere. Help us celebrate our birthday! We're giving away vegetable seed packets, books and our new union-made tote bag to new donors. Become a rabble rouser today at rabble.ca/donate.  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: Mind the gap – the federal budget and income equality.' The federal budget for 2023 is soon to be announced. Who decides the budget? Who influences it? And where does all that money go? Last year's budget was aimed at growing the economy in Canada and making life more affordable and equitable. But did it? Our guests dissected these questions and more in our Off the Hill panel this month.  Our March panel included MP Niki Ashton, Chuka Ejeckam, David Macdonald and Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.   Happening next week: Book launch, ‘Advocating for Palestine in Canada'   Join rabble for a very special book launch webinar on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 8pm ET / 5pm PST.   Through the experiences of the contributing authors, Advocating for Palestine in Canada offers an indispensable and first-hand view into the complex social and historical forces at work in one of the world's most urgent issues, and one which also has huge implications for freedoms enjoyed by Canadians. This webinar will feature contributing authors from the book to share their unique views and wide experiences on advocating for Palestine in Canada, revealing a solid civil society movement in the face of strong institutional opposition. Our panelists share how they came to Palestine activism, why they continue and where they see the movement going.  Register for this free event today!  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, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga is joined by Ethel Tungohan. Today, Tungohan and Calugay-Casuga discuss the expectations and assumption of care work in Canada.  Calugay-Casuga and Tungohan talk about Matatag: Filipina Care Workers During COVID-19, a photo series project by Filipina nurses, support workers, and caregivers during COVID-19. The two also talk about the “invisibilization” of care work in Canada, particularly for women and racialized communities and how a complete breakdown of colonized thinking, learning and working in Canada must take place in order for true labour equity to take place.  Tungohan appeared on a recent episode of Courage My Friends: ‘Migrant workers and ‘the pandemic paradox': The unseen hands that truly keep us afloat.' In this episode, she joined Jhoey Dulaca and Chris Ramsaroop to discuss temporary foreign workers in Canada. Be sure to tune into that episode after this!   Tungohan's new book, Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building, and Communities of Care is set to be released August 2023.  Join us for Off the Hill next week!  The federal budget for 2023 is soon to be announced. Who decides the budget? Who influences it? And where does all that money go? Last year's budget was aimed at growing the economy in Canada and making life more affordable and equitable. But did it? Our guests will dissect these questions and more in our Off the Hill panel this month.  Guests include MP Leah Gazan, rabble columnist and policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam, economist David Macdonald and rabble parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  Save your spot for this free event today! Join us this March 23, 2023, 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT.  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, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell is joined by Dr. Martha Paynter.  Paynter last joined rabble radio in June of 2022 to talk about the misconceptions people have about access to abortion in Canada and the other threats facing reproductive justice in the country.  Today, Wentzell and Paynter discuss Paynter's new guidebook for providing abortion care in prison, a new jail facility being built in N.B., and the need for universal contraception coverage in Nova Scotia.  Dr. Martha Paynter is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. She is the affiliate scientist for the Nova Scotia Women's Choice Clinic. In addition to this, she is the founder and past chair of Wellness Within: An Organization for Health and Justice. She is also the author of Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada.  Join us for Off the Hill this month The federal budget for 2023 is soon to be announced. Who decides the budget? Who influences it? And where does all that money go? Last year's budget was aimed at growing the economy in Canada and making life more affordable and equitable. But did it? Our guests will dissect these questions and more in our Off the Hill panel this month.  Guests include MP Leah Gazan, rabble columnist and policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam, economist David Macdonald and rabble parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg. Hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  Save your spot for this free event today! Join us this March 23, 2023, 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT.  Save your spot: Advocating for Palestine in Canada, book webinar Through the experiences of the contributing authors, Advocating for Palestine in Canada offers a first-hand view into the complex social and historical forces at work in one of the world's most urgent issues, and one which also has huge implications for freedoms enjoyed by Canadians. This webinar will feature contributing authors from the book to share their unique views and wide experiences on advocating for Palestine in Canada, revealing a solid civil society movement in the face of strong institutional opposition. Our panelists share how they came to Palestine activism, why they continue and where they see the movement going. Save your spot for this event 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 the show, rabble editor Nick Seebruch speaks to Medea Benjamin, co-founder of women-led peace group Code Pink. Code Pink is a grassroots NGO with an anti-war mandate.  The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on the morning of February 24, 2022, which makes today the one year anniversary.  Today, Seebruch and Benjamin discuss the global efforts Code Pink and like-minded organizations have made to encourage a peaceful resolution to this war.  Reflecting on the one year anniversary of the war, Benjamin says: “I feel like the human community has not evolved far enough to recognize that this way of dealing with conflicts is not only unjust, inhumane – but untenable.”  Benjamin appeared on rabble radio in May of last year to speak with Libby Davies about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. You can listen to that episode 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. 

Well folks, another year has come and gone!  As we reflect on the year that's passed, we here at rabble radio are remembering some of our favourite interview moments on the show this year. We had so many wonderful guests — ranging from activists, to professors, to filmmakers, economists, healthcare workers, poets and writers — the list goes on.  In today's episode, we'll be sharing a few of our personal favourite interview clips of this year. (Which was no easy task for a 28 minute show, I'll tell you that!)  Here are some of our top rabble radio episodes of the year…  In February of this year, Paul Taylor, executive director of FoodShare Toronto and a lifelong anti-poverty activist joined rabble radio to speak with Libby Davies about the impact the pandemic had on FoodShare. And how activists should allow for room for fatigue and frustration during difficult times.  No one felt the COVID-19 pandemic harder than our health care workers in Canada. In early 2022, rabble partnered with the Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions. Together, we developed the Nurses' Voices: Stories of courage and determination in the face of COVID-19 book. It highlights over 20 interviews from health care professionals across Canada. The book illustrates how the pandemic upended nurses' lives – and how, despite it all, their commitment to their patients remained unwavering. On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This piece of legislation made abortion access a federal right in the United States. The decision sent a shockwave through the States which was felt in Canada. That week, Stephen Wentzell interviewed writer and registered nurse Martha Paynter for rabble radio. They spoke about the misconceptions people have about access to abortion in Canada and the other threats facing reproductive justice in the country.  As part of rabble's Boiling Point series, Stephen Wentzell spoke to Dr. Melissa Lem, to talk about how recent extreme weather events are affecting the physical and mental health of Canadians.  Also a part of our Boiling Point series, Jillian Piper spoke to Breanne Lavallee-Heckert, the research manager at Indigenous Climate Action. Breanne explained the work she does at the organization, and the importance of Indigenous stewardship in regard to the climate crisis.  The labour movement in Canada grabbed the attention of the nation in late autumn this year, when CUPE Ontario went to war with Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government over fair wages and  for education support workers. In November, CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn joined rabble radio to speak with Nick Seebruch about what was at stake in this labour dispute. Another huge story of 2022, was, of course, rising inflation. In November, economist Jim Stanford sat down with editor Nick Seebruch to discuss the state of Canada's economy. The two also talked about how progressive organizations, activists, and groups must band together as we move forward into what's sure to be a tough year economically and politically.  Did we miss a favourite interview of yours from 2022? Let us know in the comments below!  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 safe and happy new year!  If you're 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, 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.

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: Looking back to leap ahead.' From the Freedom Convoy, to major action in Canada's labour movement, to the ongoing war in Ukraine, to political leadership races on the provincial and federal levels, our panel reflected on the major news events of 2022 and wondered aloud: What does this mean we can expect for the year ahead? Our December panel included MP Leah Gazan, Chuka Ejeckam, El Jones and Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. Also – don't miss next week's episode, when we'll be reviewing highlights from our top rabble radio episodes of the year! Will your favourite episode make it on our list? Tune in next week to find out. Do you know a rabble rouser to watch? We are now accepting submissions for our ‘rabble rousers to watch' of 2023. Tell us about the activists in your community who have made a difference, and whose work you think rabble should be covering. Nominations are open until midnight, December 31, 2022. Everyone who participates in our survey will be entered into a draw to win a rabble tote bag. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

This week on rabble radio, Libby Davies interviews Harley Augustino, organizer and trainer, to talk about his experience volunteering for two separate congressional districts in the most recent U.S. midterm elections.  Oregon 5 and Washington 3 had two very different projected outcomes when Augustino volunteered to organize with them. Oregon 5 was considered a ‘class toss up,' with about a 50/50 chance of going with a Republican or Democratic candidate. Washington 3, however –a Republican district– was projected to have only a 2% chance of becoming a Democratic district.  In this interview, Augustino walks Davies through the results of these campaigns and explains why good, old fashioned door-to-door organizing shouldn't be underestimated.   Harley Augustino appeared on rabble radio earlier this year to talk about ‘Base Building for Power' a collective he works with which trains future activists and organizers. Photo by: Maximillian Conacher on Unsplash Do you know a rabble rouser to watch? We are now accepting submissions for our ‘rabble rousers to watch' of 2023. Tell us about the activists in your community who have made a difference, and whose work you think rabble should be covering. Nominations are open until midnight, December 31, 2022. Everyone who participates in our survey will be entered into a draw to win a rabble tote bag. Don't miss our final Off the Hill event of 2022!  This December, our panel is taking a look back to look forward, as we close off 2022 and think ahead to 2023. From the Freedom Convoy, to major action in Canada's labour movement, to the ongoing war in Ukraine, to political leadership races on the provincial and federal levels; our esteemed panel will reflect on a year that had no shortage of newsworthy events, and then ask: what does this mean we can expect for the year ahead?  Our panel includes MP Leah Gazan, El Jones, Chuka Ejeckam and Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. Join us this December 14, 2022.  Register for this free event 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

This week on rabble radio, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell speaks to Dr. Jane McArthur. McArthur is the Toxics Program director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).  McArthur, other members of CAPE and advocates for environmental protection and public health are calling on Parliament to expedite passage of Bill C-226, Canada's first environmental racism law.  Bill C-226 was first introduced by former MP Lenore Zann as Bill C-230 in the last session of Parliament. It was approved by the House of Commons in June last year, but died on the order paper when Parliament dissolved for elections. In February of this year, now co-leader of the federal Green Party Elizabeth May re-introduced the same legislation as Bill C-226.  The time is now to develop and implement a national strategy on environmental racism and environmental justice, McArthur says.  “Canada talks about itself as a country of kindness, but we need to see that reflected in our policies and we should not be tolerating vulnerablization of any community.”  - Dr. Jane McArthur Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash  Don't miss our final Off the Hill event of 2022!  This December, our panel is taking a look back to look forward, as we close off 2022 and think ahead to 2023. From the Freedom Convoy, to major action in Canada's labour movement, to the ongoing war in Ukraine, to political leadership races on the provincial and federal levels; our esteemed panel will reflect on a year that had no shortage of newsworthy events, and then ask: what does this mean we can expect for the year ahead?  Our panel includes MP Leah Gazan, El Jones, Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. Join us this December 14, 2022.  Register for this free event 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. And across the country, communities gather to pay tribute to veterans and military members.  But not all veterans are feeling cared for. Some are asking if the government cares about them or their wellbeing at all, or if Veterans' Affairs Canada is operating under the old “deny, delay, and die” adage.  This impression is brought about in large part due to the $560-million plan to sub-contract veteran rehabilitative and vocational services away from the Veterans' Affairs case workers and into the hands of the for-profit company: Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services. This company is composed of WGC International and Lifemark Health Group. The contract is set to come into effect this month.  Veterans Affairs Canada says the contract will help overworked case managers while ensuring veterans have timely access to the care they need. However, the Union of Veterans' Affairs Employees (UVAE) believes this contract is going to have the opposite effect. UVAE argues this will add more paperwork to the workload of case managers, disrupt the relationships case managers have built with veterans, and add an extra level of bureaucracy veterans will be left to deal with.  UVAE says the only group this contract will benefit will be the profit-making corporation. A statement from UVAE and the Public Service Alliance of Canada reads:  “Veterans and their families deserve better. They have already paid for these services with their sacrifice. Let's not make them fight and pay again.”  This week on the show, rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga speaks with Virginia Vaillancourt, the national president of UVAE. Vaillancourt argues Veterans Affairs Canada must stop using private sector companies to do public sector work. Join our Off the Hill discussion this week!  When marijuana was legalized in 2018, it drastically reduced the number of cannabis-related drug convictions, while also creating a multibillion-dollar industry. But what does the cannabis industry look like today? Who wins? Who loses? Who calls the shots, and what's next?  Our dynamic panel will give us an inside look into what's really going on with Canada's drug reform policy on marijuana and much more.  Our panel includes “princess of pot” Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, rabble columnist and drug policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam and MP Don Davies. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  Join us this November 17, 2022. Register for this free event here.  Photo: Ellie Pourreza on Unsplash.  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

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: Confronting Islamophobia in Canada.' This month is National Islamic History Month. This month's panel dove into what political actions are needed to confront the rise of Islamophobia in Canada. Our panel also explored what role the media has in all of this.  Our September panel included Senator Salma Ataullahjan, Monia Mazigh, Nuzhat Jafri, and Karl Nerenberg. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

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: What does reconciliACTION look like? We discussed how Indigenous Peoples are exercising sovereignty every day, the tangible ways settlers can support Indigenous Peoples in their communities, and what action must be taken at the federal and provincial levels for meaningful change. Our September panel included MP Leah Gazan, Georgina Lazore, and Breanne Lavallée-Heckert. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo by: Bekky Bekks on Unsplash

In 1959, the then-premier of Saskatchewan, Thomas Douglas envisioned a universal, pre-paid and publicly administered health care system – the first of its kind in North America. This plan for Saskatchewan prompted the federal government to initiate a national strategy to subsidize socialized medicine and support provinces in the shift to a universal system. He's recognized as “the father of Medicare,” and the one to thank for our universal healthcare system as we know it in Canada today.  But is this system in trouble?   This is not a conversation which is new to rabble radio.  In May, rabble contributor Doreen Nicoll sat down with Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition to talk about the privatization of long-term care homes in Ontario. Nicoll spoke to Sarah Jama, the co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, later that month to talk about the importance of accessible health services in regard to those who are differently abled.  This week, we continue the conversation by sharing an interview from the first episode of the newest season of Courage My Friends.  In this interview, host Resh Budhu speaks to JP Hornick, the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, and palliative care physician and health justice activist, Dr. Naheed Dosani. The three discuss the current crisis facing public healthcare in Ontario.  Courage My Friends is a podcast series presented by rabble.ca and the Tommy Douglas Institute at George Brown College, with the support of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation.  Hosted on Needs No Introduction, a sister podcast to rabble radio, this season's Courage My Friends will focus on housing, education, erosion of public goods, just economics, the plight of migrant workers, and the climate crisis. Join our Off the Hill conversation next week!  Join panelists MP Leah Gazan, Georgina Lazore, and Breanne Lavallée-Heckert and co-hosts Robin Browne and Libby Davies as they deconstruct truth and reconciliation.  On Thursday, September 22 at 7:30pm eastern time, join our panel via Zoom and engage with our panelists as they discuss how Indigenous Peoples are exercising sovereignty every day, the tangible ways settlers can support Indigenous Peoples in their communities, and what action must be taken at the federal and provincial levels for meaningful change. Register today at: https://bit.ly/OffTheHillSeptember22  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo by: Marcelo Leal on Unsplash

This week on rabble radio, Libby Davies sits down with Liz Marshall, the writer, director, and producer of the recently internationally released documentary, Meat the Future. “Imagine a world where real meat is produced sustainably without the need to breed, raise and slaughter animals. This is no longer science fiction, it's now within reach.” - meatthefuture.com Meat the Future tells the story of Dr. Uma Valeti, the co-founder and CEO of Upside Foods, the leading start-up of the cultivated - or “clean” as it's sometimes called - meat revolution. Marshall sits down with Davies to talk about the film and the powerful impact clean meat can have on agriculture and the climate emergency. Marshall last joined rabble radio to talk with Victoria Fenner about the documentary during our ‘Climate hope in the time of pandemic' series. At that point, the film had just been released. Now, with a global audience, Marshall explains the response the film has received from policy makers and filmgoers alike. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo credit: Lomig on Unsplash. 

This week on rabble radio, we featured a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was Off the Hill: Hot summer in the West.  The Alberta political scene is in upheaval with the departure of the current (disgraced) premier and the federal conservative leadership race is becoming increasingly vitriolic. Amid this time of turbulence, what can we expect to see unfold in Alberta and in Ottawa? And what will the impact be on the political scene overall? Our latest panel was made up by special guests Rachel Snow, David Climenhaga, Chuka Ejeckam, Karl Nerenberg and co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo credit: Kevin Mueller on Unsplash

This week on rabble radio, we share a segment of this year's debut episode of the Courage My Friends podcast series, hosted on Needs No Introduction.  In the first episode of this year's Courage My Friends podcast series, we welcome Henry Giroux.  Does education have a moral and political purpose? What do we mean by critical pedagogy - and why is it so vital in these times? Giroux joins host of the Courage My Friends podcast Resh Budhu to talk about education, critical pedagogy and the future of learning in a post-pandemic world.  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 now available on Spotify.  The Courage My Friends podcast is presented by rabble.ca and the Tommy Douglas Institute, with the support of the Douglas-Coldwell Foundation. Upcoming news  Our next Off the Hill is right around the corner: On Tuesday, June 7 at 7:30pm ET join us for Off the Hill: Hot summer in the West.  The Alberta political scene is in upheaval with the departure of the current (disgraced) premier and the federal conservative leadership race is becoming increasingly vitriolic. Amid this time of turbulence, what can we expect to see unfold in Alberta and in Ottawa? And what will the impact be on the political scene overall? Join guests Rachel Snow, David Climenhaga, Chuka Ejeckam, Karl Nerenberg and co-hosts Robin Browne and Libby Davies as they connect these burning issues and knit together the connections, disconnections, challenges, and possible scenarios of unfolding current events.  Register for this free event today at: bit.ly/OffTheHillJune7 Thanks to Between the Lines publishing, we'll be giving away 10 copies of just released book, Women Winning Office: An Activist's Guide to Getting Elected, by Peggy Nash. Everyone who registers for this upcoming panel will be entered in the draw! 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo credit: Susan Q Yin on Unsplash

This week on the show, Libby Davies speaks to Medea Benjamin, co-founder of women-led peace group Code Pink. Code Pink is a grassroots NGO with an anti-war mandate. The goal of Code Pink is to divest from the “war machine” and from companies that derive their profits from U.S. military interventions, the global arms trade, and the militarization in the streets.  Benjamin sits down with Davies to talk about the inception of the NGO back in 2002 and looking for a non-military solution to end Russia's occupation in Ukraine.  Benjamin says: “It is so difficult to cut through this incredible propaganda machine; now the call is we have to make sure Ukraine wins this war. As if there is any winning in this war.”  Upcoming news  Our next Off the Hill is right around the corner: On Tuesday, June 7 at 7:30pm ET join us for Off the Hill: Hot summer in the West.  With the Alberta political scene in upheaval with the departure of the current (disgraced) premier and the increasingly vitriolic conservative leadership race federally, what can we expect to see unfold in Alberta, in Ottawa, what will the impact be on the political scene overall? Join guests Rachel Snow, David Climenhaga, Chuka Ejeckam, Karl Nerenberg and co-hosts Robin Browne and Libby Davies as they connect these burning issues and knit together the connections, disconnections, challenges, and possible scenarios of unfolding current events.  Register for this free event here: bit.ly/OffTheHillJune7 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo credit: Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

This week on the show, rabble contributor Doreen Nicoll interviews Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition.  The Ontario Health Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest activist coalition and network whose primary goal is to protect and improve Ontario's public health care system. The coalition works to protect the health system from threats like cuts, delisting and privatization.  This is partly done by raising public awareness about Ontario's current healthcare systems programs and services. This includes long-term care homes.  During the height of COVID-19, the average death rate in these private, for-profit care homes was 5.7%. Compare that to non-profit long term care homes - which saw 2.8%. Lower again at 1.4% for municipal facilities.  Currently, 60% of Ontario's long-term care homes are private, for-profit. And despite these private care homes being notoriously understaffed, failing inspections, and responsible for the deaths of thousands of Canadians during COVID-19, the Ford government has just issued 30-year licenses and expansions for 18,000 additional LTC beds for private long-term care homes.  All the while, public funding for health care in Ontario is the lowest in the country.  Ahead of the Ontario election, Mehra is hoping the privatization of the province's long-term care homes becomes a key issue.  “What's happening in Ontario should be a blight on all our consciences,” Mehra tells Nicoll. “We have to win this one. This is our chance to do it. Let's make [the government] accountable for what's happened so far, and let's win real change this time.”  If you'd like to learn more about how to support the Ontario Health Coalition's campaign to end privatization in long-term care homes, please visit their website at ontariohealthcoalition.ca. You can also check out Nicoll's piece on rabble.ca this week.  Upcoming news:  Don't miss it! Our next Off the Hill political panel is happening Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PST. This month's panel will be co-hosted by Libby Davies and Robin Browne and will feature MP Leah Gazan. Additional guests to be announced. Register for that free event here: https://bit.ly/OffTheHillMay17  Also: last month, we celebrated our 21st anniversary! If you're a fan of the show and would like to celebrate with us - we'd love you to consider making a donation. We're only $7k away from our target goal of raising $21,00 in 21 days! Please visit this link to learn how. 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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo by: Gert Stockmans on Unsplash

This week on rabble radio, we're bringing you a segment of our latest Off the Hill political panel which took place on Thursday April 14th.  This month, the theme was “Will Budget 2022 build Canada forward?” It featured special guests Avi Lewis, Jim Stanford and MP Leah Gazan. They deconstructed the recently released federal budget. Those guests joined regular hosts, Libby Davies and Robin Browne.  If you missed the last Off the Hill and would have liked to attend, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to never miss an invite!  Also: rabble is turning 21!  This Monday, April 18, we're celebrating our 21st anniversary! If you're a fan of the show and would like to celebrate with us - we'd love you to consider making a donation. We hope to raise $21,00 in 21 days! Please visit this link to learn how.  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo by: Josh Appel via Unsplash 

City of Vancouver Councillor Jean Swanson joins Am Johal to discuss her time in politics, both as an anti-poverty activist, and as a city councillor. In this episode, they discuss the housing affordability crisis in Vancouver, the need for safe supply, and the high cost of living. Jean also describes how she was introduced to political activism through Bruce Eriksen and Libby Davies, the experience of developing a community newsletter, and her memories of being a political candidate over the decades. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/167-jean-swanson.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/167-jean-swanson.html Resources: Housing For All Of Us: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-making-home-kennedy-stewart-revised Carnegie Action Projects: http://www.carnegieaction.org/reports/ Residential Tenancy Act: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/lc/statreg/02078_01 Vacancy Control: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-needs-vacancy-control-tenants-group-says-following-alarming-evictions-study-1.5588483 CMHC: Rental Market Report: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/market-reports/rental-market-reports-major-centres Renter Services Centre: https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/renter-office.aspx Ian Mulgrew: B.C.'s chief coroner laments lack of action as opioid crisis hits worst death toll yet: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/change-bonnie-henry-to-b-c-s-chief-coroner Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU): https://vandureplace.wordpress.com/ Drug Users Liberation Front (DULF): https://www.dulf.ca/ Fair Price Pharma: http://fairpricepharma.ca/ Insite: https://www.phs.ca/program/insite/

This week on rabble radio, we're bringing you an interview with Harley Augustino of Base Building for Power.  Base Building for Power is a collective of activists and organizers. The collective offers programs for individuals who wish to become better organizers themselves – notably, through the  ‘Summer Justice' program. This paid, two-month program provides hands-on training for young BIPOC activists in Vancouver to develop concrete organizing skills.  This is Augustino's second year as a trainer for the program. He talks about what he's hoping this summer's students will take away from the program, and what lessons his students have taught him.  Augustino spoke to Libby Davies, author of Outside In and former long-time MP for Vancouver East.  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo by: Tanushree Rao on Unsplash / https://unsplash.com/photos/kYjDNNRmR7c 

This week on rabble radio, we're bringing you an interview with long-time British Columbia politician Joy MacPhail. MacPhail is best known for her roles in BC politics - but there is much more to her story.  Many will remember her as Deputy Premier of British Columbia. MacPhail is a longtime member of the BC NDP, and member of the BC Legislative Assembly, representing Vancouver-Hastings. Over her ground-breaking, and at times controversial career - that began in the BC labour movement before being elected to politics - she served as Minister of Finance, Minister of Education, Minister of Heath, Minister of Social Services and Seniors, and more. Currently, MacPhail chairs the ICBC board (the Insurance Corporation of BC), and is an owner of OUTtv, the world's longest airing LGBTQ+ television network. She was appointed to the Order of Canada this past January where she was rec​​ognized for her “pioneering contributions to politics and for her tireless advocacy of underserved and marginalized communities”. MacPhail speaks to fellow politician and friend, Libby Davies. Davies is also a life long political activist and politician, but at the municipal and federal levels. She was a long time Vancouver city councilor and former Deputy Leader and House Leader of the federal NDP, representing the riding of Vancouver East from 1997 to 2015. Davies is also a member of the Order of Canada.  MacPhail reflects on a lifetime of experiences as a woman in Canadian politics. She recounts the gender-biased scrutiny she faced from the media, and shares what it was like trying to balance being a mother while breaking ground for women in politics. She also discusses how she maintains motivation for positive change to this day.   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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

This week on rabble radio, we're bringing you a segment of our latest Off the Hill political panel which took place on Thursday March 10th.  This month, the theme was “In the extreme.” It features special guests Seth Klein, Chuka Ejeckam and MP Leah Gazan. They deconstructed the recently released IPCC report, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the visible rise in right-wing populism. They joined regular hosts, Libby Davies and Robin Browne.  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

Libby Davies interviews Sophie Harkat, wife of Mohamed Harkat, to discuss the ways life for the couple has been “turned upside down” for nearly two decades. In December of 2002, Mohamed was taken into custody, suspected of being an al Qaeda sleeper agent. Although he denied any involvement with terrorism, he was arrested on a national security certificate and deemed to be a threat to national security. He has been imprisoned, and then under strict house arrest - all while never been shown evidence against him. Despite this, Sophie remains optimistic as the couple fight for the right to “live a normal life.”  “I still believe justice will prevail eventually. It may take time - it may take [all the] energy I have to get through this … but I feel there's a purpose behind this. I feel we're setting precedence. It's not just our battle; it's a battle for a lot of people.”  If you'd like to learn more, rabble.ca has featured extensive coverage about Mohamed Harkat's case since 2011, including a piece by Sophie herself in 2015. If you'd like to donate or find ways to support Mohamed and Sophie, visit their website: https://www.justiceforharkat.com.  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. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

This week on rabble radio, Libby Davies interviews Paul Taylor, the executive director of FoodShare Toronto and a lifelong anti-poverty activist. They talk about how the pandemic has encouraged his non-profit to re-evaluate self-care days. They also discuss how activists should allow for room for fatigue and frustration during difficult times.  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.  If you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. Photo credit: Timon Studler on Unsplash

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's Friday, February 4, 2022. I'm your host, Breanne Doyle. Thanks for tuning in.  rabble's got it's finger on the beat of the issues that matter to you. If you're curious about the latest news in Canadian politics, labour, environment, or social justice – you've come to the right place to find the stories that matter to you. Free of corporate influence.  This week, rabble recognizes the first week of Black History Month. We also continue our coverage of the so-called “Freedom Convoy 2022” as it unfolds in Ottawa. As well, Amnesty International asserts Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid against Palestinians. Is it finally time for international intervention? We'll dive into all those stories and more, a bit later on our show.  First - we present to you a conversation between Professor Amina Mire and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Holness to discuss Holness' new documentary: Subjects of Desire.  Subjects of Desire investigates the cultural shift in North American beauty standards towards adopting Black female aesthetics and features. The documentary exposes the deliberate and often dangerous portrayals of Black women in the media. Subjects of Desire attempts to deconstruct what we understand about race and explores the power behind beauty.  The film premiered on TVO on February 1.  Mire is an associate professor at Carleton University. Her research interests include interdisciplinary analysis and critical research in gender and the cinema, anti-racist/anti-colonial research, political thought, and women and health.  Holness is a director, writer and producer living in Toronto. Her recent work includes the award-winning documentary Stateless and the Shoot the Messenger tv series. In 2021, she was the recipient of the Women in Film and Television's Creative Excellence Award. She is a key part of numerous committees including the chair of the Black Screen Office and co chair of The Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators.  This week, Mire sat down with Holness to discuss Subjects of Desire, and touched on their own experiences of confronting the beauty standards and harmful stereotypes of Black women.  Here is a snippet from that conversation. Take a listen.  (interview - 20 minutes)  That was Professor Amina Mire and director and writer Jennifer Holness, talking about Subjects of Desire. Thanks very much for that, Amina and Jennifer.  If you'd like to know more about this documentary, you can find Mire's review on rabble.ca.  Now it's time for In Case You Missed It.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT This week, rabble marks the first week of Black History Month.   Markiel Simpson kicks off coverage with a piece that argues African, Caribbean and Black Canadians should be celebrated all year, not only during Black History Month. While the significant contributions made by African, Caribbean and Black Canadians - the ACB diaspora - need to be recognized, undoing centuries of systemic racism and oppression cannot be restricted to only one month.  Also this week, Natasha Darling shares how Black sex workers are leading intersectional movements for smashing injustice and the patriarchy, in her must-read column .  Also this week, rabble's staff writers and contributors continued coverage of the so-called “Freedom Convoy 2022”.  Karl Nerenberg, rabble senior politics reporter and Ottawa resident, shares what he and his Ottawa neighbours have been experiencing since the beginning of the protests last week, while the police stand idly by: “Never before has a protest movement in the Canadian capital been accompanied by hundreds of massive, multi-wheel rigs, spewing clouds of noxious diesel fumes, and blaring their oversized horns in a 24-hours-a-day cacophonic symphony,” he writes, noting the hateful signage and behaviour of some associated to protest. The presence of all these trucks and protestors poses a challenge the city - one that has experienced thousands of protests - “has never before had to deal with.”  While local residents fume knowing what would happen to them if they simply parked illegally, no doubt indigenous and other activists are asking where the capitals' usual security forces - so often immediately on the scene for vigils and demonstration - are?  Nerenberg points out that the Ottawa police, “with reinforcements from across the country, are claiming that they are doing their best to keep the peace, but are treading carefully in dealing with the protesters.” David Climenhaga was one of the first to break the story of the far right involvement in the convoy's GoFundMe page, where this protest began online. This week he ponders whether some of those funds might go towards damages from the protests.  Climenhaga has also been keeping the spotlight on Alberta's political leaders - and reporting on their involvement in the protests and in far right ideology. He ponders, for example,  whether Premier Jason Kenney encouraged the copycat Coutts blockade which he now condemns? It would be ironic, Climenhaga writes, if Kenney's dubious claim a week ago that Ottawa's vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers was leading to empty shelves in grocery stores, ended up being what is causing real shortages. While the protestors in Ottawa have been calling for Justin Trudeau's departure, it was another leader who was ousted this week. Karl Nerenberg reflectsErin O'Toole's eviction as leader of the Conservative party - and shares his thoughts on the prospects for  Pierre Poilievre, the MP for Carleton, who inspires enormous loyalty from a large swath of the Conservative base.  Some observers say Poilievre would provide Donald Trump-style leadership in Canada;  and like Trump, Poilievre plays politics only in one emotional key – the key of anger. And it seems anger – Nerenberg writes – “is exactly what the Conservative base wants from a leader.” Last Saturday was the fifth anniversary of the January 29th Quebec mosque shooting. In her column, Monia Mazigh considers this first National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia. Now more than ever, Mazigh says, “it is important to ask ourselves: what has Canada done to prevent future Islamophobic attacks? I am afraid to say: very little.” In international news, rabble contributor and board member, Thomas Woodley writes that the report published by Amnesty International on Monday - asserting Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid against Palestinians - means there should be no further question that international intervention is required. Amnesty joins a long list of Israeli human rights organizations who have also found Israel guilty of the crime against humanity. Those groups include Gisha, Breaking the Silence, Peace Now Israel, and more. Canadian leaders, he argues, must now respond.  Also:  Don't miss out! rabble's Off the Hill political panel is back on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 7:30pm EST. This month's theme: Whose budget is it, anyway? Join hosts Libby Davies, Robin Browne, and guests MP Leah Gazan, CCPA economist David MacDonald, activist, poet and scholar El Jones and Karl Nerenberg. They'll be taking your questions and discussing the parliamentary agenda including  the upcoming federal budget. Will major political moments like the turmoil in the Conservative party or the truck convoy make a difference to how the budget plays out in parliament? Tune in or join the live audience on zoom to find out.  Register now to join this free event, via Zoom.  The last thing I'd like to leave you with, listeners, is this: we are in the homestretch of our annual fundraiser, and we have a special offer for all of you rabble radio listeners! Support rabble  a monthly donation of $8 or more before midnight Saturday, February 5th, and you will receive a free copy of Indigenous activist and author Clayton Thomas-Müller's book, Life in the City of Dirty Water. Clayton's book is one of the top 5 contenders in Canada Reads 2022! EXTRO And that's it for rabble radio this week. Thanks as always for tuning in. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app you use. 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.  If you have feedback for the show – ideas, stories, opinions you'd like us to cover – I'd love to hear about. Get in touch with me anytime at editor@rabble.ca.  Thank you to Amina Mire and Jennifer Holness for their conversation this week. Thank you to Karl Nerenberg for his reporting and for supplying the music for this show. Thank you to all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. And lastly, thank you to you for tuning into rabble radio.  I'm Breanne Doyle, and I'll talk to you next week.  Photo credit: Hungry Eyes Media Inc. used with permission. 

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's Friday, January 28, 2022. I'm Breanne Doyle, the host of rabble radio. Thanks for tuning in. rabble's got its finger on the beat of the stories that matter to you. If you're curious about the latest in Canadian politics, labour, environment, or health – you've come to the right place to find the stories that matter to you. Free of corporate influence.  This week we'll cover two stories on the growing tension between Russia and Ukraine. We ask the question that's on everyone's mind: how likely is it that this situation becomes a war? Plus - our national reporters cover Quebec's Law 21 and the Halifax police force looking to define “defunding the police.” We'll check in all that and more, a bit later on in our show.  First, rabble contributor Libby Davies joins political scientist Dr. Jeanette Ashe again this week. It's part two of their special two-part series. Dr. Ashe and Davies discuss what responsibility political parties have in upholding gender equality in Parliament. They ask what success might look like when we implement equity mandates.  Dr. Ashe is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Douglas College. She's also a Visiting Faculty at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, King's College, London. She also advises legislators on drafting legislation on gender equity and democratic reform. Libby Davies is the 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. Libby's also a recipient of the Order of Canada.  Here are Libby and Jeanette in conversation, in part two of our two part special.  Take a listen: (interview – 22 mins) That was Dr. Jeanette Ashe in conversation with Libby Davies. You can hear part one of their conversation from last week's episode. Thanks for that, Dr. Ashe and Libby, it's always great to hear from the both of you.    Now, it's time for a segment we call, In Case You Missed It. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. This week rabble.ca delves into the growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.  Guest writer Fred Weir has been living in Russia and writing about the former Soviet Union since 1998. In his article, he asks: how likely is Russia to invade  Ukraine? He implores readers to consider, despite the widespread media expectations of a blitzkrieg-like invasion, an all-out Russian assault on Ukraine is less likely than they might think.  Rather than going to war, Weir writes, “Russian foreign policy experts suggest that an acceptable outcome for the Kremlin would be to create a system of neutral states between NATO and Russia, perhaps something like Finland or Austria during the Cold War.”  Weir also notes that the idea of war is largely unpopular for Russian citizens. He points to a survey by the Levada Center in Moscow, which found 54 percent of Russians felt positive toward Ukraine, compared to 31 percent who did not.  As tensions mount as a result of speculation about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, columnist Bill Blaikie reflects on how things might have been different. Blaikie highlights key moments in Russia's recent history, from the Cold War until now, pondering the question: What role did the West have in creating the situation at hand?  In Canadian Politics, senior national politics reporter Karl Nerenberg reports on the declining support for Law 21, which the Quebec government enacted back in 2019.  In December, a school board in western Quebec transferred a teacher from her Grade 3 classroom to a behind-the-scenes role because she wore a hijab. In January, the firm Leger Marketing conducted a poll on attitudes toward Law 21 for the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies that found support for the law in Quebec has dropped from 64 per cent to 55 per cent. More importantly, the poll found a huge generation gap in attitudes toward Law 21. While older Quebecers still support it strongly, over 70 per cent of young people in the 18-to-24 age group do not support it.  Meanwhile, Stephen Wenzell looks to the Halifax Regional Municipality which is set to become the first jurisdiction in Canada to define the phrase “defunding the police”. The move comes as the result of a report that features 36 recommendations to reallocate resources away from the police to more appropriate service providers.  Also on the site this week, columnist Rachel Snow criticizes the National Post for publishing a piece she deemed a “racist, historical slant that counters the lived experiences of thousands of First Nation peoples.” The piece, written by National Post columnist Barbara Kay, keeps colonial narratives alive implying that residential schools were somehow beneficial for Indigenous children and that the unmarked graves found of hundreds of Indigenous children simply can't be true.  Snow writes: “These narratives state that the kidnapping and forced labour of First Nation children in residential schools did not happen."  rabble contributor David Climenhaga was among the first to report on far-fight influence in the online campaign for rolling truck blockades to protest vaccine mandates.  Climenhaga argues the campaign raises questions about the potential use of the GoFundMe site to get around election financial reporting laws for what are clearly intended to be political campaigns attacking one party.   That was, in case you missed it. You can find all those stories and much more, on rabble.ca rabble.ca is proud to announce the return of our Off the Hill political panel series in February. The theme of the upcoming show is: Who's budget is it, anyway? A new federal budget is about to be announced that will affect us all in big and small ways. Our panelists will focu s on deconstructing and understanding what a federal budget is all about: why is it important and what power does the government really have in designing a federal budget?  We will also zero in on what a federal budget could look like for ordinary people to benefit.  You can register to attend the entire panel on Thursday, February 10 in the link in our bio or catch a highlight of this event on our February 11th rabble radio episode. The last thing I'd like to leave you with today is this: rabble's annual fundraiser is on the go and we are looking for indie media heroes! Is that you? Please consider making a donation at rabble.ca/donate. The generous support from our readers is what makes it possible for quality journalism to support transformative political action. And that's it for rabble radio this week. Thanks as always for tuning in. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app you use. 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.  If you have feedback for the show – ideas, stories, opinions you'd like us to cover – I'd love to hear about. Get in touch with me anytime at editor@rabble.ca.  Thank you to Libby Davies and Dr. Jeanette Ashe for their interview this week. Thanks also to Stephen Wentzell and Karl Nerenberg for their reporting - and Karl, too, for supplying the music. Thank you to all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. And lastly, thank you to you for tuning into rabble radio.  I'm Breanne Doyle, and I'll talk to you next week.  Credit for photo: Roya Ann Miller / Unsplash  https://unsplash.com/photos/nlmq5jC9Slo

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's Friday, January 21, 2022. I'm Breanne Doyle, the host of rabble radio. Thanks for tuning in. rabble's got its finger on the beat of the stories that matter to you. If you're curious about the latest in Canadian politics, labour, environment, or health – you've come to the right place to find the stories that matter to you. Free of corporate influence.  This week we talk about why hazard pay isn't enough for our front-line workers in grocery stores. We'll also mark the passing of former NDP leader, Alexa McDonough. Karl Nerenberg and Monia Mazigh share their stories of Alexa. We'll check in all that and more, a bit later on in our show.  First, rabble contributor and former NDP Deputy Leader and House Leader, Libby Davies, interviews political scientist Dr. Jeanette Ashe. In part one of this special two-part series, Davies and Dr. Ashe delved into the question of what a gender-sensitive parliament would look like. They take on topics of the gender-based heckling that takes place among elected representatives in our government, and how COVID-19 has affected women in politics.  Dr. Ashe is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Douglas College. She's also a Visiting Faculty at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, King's College, London. Her research interests include political recruitment, political parties, representation, and gender and politics. She is the author of Political Candidate Selection: Who Wins, Who Loses and Under-representation in the UK. Other recent publications include Gender Sensitivity Under Trudeau: Facebook Feminism or Real Change?, and Canada's Political Parties: Gatekeepers to Parliament . Dr. Ashe advises legislatures, parties, and organizations on assessing gender and diversity sensitivity. She also advises legislators on drafting legislation on gender equity and democratic reform. Libby Davies is the 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. Libby's also is recipient of the Order of Canada.  Here are Libby and Jeanette in conversation, in part one of our two part special.  Take a listen:  (interview – 22 mins) That was Dr. Jeanette Ashe in conversation with Libby Davies. Join us again next week when we'll hear part two of that conversation. Thanks for that, Dr. Ashe and Libby. Looking forward to it.   Now, it's time for a segment we like to call, In Case You Missed It. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. This week rabble remembers Alexa McDonough. McDonough was Canada's first woman to lead a major political party when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic in 1980. She passed away on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at the age of 77.  Monia Mazigh was a close friend of McDonough. In her column, recalls how Alexa McDonough stood by her when her husband, Maher Arar, was held in US custody for two weeks after a family vacation in Tunis. Mazigh recalls McDonough standing against injustice when the Canadian government became complicit with the American authorities. The Americans had rendered her husband to Syria – a country he had not called home since he was 17 years old.  Mazigh writes: “Alexa was not intimidated by the whispers that warned her my husband was a “hot potato.” She stood with me and remained faithful to her principles of social justice and human rights. In 2003, my husband came home after spending more than a year in prison where he was never charged with any crime and endured torture. Upon his return, Alexa continued to be a pillar in our road towards justice.”  Karl Nerenberg shares a history of some of the highs and lows of McDonough's political career. He praises her as single-handedly re-building the NDP's presence in the Maritimes. There she established the party as a force for social justice and positive change on the national scene. That paved the way for her NDP successor, Jack Layton.  Nerenberg observes: “Keeping the movement alive and relevant during its darkest hour might, indeed, be Alexa's greatest legacy.”  Also this week on the site, Stephen Wentzell criticizes grocery store CEOs reaping record profits while their grocery store workers remain among the lowest paid workers in Canada. Grocery chains in our country instituted hazard pay for a brief moment at the outset of the pandemic two years ago. But now, workers are back to unsafe conditions, minimum wage, and, often, with little or no paid sick leave. Wentzell writes that, even with a so-called “hazard pay” pay increase, it still leaves many low-income Canadians far from a livable wage.  Lisa Cameron, writer and organizer with the Halifax Workers' Action Centre, tells rabble.ca that workers have devoted themselves “tirelessly” to their frontline work, while being both “underpaid and unappreciated.” “Major grocery chains should recognize the risks undertaken by their employees and compensate them accordingly,” Cameron says. “Even if these grocery chains reintroduce hazard pay for their employees, the fact remains that the minimum wage is too low across the country.” Cameron adds that governments can't keep trusting employers to do the right thing when it comes to paid sick days, livable wages, and access to health and dental coverage. “These aren't decisions that we ought to leave in the hands of employers. These are decisions that ought to be determined by law,” Cameron says. The last thing I'd like to leave you with today is this: rabble's annual fundraiser is on the go and we are looking for indie media heroes! Is that you? Please consider making a donation at rabble.ca/donate. The generous support from our readers is what makes it possible for  quality journalism to support transformative political action. And that's it for rabble radio this week. Thanks as always for tuning in. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app you use. 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.  If you have feedback for the show – ideas, stories, opinions you'd like us to cover – I'd love to hear about. Get in touch with me anytime at editor@rabble.ca.  Thank you to Libby Davies and Dr. Jeanette Ashe for their interview this week. Thanks also to Stephen Wentzell and Karl Nerenberg for their reporting - and Karl, too, for supplying the music. Thank you to all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. And lastly, thank you to you for tuning into rabble radio.  I'm Breanne Doyle, and I'll talk to you next week.  Credit for photo: Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/photos/TzVN0xQhWaQ

The first week of 2022 is over, and there are already political challenges staring down Canada in the coming months. Our panel of Canadian political veterans takes us through the year ahead in national politics. It's comprised of Anne McLellan, who served as Liberal MP for Edmonton Centre from 1993 to 2006; Libby Davies, former NDP House Leader and who served MP for Vancouver East for 18 years; and Ted Menzies, who served as the Conservative MP for the former riding of Macleod in southern Alberta from 2004 to 2013.

Why is it so hard to talk about Palestine in federal politics? In this episode, Tom and Michael are joined by former NDP Deputy-Leader Libby Davies, who was a trailblazer in speaking out for Palestinian rights during her 18 years as a member of Parliament. We first ask Davies how, based in Vancouver, she initially developed a concern for Palestinian human rights. We'll then learn from Davies about what it was like raising the issue of Palestine on Parliament Hill, especially during the Harper era, and how the political landscape has changed over time.  Links from this podcast:“Outside In: A Political Memoir” by Libby DaviesSubscribe to this podcast, and donate to CJPME to support the work that we do.

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's Friday, December 17, 2021. I'm the host and the editor of rabble, Chelsea Nash. Thanks so much for listening! Rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environment, and so much more. Listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you. This week on rabble radio we're reflecting back on our year, highlighting 2021's most newsworthy stories – and let me just say, there were plenty of stories to choose from! 2021 presented a plethora of newsworthy moments for us here at rabble to dive into – from environmental news to Indigenous justice, to politics, rabble was there keeping you up-to-date on all the current news as it happened this year. To begin, let's start on the Pacific side of Canada – all the way at Fairy Creek, British Columbia. This old-growth forest in the southern portion of Vancouver Island has made headlines in the past year, being the site of ongoing protests against old-growth logging.   In November, friend of the rabble family Libby Davies interviewed climate activist and land defender Rita Wong. In a clip, Rita discusses her role at Fairy Creek and why the site has had such an impact on activists in B.C.. Keeping the conversation on environmental justice and Indigenous rights, this year rabble correspondent Brent Patterson kept us all up to date on the latest news in his coverage of Wet'suwet'en territory. The protests concerning the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline through 190 kilometres of the unceded lands of Wet'suwet'en First Nation territory have been ongoing, ever since Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs opposed the project back in 2010. But it wasn't until last year, 2020, when action really started amping up. On our December 10th show, Brent sat down with sisters Eve Saint and Jocey Alec, Indigenous land defenders who were both criminally charged in the past two years protecting their traditional territory from the pipelines. Here's a clip from that interview of Eve Saint detailing the day she had been arrested. That was Brent Patterson in conversation with Eve Saint. You can listen to the full interview with Eve and her sister Jocey Alec in our December 10th episode – it's an incredibly powerful listen and we so appreciate the two sisters taking the time to speak with us. Thank you also to Brent Patterson for keeping such a detailed eye throughout the year with his coverage of Wet'suwet'en. You can be sure we'll be following this story into the new year. Switching gears now from environmental news to the world of the Internet – this year saw Facebook become engulfed in controversy and ultimately rebranded. In October, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was to be rebranded as “Meta” – however, critics believed that the re-naming was a just distraction from the controversies the social media conglomerate had found itself in. Canadians began to wonder – what will the government do to implement regulations for social media giants like Facebook? To break down this question and all-things regarding policy and Facebook, our national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell sat down with Dr. Michael Geist back in October. Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. He's also the author of the 2015 book Law, Privacy, and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era. Here's a piece of that interview. This year also saw a snap election, of course; the result being Trudeau being re-elected for a third term as prime minister, with his second minority government. Though the Liberals were no doubt hoping to win a majority government when Trudeau called the election back in August, the results were for the most part unchanged from the 2019 Canadian federal election. Having said that, there was much news to be made out of the election and the actions Trudeau has made since then. Keeping rabble informed and up-to-date on everything going on at Parliament Hill was very own our senior politics reporter Karl Nerenberg. On the site, Karl brought us stories every week detailing how decisions made at Parliament would affect Canadians. In October, Karl joined me on the podcast to discuss Trudeau's cabinet shuffle and suggest why, at 39 members, the cabinet is as big as it is. Take a listen. That was Karl Nerenberg from our October 29 episode when we discussed Trudeau's 2021 cabinet. This month, on our Off the Hill political panel, we delved into Justin Trudeau's government once again, this time dissecting the speech from the throne. To break it down, hosts Libby Davies and Robin Browne prompted our panelists Karl Nerenberg, poet and scholar El Jones, MP Leah Gazan, and Indigenous activist and writer Clayton Thomas-Muller. Our esteemed guests discussed what was said during the speech, what was notably not mentioned in the speech, and what it all meant for activists. Our panelists were in agreement that while pretty words about Indigenous reconciliation, solving climate change, and keeping Canadians safe and healthy through the pandemic were said, the speech was devoid of real substance. MP Leah Gazan speaks in a clip from the panel.  Those were our top stories on rabble radio this year. Now let's take a look at the top stories of the week on rabble.ca in a segment we call “in case you missed it.” In case you missed it:  This week at rabble, the Omicron variant appears to be taking hold around the globe. Have we actually learned anything from the last two years? Are our governments capable of providing support for society's most vulnerable to the virus? Are we making any progress on improving indoor air quality in communal spaces like schools? Are travel restrictions making any sort of difference?  As Nora Loreto, author of the newly released book Spin Doctors: How Media and Politicians Misdiagnosed the COVID-19 Pandemic says, "it feels like Groundhog Day." You know, the Bill Murray kind. Here we go again.  I reviewed Nora's book this week on the site. It's an insightful, compelling and -- you've been warned -- depressing read about the government and media failure that in many ways paved the way for COVID-19 to wreak the havoc it has. Nora takes readers through the first 18 months of this pandemic: from January 2020 through the end of June 2021. As we well know by now, the pandemic didn't end then, and we are still grappling with many of the same challenges we faced one year ago. However, as Nora proves, at this point, we ought to know better.  That's why in Karl Nrenberg's analysis of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's fall economic update, he wonders why there isn't more money being dedicated to improving indoor air quality for Canadians. There is indeed a section of the update most overlooked on Clean and Healthy Indoor Air.  The finance minister's update includes a Small Business Refundable Tax Credit of up to $10,000 per location and $50,000 per business organization, which businesses can receive for “eligible air quality improvement expenses.” There is, in addition, $100 million for provinces and territories for “improvements to ventilation” in schools, and an additional $70 million to the $100 million the government announced a year ago “to support ventilation projects in public and community buildings such as hospitals, libraries and community centres.” It's something, but it's not much, considering the degree to which stopping the spread of this virus entails getting it out of the air we breathe. Speaking of lessons unlearned, over in Alberta, where Premier Jason Kenney infamously declared the pandemic "over" last summer, the government is restricting COVID-19 restrictions for the holiday season, David Climenhaga reports. Groundhog Day, indeed.  Also this week on rabble.ca:  In case you missed it, 34 people's names were commemorated at this month's Toronto monthly Homeless Memorial on December 14. Of those 34 names, 19 people died inside city shelters in the month of October, writes street nurse Cathy Crowe. In response, the Shelter Housing Justice Network demands that Toronto City Council must immediately strike a task force charged with taking all reasonable steps to reduce such deaths but also take measures to ensure safe shelter, an expansion of housing allowances, harm reduction measures and to stop encampment evictions.  In case you missed it, Stephen Wentzell spoke to activists about the federal government's new bill to remove some mandatory minimum sentences from the Criminal Code. Toronto journalist, activist and author Desmond Cole panned the bill as "deeply cynical” and an “incomplete policy" as he calls for all mandatory minimum sentences to be dropped -- including those for crimes involving gangs -- and for life sentences to end.  “I just think the government needs to spare us all of the rhetoric about race, when the sentences that they are keeping up will also continue to disproportionately put Black and Indigenous people in jail,” Cole said. Justice Minister David Lametti said the government “will continue to address the social determinants of crime" and marked the bill as an important step. And with that, that is our show this week – and for this year. Rabble radio is taking a few weeks off for the holiday season, although the writers and contributors at rabble.ca will continue to bring you the up-to-date news throughout the month, so look out for that. As for rabble radio, you can tune into our next episode on January 14, 2021. If you liked what you heard on this week's show, please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends -- it only takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble but it means so much. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. And if you have feedback for the show, I'd love to hear it - get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. On behalf of everyone here at rabble, we want to thank you for tuning in and supporting our show – and we also want to wish you a safe and happy new year! Thanks to our podcast producer Breanne Doyle. Thanks to Karl Nerenberg for the music, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this year's content on rabble radio, Off the Hill and rabble.ca. Photo by Erwan Hesry at Unsplash

Power & Politics for Monday, December 6th with Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant, former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Special Envoy Irwin Cotler, former MPs Jean Augustine and Libby Davies, Alberta Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, and the Power Panel.

Hello, and welcome to rabble radio! It's the week of Friday, December 3, 2021.  The top stories of this week include the Liberal government's ban on conversion therapy finally passing the House with unanimous consent, both Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford received failing grades on their environmental policy, and, Syrian refugees need Canada to act. Has it forgotten them? Rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environment, and so much more. Listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you.  This week on the show, we're bringing you a segment of our monthly live politics panel: Off the Hill. This month, the theme is Games of the Throne. Libby Davies and Robin Browne host guests MP Leah Gazan, poet and scholar El Jones, Indigenous activist and writer Clayton Thomas-Müller and rabble's own national senior politics reporter Karl Nerenberg.  Parliament is back, and our guests unpack the speech from the throne and what it means for activists. If you can believe it, this is the final show of 2021, and our panel looks back at the year that was — and takes a look forward to the new year. Take a listen:  (OFF THE HILL)  That was a clip from our live politics panel which took place last night, on Thursday, Dec. 2. Thanks to all who tuned in and to our wonderful guests for their insight. Stay tuned for details about January's Off the Hill panel early in the new year.  Now, it's time for: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. This week at rabble, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell covered two huge milestones for the 2SLGBTQ movement in Canada. First, a trans person became a leader of a major federal political party for the very first time when the Green Party of Canada appointed Amita Kuttner as its leader. Kuttner, 30, is the youngest, first trans person, and first person of east Asian descent to lead a national political party. Kuttner, who uses they/them pronouns, calls the appointment an “honour and a serious responsibility.” They succeed Annamie Paul, the first Black and Jewish leader of a major federal party, who departed as leader amid controversy and major internal strife.  Wednesday was another day of hope for the 2SLGBTQ community, when the House of Commons unanimously passed Bill C-4, an Act that, if passed, will criminalize so-called "conversion therapy" in Canada. A conversion therapy ban had been set to pass through the Senate late last summer, but fell off the order paper when Parliament was dissolved for the election. The new legislation goes further than its predecessor, however, as it bans the harmful practice for children as well as adults. The unanimous vote in the House of Commons was noteworthy, as previously, there were 62 votes against the legislation from Conservative Party members.  For Mike Smith, a survivor of conversion “therapy,” the ban means others won't have to suffer like they did, Wentzell reports. Smith was subjected to efforts to change their sexual orientation and gender identity at the age of 18, and suffered horrific trauma as a result. Read more at rabble.ca.  Also this week:  Karl Nerenberg reports on the failing grades received by both the Trudeau and Ford governments. Two days after the Trudeau government presented a throne speech that was disappointingly weak on plans to combat climate change, the federal environment commissioner blasted Canada's emissions reduction record. On that same day, Ontario auditor general (AG) Bonnie Lysyk reported that the Doug Ford government would not achieve even a fifth of the emission reductions it has promised to achieve by 2030 if it stays the course. Krystal Kraus writes about the need for the activist community to confront death and to develop new strategies for mutual and communal support for those in the movement who might be struggling with mental illness. She reflects on activists in the Toronto activist community who have died in recent years, and writes about the lessons each of them taught her.  Columnist Rachel Snow wants Canadian settlers to ask themselves what they really know about the First Nations who reside in Canada.  "The truth is that Canada does not see or understand First Nation people," Snow writes. "In fact, Canada has lumped together First Nations, Inuit and Métis into a potent mixture; Canada labels us “our” Indigenous peoples, as if this broad group could ever be possessed by the colonial state." That's it for this week! If you like the show please consider subscribing. Rate, review, share it with your friends -- it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.  Got feedback for the show? Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.  Thanks to our producer Breanne Doyle, to Off the Hill hosts Libby Davies and Robin Browne, guests El Jones, Clayton Thomas-Muller, Karl Nerenberg and MP Leah Gazan. Thanks to Karl Nerenberg for the music and his reporting, Stephen Wentzell for his reporting, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. 

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's the week of Friday, November 25. I'm your host and the editor of rabble, Chelsea Nash.  The top stories of this week include the Trudeau government's return to Parliament. On Tuesday, we heard the Governor General deliver the speech from the throne. While Parliament will only resume for a very short time before it breaks again for the holidays, what did we learn about what's to come? And, rabble's coverage of the Wet'suwet'en crisis is ongoing. Contributor Brent Patterson traveled to the region to cover events as they unfolded. You'll hear the latest on that in just a few minutes. Rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environment, and so much more. Listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you.  This week on the show, we welcome back Libby Davies as she interviews political scientist Dr. Jeanette Ashe about the state of women in politics in Canada.  Dr. Ashe is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Douglas College and Visiting Faculty at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, King's College, London. Her research interests include political recruitment, political parties, representation, and gender and politics. She is the author of Political Candidate Selection: Who Wins, Who Loses and Under-representation in the UK (Routledge, 2020). Other recent publications include Gender Sensitivity Under Trudeau: Facebook Feminism or Real Change? (University of Toronto, 2020), and Canada's Political Parties: Gatekeepers to Parliament (Palgrave, 2020). She advises legislatures, parties, and organizations on assessing gender and diversity sensitivity and advises legislators on drafting legislation on gender equity and democratic reform. Libby Davies, as you may know, is the 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, and is recipient of the Order of Canada.  The two discuss the barriers that continue to exist for women in Canadian politics, despite the fact that the electorate is actually more likely to support women candidates. After an election like the one we just had, which saw the Liberals lose four female cabinet members, it's a good time to once again examine how our political parties here in Canada have a tendency to not support women and other diverse candidates. Here's their conversation, take a listen. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT This week at rabble, contributor Brent Patterson goes to the Wet'suwet'en territory and reports on the RCMP's raid of the protestors' blockade there as they defend the land against the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. Just days after the conclusion of the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Glasgow and calls from international groups to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders, militarized police violence against defenders in Canada has seemingly become normalized, Patterson writes. Over 30 people and three journalists were arrested on November 18 and 19. It was the third RCMP assault on Wet'suwet'en territory in support of the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline being constructed on their territory without free, prior and informed consent, with the first two taking place in January and February of this year.  Patterson raised some questions about the infrastructure that enabled the raids. RCMP officers were seen arriving at Smithers airport and being carried away in two white school buses. In the days after the raid, the same make of white school buses were seen emerging from the Coastal GasLink man-camp on the Morice River Forest Service Road -- the same road that had been blockaded. This begged the question: were the RCMP using the Coastal GasLink camp to stage their raid? What other state infrastructure did they use to carry out the raid? Patterson reviews what they've used before.  Further, Patterson reports there are first-hand witness accounts of the RCMP in Coastal GasLink cars on the territory and RCMP officers arriving in Coastal GasLink-marked buses in the nearby town of New Hazelton to break-up a rail blockade in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en. According to Patterson, all of this is compounded by the Canadian government's financial involvement in the GasLink project -- notably its $275 million investment in June 2019 supporting the LNG Canada export terminal along with Export Development Canada's $250 million to $500 million loan to Coastal GasLink in May 2020 for the construction of the pipeline. The appearance of collusion between the police and an energy company, along with the disregard of international human rights norms raise profound concerns that must be addressed, Patterson concludes. Also on the site this week:  John Miller reports on a new survey from the Canadian Association of Journalists about who is telling you the news. Thursday, the CAJ released its inaugural measurement of the diversity of people who assign, cover and present the news. CAJ measured 3,873 news people at 209 media outlets, making it the largest-ever survey of the demographics of television and radio broadcasters, online news operations, and daily and community newspapers. Unsurprisingly, the typical Canadian newsroom is not representative of the Canadian population, with more than half of the newsrooms surveyed only employing white journalists.  Joyce Nelson reports on a terrible paradox facing the so-called green energy transition: to develop windmills, solar panels, and the like, many metals and minerals will need to be mined. MiningWatch Canada is estimating that “[Three] billion tons of mined metals and minerals will be needed to power the energy transition” – a “massive” increase especially for six critical minerals: lithium, graphite, copper, cobalt, nickel and rare earth minerals. With mining being an exploitative and dirty industry -- of which Canadian companies are at the fore -- perhaps the green energy transition is more red than green after all.  Plus -- Karl Nerenberg breaks down the speech from the throne, though as he reports, there's not much to break down. It was a speech full of platitudes and lacking in clear commitments, he writes. Catch Nerenberg and our other distinguished panelists next week for our Off the Hill live politics panel, where the theme is "Games of the Throne" and the return of Parliament. MP Leah Gazan will be there, as will Indigenous activist and writer Clayton Thomas-Müller and poet and scholar El Jones.  Find all the details of that and so much more at rabble.ca. There are a few other must-reads on the site this week I'd recommend you don't miss -- so head there now!  EXTRO That's it for this week! If you like the show please consider subscribing. Rate, review, share it with your friends -- it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.  Got feedback for the show? Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything you write in. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for tuning in and we'll talk next week! Thanks to our producer Breanne Doyle, Libby Davies and guest Dr. Jeanette Ashe. Thanks to Karl Nerenberg for the music and his reporting, Brent Patterson for his reporting, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. 

Hello and welcome to rabble radio. It's the week of Friday, November 19 and I'm your host and the editor of rabble, Chelsea Nash. Thanks so much for listening!  Rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environment, and so much more. Listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you.  This week on the show, friend of the rabble family Libby Davies interviews climate activist and land defender Rita Wong.  Libby Davies is 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, and is recipient of the Order of Canada.  Rita Wong is a poet-scholar who has written several books of poetry. She understands natural ecosystems as critical infrastructure that must be protected and cared for in order to survive the climate crisis. In other words, old growth forests are what remains of the Earth's lungs. They discuss Fairy Creek -- the site of ongoing protests against old-growth logging on the southern portion of Vancouver Island. The protests have been going on for over a year now, with many activists -- Rita included -- travelling to and from the region when they can at the invitation of Pacheedaht First Nation elder Bill Jones and hereditary leader Victor Peter, upon whose lands the logging is taking place. Rita has written about her experiences and the plight of the land defenders at Fairy Creek before for rabble.ca, writing:  "The time I've spent at Fairy Creek is some of the most inspiring I've ever experienced, with creative, generous, kind and talented people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, all spontaneously co-operating to uphold what Jones has asked us to: the responsibility to protect sacred forests for future generations." Libby and Rita also take some time to discuss the recent passing of Indigenous writer Lee Maracle, who was a mentor of Rita's.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Let's stay in B.C. for just a moment. This week at rabble, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell writes about that province's proposal to "remove criminal penalties for people who possess small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use." The proposed exemption is a big win for decriminalization activists, who have long-argued that decriminalization will help reduce the fear and shame associated with substance use that can be a barrier for people requiring care. At the same time, some activists working to combat the opioid crisis say it's not enough. Wentzell spoke to Donald MacPherson, executive director for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, who said he applauds the B.C. provincial government for its proposed shift, though he worries that leaving lower jurisdictions to implement varying decriminalization laws will create inconsistent and “piecemeal” policies around the country. “This is a federal law. The federal government hasn't taken this leadership,” MacPherson said. “They should be taking the leadership to decriminalize simple possession for drugs across Canada.” Also on the site this week:  It's Trans Awareness Week, with Trans Remembrance Day taking place tomorrow, November 20. To mark the week, Charlotte Dalwood, a freelance writer based in Alberta, tells the story of how one woman went from being a trans ally to being an anti-trans activist, and back to an ally again (if not a passive one). Rather than arguing that trans exclusion is anti-feminist, writes Dalwood, trans women and our allies ought to instead mobilize the stories of ex-gender criticals (as the trans exclusionary movement likes to call themselves).  "Whatever such people have done in the past, they are in a unique position now to pull others out of the gender-critical movement. That makes them invaluable allies." Earlier this week, columnist Chuka Ejeckam issued a warning to be wary of those who claim to speak for the Black community writ large. He tackles the controversial and, as he points out, unfounded opinion piece in the Toronto Star by Royson James, in which James attempts to take down former Star columnist and writer and activist Desmond Cole.  Speaking of the Star, former Star reporter John Miller writes about the major problem facing Canadian media: a loss of public trust. He has some ideas on how we might repair that trust. All that and more, as always, on rabble.ca. EXTRO That's it for this week! We'll see you around the site, I'm sure. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends -- it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.  Got feedback for the show? Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything you write in. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for tuning in and we'll talk next week! Thanks to our producer Breanne Doyle, Libby Davies and Rita Wong. Thanks to Karl Nerenberg for the music, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca.  Photo by: A.Davey (via WikiCommons)

Every election cycle, the conversation of electoral reform is revived to some extent. 2021 was no different.    Consider this: ​​In Toronto, the Liberals only won 48.9 per cent of the votes, but they won more than 90 per cent of the seats in Canada's largest city, electing 48 of the 53 MPs there. The NDP won 14.5 per cent of the vote in Toronto, but ended up with no seats. The nearly 400,000 voters who voted for them now have no representation in Parliament.    This is rabble radio, and this is what's up for discussion. I'm your host and the editor of rabble.ca, Chelsea Nash. Let's dive in.   On Thursday evening, rabble hosted its monthly live politics panel Off the Hill. This time, the theme was Back to a Hung Parliament: How do we make it work for people? This was the first time our illustrious panelists were able to get together since the recent election, and, seeing as how we're still waiting for Parliament to be recalled sometime this fall, the topic of discussion was about lessons learned from this election campaign, and, if the election results were really more or less the same, how can we make this minority government different?    Robin Browne and Libby Davies are Off the Hill's co-hosts. Robin is a communications professional and the co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub, living in Ottawa. Libby Davies is the 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.   Guests include:    Leah Gazan, who was recently re-elected to her post as Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre. She is currently the NDP Critic for Children, Families, and Social Development, as well as the Deputy Critic for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Leah is a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory.   Chuka Ejeckam is a political researcher and writer, and works in the labour movement in British Columbia. He focuses on political and economic inequity and inequality, both within Canada and as produced by Canadian policy. Read Chuka's regular column on rabble.ca.    Rachel Snow is Iyahe Nakoda and the daughter of late Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow. She holds a juris doctor from the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and is an outspoken educator, speaker, writer and co-contact person for the Indigneous Activist Networks.    Last but not least: Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He joined rabble as parliamentary correspondent in 2011.   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Let me remind you what we talked about at the beginning of this episode; how the Liberals won 90 per cent of the seats in Toronto with less than half of the popular vote. This means that more than half of Toronto voters won't have their interests represented on Parliament Hill or in various caucus meetings.    Nerenberg points out how the first-past-the-post system serves to deepen Canada's regional differences, painting entire sections -- or entire cities -- with broad swaths of Conservative blue or Liberal red, with some of the NDP's orange and the Bloc's light blue peeking through.    Take Saskatchewan, for instance. In that prairie province, the NDP managed to garner more than one-fifth of the votes, 21.1 per cent. That is more than three points higher than the NDP's national popular vote share. But the New Democrats didn't win a single Saskatchewan seat. The Conservatives won all 14.    The voter demographic in Saskatchewan and other prairie provinces is not nearly as monochrome as our electoral results suggest. This pits entire regions against one another rather than taking into account the nuance of demographic voting habits across the country. Read the rest of Karl's analysis at rabble.ca.    Also this week, Stephen Wentzell writes about five ways the incoming Parliament could make history. First on the list? Commit to more ambitious emissions targets.    With increased heat waves, drought, wildfires and more extreme weather events, Canada is warming at twice the global rate. Five-year targets on our way to a net-zero 2050 aren't cutting it -- and as overnight temperatures hit records in addition to days above 20 degrees Celsius -- Canadians don't have time for deliberating anymore; we need leadership on climate action, writes Wentzell.    He also writes that this new session could implement universal pharmacare with dental care, enhance resources and supports for nurses who have been left burnt out by the pandemic, extend COVID-19 financial supports which are set to expire on October 23. And, finally, this new Parliament could end the discriminatory ban on the donation of LGBTQ+ individuals' blood.    Also on the site this week:    Cathy Crowe writes that every month in Toronto, there is a monthly homeless memorial that's been hosted for over twenty years. While there used to be between one and five names of unhoused people, the numbers are now routinely in the double digits. The October memorial saw 15 names of people added. It's a tragedy, writes Crowe, but one that is avoidable. Toronto's Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN) recently released its evidence based winter and spring plan to provide emergency and shelter support and infrastructure so the city's homeless population can have a shot at surviving the fast-approaching winter.    Brent Patterson breaks down everything we know about the RCMP's militarized "resource extraction protection unit" which has been arresting and perpetuating violence upon land defenders across the country.   And, Philip Lee writes about how the lack of language diversity on the internet actually makes it a whole lot less accessible than we might think it is.   All that and more at rabble.ca.   EXTRO That's a wrap for this week's episode of rabble radio. Stay tuned for more of our social and political coverage next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends and, maybe more importantly, your enemies. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.  If after listening, you feel like you have something to tell me, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. As always, check the site for the latest in-depth analysis, insightful opinions and breaking news. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for listening!  Thanks to Victoria Fenner for production, Wayne MacPhail for advisement, Karl Nerenberg for the music, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca.

Hello and welcome to rabble radio: the election edition! We're here for half an hour every week of this federal campaign diving deep into the issues that matter to you.  OFF THE HILL On Sept 17 we heard from our amazing panelists at our live politics panel: Off the Hill. You'll hear a clip of their discussion. Host Robin Browne takes panelists through an insightful discussion of the real issues facing us on E-Day, and how we can make this election count. We're down to the wire, after all.  You'll hear from guests including former NDP MP and seasoned election veteran Libby Davies based on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, policy expert and rabble columnist Chuka Ejeckam who is based in Vancouver, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow joins from Calgary, climate activist Diana Yoon is in Toronto, and Karl Nerenberg, rabble's senior politics reporter, weighs in from Ottawa.  If you'd like to catch the rest of that discussion, you can find it here.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:  This week at rabble, as Election Day fast approaches on Monday, September 20, we're talking about political engagement.  The NDP candidate for Halifax -- Lisa Roberts -- hopes to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors Meghan Leslie and Alexa McDonough. Halifax is a riding that was held by the NDP from 1997 until 2015, when it was won by Liberal Andy Fillmore.  As a mother working the campaign trail, Roberts told our national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell that a September election is an even bigger hurdle for parents -- primarily for women candidates, who often take on much of the child care for their families.  "I think the beginning of September is an inappropriate time to be making important decisions about who our leaders will be," Roberts said, adding it's so far from an ideal time to be asking people to engage in political debate. "I am in a party and was in a provincial caucus with a high number of female candidates with relatively younger families, and it makes it very, very difficult," Roberts said.  Meanwhile, Libby Davies sat down -- virtually -- for a Q&A with Regina -- Lewvan candidate Tria Donaldson, who is running for the NDP.  Donaldson spoke about facing a "Blue wall" meaning in her province of Saskatchewan, there is a slate of Conservative incumbent candidates.  That wasn't necessarily what Donaldson was worried about in this election, however. Here's what she told Davies:  A lot of people are feeling powerless. Especially in Saskatchewan. A lot of folks I talked to have this idea that [the election] doesn't matter because things are decided far away in Ontario and that by the time our polls close, things are already being decided in eastern Canada.  So there's a lot of disengagement and disillusionment. The way we combat that is by getting down to what power is and what kind of power people have. Voting is one form of exercising our power, but so is mobilizing. We need to make sure that we're holding our politicians accountable. The cynicism people have is really challenging and something we all need to overcome when we're encouraging people to live their politics and get out and vote or take action for things like public health care or education funding. These are many issues people care about, but they don't feel like voting will make a difference. I think we just need to do a lot of work on getting people to engage politically. Also this week at rabble, Robert Hackett writes about how you can vote strategically and still vote your conscience: vote for the climate. Instead of voting automatically for a particular party, support candidates with a reasonable chance of winning, and a strong track record of backing climate action inside or outside Parliament. The campaigning organizations LeadNow and 350.org have identified thirty candidates as "climate champions." For a list of those champions, head to the site to read his article.  As far as strategic voting in the traditional sense goes? It's utter bullshit, writes Judy Rebick. She unpacks what a feminist vote actually looks like this election cycle. I'll leave you with her advice: Vote for the candidate you support. Having strong local and progressive representation in government matters. ENDNOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election coverage next week, where of course, we will be diving deep into analysis of the results and what it all means for you. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage at rabble.ca. Stay engaged, register to vote, and keep listening.  THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg.   

Hello and welcome to rabble radio: the election edition! Rabble radio has its finger on the beat of the issues that matter to you. We're here once a week, for half an hour, coming to you for the last few weeks -- and just one more week after that! -- with election coverage. CLIMATE TALK This week, we're talking about how climate change has featured in this election so far. It's a critical moment. Are we rising to the challenge?  Coming to us from Toronto, climate and housing activist, and former NDP candidate herself, Diana Yoon is on the show to talk about how the issue of climate change is playing out in this election.  You can catch Diana Yoon on our election-time Off the Hill panels, where we invite political experts with a progressive point of view to discuss grassroots, community-centred issues. Our next panel, titled "Election 44: Down to the wire," will feature Diana as well as rabble's own politics reporter Karl Nerenberg, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow, rabble columnist and policy expert Chuka Ejeckam, and former NDP MP and author Libby Davies. Should be a lively discussion just three days before election day -- things are getting tense, that's for sure.  Off the Hill is happening Friday, Sept 17 at 7 pm EST or 4 pm PT. Register for the zoom event to ask panelists questions directly.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT  Now, it's time for the segment we call "in case you missed it," where we give you a rundown of all the rabble highlights you might have missed. It's never a slow news week during an election, so let's get into it.  This week at rabble, two candidates-to-watch talk about the challenges of campaigning in the midst of wildfires, the fourth wave of the pandemic, and rising hate on the campaign trail. National politics reporter Stephen Wentzell spoke to Hawa Yahia Mire, who is running for the NDP in the riding of York South -- Weston about the violent threats, and, in some cases, actual assaults on Liberal leader Justin Trudeau throughout this campaign.  Mire wants candidates, including Trudeau, to keep in mind that Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are subjected to much of the same on a daily basis in Canada. The vitriol people like Trudeau now face are the result of allowing hate to fester for far too long.  "We've seen the rise of organized hate groups across this country for a very long time. I don't think our elected officials have taken that rise very seriously," Mire said. "And now we're seeing the consequences of what happens if you don't take that hate seriously." Including rocks being thrown at the prime minister, this continues to be one of the most unique elections in Canadian history, as candidates like the NDP's Joan Phillip are on the campaign trail -- a trail that is, literally, on fire in the B.C. interior.  This week, Libby Davies interviewed Phillip, who is running in the riding of Central Okanagan -- Similkameen -- Nicola against Conservative incumbent Dan Albas, about the experience of campaigning during a climate catastrophe.  "It makes it very hard for people to focus on an election when you're talking about daily survival," Phillip said.  Mire spoke of the other big distraction in her Toronto riding: the pandemic.  In her view, a pandemic election is anti-democratic because it presents more barriers to voting for society's most vulnerable, like seniors, the immune-compromised, and people who fear contracting COVID because they cannot afford to work. This is especially true in densely populated areas, like Mire's riding, she said.  Both candidates spoke of the need to ground federal politics in the local; communities are what makes up Canada, and it's the voices of our neighbours that deserve to be heard on the Hill.  Also on the site this week, Charlotte Dalwood makes her rabble debut with an interesting analysis of Western alienation. Instead of giving up on what appear to be Conservative strongholds in provinces like Alberta, writes Dalwood, leftists should see the desire for an overhaul of the existing political and constitutional order that separatists want as a means to adopt them into the socialist movement.  And, Doreen Nicoll has the latest on the civil war in Ethiopia, where the Tigray People's Liberation Front is using child soldiers as human shields, but the international community -- including governments and NGOs -- have gone radio silent on the matter. Nicoll breaks down why there seems to be selective humanity within the realm of international law.  THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg.  ENDNOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election coverage next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage at rabble.ca. Stay engaged, register to vote, and keep listening. Produced by Victoria Fenner

THE RUNDOWN This first episode is the proud rebirth of our weekly audio magazine, rabble radio. Rabble radio tunes in on the issues and actions that matter to you. And, this week, what could be more timely and top-of-mind than a federal election. Well, okay, the Delta variant and Afghanistan, but it's top of mind for us because of the Off the Hill event we hosted last Wednesday night. More on that below. BTW, if you like what you hear, remember we here at rabble.ca cover and produce a lot more timely news, commentary and even events online. You can find it all at rabble.ca. OFF THE HILL Last Wednesday night rabble.ca presented our monthly edition of "Off the Hill" - a panel that takes a look at federal politics from a progressive, grassroots perspective. This month, the theme was "Election 44: No Time to Waste on the Status Quo." Our esteemed panelists included: former NDP MP Libby Davies, climate activist Diana Yoon, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow and rabble's own columnist and policy expert Chuka Ejeckman. Here's the first twenty minutes of their discussion, hosted by the Ottawa-based Robin Browne. We bring you the first 20 minutes in this podcast. If you'd like to hear the full length discussion you can check it out at https://rabble.ca/rabbletv/. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Here's a rundown of this week's top headlines on rabble.ca. Introducing rabble.ca's new national politics reporter: Stephen Wentzell profiled Kitchener Centre NDP candidate Beisan Zubi in his rabble debut, speaking with Zubi about how her own experience with housing precarity and the affordability crisis has informed her politics. Keep an eye out for more "candidates to watch" -- a special series profiling up-and-coming progressive candidates who are here to shake things up.  Economist Jim Stanford warns of coming austerity measures if the Conservatives manage to win a majority next month. "The pandemic proved something progressives argued for years: there is virtually no financial constraint to the ability of governments to mobilize resources in the interests of social and environmental well-being -- if they choose to do so," he writes. This challenges just about everything the Conservatives stand for, and all of the progress made during the pandemic could quickly be undone if O'Toole finds power. The election issues In this month's Pro Bono column, lawyer Celia Chandler reflects back on how she seems to be writing about the same thing every election cycle: the housing crisis. Will this time be any different? Street Nurse Cathy Crowe and professor David Hulchanski take readers through how the decades-long housing crisis has manifested.  Plus, Linda McQuaig makes the case that this election should not, in fact, be about the climate crisis, but instead about curtailing the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry, which at this point, pulls far too many strings.  Accountability on Afghanistan Columnist Matthew Behrens wrote a scathing and insightful indictment of Canada's well-documented war crimes in Afghanistan.  Monia Mazigh joined Behrens in calling for a public inquiry into Canada's involvement in the twenty-year, fruitless war. And, Rick Salutin looked back at what started it all: 9/11.  From our In Cahoots partners this week: The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is filing formal policy grievances against employers, including AHS, for refusing to acknowledge the newly created National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With September approaching, Ontario's teacher unions believe that everyone working in, or attending a school who is eligible and can be safely vaccinated, should be vaccinated, according to a statement from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. Now, a look at five not-to-be missed headlines: Rita Wong: RCMP at Fairy Creek blockade ignore the real emergency David Climenhaga: Where is Jason Kenney? Alberta premier unseen since August 9 as COVID cases rise Martha Friendly: Conservatives go back to the future for child-care proposals in this federal election Sara Speicher: Afghanistan: Is digital communication a blessing or curse? David Suzuki: Federal election requires serious shift on climate, justice and health THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg. Such a polymath. ENDNOTES Got feedback on the show? Great. Send it along to editor@rabble.ca. We'd love to hear from you. And you'll find lots more at rabble.ca. Until next time: Stay informed, stay active and register to vote. OFF THE HILL PANELISTS Robin Browne is Off the Hill's co-host. Robin is a communications professional and the co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub, living in Ottawa. His blog is The "True" North. Libby Davies is 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, and is a recipient of the Order of Canada. Chuka Ejeckam is a political researcher and writer, and works in the labour movement in British Columbia. He focuses on political and economic inequity and inequality, both within Canada and as produced by Canadian policy. Read Chuka's regular column on rabble.ca. Rachel Snow is Iyahe Nakoda, the daughter of late Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow. She holds a juris doctor from the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and is an outspoken educator, speaker, writer and co-contact person for the Indigneous Activist Networks. Rachel resides on her ancestral lands in Mini Thni which is west of Calgary, Alberta. Diana Yoon is a climate and housing justice activist and community organizer based in Toronto/Tkaronto. Diana works as the climate specialist at Toronto Environmental Alliance, a leading environmental advocacy non-profit, while pursuing her Masters. Diana ran in the 2019 federal election as the NDP candidate in Spadina-Fort York and sits as an Ontario Rep for NDP Federal Council.  

THE RUNDOWN Hello and welcome to rabble radio, the proud reemergence of our weekly audio magazine. Rabble radio has its finger on the beat of the issues that matter to you. This week, we're talking about the issues that are conspicuously absent from the federal election thus far. And, we're talking youth voting. After that I'll take you through last week's headlines in a segment called "in case you missed it." But it's been a busy week -- so don't be too hard on yourself. That's what we're here for!  BTW, if you like what you hear, remember we here at rabble.ca cover and produce a lot more timely news, commentary and even events online. You can find it all at rabble.ca. STUDENT VOTING Our national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell joins us to talk about his story about how students feel their vote isn't valued. You can keep up with his reporting on the site, and be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you never miss a beat. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Here are some stories you might have missed on rabble.ca this week. Joyce Nelson breaks down why we should be paying more attention to military spending this election. The federal government is set to award a $5-million contract for drone procurement this fall, in addition to the upfront cost of $19 million for the 88 new fighter jets it is proceeding with purchasing (the No New Fighter Jets Coalition pegs the full life-cycle cost of these jets at $77 million.) All this spending–in addition to a recent joint statement from Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan and his American counterpart -- could signal that Canada is planning to participate in the U.S. ballistic missile shield -- the purpose of which is to create a North American shield to enable to U.S. to wage a "winnable" nuclear war. And, Rachel Snow laments that this federal election -- much like the 43 before it -- will not advance the interests of the First Nations peoples. Instead, the Canadian electorate is focused on "first-world problems," she writes. "We live within a shadow world of structural and economic apartheid that is so ingrained that many no longer question it," Snow notes of the living conditions of many First Nations. Snow observes that talk about reconciliation during this election is all about platitudes, politics, and public perception. Take the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, for instance, the first observance of which will take place on September 30. Rather than make reparations with Indigenous folks or address systemic challenges like clean water supply and living conditions on reserves, Trudeau "stepped out in front of the parade" and created a symbol. "The catastrophic state of Indigenous communities sits in the balance as Canadians ponder which party has the more progressive policies for some future, amorphous 'reconciliation,'" she writes. Plus, Aidan Simardone writes much of the same but about the Liberals' approach to Islamophobia. The Liberals' modus operandi towards Muslims is centred around "fairness," he writes. "It means opposing direct discrimination–hate crimes, slurs and exclusion from the halls of power. Rather than being systemic, it suggests that discrimination is the fault of individuals." The solution to Islamophobia (and to reconciliation) is not found in supplying each group with equal opportunity under capitalism; rather, more radical options are necessary, he writes. Also this week, Kelly Tatham reports from the blockades of Fairy Creek where she is participating in the resistance to and protest of the logging industry cutting back the old-growth forests. Amid increasing police raids, and after witnessing police violence directed to the Black and Indigenous forest defenders, Tatham questions whether any of it is really about the trees anymore–has it ever been? Read her piece to learn about the human cost of Fairy Creek. And, senior politics reporter Karl Nerenberg brings you up to speed on the first parallel look at the five major party leaders' TV performance after Radio-Canada hosted the first such event earlier this week. Jagmeet Singh was surprisingly on top of his game, Nerenberg noted, seeming to give on-top answers in good–if not perfect -- French, and overall giving off an air of amiability. The question remains if he -- as the only party leader who wears a turban -- will be able to overcome the xenophobia he faces in that province. Check out the rest of Nerenberg's analysis at rabble.ca. Candidates to watch This week, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell profiled Vancouver Centre candidate Breen Ouellette. Ouellette, in his second election campaign against long-time incumbent, Liberal Hedy Fry. In 2019, Ouellette managed to come second, nabbing 23.7 per cent of the vote. His career in politics has not been without its challenges, though: Ouellette told Wentzell he has been subjected to repeated violent threats from anti-maskers while out on the campaign trail. Another candidate to watch this week: Libby Davies profiled Kamloops–Thompson -- Cariboo candidate Bill Sundhu, who sees a realistic path to victory in the BC interior. Conservative Cathy Macleod is not running for reelection there, and Sundhu feels there is Conservative fatigue among voters, giving the NDP a shot at taking that seat. Sundhu -- driven by social justice and informed by his own life experiences with racism, disability services, and much else -- wants the people of his riding to know they should expect more from their Member of Parliament. In cahoots Six human rights and environmental groups are requesting precautionary measures for activists opposed to the Escobal mine in Guatemala, according to Mining Watch Canada. We can't forget: this weekend is Labour Day! UFCW Canada wants to remind you that as we recover from COVID-19, we must ensure that we do not return to the status quo. Worker's rights are a big part of that, as we've seen from this pandemic. Now for our top five headlines, all of which you can find at rabble.ca. 1.    Stephen Wentzell: Student voters decry suspension of Vote on Campus program 2.    Bruce Campbell: Climate crisis cannot be separated from extreme wealth inequality 3.    David Climenhaga: No media welcome: Jason Kenney reappears to answer curated questions on Facebook Live 4.    Yves Engler: Afghanistan and the failure of Canadian 'aid' 5.    David Suzuki: IPCC report could be a legal game-changer for climate THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg.  END NOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage -- including some fantastic, in-depth policy analysis, more candidates to watch, and some radical opinions -- at rabble.ca.

Part 2 of why Libby Davies isn't cynical: she shares with reporter Jenny Tan Mei Xi her step-by-step guide to making political change. With stories from 5 decades of making change.

Jodie Emery, aka the Princess of Pot, is 35-year-old public speaker, political activist and business owner. She was born and raised in Kamloops, BC and graduated from St. Michael's University School in Victoria. In 2004 Jodie, moved to Vancouver to work with the famous activist Marc Emery, and became editor of Cannabis Culture Magazine in early 2005. Marc and here got married on July 23rd, 2006. Jodie has participated in numerous conferences and activist events in Canada and the United States, including legalization ballot initiatives in California and Washington in 2010 & 2012; IdeaCity in June 2012, 2014 and 2015; the New Hampshire Liberty Forum in February 2012; the Boston Freedom Rally in 2012 and 2013; the Canadian Investor Conference in 2014; and many more. In 2009, she represented the BC Green Party in Vancouver-Fraserview for the provincial election and was appointed as the Olympic Critic and Policing & Crime Critic. The riding became a "high-profile" race with significant media attention, and where she ran for the BC Green Party again in the 2013 provincial election in Vancouver-West End. Jodie spent 2014 running to be the Liberal Party of Canada candidate in Vancouver East, another high-profile campaign when incumbent Libby Davies retired. She managed to generate months of cross-country media profiles, interviews and discussion about marijuana legalization. Jodie's Op-Eds have been published in the Huffington Post and National Post, and dozens of letters printed in newspapers. She's been interviewed and featured on various TV, radio, newsprint, and in documentary films. From 2013-2015 she made regular weekly appearances on Global TV's "BC1" to discuss the news. When her, now ex-husband, Marc was extradited to the United States in May 2010, Jodie became owner and operator of their store, vapor lounges and media offices in downtown Vancouver. 

Libby Davies has been a social activist for 45 plus years and began as a community organizer in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in 1972. She was elected to Vancouver City Council for 5 consecutive terms, 1982-1993. As the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East for six consecutive terms, 1997-2015, she became NDP House Leader, (2003-2011) and Deputy Leader (2007-2015). Libby has been an outspoken advocate for human rights, housing, peace, and social justice throughout her political life. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2016, and invested to the Order in May 2018, and received the City of Vancouver Civic Merit Award in November 2018. Libby was appointed to the board of governors of Vancouver Community College and serves as Vice Chair. She is also a board member and Vice Chair of the Portland Hotel Community Services Society (PHS). Libby was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East in 1997. She was re-elected in November 2000, June 2004, January 2006, October 2008, and most recently in May 2011. Libby was also the Official Opposition Spokesperson for Health and the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Health from May 2011 until January 2015. She was Deputy Leader of the federal NDP from 2007-2015. Libby also served as the NDP House Leader from 2003 to March 2011. After serving 6 terms, and 18 years, as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, Libby did not run in the 2015 general federal election. As a Parliamentarian, Libby was Co-Chair of the HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis Caucus, an all-party parliamentary caucus which involved parliamentarians in national and international efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and improve the lives of those living with these diseases. She was a key player in global parliamentary efforts around health and HIV/AIDS, serving as the Chair of Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU), Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS and Maternal and Child Health. Her history as a strong community activist for Vancouver began over 45 years ago. She and her late partner, Bruce Eriksen, were key figures in the formation of the Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association (DERA) in 1973. In 10 years of community organizing, Libby developed her strong grassroots approach to working with people and diverse communities. In 1982, Libby was elected to Vancouver City Council and served 5 consecutive terms. She became involved in every community issue; from protecting community services to developing affordable housing, fighting for parks and working for the elimination of poverty. In her capacity as a Vancouver City Councillor, Libby also served on the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD); now know as Metro Vancouver, and the Vancouver Public Library Board. From 1994 to 1997, Libby worked with the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) serving in the role of Ombudsperson for Human Rights, Complaints Investigator, and Coordinator of Human Resources. As the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, Libby provided a strong voice for Vancouver East. She consistently raised issues of concern to her constituents in Parliament, including: community safety; the need for a national childcare program; and affordable and accessible post-secondary education. Libby was a tireless advocate in Parliament for a national housing program, and successfully forced federal governments to address this basic human right. Libby’s community office helped hundreds of residents with federal government matters such as immigration, student loans, employment insurance, taxation, pensions, and Aboriginal affairs. Follow Us: Instagram: www.instagram.com/crossborderpodcast/ Twitter: twitter.com/CrossBorderPod Facebook : www.facebook.com/CrossBorderInterviewPodcast/ Website: www.crossborderinterviews.ca/ Cross Border Interviews is owned by Miranda, Brown & Associates Inc.

an Mei Xi/ Vancouver Co-op Radio - In a time when many have felt hopeless, Libby Davies is anything but. The former MP of Vancouver East of 18 years told The PULSE that she believes every group, no matter how marginalized, can “absolutely” make change. "People know what needs to be done. The hard part is knowing how to do it," says Davies, in the podcast above. "Libby Davies is one of Canada's leading advocates for social justice. She was known for her principled yet collegial approach to important but often contentious issues as a community activist, a Vancouver city councillor and, subsequently, a long-serving member of Parliament. Throughout her 18 years in the House of Commons, she provided leadership and continuity during a tumultuous period in our political history. She gave a voice to the voiceless on such issues such as the plight of thalidomide survivors, LGBTQ rights, affordable housing, missing and murdered women, and safe injection sites - Governor General of Canada She points to many wins for the neighbourhood during her decades as an elected representative, including the successful opening of Insite, North America's first supervised drug injection site. Davies said that a tip she would offer advocates is to persevere. Political change is an inherently slow process, said Davies, but a concerted effort over time will yield change.

Former Vancouver East MP Libby Davies shared her step-by-step guide to making political change.

On a new episode of the LB podcast host Chris Markevich talks about the upcoming April NDP Convention with the Courage Coalition, reviews the NDP's record on Palestinian rights with former MPs Svend Robinson and Libby Davies and unpacks the trouble with the IHRA definition of anti-semitism with CJPME's Michael Bueckert. Support the show and read the blog and detailed show notes at https://www.lbpodcast.ca/blog/to-the-ndp-with-love Find out more about Bueckert's work with Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East at https://www.cjpme.org/ Read the NDP's party constitution at https://xfer.ndp.ca/2020/documents/NDP%20Constitution%20-%202018%20%282020%29.pdf Support Canada's left podcast community at https://harbingermedianetwork.com/

On a new episode of the LB podcast host Chris Markevich talks about the upcoming April NDP Convention with the Courage Coalition, reviews the NDP's record on Palestinian rights with former MPs Svend Robinson and Libby Davies and unpacks the trouble with the IHRA definition of anti-semitism with CJPME's Michael Bueckert.Support the show and read the blog and detailed show notes at https://www.lbpodcast.ca/blog/to-the-ndp-with-loveFind out more about Bueckert's work with Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East at https://www.cjpme.org/Read the NDP's party constitution at https://xfer.ndp.ca/2020/documents/NDP%20Constitution%20-%202018%20%282020%29.pdfSupport Canada's left podcast community at https://harbingermedianetwork.com/

David P Ball/ Vancouver Coop Radio - Author of the memoir 'Outside In' and upcoming fiction book talks about the 40th anniversary of saving the Carnegie Centre as a DTES "community hub" The Downtown Eastside has for decades been a site not only of poverty and struggle, but also "resilience" and successful community organizing, says Libby Davies. And the former Member of Parliament hopes the community can remember to celebrate and honour the successes and victories over the years as the struggle continues. That's particularly true as demands for reforms and solutions to the neighbourhoods multiple crises gain urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a growing number of media reports focusing on violence, desperation and injustice. Former Vancouver-East member of Parliament Libby Davies talked about decades of organizing history marking the 40th anniversary of how the community rallied to save the Carnegie Centre from closure, turning it into a vibrant neighbourhood hub to this day. Davies was an early organizer with the since-defunct DTES Residents Association (DERA), which was shuttered following financial scandals in the 2000s, with some of its operations resurfacing as the Portland Hotel Society. Davies shared some of the history of organization in the DTES with The Pulse on CFRO, about her upcoming book, and crediting the decades of activism and leadership shown by groups such as the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users and the Women's Memorial March Committee, among many others.

Libby Davies, former Vancouver East MP & DTES organizer, talks about the 40-year anniversary of saving the Carnegie Centre for the community

Libby Davies, former Vancouver East MP & DTES organizer, talks about the 40-year anniversary of saving the Carnegie Centre for the community

A podcast version of rabble.ca's May 5 webinar featuring moderator Libby Davies, parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg and guests.

How do minority governments form? How will your MP represent you in Ottawa? In this week's episode of Democracy Watch, UBC political science professor Kathryn Harrison gives a federal election primer and former Vancouver city councillor and NDP MP, Libby Davies, talks about her new book and her experience as a rabble rouser running for city hall in the 1970s-80s.

Chapter 1

Former NDP MP, Libby Davies, joins the Simi Sara Show this holiday Monday to talk about her newly-published memoir, Outside In.   Guest: Libby Davies Author of Outside In Former NDP MP

Libby Davies recounts a particularly turbulent time in her career as an MP, in which a 'media' ambush turned her support for Palestine into a political football. Davies is presenting her revealing memoir "Outside In," about her personal life and political career, on Sunday June 9. Davies' book is an example of the challenges and struggles faced by trailblazing activists, and the attempts to improve NDP positions on foreign policy and other issues.

Libby Davies recounts a particularly turbulent time in her career as an MP, in which a 'media' ambush turned her support for Palestine into a political football. Davies is presenting her revealing memoir "Outside In," about her personal life and political career, on Sunday June 9. Davies' book is an example of the challenges and struggles faced by trailblazing activists, and the attempts to improve NDP positions on foreign policy and other issues.

Chapter 1

Former NDP MP, Libby Davies, joins the Simi Sara Show this holiday Monday to talk about her newly-published memoir, Outside In.   Guest: Libby Davies Author of Outside In Former NDP MP

Libby Davies represented the federal riding of Vancouver East for six terms. Before that she spent 11 years as a Vancouver city councillor. Throughout her almost three decades in elected office, Libby remained committed to the issues that drew her into politics as a community organizer in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We invited Libby down to our studios to talk about Outside In, her new political memoir of her life in public service.

Libby Davies represented the federal riding of Vancouver East for six terms. Before that she spent 11 years as a Vancouver city councillor. Throughout her almost three decades in elected office, Libby remained committed to the issues that drew her into politics as a community organizer in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We invited Libby down to our studios to talk about Outside In, her new political memoir of her life in public service.

With the federal election just six months away, new candidates are putting their names forward to run. And some familiar names we've seen during many campaigns have assessed their future and decided it's time to move on to the next phase of their lives. Either way, it's a hard decision. Libby Davies knows firsthand what it's like to make that choice.  In 2015, she decided to retire from her position as member of Parliament for Vancouver East after six consecutive terms. Her career in politics and her life in activism goes back a long way. She's been a social activist for over 40 years, beginning as a community organizer in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in 1972. She was elected to Vancouver City Council for 5 consecutive terms, 1982-1993. She became the member of Parliament for Vancouver East for six consecutive terms, 1997-2015, also serving as the NDP House Leader, (2003-2011) and Deputy Leader (2007-2015). Libby has been an outspoken advocate for human rights, housing, peace, and social justice throughout her political life. She has written a new book called Outside In – A Political Memoir where she explores her life as a politician and as a fighter for equality and justice for some of the most vulnerable people in our country. She spoke to rabble podcast executive producer Victoria Fenner about her new book and thoughts about her life in politics. Libby Davies is beginning her book tour next week on May 15 at 7 p.m. at the Centre for Social Innovation at 192 Spadina Avenue. She'll be returning to Vancouver for a book reading and signing on May 22 at SFU's Harbour Centre. She'll also be coming to Winnipeg, Ottawa, Hamilton and Mississauga in the upcoming weeks. You can see the schedule here.  Image: Libby Davies Help make rabble sustainable. Please consider supporting our work with a monthly donation. Support rabble.ca today for as little as $1 per month!

Episode 16 features Libby Davies, an activist and former Member of Parliament for Vancouver East. Libby spent the past four decades advocating for the Downtown Eastside community as a grassroots organizer, and an elected representative at the municipal and federal levels. She was also the first publicly out woman to be elected to parliament in Canada. SFU’s Melissa Roach and Jamie-Leigh Gonzales interview Libby about her newly released memoir, “Outside In”, covering her early days of community organizing, her experiences as a woman in politics, and representing her community’s concerns in Ottawa. Read more about “Outside In: A Political Memoir” here: https://libbydavies.ca/ https://www.straight.com/life/1231686/libby-daviess-memoir-outside-tells-grassroots-story-her-journey-downtown-eastside

“The idea of the whole project was to catch seniors before they dropped their clogs.” - Greta Hurst For episode 15 we talked with Greta Hurst about her collecting of queer oral history from older queer folk in Vancouver community through the Generations project. We look at her interview with Libby Davies, activist and former MP, and her own experiences with the queer community through the past decades and being outed in 1956 in Montreal. We also discuss McCarthyism and the politics surrounding that time period. Look out for our next episode where we talk to Ashley D. Cole, the author of the thesis “I just wanted to be who I was”: Documenting Queer Voices in the South. We discuss the struggles of collecting queer oral testimony in the southern regions of the United States and the particularities of this region of testimony. Follow this channel for more great content! Please share, like, and send us feedback about the podcast.

Every province has its own style of electioneering, but B.C. is in a class of its own. Today's program is a look at the issues as we head up to B.C. E-day. The election is on May 9.  We put this show together on Wednesday, May 3. We've got seven days now until e-day, and we know that things can turn on a dime. The interviews you will hear were recorded at the end of last week on April 28. The people you'll hear from today will give you a sense of what the issues are, and the changes that they think need to happen in B.C. 1. Alyse Kotyk  is a writer for rabble.ca, whose work has also appeared in the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Observer. She has also written for Quietly Media, where she completed over 450 pieces about mental health and wellness. Previously, she was the editor of Servants Quarters, a publication with an international audience that highlights reflections by individuals working within urban poor communities. She has also written for onQ magazine, the Queen's University Gazette and for several non-profits. In today's program she talks about her article:  B.C.'s students serve notice to Kinder Morgan and Premier Clark for provincial election. 2. Libby Davies is well known to rabble readers and anyone who follows federal politics. She was a city councillor in Vancouver for many years beginning in the 1980s. She entered federal politics as the NDP member of Parliament for Vancouver East in 1997. She was re-elected in November 2000, June 2004, January 2006, October 2008, and most recently in May 2011. After serving six terms, and 18 years, as the member of Parliament for Vancouver East, Libby did not run in the 2015 general federal election. She is now retired from politics and living in Vancouver. 3. The Current Situation — a sound-rich reflection on B.C. politics by rabble podcast network executive producer Victoria Fenner. She describes the piece as an introduction to the neoliberal politics that date back 30 years. “I moved from Ontario in 1982, a time when the B.C. Socred government was ramming through all kinds of austerity measures. It was a crazy time — Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan had just begun their reigns of error. There was a lot of sabre rattling and fears of nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. During my time in B.C., I learned that B.C. politics and citizen involvement was very different than it was in sedate Ontario which had a Conservative government for 45 years that some would describe as being Red Tory. Not like the conservative governments of today. Though my first introduction to neoliberal politics was shocking, it provided a base from which to understand the neoliberal tide that swept across the country in the 30 years hence. And even more important, B.C. activists taught me how to mobilize through media.” She thanks Vancouver Co-op Radio for her early lessons in activist media and creative radio production. rabble radio is a production of rabble.ca. Hosts: Victoria Fenner and Sophia Reuss. Image:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/markklotz/15794492446 Like this podcast? rabble is reader/listener supported journalism.

32 women have been killed by their partners so far this year. Libby Davies is the CEO of White Ribbon Australia and joined Kayley and Nick on White Ribbon Day.

MPs Elizabeth May, Hedy Fry and Libby Davies take part in the Media Policies for a Democratic Future panel at Media Democracy Day 2011.

How community health centres can improve population health and strengthen the sustainability of health-care systems.

The MP for Vancouver East talks to Tariq Jeeroburkhan about the progress of the drug policy reform movement.