Podcasts about policy alternatives

Forty progressive economists and policy experts gathered in Ottawa in September for an economic summit called Elbows Up: A Practical Program for Canadian Sovereignty. Marc Lee is a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and he was both a presenter and participant in the Summit. We speak with Marc about his takeaways from the summit and the need for Canada to make a generational investment in non-market and public housing.

In episode six of the Courage My Friends' season nine, we welcome impact strategist with Animikii, Indigenous Technology, Jeff Doctor, technology and human rights lawyer with Tekhnos Law and senior fellow with The Citizen Lab, Cynthia Khoo, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood.  We discuss Canada's accelerated approach to artificial intelligence and the mobilization of civil society groups against it, multiple impacts of largely unregulated AI on people, planet and democracy, Indigenous perspectives on data sovereignty and digital colonialism and the meaning of AI beyond the hype. Reflecting on the government's accelerated AI development, Mertins-Kirkwood says: "There's definitely a distinct moment that's happening right now. A particular hype cycle, a push to adopt this current iteration of 'artificial intelligence', whatever that means … The question is why are we doing it. The way that the federal government in particular talks about AI is frankly very ideological … We need to adopt it for its own sake, independent of what that actually means … We're just kind of rushing without having a clear sense of where we're going." On civil society's objection to the "national sprint" consultation on AI, Khoo says: "...As people who are familiar with this field and topic … we're kind of appalled … AI has spread through so many spheres of society, it's not just a tech issue anymore, it's a whatever issue you care about … This 30-day "sprint" with leading language and incredibly narrow scoping from our government, it's frankly embarrassing. And just shows they're not really taking seriously the … empirically demonstrated … harms of AI and what's really at stake for everyone across the country. '" On the subject of data sovereignty, Doctor says: "Every technology has politics, Every technology is a product of its time … And enter this current moment where this magic bean of AI, this bundle of excuses comes together, that, oh we have to extract more, we have to mine more, we have to use more energy. As an Indigenous person this is nothing new to me … Indigenous territories, lands and peoples as sacrifice zones … for the greater good or for national sovereignty … Who's national sovereignty?" About today's guests:  Jeff Doctor is a Cayuga Nation citizen from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. As an Impact Strategist with Animikii, Jeff works with Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island to develop web applications that support their self-determination and digital sovereignty. Jeff also volunteers with Protect the Tract: a Haudenosaunee grassroots project that promotes healthy land stewardship of the Haldimand Tract, and is an artist-in-residence at the University of Toronto as a member of the Akni:ho'gwa:s Artist Collective.Jeff has an MA in sociology and a decade of experience supporting Indigenous data sovereignty from the ground up. His focus is improving practical Indigenous data governance through advocacy, counter-mapping, and building appropriate, ethical software that helps Indigenous Peoples get their land, cash, and data back. Cynthia Khoo is a technology and human rights lawyer at Tekhnos Law, and a senior fellow at the Citizen Lab (University of Toronto). Previously, she was a senior associate at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology in Washington, DC. Cynthia's legal practice, research, and expertise focuses on how the Internet and emerging technologies impact the human rights of historically marginalized groups, in particular their rights to privacy, equality, and freedom of expression. She holds a J.D. from the University of Victoria and LL.M. (Law and Technology) from the University of Ottawa, where she worked as junior counsel at and represented the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) as an intervener in cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood is a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, where he focuses on climate, artificial intelligence and economic policy. Read the OPEN LETTER to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation from civil society organizations and individuals opposing "National Sprint" consultation on AI strategy Individual and Organizations can sign onto the Open Letter, that has been re-opened for signatures, here. Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute.  Image: Cynthia Khoo, Jeff Doctor, Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.  Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)  Courage My Friends podcast organizing committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu. 

Ontario signed a 1-year renewal contract with Ottawa earlier this week, keeping childcare between $19-$22/day. Instead of a 5-year renewal, Provincial Education Minister Paul Calandra wants the federal government to address Ontario's $2 billion shortfall, or else daily fees for families will increase. Meantime, Ontario's Auditor General said Ontario wasn't meeting it's ECE staffing targets, nor was it building enough spaces to satisfy the 5.9 : 10 ratio requirement set out by Ottawa.Host Maria Kestane speaks to David Macdonald, Senior Economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to discuss their recent report on childcare deserts across the country, and how close Ontario is to lowering the average childcare price to $10/day. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Stefan interviews Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, about Carney's first federal budget. They discuss its focus on military spending, services cuts, tax cuts, and lack of a climate plan.

Josh Smee, CEO of Food First N.L.; Russell Williams, MUN political science professor; David Macdonald, senior economist with Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; Darrelle Bennett, whose family owns a couple of convenience stores in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

In 2019, the Canadian government recognized housing as a fundamental human right through the National Housing Strategy Act; however, in the years that have followed, housing affordability has only worsened for low- to moderate-income households. While this Act requires the federal government to address homelessness and core housing need, Canadian housing policies continue to benefit primarily those seeking profit and returns on investment. In this second episode, host Sarah Rowe is joined by lawyer Michèle Biss, Executive Director of the National Right to Housing Network, and political economist Ricardo Tranjan, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Together, they discuss the impact of financialization and the importance of implementing both social housing and rent controls to ensure that our housing system protects the most vulnerable.   Guest Michèle Biss, Executive Director, National Right to Housing Network Ricardo Tranjan, Ph.D., Senior Researcher, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Host Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel, Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ)   SERIES OVERVIEW Left Out in the Cold A podcast series from CIAJ's In All Fairness channel Over the past several years, housing has emerged as a hot-button issue in Canadian discourse. How is affordability defined? Why are Indigenous peoples more likely to lack adequate housing? Is housing policy adequately addressing accessibility needs? Left Out in the Cold aims to answer these and other questions over the course of this series. Hosted by Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel at CIAJ, this series features conversations with legal and policy experts and community advocates on issues facing the Canadian housing sector. Each episode balances conversations about high-level legislative frameworks with the on-the-ground realities of everyday Canadians. Join us in these conversations as we try to root out the causes of housing insecurity in this country. Episode 1 | Left Out in the Cold – Barriers to Adequate Housing and How Indigenous Housing Organizations are Filling the Gaps (Guests: Justin Marchand & Margaret Pfoh) Episode 2 | Left Out in the Cold – Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings (Guests: Michèle Biss & Ricardo Tranjan)  

 Simon Enoch from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives joins me to talk about how neoliberalism reshaped Canadian policy and what privatization has done to public services. We cover the rise of corporate think tanks, the loss of economic democracy, and why evidence-based policy still matters.Links:https://www.policyalternatives.ca/ https://bsky.app/profile/simonenoch.bsky.social https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

Donald Trump's tariff threats and insistence that Canada become the 51st state have put the issue of national sovereignty firmly on the agenda. It seems obvious that one of the clearest routes to protect Canada now and in the future is to reduce our economic dependence on the United States. One idea that's been floated is a plan to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to Atlantic Canada. We speak with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, who says what Canada needs is an east-west electricity grid.

This week, we continue our conversation about the evolving landscape of education in Canada—this time, in post-secondary education.  Labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with David Robinson, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, to discuss the importance of academic freedom and why a strong, well-funded public post-secondary system is essential—not just for Canada's economy, but for the well-being of its society as a whole. About our guest  David Robinson is the executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and has served as a senior consultant on higher education, copyright and international trade issues to EI for the past several years. Prior to joining CAUT, David was the senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canada's leading progressive think-tank. He has also been a lecturer at Simon Fraser University and at Carleton University.  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's episode is a feed swap with Aborsh – A podcastabout abortion in Canada, by playwright and podcaster Rachel Cairns.What do abortion and housing have in common? Well, they areboth recognized as human rights by the UN and multiple other international organizations and agreements. But you wouldn't necessarily know it from living in Canada as the ongoing housing crisis locks people into unaffordable living situations. In this episode, Rachel explores the gendered impacts of the housing affordability crisis and how it impacts reproductive decisions, with insights from the Women's National Housing and Homelessness Network, the National Right to Housing Network, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Talks of interprovincial trade barriers continue after Alberta and Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding to ease trade restrictions, but a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives argues the barriers to trade are "significantly overstated," characterizing the push to ease interprovincial trade to be "largely political theatre." Michele Cadario, executive vice-president of Rubicon Strategies, joins the show as we ask viewers what B.C. would have to sacrifice in order to break down trade barriers.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, founder & chief equity officer, Women in Governance and Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster on The Big 5. A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warns that the Liberal government’s plan to save $13 billion annually by 2028–29 through “increased efficiency” would amount to a 24% cut in public service spending, mostly targeting non-defence departments. Residents in a Laval neighbourhood are raising concerns over a neighbour whose front yard has become a dumb site. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has reversed its stance and now allows the use of the English word “Go” to cheer for sports teams, although it still prefers “Allez.

The Carney government has pledged to balance federal operational spending to get a handle on the national debt and deficit. Carney says this can be done by 'capping' the public service. But a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warns there could be deep service cuts coming. Guest host Tim Powers speaks with report author David MacDonald. On todays show: The heads of Canada's big auto makers met with Prime Minister Carney on Wednesday to discuss the impacts of the trade war on the sector. Tim speaks with Brian Kingston, President and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, about the meeting. Duane Bratt, a Political Scientist at Mount Royal University, explains how two former UCP MLAs want to revive the old Alberta PC Party. The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy had some strong words for Canada's Prime Minister following this month's NATO summit. He explains why he's being so critical of Carney's approach to dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump. The Daily Debrief Panel with Laura Stone, Robert Benzie, and Mike Le Couteur. Jack Jedwab, President of the Association for Canadian Studies, joins the show to discuss their latest round of polling, and how Canadians are feeling about America this July 4th.

In this episode, we're joined by Ricardo Tranjan, political economist and author of The Tenant Class (2023). Ricardo's work reframes housing—not as a temporary crisis—but as a long-standing, for-profit system that deliberately extracts wealth from tenants to enrich landlords, developers, and investors. Ricardo dismantles the conventional supply‑and‑demand narrative embraced by policymakers and the real estate industry—where building more is assumed to bring prices to "equilibrium"—showing instead how incentives for private developers can fuel speculation and steadily drive prices out of reach, all while wages stagnate or grow at a slower rate than inflation. He argues that the very frame of housing as a technical problem obscures its political dimensions: the pressure should be on collective tenant power, class solidarity—especially strong partnerships with labor unions—and moving beyond for-profit delivery models toward universal housing security. Ricardo Tranjan works at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Previously, he managed the City of Toronto's Poverty Reduction Strategy Office and taught in universities in Ontario and Quebec.His early academic work focused on the political economy of development in Brazil, his native country. His current research and commentary focus on Ontario public finances, and the economics of social policy, especially income supports, education, and rental housing. His book, The Tenant Class, published by Between the Lines in 2023, has become a national bestseller.Important Resources:​The Tenant Class;​High Rises and Housing Stress;​Vancouver Tenants Union; ​Syndicat de Locataires (MTL);​Toronto housing rights FAQ; https://yellowheadinstitute.org/2025/04/16/alternative-approach-to-economic-development-in-inuit-nunangat/​

B.C.'s minimum wage now sits at $17.85 per hour after the province mandated an increase of 45 cents. Marc Lee, a senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Cory Redekop, the CEO of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, discuss the impact of the increase as we ask viewers if it is enough.

President Donald Trump's trade threats and tariffs have brought uncertainty to markets worldwide. Canada has responded with its own counter tariffs. Should Ontarians expect to pay more at the grocery store? And is there a risk that companies could exploit the chaos and bump up sticker prices regardless? We discuss with Stuart Trew, director of the Trade and Investment Research Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; Mike von Massow, food economist and professor at the University of Guelph; Karl Littler, senior vice-president of public affairs at the Retail Council of Canada; and Tu Nguyen, economist and director of environmental, social, and governance for RSM Canada.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada Post says it has received a strike notice from the union representing 55,000 postal workers, with workers planning a walkout on Friday. David MacDonald from the Centre for Policy Alternatives joins the show to discuss what this means for the Canadian economy as we ask viewers what can be done to avert the strike.

Ontario used to brag about our world class health care system… Now, a damning new report found that Ontario has the lowest hospital spending per capita in the country, citing a parasitic cycle of lack of funding and over reliance on private hospital staffing agencies. Between 2013 and 2023, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that Ontario's hospital staff hiring increased by 6% , whereas hiring from private staffing agencies rose 98%. This report (linked below) is a warning bell that should be resounding across Ontario right now, with the needs of our aging population out-surging the capacity of our over-worked healthcare system. We don't like to talk about taxes, but we also need to ask ourselves what we are willing to pay for quality of care. Plus, increased hospital spending on private staff in turn makes care costs higher for patients and taxpayers.In Episode 141 of the Bill Kelly podcast, the host discusses the critical state of healthcare in Ontario, focusing on the financial implications of staffing shortages and the reliance on private agencies. The conversation highlights the need for increased investment in healthcare to ensure quality care for patients, while also addressing the challenges faced by nurses and the healthcare system as a whole. The episode concludes with a call to action for taxpayers to engage in discussions about healthcare funding and quality.Become a YouTube channel member to hear Bill's stories and life lessons from 50+ years as a broadcast journalist in his members-only series, MORAL OF THE STORY: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeUbzckOLocFzNeY1D72iCA/joinDon't forget to like, follow and subscribe across our channels! Thank you.Listen to The Bill Kelly Podcast everywhere: https://kite.link/the-bill-kelly-podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBillKellyPodcast/featuredBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thisisbillkelly.bsky.socialFacebook: https://facebook.com/TheBillKellyPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisbillkelly/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisbillkelly/SubStack: billkelly.substack.com/CHAPTERS00:00 The State of Healthcare in Ontario07:09 Staffing Challenges and Financial Implications12:55 The Need for Investment in Healthcare15:22 The Future of Healthcare: A Call to ActionFURTHER READINGHollowed out: Ontario public hospitals and the rise of private staffing agencieshttps://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/hollowed-out/New Study Reveals Ontario Spent $9.2 Billion on For-Profit Staffing Agencies Over 10 Years, Blames Crisis on Underinvestment in Hospitals and Preventative Health Carehttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250512803683/en/New-Study-Reveals-Ontario-Spent-%249.2-Billion-on-For-Profit-Staffing-Agencies-Over-10-Years-Blames-Crisis-on-Underinvestment-in-Hospitals-and-Preventative-Health-CareCCPA urges Ontario to ban use of private staffing agencies for health sectorhttps://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/leadership-succession-planning/ccpa-urges-ontario-to-ban-use-of-private-staffing-agencies-for-health-sector/392479HASHTAGS #BreakingNews #News #Politics #democracy #newsupdate #canadanews #AmericanNews #CanadaElection #canadianpolitics #CanadianNews #podcast #NewsPodcast #PoliticalPodcast #Politics #News #PoliticalNews #BreakingNews #PoliticalCommentary #Election2025 #NewsUpdates #PoliticalDebate #PoliticalInsights #CurrentAffairs #NewsCommentary #PoliticalCommentary #TodayNews #NewsToday #healthcare #Ontario #ONpoli #OntarioCanada #Canada This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit billkelly.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew Longhurst, research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, talked with 980 CFPL's Mike Stubbs about a report that talks about what is happening in London with the increasing reliance on agencies in health care.

The transition off of fossil fuels is important and needs to happen, but it will affect the livelihoods of oil and gas workers and those in fossil fuel dependent communities. How can we make sure the transition is just and people-centred? We spoke with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, a senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Hadrian's work focuses on the social and economic dimensions of Canada's shift toward a zero-carbon economy, including the necessity of a just transition for vulnerable workers and communities across the country. He is a contributor to the CCPA's Trade and Investment Research Project and Alternative Federal Budget. Hadrian holds a MA in Political Economy from Carleton University. Hadrian explains the concept of a people-centred just transition and the challenges Canada will have to overcome to move away from fossil fuels. We also discussed the policies that are needed to help workers transition into new industries, including the need for green industrial policy.   Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

The upcoming federal election calls for a special edition podcast episode! Join Mark Garcia, CTF/FCE Advocacy and Government Relations Coordinator, as he provides an overview of our election campaign, Our Kids. Canada's Future, and a deep dive election analysis. Qui dit élections fédérales dit édition spéciale de notre balado Source! Joignez-vous à Mark Garcia, coordonnateur de l'action politique et des relations avec les gouvernements de la CTF/FCE, qui présentera une vue d'ensemble de la campagne de la CTF/FCE en vue des élections, intitulée Nos enfants. L'avenir du Canada., ainsi qu'une analyse approfondie de la campagne électorale.(Balado en anglais accompagné de liens vers des ressources en anglais et en français) This episode was recorded on April 15, 2025. Cet épisode a été enregistré le 15 avril 2025.Additional Information / Renseignements supplémentaires Our Kids. Canada's Future Toolkit / Nos enfants. L'avenir du Canada. trousse du contenu partageable : https://intheknow-aucourant.ctf-fce.ca/presskits/40727/federal-election-2025-our-kids-canadas-future-elections-federales2025-nos-enfants-lavenir-du-canadaCanadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Alternative federal budget 2025: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/alternative-federal-budget-2025/ Centre canadien de politiques alternatives, Budget fédéral alternatif 2025 : https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/budget-federal-alternatif-2025/Check out 338Canada (https://338canada.com/) to learn more about seat projections for next federal government. Consultez Qc125 Canada (https://qc125.com/canada/) pour connaître les projections relatives aux sièges du prochain gouvernement fédéral. Want to receive the Parliamentary Update in your inbox? Fill out the subscription form to be added to the mailing list. Vous voulez recevoir la Mise à jour parlementaire? Remplissez le formulaire d'abonnement pour ajouter votre adresse courriel à notre liste d'envoi : https://ctf-fce.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f3c958efae9f16378eb44e953&id=3899e296c3  The Source podcast is produced by the CTF/FCE in Ottawa, on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People. / La balado Source est produite à Ottawa, sur le territoire traditionnel non cédé du peuple algonquin anichinabé, par la CTF/FCE. Follow us on social media / Suivez-nous dans les médias sociaux :, Facebook @CTF.FCE, Instagram @ctffce, Bluesky, Twitter @CTFFCEViews expressed do not necessarily represent the policies nor the views of the CTF/FCE. / Les points de vue exprimés dans cet épisode ne représentent pas forcément les principes directeurs ou les points de vue de la CTF/FCE.

In January 2024, shortly after workers in their Laval location had unionized, Amazon announced the closure of its facilities in Quebec. In a most egregious union busting moves, Amazon left 2,000 people out of work and walked away from significant investments in infrastructure to make sure workers wouldn't get a say in their conditions.Jon Milton, Senior Communications Specialist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, shares some of the ways Labour, the community and municipalities are fighting back against Amazon. Jon also has some tactics not yet deployed to 'bring down' this corporate giant AND its exploitive business model.Hosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: Boycott Amazon CanadaRelated Episodes: CUPW Right to Strike was recorded immediately after Canada Post workers were ordered back to work. Its a candid discussion on the state of what's often touted as Canada's strongest union. Another guest from the CCPA, Richard Tranjan, with a discussion on The Tenant ClassMore Resources: Supreme Court Rules Walmart Broke QC Law - Global NewsUnion says Amazon closures in Quebec are an attack on unionization - rabble.caAmazon's Quebec closures are a wake-up call for Canada's labour movement - CCPAHow Quebec and Canada can make Amazon pay for union-busting - CCPAAll of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

A healthy and robust news environment is central to any country's democratic health. However the last sixteen years have not been kind to local news outlets in Canada. Many residents of communities, both big and small, now find themselves living in “news deserts” or “areas of news poverty.” A new report aims to better understand the decline in local news outlets across Canada and to examine what role public-service media could take to tackle local news deprivation. We speak with David Macdonald, one of the authors, and senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

When Trudeau prorogued Parliament 26 bills were binned. Bills are the democratic process made concrete and the laws that they can turn into are the end product of the whole political machine. They decide whether you have the right to die by choice. They decide what you can and cannot say. They tell you whether or not you can go back to work or not because you can or cannot afford to send your kid to daycare. Each bill is the end result of years of campaigning, research, fundraising, debates, and compromise. So, multiply that by 26, then throw it all out.What bills were trashed? Are they gone forever? What should come back and what should stay in the bin?Jesse sorts the trash with conservative pundit and former Communications Director for Pierre Poilievre's leadership campaign, Ginny Roth, as well as Katherine Scott from the Canadian Centre for Political Action, and digital law expert Michael Geist from the University of Ottawa.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Guests: Michael Geist (Law Professor at the University of Ottawa), Katherine Scott ( Senior Researcher, Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives), Ginny Roth (Partner, Crestview Strategy Conservative activist)Fact checking by max collins and Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkSponsors: Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data. Squarespace : Check out https://squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.oxio: Head over to https://canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free!Tofino DistilleryTake a moment and fill out the Canadaland survey here! Your feedback will be immensely helpful to us.If you value this podcast, support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BC Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey tabled the province's 2025 budget on Tuesday this week, the same day that Trump brought in a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. The tariff situation has since changed and will inevitably change again, but the fact remains that the NDP budget was tabled in a world that is dramatically different from when the government was elected just 4 months ago. Finance minister Bailey defended the projected 10.9 billion dollar operating deficit saying it is necessary to respond to U.S. tariffs and not cut essential public services. We speak with Marc Lee, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

As Donald Trump threatens Canada with an economic war, the country's political and business class agree that we have to tear down the barriers to trade across provinces. They claim removing these barriers would reduce prices by 15 percent and add 200 billion dollars to Canada's GDP. Stuart Trew says business lobbyists and right-wing think tanks are exploiting Trump's threats to push their deregulation agenda. Stuart Trew is a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives where he directs the Trade and Investment Research Project.

Donald Trump's tariff threats and insistence that Canada become the 51st state have put the issue of national sovereignty firmly on the agenda. It seems obvious that one of the clearest routes to protect Canada now and in the future is to reduce our economic dependence on the United States. One idea that's been floated is a plan to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to Atlantic Canada. We speak with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, who says what Canada needs is an east-west electricity grid.

Harbinger Showcase is a weekly podcast featuring highlights from Canada's #1 coast-to-coast community of politically and socially progressive podcasts. On this week's episode we explore the historical and political context of Trump's annexation rhetoric and why the Canadian political system is ill-equipped to fight it on THE NORTH STATE, and hear Jacobin columnist Luke Savage in conversation with the Broadbent Institute, Canadian Dimension and the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives on an extra-length excerpt from the inaugural episode of PROGRESSIVE PUBLICS.The Harbinger Media Network includes 80 podcasts focusing on social, economic and environmental justice and featuring journalists, academics and activists on shows like The Breach Show, Tech Won't Save Us, Press Progress Sources & more.Harbinger Showcase is syndicated for community and campus radio and heard every week on CKUT 90.3FM in Montreal, at CFUV 101.9FM in Victoria, on CJUM 101.5FM and CKUW 95.9FM in Winnipeg, at CiTR 101.9FM and CFRO 100.5FM in Vancouver, at CJTM in Toronto and at CJBU 107.3FM in Sydney, Nova Scotia.Find out more about the network, subscribe to the weekly newsletter and support our work at harbingermedianetwork.com.

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

In our season eight premiere, we welcome independent journalist and public historian Taylor C. Noakes, author, political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ricardo Tranjan and welcome back writer, social justice activist and former organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, John Clarke. The group reflects on the current state of progressive politics in Canada, the Liberal legacy and the possibility of a Conservative win. They discuss the need for a new progressive alternative and wonder aloud what this could look like. Reflecting on Canadian political parties, Noakes says: “They are far too established. They have become organizations unto themselves that seek self-preservation above all else … It has essentially prevented them by and large from experiencing the kind of renewal that's necessary to keep political parties vibrant and connected to people in their day-to-day concerns.” Speaking to the rise of political right-wing populism, Clarke says: “People's lives are being thrown into turmoil … But a serious left political alternative is not put before people. And there's no question that the Right is presenting alternatives, hateful, hateful alternatives and pseudo solutions … There's a great deal of anger that can take very positive directions, but there's also within a minority of the population a mood of reactionary rage.” According to Tranjan: “[W]hat would bring really [a] breathe of fresh air here is if we have a political formation, that is a vehicle for social movements for community organizations for the share of the workforce that does not benefit from being part of a union from those groups that are not now represented in the day-to-day claptrap of policy debate." About today's guests:  John Clarke is a writer and activist who became involved in anti-poverty organizing in the 1980s, when he helped to form a union of unemployed workers in London, Ontario. In 1990, he became an organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and stayed in this role until 2019 when he became Packer Visitor in Social Justice at York University. Taylor C. Noakes is an independent journalist and public historian from Montreal.  Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, frequent media commentator in English and French, and author of two books, including the national bestseller The Tenant Class.                                                               Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute or here.  Image: Taylor C. Noakes, John Clarke, Ricardo Tranjan  / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.    Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)  Courage My Friends Podcast Organizing Committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu. 

Guest: Iglika Ivanova, Senior Economist at the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives' BC Branch and Lead Author of the Study Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

-Why is mental health in BC getting worse? Guest: Jonny Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association of BC -What's driving up BC's liveable wage? Guest: Iglika Ivanova, Senior Economist at the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives' BC Branch and Lead Author of the Study -What caused the laughter epidemic of 1962? Guest: Dr. Christian Hempelmann, Professor of Computational Linguistics in the Department of Literature and Languages at East Texas A&M University -Why should we all become experts at something? Guest: Hannah Poikonen, Neuroscientist and Researcher at ETH Zurich (public university in Zurich) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Universities have faced steep and sustained public funding cutbacks and have adapted by changing the way that they operate. What are the consequences of the de facto privatization of universities for students, researchers, and society? In this episode, we talk to Randy Robinson, Ontario Director for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and co-author of Back from the Brink, a report that explores public funding cuts in Ontario universities. Randy describes the deep provincial funding cuts that have led Ontario universities to hike tuition, especially for international students, while making university jobs more precarious and less permanent. We discuss how this is changing the student experience, reducing research capacity, and hollowing out communities. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Sky-high rents, low vacancy rates and fierce competition for scarce homes have become the grim but familiar picture of housing in the Vancouver area. But this housing crisis does not affect us all equally. A new research project by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives will dig deep into how the crisis impacts immigrants, and racialized and Indigenous people. We speak with researcher Véronique Sioufi.

Harbinger Showcase is a weekly podcast featuring highlights from Canada's #1 coast-to-coast community of politically and socially progressive podcasts.On this week's episode we introduce Citizen's Assemblies on PULLBACK, unpack the crackdown on the Palestine solidarity movement in Canada on THE BREACH SHOW, and examine socialism or barbarism with the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives on THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR and discuss if it's possible to like hockey from the left on the ALBERTA ADVANTAGE.The Harbinger Media Network includes 77 podcasts focusing on social, economic and environmental justice and featuring journalists, academics and activists on shows like The Breach Show, Tech Won't Save Us, Press Progress Sources & more.Harbinger Showcase is syndicated for community and campus radio and heard every week on CKUT 90.3FM in Montreal, at CFUV 101.9FM in Victoria, on CJUM 101.5FM and CKUW 95.9FM in Winnipeg, at CiTR 101.9FM and CFRO 100.5FM in Vancouver, at CJTM in Toronto and at CJBU 107.3FM in Sydney, Nova Scotia.Financial support on this episode is courtesy of THE ALBERTA ADVANTAGE. Find out more about Calgary's #1 podcast albertaadvantagepod.com.Find out more about the network, subscribe to the weekly newsletter and support our work at harbingermedianetwork.com.

For our last election bonus, we dip into the sexiest of ballot issues: deficits and taxes. Our guest is Marc Lee, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in BC. Deficits and medical budgets are ballooning across Canada, as there are fewer workers to support more and more retiring baby boomers. How do BC parties propose to balance spending and revenue, while meeting the needs of both young and old British Columbians? To learn more, check out our BC Voters Guide! Please note that we recorded this interview shortly before the Conservative Party of BC released its costed platform, so the Voters Guide has our most up-to-date analysis and report card on deficits.

If you live in British Columbia, and you care about equality and social justice, you probably have many conversations in week about how unaffordable housing is becoming. Economists at the BC office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives have examined this issue and have come forward with a multi-pronged approach to tackle the problem. We speak with senior economist Marc Lee.

We recently released an episode about a woman in Hamilton, Ontario who unwittingly became a landlord after the tenants in a house she intended to move into, refused to leave. Today we're revisiting an episode from 2023 that highlights the other side of that equation: the plight of renters in an increasingly unaffordable housing market. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rent in large Canadian cities is at ridiculous highs. It's hard to find a decent apartment. and sometimes even harder to keep it. Landlords can afford to neglect their buildings because units are so scarce, and what options do tenants have, exactly? Leave?! Stop paying rent?!Well, yes, there are several rent strikes happening in Canada right now, mostly in Toronto. Some of them are closing in on six months or more. Evictions have been long-threatened, but slow to happen. Nor have the tenants received any concession or negotiation, even when the mayor stepped in. So what are rent strikes, how do they work, and what should you know about a renter's "last resort"?GUEST: Ricardo Tranjan, Senior Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; author of The Tenant Class We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

As many Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans struggle to buy groceries and pay bills, a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is revealing another piece of the puzzle. It says that 30 per cent of Atlantic Canadians make less than 20 dollars an hour. The co-author of the study, Christine Saulnier, joined us on the line this morning to talk about it. She's the Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Nova Scotia.

A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says one-third of Atlantic Canadian workers earn $20 an hour or less. The report also says, contrary to common beliefs, that most of those workers are not students or young people. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with one of the report's co-authors Christine Saulnier.

On Wednesday the Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate for the first time in four years, after months spent at a 20-plus year high. The cut was just a quarter-point, but it could be a signal that easier economic times are on the way for millions of Canadians struggling with servicing their debt.So what does this latest cut mean right now, and what might it mean in the future? And is this the start of a trend, or could the bank decide to walk it back later this year?GUEST: David, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' National Office We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Seth Klein, Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit, a 5-year project of the David Suzuki Institute that Seth launched in early 2021. Am and Seth discuss how he and his team are working to mobilise Canada for the climate emergency, including their latest project evaluating how the CBC reports on climate. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/241-seth-klein.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/241-seth-klein.html Resources: Seth Klein: https://www.sethklein.ca/ Climate Emergency Unit: https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/ A Good War: https://ecwpress.com/collections/books/products/a-good-war CBC Climate Emergency Campaign: https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/cbc-climate-emergency-campaign Bio: Seth Klein is the Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit (a 5-year project of the David Suzuki Institute that Seth launched in early 2021). Prior to that, he served for 22 years (1996-2018) as the founding British Columbia Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a public policy research institute committed to social, economic and environmental justice. He is the author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency (published by ECW press in 2020) and writes a regular column for Canada's National Observer. He is an adjunct professor with Simon Fraser University's Urban Studies program, an honorary research associate with the University of British Columbia's School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, and remains a research associate with the CCPA's BC Office. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “The Politics of Climate Emergency Mobilization — with Seth Klein.” Below the Radar, SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 7, 2024. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/241-seth-klein.html.

Today for my podcast, I read Precaratize Bosses, a recent essay from my Pluralistic.net newsletter. I recorded this on a day when I was home between book-tour stops (I’m out with my new techno crime-thriller, The Bezzle). Catch me this Thursday (May 2) in Winnipeg with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, then in Calgary... more

The federal government's been rolling out a stream of new measures on housing and renting, leading up to its budget this week. The new announcements have economists excited, and also concerned. We're joined by a political economist with Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives.

Krissy speaks with political science professor Russell Williams about a new series of recommendations from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives about having a higher minimum wage in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released its Report Card on Child & Family Poverty in Nova Scotia on Tuesday. It says 35,330 kids in the province experienced poverty in 2021, or 20.5 per cent. That's up from 18.4 per cent in 2020. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with one of the authors of the report, Acadia University professor Lesley Frank.

Experts predict the Bank of Canada will begin to lower interest rates later this year—just not Wednesday when it held the rate flat. But as inflation has slowed in many areas, it's created an interesting problem for the bank and a troubling one for many Canadians.One of the main factors driving inflation right now is the cost of shelter—otherwise known as rising rents and mortgage costs. Those increases are driven by ... the high interest rates the bank is waiting to lower.  The BoC wants to follow through on its "soft landing" by taking a cautious approach to lowering rates. But by waiting too long, are they courting disaster for millions of Canadians trying to make their monthly home payments?GUEST: David Macdonald, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' National Office We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

EPISODE 1905: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Gerard Epstein, author of BUSTING THE BANKERS' CLUB, about why bankers represents both the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of American capitalism and how to create a more equitable financial system for the rest of usGerald Epstein is Professor of Economics and a founding Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He received his PhD in Economics from Princeton University in 1981. Epstein has written articles on numerous topics including financial crisis and regulation, alternative approaches to central banking for employment generation and poverty reduction, economists' ethics and capital account management and capital flows and the political economy of financial markets and institutions. Most recently his research has focused on the impacts of financialization (Gerald Epstein, ed. Financialization and the World Economy, Elgar Press, 2005), alternatives to inflation targeting (Gerald Epstein and Erinc Yeldan, eds. Beyond Inflation Targeting: Assessing the Impacts and Policy Alternatives, Elgar Press, 2009.) and financial reform, and the Great Financial Crisis (Martin Wolfson and Gerald Epstein, eds.) The Handbook of The Political Economy of Financial Crises, Oxford, 2013. He is writing a book in connection with an INET project on the social inefficiency of the current financial system and approaches to financial restructuring. His book, Busting the Bankers' Club: Finance for the Rest of Us, University of California Press will soon appear.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.

Rent in large Canadian cities is at ridiculous highs. It's hard to find a decent apartment. and sometimes even harder to keep it. Landlords can afford to neglect their buildings because units are so scarce, and what options do tenants have, exactly? Leave?! Stop paying rent?!Well, yes, there are several rent strikes happening in Canada right now, mostly in Toronto. Some of them are closing in on six months or more. Evictions have been long-threatened, but slow to happen. Nor have the tenants received any concession or negotiation, even when the mayor stepped in. So what are rent strikes, how do they work, and what should you know about a renter's "last resort"?GUEST: Ricardo Tranjan, Senior Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; author of The Tenant Class

Summary Federal law requires that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain illegal border-crossers pending the completion of their cases. Despite this detention mandate, the Biden administration has been releasing hundreds of thousands of aliens on “Alternatives to Detention” (ATD), where they are monitored via ankle bracelets, GPS tracking, or the SmartLINK app. ATD effectiveness […]